Taking A Captive (Shavuot 5767)

Moshe ascended to God. As it says: you ascended on high and you took a captive. What does ‘you ascended’ mean? You prevailed in disputing with the supernal angels. Another explanation: you ascended on high - no creature succeeded on high in the way that Moshe did. Said Rebbi B’rechya: the tablets were six hands breadths long. In the hand, as it were, of the ‘one who spoke and there was a world’ was two hands breadths, two hands breadths were in Moshe’s hands and two hands breadths were left between hand and hand. (Shemot Rabbah 28:1)

This curious source intends us to imagine a kind of wrestling match between God and Moshe – the tablets (six hands breaths in length) are a third in Moshe’s hands, a third in God’s hands with a third in the middle. After a tussle, Moshe succeeds in wresting them from God’s hands and bringing them back to earth for the Jewish people. The Talmud records a slightly different version of this source:

Rebbi Sh’muel bar Nachman said in the name of Rebbi Yochanan: the tablets were six hands breadths long and three wide. Moshe grasped two hands breadths, God two, and two remained spare in the middle. When Yisrael did that deed, God wanted to grab them from Moshe’s hand, but Moshe’s hand prevailed and he grabbed them from Him. (Yerushalmi Shabbat 4:5)

The ‘deed’ mentioned here is, of course, the making of the Golden Calf, which occurred just before Moshe came down the mountain with the tablets. What might this allegory be trying to convey?

The preparations of the heart are Man’s, but the answer of the tongue comes from God. (Mishley 16:1)

The preparations of the heart are Man’s - he organises his counsel and his words in his heart. But the answer of the tongue comes from God - when he comes to answer, God makes him wise with his words, or, should he merit, He prepares a good answer for him. (Rashi ad. loc.)

Many Jewish thinkers divide human experience into three parts: thought, action and speech and devote much thought to the interaction between them. In the context of this story and using the above verse from Mishley, the Shem MiShmuel offers the following insight.

The thoughts of Man are ordinarily outside of his control – things just pop into our heads whether we like it or not. The other extreme is action, which is entirely within our control. The realm of speech lies in between, which seems, according to Rashi’s reading of the above verse, to reflect a partnership between Man and God. While Man prepares his thoughts, they only express themselves correctly should God will it. This is the meaning of the three sections of the tablets in the Midrash – God holds the thoughts, Man holds the actions and the speech is somewhere in the middle.

When God saw that the Jews had made the Golden Calf, he attempted to wrest the tablets from Moshe’s hands. We are encouraged to imagine that God realised that it would best if Man had no control over his actions if rebellion and idolatry is what he uses them for – this is the image of the Yerushalmi. Moshe, as it were, prevailed over God and succeeded in grabbing the tablets. This may be understood as God’s consent to Man trying again to control his own world. Despite the inherent dangers, God concedes that Man must be allowed to exercise his freewill once more, hence he allows Moshe to take the tablets.

The Shem MiShmuel gives this an interesting spin – he sees the tablets gradually moving from God’s sole possession to that of Moshe as key to his reading of the Midrash. Once one takes control of one’s actions (the part of the tablets that started in God’s hands), God will enable one to control one’s speech (the unheld part in the middle). Finally, it may even be possible to take charge of one’s thoughts. This is the project of the Torah, which, when applied to its maximum extent, enables one to elevate and manage every aspect of one’s experience.

The Majesty Of The Toil Of The Torah (Bechukotay 5767)

If you walk in My statutes, observe My commandments and perform them. (VaYikra 26:3)

Apparently, the bounty of God is contingent upon our performance. Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner explains that prior to the giving of the Torah, the world existed on what he terms chessed shel vitur – God’s kindness to Mankind independent of our behaviour, whereas after our acceptance of the Torah, Divine benevolence must be earned. This is chessed shel mishpat – kindness predicated on justice. We may expect His munificence to be commensurate with our own behaviour. What precisely does the Torah require of us to merit the blessings that our Torah promises? Chazal discuss the precise meaning of our introductory verse:

If you walk in My statutes – one might have thought that this refers to observance of the Mitzvot but since the verse says: observe My commandments and perform them, the observance of the Mitzvotis mentioned. How then can one understand the phrase: if you walk in My statutes? You must toil in the Torah. (Torah Kohanim BeChukotay 1:2)

Walking in the path of God is synonymous with learning Torah. This is something separate from observing the Mitzvot which is mentioned only afterwards. Indeed, the toil inorah is considered to be the key to meaningful human existence. In Kohelet, King Solomon asks:

What benefit is there for Man in all his toil in which he engages under the sun?

At first glance, this is rather bleak, for it seems to indicate that nothing we do is of any value. Indeed, Chazal tell us that the early sages considered removing Kohelet from the Biblical canon because of the implications of this verse. However, after careful reflection, we see that the only reference in the verse is to his toil – i.e. the futility of following our own agenda. In contrast, the toil of Torah brings meaning and value to life.

It is noteworthy that no mention is made here of achievement in Torah, but rather of effort. Commitment to the holy task of Torah learning, irrespective of ultimate attainment is what is expected. To be sure, knowledge of halachah, Jewish outlook and all areas of Jewish wisdom are highly prized, yet it is our willingness to engage in the process of Torah learning, without regard to the end result, which defines the extent of our connection to the source of all truth.

The whole concept is best encapsulated by the following brief Talmudic statement, beautifully expounded by Rashi:

Said Rebbi Zeira: the reward of the chapter [of learning] is the run. (Berachot 6b)

The main reward of those people who run to hear a lecture from a sage is the reward of the exertion. Indeed, the majority of them do not understand sufficiently to retain the content or to repeat the teaching in the name of their Rav later on, in order to receive the reward of the learning. (Rashi ad. loc.)

The refinement of personality that results from the exertion of learning, even when comprehension or retention is limited, is the main reward. In fact, the famous maxim of Ben Hei Hei – that the reward is commensurate with the trouble (and not the achievement) - is encoded as a fact of halachah by the Rambam.

On this theme, we note the choice of the word halachah to refer to Jewish law. This usage strongly indicates the notion that beyond the actual legal ruling, there is a process of discovery involved that is valuable in itself. Study of Jewish law demands not just the readiness to regulate one’s behaviour by the required Divine standards, but also the willingness to embark on a journey that is of itself a prerequisite for personal growth.

It is the process of learning – the active engagement in plumbing the depths of the mind of God, rather than necessarily reaching a specific conclusion, that is crucial. As we see, it is the journey of learning that qualifies us for the afterlife. We assume that it is possible to integrate this concept so fully into one’s psyche that the toil of Torah becomes one’s natural reflex. This is demonstrated by the beautiful words of King David, expounded upon by the Midrash at the start of our Sedrah:

If you walk in My statutes. This relates to the verse: I considered my ways and I returned my feet to Your testimonies. (Tehillim 119:59). Said David: Master of the world! Every day I intend to go to a certain place or to a particular residence, but my feet take me to the Shuls and the Yeshivot. (VaYikra Rabbah 36:1)

Quite inadvertently, King David found himself propelled towards the sacred in life: his subconscious, so highly tuned to spiritual matters, guided him towards Torah opportunities. It is insufficient for us to merely observe the Torah. We must channel our energies and resources into the toil of Torah – for it is that, more than anything, which makes us fit to receive God’s cornucopia.

Impurity And Kohanim (Emor 5767)

It is well-known that even today, when we do not have a Temple, the rules governing ‘tumat Kohanim’ – the impurity of Kohanim still apply. We learn from the start of this week’s parashah that a Kohen may not come into contact with the dead, except when caring for the remains of a close relative. He may not come in close proximity to a grave, enter a building where a corpse, or part thereof, lies or even pass under a tree which also overhangs a cemetery. This is why there is a special ‘Kohen room’ at the cemetery, where Kohanim stand while a funeral is in progress and why Kohanim must take care when visiting hospitals, etc.

The whole concept of ‘death defilement’ is alien to us. It is clear from even the earliest sources that it is to be considered some sort of transmission: there is no suggestion that the corpse actually physically contaminates someone in proximity to it. There are many discussions, some highly esoteric, as to the meaning of this body of laws. Of the modern authors, Rav Hirsch’s explanation is most well-known, but we will look at the reasons provided by two prominent earlier expositors – the Keli Yakar and the Ohr HaChaim.

The reason for the prohibition of impurity is because of the spirit of impurity that remains stuck to the human body. Therefore the verse says, ‘he shall not defile himself to any soul’ and it does not say ‘in the soul’. The soul is intrinsically pure and it has no element of impurity, yet the soul is the cause of impurity. For in every other life-form which does not have the intelligent soul, rather the animating soul, their death comes about simply by the dispersion of the four elements and the Angel of Death has no contact with them at all. Therefore, they have no serious impurity at all. (Keli Yakar VaYikra 21)

The Keli Yakar seems to understand that impurity of the body following death is a consequence of the purity of the soul that has left the body: a kind of testimony to the fact that spirituality once occupied this space. Recognising and sensing its significance is the purpose of the laws of impurity.

The difference between the Jewish people and the other nations was achieved through accepting the Torah, for without this, the House of Yisrael would be like the other nations.... Once they accepted the Torah, the Jewish people became an entity to which the low spirits like to stick. Since they have some element of holiness in their lifetime, so too in their death. In their lifetimes - for should they touch a corpse, adumbrate over it, or similar, the impurity of the corpse sticks to them and does not wish to depart without the great effort which the Torah prescribes: the mitzvah of the red cow. In their deaths - the impurity also is great…

I have already explained this in a parable. It is compared to two vessels owned by a householder - one full of honey and one full of waste. He empties them and removes them from the room. The one which contained the honey attracts a swarm of flies and insects; the one which contained the waste, although it attracts a few insects, it is not comparable to the honey. So too, when a Jew dies, since he was filled with sweet and beautiful holiness, when the soul departs and the body is emptied out, the unholy husks, which are the forces of impurity, gather without end. They always wish to stick to something holy to enjoy its sweetness. (Ohr HaChaim to BeMidbar 19:2)

Here, the Ohr HaChaim elaborates on the theme of the Keli Yakar and suggests that the nature of the Jewish soul, which is designed to attract holiness, is such that its absence attracts spiritual negativity.

We do not relate to these ideas very easily, but they formalise something that we feel quite profoundly already: the departure of a holy soul leaves a void in all sorts of ways. Apart from the absence of his or her presence, and the distress to the family, it seems that a spiritual vacuum is created by a person’s death, one that the Torah wishes us to feel in a real way.

A Strong Taboo (Aharey Mot 5767)

One of the strongest taboos still in operation in most societies is expressed in the revulsion that most people feel for incest. Apart from the obvious possible abuse that it may entail, most even non-religious people will support retaining its criminal status on the grounds that even consensual incestuous relations may lead to deformities. The Torah strictly prohibits an entire list of consanguineous relationships, as detailed in this week’s readings. Of particular interest is the Torah’s attitude to brother-sister incest:

If a man should take his sister - his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is chessed. They shall be cut off before the eyes of the children of their people. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister - he shall bear his sin. (VaYikra 20:17)

These verses speak in euphemisms, but the perplexing part is the use of the word ‘chessed’, which normally refers to kind, altruistic acts, to a heinous crime. There are various classic attempts to resolve this difficulty. Rashi claims:

It is chessed - In Aramaic – disgusting. (Rashi ad. loc.)

This involves a certain degree of textual manipulation and is not the only solution. Noting the tradition that Cain and Abel were born with twin sisters (if not who did they marry?), the Midrash states:

Said Rebbi Shimon to him - does it not say, ‘If a man should take his sister - his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness?’ Rather by investigation, one can derive that they did not have other women to marry, so they were permitted to them, as the verse says, ‘the world is built on chessed’. The world was built on chessed until the Torah was given. Rebbi Yosef said - Kayin and Hevel had twin sisters as the verse says, ‘And she conceived and bore Kayin.’ (Pirkey D’Rebbi Eli’ezer 21)

This is based on the verse in Psalms that the ‘world is built on chessed’ (89:3), the simple meaning of which is that the world is built on acts of kindness. It is reinterpreted by this Midrash to mean that the world was founded on the incestuous relationship between Cain and his sister! This is reflected in the Aramaic translation of our verse:

If a man should take his sister - his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness - it is disgusting. For He acted kindly with the early generations in order to populate the world from them when there was no future for the world.... (Targum Yonatan ben Uziel ad. loc.)

A remaining question is obvious. What changed? Why did God wish to found the world on this type of relationship, which later became forbidden in the strongest of terms? After all, He could have created a number of families, which would have avoided the need for incest. The Ishbitzer Rebbe (1800-1854, Poland) offers a unique perspective:

This subject indicates to us that one should not say that since God loves me at my core I can do whatever I like. Rather, this love is similar to the love of siblings which is rooted in love which comes with no effort. For God wants Man, through his efforts and actions that God should love him. But should one say - but the beginning of creation was not through the actions of Man or impulse from him… For God wanted in His kindness without the input of Man as it was at the creation of the world. But after the creation of the world, God wanted that Yisrael should be chosen, but only through work and clarification.... Therefore it writes, ‘it is chessed. They shall be cut off before the eyes of the children of their people’ for if one does not make an effort with his actions and his Mitzvah activities, then God will remove His love from him and show before all that he is distanced from God. (May HaShiloach 2, ad. loc.)

This text is difficult, but in essence tells us that the brother-sister relationship is ‘too easy’. It’s not simply because there are no in-laws! No effort is required to form the relationship: godliness is brought into the world through the struggle and dynamic of relationship. In short, such a relationship strips away the purpose of existence. In the early stage of the world, humanity needed this ease to ‘get things going’, but once it matured, it became an anathema to the very purpose set by God for the world.