A Short Word Infused With Meaning

Judah approached him and said, “Please (be), my master, allow your servant to say something to my master without getting angry with your servant since you are like Pharaoh himself.                Genesis 44:18

         The English translation follows the ancient Aramaic translations of Onkelos and Yonatan ben Uziel, however, Midrash Sechel Tov understands the word “be” in its alternate meaning: “in me,” and understands Judah to be telling the viceroy of Egypt “the matter is dependent upon me.” Rather than asking the viceroy’s permission to speak, Judah informed him that the reason of the eleven brothers, it is he approached to speak is that he had guaranteed the safe return of Benjamin.

            Adding slightly to Sechel Tov, Alshikh suggests that Judah informed the viceroy that “this sin is on me,” that is, since the brothers sold Joseph at Judah’s suggestion, [Genesis 36:26-27] he is responsible for the chain of events which brought about the arrest of Benjamin.

            In a similar vein, Kli Yakar comments:

Judah approached the viceroy as a penitent confessing his sins, and said “It is upon me, my master, the sin which we believe to be the reason for the recent events, is upon me more than my brothers.”

            Kli Yakar’s comment fits that of Sechel Tov, since it was Judah’s feeling of responsibility which brought him to guarantee Benjamin’s return.       

            Based on this understanding of the word “be,” Judah accepted personal responsibility for his actions, an approach he adopted in the matter of Tamar, when Judah publicly stated: “She is more righteous than I.” [Genesis 38:26]

       Lest we think that Judah’s acceptance of personal responsibility is inconsequential, our Sages taught that it was because of this that Judah merited the World to Come, [Babylonian Talmud, Sota 7b] and even more:

Rabbi Ḥanin bar Bizna says, quoting Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida, Joseph, who sanctified God’s name in private, merited having one letter of God’s name added to his own name, as the verse states:”He ordained it as a testimony to Joseph” (spelled “Yehoseph,” with the letter “hei” of the Tetragrammaton added) [Psalms 82:6]; Judah, who sanctified God’s name in public, merited being called entirely by God’s name (all four letters of the Tetragrammaton are included within Judah’s name. ibid. 10b

            Similarly, our Sages taught that because Judah accepted responsibility, “God appointed him as a prince [Shemot Rabba 30:19] and “through them (Judah and Tamar) He established kings in this world and the redeemer for the World to Come, who is the Messianic king.” [Breishit Rabbati, Parashat vaYeshev, 181]

            A short word infused with great meaning!

Expressing Love for the Land

The great Sages would kiss the borders of Eretz Yisrael, kiss its stones, and roll in its dust. Similarly, the verse states: “For Your servants hold her stones dear and cherish her dust.” [Psalms 102:15]                     Maimonides Laws of Kings 5:10

            Maimonides’ source is the stories related in the Babylonian Talmud at the end of Tractate Ketubot:

Rabbi Abba would kiss the rocks of Akko … Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda would roll in the dust of the Land, as it is stated: “For Your servants hold her stones dear and cherish her dust.”                   Ketubot 112b

              Rabbi Eliezer Melamed expresses surprise that Maimonides included the stories of the “Great Sages” in his halachic work, since “their apparent place is in works of morals.” Rabbi Melamed explains that Maimonides intention is to teach that it is not sufficient to “live within the Land and understand its value and virtues, one must also love our good and holy Land.” That is, the stories in fact convey a practical halacha.

              Rabbi Yehuda haLevi concludes his philosophical magnum opus by stressing the practical implication of the verse from Psalms:

It is written: “You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her- the appointed time has come. For Your servants hold her stones dear and cherish her dust.” [Psalms 102:14-15] This means that Jerusalem can only be rebuilt when Israel yearns for it to such an extent that they embrace her stones and dust.                                     Kuzari 5:27

When the people of Israel demonstrate their love for Jerusalem, the Holy City will be rebuilt.    

             Based upon Maimonides’ codification and upon the words of Rabbi Yehuda haLevi, we can understand that the obligation is not only to love the Holy Land and the Holy City, but to actively demonstrate that love.

            Ḥassidic Master Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter of Gur notes that counter to his typical style, Rashi on the Talmudic statements merely quotes the full verse from Psalms, without adding a single word of commentary. Rabbi Alter comments that it is that which Rashi left out which gives meaning to his commentary. Rashi omits the introductory Talmud’s comment “as it is stated.” In so doing, Rashi hints that the Sages’ motivation lay not in the fact that they found a verse which taught that they should kiss the stones of the Land or roll in its dust, but their personal need to express love for the Holy Land.

            Alshikh, who did not see Jewish independence within the Land, adds another dimension:

“Hold her stones dear:” this is true now, when the stones are destroyed, burnt and strewn all around, yet they are dear because they belong to the Land. “And cherish her dust:” – which is scorched by the fire of destruction.

              How much more so is our generation, which has been privileged to see Israel return to its Land and rebuild her, obligated to hold her stones dear and cherish her dust, and as Alshikh comments, to use those stones and dust to rebuild the House of God.

              Based upon Malbim’s elucidation of the verse, we can understand that by holding dear the Land’s stones and cherishing her dust, we have the power to rectify the sin of the spies, which was despising the Promised Land.                                                                                                                                                           

              We have the power to return greatness to our holy Land, as the Midrash states:

When will God return greatness to the Land? When (the Israelites) take her stones and dust and kiss them, as the verse states: “For Your servants hold her stones dear and cherish her dust.”   

                       Midrashic Selections from the Genizah

             It is within our grasp and it is our obligation.