This Week in Learning

At the end of his life, Yaakov gathers his children together and proffers his last will and testament. The text in the Torah records a statement about each of his children. They include specific qualities about the individual and many hint at events in the future of the Jewish people.

בראשית מט – (א) וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַֽחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים:

Beresheit 49 ) —1( Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.

The Talmud discusses this episode in relation to the manner of reciting Shema.

תלמוד בבלי – פסחים נ"ו.

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מַפְסִיקִין הָיוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וְעַד. וַאֲנַן מַאי טַעְמָא אָמְרִינַן לֵיהּ כִּדְדָרֵישׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ {בראשית מ״ט:א׳} וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם בִּיקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב לְגַלּוֹת לְבָנָיו קֵץ הַיָּמִין וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁכִינָה אָמַר שֶׁמָּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יֵשׁ בְּמִטָּתִי פְּסוּל כְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְאָבִי יִצְחָק שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ עֵשָׂו אָמְרוּ לוֹ בָּנָיו שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד אָמְרוּ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין בְּלִבְּךָ אֶלָּא אֶחָד כָּךְ אֵין בְּלִבֵּנוּ אֶלָּא אֶחָד בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה פָּתַח יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ וְאָמַר בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וְעַד.

Talmud Bavli – Pesachim 56a

Rabbi Yehuda says: They paused, but they would not recite: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever. The Gemara asks: What is the reason that we recite that passage: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever, even though it does not appear in the Torah? The Gemara answers: We recite it in accordance with that which Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish interpreted homiletically. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said that it is written: “And Jacob called his sons and said, Gather around and I will tell you what will occur to you in the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when the complete redemption would arrive at the end of days (see Daniel 12:13), but the Divine Presence abandoned him, rendering him unable to prophesy. He said: Perhaps the Divine Presence has abandoned me because, Heaven forfend, one of my descendants is unfit, as was the case with my grandfather Abraham, from whom Ishmael emerged, and like my father Isaac, from whom Esau emerged. His sons said to him: Hear Israel, our father, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. They said: Just as there is only one God in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father said in praise: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever, as all his children were righteous.

Our practice is that after reciting the first verse of the Shema, “Listen Israel Hashem is our God Hashem is One”, we pause before continuing. We insert the sentence “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever” before continuing with the subsequent paragraph.

At first glance, this is indeed a strange custom. We generally avoid reorganizing the Torah (see Gemara Brachot 12b, Megilah 22a, the Rav’s Yartzeit Lectures in Memory of his Father, Vol 1, p.20). What is the impetus for breaking from this longstanding practice and placing this additional recitation in the middle of the Shema? The Talmud explains that when Yaakov gathered his sons at the end of his life, he wanted to “reveal to his children the end of days”, and was disrupted from doing so. He then wondered if perhaps a flaw was present among his children. In response, his children assured him that they all accept and affirm the Oneness of God. Yaakov responds with “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever”. That is the source of our custom.

רמב"ם קריית שמע א':ד'

(ד) הקורא קריית שמע, כשהוא גומר פסוק ראשון, אומר בלחש, ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד, וחוזר וקורא כדרכו ״ואהבת את י״יז״ עד סופה. ולמה קורין כן, מסורת היא בידינו, שבשעה שקיבץ יעקב אבינו את בניו במצרים בשעת מיתתו, ציום וזירזם על ייחוד השם ועל דרך י״י שהלך בה אברהם ויצחק אביו, ושאל אותן ואמר להן, בני, שמא יש בכם פסולתח, מי שאינו עומד עמי בייחוד אדון כל העולםט, כענין שאמר לנו משה רבינו ״פן יש בכם איש או אשה״ וכו׳י (דברים כ״ט:י״ז), ענו כולם ואמרו לויא, שמע ישראל י״י אלהינו י״י אחד, כלומר, שמע ממנו אבינו ישראל, י״י אלהינו י״י אחד, פתח הזקן וענהיב, ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. לפיכך נהגו כל ישראל לומר שבח ששיבח בו ישראל הזקן אחר פסוק זה:

Rambam – Laws of Reciting Shema 1:4

When reciting the Shema, after completing the first verse, one says quietly "Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom forever." He then continues to read the first section in its normal fashion: "And you shall love God, your Lord…" Why do we read it in this fashion? It is our tradition that when the patriarch, Jacob, gathered all his sons together in Egypt close to his death, he commanded and urged them regarding the Unity of God and the path of God upon which Abraham and Isaac, his father, had tread. He asked them: "My sons, perhaps there are dregs among you, one who does not stand with me in the Unity of God?" This is comparable to the manner in which Moses, our teacher, said to us: "Lest there be among you a man or woman [whose heart turns this day from God...]" (Deuteronomy 29:17). They all answered and said: "Listen, Israel, God is our Lord, God is One," i.e., listen to us, Israel, our father, God is our Lord, God is One. The wise elder responded: "Blessed be the Name of the Glory of His Kingdom forever." Therefore, the Jews are accustomed to utter the praise that Israel, the wise elder, uttered after this verse.

It is noteworthy that the Rambam incorporates this Talmudic anecdote into his halakhic work, the Mishneh Torah. There are many engaging and informative narratives in the Talmud that elucidate our performance of various mitzvot. But they very rarely make it into the Rambam’s terse legal code (see his introduction to the Laws of Idolatry and the Laws of Chanukah for counterexamples). Why did the Rambam include this Talmudic account in his legal formulation? How is it integral to the performance of the Shema?

When we recite the Shema we are acknowledging God as the creator and sovereign of the universe. This is described as “accepting the Yoke of Heaven” (Mishna Brachot 2:2). This is indeed a personal declaration. But it also exists within a larger context. We are simultaneously affirming our participation and membership in a community spanning generations committed to this truth. Our acceptance and acknowledgment of God does not exist in a vacuum. This idea is reflected in Yaakov’s statement and our corresponding recital of "Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom forever”.

תלמוד בבלי – ברכות ט"ז:

אֲמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מַאי דִּכְתִיב: {תהלים ס״ג:ה׳} ״כֵּן אֲבָרֶכְךָ בְחַיָּי בְּשִׁמְךָ אֶשָּׂא כַפָּי״? ״כֵּן אֲבָרֶכְךָ בְחַיָּי״, זוֹ קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע. ״בְּשִׁמְךָ אֶשָּׂא כַפָּי״, זוֹ תְּפִלָּה. וְאִם עוֹשֶׂה כֵן, עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: {תהלים ס״ג:ו׳} ״כְּמוֹ חֵלֶב וָדֶשֶׁן תִּשְׂבַּע נַפְשִׁי״, וְלֹא עוֹד, אֵלָּא שֶׁנּוֹחֵל שְׁנֵי עוֹלָמִים, הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: {תהלים ס״ג:ו׳} ״וְשִׂפְתֵי רְנָנוֹת יְהַלֶּל פִּי״.

Talmud Bavli – Brachot 16b

The Gemara cites an aggadic statement concerning prayer and the recitation of Shema. Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “So I will bless You as I live, to Your name I will raise my hands” (Psalms 63:5)? So I will bless You as I live, refers to the recitation of Shema, and to Your name I will raise my hands, refers to the Amida prayer, which is characterized as lifting one’s hands to God. And if one does so, recites Shema and prays, the verse says about him: “As with fat and marrow, my soul will be satisfied” (Psalms 63:6). And not only does he receive this reward, but he inherits two worlds, this world and the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “…

After what appeared to be a successful encounter with the Egyptian ruler, the brothers head home to their father Jacob. But after leaving the city limits, they are accused of larceny. Binyamin Is found guilty and condemned to be a slave. The Torah notes that all the brothers tore their garments in mourning and returned to Egypt together (Beresheit 44:13-14). Yehudah then approaches Yosef and makes an impassioned speech. Yosef responds and reveals his identity and reunites with his brothers. Where were the other brothers during this interaction?

בראשית רבה צ"ג

(ב) כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו (תהלים מ"ח:ה'), כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים, זֶה יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף. עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו, זֶה נִתְמַלֵּא עֶבְרָה עַל זֶה וְזֶה נִתְמַלֵּא עֶבְרָה עַל זֶה. (תהלים מ"ח:ו'): הֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ, (בראשית מ"ג:ל"ג): וַיִּתְמְהוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ, (תהלים מ"ח:ו'): נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ, (בראשית מ"ה:ג'): וְלֹא יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו וגו', (תהלים מ"ח:ז'): רְעָדָה אֲחָזָתַם שָׁם, אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים, אָמְרוּ מְלָכִים מִדַּיְינִים אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ אָנוּ מָה אִכְפַּת לָנוּ, יָאֵי לְמֶלֶךְ מִדַּיֵּן עִם מֶלֶךְ. וַיִּגַשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה (איוב מ"א:ח'): אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד יִגַּשׁוּ, זֶה יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף, (איוב מ"א:ח'): וְרוּחַ לֹא יָבֹא בֵינֵיהֶם, אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים, אָמְרוּ מְלָכִים מִדַּיְנִים אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ אָנוּ מָה אִכְפַּת לָנוּ.

Beresheit Rabbah 93

“Behold, the kings convened, passed together” (Psalms 48:5). “Behold the kings” – this is Judah and Joseph. “Passed [avru] together” – this one became filled with fury [evra] against that one, and that one became filled with fury against this one. “They saw it and were astonished” (Psalms 48:6) – “The men wondered to one another” (Genesis 43:33). “They were terrified; they hastened” (Psalms 48:6) – “[Joseph said to his brothers: I am Joseph; does my father still live?] And his brothers could not [answer him because they were alarmed before him]” (Genesis 45:3). “A fearful trembling seized them there” (Psalms 45:6) – these are the tribes. They said: ‘Kings are contending with one another; of what concern is it to us? It is appropriate for a king to contend with a king.’ “Judah approached him” – “One approaches another” (Job 41:8) – this is Judah and Joseph. “Not even a breath comes between them” (Job 41:8) – these are the tribes. They said: ‘Kings are contending with one another; of what concern is it to us?’

The Midrash paints the picture that a debate took place between two kings, Yehudah and Yosef. The other brothers stepped back. It’s hard to read this Midrash as indicating the encounter was of no concern to the brothers. Rather, it seems to convey it was inappropriate for them to get involved. They were spectators.

On a basic level, Yehudah stepped forward to protect his brother Binyamin. He corrected the previous error when the brothers betrayed Yosef and sold him to Egypt. The brothers remained on the sidelines because it was Yehudah’s initiative. He took on personal responsibility for Binyamin’s safety (Beresheit 43:9), and now was following through on his commitment.

On another level, we can see the story related to Jewish history as a whole. The Ramban formulates this as “all that occurs to the forefathers is indicative of [what will occur] to their children” (Commentary on 12:6). According to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the Rav, the debate between Yehudah and Yosef centers around the future leadership of the Jewish people.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik - Joseph the Ruler

Why did Providence will that Joseph should lose and Judah win? We study the Bible as the book of destiny, determining not only a story of events that transpired thirty-five hundred years ago, but a story of events that are transpiring now and which will transpire in the future. Why, then, did Joseph lose the final battle?

…No matter how lion-like Judah was, he yielded to temptation. On two occasions, he failed miserably to meet the challenge of the horror that confronted him; he acted not like a fearless lion but like a coward. Yet he rose all by himself, without anyone else extending a helping hand. He sinned, but he repented beautifully and heroically with an open mind and contrite heart. In the incident with Tamar, he was not embarrassed to confess publicly, to admit the truth in front of all his friends and associates by saying the unforgettable words, "Tzadekah mimmen-ni, She is more righteous than I" (Gen. 38:26). He was not a natural saint, but the moment he failed, he had the superhuman valor to rise again.

…Joseph belonged to a different moral group, the hasidim who are moral by inclination, people over whom sin has no power. The Satan has no access to them; their lives are not stormy. They do not display the heroism of rising again, because they never fall. They walk along a straight path; they do not roll down a steep incline into an abyss, nor do they perform the miracle of stopping the downward movement at the brink of the cleft. Joseph never sinned; he resisted the charm of the vulgar Egyptian woman.

David could be a king. He resembled Judah; he, too, ascended to the greatest heights and then fell into an abyss. Yet he managed, like Judah, to rise again to still greater heights. David is the great teacher of teshuvah, repentance. Only the ruler who encounters sin, who falls for short intervals but who also knows the art of rising, of lifting himself up only he will understand his people and have compassion for the unfortunate ones who strayed, for those who got lost and fell.

…Providence had finally rendered the decision in the controversy between Judah and Joseph: Judah was declared the winner. He understood that people were frail and that from time to time they would sin. He knew that sinners should not be barred from reaching out for teshuvah; they should be helped to get up and rise again to greater heights (p.41-46).

The Rav explains that Yosef and Yehudah represented two distinct personalities. Yosef is described as “Yosef HaTzadik”, Joseph the Righteous. He receives this title because he refused to bow to temptation. He is the model of one who remains committed and pure from sin. The Rambam describes this personality in his eight chapter introduction to Pirkei Avot as a “Chasid”, one who is not tempted by sin (Eight Chapters, Chapter 6).

Yehudah in contrast made multiple public mistakes. He failed to protect Yosef from the other brothers. He was embarrassed in the episode with his former daughter-in-law Tamar. But he recovered from both errors. He rallied at critical moments. The Rambam describes this as one who “conquers his inclination” (Eight Chapters, Chapter 6). It was this quality of leadership, the ability to admit mistakes and rise from them, that the Jewish people would need throughout the long night of history.

רמב"ם תשובה ז:ד – אל ידמה בעל תשובה שהוא מרוחק ממעלת הצדיקים מפני העונות והחטאות שעשה. אין הדבר כן, אלא אהוב ונחמד הוא לפני הבורא, וכאלו לא חטא מעולם. ולא עוד אלא ששכרו הרבה, שהרי טעם טעם החטא ופירש ממנו וכבש יצרו. אמרו חכמים, מקום שבעלי תשובה עומדין בו אין צדיקים גמורין יכולין לעמוד בו, כלומר מעלתן גדולה ממעלת אלו שלא חטאו מעולם, מפני שהן כובשין יצרם יתר מהם:

Rambam - Laws of Teshuva 7:4

A Baal-Teshuvah should not consider himself distant from the level of the righteous because of the sins and transgressions that he committed. This is not true. He is beloved and desirable before the Creator as if he never sinned. Furthermore, he has a great reward for he has tasted sin and yet, separated himself from it, conquering his [evil] inclination. Our Sages declared: "In the place where Baalei Teshuvah stand, even the completely righteous are not able to stand." The level of Baalei Teshuvah transcends the level of those who never sinned at all, for they overcome their [evil] inclination more.

As the Rambam formulates based on the Gemara in Brachot (34b), those who make mistakes and address them have a certain superiority over those who never erred. Yehudah embodied leadership that may be susceptible to …

At the beginning of Parshat Miketz, we follow the story of Yosef in Egypt. Pharaoh has dreams which no one can interpret. Yosef is brought from prison to the palace and successfully interprets the dreams. There will be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. He then suggests a prudent governmental policy. Pharaoh should store grain during the 7 years of plenty, and distribute it during the 7 years of famine, safeguarding Egypt and Pharaoh’s kingdom. The narrative then switches back to the house of Jacob.

בראשית מ"ב

(א) וַיַּ֣רְא יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לְבָנָ֔יו לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ׃

Beresheit 42

(1) Yaakov saw that there was grain in Egypt and Yaakov said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at one another?"

Rashi picks up on the particular phrasing in this verse. Assumedly, Yaakov heard there was food in Egypt. Why does it say “and Yaakov saw”?

רש"י בראשית מ"ב:א'

וירא יעקב כי יש שבר – ומהיכן ראה, והלא לא ראה אלא שמע: הנה שמעתי וגו' (בראשית מ"ב:ב'). ומהו וירא? ראה באספקלריא של קודש שיש לו סבר עוד במצרים. ולא היתה נבואה ממש להודיעו בפירוש שזה יוסף.

Rashi Beresheit 42:1

Jacob saw that there was grain being sold in Egypt. From where did he see it? Is it not true that he did not see it, only that he heard of it, as it is said: “Behold, I have heard, etc.” (verse 2)? What then is the meaning of “saw”? He saw with the divine “mirror” that he still had hope (שֶׂבֶר) in Egypt, but it was not a real prophecy to explicitly inform him that this was Joseph. — [from Gen. Rabbah 91:6]

Rashi explains that indeed the wording is indicating something beyond a simple read. He notes that Yaakov did not receive definitive prophecy. He did not know for sure that Yosef was in Egypt. But clearly something caught his attention. What caught his attention? What did it have to do with Yosef?

On a basic level, Yaakov didn’t merely hear about the available food in Egypt, but he noticed something. The Egyptians had the foresight to store up grain during the 7 years of plenty which affected the region. Imagine after a stock market crash one was to hear that a particular state or country had divested completely from the financial markets in the months prior to the crash. They must have perceived something which others did not. This was perhaps what Jacob “saw” or discerned, a prodigious degree of foresight and wisdom in Egypt. However, the Rav describes something else that captured Yaakov’s attention.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik - “Joseph the Ruler”

Joseph had introduced a rationing system. He sold food retail, in small quantities indispensable for the survival of each family or individual. Each head of a family had to appear before Joseph or his subordinate to be cross-examined. Hoarding was forbidden. Buying for speculation was made impossible. Each person was allowed to carry away one loaded animal. Delicacies were not sold.

Egypt had instituted a system typical of our Jewish philosophy and ethics. We read regarding the manna, "Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer per head, according to the number of you shall you take it" (Ex. 16:16). Hoarding food while there are people who do not have anything is a sin. It reflects an egotistical, loveless being. In times of curses, famine, and trouble, people must share with each other whatever they possess. This is the foundation of the moral code of economics.

In other words: Jacob was amazed to see that the method of distribution of the food by the Egyptian government, the adoption of the rationing system in order to avoid inflationary prices, speculation, and hoarding, reflected Abraham's economic morality, which dictates that the powerful and rich should not profit from the misery of the poor. But how was it possible for pagan Egypt, Jacob thought, to act in the spirit of Abraham? How did it display such fine moral sensitivity?

Something else baffled Jacob. There was a famine not only in Egypt but in all the Mideastern states. The adjacent countries were also suffering from the hunger. Had Egypt been guided by the pagan morality, it would have refused to sell food to other countries. Since the sale of grain to foreigners caused a reduction of the rations for the Egyptians, the latter had less for their own use on account of the benevolent policy to feed the starving all over the Middle East. Jacob simply could not grasp what made Egypt act so charitably in the spirit of Abraham. He said, "There is shever in Egypt," there are food rations to be had there in other words, there is an equitable system of distribution. They sell food to foreigners. (p.29-30)

The Rav explains what puzzled Yaakov. Most kingdoms or countries that find themselves in a position of exceptional power utilize that power to their own advantage, often at the expense or exclusion of others. Pharaoh could have used the opportunity to starve and control the citizenry. Egypt certainly did not have to share their resources with the surrounding countries. They could have starved them, invaded, and expanded their empire. But the Egyptian policies during the famine reflected a remarkable degree of generosity and fairness. There was no price gouging by the government, and the government did not allow others to profit unfairly. Yaakov didn’t know it was Yosef at work, but he did take notice of a surprising degree of ethics in action in an otherwise pagan society.

Yosef and his policies serve as a shining example of moral leadership in times of crisis. No doubt these policies were beneficial to Pharaoh and his kingdom. But Yosef was successful in explaining the advantages of this approach. It would engender goodwill among the populace and the surrounding nations. It would avoid civil unrest and resentment. It would enrich Pharaoh in a stable and sustainable fashion, all the while implementing the Torah’s philosophy of using one’s additional resources to take care of those in need.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Soloveitchik J. D. Shatz D. Wolowelsky J. B. & Ziegler R. (2013). Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses. Published for Toras HoRav Foundation by KTAV Pub. House.

There is an interesting Gemara in Rosh Hashanah that deal with a particular instance of sanctifying the new moon.

תלמוד בבלי – ראש השנה כה.

רַבִּי חִיָּיא חַזְיֵיא לְסֵיהֲרָא דַּהֲוָה קָאֵי בְּצַפְרָא דְּעֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה שְׁקַל קָלָא פְּתַק בֵּיהּ אֲמַר לְאוּרְתָּא בָּעֵינַן לְקַדּוֹשֵׁי בָּךְ וְאַתְּ קָיְימַתְּ הָכָא זִיל אִיכַּסִּי אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי לְרַבִּי חִיָּיא זִיל לְעֵין טָב וְקַדְּשֵׁיהּ לְיַרְחָא וּשְׁלַח לִי סִימָנָא דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי וְקַיָּם.

Talmud Bavli - Rosh Hashanah 25a

The Gemara relates that Rabbi Ḥiyya once saw the waning moon standing in the sky on the morning of the twenty-ninth of the month. He took a clump of earth and threw it at the moon, saying: This evening we need to sanctify you, i.e., the new moon must be visible tonight so that we may declare the thirtieth of the month as the New Moon, and you are still standing here? Go and cover yourself for now, so that the new moon will be seen only after nightfall. The Gemara further relates that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi once said to Rabbi Ḥiyya: Go to a place called Ein Tav and sanctify the New Moon there, and send me a sign that you have sanctified it. The sign is: David, king of Israel, lives and endures.

What is the idea behind using the coded message, of “David King of Israel lives and endures”? What is the connection to the moon?

הערוך על סדר הש"ס ראש השנה כ"ה.

דוד – מלך ישראל חי (ראש השנה כה.) פי' מלכות בית דוד נמשלה כירח שנאמר כירח יכון עולם כלומר נתקיימה ראיית הלבנה בעולם:

Aruch - Daled

"David – King of Israel is alive (Rosh Hashanah 25). Meaning, the monarchy of the House of David is compared to the moon, as it is said, 'Like the moon, it will be established forever' (Psalm 89:37), meaning that the appearance of the moon will endure in the world."

The Aruch elaborates that the use of this coded message was no mere coincidence. The Davidic dynasty is compared to the moon, as it will endure, leaving a lasting impact on the world. He quotes a verse from Tehilim.

תהלים פ“ט – (לז) זַ֭רְעוֹ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִהְיֶ֑ה וְכִסְא֖וֹ כַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ נֶגְדִּֽי׃ (לח) כְּ֭יָרֵחַ יִכּ֣וֹן עוֹלָ֑ם וְעֵ֥ד בַּ֝שַּׁ֗חַק נֶאֱמָ֥ן סֶֽלָה׃

Psalms 89 - 37) His seed will be forever and his throne is like the sun before Me. 38) Like the moon, which is established forever, and it is a witness in the sky, eternally true."

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch - Commentary on Tehilim 89:31-38

And even if Israel's fate seems inconstant, and, like the moon, it seems at times close to the vanishing point, nevertheless, also like the moon, Israel will survive for all time. Even as the moon will remain forever a faithful witness in the clouds, so the throne of David shall also ever be faithful testimony in the skies of the nations. The moon with the changes which it undergoes is a dependable time regulator for human activity, and Jewish ideology has instituted it as the witness and messenger, awakener and summoner for all spiritual, moral and social rebirth (see Commentary to Exod. 12:1, 2). Similarly, the kingship of David shall remain such a witness for the spiritual and moral renascence of all of mankind; indeed, it acts as such even now by virtue of the fact that the awareness of its role has already penetrated the minds of the nations.

The Jewish people have a divinely ordained role in the world. They are to be a “messenger, awakener and summoner for all spiritual, moral and social rebirth”. They will retain this role and responsibility throughout time, as constant as the moon. Though another element of the analogy comes forth. The moon waxes and wanes. Exactly how this responsibility will be executed will change over time. Like the moon, even as its visibility waxes and wanes, its influence remains constant.

שמואל א כ – (מב) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהוֹנָתָ֛ן לְדָוִ֖ד לֵ֣ךְ לְשָׁל֑וֹם אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨עְנוּ שְׁנֵ֜ינוּ אֲנַ֗חְנוּ בְּשֵׁ֤ם יְהֹוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהֹוָ֞ה יִהְיֶ֣ה׀ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעִ֛י וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

Samuel I Chapter 20 - 42 And Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace! (And bear in mind) that we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, 'May the Lord be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.' "

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

David owed his very life to Jonathan. If indeed their mutual love was so strong, why was it necessary for Jonathan to relinquish his right to the throne and transfer it to David? Additionally, aside from the first verse of this haftarah, what is the relationship between the day before Rosh Chodesh and the rest of the narrative? The answer to both questions is based on a Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 27) which indicates that Jewish history is modeled after the lunar cycle…During a time of persecution in Israel, the occupier prohibited Kiddush Levanah, sanctification of the new moon. Rosh Hashanah 25a records that Rabba asked Rav Chiya to observe and report on the appearance of the new moon, but instead of reporting the event explicitly to the court, Rabba asked him to use the coded message “David King of Israel is alive and enduring.” Chazal saw a symbol of Jewish history in the steady disappearance of the moon, and its subsequent reemergence and expansion. While the Jewish people may have disappeared from the historical arena for the last 1900 years, we will reappear with the arrival of the Messiah, son of David. (2013, p.424-425)

It was David’s dynasty, not Jonathan’s, that would have the staying power to outlast the exile of the Jewish people. His kingdom might weaken during the long night of history. But like the moon, it will ultimately reemerge as bright as ever.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Soloveitchik, J. D. & Lustiger, A. (2013). Chumash Mesoras Harav. New York, NY: OU Press/Ohr Publishing.

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

We are confronted with the death of our matriarch Sarah at the beginning of the Parsha. It lists the age at which she died, but does so in a manner that has caught the attention of the commentators and any careful reader.

בראשית כג

א) וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה

Bereisheet

(1) And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.

Why does the verse list out her years separately, one hundred, twenty, and seven? Why does it repeat these are the years of Sarah’s life after the verse begins with “the life of Sarah was”? Rashi and the Midrash pick up on this anomaly.

רש"י בראשית כג:א

מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים – לכך נכתב שנה בכל כלל וכלל, לומר לך שכל אחד נדרש לעצמו: בת מאה כבת עשרים לחטא – מה בת עשרים לא חטאת, שהרי אינה בת עונשין, אף בת מאה בלא חטא, ובת עשרים כבת שבע ליופי.

שני חיי שרה – כולן שוין לטובה.

Rashi - Bereistet 23:1

And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years. The reason that the word “years” was written after every digit is to tell you that every digit is to be expounded upon individually: when she was one hundred years old, she was like a twenty-year-old regarding sin. Just as a twenty-year-old has not sinned, because she is not liable to punishment, so too when she was one hundred years old, she was without sin. And when she was twenty, she was like a seven-year-old as regards to beauty. — from Gen. Rabbah 58:1. the years of the life of Sarah. All of them equally good.

Rashi explains that the extended arrangement of the text is designed to convey an idea. When Sarah was 100, she was like 20 in terms of her impeccable spiritual standing, not having been blemished by error. When she was 20, she was like 7 in terms of beauty. Perhaps this text implies a beauty of character and innocence exemplified by a 7 year old, as 7 year olds are not generally considered to be the paradigm of physical beauty. The Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, was bothered by this and suggested the text might be reversed. When Sarah was 100 she was like 20 in terms of beauty, and when she was 20 she was like 7 in terms of being free from sin and error. While the Rav did not quote it in his shiur, but there is a similar text of the Yalkut on Tehilim:

תהלים לז:יח

(יח) יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הֹוָה יְמֵ֣י תְמִימִ֑ם וְ֝נַחֲלָתָ֗ם לְעוֹלָ֥ם תִּהְיֶֽה׃

ילקוט שמעוני תהלים ל"ז:י"ח

(יח) יודע ה' ימי תמימים – כשם שהם תמימים כך שנותיהם תמימים, בת ק' כבת כ' לנוי, בת עשרים כבת שבע לחטא, בר חטיא אמר כל מי שנאמר בו תמים השלים שניו אפילו למדת שבוע.

Tehilim 37:18

Hashem knows the days of the wholehearted/perfect/complete, and their inheritance will be forever.

Yalkut Shimoni

Just as they are perfect, so too their years are perfect. A 100 year old is like 20 in terms of beauty, and a 20 year old is like a sever year old in terms of sin. The son of Chityah said, anyone who is referred to as perfect, his years are perfected down to the week.

A verse in Tehilim is describing the days of the Temimim, which can be translated as wholehearted, perfected, or complete. The Yalkut is apparently drawing our attention to the verses connection between the description of the person as perfected and their days. If the person is perfected, their years must be too be perfected. It references a 100 year old being like a 20 year old in terms of beauty, and a 20 year old being like a 7 year old free from sin. It then notes a statement that perfect years must indicate perfect weeks.

An interesting idea emerges. The quality of our lives is defined by how we spend our time. If we see a person has acquired a degree of perfection and excellence, this must have been apparent in how they spent the years of their life. The qualities we see at 100 are reflective of qualities embodied at 20 but steadily pursued and developed. In order to have years with a certain quality, this must be manifest in how one spends their week (interesting the Yalkut emphasizes weeks and not days; apparently that is the ideal and realistic unit. We may not be able to devote our time to every endeavor each day, but it must be present during the week).

תורה שלמה בראשית כג:א

מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים, מפני מה מונה שנותן של ראשונים מקוטעין אלא ללמדך שכל יום ויום שקול כנגד הכל, וכן את מוצא באמנו שרה מאה שנה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנים, שהיתה בת מאה כבת עשרים בכח, ובת עשרים כבת שבע בצניעות ובטהרה, והיתה בת שבע כבת עשרים בדעת, ובת עשרים כבת מאה בצדקות, ללמדך שהמאה שקולה כעשרים וכשבע, והשבע שקול כעשרים, והעשרים כמאה. (מדרש הגדול)

Torah Shelaima - Bereisheet 23:1

"One hundred years and twenty years and seven years.” Why are the years of the early generations counted in fragments? To teach you that each day is weighed like the whole. Similarly we find with our matriarch Sarah that she was one hundred years old, twenty years old, and seven years old: At one hundred, she was like a twenty-year-old in strength. And at twenty, she was like a seven-year-old in modesty and purity. And at seven, she was like a twenty-year-old in terms of wisdom, and at twenty she was like a hundred in righteousness. This teaches that the age of one hundred is weighed like twenty and like seven, and seven is weighed like twenty, and twenty like a hundred. (Midrash Gadol)

This Midrash expands on the interpretation of the years of Sarah’s life, and indicates that it must be interpreted bidirectionally. Some of the characteristics are different than presented in previous versions. At one hundred she was like twenty in terms of strength, at twenty like seven in modesty and purity. At seven she possessed the wisdom of twenty, and at twenty she achieved a level of righteousness typical of someone at the end of their life. The term shikul, weighted or evaluated, connected to, requires some further explanation. What is the connection between these different periods of life?

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik - “From Generation to Generation”

Sarah lived three lives: the life of a child, the life of a young woman, and the life of a mature old woman… In the realm of the unfolding of the spirit, however, it is possible to see youth and ripe age or even childhood and youth- as simultaneous experiences. The advanced in years quite often display spiritual restlessness and intensity, and the young are sometimes characterized by cautious wisdom and sober judgment. An old person may be wonderfully childlike with a dreamer's naïveté and excitement. The idealism of youth quite often shines through the eyes of the graybeard. In fact, great people are sometimes great children. They are rich and multitalented because of their age; they are beautiful too because of their honesty and sincerity. Sarah was at one and the same time seven, twenty, and a hundred years old. She was simultaneously very old and very young, representing the aged, the adult, and the child.

"These are the lives of Sarah": she was always a one-hundred-year-old mature person, a twenty-year-old girl, and a seven-year-old child…Notwithstanding the maturation of her natural wisdom, she retained within her the young girl she had been once upon a time. She acted like a mature, wise, experience-rich old woman, but in times of need and crisis the young, bold, courageous girl came to the fore and took over…The ability to be all three together, to experience existentially child, youth, and old age, is a sign of the covenantal community.

The Rav explains that Sarah integrated in one personality the positive qualities that characterize each stage of life. She had the honesty and sincerity of a child, the boldness and courage of youth, and the wisdom of old age. These characteristics and qualities remained available to her and were a source of splendor and value throughout her life.

The psychologist Erik Erikson, famous for coining the term “identity crisis”, articulated a theory of successive development across the lifespan. In his book Childhood and Society (1950), he described eight stages charac…

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Recap of articles related to Noach:

The moral corruption of the generation of the flood is explicitly outlined by the Torah. The error of the generation that built the Tower of Bavel is not explicit (Beresheit Rabbah 38:6). We know the episode resulted in a dispersion of languages and people.

It is natural for groups to form among humans. Specialization is part of the evolution of society. Rav Hirsch explains this was expected to have occurred in the 400 years following the flood. “People branched out, and consequently many dialects developed. Nevertheless, there still was only one language” (Hirsch, 11:1).

בראשית פרק יא

(א) וַֽיְהִ֥י כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים׃

Beresheit 11

(1) The whole earth was of one language and of uniform words (Rav Hirsch translation).

Despite the differences in dialect, there remained a common viewpoint. A shared set of basic attitudes was prevalent among humanity. We know human nature well enough to understand this did not mean everyone was always in agreement. But they had a common frame of reference. Though dialects and emphases might vary, there remained a shared framework enabling successful communication.

During the enterprise of building the tower, there was a myopic focus on a singular aim. The individual was subordinated to the larger enterprise. But over time, the leadership failed to maintain the sense of unity toward an ultimately empty cause. Factions began to develop and the common endeavor and cohesion was lost.

בראשית פרק יא

(ז) הָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃

Beresheit 11

(7) Come, let us go down, and their languages will wither, so that they won't understand the language of their fellow.

אבן עזרא פירוש ראשון בראשית יא:ז

ויש אומרים: שנהפך לבם לשנוא זה את זה, וכל אחד חדש לשון.

R’ Avraham Ibn Ezra - Commentary on the Torah 11:7

Some say that the people building the tower started hating each other and each one invented a new language.

The Ibn Ezra explains that God did not need to intervene. The natural course of events resulted in the dispersion. Hatred emerged among the people. They created distinct ways of communicating, creating alienation and eventually dispersion. The ability for groups of people to communicate with each other was lost over time.

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch - Commentary on Bereshis 11:7

Even if these nations were to speak the same language, nevertheless, with the same words they would mean different things…the difference in attitudes would result in people not understanding one another. Even if there are no external influences that change the language organically, a divergence of languages can result from changes in the minds that create the language…Thus it came about that people no longer understood one another. They called things by different names in order to spite one another…We see, then, that discord was not precipitated by a proliferation of languages, but on the contrary: discord brought about a divergence of languages. Perhaps at first שפה אחת was preserved, and nevertheless נבלה שם: Even before mankind was scattered and before there were differences in climates, there no longer were דברים אחדים in the שפה אחת. This divergence of opinion then drove people apart, and, finally, climatic differences led to a divergence of languages from an inherent standpoint as well.

Like the Ibn Ezra, Rav Hirsch also describes the natural dispersion that occurred as a result of shifting values and meaning of words. While they started with the same language, the generation of the Tower of Bavel corrupted their ability to communicate. This led to a lack of common understanding and irreparable civil discord.

Sadly, we see this trend continue today. We have diluted what Rav Hirsch terms the “uniform coinage in the expression of ideas” (11:7). This is particularly troubling in two areas, journalism and education. We rely on journalism to provide us with the essential facts of current events. We rely on academics and academic institutions for dispassionate and objective analysis. When these enterprises are politicized and distorted toward the agenda of a particular faction, all of society loses out.

A war crime is something so evil that even in the context and tragedy of war, it stands out as a crime against humanity. White supremacist has historically referred to individuals or groups that explicitly believe white people are a distinct and superior race from other races, such as Jews and blacks. Genocide has historically meant the deliberate attempt to wipe out a particular nation or group. When the meanings of these terms are sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly shifted, communication breaks down.

If war crimes can refer to the common though horrible aspects of war, and white supremacy can refer to implicit and conventional self-centeredness, and genocide can refer to reasonable but complex military calculations, then we severely limit our ability to collaborate across society to rid ourselves of these evils. What begins as a shift in meaning, can lead to functionally different languages. People become isolated into echo chambers where they can only access the opinions and ideas of those who already share their views. This hampers our opportunity for collective action and shared enterprise, essential elements in building society together.

References

Hirsch, R. S. R. (2008). Hirsch Chumash: Sefer Bereshis. Jerusalem - New York: Feldheim Publishers.

Also on Parshat Noach:

On a similar subject:

The sounding of the Shofar is a central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. The Rambam explains that the institution is designed to wake us from our slumber, from being lost in the fleeting endeavors of our times, to do Teshuva and remember our creator (Laws of Teshuva 3:4). While we are used to seeing the Shofar blown in the context of the synagogue service, it looks slightly different when performed in the temple.

רמב“ם – שופר וסוכה ולולב א:ב

(ב) במקדש היו תוקעין בראש השנה בשופר אחד, ושתי חצוצרות מן הצדדין, השופר מאריך והחצוצרות מקצרות, שמצות היום בשופר. ולמה תוקעין עמו בחצוצרות, משום שנאמר ״בחצוצרות וקול שופר הריעו לפני המלך י״י״ (תהלים צ״ח:ו׳). אבל בשאר מקומות אין תוקעין בראש השנה אלא בשופר בלבד:

Rambam – Laws of Shofar Sukkah and Lualv 1:2

(2) In the Temple, on Rosh HaShanah, they would blow [the shofar in the following manner]: There was one shofar and two trumpets, [one on either] side. The sounding of the shofar was extended, while that of the trumpets was shortened, because the mitzvah of the day is performed with the shofar. Why were the trumpets sounded together with it? Because [Psalms 98:6] states: "You shall sound trumpets and the voice of the shofar before God, the King." However, in other places on Rosh Hashanah, only the shofar is blown.

When the mitzvah of Shofar is performed in the Beit Hamikdash, the temple, it is accompanied by the sounding of two silver trumpets. However, the Shofar sound is extended while the sounding of the trumpets is curtailed. The main mitzvah of the day is the Shofar.

רמב"ם – תעניות א:ד

ובימי התעניות האלו, זועקין בתפילות ומתחננים, ומריעין בחצוצרות בלבד. ואם היו במקדש, מריעין בחצוצרות ובשופר, השופר מקצר והחצוצרות מאריכות, שמצות היום בחצוצרות. ואין תוקעין בחצוצרות ושופר כאחד אלא במקדש, שנאמר "בחצוצרות וקול שופר הריעו לפני המלך י"י" (תהלים צ"ח:ו'):

Rambam – Laws of Fast Days 1:4

On these fast days, we cry out in prayer, offer supplications, and sound the trumpets only. In the Temple, we sound both the trumpets and the shofar. The shofar blasts should be shortened and the trumpet blasts extended, for the mitzvah of the day is with the trumpets. The trumpets are sounded together with the shofar only in the Temple, as [can be inferred from Psalms 98:6]: "Sound trumpets and shofar blasts before God, the King."

In the context of a national tragedy, the trumpets are sounded in the temple along with the Shofar. The shofar is curtailed, while the trumpets are extended. The main mitzvah in this circumstance is the trumpets.

On Rosh Hashanah, the Shofar takes center stage and the trumpets accompany the shofar. On a national fast day, the trumpets take center stage, and the shofar accompanies the trumpets. But in each instance, the Rambam emphasizes that the “mitzvah of the day” is Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, and the trumpets on a national fast day. Why not stick with one or the other? Why mix the messages? What is the idea behind this combination? To gain some context, let’s examine the Torah’s description of the trumpets:

במדבר י

א( וַיְדַבֵּר ה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. ב( עֲשֵׂה לְךָ, שְׁתֵּי חֲצוֹצְרֹת כֶּסֶף--מִקְשָׁה, תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם; וְהָיוּ לְךָ לְמִקְרָא הָעֵדָה, וּלְמַסַּע אֶת-הַמַּחֲנוֹת. ג( וְתָקְעוּ, בָּהֵן--וְנוֹעֲדוּ אֵלֶיךָ כָּל-הָעֵדָה, אֶל-פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. ד( וְאִם-בְּאַחַת, יִתְקָעוּ--וְנוֹעֲדוּ אֵלֶיךָ הַנְּשִׂיאִים, רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. ה( וּתְקַעְתֶּם, תְּרוּעָה--וְנָסְעוּ, הַמַּחֲנוֹת, הַחֹנִים, קֵדְמָה. ו( וּתְקַעְתֶּם תְּרוּעָה, שֵׁנִית--וְנָסְעוּ הַמַּחֲנוֹת, הַחֹנִים תֵּימָנָה; תְּרוּעָה יִתְקְעוּ, לְמַסְעֵיהֶם. ז( וּבְהַקְהִיל, אֶת-הַקָּהָל--תִּתְקְעוּ, וְלֹא תָרִיעוּ. ח( וּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים, יִתְקְעוּ בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת; וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם, לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם. ט( וְכִי-תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם, עַל-הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם--וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם, בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת; וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּם, מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶם. י( וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם, וּבְרָאשֵׁי חָדְשֵׁיכֶם--וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת עַל עֹלֹתֵיכֶם, וְעַל זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם; וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹקיכֶם.

Bamidbar 10

The Lord spoke to Moses saying: 2) Make yourself two silver trumpets; you shall make them [from a] beaten [form]; they shall be used by you to summon the congregation and to announce the departure of the camps. 3) When they blow on them, the entire congregation shall assemble to you, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 4) If they blow one of them, the princes, the leaders of Israel's thousands, shall convene to you. 5) When you blow a teruah [a series of short blasts, the camps which are encamped to the east shall travel. 6) When you blow a second teruah, the camps encamped to the south shall travel; they shall blow a teruah for traveling. 7) But when assembling the congregation, you shall blow a tekiah [long blast] but not a teruah. 8) The descendants of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; this shall be an eternal statute for your generations. 9) If you go to war in your land against an adversary that oppresses you, you shall blow a teruah with the trumpets and be remembered before the Lord your God, and thus be saved from your enemies. 10) On the days of your rejoicing, on your festivals and on your new-moon celebrations, you shall blow on the trumpets for your ascent-offerings and your peace sacrifices, and it shall be a remembrance before your God; I am the Lord your God.

The trumpets are sounded on 4 occasions. To 1) gather the nation or the leaders together, 2) to initiate national travel, 3) at a time of war or adversity, and 4) on holidays. What do these 4 occasions have in common?

Each of these occasions is a national event. The trumpets function to bring to mind our national identity. Imagine the king’s arrival at a royal event in an ancient kingdom. The trumpets indicate the event’s national importance. A modern day example might be a nation’s flag. One might find the flag flown at a sporting event as an expression of a nation’s freedom. We see the flag planted on the moon as a demonstration of a nation’s technological achievements. At a memorial service a flag might recognize an individual’s sacrifice and contribution to their country. In these instances we aim to highlight our common national identity.

Similarly within the Torah system, when gathering the congregation or its leaders, initiating national travel, at a time of war or adversity, and when offerings are made in the temple on behalf of the nation, the silver trumpets are blown. The trumpets function to put these specific events in their proper national context. They are not isolated events, but part of the Jewish people’s national story.

On Titus’ arch commemorating the sacking of Jerusalem, one sees the menorah prominently, along with two large trumpets. Both these items related to the identity of the Jewish nation. During Bar Kochba’s revolt, he minted coins with two trumpets, along with the inscription “to the freedom of Jerusalem”. While the Menorah is often thought of as a symbol of the Jewish people, the silver trumpets and their sound would have likely been at least equally prominent in the minds of ancient Jews.

The Shofar on Rosh Hashanah reminds the individual to engage in Teshuva. The trumpets on a fast day bring to mind our national identity, and prompt the nation to change its path, thereby removing the danger and threat from before it. But in the temple the shofar is blown along with the trumpets. A nation is made up of individuals. Individual errors can play out on a national stage, and individual mistakes can cause national tragedies. And sometimes individual failings reflect shortcomings in the society around them. Societal failings can breed individual faults. At different times during the year, we give emphasis to one over the other. But we don’t lose sight of the fact that they are interrelated. The fast of Gedalia represents a national tragedy caused by individual malice and misjudgment. Whenever we look to improve our situation and cast our past …

In the concluding sections of Moshe’s final speech to the Jewish people, he reminds them of the binding covenant between the people and God that spans generations. A promise made to our forefathers playing out in the generation about to enter the land of Israel, extends also to future members of the nations. He warns them about abandoning the covenant, that it will lead to their being expelled from the land. The paragraph concludes with an enigmatic statement.

דברים כט

(כח) הַנִּ֨סְתָּרֹ֔ת לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹ֞ת לָ֤ׄנׄוּׄ וּׄלְׄבָׄנֵ֙ׄיׄנׄוּ֙ׄ עַׄד־עוֹלָ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

Devarim 29

28 The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah.

The Torah states that “hidden things” belong to God, while “the revealed things are for us and our children”. What is the meaning of this sentence and what does it aim to convey to the people? How does it relate to Moshe’s message at this time?

רלב"ג דברים כט

(כח) הנסתרות לי"י אלהינו והנגלות לנו וגו' – אמר זה כי אולי יחשוב חושב כי האדם יחטא אם לא יושגו לו כונות התורה ואם היה שהישירה אליו מקניין השלמות האנושי ואם היה כן היה בלתי אפשר שיהיה אדם צדיק בארץ שלא יחטא כי לא יוכל לעמוד על כונות התורה בשלמות ואם היה זה כן איך יתכן שיצוה השם יתעלה לשמור כל מצותיו ואם לא ישמרו כלם יגיע להם אלו העונשים הנפלאים.

והנה להסיר זה הספק אמרה התורה כי הנסתרות שבמצות התורה – והם התועלות אשר תכוין אליהם בהם מפני היותם על מה שהם עליו – הם דברים לא יושגו על תכליתם כי אם לשם יתעלה לבדו ולזה לא ייוחס חטא לבלתי עומד על כונותיה ואולם הנגלות ממצותיה והם הפעולות והדברים שצותה התורה לעשות או להמנע מהם הם חובה לנו ולבנינו תמיד לדורותינו לעשות כפי מה שגזרה התורה מהם.

Ralbag on Devarim 29:28

(28) "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children..." – This statement addresses the concern that one might think a person will be sinning if he does not reach the [lofty] aims of the Torah, and if he does not acquire the ideal perfection of the human being. If this were the case, it would be impossible that a person could be righteous and not err. For it is impossible to reach the true intention of the Torah in its entirety. If this were the case, how could the Exalted One command us to keep all of his commandments, and if we don’t keep all of them [perfectly], we will receive these astounding punishments.

To remove this doubt, the Torah says that the hidden aspects of the commandments — those are the benefits to which they are ultimately intended — they are matters that only Hashem the Exalted can truly grasp, and therefore, no sin is attributed to someone who does not fully comprehend their objectives. However, the revealed aspect of the commandments, those are the actions and matters which the Torah commands us to do or to avoid, they are obligatory for us and our children perpetually for all generations, to be performed as the Torah prescribes.

The Ralbag explains that the statement from Moshe regarding the hidden and revealed is designed to dispel a particular notion. One might think that the Jewish people would be held fully accountable for not reaching the greatest aims of the Torah. Perhaps the punishments are a result of the bar being set too high. We are assured by Moshe that this is not the case. The hidden, according to the Ralbag, refers to the ultimate objectives of the mitzvot. We are held accountable for our observance or abandonment of the revealed and accessible aspect of the mitzvot. While the Torah indeed has lofty and magnificent objectives, the hidden, our covenant relates to the basic performance of the commandments, something that is imminently achievable. This theme is echoed a few verses later.

דברים ל

(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃(יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יג) וְלֹא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבׇר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃

Devarim 30

(11) For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away. (12) It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” (13) Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” (14) Rather, [this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.

רלב"ג דברים ל

(יג) ואינו גם כן מאופן מהעומק שיצטרכו לשוטט מעבר הים – להבין דבריה כי המצוה מעניינה והיא עשית המצוה הוא דבר קל מאד להגיד אותו בפה ולצייר אותו בלבבו וזה כי לא צותה התורה להעמיק העיון בה עד שיעמדו על כונותיה לפי מה שאפשר אך בטחה כי זה יתכן שישלם עם מה שהישירה אליו מזה מענין הבדל הכהנים והלוים לעבודת השם יתעלה כמו שביארנו במה שקדם

Ralbag Devarim 30

(13) Nor is it so profound that one needs to travel across the sea to understand its meaning. For the essential [requirement] of the commandment is to perform it, which is a very easy matter. To express in words, and to conceive it in one's heart. This is because the Torah does not require us to delve in depth to the greatest extent possible, but rather assures us reward for what we are directed to do, as we understand from the distinction of the priests and levites to serve Hashem the Exalted as we have explained previously.

Moshe’s message is that Torah observance is accessible. Indeed the mitzvot are aimed to lead us toward the loftiest goals for the human being. But we demonstrate our commitment to the covenant by engaging in the basic performances of the Torah. That is what we are accountable for. Not achieving the ultimate perfection does not violate the covenant we made with God. The mitzvot themselves, these pathways to perfection, are not in the heavens or across the sea, but right in front of us.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

The Parsha of Ki Teitze has the highest density of commandments of any weekly section of the Torah. This expansive set of 74 mitzvot do not appear to be clearly related to one another. A range includes returning lost objects, keeping one’s commitments, and maintaining even weights and measures. It concludes with an obligation to destroy Amalek.

The Parsha begins with the laws related to encountering a beautiful woman in the context of war. The Torah regulates permissible interactions and imposes significant restrictions. It then discusses the laws of inheritance among sons, prohibiting showing preference outside of birth order. It goes on to discuss a rebellious son.

רש"י דברים כ"א:י"א

(יא) ולקחת לך לאשה – לא דברה תורה אלא כנגד יצר הרע. אם אין הקב"ה מתירה ישאנה באיסור, אבל אם נשאה, סופו להיות שונאה, שנאמר אחריו: כי תהיינה לאיש וגומ', וסופו להוליד ממנה בן סורר ומורה. לכך נסמכו פרשיות הללו

Rashi on Devarim 21:11

[and you desire her,] you may take [her] for yourself as a wife: [Not that you are commanded to take this woman as a wife,] but Scripture [in permitting this marriage] is speaking only against the evil inclination [, which drives him to desire her]. For if the Holy One, blessed is He, would not permit her to him, he would take her illicitly. [The Torah teaches us, however, that] if he marries her, he will ultimately come to despise her, as it says after this, “If a man has [two wives-one beloved and the other despised]” (verse 15); [moreover] he will ultimately father through her a wayward and rebellious son (see verse 18). For this reason, these passages are juxtaposed. — [Tanchuma 1]

Rashi ties these three items together. He explains that the juxtaposition of these three sections imply a relationship. If one chooses a spouse based on superficialities, it can lead to marital discord, and this will ultimately impact one’s children. In the beginning of his book on Politics, Aristotle argues that the family is a primary unit of society. He explains, “For, inasmuch as every family is a part of a state, and these relationships are the parts of a family, and the virtue of the part must have regard to the virtue of the whole” (Politics Book I). If one wishes to build a successful society, it begins with the family.

Many mitzvot and institutions in the Parsha provide a snapshot of the ideal Jewish society. Returning lost property (22:1-3), building a fence around a roof for safety (22:8), the prohibition against charging interest (23:20), maintaining one’s verbal commitments (23:22-24), paying wages on-time (24:15), leaving fallen crops for the poor and destitute (24:19-21), keeping even weights and measures (25-13-16) all serve as examples. Many of the other mitzvot can fit into this theme. The final mitzvah in the Parsha is to remember Amalek:

דברים כה – יז) זָכוֹר, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק, בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם.  יח) אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל-הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ--וְאַתָּה, עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ; וְלֹא יָרֵא, אֱלֹהִים.  יט) וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל-אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב, בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה-אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ--תִּמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם; לֹא, תִּשְׁכָּח.  {פ}

Devarim 25 – 17) You shall remember what Amalek did to you on the way, when you went out of Egypt,18) how he happened upon you on the way and cut off all the stragglers at your rear, when you were faint and weary, and he did not fear God. 19) [Therefore,] it will be, when the Lord your God grants you respite from all your enemies around [you] in the land which the Lord, your God, gives to you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall obliterate the remembrance of Amalek from beneath the heavens. You shall not forget!

At first glance, the obligation to remember the evil of Amalek appears to be out of place. It should be considered external affairs, international relations, and not related to the internal workings of Jewish society. Is there something we can learn from its placement at the end of this section?

The obligation to remember Amalek is a sad but necessary reminder that there is evil in the world. The verse states unequivocally, “do not forget” (25:19). No matter how beautiful a society may be, reflecting the highest values of compassion, justice, and charity, there are forces in the world that are intent on tearing it down. Some interests are more intent on promoting chaos over progress. The noble building blocks of Jewish society do not make it invulnerable. The final step in maintaining Jewish society is a commitment to protect and defend it.

References

Aristotle. (n.d.). Politics (B. Jowett, Trans.). The Internet Classics Archive. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from https://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

In the Torah-based society, there are different categories of of leaders. Parshat Shoftim discusses judges who determine justice, officials who implement the rulings, and Kohanim serving as spiritual leaders and guides based in the Temple, the paradigm of spiritual leaders throughout the generations. The Torah continues to discuss the role of kings, levites, and prophets.

At the end of the Parsha, the Torah outlines the procedure if someone is found murdered outside the city, and the murderer is unknown. The judges and elders break the neck of a calf near a valley or brook, and make a statement along with the demonstration.

דברים כא:א

(ה) וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִי֒ כִּ֣י בָ֗ם בָּחַ֞ר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה וְעַל־פִּיהֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה כׇּל־רִ֥יב וְכׇל־נָֽגַע׃ (ו) וְכֹ֗ל זִקְנֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔וא הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל יִרְחֲצוּ֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה בַנָּֽחַל׃ (ז) וְעָנ֖וּ וְאָמְר֑וּ יָדֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א [שָֽׁפְכוּ֙] (שפכה) אֶת־הַדָּ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵינֵ֖ינוּ לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃ (ח) כַּפֵּר֩ לְעַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּן֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֖רֶב עַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם הַדָּֽם׃ (ט) וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּבַעֵ֛ר הַדָּ֥ם הַנָּקִ֖י מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

Devarim 21

5( And the kohanim, the sons of Levi, shall approach, for the Lord, your God, has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the Name of the Lord, and by their mouth shall every controversy and every lesion be [judged]. 6( And all the elders of that city, who are the nearest to the corpse, shall wash their hands over the calf that was decapitated in the valley; 7( And they shall announce and say, "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see [this crime].“ 8("Atone for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and lay not [the guilt of] innocent blood among your people Israel." And [so] the blood shall be atoned for them. 9(And you shall abolish the [shedding of] innocent blood from among you, for you shall do what is proper in the eyes of the Lord.

It is an astounding procedure, according to the Rambam (Moreh III:40) and others designed to attract attention. But the specific statement made is noteworthy. Why are the Sages required to make such a statement that they did not murder this individual?

משנה סוטה ט:ו (כתב יד קאופמן)

[ו] זִקְנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר רוֹחֲצִין אֶת יְדֵיהֶן בַּמַּיִם בִּמְקוֹם עֲרִיפָתָהּ שֶׁלַּעֲגָלָה וְאוֹמְרִים: "יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכֻה אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ." (דברים כ"א:ז') וְכִי עַל לִבֵּנוּ עָלַת, שֶׁזִּקְנֵי בֵית דִּין שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים הֵן? אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא בָא עַל יָדֵינוּ וּפְטַרְנוּהוּ, וְלֹא רְאִינוּהוּ וְהִנַּחְנוּהוּ. [ז] הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמְרִים: "כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ יי, וְאַל תִּתֵּן דָּם נָקִי בְקֶרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל" (דברים כ”א:ח'). לֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לוֹמַר: "וְנִכַּפֵּר לָהֶם הַדָּם" (דברים כ"א:ח'), אֶלָּא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְבַשְּׂרַתָּן: אֵמָתַי שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ כָכָה, הַדָּם נִתְכַּפֵּר לָכֶם.

Mishna Sotah 9:6

The Elders of that city would then wash their hands in water in the place of the breaking of the neck of the heifer, and they would recite: “Our hands did not spill this blood, nor did our eyes see” (Deuteronomy 21:7). The mishna explains: But did it enter our minds that the Elders of the court are spillers of blood, that they must make such a declaration? Rather, they mean to declare that the victim did not come to us and then we let him take his leave without food, and we did not see him and then leave him alone to depart without accompaniment. They therefore attest that they took care of all his needs and are not responsible for his death even indirectly. And the priests recite: “Forgive, Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of Your people Israel” (Deuteronomy 21:8). They did not have to recite the conclusion of the verse: “And the blood shall be forgiven for them,” as this is not part of the priests’ statement, but rather the Divine Spirit informs them: When you shall do so, the blood is forgiven for you.

We see that the Torah holds its leaders to an incredible degree of responsibility. It’s not merely abstract, but the Mishna concretizes steps the leadership should have taken, providing provisions, accompanying the visitor beyond the city limits. It is not accusing the leaders of directly murdering the person, but rather it is highlighting specific errors of omission. Perhaps there is something that could have been done to prevent this tragedy.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik - Joseph the Ruler

It is almost frightening how demanding the Torah is concerning the leadership that goes hand in hand with power. It is a responsibility that encompasses not only direct action but indirect-in fact, very removed action. Of course, the leader is responsible for all his actions. His judgment must be right; he must not accept bribes; he must act in accordance with the principles of justice and charity. However, he is also charged with responsibility for things and events that are, prima facie, very far removed from his concerns and interests. The people wielding power are the ones responsible for and guilty of the crime (Soloveitchik 2013, p.48)

The Rav describes the “frightening” degree of responsibility placed upon those in positions of power. It includes not only a leader’s direct actions, but indirect or apparently lack of action as well. Anything that occurs under their sphere of influence generates accountability. There is an implication in the placement of this subject at the end of Parshat Shoftim, a message to leaders in every generation. Rav Hirsch elaborates:

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch

…Of all the values entrusted to the care of the whole community and its representatives, human life takes first place. The prosperity of the entire land depends on guarding the sanctity of human life. Here we are dealing with a case where a slain person is found lying in an open field under circumstances which constitute a downright mockery of the enforcers of the law, who are therefore required to justify their conduct in office.

In response to tragedy, the leaders are required to face the people and make a clear statement of their values. They must reaffirm the value human life, and assert that they have done everything in their power to guard its sanctity. But a lapse in this duty is also implied, and a prompt to do better in the future.

References

Maimonides, M., & Pines, S. (1978). The guide of the perplexed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Schwartz, R. (2006). The Political Theology of Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch. The Torah U-madda Journal, 18, 1-32. Retrieved from: https://content.yutorah.org/viewer/2021/1053/1005707.pdf

Soloveitchik J. D. Shatz D. Wolowelsky J. B. & Ziegler R. (2013). Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses. Published for Toras HoRav Foundation by KTAV Pub. House.

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/