Parshat B'Har Bechukotai
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Many who write about this parsha focus on the question that Rashi asks (quoting the Sifra on B'har), "Why are the rules of Shmittah (the Sabbatical year for the land of Israel) mentioned in the context of 'Moshe at Mt. Sinai?'" The Hebrew phrase "May inyan Shmittah eitzel Har Sinai?" has taken on a life of its own, in that it has come to be the Hebrew idiom-equivalent of "what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?"
Is the assumption behind the question even correct?
According to the Or HaChaim, the focus of the connection to Sinai should not be on Shmittah, because Shmittah is not what is most immediately connected to Sinai in the verse.
"God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land must be given a rest period, a sabbath to God." (25:1-2)
The real question should be, "What is the connection between Mount Sinai and coming to the land?"
The Or HaChaim says, "Perhaps, because it mentioned that the land is a gift – 'that I am giving you' – it mentions that it stems from Mount Sinai. This is to teach that on account of the events of Mount Sinai, in other words, what they received there [the Torah], the gift could be completed. It is on account of [their having received] the Torah that God gave them the land."
Continuing along this line of thought, the Or HaChaim quotes Maimonides Laws of Possession and Gifts 3:11, who says, "An Israelite may not give an idolator (Aku"m) a gift for nothing. He may give [a free gift] to a stranger who lives in peace ['ger toshav']. To a total stranger ('nokhri') he must sell the item, but to a 'ger toshav' he may either sell it or gift it."
As a brief aside, a simple difference between a 'ger toshav' and a 'nokhri' is that the former not only lives in peace with the Israelites, but formally accepts their autonomy and system of laws and is an adherent of the Noahide laws. The latter, on the other hand, might live in peace out of a personal conviction, but he is not part of a formal group who has conceded power to the local Israelite autonomy. He has also not accepted the Noahide laws and might personally be an idolator. [There are many more details associated with these laws, including debates over which non-Jews qualify for each category.]
Having made clear that an "Aku'm" may not be the beneficiary of a free gift according to Torah law, Or HaChaim suggests that until they received the Torah, the Israelites were considered to be idolators. Only after they received the Torah did their status change, and they were able to receive the land as a gift.
This, he concludes, is the reason why in this specific context the Torah adds the phrase "That I am giving you" when referring to the land. It is obvious that God is the One with 'rights' to the land, who can do whatever He wants with His land. He has decided this specific land goes to the Israelite nation, and the action on the decision can be put in motion as soon as the Israelite nation are defined as gift-worthy after having received the Torah at Sinai.
Compare it to the verse we read two week ago (19:23), "When you come to the land you will plant every fruit-bearing tree." Why doesn't it say "…to the land I am giving you?" Because the land "is only given to you" as a direct result of the receiving and acceptance of the Torah at Sinai.
This is why the initial question should not be about Shmittah, because Shmittah is a mere by-product of the real focus in the verse, namely, the two great gifts God bequeathed to the Israelite nation, which are inextricably intertwined.
Without the Torah, it seems, there is no claim to the land of Israel. It was a gift for which God received nothing in return. A gift He gave because the recipients were now the Israelite nation, as defined by the Sinaitic experience at which they declared "Naaseh V'nishma" – we will observe [the law] and we will hear [as in, learn what it's all about].
The subtleties and nuances of the gift-giving that Maimonides discusses is open for discussion: what is a matnat chinam (free gift), how do we define each group and category, in what way does being or not being idolators change the possible benefits package?
What is clear is that God chose the people who were to be observing His Torah to receive the land as well. And they, in turn, are allowed to give gifts to those who are "Ger Toshav" – who accept the law of the land and who live in peace with their Israelite neighbors, and do not present a threat to their mortal existence.
Politics and political correctness aside, this seems like sane advice – don't give away anything if you do not receive something tangible in return. There are no freebies; there are only proper business transactions, where the cost of what you get is just about equal in value to what you are giving up.
From the other side of the coin, the Torah is the unequivocal key ingredient that makes the nation of Israel and the land of Israel a match literally made in heaven.
May we merit to see the day that all of Israel not only knows this to be true, but takes steps to live their Jewish lives guided by and in accordance with the precepts of the Torah.
Showing posts with label mt. sinai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mt. sinai. Show all posts
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Mentorship 101
Parshat Mishpatim
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Chapter 24 describes the immediate events preceding Moshe's trek to the mountain for forty days and nights. Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and the seventy elders accompany Moshe as he is about to commence his hike up the mountain.
Where did Yehoshua come from, and what was his role in all of this?
Explaining Yehoshua's sudden presence, Ramban says he was one of the elders. When Moshe leaves Aharon and Chur in charge, he does so because Yehoshua alone is accompanying him. This is a tribute to the greatness of Yehoshua. But how far up the mountain is Yehoshua allowed to go?
When Moshe emerges in chapter 32, the first person he meets is Yehoshua, who is similarly unaware of the Golden Calf fiasco. This leaves open the suggestion that Yehoshua is somewhere on the mountain – a point which can easily be read in to the verses quotes above.
How did they survive if they did not bring supplies? Ibn Ezra maintains Yehoshua was close enough to where the manna fell that he could easily sustain himself.
As for Moshe, the question of food becomes a little more complicated. In Devarim 9, Moshe recounts to the second generation his multiple trips up the mountain (chapters 24 and 32-34) – and how "I did not eat bread and I did not drink water" during the 40-day periods I was up there.
Could he really have gone 40 days without any food?
After all is said and done, we know Moshe is a human being. Special – yes. But very human. The Talmud (Yoma 4b) says the food that had been in Moshe's intestines were purged during the seven day waiting period (before he entered the cloud), until he was ready to become sustained by spiritual food. (The Alshikh calls this "getting sustenance from the 'ziv haShechinah.'")
We should recall that in lieu of saying "I did not eat anything," he singled out bread and water as the things he did not eat – while allowing that he may have still eaten something else.
The Talmud (Sukkah 5a) says Moshe never entered the realm of God, and God never rested in the realm of Man. If so, Moshe was always in the physical realm – and yet he never ate physical food. Physical food, as we know has good qualities, as well as negative parts which our digestive system rejects. The Talmud (Yoma 75b) discusses what the people ate in the wilderness: Abirim bread (based on Tehillim 78:25) – which is bread that ministering Angels eat. It is called Abirim because it is absorbed in Eivarim, the limbs of the body, and does not produce waste.
The Sfas Emes quotes the Zohar that says the "angelic food" is not what was given to the people. The angels are given it in its original, spiritual form, but by the time it reaches the human realm, it is in the form of a kind of bread, which they called "Mon" (manna).
The Maharsha therefore suggests that Moshe ate Manna on the mountain because it is a spiritual food, and it was only "bread" (specifically) that Moshe said he did not eat, as opposed to saying he did not eat at all.
How did Moshe get the food?
There is a debate as to how Moshe entered the mountain. One approach has a path opening for him to walk upon (Yoma 4b). The other side has him entering a cloud which elevated him to the top, in a Mary-Poppins-inspired move.
If he went up using the latter method, we have to assume God provided for him. But if he walked up on the path, is there room to suggest he did so to leave the line open back to Yehoshua?
The opening Mishnah in Avos says Moshe transmitted the Torah to Yehoshua. Rashi contradicts this in Shmot 34:32, when he leaves Yehoshua out of the chain of the heritage transmission. When did Yehoshua learn directly from Moshe, to the point that he is the top on the list in Avos? [His "not leaving the tent" in 33:11 may be a different breeding ground for his own personal learning, but leaves no indication of his being part of the mesorah transmission in the same way Rashi describes Moshe, Aharon, Aharon's sons and the elders as being links in a chain.]
The Shakh quotes the Medrash Tanchuma who says that while on the mountain, Moshe the human forgot everything he learned on a daily basis until God gave him all the knowledge as a gift. The change happened when his own physical matter became spiritual.
The Talmud (Baba Batra 75a) records how Yehoshua was like the moon to Moshe's sun. Yehoshua, as the leadership heir-apparent, is slated to reflect the light of the teachings of Moshe, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun. Yehoshua's accompanying Moshe serves the purpose of demonstrating the connection they'll carry as the links in the mesorah (heritage) that they bear to this day.
Is it such a stretch to suggest that Moshe communicated with Yehoshua on a daily basis while he was on the mountain? If there was a path from Moshe to Yehoshua, perhaps there was a transfer of manna (which the Talmud Yoma 76a says also fell in Yehoshua's merit), and a transmission of information which Moshe soon forgot afterwards.
If Yehoshua was the first link in the chain of mesorah, his presence on the mountain served a purpose. He could provide food for and help his mentor in a fitting manner, and he can be a sounding board for Moshe to practice teaching as quickly as Moshe learned the information.
This is the best way to learn, says a different mishnah in Avos (1:4). Lay at the dust of the feet of the scholars.
We learn from Yehoshua how to get close to a teacher, how to play the role of facilitator and learner, and the patience to wait until it is your turn to shine.
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Chapter 24 describes the immediate events preceding Moshe's trek to the mountain for forty days and nights. Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and the seventy elders accompany Moshe as he is about to commence his hike up the mountain.
"God said to Moshe, 'Come up to Me, to the mountain, and remain there. I will give you the stone tablets, the Torah and the commandment that I have written for [the people's] instruction.' Moshe and his aid Yehoshua set out. Moshe went up on God's Mountain. He said to the elders, 'Wait for us here until we return to you. Aaron and Chur will remain with you. Whoever has a problem can go to them.'" (24:12-14)Rashi says "I don't know why Yehoshua is here, but maybe he is serving the role of "student who accompanies teacher." This answer leaves much unsaid.
Where did Yehoshua come from, and what was his role in all of this?
Explaining Yehoshua's sudden presence, Ramban says he was one of the elders. When Moshe leaves Aharon and Chur in charge, he does so because Yehoshua alone is accompanying him. This is a tribute to the greatness of Yehoshua. But how far up the mountain is Yehoshua allowed to go?
When Moshe emerges in chapter 32, the first person he meets is Yehoshua, who is similarly unaware of the Golden Calf fiasco. This leaves open the suggestion that Yehoshua is somewhere on the mountain – a point which can easily be read in to the verses quotes above.
How did they survive if they did not bring supplies? Ibn Ezra maintains Yehoshua was close enough to where the manna fell that he could easily sustain himself.
As for Moshe, the question of food becomes a little more complicated. In Devarim 9, Moshe recounts to the second generation his multiple trips up the mountain (chapters 24 and 32-34) – and how "I did not eat bread and I did not drink water" during the 40-day periods I was up there.
Could he really have gone 40 days without any food?
After all is said and done, we know Moshe is a human being. Special – yes. But very human. The Talmud (Yoma 4b) says the food that had been in Moshe's intestines were purged during the seven day waiting period (before he entered the cloud), until he was ready to become sustained by spiritual food. (The Alshikh calls this "getting sustenance from the 'ziv haShechinah.'")
We should recall that in lieu of saying "I did not eat anything," he singled out bread and water as the things he did not eat – while allowing that he may have still eaten something else.
The Talmud (Sukkah 5a) says Moshe never entered the realm of God, and God never rested in the realm of Man. If so, Moshe was always in the physical realm – and yet he never ate physical food. Physical food, as we know has good qualities, as well as negative parts which our digestive system rejects. The Talmud (Yoma 75b) discusses what the people ate in the wilderness: Abirim bread (based on Tehillim 78:25) – which is bread that ministering Angels eat. It is called Abirim because it is absorbed in Eivarim, the limbs of the body, and does not produce waste.
The Sfas Emes quotes the Zohar that says the "angelic food" is not what was given to the people. The angels are given it in its original, spiritual form, but by the time it reaches the human realm, it is in the form of a kind of bread, which they called "Mon" (manna).
The Maharsha therefore suggests that Moshe ate Manna on the mountain because it is a spiritual food, and it was only "bread" (specifically) that Moshe said he did not eat, as opposed to saying he did not eat at all.
How did Moshe get the food?
There is a debate as to how Moshe entered the mountain. One approach has a path opening for him to walk upon (Yoma 4b). The other side has him entering a cloud which elevated him to the top, in a Mary-Poppins-inspired move.
If he went up using the latter method, we have to assume God provided for him. But if he walked up on the path, is there room to suggest he did so to leave the line open back to Yehoshua?
The opening Mishnah in Avos says Moshe transmitted the Torah to Yehoshua. Rashi contradicts this in Shmot 34:32, when he leaves Yehoshua out of the chain of the heritage transmission. When did Yehoshua learn directly from Moshe, to the point that he is the top on the list in Avos? [His "not leaving the tent" in 33:11 may be a different breeding ground for his own personal learning, but leaves no indication of his being part of the mesorah transmission in the same way Rashi describes Moshe, Aharon, Aharon's sons and the elders as being links in a chain.]
The Shakh quotes the Medrash Tanchuma who says that while on the mountain, Moshe the human forgot everything he learned on a daily basis until God gave him all the knowledge as a gift. The change happened when his own physical matter became spiritual.
The Talmud (Baba Batra 75a) records how Yehoshua was like the moon to Moshe's sun. Yehoshua, as the leadership heir-apparent, is slated to reflect the light of the teachings of Moshe, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun. Yehoshua's accompanying Moshe serves the purpose of demonstrating the connection they'll carry as the links in the mesorah (heritage) that they bear to this day.
Is it such a stretch to suggest that Moshe communicated with Yehoshua on a daily basis while he was on the mountain? If there was a path from Moshe to Yehoshua, perhaps there was a transfer of manna (which the Talmud Yoma 76a says also fell in Yehoshua's merit), and a transmission of information which Moshe soon forgot afterwards.
If Yehoshua was the first link in the chain of mesorah, his presence on the mountain served a purpose. He could provide food for and help his mentor in a fitting manner, and he can be a sounding board for Moshe to practice teaching as quickly as Moshe learned the information.
This is the best way to learn, says a different mishnah in Avos (1:4). Lay at the dust of the feet of the scholars.
We learn from Yehoshua how to get close to a teacher, how to play the role of facilitator and learner, and the patience to wait until it is your turn to shine.
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