And you shall count for yourselves,

 from the morrow of the rest day

from the day

you bring the omer as a wave offering

seven weeks; they shall be complete.

(Vayikra 23:15)

The reason why the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded the counting of

the Omer was so that every man in Israel was busy with his own harvest and each

was in his own granary, and they would forget to make the festival pilgrimage

another reason: It is comparable to the parable about someone who was

imprisoned and cried out to the king to free him. The king said he should be

freed and given his daughter [in marriage]. He [the imprisoned man] counted

Israel left Egypt they were told they would be free men and would be given the

Torah, as it is written, you shall worship God on this mountain (Shemot 3:12) [and so they counted in

anticipation].

Some say there is

another explanation: it is because the world is worried about the grains and

of Rosh HaShanah (16a): "Why did the

Torah enjoin on us to offer an Omer on Passover? Because Passover is the season

of grain. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Bring before Me an Omer

on Passover so that your produce in the fields may be blessed.' Why did the Torah enjoin on

us to bring two leaves on Shavu'ot? Because Shavu'ot is the season for the fruit

of the tree. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'Bring before Me two

loaves on Shavu'ot so that the fruit of your trees may be blessed.' Why did the Torah enjoin on

us to pour out water on Sukkot?

The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Pour out water before Me on Sukkot,

so that your rains this year may be blessed, etc.'" (based on Soncino

translation). Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He commanded that these days

be counted in order that we remember the world's worries and return to Him in

complete repentance and plead that He have mercy upon us, that the yields be

good. That is what the verse refers to: And they did not say in

for us" (Jeremiah 5:24) –

those [weeks of the laws of harvest] are the seven weeks between Passover

and Shavu'ot.

(R. Yitzhak Karo, Toldot Yitzhak Vayikra 23:15)

Kodesh, Kadosh,

Kedoshim

Nahem Ilan

The Hebrew root KDSh makes even more

appearances in parashat Emor than it does in the preceding parasha, Kedoshim. An

important theological lesson can be learned by examining some of its uses. In

this article I will focus on the Arabic translation of the Torah produced by Saadia

Gaon in the first half of the 10^th century. Saadia often followed

the translation of Onkelos and the Aramaic translations produced in the Land of

Israel. Accordingly, I will compare several of Saadia's translations with those

of his predecessors.

The Israelites are commanded to be holy – kedoshim

– three times in parashat Kedoshim: Speak to the

holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy (19:2); You shall sanctify yourselves and be

holy, for I am the Lord, your God (20:7); And

from the peoples, to be Mine (20:26). In all of these verses Onkelos and

Pseudo-Jonathan ben Uziel render kedoshim with the Aramaic kadishin

approach that denies intrinsic holiness to the Israelites; sanctification is a

mission and a challenge rather than an existing state of holiness.

Given this

background, it will be interesting to see how Saadia translates this verse from

the beginning of Emor: They shall be holy to

holy (21:6).

The Aramaic translations use kadishin both in the beginning of the verse

as well as in its conclusion, thus reflecting their belief that that

verse is circular in structure; it ends as it begins. Saadia thinks

differently. He translates the first instance of the word kedoshim as kidisin,

a term possessing two different uses: while medieval Judeo-Arabic employs kidisin

to refer to God, it also can function as a synonym for mukadas, a

designation used in reference to human beings whose holiness is not intrinsic. Saadia

agrees with the Aramaic translators that the verse's conclusion echoes its

beginning, and he renders its final word mukadasin – sanctified. Apparently,

he rejected their understanding of the actual meaning of the command with which

the verse begins; he remains true to the view of the nature of holiness

reflected in many of his renderings. For instance, he translates the word kedoshim

the same way in the verse, They assembled against

raise yourselves above the Lord's assembly?" (Bamidbar 16:3).

Let us return to

Emor. The tendency discussed above returns after two verses, when we read: You

holy [kadosh] to you, for I, the Lord Who sanctifies you, am holy [kadosh] (21:8). Here again the

Aramaic translations do not distinguish between the two appearances of kadosh

in the verse, the first referring to the priest and the second to God; both are

rendered kadish. Saadia, in contrast, renders the first mukadasa

and the latter alkadus – in keeping with his line of thought.

Saadia remains consistent when translating

the word kodesh. In the verse, And whoever

Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people (19:8), he renders kodesh

as kuds, while in the verse, And in the fourth year, all its fruit

shall be holy, a praise to the Lord (19:24) he is careful to translate kodesh

as mukadasa, since no object – in this case, fruit – can be intrinsically

holy. The fruit is sanctified by intentional and defined human action.

Saadia's theological

principle finds radical expression in his translation of the verse, Speak to

desecrate My Holy Name [Shem kodshi]. I am the Lord (22:2). The Aramaic

translations render Shem kodshi literally, while Saadia is careful to

translate is as ma samaytuhu kudsa – "that which I have called

holy." It seems that here Saadia wishes to make it clear that if Aaron and

his sons do not separate themselves from the holy sacrifices of the children of

Israel, they will desecrate that which God has called "holy," but

such improper behavior could not somehow harm God's name, as various

kabbalistic opinions would have it.

The tendency observed

up to now can also be found in relation to the expression mikra'ei kodesh

– "holy" or "appointed" occasions. This phrase appears

three times in the passage about the festivals (chapter 23), and the variant mikra kodesh

is repeated eight times in the chapter. The passage begins: Speak to the

shall designate as holy occasions. These are My appointed [holy days] (23:2). Here

Onkelos and Pseudo-Jonathan render mikra'ei kodesh as m'ar'ei kadish,

while Saadia is careful to translate it as yagibu an tusamuha b'asma

kh'atzah – "you are to call them by special [or "honored"]

names." In other words: according to Saadia's thinking, the names of the

festivals are not themselves at all holy, rather, they are appellations that

mark the uniqueness of the various holidays. The very fact that each festival

is given its own special name honors them.

A single example of how mikra kodesh

is translated. In the verse, On the first day, there

shall be a holy occasion for you; you shall not perform any work of labor (23:7), the Aramaic

translations us m'ara kadish, while Saadia renders it ism mukadas

– a sanctified name.

All of the examples I have dealt with (save

one) come from the parshiyot Kedoshim and Emor. A comprehensive and systematic

study would have to be made of Saadia's entire project of translation in order

to reach general conclusions regarding his approach. Nevertheless, something

can be said – cautiously – on the basis of the few examples cited above. Saadia

usually takes a consistent stand in his translations. The examples examined above

show that he is careful to attribute intrinsic holiness to God and to God

alone. Human beings are called upon to sanctify themselves but they lack any

holiness of their own. Intrinsic holiness is most certainly not to be

attributed to particular objects or times, for that would be blatantly

idolatrous.

Saadia's view of holiness was not accepted by

most of the Sages of later generations, and certainly not by the kabbalists and

their followers. It seems that in our day people use the expressions mekomot

kedoshim – "holy places" and ish kadosh – "holy

man" – without giving thought to the theological implications of

attributing holiness to particular persons, objects, or places. Saadia's

position on this issue presents a philosophical challenge worthy of being

reckoned with regardless of one's politics.

Prof. Nahem Ilan teaches in the MA in

Jewish Studies program at Lander Institute in Jerusalem (affiliated with Touro

College).

They shall not make bald patches on their

in their flesh. They shall be holy

to their God, and they shall not desecrate their God's Name.

 (Vayikra 21:5-6)

"And live by them – but not to die by them"

But if kirha [making bald patches] – like serita [making

cuts] – is performed as tribute to the god of death who overpowers everything,

then we can understand why these prohibitions were to be repeated just for the

priests…

Antique and modern heathenism like so very much to associate religion

and religious matters with death and thoughts of death. For them death and

dying are the real manifestations of their godhead, who to them is a god of

death and not of life. A god who kills and does not animate, and sends death

and its fore-runners, illness and wretchedness, so that men should fear him,

realize his power and their impotence. The places which they dedicate to

temples are therefore round about graves; the foremost place of their priest is

therefore at the dead and dying. There, where the light is fading from the eye,

and hearts are broken, is the most fruitful field for their religious sowing.

Not so is the Jewish priest because not so is the Jewish teaching of God,

the Jewish religion. The God, Whose Name assigns the Jewish priest to his

office is a God of life. His most sublime manifestation is the elevating power

of life; freeing, animating, raising man to free will and to eternal life, not

the crushing power of death. Not how one is to die, but how one is to live. How,

living, one has victoriously to conquer death; death in life, thralldom,

enslaved by one's physical urges, moral weakness, how one has to live every

second of a morally free, thinking, desiring, working and accomplishing life,

and also all the pleasures of life as a moment of service to God, that is the

teaching to which God has dedicated His Sanctuary, and for the service of which

he has consecrated the priests to care for the "basis of life and

direction thereof" amongst the people.

And hence it says regarding Jewish priests: They

shall not make bald patches on their heads, etc. they are not to go

about with a symbol of death on themselves. By their outward appearance it is

the force of life and not the power of death that they have to preach.

(Rabbi S.R. Hirsch Vayikra

21:5, based on Levi translation)

As the Sojourner, So

Shall The Native Be

For I the Lord am

your God. – Lord of both the stranger and the citizen, no preferential

treatment of the affluent over the indigent.

(Seforno, Vayikra 24:22)

As the sojourner,

so shall the native be – The alien who comes from a foreign land and

who is separated from his land is termed a ger,

related to the word gargir – a berry –

which is separated from the tree. One whose ancestors are from the same city is

called an ezrah – as in (Psalms 37:35) Well-rooted like a robust

native tree (ezrah = native tree)

resembling a plant planted year ago. Thus the Torah is saying that justice

should be equal for all.

For I the Lord am

your God. If you do indeed render justice equally, then – I the Lord

am your God. From the positive we infer the negative, for whoever does not

apply the same standard in justice discards His divinity and denies the basic

principle. It is well-known that all beliefs and laws of the nations are

commentary on the Torah, and the rules of the Torah are basic principles of

Torah. Ignoring them is a desecration of His Name. Whoever has it in his power

to protest, but does not, desecrates the Name and exhibits respect for

idolaters, and demeans the Instruction of Moses, and causes the loss of Jewish

money. For the entire world is dependent upon laws.

(Rabeinu Behayey,

Vayikra 24:22)

All Torah that is

without Labor…: Rabbis Yishmael and Shimon bar Yohai

The Rabbis taught: And

you shall gather in your new grain (Devarim

11: 14) – what does this teach us?

Since it is said, Let

not this book of Torah cease from your lips (Joshua

1:8) – [one might wonder] should this be taken literally?

"We learn from the

verse And you shall gather in your new grain – act in accordance with

the custom of the land [i.e., work for a living]"; these are the words of

Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai

says: "Can a man plow in the season of plowing, sew seeds in the season

for sowing, harvest in the harvest season, thresh in the threshing season,

winnow when it is windy – what shall become of the Torah? Rather, when Israel

does God's will their work is performed by others, for it is said, Strangers

shall stand and pasture your flocks (Isaiah

61:5). But when Israel does not perform God's will, they have to do

their own work for themselves, for it is said, and you shall gather in your

new grain. Not only that, but they have to do the work of others, for it is

said, and you shall serve your enemies (Devarim

28:48)." Abbayeiy said: "Many did as Rabbi Yishmael [said] –

and succeeded, as Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai [said] – and they did not

succeed."

(Berakhot 35b)

On Delusions and

False Messiahs

[After] Bar Koziba (Bar Kokhba) reigned for

two and a half years, he said to the Rabbis: "I am the Messiah."

They told him: "It

is written that the Messiah will be able to pass judgment by sense of smell,

let us see if he can pass judgment by sense of smell." When they saw that

he could not pass judgment by sense of smell – they [the Romans] killed him.

(Sanhedrin 93b)

A kokhav [star]

rises from Jacob (Bamidbar 23:17) –

do not say kokhav, say kozev [disappointer].

When Rabbi Akiva saw

Bar Koziva (Bar Kokhba), he said: "That is King Messiah."

Rabbi Yohanan ben Torata

said to him: "Akiva! Grass will be growing from your cheeks and he will

have yet to arrive."

(Eikhah Rabbah 2)

Do not think that King

Messiah will have to perform signs and wonders, bring anything new into being,

revive the dead, or do similar things. It is not so. Rabbi Akiva was a great

sage, a teacher of the Mishnah, yet he was also the armor-bearer of Ben Kozba.

He affirmed that the latter was King Messiah; he and all the wise men of his

generation shared this belief until Ben Koziba was slain in [his] iniquity,

when it became known that he was not (the Messiah). Yet the rabbis had not

asked him for a sign or token. The general principle is: this Law of ours with

its statutes and ordinances (is not subject to change). It is forever and all

eternity; it is not to be added to or to be taken away from.

(RaMBaM Hilkhot Melakhim

11:3, English from pg. 223 of Twersky's A Maimonides Reader)

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