| Title: | BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest |
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SHABBAT SHALOM: B'raishit
by Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel -- Rashi, the 11th century rabbi from Worms, is
considered the most important of all Biblical commentators. In
fact, the first Hebrew book ever printed in 1475 was Rashi's
commentary on the Torah. Thus, one could reasonably expect that
when we turn to the first Rashi, we're not only getting an
explanation to questions raised by the opening verse, "In the
beginning, G-d created the heaven and the earth..." (Genesis
1:1), but we're also getting an entire approach to life, to
Torah, to Israel, to Judaism.
Rashi asks why the Torah begins with the creation of the
world instead of the first commandment given to the Jews: "This
month shall be the head month to you." (Exodus 12:1) The answer
is, if the nations ever accuse Israel of having stolen the land
from the original seven nations who inhabited the land of Canaan,
the Jews will then be able to answer that since G-d created the
entire world, He can give portions of it to those He considers
worthy in His eyes.
Generally, this Rashi evokes two responses -- one affirmative
and one skeptical. Some find in Rashi's words a powerful message,
a script applicable throughout the ages when we are confronted by
our accusers; we can always refer to the first Rashi claiming G-d
gave this land to us. In the beginning, G-d created the heaven
and earth...and the Zionist dream. Others find it ironical that
the most universal phrase in the entire Torah -- G-d as creator
of the universe -- is being used for such a particular, even
chauvinistic, message.
Let us examine Rashi's words in depth. At first, he is
concerned that since the Torah is the source of the 613
commandments, the significance of law in Jewish life may get
buried under so many chapters dealing with remote times. Thus, we
ought to begin with the first commandment to make it clear what
the purpose of the Torah is all about.
But is the Torah, first and foremost, a book of laws? The
word Torah itself comes from the root yrh (yud,raish,haih) which
means to teach, or direct. The Torah is nothing less than life's
direction, life's teaching. And since the body of the text is
called Torah -- by the Torah itself -- and not "A Tale of 613
Commandments" or "The Jewish Book of Laws", it is obvious that
this text was never intended to be only a compilation of do's and
don'ts. Rather, the Torah is a complete philosophy of life. And
the first seven words most significantly tell us that there is a
Creator of this universe; our world is not an accident, a
haphazard convergence of chemicals and exploding gases - it is a
world with a beginning, and a beginning implies an end, a
purpose, a reason for being. Without the creation of heaven and
earth, could we have survived for an instant? Our very existence
depends on the Creator, and in return for creating us, He has the
right to ask us to live in a certain way and follow His laws.
Thus, this first verse in the Torah sets the foundation for all
that follows.
Furthermore, in the opening verse, we see that G-d created
the entire world, and one of the major themes of the Torah is
that the universe is ruled by one and only one G-d. This is in
contrast to other works of ancient peoples whose annals begin and
end with their own nations (the Greek mythologies or the Egyptian
Book of the Dead). But in the Torah, twenty generations pass
before we get to Abraham, the first Jew. The genealogies of Esau
and Ishmael are right along side the genealogies of the
Israelites. Subsequent books of the Bible, particularly in the
Prophets and the Writings, expand the universal realm in Judaism,
stressing such elements as the ancestress of the future messiah
having been born a Moabite, or Jonah being called upon to
prophesy to the Assyrians, arch-enemy of the Jews. Wasn't
Jeremiah thrown into prison for speaking G-d's word concerning
the requisite ethical and religious behavior necessary to hold
onto the land? It all fits because G-d is ultimately the G-d of
the entire world.
However, to better understand our Rashi, we should not only
look at what he says, but at what he doesn't say as well.
Rashi's words are not a blank check to those of us who believe in
Zion. If we read the words carefully, he doesn't write, "All the
world is G-d's and He gave it to Israel," but rather, "All the
world is G-d's and He gives it to whomever is righteous in His
eyes."
The seven nations were driven off by the Israelites because
they were not morally worthy of staying on the land. When G-d
informs Abraham that the eventual return of his descendants to
this land will have to wait until the fourth generation "...since
the Amorites' sin will not have run its course until then."
(Gen.15:16), we are really being told that the nations who live
there cannot be removed unless they become unworthy of living on
the land -- they have to commit the full number of sins. And the
Jews too, will be allowed to live on this land conditionally,
dependent upon their commitment to G-d's Torah. Otherwise "...
the land will vomit you out." (Lev. 18:25)
The one promise we can count on is that eventually we will be
worthy of the land and it will be returned to us for all times.
This is a promise of the prophets to the Jewish nation never to
lose hope; in the end we will become worthy of it.
In other words, it is not enough to tell the nations that we
suffered for 2000 years culminating in the Holocaust and then
turn around and do what we please in this land. There is only
one answer we can give to the nations: all the world is G-d's
and He gives and takes away depending on the nation's
righteousness in His eyes. And throughout the Bible, the basic
message is that those who live on the land, since this is a very
special land, will have to be worthy of it morally, religiously,
ethically, otherwise we will again be driven into exile. Indeed,
this concept is developed by the Ramban (ad locum) who sees this
as the reason why the Genesis chapters include the tale of the
Garden of Eden: the Torah wants us to know that from the very
beginning, built into the very fabric of creation, is the idea of
exile. Just as Adam and Eve were exiled from the Garden for
their sin, we Jews will also be exiled if we prove ourselves
unworthy of this land.
Rashi could very well be saying that the creation of the
world and the creation of the land of Israel are both universal
acts because this is one land whose bounty will not depend on
might or power or history alone. It is a land whose laws are
universal ones -- morality, ethics, justice. Rashi's answer may
be implying that the world was created because of one special
place which will ultimately transform the entire world.
At first glance, Rashi's answer to the nations appears naive.
After all, if they want us off this land, will they really care
about the first verse in Genesis? Perhaps the deeper message of
this first Rashi is in the beginning, G-d created the heavens and
the earth, but in the end, when the nations point their accusing
fingers, we will answer the only answer we can: this world
belongs to G-d -- G-d can give it to whomever He wants, which
means, to whomever is worthy of it. If the nations will listen
to us, it will truly mean that we are standing in the doorstep of
redemption. After 2000 years, we have returned to this land of
Israel. May it be G-d's will that through our proper actions we
remain worthy of keeping it. According to Rashi, we have no
other choice.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
Copyright Ohr Torah 1989.
This essay is distributed by Kesher --the Jewish Network. For information
regarding its use, contact the Kesher BBS at 312-940-1696.
For more information, call (212)496-1618.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 823.1 | Parashat Teruma - Rabbi Riskin | SUBWAY::STEINBERG | Anacronym: an outdated acronym | Wed Feb 28 1990 23:20 | 189 |
I haven't reposted Rabbi Riskin's articles from s.c.j lately, mainly
because they're not posted there in a timely fashion. His expose on
Teruma arrived on time this week, and I believe it contains a fresh
and inspiring message. If anyone would like a copy of his articles
on other weekly portions, please let me know by email.
Jem
Article 13571 of soc.culture.jewish
Path: riscy.dec.com!shlump.nac.dec.com!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnewsk!alu
From: [email protected] (Alan Lustiger)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: D'var Torah: Terumah: Rabbi Riskin
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 26 Feb 90 20:21:57 GMT
Reply-To: [email protected] (Alan Lustiger)
Organization: AT&T Engineering Research Center
Lines: 164
SHABBAT SHALOM: Teruma
by Shlomo Riskin
Efrat, Israel -- A word in this week's portion,
"cherubs", has left a deep mark on western art and consciousness,
rough images of winged, angelic creatures, with the faces of
human infants, so that by now, "cherubic" is one of the strongest
superlatives for describing a beautiful, exquisite face. But
there are more to cherubs than meets the Western eye.
When we turn to Rashi's comments on the cherubs mentioned
in this week's portion, Teruma, and those mentioned in Genesis
when Adam and Eve are exiled from the Garden of Eden, we find,
amazingly enough, virtually contradictory descriptions of these
winged creatures.
What do such polar opposites in Rashi's commentary
signify?
In looking at the Torah selections for the last few
weeks, we see a certain progression. The Ten Commandments are
given on Sinai, shattering all previous conceptions of G-d's
relationship to humans. After this rarefied concentration of
energy, the Torah instructs the Jewish people in the more
familiar elements of civil and criminal legislation. This week,
Parshat Teruma, the Torah is ready for the stage of creating a
moveable Sanctuary until the settling of the Promised Land takes
root and it will be possible to build a permanent Temple in "that
place which G-d will choose".
In giving shape to the infinite, ritual objects are to be
built, starting with the Holy Ark where the Ten Commandments
shall be kept. The Ark's cover itself will include a unique
addition.
"Make two golden cherubs, numbering them out from the two
ends of the ark-cover. One cherub shall be on one end, and one
cherub on the other. Make the cherubs of one piece with the
ark-cover from the same piece of gold as the cover itself, on its
two ends. The cherubs will spread their wings upward so that
their wings shield the cover...I will commune with you there,
speaking to you from above the ark cover, from between the two
cherubs that are on the Ark of Testimony...(Exodus 25:18-22).
In this week's portion, Rashi tells us that these
hammered figures had the faces of infants. The Siftei Chachamim,
based on a passage in Tractate Chagiga, 13b, explains that in
Aramic, the word for child is "rabia", so that the word "kruvim"
(cherubs) is really composed of the noun, "rabia" (infant),
preceded by the letter "kof", whose linguistic function is to
signal similarity between different objects. Thus, "kruvim" in
this etymology, means "like a child".
But, if this is so in Exodus, we find the cherubs of
Genesis radically different. There we read "So He drove out a
man, and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the
Cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to guard
the path of the Tree of Life." (Gen. 3:24)
Obviously, there must be a deeper element going on here.
I'd like to offer two ways of looking at these concepts.
If we think about it, an angelic winged creature with the face of
a child must be the prototype of a certain kind of absolute
perfection. Indeed, when we gaze upon our own child, even more
than we experience the breathtaking beauty of life just beginning
to take on a unique form, we perceive through the infant the
miraculous extension of ourselves into the future. Just as the
cherubs on the Ark give "shape" top G-d's infinite voice, our
child gives "shape" to the infinity in the human soul, for who
can ever know the potential generations present in the "wings" of
the infant I am holding? But this, Rashi would seem to be
saying, can be a double-edged sword. What happens if the child,
upon growing older, trades in his wings for swords of flame to
become an "angel of destruction".
No one is born with a perfection-label attached to the
lining. A child's direction often depends on a very simple
factor. Placed near the Holy Ark, he will become a ministering
angel, protecting the Torah. But, if we put a revolving sword in
his hand, he will become an angel of destruction.
And sometimes it's not even necessary to put the
revolving sword in his hand. Since nature abhors a vacuum, it's
not enough that he is not given a Torah education for the onrush
of empty glittering cultural artifacts to take over; lights,
camera, action; faster than a speeding bullet is the insatiable
appetite for elegantly destructive toys.
And Jewish education begins even before birth. The
Talmud is filled with instructive, Aggadic tales about the
mothers of scholars and tzaddikim recognizing the need to educate
their children even while they were still in their wombs. The
mother of R. Meir, for example, came to the Bet Midrash the
moment she felt a stirring in her womb so that the sounds of
Torah would be part of her child's life from the very beginning
of its existence.
Rashi's teaching is a "thunderous whisper": it emerges
without spelling anything out and providing two interpretations
on the same word, forcing us to look deep into the text to
discover why there is no contradiction.
The second interpretation emerges out of the experience
of confronting the reality of daily life in Israel. The first
distinction we suggest was based on whether or not the child was
placed near the Ark. Now, however, I might offer the possibility
that we are speaking about one and the same child - what is
different is not the location but the occasion.
Blessed to live in times of peace, our children will be
able to study Torah and guard the Holy Ark, the true meaning of
the adjective "cherubic".
But sometimes the children of Israel must take revolving
swords into their hands to protect the Garden of Eden, guarding
the Jewish people and the land of Israel. These protectors are
no less angels than those sitting above the Holy Ark, only their
mission, for the moment, is different. Thus, the image of the
child-faced cherub and the flaming swords merge into one.
Virtually all the students I've taught during the years I
have lived in Israel serve in the army. As head of a yeshiva,
it's the accepted custom to visit one's former students on their
bases.
Recently, I was in Gaza to teach a group of soldiers. I
arrived late at night to give the class. As I approached, I
heard a group of soldiers studying, guns on the side, some
holding copies of the Talmud. They were absorbed in Tractate
Bava Kama, and the person leading the group was a former student.
It seemed that only yesterday he was running from class to class
in our yeshiva. Although everyone was in complete gear, it still
looked as if they were back in high school, gesturing with their
hands, talking with great animation, throwing out questions and
answers, the passion of Talmudic logic embracing everyone.
There are armies where eighteen year olds are turned into
seasoned vets and hardened toughs, old men with revenge and hate
between their brows. But these students, by virtue of their love
for the Torah, were still children, innocent, naive, a mere five
years since their Bar-Mitzvahs. Although they all possessed
revolving "flaming swords" with the ability to destroy if
necessary, they still seemed to be angelic creatures with child-
like faces.
May it be G-d's will that all our children can be
ministering angels near the Holy Ark and that "...nation
will not lift sword against nation, and mankind will not learn
war any more, and the knowledge of G-d will fill the world as the
waters fill the seas."
Shabbat Shalom!
Copyright Ohr Torah 1990.
This essay is distributed by Kesher --the Jewish Network.
For more information, call (212)496-1618.
--
Alan Lustiger
|_ | | AT&T Engineering Research Center
/ |( Princeton, NJ
attmail!alustiger or att!pruxk!alu
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