Re'eh - G-d's Household

B"H

 Full text here. Again, this is a short blog post only.

Source - Midrash Tanchuma Chapter 18 (final section only)

אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש, אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, אני אמרתי לך, שתהא מוציא מעשרותיך מן המובחר. הא כיצד. בא בן לוי אצלך, אם נתת לו מעשר מן המובחר, אני נותן לך מן המובחר, שנאמר, יפתח ה' לך את אוצרו הטוב (דב' כח יב). ואם נתת לו מן החפוריות מן הקטניות, יש לי ליתן לך כמותו, שנאמר, יתן ה' את מטר ארצך אבק ועפר (שם שם כד). ובא הלוי כי אין לו חלק ונחלה עמך וגו', רבי יהודה בר סימון אומר, אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, אם יש לך ארבעה בני בתים, יש לך ושמחת בחגך אתה ובנך ובתך ועבדך ואמתך. ואני יש לי ארבע בני בית, הלוי והגר והיתום והאלמנה, שלי. וכלן בפסוק אחד. אם אתה משמח את שלי ואת שלך בבית בימים טובים שנתתי לך, אף אני משמח את שלי ואת שלך בבית הבחירה, שנאמר, והביאותים אל הר קדשי ושמחתים בבית תפלתי. אמן, וכן יהי רצון: 

This week's source is taken from the end of a longer midrash exhorting listeners/readers to perform the mitzvah of ma'aser sheni* properly, seriously, and with the faith that by doing so they will not suffer but will in fact benefit and gain greater material wealth. This is in the spirit of Moshe's own exhortations to the people later on in Devarim in the famous opposition of the blessings that Israel will experience if it keeps with Torah with the curses it will receive if it fails to do so - in fact, the midrash even quotes these sections in order to push its message that the Levi'im and other recipients of ma'aser sheni should be given their portion from the best parts of the harvest and not from the worst.

Why does the midrash - and for that matter, Moshe in the Torah - feel the need to emphasise so greatly the importance of keeping ma'aser sheni. The answer is simple - in an agricultural society, most people would normally be loathe to give away a significant portion of their crops without any direct financial return as this means a loss for them. This is doubly the case if people are told that the best part of their harvest - for which they could hope to obtain either most pleasure through consumption or the greatest financial reward through selling - is to be given away in the ma'aser sheni. Therefore, although the ideal may be to fulfill the mitzvah without any expectation of reward both Moshe and the authors of the midrashim recognise that a powerful incentive for people to keep this mitzvah fully would be the knowledge that obedience = greater reward in the form of more crops whereas disobedience = famine and ruin.

However, the midrash has another interesting message to convey. The person who properly fulfills the mitzvah of ma'aser sheni is portrayed as being able to celebrate the chagim (Festivals) of Shavuot and Sukkot with his entire household, which consists of four important members - the person's son, daughter, male slave and female slave (his wife is considered to be like himself). The midrash draws a parallel between these four members of a person's household and the four groups of people - Levi'im, gerim, orphans and widows - who are the recipients of ma'aser sheni, saying that these are all members of G-d's 'household'. 

According to the midrash's logic, therefore, if a person not only gives the best of his harvest to the members of G-d's household through ma'aser sheni but also welcoming these people into his house to celebrate the harvest festivals with his own household, G-d will reciprocate by blessing that person and his household with happiness in G-d's 'House' i.e. the Beit HaMikdash.

Why are these four groups singled out for special treatment as part of G-d's house? Again, this is very much based on the agricultural society peculiar to Israel in the Biblical era. The Levi'im, due to their role in the Beit HaMikdash, were not given any land alongside the other tribes and therefore had no ancestral land to rely upon to obtain food and sustenance. Gerim - particularly if we take this term as referring to full converts to Judaism - also had a precarious status as they too had no ancestral lands to rely on for food, and lacked the family support network and connections which would probably have been needed to fully take part in society. And so too with widows and orphans - both groups, operating outside the standard family unit, may have lacked support and (possibly) land rights in a largely patriarchal world. Therefore, the common factor is that these are all people who, in an agricultural society, cannot be independent and must instead rely on others for both sustenance and emotional support - hence the mitzvah in not only giving these groups food for eating/trading through ma'aser sheni, but also doing so with warmth and joy by giving them the best produce and welcoming them into one's home for celebrations.

Today's world has changed significantly in some ways - in particular, as we have moved out of the agricultural world of ancient Israel, Levi'im today are no longer at either an economic or social disadvantage compared to other Jews as they are just as capable of earning a living and maintaining family and social connections. However, three other groups in Jewish society - gerim/converts, widows and orphans - can still be seen as being vulnerable and in need of extra attention. While they may be at an economic disadvantage, often the problem is social - in a Jewish world based on family connections it is precisely these groups who are at risk of being 'left out in the cold', particularly at times when families come together to celebrate Shabbat and the chagim. 

This message of the midrash therefore still resonates today - in order to fully celebrate what G-d has given us, we must in turn ensure that we open our homes and share our celebrations with those who may be otherwise 'outsiders' in our eyes but whom are most loved by G-d. However, one question to ponder is this - we may still have gerim, orphans and widows, but who in today's world are the Levi'im who we should be welcoming into our homes?

Shavua tov,

RPT

*the second tithe, which was to be taken from the crop in the third year of the shmitta cycle and distributed to the Levi'im, the 'gerim' or strangers (which in the Torah can mean either converts or resident non-Jews), the orphaned and the widowed

Ekev - The Broken Link

B"H

 As usual, full Midrash Tanchuma text is here

Source 1 - Midrash Tanchuma Ekev, Chapter 11 (full text)

אשר שברת. רבי עקיבא ורבי ישמעאל. חד אמר, טול מידי הילך משה אשר שברת. ואחד מהם אומר, יפה עשה. משל למה הדבר דומה. למלך שקדש אשה, אמר לה, לאחר זמן אני משלח לך כתובתיך ביד שושבין. שלח המלך אחר זמן. עד שהוא הולך, מצא אותה שקלקלה עם אחר. מה עשה אותו שושבין. קרע אותה כתובה, אמר מוטב שידון אותה כפנויה, ולא כאשת איש. כך הקדוש ברוך הוא קדש את ישראל, שנאמר, וקדשתם היום ומחר (שמ' יט י). בא משה ליתן להם את התורה, ומצאן שעשו אותו המעשה. מה עשה. שבר את הלוחות, שנאמר, וארא והנה חטאתם לה' אלהיכם, ואתפוש בשני הלוחות ואשליכם מעל שתי ידי ואשברם לעיניכם. אמר רבי ברכיה בשם רבי חלבו משום רבי ישמעאל בר נחמיה, הלוחות ארכן היה ששה טפחים, ורחבן שלשה, והיה משה מחזיק בשנים, והקדוש ברוך הוא בשנים, ושני טפחים ריוח באמצע. וגברו ידיו של משה ואחז בלוחות ושברן, שנאמר, וישלך מידיו (שמו' לב יט). לפיכך אמר ליה הקדוש ברוך הוא, אתה שברת. על מה שברן. על שפרח הכתב מעליהם, ולפיכך שברן. משל למה הדבר דומה. לדואר שהיה מהלך ופרוזדוגיי"א בידו להכנס במדינה, ועבר בתוך הנהר ונפלו הכתבים לתוך המים ונמוחו האותיות. מה עשה אותו הדואר. קרען, שנאמר, וארא והנה חטאתם לה' אלהיכם. מה ראה, ראה האותיות שפרחו. ואף הוא שברן, שנאמר, אשר שברת. אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא, אני הכתבתי בתורתי ואמרתי, והשיב את הגזלה אשר גזל או את הפקדון אשר הפקד אתו (ויקר' ה כג). ואתה הפקדון שהיה אצלך השיב אותו. זהו שנאמר, פסל לך שני לוחות אבנים כראשונים. ולא עוד אלא למחר הן עומדין להיות שונים מה שהן למדין ממך. נשתברה חבית, ושברה הסרסור הוא משלו. אתה היית סרסור בינינו לבינו, ושברת לפיכך אתה צריך לשלם. לכך נאמר, פסל לך. אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, בעולם הזה, על ידי יצר הרע, היו למדין ומשתכחין. אבל לעולם הבא, אני עוקר יצר הרע מכם ואינכם משתכחים, שנאמר, והסרותי את לב האבן מבשרכם ונתתי לכם לב בשר (יחז' לו כו). ולא עוד, אלא שאינכם צריכים לאדם שילמדם שנאמר, ולא ילמדו עוד איש את רעהו ואיש את אחיו לאמר דעו את ה' כי כלם ידעו אותי למקטנם ועד גדולם (ירמיה לא לד). וכן יהי רצון ונאמר אמן]:

One of the challenges of writing this blog is that in some weeks I simply cannot find much interesting to say about the various midrashim. Sometimes this is due to the midrashim themselves being either very esoteric or (apparently) very straightforward with little work required to 'unpack' the midrash's surface meaning. Sometimes this is also due to Life, the Universe and Everything taking up my time (which is also why this blog went dormant for almost a year before picking up again with Devarim).

This week we have both factors combining so that very little time + relatively uninspiring midrashim = very short and superficial posts for both parshat Ekev and parshat Re'eh, with my apologies. Hopefully things will pick up a little after this, although not making many promises re: Shoftim due to the time factor.

Let's go...

 

This week's midrash for parshat Ekev picks up on a seemingly innocent phrase which Moshe repeats from G-d's speaking to him after the episode of the Chet Ha-Egel (Golden Calf), in which G-d agrees to give a second set of tablets to Moshe to replace the first ones which he had broken. The midrash picks up on G-d's mentioning to Moshe the first set of tablets 'which you broke' and, through a dispute between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael over whether or not Moshe was right to break the first tablets, explore the relationship between G-d, Israel, Moshe and the Torah and how this was affected by the Chet Ha-Egel.

The midrash can be roughly divided into four sections as follows:

 

Section 1 - parable of a king (G-d) betrothed (through the revelation at Har Sinai) to a woman (Israel) to whom the king promises to send the woman's ketubah (Torah) sealing their marriage. The king sends the ketubah with an escort (Moshe), but while this is en route news comes that the woman had an affair with someone else (the Chet Ha-Egel in which certain elements amongst Israel made and worshipped an idol as a substitute for G-d or Moshe). The escort rips up the ketubah (Moshe destroys the luchot or tablets bearing the Ten Commandments from the Torah) so that the woman is judged for her crime as an unmarried woman rather than as a married woman, who would have faced the more serious charge of adultery. 

Section 2 - parable of a postman (Moshe) who went to deliver royal letters (the Torah) and on the way was passing through a river when the letters fell into the water and the writing was erased (the spiritual quality of the Torah in the tablets is said to have departed when Moshe approached the camp of the B'nei Israel, as symbolised by the letters flying away). The postman therefore ripped up the letters (Moshe destroyed the physical tablets). 

Section 3 - G-d apparently rebukes Moshe by comparing him to someone with whom G-d has left a deposit (the tablets/Torah) and who by Torah law is therefore responsible for returning the item deposited with him - hence G-d's command to Moshe to carve out tablets like the original ones which he had broken. G-d also puts Moshe in the position of an intermediary between G-d and Israel who is responsible for any damage caused to an item going from one to the either (in this case, the tablets).

Section 4 - G-d is cited as saying that in this world Isarel will forget whatever Torah they learn due to the yetzer hara (evil inclination) - but that in the Olam Ha'baah (World to Come) the yetzer hara will be removed and Israel will not only remember all the Torah they learn but will also 'know' both G-d and the Torah without any need to be taught by an intermediary.

So...the midrash sets out a complex web of relationships. G-d and Israel are (in a common motif) envisaged as ideally having a relationship like that of a loyal married couple. In Israel's case, this includes full knowledge and understanding both of the Torah and of G-d without the need for any intermediary. In this model, Moshe is only initially there as an intermediary for the purpose of delivering the Torah to Israel.

However, at the turning point of the Chet HaEgel Israel betrays G-d in such a way that the spiritual power in the Torah - the 'contract' binding G-d and Israel - leaves their presence and makes what Moshe is to deliver no better than blank pages from which the 'writing' - or spiritual meaning - has gone. Moshe, rightly or wrongly, destroys these pages not only to save Israel from being judged even more harshly for its sin but also because without the departed spiritual meaning they are no longer of importance.

Moshe's role as an intermediary now becomes emphasised, with him taking on responsibility for repairing whatever damage he may be seen to have caused through breaking the original tablets. However, the people of Israel's relationship with both G-d and the Torah is no longer as clear and unhindered as before and they will continue to rely on Moshe and future intermediaries for the transmission of the Torah, as well as on learning from each other in order to make up for the lack of clear, permanent 'knowledge' they have lost.

Although the midrash leaves it unresolved as to whether Moshe's act of breaking the tablets was beneficial or not, it does hold out some hope at the end that Israel can once again retain its original status as having full knowledge of G-d and the Torah without the limitations brought on as a result of the Chet Ha-Egel and Moshe's smashing of the tablets.Hopefully by then we can also overcome the limitations of our own understanding of Torah and midrashim and be able to see beyond the superficial level of these (and I have myself in mind as much as anyone else here...).

 

Shavua tov

 

RPT

Va'etchanan - End of an Era

B"H

Link to the full Midrash Tanchuma text is here

Source 1) Midrash Tanchuma Va'etchanan, Chap 6 (extract)

. עד עכשיו היה חלקך לשרת לפני, ועכשיו אבד חלקך והגיע שעה של יהושע תלמידך לשרת. אמר לפניו, רבוני, אם מפני יהושע אני מת, אלך ואהיה לו תלמיד. אמר לו, אם אתה רוצה לעשות כך, לך עש] ה. עמד משה והשכים לפתחו של יהושע. היה יהושע יושב ודורש, ועמד משה וכפף קומתו והניח ידו על פיו, ונתעלמו עיניו של יהושע ולא ראה אותו, כדי שיצטער וישלים עצמו למיתה. והלכו ישראל אצל משה לפתחו ללמוד תורה, ושאלו ואמרו, משה רבינו היכן הוא. אמרו להם, השכים והלך לפתחו של יהושע. הלכו ומצאוהו בפתחו של יהושע, והיה יהושע יושב ומשה עומד. אמרו לו ליהושע, מה עלתה על לבך שמשה רבינו עומד ואתה יושב. כיון שתלה עיניו וראהו, מיד קרע בגדיו וצעק ובכה ואמר, רבי רבי, אבי אבי ואדוני. אמרו ישראל למשה, משה רבינו, למדנו תורה. אמר להם, אין לי רשות. אמרו לו, אין אנו מניחין אותך. יצתה בת קול ואמרה להם, למדו מיהושע, וקבלו עליכם לישב וללמוד מיהושע. ישב יהושע בראש, ומשה בימינו, ובני אהרן משמאלו, והיה יהושע יושב ודורש בפני משה. אומר רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן, בשעה שאמר יהושע, ברוך אשר בחר בצדיקים, נטלו מסורות חכמה ממשה ונתנו ליהושע, ולא היה יודע משה מה היה יהושע דורש. אחר שעמדו ישראל מישיבה, אמרו למשה, סתם לנו את התורה. אמר להם, איני יודע מה אשיב לכם. והיה משה רבינו נכשל ונפל. באותה שעה אמר משה, רבון העולמים, עד עכשיו בקשתי חיים, ועכשיו הרי נפשי נתונה לך

[G-d said] "...Until now it was your portion to minister before Me, but now your portion is finished, and it is the time for your disciple, Yehoshua, to minister". He [Moshe] said before Him "My Master, if it is on account of Yehoshua that I have to die, I will go and become his disciple." He said to him "If you wish to do so, go and do it." So Moshe got up early and stood at the entrance of Yehoshua's tent. Yehoshua was sitting and expounding Torah [doresh], and Moshe got up and bent over and placed his hand on his moth, but Yehoshua's eyes were hidden from him and he did not notice him, on order that He should feel pain and resign himself to death. The B'nei Israel went to Moshe, to his entranceway, in order to learn Torah and asked "Where is Moshe Rabbeinu?" They were told "He woke up early and went to the entrance of [the tent of]  Yehoshua." So they went and found him at the entranceway of Yehoshua, where Yehoshua was sitting and Moshe was standing. They said to him, "Yehoshua, what do you mean by this that Moshe Rabbeinu is standing and you are sitting?!". When [Yehoshua] lifted his eyes and noticed [Moshe], he immediately tore his clothes and cired out loud, saying "My teacher, my teacher! My father, my father and my master! The B'nei Yisrael said to Moshe "Moshe Rabbeinu, teach us Torah." He said to them "I have no authority to do so". A heavenly voice emanated and declared to them, "Learn from Yehoshua, and accept upon yourselves to sit down and learn from Yehoshua". So Yehoshua sat at the head, Moshe on his right and the sons of Aharon on his left, and Yehosua sat and expounded Torah [doresh] before Moshe. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonasan: When Yehoshua said "Blessed [is He] who chooses the righteous" the principles of wisdom [masorot chochma] were taken from Moshe and given over to Yehoshua, and Moshe no longer understood what Yehoshua was expounding [doresh]. After all the B'nei Isreal had got up, they said to Moshe "He [Yehoshua] has obfuscated the Torah for us". He said to them "I do not know what to answer you" - and Moshe Rabbeinu was stumbling and falling. At that moment Moshe said "Matser of the Worlds! Until now I asked for life, but now my soul is given over to you". (adapted from the Metsudah translation)

**************************

Parshat Va'etchanan opens with the end of Moshe's overview of the past forty years, which takes up the first three chapters of parshat Devarim. Having summarised both the previous generations' shortcomings and the current generation's recent victories on their way to Eretz Yisrael, Moshe poignantly recalls how he has pleaded with G-d to be allowed to cross the Jordan into Eretz Yisrael with the rest of the people who he has led for forty years, only to be told 'al tosef daber elai od b'dvar hazeh' - 'Never speak to Me of this matter again!'. Harsh words, it seems, for the great Moshe Rabbeinu who has sacrificed so much to fulfil G-d's word and lead His people for so long. 

The midrashim of the Midrash Tanchuma focuses almost entirely on this opening exchange, with several narrative expansions of the text detailing the exchange between G-d and Moshe as Moshe pleads to delay his death until he has reached Eretz Yisrael. The midrash I want to explore (Source 1) above) is only an extract from one of these lengthy expansions - however, it does shed some light on Moshe, his role at the end of the journry to Eretz Yisrael, and how he (and we) could eventually be reconciled with his forthcoming death.

The midrash at Source 1) focuses on the transfer of leadership from Moshe to his pupil Yehoshua, as reflected in the text of Va'etchanan itself where Moshe is told to instruct and encourage Yehoshua as the one who will lead the B'nei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. In the midrash, upon being told that Yehoshua's new status as leader is the reason why Moshe must die outside Eretz Yisrael, Moshe (apparently with G-d's consent) goes to hear Yehoshua teaching Torah. Initially he does so incognito - only to be revealed by the people's scandalised cries at seeing their beloved 'Moshe Rabbeinu' standing (as a student would) before the seated Yehoshua. The people try to persuade Moshe to teach them Torah as he was accustomed to, only for Moshe to demur and for a 'Bat Kol' (heavenly voice) to decree that from now on the people must learn Torah from Yehoshua.

It is at this point that something strange occurs. As Yehoshua begins to teach, the principles on which the Torah is to be understood and interpreted (masorot chochma) are taken away from Moshe and given to Yehoshua, following which Moshe is no longer able to follow Yehoshua's teaching (see underlined section of Source 1). Furthermore, when the people - who have been unable to follow Yehoshua's teaching as clearly - turn to Moshe, he is at a loss as to what to say to them. It is at this point that - after an extensive dialogue with G-d in which Moshe has been begging for his life - Moshe now reconciles himself to his fate and admits to G-d that 'my soul is given over to you'.

What is happening here? Why should this incident be the trigger for Moshe to give up his fight against death outside of Eretz Yisrael? And why are the people complaining that Yehoshua's teaching has made the Torah less clear for them?

There are a few key words/phrases in this midrash which can answer these points. The first is Moshe's title as 'Moshe Rabbeinu', literally 'Moshe our teacher'. Throughout this midrash, this is the name by which the people refer to Moshe, while Yehoshua's initial cry of sorrow when he realises he has unwittingly shown disrespect to Moshe (by remaining seated and teaching in Moshe's presence) includes the words 'my Teacher, my Teacher!'. This is in keeping with the respect we accord to Moshe - while Moshe played many roles during his tenure - priest, military leader, prophet - it is his role as teacher of Torah which has come to define him as 'Moshe Rabbeinu' throughout the generations.

It is perhaps not surprising, then, that the people are so drawn to Moshe as their teacher that it takes both Moshe's refusal and a direct command from Heaven for them to be persuaded to turn to Yehoshua as their leader and teacher of Torah. However, after Moshe finds himself unable to either understand Yehoshua's teachings or explain them to the people, the midrash tells us 'v'hayah Moshe Rabbeinu nichsal v'nofel' - 'and Moshe Rabbeinu was stumbling and falling'. Suddenly, the man whose defining feature has been his direct reception and transmission of the Torah - whose essence can be summed up in the title of 'Rabbeinu' or 'Teacher' - is struggling at being unable to either understand or teach the Torah to which he has been so close. Tellingly, when Moshe turns to G-d at this point he uses the phrase 'ad achshaiv bikashti chaim' - while this refers to Moshe's requesting that his life be spared, given the traditional identification of Torah as an 'etz chaim' or 'tree of life' Moshe could also be referring to his constant 'searching' for and connection with Torah which he has now lost. 

But what of Yehoshua and the people's apparent inability to understand him? Surely this cannot be a good development, given that the goal of a teacher is to improve his students' understanding of the matter at hand? Here, we can also find an answer in the word - derash, or searching/enquiring/investigating - which is used throughout the midrash to describe Yehoshua's mode of teaching. The word 'derash' is traditionally used to refer to a deeper level of interpretation of the text than that which can be found simply through the 'surface' or 'p'shat' meaning (and indeed shares a root with 'midrash') . 

Yehoshua, the midrash implies is using this method to teach Torah - presumably making a change from Moshe Rabbeinu, who as a direct conduit for transmission of the Torah is usually described as 'speaking' many of the commandments and here in this midrash is being asked to simply 'teach' or 'lamed' Torah to the people. The people's confusion therefore seems to lie in the fact that Yehoshua is not teaching the Torah with the same level of clarity as Moshe had done - however, the midrash suggests that this is inevitable as only Moshe has had the direct connection with G-d to be able to teach and transmit Torah without needing to resort to 'derash'. Yehoshua, on the other hand, is not on the same level as Moshe even having been granted the 'masora' needed to interpret the Torah - nor can anyone else hope to reach the same level as Moshe. Therefore, the midrash implies, Moshe's loss of the 'masora'  means the loss of a direct and clear revelation of Torah, and instead our turning to other methods such as 'derash' to try and understand the depths of meaning within the Torah. 

Having seen this development and understood that he is no longer connected to the 'etz chaim' of Torah, Moshe realises that his time is up and he has no further purpose as 'Moshe Rabbeinu' - hence his declaring to G-d that his soul is now given over to Him just as the 'masora' of Torah interpretation has been given over to his successor.

While we can never hope to be on the same level as Moshe Rabbeinu himself, perhaps we can learn from here the importance of both learning and teaching Torah to our life's purpose.

(Early) shabbat shalom!

RPT

Devarim - Love and the Land

B"H

Here is the link to the full text of the Midrash Tanchuma, although I will mostly be relying on other sources this week.

Sources

1) Talmud Bavli, Ketubot 111a

  ורב יהודה כתיב קרא אחרינא (שיר השירים ב) השבעתי אתכם בנות ירושלים בצבאות או באילות השדה וגו' ורבי זירא ההוא שלא יעלו ישראל בחומה ורב יהודה השבעתי אחרינא כתיב ורבי זירא ההוא מיבעי ליה לכדרבי יוסי ברבי חנינא דאמר ג' שבועות הללו למה אחת שלא יעלו ישראל בחומה ואחת שהשביע הקדוש ברוך הוא את ישראל שלא ימרדו באומות העולם ואחת שהשביע הקדוש ברוך הוא את <העובדי כוכבים> {אומות העולם} שלא ישתעבדו בהן בישראל יותר מדאי ורב יהודה (שיר השירים ב) אם תעירו ואם תעוררו כתיב ורבי זירא מיבעי ליה לכדרבי לוי דאמר שש שבועות הללו למה תלתא הני דאמרן אינך שלא יגלו את הקץ ושלא ירחקו את הקץ ושלא יגלו הסוד <לעובדי כוכבים> {לאומות העולם} (שיר השירים ב) בצבאות או באילות השדה אמר רבי אלעזר אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל אם אתם מקיימין את השבועה מוטב ואם לאו אני מתיר את בשרכם כצבאות וכאילות השדה

 

And Rav Yehuda? — Another text also is available: I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, [that ye awaken not, nor stir up love, until it please]'. And R. Ze'era? — That implies that Israel shall not go up [all together as if surrounded] by a wall. And Rav Yehuda? — Another 'I adjure you'  is written in Scripture. And R. Ze'era? — That text is required for [an exposition] like that of R. Jose son of R. Hanina who said: 'What was the purpose of those three adjurations?  — One, that Israel shall not go up [all together as if surrounded] by a wall; the second, that whereby the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured Israel that they shall not rebel against the nations of the world; and the third is that whereby the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured the idolaters that they shall not oppress Israel too much'. And Rav Yehuda? — It is written in Scripture, That ye awaken not, nor stir up.  And R. Ze'era? — That text is required for [an exposition] like that of R. Levi who stated: 'What was the purpose of those six adjurations? — Three for the purposes just mentioned and the others, that [the prophets] shall not make known the end, that [the people] shall not delay the end, and that they shall not reveal the secret to the idolaters'.

By the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field. R. Eleazar explained: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, 'If you will keep the adjuration, well and good; but if not, I will permit your flesh [to be a prey] like [that of] the gazelles and the hinds of the field'. (based on Soncino Translation)

2a) & b) Shir HaShirim (2:7 & 3:5)

הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה  אִם-תָּעִירוּ וְאִם-תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת-הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ

I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by hinds of the field: do not awake or rouse love until it please! (JPS Translation)

c) Shir HaShirim (8:4)

הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם  מַה-תָּעִירוּ וּמַה-תְּעֹרְרוּ אֶת-הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ

I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem: do not wake or rouse love until it please! (JPS Translation)

d) Shir HaShirim (5:8)

הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם  אִם-תִּמְצְאוּ אֶת-דּוֹדִי מַה-תַּגִּידוּ לוֹ שֶׁחוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי

I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem! If you meet my beloved, tell him this: that I am faint with love 
(JPS Translation)

3) Devarim (1:34-35; 1:41-45; 2:2-5)

לד וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶת-קוֹל דִּבְרֵיכֶם וַיִּקְצֹף וַיִּשָּׁבַע לֵאמֹר.  לה אִם-יִרְאֶה אִישׁ בָּאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה הַדּוֹר הָרָע הַזֶּה אֵת הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לָתֵת לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם.

מא וַתַּעֲנוּ וַתֹּאמְרוּ אֵלַי חָטָאנוּ לַיהוָה אֲנַחְנוּ נַעֲלֶה וְנִלְחַמְנוּ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּנוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וַתַּחְגְּרוּ אִישׁ אֶת-כְּלֵי מִלְחַמְתּוֹ וַתָּהִינוּ לַעֲלֹת הָהָרָה.  מב וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי אֱמֹר לָהֶם לֹא תַעֲלוּ וְלֹא-תִלָּחֲמוּ כִּי אֵינֶנִּי בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְלֹא תִּנָּגְפוּ לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיכֶם.  מג וָאֲדַבֵּר אֲלֵיכֶם וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם וַתַּמְרוּ אֶת-פִּי יְהוָה וַתָּזִדוּ וַתַּעֲלוּ הָהָרָה.  מד וַיֵּצֵא הָאֱמֹרִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּהָר הַהוּא לִקְרַאתְכֶם וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אֶתְכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂינָה הַדְּבֹרִים וַיַּכְּתוּ אֶתְכֶם בְּשֵׂעִיר עַד-חָרְמָה.  מה וַתָּשֻׁבוּ וַתִּבְכּוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְלֹא-שָׁמַע יְהוָה בְּקֹלְכֶם וְלֹא הֶאֱזִין אֲלֵיכֶם

ב וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר.  ג רַב-לָכֶם סֹב אֶת-הָהָר הַזֶּה פְּנוּ לָכֶם צָפֹנָה.  ד וְאֶת-הָעָם צַו לֵאמֹר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים בִּגְבוּל אֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי-עֵשָׂו הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּשֵׂעִיר וְיִירְאוּ מִכֶּם וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד.  ה אַל-תִּתְגָּרוּ בָם כִּי לֹא-אֶתֵּן לָכֶם מֵאַרְצָם עַד מִדְרַךְ כַּף-רָגֶל  כִּי-יְרֻשָּׁה לְעֵשָׂו נָתַתִּי אֶת-הַר שֵׂעִיר.

'When the Lord heard your loud complaint, He was angry. He vowed: "Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers..." [....] You replied to me, saying, "We stand guilty before the Lord. We will go up now and fight, just as the Lord our God commanded us." And you all girded yourselves with war gear and recklessly started for the hill country. But the Lord said to me, "Warn them: Do not go up and do not fight, since I am not in your midst; else you will be routed by your enemies". I spoke to you, but you would not listen; you flouted the Lord's command and willfully marched into the hill country. Then the Amorites who lived in those hills came out against you like so many bees and chased you, and they crushed you at Hormah in Seir. Again you wept before the Lord; but the lord would not heed your cry or give ear to you...Then the Lord said to me: "You have been skirting this hill country long enough; now turn north. And charge the people as follows: You will be passing through the territory of your kinsmen, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. Though the will be afraid of you, be very careful not to provoke them. For I will not give you of their land so much as a foot can tread on; I have given the hill country of Seir as a possession to Esau'. (JPS Translation)

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This week, I am taking a different approach and focusing mostly on the Talmudic version of a midrash found in the Midrash Tanchuma - the (in)famous midrash of the 'Three Oaths'. While the Talmudic version is not directly linked to parshat Devarim, the Midrash Tanchuma does bring a truncated version of this in relation to the parsha (more later on the link!) - however, we are better off starting with the more detailed/authoritative midrash from the Talmud.

The Talmudic midrash of the 'Three Oaths' (see Source 1) above) arises out of an ongoing debate between the Babylonian sages Rav Yehuda and his pupil Rabbi Ze'era. Rabbi Ze'era strongly wanted to leave Babylon for Eretz Yisrael, but faced disapproval from Rav Yehuda who held on theological grounds that the Jews in Babylon should not seek to return to Eretz Yisrael before the appropriate time i.e. G-d's redemption of the Jews from exile.  This argument mirrors aspects of the debate between Zionist and anti-Zionist movements preceding the establishment of the State of Israel - and, to a certain extent, by some anti-Zionist movements even after 1948. Indeed, the midrash of the 'Three Oaths' itself has played an important part in the latter debate, and while this is beyond the subject of this post it is worth bearing in mind that some anti-Zionist groups (e.g. Satmar) will still draw upon it today.

The midrash is based on a recurring refrain in ShirHaShirim (see Sources 2a)-c) above), which reads 'I adjure you, O maidens/daughters of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by hinds of the field: do not awake or rouse love until it please!'. The midrash from Ketubot 111a at source 1) above uses this refrain as a source-text for first one, then three, then finally six oaths summarised below:

1) The Jews may not to go up to Eretz Yisrael 'like a wall'
2) The Jews may not to rebel against the nations [reflected in Midrash Tanchuma as 'not to rebel against the rulers']
3) The non-Jewish nations are not to oppress the Jews too much 
4) The Jews may not to reveal the 'end of days' [reflected in Midrash Tanchuma]
5) The Jews may not to delay the 'end of days'
[reflected in Midrash Tanchuma as 'not to push back the end of days']
6) The Jews may not to reveal 'secrets' to the nations.

The midrash appears to base these oaths on the part of the refrain that one should not 'awake or rouse love until it please', which in the case of most of these oaths becomes the Jews holding back from doing/revealing something until the appropriate time i.e. until the 'end of days' or G-d's expression of His love in allowing the Jews back into the land. While some oaths do not exactly fit this pattern, they can still be reconciled with it - for example, oath 3) can be seen as the non-Jews not awakening G-d's 'love' by oppressing the Jews too harshly, while oath 6) could be taken as the Jews not arousing some form of 'love' by revealing the 'secrets' only known to them at this time.

However, the one oath which does not fit neatly into this pattern is oath 5) - that the Jews are not to delay the 'end of days'. While many of the other oaths are concerned with the Jews trying to re-establish a presence in Eretz Yisrael before the right time, this one addresses the opposite concern - that the Jews may in fact delay the redemption/their return to Eretz Yisrael from its appointed time.  How can we reconcile this with the source-text of Shir HaShirim, in which it seems clear that the warning against arousing 'love' before the proper time rather than against delaying that 'love'?

In fact, if we look at Shir HaShirim we can find that there are four expressions of 'Hish'bati' or 'I adjure you'. The fourth, which is not included in our midrash, reads rather differently from the others: 'I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem! If you meet my beloved, tell him this: that I am faint with love' (see Source 2d) above). 

This fourth expression comes just after the episode in Chapter 5 where the female lover (traditionally representing Israel) initially refuses to answer the door to the pleading of her male lover (traditionally representing G-d), then relents and opens the door only to find that he has gone. She then roams the streets searching for him and is attacked by the watchmen of the city - following which she cries out to the 'maidens of Jerusalem', this time not to advise restraint of love/desire but to express her desire for the lover having missed the opportunity of being with him.  

And so to parshat Devarim. Chapter 4 of the Midrash Tanchuma on this parsha starts with a version of the above midrash, supposedly based on the verse "You have been skirting this hill country long enough..." (Devarim 2:2 - see Source 3) above). While the Midrash Tanchuma does not make it clear why it connects this verse to its version of the 'Three Oaths' midrash, we can perhaps see a link in its placement between two warnings/episodes relating to Eretz Yisrael and the surrounding nations. The first warning/episode (most of Devarim Chapter 1) is Moshe's reminding the current generation of the incident of the Spies, where their fathers' refused to believe they can conquer Eretz Yisrael despite G-d's promise to be with them, then subsequently trying and failing to make an armed invasion into Eretz Yisrael despite G-d's decree that they will not enter but will die in the wilderness (Devarim 1:41-45). The second warning (Devarim 2:3 onwards) is that the people are not to attach or provoke Esau's descendants living in Mt. Seir - bearing in mind not only the Torah's warning itself that Mt. Seir has been reserved by G-d for Esau's descendants but also the fact that they (in the form of the Romans) were later used by G-d as His instrument for punishing the Jews through the destruction of the Second Beit HaMikdash and the subsequent period of exile/oppression. 

We can see that both warnings are reflected in the 'oaths' of our midrash. In the first case, we are warned not to try to conquer Eretz Yisrael/bring about the 'end of days' before the time appointed by G-d. In the second, we are warned not to rebel against the non-Jewish nations who are carrying out their Divinely-appointed role (as represented in parshat Devarim by Esau's descendants on Mt. Seir).  In both cases, the midrash sees these as warnings against 'arousing' love - either G-d's love for us or our love for Eretz Yisrael/G-d as expressed through trying to return to our proper place in Eretz Yisrael.

However, we should also bear in mind the fourth adjuration in Shir HaShirim in response to a missed opportunity. Here, the female lover perhaps parallels the first generation of B'nei Israel who, realising too late their mistake in the Incident of the Spies, try to make up for this and express their 'love' by going to invade Eretz Yisrael only to be beaten and repelled from its borders.Perhaps this is also a warning of the consequences of breaking the fifth 'oath' - that if we delay the 'end of days' or final redemption and miss this opportunity, we will also suffer the consequences of being abandoned by G-d like the gazelles/hinds of the field.

Overall, we can see a tension between holding back from showing or acting on love for G-d/Eretz Yisrael until the proper time, and not delaying this beyond the right 'window of opportunity' - in both cases, whether we act too soon or too late the consequences are potentially disastrous. However, it is notable that our opening protagonist Rabbi Ze'era did in fact fulfil his desire of emigrating to Eretz Yisrael. Regardless of the wider politics surrounding Zionism and the nature of the Jewish presence in Eretz Yisrael today, perhaps we can take Rabbi Ze'era as an example and focus on identifying the 'right time' for us as individuals to act on our love for G-d and the Land.

Shabbat shalom

RPT