The Time to Appreciate Beauty

 

When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Look, I now know what a beautiful woman you are.                                "Genesis 12:11

            The translation, which is literal, implies that it is only now, upon descending to Egypt that Abram is aware of the beauty of his wife. Rashi, after quoting the Midrashic explanation that, due to the great modesty of Abram and Sarai, Abram indeed had not previously noticed his wife's beauty, presents the simple meaning (p'shat) of the verse: Abram indeed was aware of his wife's beauty, but now, as they descended to Egypt, "the time had arrived to be concerned about Sarai's beauty." The reason that it was specifically upon the descent to Egypt, and not within the land of Canaan, that Sarai's beauty became a practical issue was that she and Abram were coming to a place where "they are not accustomed to a beautiful woman." We may add that Abram's concern arose as well from the fact that the Egyptians "are steeped in lust." [Rashi's comment on verse 19]

            Panim Yafot offers an additional explanation of the connection between Abram's concern and his departure from the land of Canaan. The Torah tells the descendants of Abraham that "no one will covet your Land when you ascend to appear before the Lord God three times per year." [Exodus 34:24] That is, Abraham's descendants will not have to be concerned about their property and assets when they ascend to the Temple. Abraham's journeys within the land of Canaan were towards Jerusalem [Rashi, verse 4]. In these journeys, Abraham "continually ascended spiritually; as he journeyed physically, so too he ascended spiritually." Therefore, in his journeys within the Land, Abraham "trusted that no one will covet that which is his," including his wife. However, as Abraham was forced to leave the Land and distance himself from Jerusalem, his concern was aroused that others may covet his beautiful wife. Essentially, Abraham's concern and fear arose from his departure from the Promised Land and the protection it afforded him, his family and his possessions.  

 

The Tenth of Tevet in Heaven

Ḥatam Sofer explains that our Sages instituted a fast day to commemorate the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, which began on the Tenth of Tevet is that "On that day, when the Babylonian king approached the earthly Jerusalem, the Heavenly Court sat, and decided the fate of Jerusalem to be destroyed." That is, parallel to the earthly events, there was a heavenly event in which Jerusalem's fate was sealed. On the Tenth of Tevet, as the Babylonian army commenced the siege of Jerusalem, the Heavenly Court commenced its deliberations on the future of the Holy City and decreed that she and her Temple were to be destroyed.

Ḥatam Sofer adds "Our Sages teach that any generation in which the Temple is not rebuilt is to be considered as the generation in which it was destroyed, thus, every year the destruction (as it were) is renewed. Thus, annually on the Tenth of Tevet, the day on which the Heavenly Court began to deliberate the fate of Jerusalem, it reconvenes to determine the fate of the Holy City and the Temple for the coming year." As was the case, more than 2600 years ago, every year until the Temple is rebuilt, the Heavenly Court judges the Holy City and decrees an additional year of destruction.

Ḥatam Sofer cites the comment of Abudraham (14^th century CE), that should the Tenth of Tevet fall on Shabbat (an impossibility, based upon our fixed calendar), the fast would not be postponed. Ḥatam Sofer notes that, other than Yom Kippur, the only fast that is not postponed from Shabbat is the Fast of a Dream (though one who fasts because of a bad dream must fast on a weekday to compensate for having fasted on Shabbat). [Shulḥan Aruch, Oraḥ Ḥayyim, 294:4]

Tur explains that fasting is inconsistent with the pleasure of Shabbat (oneg Shabbat), however, the Fast of a Dream carries an element of pleasure, in the fact that one who fasts hopes thereby to annul the bad dream. (Tur adds that nonetheless, one must have the compensatory fast for having disrupted the main pleasure of Shabbat.)

We may assert that fasting on Yom Kippur as well conveys an element of pleasure, in that the one who fasts engages also in repentance, through which he hopes to be sealed in the Book of Life for the coming year.

Based upon the above, Ḥatam Sofer suggests that since the prime purpose of fasting is "to arouse the heart to open the paths of repentance" [Maimonides, Laws of Fast Days, 5:1] the fast of the Tenth of Tevet also carries an element of pleasure, in that the one who fasts hopes to influence the decision of the Heavenly Court in favor of rebuilding Jerusalem.

In my opinion, the central point of Ḥatam Sofer's enlightening comments is that the essence of the Tenth of Tevet is the opportunity to improve ourselves and thereby bring about the building of the Third Temple. Indeed, as was the case on the Tenth of Tevet when the Babylonian siege began, God issued a warning that the destruction was near and provided our ancestors with the opportunity to repent and thereby avoid the destruction of Jerusalem, so too in our days, the Tenth of Tevet presents the opportunity to repent and rebuild the Holy City and her Temple.

It is our hands!   

Recognizing Grandsons

 

Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and he said, "Who are these?"                                                               Genesis 48:8

            At first glance, Jacob's question is strange, since he had already blessed Joseph's sons, proclaiming "Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon." [Verse 5]

            This problem brought various Midrashim [Midrash Aggada, Sechel Tov and Lekaḥ Tov] to offer the homiletic interpretation that Jacob prophetically saw that the evil kings Jeroboam and Ahab will issue from Ephraim and Yehu and his sons from Manasseh, thus asking "Who are these," meaning "Where did they come from, these who are not worthy of blessing?" [Rashi's wording]

            While the reason for the homiletical interpretation is clear, the question which begs asking is how does Joseph's response, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here" address his father's reluctance to bless his sons?

            Rebbe Natan, the spiritual successor of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, explains that the content of Joseph's answer is that by virtue of being his descendants (and, of course, descendants of Jacob himself), the evil kings still have within them a spark of sanctity and are therefore worthy of Jacob's blessing. In Rebbe Natan's words:

Joseph responded: "They are my sons, whom God has given me here," showing his father that he sought and found a meritorious point even within these evil people who will descend from him. Immediately, Jacob agreed and instructed "Bring them to me that I may bless them."

            Despite the fact that Jeroboam, Ahab, Yehu and his sons were evil, they carried within themselves a spark of sanctity, since they are descendants of the Forefathers of the Nation of Israel, and due to those sparks, they are indeed worthy of Jacob's blessing.

Change of Biblical Venue

 

Chapter 46 of Genesis, which describes the descent to Egypt of Jacob and his family, presents a quantum change in the Torah. The venue for the Biblical events moves from the Holy Land to other lands. From this point until the end of the Torah, only four verses describe events which take place within the Land (the description of the mission of Moses' spies, Numbers 13:21-24).

It is significant that after the arrival in Egypt of Jacob's family, his sons mention the land of Canaan three times in conversation with Pharaoh.

Joseph told his brothers that he will inform his king that "My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me." [46:31] In the initial verse of Chapter 47, Joseph indeed conveys this information to his sovereign. The information that Joseph's family has come from Canaan is superfluous, as Pharaoh was aware of that fact [45:17]. Joseph's mention of Canaan hints at the fact that he and his family feel totally connected to their land and that he himself longs for his homeland.  

The brothers whom Joseph chose to present before Pharaoh, tell the ruler of Egypt "We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants' sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe." [47:4] Joseph's brothers tell Pharaoh that they have left their own land only out of duress and that they intend to return as soon as practical.

Even as the stage for the events of the Torah shifts away from the Holy Land, the verses stress the primacy of the Land for Jacob and his family, conveying a significant message for their descendants throughout the ages.

The Sukkot Guests and the Land

 

Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, presents a detailed exposition of his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei: Rosh haShana, the Ten Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

The sukka, which commemorates the Clouds of Glory, symbolizes the journey to the Land of Israel, since the Clouds of Glory led the Nation of Israel into its Land.

Concerning the ushpizin, "the seven shepherds who enter the sukka," Rebbe Natan writes that it is through those seven righteous people; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our forefathers, Moses and Aaron, Joseph and King David that Israel merited Eretz Yisrael.

Abraham was the first to reveal the sanctity of the Land of Israel. When God instructed Abraham to leave his land, his birthplace and his father's home [Genesis 12:1], He revealed to him "that there is a Land which is holier than all other lands," and that one who aspires to know the Holy One, blessed be He, and to cling to Him must reach that holy Land.

Isaac and Jacob are the links of continuity in the chain created by Abraham, and each was promised that the Land would be given to him and to his descendants.

Though neither was privileged to enter the Land of Israel, Moses and Aaron led the Nation out of Egyptian slavery to be brought to the Land, in fulfillment of the purpose of the exodus.

Joseph held the Land of Israel dear and insisted that the Children of Israel bring his remains to burial within the Land, which Zohar teaches (Rebbe Natan does not cite the specific source) was instrumental in Israel's redemption.

King David "fought God's wars and liberated the Land of Israel in her entirety." It was only during the reigns of David and Solomon that the Land of Israel reached herideal borders, "From the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." [Genesis 15:18]

Thus, each of the seven ushpizin had a share in revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael and "these seven shepherds therefore enter the sukka, since it is through them that we merit entering the Land."

Beyond this, the ushpizin at the end of Sukkot, if you will, the pinnacle of the holiday, Hoshana Rabba, is King David, "since it was through him that we merited the complete conquest of the Land of Israel, and for this reason the sukka is named for King David, as Scripture states 'On that day I will restore David’s fallen sukka,' [Amos 9:11] and indeed the essence of the sukka is comparable to the conquest of the Land of Israel, which was accomplished by King David."            

 

 

Repentance Upon Repentance

 

Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov teaches that a person must always strive to repent before God. Even one who has repented should do so again because his earlier perceptions of God were limited to his understanding of God at the time of his initial repentance. A second repentance represents an admission that God is greater than one had originally thought. Hence, when one attains a higher degree of spirituality, his acknowledgment of God becomes stronger as well. Additional repentance is necessary since one's perception of God has been advanced. This process of increased spiritual awareness accompanied by additional repentance is called "repentance upon repentance."

            This concept is implied by two halachot, codified by Maimonides:

Teshuva (repentance) is great for it draws a man close to the Shechinah as the verses state: "Return, O Israel, to God, your Lord;" [Hosea 14:2] "`You have not returned to Me,' declares God;" [Amos 4:6] "`If, you will return, O Israel,' declares God, `You will return to Me.'" Jeremiah 4:1]. That is, if you will return in Teshuva, you will cling to God.

                                                                           Laws of Teshuva 7:6

Repentance, which brings one to cling to God, is a dynamic and ongoing process; the more one clings to God, the greater his perception of God's awesomeness and the more one strives to cling to Him.

Sins which were confessed on one Yom Kippur should be confessed on another Yom Kippur even though one remains steadfast in his repentance, as [Psalms 51:5] states: "I acknowledge my transgressions and my sins are always before me."                                                                          ibid., 2:8

Since teshuva is a dynamic and ongoing process, the level of one's confession on a previous Yom Kippur is lower than that on subsequent Yemei Kippur, hence the subsequent confession should be based upon a deeper understanding of how one's sins distanced him from God and Godliness.   

            Essentially, the process of teshuva is an ascending spiral.

 

 

 

The State of Israel and the Redemption of the Shechina

 

Earlier we presented a summary of Professor Eliezer Berkovits' eloquent elucidation of the connection between Jewish messianism and the Nation of Israel's return to its Land (based upon the final chapter of his book Faith After the Holocaust).

We now present parallel comments of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (taken from the article Jewish Sovereignty and the Redemption of the Shekhina, Tradition Magazine, 53:1).

Given that Torah expresses a unitary truth, it is not surprising that the philosopher and the Talmudist present the same thoughts.

Rabbi Soloveitchik writes that Torah can reach its complete fulfillment only within the Jewish homeland:

Piety in countries where one is a minority means being pious only in his private personal life – Shabbat, family purity, kashrut, etc. – surrounded by the curtains of one's home-sanctuary. It is completely impossible to represent such a life as an embodiment of a full and complete Torah. My social-economic existence is linked to the general political-economic structure, which is based upon other principles. As such, it does not embody my social, political, or legal relationships with society. … The entire complex of my external interactions with society is divorced from Judaism. 

Thus, it is clear that Torah Judaism can be fully realized exclusively within the Land of Israel and in accordance with the mitzvot.

            Further, Torah requires the Land because it "is not a literary trove of documents and books. Torah means learning and realizing an organic Torah society – concrete Torah actualization. Only when the vision is total – not only of laws of kosher meat and prayer-book, but also of the Hilchot Melakhim (Laws of Kings), Sanhedrin (Supreme Religious Court), financial law concerning corporations and the employment of workers, the individual and public Torah, at home, the street, and the factory – does the whole Torah reveal itself."

The challenge of the State of Israel is to be not merely a state of Jews but a Jewish state in the full sense:

The social-political economic life of Israel needs to be expressed via the seal of Judaism, of Jewish law and morality. The various phases of state life must be permeated with the Jewish spirit, understood and interpreted by Torah and spiritual giants. Our treasure of halakha regarding laws between man and his fellow man, from the laws of damages to the laws of kings, must be built and transformed into action and facts. ... I am convinced that when the Israeli social-political institutions embody the Torah's ideal civil code, we will be the most advanced state in regard to social justice and truth.

            The sweet singer of Israel composed a song of ascents in which Israel sings "When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were as dreamers." [Psalms 126:1] The dream of the return to Zion must be "a dream about Torah life, about 'And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?' [Deuteronomy 4:8]."

            Realization of Torah within the Land can be achieved only as the result of Israel's actions within her:

The Torah will find its realization in Israel … only through participating in building the Land, by hewing stones and draining swamps, defending cities and colonies, by working devotedly.

            For the state to fulfill herself, the collective Israel must differentiate between means and goal:

As vital and historically important as the state may be … (it) is important not as a goal, but as a means. The goal transcends statehood, time, and history. The objective is to create a Torah nation.

            Rabbi Soloveitchik's article is taken from an address he delivered at the Mizrachi of America convention, the month after the State of Israel came into existence. Rabbi Soloveitchik masterfully articulated the challenge which still stands before the State of Israel, seventy-four years later.

           

Am I Under God's Supervision?

 

Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "Am I in God's place (hataḥat [literally "under"] Elohim), Who has withheld children from you?"                                                 Genesis 30:2

            The translation conveys the simple meaning of the verse, and follows the exposition of Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezra (c. 1090 - 1165).

            Shel"a (Rabbi Yeshaya haLevi Horowitz, 1558 - 1630) offers a more literal translation of Jacob's words: "Am I under God's supervision?" In Shel"a's words "'Am I under God?' We are not within the portion of God, which is the Land of Israel."

            Our Sages taught that God entrusted the supervision of all lands to His ministering angels, while maintaining for Himself direct supervision over the Holy Land. [Zohar, Breishit 108b] Based upon this, Shel"a explains the exchange between Jacob and his beloved wife. Rachel requested that Jacob pray that she be blessed with children, knowing that God desires the prayers of the righteous, and for this reason the Matriarchs were barren. [Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 64a] Jacob's response was "Am I under God's place?," - I am outside the Land, under the influence of the ministering angel of Aram, not under direct Divine supervision, and under such conditions God does not desire the prayers of the righteous. (It should be noted that the Sages' comment in Yevamot refers specifically to Isaac praying for Rebecca within the Land of Israel.)

            Based upon this approach, Shel"a explains the continuity of Jacob's words to Rachel, "Who has withheld children from you" to mean since God does not desire the prayers of the righteous outside the Holy Land, the reason for your fertility problem cannot be His desire for my prayers, but (for some other reason, which has to do with you) He has withheld children from you.

Mankind's Existence: God's "Need"

 

And God (Elohim) said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying. … "And I will establish My covenant with you, and never again will all flesh be cut off by the flood waters, and there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth."                   Genesis 9:8,11

            It should be noted that the verse uses the name "Elohim," which denotes the Divine attribute of strict justice (midat hadin), indicating that God's promise to never destroy the entire world flows from the attribute of justice, not from the attribute of mercy.

            We may suggest that the existence of mankind serves God's "needs." God's angels are His yes men, having no choice but to fulfill the Divine dictates. When God decided to create the world, He chose to create man, the pinnacle of creation, as a creature who will be able to do His will out of free choice rather than of necessity. The risk God took in creating man was that he could choose to ignore the Divine will. As such, the attribute of justice indeed requires the continued existence of the world.

            Perhaps the above is the intention of Rabbi Shmuel bar Mata's comment:

From the first day on which God created the world, He wished to dwell among His creatures in the lower world.                                        Pesikta Rabbati 7  

Yom Kippur Realizing the Ultimate Levels of Sanctity

 

As noted in the Dvar Torah for Rosh haShana, Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, presents a detailed exposition of his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei: Rosh haShana, the Ten Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

The primary service of Rosh haShana is God's coronation over His nation and over the entire universe, and throughout the Ten Days of Penitence, God's monarchy is developed and solidified, with the essential expression of His monarchy being within His Land, the Land of Israel.

Rebbe Natan perceives a parallel between the Ten Days of Penitence and the ten levels of sanctity within the Land of Israel, as the Mishna [Keilim 1:6-9] teaches:

There are ten sanctities; Israel is holier than all other lands; 1) (within Israel) walled cities are holier than unwalled cities; 2) within the walls of Jerusalem is holier than other walled cities; 3) the Temple Mount is holier than the rest of Jerusalem; 4) the Ḥeil within the Temple Mount is holier; 5) The Courtyard of Women is holier than the Ḥeil;  6) The Courtyard of Israel is holier; 7) The Courtyard of Kohanim is holier;  8) between the ulam and altar is holier; 9) the Heichal is holier; 10) the Holy of Holies is holier.

The pinnacle of sanctity within our world is the Holy of Holies of the Temple, entry to which is permitted only to the High Priest as part of the Yom Kippur service; in parallel, the peak of sanctity of time is Yom Kippur.

            Rebbe Natan writes:

On Rosh haShana we begin building and revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, and during the Ten Days of Penitence we merit the ten levels of the Land's sanctity, until on the tenth day, Yom Kippur, we merit the epitome of sanctity, which is the aspect of the Holy of Holies. Therefore, it is specifically on this day that the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, since on this day we achieve this sublime sanctity.

            The Ten Days of Penitence are devoted not only to repentance, but also to completing the coronation of God over His nation and the entire world, a matter which is inextricably connected to revealing the sanctity of the Land of Israel. This process reaches its apex on Yom Kippur, when there is complete congruence between the ten levels of the Land's sanctity and the Ten Days of Penitence. Thus, it is specifically on Yom Kippur that the convergence of sanctity of place and of time facilitates the High Priest's entry into the Holy of Holies; and in realizing the highest levels of sanctity, it conveys an aspect of the completion of God's coronation.

 

Shemini Atzeret the Peak of Joy

 

As we noted in the Divrei Torah for Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur, Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, systematically presents his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

Shemini Atzeret (and Simḥat Torah), which completes the special days of Tishrei, also is the pinnacle of "the time of our joy." The connection to revealing the sanctity of the Land lies in the fact that "we must ascend to Eretz Yisrael in joy, as we pray 'Bring us up to our Land in joy' [musaf prayer], and as Scripture [Isaiah 35:10] states 'and they shall come to Zion with song, with eternal joy upon their heads'."

Rebbe Natan writes that Shemini Atzeret/Simḥat Torah "constitutes the essential completion of acceptance of God's monarchy, which hints at the Land of Israel, may we be privileged to enter her speedily in our days. Shemini Atzeret) is truly great, since the essence of joy is in capturing the Land of Israel, as the verses [Deuteronomy 12:1,11] state 'When you come into the Land … You will rejoice with all the goodness …'"

That is, Shemini Atzeret is the peak of joy of the festivals of Tishrei, and the essential joy for Jews is coming to the Land of Israel. Thus, on Shemini Atzeret we complete the process of revealing the sanctity of the Land, which is the underlying theme of the festivals of Tishrei.

We may add to Rebbe Natan's insightful comments that as Simḥat Torah, Shemini Atzeret has an additional connection to the sanctity of the Land. Thus writes Rabbi Meir Simḥa of Dvinsk:

From the day our holy Torah Was given, prophecy has unceasingly mandated settling the Land, and there is no Torah portion in which the Land is not mentioned, (emphasis mine) and even concerning mitzvot which are personal obligations (and not dependent upon the Land), the verses declare "When He brings you to the Land" – "When you come to the Land" – fulfill this mitzva that you will enter the Land [Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 37b].  Even concerning mitzvot which the intellect mandates and which apply in all places and at all times, such as respecting one's parents, the Torah states " … in order that your days be lengthened on the Land that the Lord, your God, is giving you."

Approximately a century and a half prior to the days of Rabbi Meir Simḥa, Rabbi Ya'akov Emdin wrote "Eretz Yisrael is the peg upon which all of Torah hangs."  [Introduction to Siddur Bet Ya'akov, p. 22]

            It is as clear as the sun that Torah and the Land of Israel are interconnected and complete each other, and therefore Simḥat Torah is certainly also the time of the joy of Eretz Yisrael.

 

Rosh haShana and the Sanctity of the Land

 

Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, presents a detailed exposition of his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei: Rosh haShana, the Ten Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

The sanctity of Eretz Yisrael is manifest specifically at Rosh haShana "since the essence of the Land's sanctity springs from the beginning of the year, as Scripture states 'It is a Land the Lord your God cares for. He is always watching over it from the beginning to the end of the year' [Deuteronomy 11:12], meaning that (starting) from Rosh haShana throughout the year, the eyes of God's providence are upon the Land, and the essence of her sanctity derives from the eyes of God."

Beyond this, Rosh haShana is the time of coronating God over His nation and over the entire universe, and "(God's) monarchy is connected to the Land of Israel, which is the prime venue for its revelation." As our Sages taught: "One who resides in the Land of Israel is considered as having a God." [Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 110b]

Following the conclusion of the amida of the night of Rosh haShana, the cantor and congregation recite chapter twenty-four of Psalms: "The land is God's and the fullness thereof" verse by verse. Rashi comments "The land is God's – the Land of Israel." Based on this, Rebbe Natan writes that the reason the Rosh haShana prayers commence with this Psalm is that "the essential revelation of God's monarchy is within the Land of Israel, therefore, on Rosh haShana, when we are engaged in revealing His monarchy, the central point is to reveal the sanctity of the Land, which is the prime venue for revealing His monarchy." Revealing God's monarchy and revealing the sanctity of the Land of Israel are interrelated.

Rebbe Natan's conclusion is that "On Rosh haShana our prayers must be focused on being privileged to speedily ascend to the Land of Israel, which is the essential venue for revealing God's monarchy.

The three sets of shofar blasts of Rosh haShana, monarchy (malchuyot), memories (zichronot) and shofarot, are also related to revealing the sanctity of Israel.

Concerning malchuyot, as noted, the basic service of Rosh haShana is proclaiming God's monarchy over Israel and the entire world, and Rebbe Natan's above exposition clarifies the connection between God's monarchy and revealing the sanctity of Israel.

The connection between zichronot and the Land of Israel is derived not merely from the Divine declaration "And I shall remember the Land" [Leviticus 26:42], but rests upon a much deeper and fundamental basis. Rebbe Natan avers that memory is intimately related to names. God Himself expressed this parallel when He said to Moses: "This is My name forever, and this is how I should be remembered in every generation." [Exodus 3:15] A name conveys the essence of the object or person which carries that name. For example, if one speaks of an ox, his interlocutor does not require an explanation that the reference is to a bovine which chews its cud, etc. The same is true in speaking of God, "as it were, His name constitutes His memory." Since humans are limited by our inability to perceive the essential qualities of God, we can relate to God only through His name. Thus, the basic remembrance of God's name is in the Land of Israel, whose sanctity emanates from the Temple, which is the primary place where His name is mentioned, since the Tetragrammaton (the explicit name) may be pronounced only within the Temple. For this reason, we find that Abraham called God's name only after entering the Land. [Genesis 12:8] "It is within the Land that we can best connect to God's name."

The set of shofarot blown on Rosh haShana also relates to the Land of Israel, "since the shofar is connected to the ingathering of the exiles, as the verse states 'On that day a great shofar will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship the Lord at Jerusalem on the holy mountain…'"  [Isaiah 27:13], and it is obvious that the exiles will be gathered into the Land. Indeed, the blessing which concludes the blasts of shofarot includes the request: "Our God and the God of our fathers; sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles. Bring our scattered ones near from among the nations and gather our dispersions from the ends of the earth." Thus, shofarot are primarily about gathering the exiles into the Land, and the sanctity of the Land is most evident when the exiles are gathered into her.

Rebbe Natan concludes that "malchuyot, zichronot and shofarot each convey an aspect of Eretz Yisrael and therefore relate to the Rosh haShana service of "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reciprocity: The Temple and Israel's Unity

 

This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of (such) a shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.                                                                       Exodus 30:13

You shall take the silver of the atonements from the children of Israel and use it for the work of the Tent of Meeting; it shall be a remembrance for the children of Israel before the Lord, to atone for your souls.                                                          Ibid. v.16

The half-shekels collected annually were used for the operation of the Tabernacle/Temple, as Maimonides codifies:

What are terumat halishca (the half-shekels) used for? From (these funds) they would purchase the daily perpetual offerings (tamid), the additional offerings (musaph) offered on Shabbat and the holidays), all other communal sacrifices, and the wine libations. Similarly, (these funds were used to purchase) the salt that was placed on all the sacrifices, and the wood for the altar, if no wood was provided and it was necessary that it be purchased. (They were used to pay also for) the incense and the wages of those who prepared it, the showbread and the wages of those who prepared it, the omer, the two loaves, a red heifer, the goat sent to Azazel and the scarlet thread tied between its horns.       Laws of Shekalim, 4:1

By definition, communal sacrifices must be brought from the collective Israel in its entirety; they were therefore purchased from the half-shekels of the Israelites “so the hand of all will be equal.” [Jerusalem Talmud, Shekalim 1:1] Purchasing the communal sacrifices with the funds of the half-shekel guaranteed that those sacrifices indeed came from each individual within the collective Israel.

The half-shekel which was given equally by every (adult male) Israelite, without regard to his actual wealth, expresses the unity of Israel, and on some level it is Israel’s unity which empowers the Kohanim to perform the Temple service.

Rebbe Natan, the spiritual successor of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, comments that it is within the Tabernacle/Temple that “all Israel gathers as one individual.” Two and a half centuries prior to Rebbe Natan’s days, Maharal of Prague wrote “All Israel was united through the Temple, which had a single (High) Priest, and a single altar. There were no divisions or separations within Israel.” [Netzaḥ Yisrael, chapter 4]

Thus, there was a reciprocal interaction: on one hand, the unity of Israel empowers the Temple service, while on the other the Temple unites the Nation of Israel.

 

 

 

 

Seeing the Shechina Eye to Eye

 

And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the Land that I will show you."                 Genesis 12:1

            Netivot Shalom (Ḥassidic Master Rebbe Shalom Noaḥ of Slonim [1911 – 2000]) points out that the classical commentators note the fact that there is no verse which informs us that Abram reached the land designated for him, and quotes Sforno's explanation that God's words "I will show you" refer to showing Abram "a Divine vision." Thus, the indication that Abram had reached the Land was the fact that the Shechina was revealed to him there. Based upon Sforno's comment Netivot Shalom suggests that intention of the words "I will show you" is "There I will appear to you." The Master notes that prior to Abram's arrival in the land of Canaan, we hear God speaking to Abram, but not appearing to him. It is only upon Abram's arrival in the Land that God, as it were, appeared visually to Abram.

            The Master continues by noting that the "internal aspect" of this explanation is that "The Land of Israel is the venue where God appears to the Jew." Indeed, Rabbi Yehuda haLevi writes in Kuzari that the Nation of Israel can achieve the "level of Divine revelation (prophecy) only within the Land." The unique status of the Promised Land in this matter results from the fact that God chose to personally supervise the Land while entrusting the care of all other lands to His ministering angels, as the verse states: "the eyes of Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." [Deuteronomy 11:12] Thus, God's words to Abram are interpreted to mean that he go to the Land in which it is constantly possible to see the Shechina.

            Netivot Shalom concludes his enlightening comments by writing "This is the unique and special trait of the Land of Israel, wherein one is able to see eye to eye direct and personal providence."

The Point of the Exercise

 

And Abraham approached and said, "Will You even destroy the righteous with the wicked?”                                   Genesis 18:23

            Thus Abraham commenced his attempt to save the residents of Sodom and the remaining towns of the plains.

            Tiferet Shlomo notes that Abraham’s attempts to defend the residents bore no fruit whatsoever, and wonders why the incident is included in the Torah. In his words:

What comes from (the Torah) informing us of this, since it accomplished nothing, and even after Abraham’s intervention, the towns were destroyed?

            We can add that apparently Abraham was aware that he would be unable to find the requisite number of righteous people to save Sodom, as Tzror haMor notes. This fact too raises astonishment at the incident’s inclusion in the Torah.

            In truth, the incident is not intended to teach us about the Sodomites and their neighbors, but about Abraham.

            Boldly and with audacity, Abraham declares to God: ”Far be it (ḥalila) from You!” Abraham told God “You cannot do this!”

            Noah was born ten generations before Abraham. Noah heard God’s words when the Creator announced to him "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth” [Genesis 6:13] and appointed him to be the founder of the new world which will arise after the flood. When God instructed Noah to build an ark, Noah “Did according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.” [ibid.22] It seems that the possibility of arguing with God and attempting to save at least some of mankind never occurred to Noah.

            In contrast to Noah, Abraham understood that God’s very existence, as it were mandates rules that He must follow. Therefore, Abraham did not hesitate to address God with the strong words ”Far be it (ḥalila) from You!,” which Breishit Rabba understands to mean You cannot desecrate Your own name (Ḥilul haShem, the same root word as ḥalila). Abraham understood that God, Who is “A faithful God, without injustice” cannot “destroy the righteous with the wicked.” Therefore, Abraham is ready to speak stridently [Rashi on our verse] to God.

            Noah believed in God, but Abraham took belief in God a quantum leap forward, understanding that God must act in accordance with His own traits.

            Ultimately, the “exercise” of Abraham’s negotiations with God on behalf of the towns of the plains was not for the benefit of the residents of those towns, but for Abraham’s benefit and to educate us, Abraham’s spiritual descendants.

 

 

Living Anew

 

And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; )(these were] the years of the life of Sarah.                                                                                   Genesis 23:1 The reason the word “shana” (year) is written with every detail is to tell you that each detail is to be explained by itself: at the age of one hundred Sarah was as a twenty-year old, without sin – just as at age twenty-one is considered as not having sinned (since that is the age of punishment); at age twenty, she was as beautiful as at age seven.        Rashi, based upon Breishit Rabba

            Based upon Rashi’s comment, the repetition of the word “shana” conveys that there is a measure of equivalence among all the years of Sarah’s life.

            Rebbi Natan, the spiritual successor of Rebbi Naḥman of Breslov, writes:

The essential aspect of personal perfection is that one begins living (anew) at all times; even when one reaches old age, he should still consider himself a child who has just begun to live and serve God. In such a way, one continually renews his service of God.

            Sefat Emet [Parashat Ḥayye Sarah, 5653] comments that each stage of a person’s physical development conveys its own positive attributes; for example, as one ages, he becomes wiser and more deliberate in decision-making, while the advantage of youth includes a greater level of energy and enthusiasm. The way of the world is that the qualities of the various stages of development do not exist simultaneously within a given individual, but each quality is unique to a particular stage. However, “The completely righteous possess all manner of perfection throughout their lives.” The meaning of the equivalence of all the years of Sarah’s life is that at each stage of her life she was able to combine the positive qualities of all the stages.

Living and Staying in the Land

 

The Lord appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt. Live (sh'chon) in the Land that I tell you about; stay (gur) in this Land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these Lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham."                Genesis 26:2-3

            The above translation accurately conveys the difference in the verse's use of verbs: "sh'chon" and "gur." The classical commentators [Kli Yakar, Gaon of Vilna, Malbim, among others] note that the former implies permanence, while the latter refers to temporary dwelling.

            The verses refer to three geographic areas: Egypt, the land of Gerar ("this Land") and the land of Canaan ("the Land I will tell you about"). According to Rashi's comments, the status of the land of Gerar is neither that of the lands outside the Holy Land [comments on verse 2] nor that of the Land of the seven (Canaanite) nations; the land of Canaan proper. [Verse 12]

            Based upon the above, Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch notes that the verses use the different verbs meaningfully. In referring to the Land of the seven nations, the Land of Israel proper, God commanded Isaac that he is to live within it; he is to establish his permanent dwelling within this area, which has the full sanctity of the Land. However, in the land of the Philistines, the land of Gerar, which lacks the full sanctity of the Land of Israel, Isaac is to merely "stay as a foreigner," to dwell temporarily.

            We are taught that the events of the fathers are indicative of the experiences of the sons. Thus, what was true for our Father Isaac is true for us, his descendants who are enjoined to follow his path, as well. Rabbi Shternbuch writes "This instructs that Jews living in the diaspora must feel themselves as foreigners, realizing that their true permanent place is within the Land of Israel which has been sanctified for the Nation of Israel, and which is located opposite the Heavenly Land of Israel."

            Given that the above refers to the distinction between the Land of the seven nations and the remainder of the Promised Land, we may note that a fortiori it applies to the distinction between the Land of Israel and all other lands.      

Two Types of Old Age

And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was son of his old age (ben zekunim); and he made him a coat of many colors.

                                                                  Genesis 37:3

            Rebbe Natan, the spiritual successor of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, focuses attention on the fact that the word zekunim, which is translated as "old age," is in the plural, explaining that there are two types of old age: old age of holiness and old age of "the other side" (the satanic forces of evil). "Old age of the other side" acts to weaken a person's consciousness, as if he is truly old in his behavior and deeds. That is, "old age of the other side" is the feeling of physical and emotional old age which inclines one to accept his spiritual status with no aspirations to improve himself. Concerning this type of old age, Rebbe Naḥman commented that it is forbidden to grow old. In contrast, "old age of holiness" results from acquiring knowledge, as the Sages comment "'Old' refers only to one who has acquired wisdom." [Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 32b] This true type of old age can indeed overcome the "old age of the other side."

            The verse describes Joseph as the son of old age because, despite his youth, he had already reached the level of the true old age, the "old age of holiness," which endowed him with the ability to subdue and eliminate the aspect of "old age of the other side."   

This Dvar Torah is dedicated to a man who has achieved old age of holiness, Dov Landau, great-grandfather of our new niece Eliraz van Lueewen Leiter. Dov survived five years of ghettoes, forced labor and concentration camps, came on aliya and fought in Israel's War of Independence, where he was taken prisoner and spent eleven months in a POW camp in Jordan. As Dov himself says, he was privileged to start a new "tribe" which now numbers fifty (the number of members of his family who perished in the Shoah). My blessing to myself is to reach Dov's age in no worse shape and with his amazing joy of life. May he live in good health until one-hundred-twenty.

Ḥanukka: Divine Priority

 

What is (the reason of) Ḥanukka? The Sages taught: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev the days of Ḥanukka, which are eight, commence. One may eulogize the dead and fasting is forbidden.  When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame and defeated them, they searched and found only one jar of oil which lay with the seal of the High Priest, but which contained sufficient oil for one day's lighting only; yet a miracle occurred and they lit (the menorah) from it for eight days. The next year (the Sages) established these (days) as holidays with (the recital of) Hallel and thanksgiving.

                                                      Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 21b

            Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal [Mishne Sachir, Ḥanukka] notes that during the period of oppression by the Greeks which led to the Hasmonean revolt and hence to Ḥanukka, the Jews suffered greatly at the hands of the Greeks and thousand were martyred in God's name. God too, as it were, suffered because his nation was prevented from serving Him since the Greeks defiled the Temple, forbade the practice of mitzvot and wanted to cause the Jews to forget Torah. Thus, when the Hasmoneans triumphed over the Greeks, the salvation was double, not only for the Jews, but for the Shechina as well. Nonetheless, the Divine joy at Israel's victory was not God's personal joy, but His rejoicing over the salvation of His nation. Indeed, al haNissim, the thanksgiving prayer added to Sh’mona Esreh and the Grace after Meals notes that "The evil kingdom of Greece rose up against our people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to force them to abandon the statutes of Your will." The continuation focuses upon God's salvation of Israel, "And You, in Your great compassion, stood by them in their time of distress … and took their vengeance." Rabbi Teichtal notes that the Sages who authored al haNissim spoke of God's vengeance for His nation, not for Himself. The great miracle of the Hasmonean victory over the Greeks is an expression of His immense love for the People of Israel.

            For this reason, there is no mention in al haNissim of the miracle of the jar of oil. That miracle was not connected to the physical salvation of Israel, rather to God Himself and the ability to serve Him properly within the Temple.

            Essentially, the message of al haNissim is praise of God, Who, as it were, ignored His own distress and focused on that of His nation. God's love of Israel is so great that He made their honor more important than His own.

            Rabbi Teichtal comments that Ḥanukka is not the first time that God demonstrated His priority. Though Moses was instructed to "Take revenge for the children of Israel against the Midianites, [Numbers 31:2], he instructed Israel to "Carry out the revenge of the Lord against Midian." [ibid. v.3] While the revenge against Midian was both for the desecration of God's name and for the deaths of Israelites caused by the Midianites, God instructed Moses to avenge the Israelites, not Himself. Moses' instructions indicated that for the Israelites, it was revenge of the desecration of God's name which was primary, not their own vengeance.

            Rabbi Teichtal cites Rabbi Levi Yitzḥak of Berditchev, who notes that the same point is demonstrated by the fact that Israel calls the holiday of its freedom from Egyptian enslavement "Passover" as a reminder of God's action in sparing the first-born Israelites [Exodus 12:27], while the Torah refers to the "holiday of matzot" as a reminder of Israel's actions. The Torah, God's word, prefers to praise the Israelites' readiness to follow God into the wilderness (see Jeremiah 2:2) over praise of God.

            The war against Midian and the names of the holiday of our freedom both demonstrate that Israel responds to God's priority of their salvation by giving Him priority. This is true of Ḥanukka as well. Though for God, the salvation of His nation is the primary aspect of Ḥanukka, the Sages instituted the holiday in commemoration of the miracle of the jar of oil, the spiritual aspect of Ḥanukka which allowed the Nation of Israel to continue to be faithful to the statutes of God's will. This fact demonstrates that "Our main joy is in being privileged to fulfill God's mitzvot, not in our physical salvation."