Parashat Tzav : Terumat Hadeshen - Out with the Bad!

Thinking Torah
By Rav Alex Israel
aletal@netvision.net.il ; www.Thinkingtorah.blogspot.com
5767/ Shabbat Hagadol

Parashat Tzav
Terumat Hadeshen: Out with the Bad.

The opening Mitzva of this parasha has always fascinated me. It is the Mitzva of Terumat Hadeshen. To cut a long story short, the Mitzva is a Temple ritual in which a small volume of ash is removed every morning from the altar, the Mizbeach. The Ash is then placed at the side of the Mizbeach. This ash is then disposed of outside the camp.[1]

What is the logic behind this symbolic ritual?

But before we approach that question, we should read the opening passage of the Parasha (Vayikra 6:1-5) in its entirety, for it gives this Mitzva a wider context; It does not simply talk about the Terumat Hadeshen. The Torah would seems to focus primarily upon the "fire of the Altar."

"The fire on the Altar must burn upon it, you may not extinguish it; and the Kohein shall burn wood upon it every morning, and set the Olah upon it, and the fats of the Shelamim. Fire must burn upon it continually; it may not be extinguished!"

The verses are quite emphatic. Two mitzvot are stressed here:
1. The fire must be continuous.
2. The Priests must keep it going by supplying the altar with wood.[2]

Now one fascinating thing here is the fact that the heading here is "Zot Torat HaOlah." Despite the fact that the Olah is mentioned here, it has little to do with the Olah and is more connected to the reality of the Altar!

So what is really happening here? What is the connection between the Olah and the ashes? (And between the ashes and the "eternal," ongoing state of the fire upon the altar?)

It would seem that I am in a rather Pesach-focussed state of mind, and hence the notion of the deliberate and exacting removal of the ash from the Mizbeach reminded me of our action of removing Chametz. Are we removing the "waste," purging the corruption from a place of holiness?

Is there a connection?

The Sefat Emet develops a fascinating symbolic reading here. He quotes from the Midrash Tanchuma: "The Olah is brought (to atone for) the thoughts and musings of the heart." The mind is at the centre here. (The Sefer Hachinuch follows a similar direction too!) And so what is meant here?

The Sefat Emet offers two lessons:

1. The need to constantly "feed" the fire of our mind and spirit:

"the Kohein shall burn wood upon it every morning: ...We must seek out, each morning, new methods and ideas in order to clarify truth - THAT is the wood (to be added to the fire) each morning... Rashi states that even though fire may descend from heaven, nonetheless there is a command that fire be brought from a regular source (by human initiative.) For in truth in the heart of every Jew, one may find a source of fire, in the dimension of Torah that exists within the Jewish soul, however, in order that that small source, that focal point, might spread throughout the body, one needs methods, techniques, strategies. In addition, one needs genuine desire to annul all other aims in life let alone God's Will." (5637)

So here the Sefat Emet talks about the need for constant renewal, rekindling of our soul's energies. Moreover, whereas we do receive a certain spiritual sensitivity from God, unless we make a daily effort, the "Eternal Flame" of our soul is in danger of extinguishing!

Which brings me to the Sefat Emet's second point:

2. Purging Evil

The Sefat Emet notes a certain duality in the act of Terumat Hadeshen, a sense that two poles meet here. On the one hand, the Terumat Hadeshen is simply ash, waste... it is taken outside the camp and disposed of. It would appear to be a sample of all the ash of the Temple, all that must be burnt, with the negative symbolism of disposal of toxic fallout - undesirable ash. It has a negative reverberation. But on second thought, the fact that Terumat Hadeshen takes place in the morning makes it the FIRST act of Avoda - worship - of the day. Does that count for anything. It is called "Teruma" which has the etymology of R"M indicating raising, lifting, elevating. Moreover, it is disposed of in a Makom Tahor - a pure place! It would appear to be genuinely positive!

What is the secret of this ambivalence?

The Sefat Emet notes that the Terumat Hadeshen comes at the end of the night, during which all the previous day's sacrifices have burnt throughout the night. Now, after the burning comes a "raising."

"The Mitzva of raising the ash is because in accordance with the burning of the extraneous, the waste, the superfluous; One then discovers the holiness of Man." (5636)

"The Olah comes (to atone) for the thoughts of the mind; as the Zohar says: 'That is the Olah: the bad thoughts of a person that are burned on the Altar." This refers to the burning of the sin offering! However, in the aftermath of the burning of the "yeast" (the evil inclination) one needs to raise the ash, because every descent is there to precipitate an ascent. Everything has a place in God's creation, as they say: "He (God) creates darkness", and so by burning the evil, one reaches the good ... and hence the raising of the ash is the ultimate purpose of the Sacrifice." (5635)

The second principle of the Sefat Emet is that we need regularly to purge, to purify ourselves by a cathartic process of removal of the bad that we have within us. Indeed, this process is hard (and takes place at "night") but the aim is to arrive in the morning at a point in which we may be raised and may ascend to the Almighty. Sometimes we must recognise that we do contain evil that must be burnt, to allow our goodness to shine. After the cathartic process of the fire, we may approach God.

PESACH

On Pesach too, we burn the Chametz that has been "left" unguarded, unrestrained, to rise. And we "guard" the Matzot, a symbol of God in our lives. After we burn and remove all leaven, we are ready to usher in the night of our Redemption.

Shabbat Shalom.

Notes
[1] See the Mishna in Tamid 1:2-4 for details.
[2] In fulfilment, of this verse, along with the morning Korban Tamid – which is an Olah – a massive fire was created, and in the afternoon two extra pieces of wood were added to the fire of the Mizbeach. See Rambam Hilchot Temidim Umasafim ch.2 and Tamid ch.2

Gates Of Righteousness

My Grandfather was in hospital thsi week. Thank God he is back home and Be"H on the mend. However, I wanted to relate what we saw on Purim at Shaarei Tzedek Hospital. I was there at 10:00 a.m. My wife and kids were at the hospital in the afternoon. All day, groups, individuals - dressed up, with guitars, delivering mishloach manot, visiting, people volunteering to read the Megilla - all day the hospital was flooded with many hundreds of do-gooders who came to offer some Purim cheer to those who were stuck in a hospital bed on a festive holiday.

Purim is usually quite a busy day during which one must make time to hear the Megilla, to make deliveries to friends and relatives, to have the seuda which takes a good part of the afternoon. On these days there is a tendency to self involvement.

But at the hospital, it just seemed like so many simple people, youth and adults of Jerusalem were just so kind and thoughtful, making space in their busy day to offer time to help those less fortunate.

פתחו לי שערי צדק אבוא בם אודה -ה
זה השער לה' צדיקים יבואו בו

The portal to God is one of kindness. May God bless all these special people.

Parashat Ki Tissa: Moses' Prayer

From a theological perspective, the notion of Man arguing with the Almighty is the epitome of absurdity. But in Chumash it is the most elementary and natural gesture: Man can pray to God, argue with, debate, and even accuse God! Every Jewish schoolchild takes this point for granted. And from whom do they learn this radical principle? From Moshe Rabbeinu[1].

At the Golden Calf, (and subsequently after the debacle of the Spies,) God pronounced a devastating decree of imminent death against the entire nation of Israel. Moshe reacted immediately by approaching God, as he took up the defence of Israel. Praying? - No! Confronting, persuading, insisting, that Israel be saved. Relentless, he succeeds and averts the awful decree. Moshe, the towering figure of Chumash, is bestowed with many honoured titles expressing his leadership, however one particular appellation stands out in its boldness. Moshe is described as the "Defender of Israel[2]."

What are the tools of Moses' art of confronting the Almighty? Indeed, how does he seem to succeed in changing the pronouncement of the "Judge of the Universe?"

Chavruta:

1. First Shemot 32:8-14. (In truth the dialogue with God continues throughout ch.33-34)
· If God initially intends to destroy Am Yisrael, then why does he retract that intention?
· List the arguments Moshe uses at the Egel. What is the basis of each point? How does Moshe succeed in changing God's mind?


Shiur:

Here at the Egel, the Golden Calf we witness a most fascinating exchange between Moshe and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. God tells Moshe:

"Hurry down, for your people, who you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely … they have made themselves a molten calf and bowed down to it and sacrificed to it … I see this is a stiff-necked people. Now, let me be , that My anger blaze against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation." (32:8-10)

We should not minimise the enormity of the threat here. God has decided here to kill the entire nation, leaving only Moshe alive to serve as the beginning of a new Jewish people! Moshe is not willing to accept this scenario, and he immediately rises to the defence of the nation:

(11)…Why, O Lord, let Your anger blaze forth against Your people , whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand. (12) Let not the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that He delivered them, only to kill them in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth.' Turn from your blazing anger and renounce your intent to punish Your people! (13) Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, how you swore to them … ' I will make your offspring numerous as the stars of the heaven, and I will give your offspring the whole land of which I spoke to possess forever.' (14) And the Lord renounced His punishment that he planned to bring upon His people." (32:10-14)

THREE ARGUMENTS

In three verses Moshe manages to reverse the fortune of the Jewish nation. Three critical verses transform God's decree:

"Now, let me be , that My anger blaze against them and that I may destroy them"

To:

"And the Lord renounced His punishment that he planned to bring upon His people"

How did Moshe do it? Let us analyse this passage.

In this masterful speech, each line skilfully aimed to target a new line of defence. If we analyse Moshe's speech here, we can identify THREE distinct lines of argument. Two of the arguments are self-evident the third is more subtle.

Passuk 12 presents the first argument. It relates to God's world reputation to the world, His public "image." Moshe relates to the stated goals of the Exodus. Yetziat Mitzrayim was aimed at proving God's supremacy to the Egyptians: “By this you shall know that I AM THE LORD’.” (7:17) If God kills the people in the Midbar, he will be demonstrating that he is a capricious cruel deity and not a dependable benevolent God. If God will enact the Exodus and then kill the people it will not merely be a tragedy for Bnei Yisrael, it will be an affront to the concept of a God committed to liberty, covenant and kindness[3]. God will be seen as "evil."

Let not the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that He delivered them, only to kill them in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth.'

And hence, Moshe argues, even if the Israelites deserve the worst punishment, the effect on God's world reputation will be devastating. God's hands are tied. God cares about what Man thinks about Him, and since the death of the Israelites will be viewed as the absolute failure of God, God will have to resign his plan.

That is the first line of defence.

PROMISES

Verse 13 presents Moshe's second argument. This one addresses God's prior commitments, God's promises - what we know as "Covenant." Throughout Sefer Bereishit[4] God repeatedly promises the Patriarch's two specific things. These two things are consistent. They are the LAND of Canaan, and an OFFSPRING (in Hebrew, ZERA) who will inherit and live in that Land. God establishes these promises in the form of a covenant.

What is a covenant? In modern terminology we would talk about a treaty, a pact or a contract between two parties. When God makes a covenant with Avraham or with Am Yisrael, he is signing a treaty with us. He is binding Himself with a set of commitments to man. And this is certainly remarkable, radical! The all-powerful, all-knowing God decides to commit himself contractually to man. But God does this.

Now, Moshe utilises this covenant. He says to God, You promised to the patriarchs that their offspring will be numerous and inherit the land. If you kill everyone, then how will you fulfil your promise? Are you intending to wait another 500 years? In other words, Moshe says to God, You have prior commitments. You are bound by contract to the ongoing survival of the Jewish People! You simply cannot destroy the Children of Israel.

Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, how you swore to them … ' I will make your offspring numerous as the stars of the heaven, and I will give your offspring the whole land

WHOSE PEOPLE?

We have explained verse 12 and 13. Verse 14 gives us the resolution. How do we explain verse 11? What does verse 11 add to the debate? With a close reading of the text, we can identify a third argument, and a very subtle but powerful debate between Moshe and God that drives to the very heart of the God-Israel relationship.

Let us begin with a mashal – a regular life situation – which might exemplify the debate here. Imagine a house where a parent is finding the children unusually difficult. A parent might turn to their spouse and say, "The kids are driving me crazy." However, when the kids irritate a parent to the point of despair, a parent might turn to their spouse and yell: "YOUR kids are driving me crazy!" Why do we do this? At times we disassociate ourselves from the source of our distress by a process of dis-ownership, a form of rejection. In our story here, God does this too! Let us look at the text. He says to Moshe:

(7) Hurry down, for YOUR people, who YOU brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely…

What is God saying here? God says to Moshe, they're yours! They are YOUR people, who YOU brought out from Egypt. God is disassociating Himself from the Jewish nation! He acts as if it's Moshe's problem!

It is here that we begin to see the power of verse 11. How does Moshe reply in his prayer?

(11) Why, O Lord, let your anger blaze forth against YOUR people , whom YOU delivered from the land of Egypt

In other words, Moses is saying to God: It is YOUR people, not mine. YOU brought them from Egypt, not me! You cannot dis-own the people. They are not my people, says Moshe! You cannot escape the fact that the nation is God's nation!

So to summarise, we have 3 arguments:

1. God- they are YOUR nation; your responsibility!
2. What will Egypt say?
3. The promise to the Patriarchs.

The combination of these three formidable arguments achieves the desired effect. Moshe's pleas are met with a happy end. God is "persuaded!" The imminent danger of destruction is averted.



Notes
[1] Maybe the first character to really challenge God's judgement is Avraham in his prayers for Sedom – Bereshit ch.18.
[2] Shemot Rabba 43:1; Yalkut Shimoni Ekev #852.
[3] This is the concept that we nowadays call Kiddush and Chillul Hashem. The notion of God caring what the nations think is widespread in Tanach: See Devarim 32:26-27; Yehoshua 7:9, Melachim I 20:28, Yirmiyahu 20:44, Yechezkel 20:44, 36:16-36, Tehillim 79:10, 115:2. I hope to devote a future shiur to this topic – It is currently half written. For now, you can look at Nechama Leibowitz "Studies in Bamidbar" pgs. 157-163.
[4] see Bereshit 12:7, 13:15-16, 15:4-5, 7, 14-21; 17:7-8, 26:4; 28:13-14; 35:12

קיימו וקבלו

Many Divrei Torah have been written presenting intricate ideas based on the concept of קיימו וקבלו in relation to Purim.

The Gemara reads:

ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר א"ר אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקב"ה עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם א"ר אחא בר יעקב מכאן מודעא רבה לאורייתא אמר רבא אעפ"כ הדור קבלוה בימי אחשורוש דכתיב (אסתר ט) קימו וקבלו היהודים קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר

"And they stood at the foot ( lit. the underside) of the mountain (Mt. Sinai) ... God held the mountain over them like a vat and said to them, "If you accept the Torah, fine; if not, your burial place will be there."... But they accepted it again [voluntarily] in the days of Achashveirosh, as it says, "The Jews established and accepted" they established in the days of Achashverosh what they had already accepted at Sinai (Shabbat 88a).

I think that this Gemara presents a rather simple truth.

At Mount Sinai, the nation had experienced ten plagues, God had freed them from their Egyptian taskmasters, they had miraculously crossed the Reed Sea, God had fed them water and Manna in the desert. He had saved them from Amalek. Now, they stand amidst the impressive spectacle of Mount Sinai. They are far from objective. They are "under the influence" of an enormous kindness and power that God had showered upon them in a concentrated period. It was "as if" God had forced them to keep the Torah. They had been brainwashed, "wow"ed beyond all reasonable logic. Who would not have wanted to accept the Torah?

The time of Purim is very different. We are in exile. The nation has been dispersed after 800 years of sovereignty; the Temple has been destroyed. Jews are now spread throughout a wide geographic expanse, from Egypt to Persia. They have good reason to wonder whether they will ever regain their honour, their land, their future as a nation! And now, they face the threat of annihilation by Haman who mobilises the entire imperial mechanism to wipe them out. Who would want to identify as a Jew? Who would want to wear a kippa in the street? WHo would want to live a life of Torah? The outlook was bleak, the dangers considerable. In Shushan, after the Hurban and the threat of Haman, whoever continued to practice Judaism, to identify as a Jew, did it only out of choice out of desire. After all, they had every excuse to quit. It was certainly unglamorous, unpopular, and downright dangerous to be a Jew.

No! קיימו וקבלו - The nation elected, against all odds, to continue to be the Jewish people!

... And that is a good reason as any, to celebrate!

23 Million Hamentaschen!

Globes (Israel's financial newspaper) reports that Israelis will consume 23 million oznei haman this year, at a cost of NIS 31 million.

Bakeries said the favorite fillings for oznei haman were poppy seed, dates, walnut cream, and chocolate. Other fillings include strawberry and halva.

Feminism and the Megilla

Nice shiur on the status of women in Megillat Esther.
Might be especially relevent for all those women readers / readings of the Megilla!

Oh! I just found a ton of material on the topic here!

Tehillim and the Dialogue in the Darkness.

Last week I accompanied my students from Emuna VeOmanut on an exceptional day trip. One of our visits was to the Children's Museum in Holon.

We went to visit a participatory exhibit called "Dialogue in the Darkness." The aim of the "experience" is to make a person understand a little what it is like to experience life as a non-seeing person. In short, we entered into a series of rooms that are so, so, black that one cannot see a thing. I have never experienced such absolute darkness. Each room gives a familiar human surrounding which one must now explore anew as one cannot see; hence you have to use other senses such as touch, smell, hearing, movement etc.

It is a place in which one learns a great deal. We have to confront the unknown, our fear of touching, feeling, falling, failing when we cannot see. We learn how much we can "see" when we cannot use our visual sense. I was amazed at how I could recognise many students simply by their voice. And one of the incredible things there are the tour guides who are all visually impaired or blind, and they are our guides! They are so confident, mobile, and reassuring in an environment in which we feel so hesitant, so crippled.

It is a special revealing experience. I advise any reader to get a group together and book a visit.

But I want to add a special insight I had there. At the end of the tour, there is time to have a "dialogue in the darkness" as the guide sits with you in the pitch black and discusses, and probes the experience that we have just undergone. Do you need to see a person to "know" them? Is the visual sense distracting? Falsifying? Or revealing? (Good pre-Purim questions re. our disguises, God's hidden-ness etc.) Our guide was amazing, and she loved our group. At some point in the tour, the students had begun singing. She clearly loved it, because at the end she requested that we sing the song Esah Einai.

I have never understood that perek of Tehillim so deeply, so incredibly.

When you have just been in an environment in which you were afraid even to walk, suddenly the meaning of אל יתן למוט רגלך takes on a fresh meaning! But it is far more than that.
תהלים פרק קכא
(א) שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי:

What are the "hills"? Some mepharshim suggest that when a person is in distress he wonders whether maybe some unknown force will emerge from beyond the hills. It may represent one raising ones eyes upwards looking towards God. But the peshat (see Daat Mikra) is that I am going through hilly terrain, steep inclines gape beneath my steps. מאין יבא עזרי: Who will look after me, guide me, keep me safe? How will I not fall? Lose energy? How can I navigate the twisting mountain path?

The answer is God!
(ב) עֶזְרִי מֵעִם יְדֹוָד עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ:
(ג) אַל יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ אַל יָנוּם שֹׁמְרֶךָ:
(ד) הִנֵּה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל:

God never sleeps, He never stops guarding us. But how does his guardianship, his protection express itself? Listen to this:

(ה) יְדֹוָד שֹׁמְרֶךָ יְדֹוָד צִלְּךָ עַל יַד יְמִינֶךָ:
(ו) יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה:

God's protection manifests itself through the light! The sun, the moon are always theer! I can see! And so I will not fall. God is my SHADOW! Because as the light is dim, he compensates. He always follows me like a shadow. But in fact, I believe that the sun and moon are not simply a metaphor for the constant presence of God. Maybe we are saying that the light ITSELF is essentially the gift that protects us when we need to manouver the hills, the mountains.

(ז) יְדֹוָד יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל רָע יִשְׁמֹר אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ:
(ח) יְדֹוָד יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם:

Suddenly after you have been through the museum, you realise that God guarding you when you "go in" and "go out" is not simple at all. Our every faculty of sight is so precious. It is such a gift from God! The very notion of light itself is simply the most unbelievable dimension of God's wonderful protection and care.

Suddenly the simple existence of light in our lives becomes God's greatest miracle, his most benevolent grace.

The Supreme Court "In Action"

On Sunday, I took my students from Michlelet Orot to the Supreme Court (and Knesset.) (-When you are in Israel for the year, the week of Parshat Mishpatim would certainly seem an appropriate occasion to visit and ponder our modern Israeli legislative house and its highest court! By now, some of you might have gathered that I am all for this type of educational integration.)

Our Tour Guide had been telling us about the workings of the court. As an example she detailed the way that the Supreme Court has dealt with the legality of the Separation Fence. And then as we went in to the courtroom to see an actual case, we found out that it was about the Fence near Modiin Illit. The case was not starting for a while, so we approached one of the lawyers to ask him to speak to our group. His English wasn't good, so he quickly explained to me the bare bones of the case, and gave me a massive map (10ft x 4ft) – part of their evidence, so that I could explain it to my students.

So there I am, brandishing this enormous carboard map, as my students sit in the back two rows of the courtroom, and I explained the case to my students in about 3 minutes flat. As I began talking a group began to crowd around; Arabs and Jews. As I finished, a young Israeli lady spoke up: "I am a Human Rights activist. Let me explain you the Arab side." She articulated her argument concisely and clearly - in perfect English. And then, along in rushed the second lawyer for Modiin. Not wanting to be left out, speaking in faltering English, he explained his arguments! We really felt the case "come alive" and I think it was quite an experience for the students. It was like the news that you hear on TV suddenly became real life.

It was quite something! We had an ad hoc "hearing" right there in the back bench of the courtroom, to 30 students, just 15 minutes before the judges were to walk in!

Somehow, I think that this informality, and this degree of access would have been unlikely in the U.S. or British Supreme Court.

I just love it here!

Sacreligious and Dangerous

It is already starting! See this.

People on the right wing, religious right wingers, are watching the Chief of Police go down, the IDF Chief of Staff. They are saying that everyone who took part in the disengagement has a divine curse on his head! Don't you see? Sharon had a stroke, Haim Ramon who thought up the idea, is out; the President is falling etc. etc. And Olmert will fall next. Why? because of the Disengagement!

Now this stuff is nonsense and it is also dangerous nonsense.

First, it takes the responsibility away from the REAL problem. And that problem is corruption. This is a terrible disease that threatens the entire fabric of society here in Israel. It is a virus that must be totally uprooted and banished from the corridors of power. THAT is why the head of police is leaving! That is why Ramon fell. And if Olmert falls, it will be for his own corruption scandal. Who says that the Disengagement is THE cardinal sin of Israeli leadership? I would argue that corruption is far more insidious. It threatens to bring the entire structure of government down.

Second. It is a dangerous view. Yonatan Bassi (who headed the Disengagement office) has been hounded from his Kibbutz. Other people involved in the Disengagement have been attacked and abused. Where is the outcry from Rabbis? Where in the Jewish worldview do we find backing for such abuse that is at the very least אונאת דברים and an Issur DeOraita? These people convince themselves that God shares their political viewpoint, and then justify immoral acts in the name of God. Have we not learned from recent History? How can we presume to know God's mind? So now, they know why Sharon had a stroke, and why Karadi had to resign! We have a perfect reality. All because of the disengagement. How can we justify harmful illegal acts in the name of God? ... maybe the Disengagement was badly executed and even immoral. Maybe. But what makes you so sure that you know God's mind? Maybe God wanted us to leave Gaza? How dare you presume to understand the detailed reward and punishment of the Almighty? (And if they are correct... why did God "act" so late? Why not get rid of them beforehand???)


And I won't even get into the question of whether the Disengagement was possibly a good thing. Maybe I will get the curse!

Letters To/From the Tanach

Ynet have recently opened a new "Judaism" website. I suspect that they want to compete with the very popular Maariv site.

One of their innovations there is just a fabulous idea, and a lovely fusion of contemporary Israel and Tanach. They have various Israeli celebreties/academics etc. corresponding with Biblical personalities. It is called מכתבים מהתנ"ך.

For example:
The biblical Leah "writes" to a psychologist about her emotional crisis in the shadow of her little sister.
The politician Yossi Sarid advises the Navi Eliyahu as to how one may deal with public resentment when you criticise the country's leaders!
And this week, King Uziyahu , stricken with leprosy writes to a (TV celebrity) doctor for some medical advise.

Good triggers for the classroom, and, if not taken too seriously, good Jewish fun.

The Haftara of Parshat Shekalim: Politics, Integrity and Communal Finances

This week we read a Haftara that connects with Parashat Shekalim. However, beyond Parshat Shekalim, I believe that in our current (Israeli) environment filled with financial impropriety and personal scandal, our Haftara touches upon a timely point.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND : KING Y(EH)OASH[1]

Yehoah was a child king, ascending the throne at age 7. The circumstances of his coronation were dramatic and tragic.

His grandmother, Athalia (the daughter of Izevel) was an evil lady who schemed to sieze the throne and rule the country. To achieve this objective she massacred all the male heirs of the Royal Judean family. She also did sever damage to the Beit Hamikdash and promoted Baal worship nationally. Despite the massacre, baby Yoash was saved and raised in secret. At yet, at the tender age of seven Yehoyada the High Priest staged a revolution within the precinct of Beit Mikdash. He presnted Yoash to the gathered throngs and publically crowned him as king of Judea and Athalia was killled. Yoash ascended the throne.

For the next period, as Yoash grew up, it would appea that the Kohanim were the strongest politacal group in the country, backing , protecting and guiding Yoash. Yoash clearly identified with their worldview and was greatly indebted to them. It is then, not a surprise when Yoash turns his attention as an adult to a serious rennovation and rebuilding of the Beit Mikdash.

What may seem suprising however, is the fact that Yoash summoned Yehoyada, the High Priest, and accused the Kohanim of negligence towards the Mikdash. By the account of Sefer Melachim, even some 23 years later the Temple is in a state of disrepair and dilapidation – the effects of Athalia's regime[2] – and apparently, the Kohanim had been remiss in allowing this embarrasing state of neglect to continue.

Part of the problem is that the Koahnim lack the funds. If we may quote a passuk from Divrei Hayamim:

"He assembled the priests and the Levites and charged them as follows; Go out to the towns of Judah and collect money from all Israel for the upkeep of the House of your God. Do it quickly! But the Levites did not act quickly."

Now the King takes the High Priest to task for the neglect:

"Why have you not demanded that the Levites collect the TAX OF MOSES the servant of God, from (the people of ) Yehudah and Yerushalayim…?" (Div Hayamim II 24:6)

In other words, the funds for the renovation of the Mikdash are to come from the ANNUAL HALF SHEKEL TAX that goes back to Moshe Rabbeinu! The King finds a solution that will bypass the Leviim and Kohanim.

The King instructed that they:

"took a box, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one came into the house of the LORD… and when they saw that there was much money in the box, the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags…And they gave the money…into the hands of the workmen (of the Temple)" (Melachim II 12:10-12)

In other words, he instituted a Temple tax. This mode of procuring funds from the people for the Temple tax reflects the annual donation of the Half Shekel in the wilderness – the Half Shekels were used for the construction of the Mishkan. And in Divrei Hayamim, this is actually a HALF SHEKEL TAX

"A proclamation was issued in Yehudah and Jerusalem to BRING THE TAX IMPOSED ON ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS BY MOSES… All the officers and all the people brought it joyously and threw the money into the box until it was full." (D. Hayamim 24:9-10)

So here is the question: What went wrong? Why did the Koahanim and Leviim fail in their responsibility? What made Yoash accuse his mentor, the High Priest, Yehoyada?


PROTEKZIA

Two pesukim in our Haftara hold the key to the answer. When Yoash realises the the Levites are failing in their efforts to raise funds for the Temple, he summons Yehoyada:
[7] Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests , and said unto them, Why have you not repaired the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.[8] And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

Money from acquantances? Why are the priests collecting money from friends and associates? What is this system? And why does Yoash ask that it cease? It would appear that there is a certain system of financing that is failing and it is that system that needs improvement. Let us attempt to explain a little.FINANCING: STAGE 1.

Yehoash sees the Temple in a run down state, especially after the priod of Athalia in which the Temple was dedicated to the Ba'al. Now is the time for renovations.

But where do the funds come from?

"All the money… brought to the House of the Lord as sacred donations … let the Kohanim receive it, each from his associate. They shall make the repairs to the House…" (12:6)

The Radak explains that initially, the Kohanim would collect contributions from their friends, or "acquaintances." This method reminds me of a shul commitee in which each commitee member has to fill a table with their friends and relatives for the shul fundraising dinner. This method may work well for small communal organisations, but it is a disaster for public institutions. Why?

First, there is apathy. What incentive do Kohanim have to ask and beg for funds for the Temple? As it is , priests have to request food of Teruma and Maaser in order to live, to eat. I imagine that priests were reluctant to ask for even more money. Possibly they feared that if a person gave too positively to the Temple, there would be no extra funds for themselves. Maybe they simply resented being THE fundraisers.

But secondly, this method is an opening for corruption. This system allows certain Kohanim to become "activists" lobbying for extra funds, and then having greater power to decide on the designation of those funds. (This similar to that which we saw in the past in Israel's central party committees where certain "machers" gained inordinate politacl clout.) Financing through personal favours and protektzia opens the door to paybacks, bribery and other abuses of the system.

One can imagine that in a situation where Kohanim had to personally solicit fund, certain monies "went missing" other people used it for political gain. In other words, this sytem of collection is an opening for problems. And when an oeganisation becomes corrupt, who wants to put money into it? One wants to give as little as possible!Were they corrupt or just inept? We don't know. On the one hand King Yehoash says: "Do not receive any more money from your acquaintances, but deliver it for the breaches of the house." (12:8) indicating that possibly, some money is not being delivered! But on the other hand, Divrei Hayamim (II 24:5) simply puts it down to laziness. So, whether it was their fraudulent handling of the money or their amateur approach, the money failed to reach the desired destination.

In short, the system did not work. In the final analysis, even if the system was not corrupt, it certainly was ineffective! The question of success in any fundraising operation comes doen to the famous "bottom line" Are the funds there? And the result? -The Beit Mikdash was dilapidated! The system was not working well.


REGULATED GIVING

So instead, Yehoash orders a change:

"now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance"
He improves things in a number of ways:
1. The the money management is taken away from the control of the Kohanim.
2. Anonymous giving: People cannot build large factions on the basis of their fundraising potential.
3. Accountability: A representative of the governmment AND the Kohein Gadol each have to be presnt as the money is counted.

If we take Divrei Hayamim as our guide, a further detail is added. That they also reinstituted the annual half-shekel tax in order to facilitate the renovations. And yet, there it states that they gave "joyously." Who gives taxes with glee? Unless, they are happy that they now have a transparent accountable mechanism of giving to their beloved spiritual institution and they don't need to be concerned about financial missaproriation or simple amateur financing.

It would appear to be the case that these improvements did the trick. Now the Beit Mikdash is finaced and things can continue more steadily.

TRUSTING THE TREASURER

We have spoken about the problems with relying too heavily upon an informal fundraising mechanism, based upon "who knows who" and simple goodwill. On the other hand:
[15] Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.
Despite the earlier misappropriation of Temple funds, the treasurers who paid all the builders and craftsmen in the Temple, were given a free hand to write the cheques and make the orders for the Mikdash renovations seemingly, without accountability.Indeed. The Gemara in Bava Batra (9a) bases a Halakha on our chapter:

"Our Rabbis taught: The collectors of charity are not required to give an account of the moneys entrusted to them for charity, nor the treasurers of the Temple of the moneys given for holy purposes. There is no actual proof of this (in Tanakh), but there is a hint of it in the words: 'They reckoned not with the men into whose hand they delivered the money to give to them that did the work, for they dealt faithfully.'"

Now, this after the Talmud has already established that there need to be no less than 2 and preferably 3 treasurers! This is given that one may not distribute or collect charity except in the presence of other treasures so there are some safeguards. And the Talmud mandates that the Tzedaka treasurer be a person of impeccable reputation. However, on the other hand, if every charity official is summoned for a cheque misplaced, then few people will be willing to take the task upon themselves. At some level, along with the checks, and the accountability, there must also be a certain element of trust and ingegrity.When is it appropriate to express trust, and when is it advisable to investigate and express criticism? When can one rely on the intehrity of public officials and when mus one be suspicious and wary?

These are difficult dilemmas facing any public sector. Because, obviously, if we are dealing with the renovation of the Temple, as reflected in passuk 16, there is always a certain degree of discretion in running a project. Do you take the cheaper or more expensive craftsman? Which fabric or material do you choose? Do you take standard goods or have them especially crafted by a designer? When it comes to these questions , it would appear that license was given to the trustworthy work-managers to appropriate the funds as needed be. And it would appear that part of their professional pride was precisely that trait of integrity and honesty – כי באמונה הם עושים.

THE TEMPLE OF THE NATION

We may ask ourselves, why does the King not pay for the repairs and renovations? Why demand that the nation pay? Why is the king reorganizing the Kohanim and Leviim? He should take the money from his own tax collectors!

But here is another connection point with Parashat Shekalim.
We read Parshat Shekalim this Shabbat; the Shabbat prior to Rosh Chodesh Adar in order to remember the annual donation of a Half Shekel?

What was this donation used for? The Mishna (4:1) tells us that it was used for the Korbanot Tzibbur – the "public sacrifices" – for the Temple service. What are these "Public Korbanot"? It's very simple. There are sacrifices offered by individuals: for sins, for celebrations, for all manner of ritual purification purposes. However there are certain korbanot – the Tamid, daily sacrifice; the Mussaf etc. – that are not on behalf of any particular individual, but rather, on behalf of Klal Yisrael, the nation as a single entity.

Why was this method of taxation used? Very simply, the Korbanot Tzibbur have to be PUBLIC donations; given by the corpus of the entire nation of Israel! Only by EVERYONE contributing equally can we say that each Jew has an equal share in the sacrifices. Each year, the half shekel becomes the fund that pays for these public sacrifices. The collection is renewed each Nissan. Adar becomes the month of collection in advance of Nissan.

But the crucial point here is that the Temple belongs to the nation. It is not dominated by me or you; it is unaffiliated with any sector or group. It isn't even the property of the king. The king should not finance it, because as in our parshat shekalim, the Mikdash should be the project of the nation as a whole.

Shabbat Shalom

[1] The figure of Yoash burst in to the public limelight a year or two back when a tablet surfaced that was said to have been excavated on Har HABayit itself. It quoted almost verbatim, certain lines from Divrei Hayamim that relate to Yoash. Unfortunately, the widespread assessment was that it was a fraud.
[2] Div Hayamim II 24:7

Advanced Theology (from a 5-year-old)

Today, I visited the Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion with my five-year-old son. The parochet (curtain) of the Aron Kodesh (the ark) has a large colourful crown embroidered upon it. I pointed it out to my son, Hillel. And then, I asked him a question:

"Whose crown is it? Does it belong to God or the Torah?"

(… after all, we talk about כתר תורה and also, in Nusach Sephard, we say כתר יתנו לך ה' אלוקינו... so it could be either)

He replied with an almost disbelieving tone:

"Well, of course it is the Torah's! How could it be Hashem's crown? He doesn't even have a body!"

And then he continued:

"If Hashem had a crown, he would need to be in one place, but God is everywhere!"

I thought that was rather sophisticated theological deduction for a five year old!

It reminded me of the Rambam in Hilchot Yesodei Hatorah 1:7

רמב"ם הלכות יסודי התורה פרק א

ואילו היה היוצר גוף וגוייה היה לו קץ ותכלית שאי אפשר להיות גוף שאין לו קץ, וכל שיש לגופו קץ ותכלית יש לכחו קץ וסוף, ואלהינו ברוך שמו הואיל וכחו אין לו קץ ואינו פוסק שהרי הגלגל סובב תמיד, אין כחו כח גוף, והואיל ואינו גוף לא יארעו לו מאורעות הגופות כדי שיהא נחלק ונפרד מאחר,

The Lubavitcher Rebbe as a god

Scary article in Haaretz

The journalist visits a Chabad Yeshiva in Tzefat. Here is the conversation:

Why do they think that Schneerson is alive? "The Rebbe was no normal human being," is the response. He was a polymath who "studied under Einstein in Berlin" before "inventing the atom bomb."

How do they view the connection between Schneerson and God? "The Rebbe is not something different from God - the Rebbe is a part of God," says a British teenaged student.

Does this not 'idolize' Schneerson, in the literal sense? "We cannot connect to God directly - we need the Rebbe to take our prayers from here to there and to help us in this world. We are told by our rabbis that a great man is like God and the Rebbe was the greatest man ever. That is how we know he is the messiah, because how could life continue without him? No existence is possible without the Rebbe."

Would they go so far as to describe the Rebbe and God as one and the same, as some extreme Messianists have done? "No, some people have gone too far and described the Rebbe as the creator.

"They say that God was born in 1902 and is now 105 years old. You can pray to the Rebbe and he will answer, and he was around since the beginning of time. But you must be careful to pray only to the Rebbe as a spiritual entity and not the body that was born in 1902."

Does the Rebbe have a will of his own? What if the Rebbe and God disagree? "That is a ridiculous question! They are not separate in any way."

So the Rebbe is a part of God. "Yes, but it is more complex than that. There is no clear place where the Rebbe ends and God begins."

Does that mean the Rebbe is infinite omnipotent and omniscient? "Yes of course," an Argentine student says in Hebrew. "God chose to imbue this world with life through a body. So that's how we know the Rebbe can't have died, and that his actual physical body must be alive. The Rebbe is the conjunction of God and human. The Rebbe is God, but he is also physical."

"Only in Israel!"

I teach a class in Zionism at Emuna VeOmanut, an exciting new "Art and Judaism" One Year Program in Jerusalem. The class I teach is a thick mix of of Israeli History, Current Events, Thorny Issues in Contemporary Israel, Religious Zionism, Jewish Sources on Eretz Yisrael. This year I have begun to experiment with some Israeli poetry and popular music as well!

Well, from the beginning of the teaching year, every few weeks we have an "Only in Israel" session when students can share the stories that would only ever happen here. I began these sessions because from past experience, students away from home comforts living in dorm conditions can sometimes spend quite some time complaining about Israelis and Israel, and this was a great way to bring out the positive sides of Israel.

I just read on Treppenwitz a priceless, moving story that really can join this genre. Here is the link. Enjoy!

Three Shiurim for Parashat Yitro

Here are 3 of my shiurim for Parashat Yitro:

1. Yitro's Visit - a "parshanut" shiur examining Shemot ch.18 and the textual peculiarites of the chapter, alongside some important spiritual messages.

2. The Ten Commandments. - Why are the Ten Commandments divided into two tablets? What is the significance of the structure of the Asseret Hadibrot

3. The Closing Mitzvot. Following the Ten Commandments, Parashat Yitro closes with 3 Mitzvot which form their own mini-paragraph. Why are these mitzvot tagged along to the end of the parsha. What is their significance?

The Truth About the "Al Aqsa" Excavations

All over the internet and the news sites, arab leaders have been condemning excavations that are "undermining" the Temple Mount.


I figure that some readers might be in confusion as to what is happening, so here is a brief explanation.

The place in question is the ramp to the right of the kotel plaza, a ramp that leads to the Mugrabbi Gate that leads into the Temple Mount/Har HaBayit.

A few years ago, there was a small earthquake and the little hill suporting the ramp to that entrance collapsed, making it dangerous.

Instead, the authorities built an (ugly) wooden ramp while planning what to do.

Now they have come up with this plan (see the picture) for a permanent ramp and in the meantime they need to build it, and that involves excavation, and while you are digging, why not excavate to find historic remains?

Nothing is being destroyed, (although there have been disputes about this particular design) and the arab protests are absolute provocations without any substance. Israel is not undermining the wall, whose foundations go ten metres below the excavation site and can stand pretty well by themselves. (Herod did a fine job!) In fact the ONLY threat to collapse of Har Habayit happened because of irresponsible excavations by the Muslims ON the Temple Mount, and they had to patch up a piece of wall - and they did a horrible job!

The Arabs LOVE to use Al Aqsa as a provocation. It was the excuse for the violence in 2000 when Ariel Sharon visited Har Habayit... as if that visit justified the violence (?!). And in Netanyahu's time, when a new entrance was opened to the Kotel Tunnels - in the Muslem Quarter, far from Har Habayit, they had violent protests. It is a great call to arms (ever since the Mufti's time) but it is absolute nonsense and the world should know the facts.

Unfortunately so many Israelis are absolutely ignorant of all this that the reporting on the Haaratz website is totally inaccurate as well! (And never mind those Israeli critics who have zero ideological connection at all with the place!)

The Judge and the Compromise

See this ingenious shiur by Rabbi sacks on Parashat Yitro. He is analysing the parsha in which Moses appoints judges of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. What exactly did this achieve? Rabbi Sacks suggests that these judges, untrained in Jewish law - helped people come to peaceful resolutions on the nasis of compromise. They were mediators. Here is an excerpt:

Moses preferred strict justice to peace. He was not a man to compromise or mediate. In addition, as the greatest of the prophets, he knew almost instantly which of the parties before him was innocent and which guilty; who had right on his side and who did not. It was therefore impossible for him to mediate, since this is only permitted before the judge has reached a verdict, which in Moses' case was almost immediately.

Hence Netziv's astonishing conclusion. By delegating the judicial function downward, Moses would bring ordinary people - with no special prophetic or legal gifts - into the seats of judgment. Precisely because they lacked Moses' intuitive knowledge of law and justice, they were able to propose equitable solutions, and an equitable solution is one in which both sides feel they have been heard; both gain; both believe the result is fair. That, as the Talmud says above, is the only kind of justice that at the same time creates peace.

The entire shiur may be found here.

Prisoner or Politician?

Periodically I read and hear about how Marwan Barghouti is calling the shots in Palestinian politics. Read this for instance:

"the most famous Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti, who from his prison cell last week sent his associate, the former minister Qadura Fares, and his lawyer, Khader Shkirat, to Damascus for talks with Khaled Meshal and the Hamas leadership. "

Now can someone please explain why a convicted terrorist who is serving five life sentences in jail has access to legal advisors and can run Palestinian politics from his jail cell? Is Israel allowing him a cellphone (excuse the pun!)? And how does he manage to have such powerful control of Palestinian affairs?

If Israel wants to treat him as a politician, then I don't understand why he is still in jail and how Israel can ignore its own court's rulings. And if he is an arch terrorist, then deny him any visitation rights by dignitaries and lawyers other than family members!

And yet, time and time again, we read that important diplomatic documents are being drafted by Barghouti. Something fishy is goin' on here! ...And how is it that I have never heard any journalist raise this question?

Unexpected Judaism

One of the beautiful features of life here in Israel when one encounters Jewish identity, observance and pride in the most unexpected circumstances.

Today, I went to order a new pair of glasses (spectacles!) I was discussing with the salesman the merits of different lenses as regards their strength and thickness. And he mentioned that one type of lens goes yellow with time as it "absorbs." I looked puzzled. And then my non-kippa wearing salesman began his explanation: " You know how Sephardim use glassware for milk and meat, but not plastic. That is because glass doesn't absorb whereas plastic does!" And then applied it the lenses! He completed his halakhic lecture with the line:
תראה! עכשיו קיימנו את המצוה ללמוד תורה היום! .
In other words; Look! We just fulfilled our obligation to learn Torah today!
And he flashed me a proud smile.

I just love it!

I love buying food in a café, listening on when the young bare-midriffed waitress asks the trendy waiter whether he wants a coffee. And then to hear his reply: "No I just ate meat!" Or the time I went to purchase a shaver. I picked out a particular model from the shelf and then the sales assistant cautioned me that that particular model did not have halakhic approval.

We must never forget not to judge people by their outward appearance. And it would be good to remember just how deep Jewish observance runs in all sectors of our beautiful country.

Parashat Beshalach. Fire and Cloud.

The opening lines of our parasha describe a pillar of fire and cloud hovering above the nation and acting as a signal to the Israelites to lead them on their desert trek. We wonder as to exactly how they worked. Did these pillars of cloud/fire lead the Israelite nation throughout the 40 years in the desert? Did they simply serve a role of signalling the direction of travel or did the clouds serve a different function? Chazal talk about sven "clouds of glory" protecting Israel and flattening the path ahead! What is the source for that? And why were "cloud" and "fire" the substances that were appropriate for the task?

Read the shiur here.