THEY ARE NOT TO MAKE A BALD SPOT ON THEIR HEAD, THE EDGE OF THEIR BEARD THEY ARE NOT TO SHAVE OFF, IN THEIR FLESH THEY ARE NOT TO INCISE AN INCISION. HOLY ARE THEY TO BE TO THEIR GOD.

                                                                                                            (Bemidbar 21:5-6)

           

"YOU SHALL LIVE BY THEM - AND NOT DIE BY THEM"

Shaving smooth and gashing are signs of submission; they are offered up to the god of death, whose power fills the world. This enables us to understand why these prohibitions were taught especially to the priests... ancient and modern idolatry customarily associate religion with death. Only with the death of man does the kingdom of the god flourish; dying and death are the main revelation of the divinity; the lord is for them the god of death and not the god of life; he takes life but does not give life; he sends death and its messengers - sickness and poverty - so that man fear him, that he remember the power of the god and the helplessness of the man. Therefore their temples stand alongside graves, and the first place of their priest is near the corpse; in that place where the eye is dimmed and heart broken, they find the proper soil to sow religion. He who carries on his flesh the sign of death, the symbol of the power of death which overcomes all - thus keeping us constantly aware of death - is performing clearly a religious act... not like these are the priests of Israel. Not so is the Torah of the God of Israel. Not so is the religion of Israel. The Lord, who teaches the priest his status is Israel, is the God of Life; his most exalted revelation is not through the power of death, which ruptures courage and life; He reveals himself in the power of life which liberates and vitalizes, which lifts man to desire freedom and to live the life of eternity. He does not teach man how to die, but how to live; He teaches him how to conquer death while still alive, how he will overcome the lack of freedom, the physical subjugation and the sensual weakness; how he will live every moment of moral freedom, a life of thought and will, creativity and action and also of pleasure; this is the Torah, and God sanctified His Temple for its dwelling therefore is it said especially to the priests: "They shall not shave smooth any part of their heads... let them not carry with them the symbol of death; in their appearance let them preach the power of life, not the power of death.

(Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, Vayikra 21:5)

 

 

SIX MONTHS WITH OIL OF MYRRH

AND SIX MONTHS WITH PERFUMES

Shalom Bachbut

 

Most of Parashat Emor is devoted to a list of holydays and their descriptions. In the framework of this short article, I shall attempt to shed light on the calendar as described in this parasha and various other sources which deal with the holy appointed times, both in the Written and the Oral Law. If we succeed in fitting all the holydays into a logical, orderly table, then perhaps we shall be able to understand what are those concepts which the Torah wishes to instill in Jewish consciousness, and how they are integrated into the total framework. We shall also be able to reach important conclusions as to how education towards observance of holidays and days of remembrance reveals the Torah's goals, and we may reveal their ramifications for modern times.

First of all, it should be noted that the sanctification of time plays a central role in Judaism, because one of the primary goals to which the Torah wishes to lead us is the sanctification of every minute of one's life, both in daily behavior and in the actions which are once-in-a lifetime or which are repeated yearly. The counting of days and the measuring of time - including the determination of certain appointed days in order to highlight events or concepts which are the Torah's educational goals - are an essential educational device enabling every Jew to realize the desired goals.

Secondly, the use of certain numbers and the division of the year and time according to certain rhythms, call our attention to the relations between festival and festival. In addition to the number seven, which symbolizes the supernatural which streams into the natural world, it should be noted that the number 3 and its multiples (6, 12) are repeated in different contexts. For example, in the Bereishit narrative, only the sixth day is preceded by the definite article "heh" (Yom hashishi); there are 12 months in the year; the length of each season is three months; even the period of six months - as mentioned in our title - receives special significance, for it marks half a year. Actually, the division of time according to this numerical system, which we employ for determination of hours of the day, etc, is the most "natural rhythm" for measuring time, and therefore it is important to investigate how the festivals fit in.

If, to the dates in Parashat Emor, we add those from Parashat Bo and Parashat Pinhas, employing the derashot of Chazal, we can fill in the two following charts.

First Semester - Six Months with Oil of Myrrh - The National Experience in Israel

The First Month

1.      Rosh Chodesh, the New Moon - the day of Israel's creation - the beginning of Israel's history as a separate nation.

10. "The tenth day of the month" - the day of the selection of the lamb - preparation for receiving freedom by the offering of the Paschal sacrifice -the people's attainment of self as distinct from other peoples.

15. The fifteenth - Pesach, Festival of Matzoth, season of our freedom.

16. The beginning of the counting of the Omer, approaching the receiving of the Torah on the Shavuoth festival.

The third month

(After 49 days)

The festival of Shavuoth - the giving of the Torah

 

Second Semester - Six Months with Perfumes - The Universal Experience in Israel

The Seventh Month

1.      Rosh Hashana, the New Year, Remembrance Day of Man's creation.

10. Yom Hakkipurin, Day of Atonement - Cleansing of Man and the Mikdash in preparation for ushering in the festival of joy.

15. The Sukkot Festival - the Harvest Festival - the season of our joy.

16. Termination of the counting of the fifty days in preparation for ushering in Shemini Atseret and Simchat Torah (Yalkut Shimoni 29: You find that just as the Assembly Day of Pesach is 50 days later, this too should have been 50 days later. Why then was it scheduled immediately following the Sukkot festival? Said Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: To what may this be compared? To a king who had many sons, some who were administrators in distant places, some nearby. When they were needed, when the nearby sons served, they would come to him and when they would request to return they would depart and he would release them. Why? Because the distance was short, and anytime they were requested they could come. But when those who administered in distant regions would come, when they asked to depart, he would hold them for another day. So, Pesach is in the summer, they go up for the Assembly festival to Yerushalayim after 50 days, but now, after Sukkot, come days of rain, and travel is burdensome, therefore The Holy One, Blessed Be He, said: If they are already here - let them celebrate the Assembly, thus "On the eighth day an assembly" (Bemidbar 29:35)).

22. Shmini Atseret and Simchat Torah - The period of counting is nullified, and the festival is made adjacent to Sukkot. Chazal explain the Shmini Atseret was moved up so that it not fall during the rainy season when pilgrimage would be difficult.

 

There are two aspects to all of Israel's festivals: the national and the universal. In the first semester one sees a concentration of the festivals in which the national flavor is accented relative to the universal, whereas in the second semester the universal aspect receives emphasis (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are not directly bound up with the history of the nation of Israel; repentance and atonement are applicable to every man; Sukkot, which, according to the prophet Zachariya, will be celebrated in the end of days in Yerushalayim also by the nations; the offering of 70 bulls on behalf of the 70 nations of the world).

The general purpose of all the festivals (which are "in remembrance of the exodus from Egypt") is to create the conditions for man's liberation from the various form of subjugation which confine him, so that he be able to accept "the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven" and change from "a servant of servants" into "a servant of God": Liberation of man from physical subjugation on Pesach, liberation from spiritual bondage (idolatry) on Shavuoth, and deliverance from economic servitude on the Harvest festival. Only one who has passed through all these stages can be truly a free man. If, however, on the one hand we can say "If there is no flour there is no Torah", on the other hand we must also say the converse: "If there is no Torah there can be no flour" - we must return and focus upon Israel's national uniqueness, the Torah.

Our Sages explained the distinctiveness of Shmini Atseret, the last day of all the festivals:

Said Rabbi Alexandroni: (Similar to) a king who had a celebration, all the seven days of feasting his son was occupied with the guests, when the seven days were over said the king to his son, my son, I know that throughout the seven days of feasting you were busy with the guest, now I and you shall rejoice one day, and I do not wish to overly inconvenience you, just one chicken and one liter of wine. So throughout the seven days of feasting, Israel are busy with the offerings of the nations of the world, as Rabbi Pinhas said: All those 70 bulls which were offered on the festival, were offered on behalf of the 70 nations... and when the seven days of festival ended, said The Holy One, Blessed Be He, to Israel: My sons, I know that all seven days of the festival you were busy with the offerings of the nations - now I and you will celebrate together and I will not overly inconvenience you, only one bull and one ram, and when Israel heard this, they began to praise The Holy One, Blessed Be He, saying: This is the day which God has proclaimed, let us rejoice and celebrate on it. (Psalms 418) (Pesikta of Rav Kahana, Parasha 28).

A number of remarks on the above midrash:

One.         Even though Shmini Atseret is considered to be a festival in its own right, because of it's adjacency to Sukkot, the number of pilgrim festivals decreases from four to three.

Two.        Moving up the day of Shmini Atseret from the ninth month to the seventh (as explained in Yalkut Shimoni) turns the seventh month is a kind of "month which is all Shabbat" among the other months of the year. Actually, Shabbat, which opens the parasha of festivals, provides man with the tools for liberating himself from the three above-mentioned forms of subjugation, the body-soul subjugation ("You shall do no labor"), the spiritual servitude (by occupation with Torah and prayer, etc) and the economic bondage (the special Shabbat meals). The seventh month strengthens and assists man in this process of liberation.

Nationalism and universalism are interwoven in the Torah; one cannot experience "true" universalism without first going through the stage of nationalism. There are Jews today who think they can forgo the "Torah of Israel", accepting only the "Torah of Humanity", as if it contradicted the former; on the other hand, there does exist today an opposite tendency of turning inward, without fully living the mission given the Jewish people and it's consequent responsibilities. The festival of Shmini Atseret-Simchat Torah embodies the singularity of the Jewish people as a nation able to live universal and national lives at the same time, without any inner conflict between the two planes. If we interpret the passage quoted in the title of this article as relating to life in its totality, we can reach the following conclusions: National life is nourished and fortified by use of the "oil of myrrh", whereas the universal life is nourished - or, more accurately - "is perfumed" by "the perfumes". The oil of myrrh strengthens the body and protects the skin, whereas the fragrant perfume provides the spiritual vitality which is to emanate from Israel to the nations. Full Jewish life cannot exist without experiencing the universal aspect of Torah. Jewish universalism does not negate the right of the other to live according to his unique culture; the Jewish people never sought to convert other nations.

This message is especially important for our times: The monotheistic religions which, in some degree, branched out from Judaism, did not forgo the plan for "globalization"; Christianity by preaching the "good tidings" to all the nations, Islam by extremist Jihad or the more moderate version, the Dowa, preaching in paths of pleasantness. No so with Judaism, which recognizes the universal mitzvoth given the sons of Noah as a legitimate way to serve the Lord, which is prepared to receive the alien with love, but does not seek to convert him. Every nation has the right to live its independent cultural and religious life, according to words of the prophets: "House of Yaakov! Come, let us walk by the light of the Lord... Though all the peoples walk Each in the names of its gods, We will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever."

Rabbi Dr. Shalom Bachbut, vice president of the Council of Rabbis of Italy, teaches physics in the Medical Faculty of the University of Rome and is currently studying in the "Amitey Yerushalayim" program

 

 

THE TORAH ESPOUSES EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW

"You shall have one standard for stranger and citizen alike; for I the Lord am your God."

 (Vayikra 24:22)

 

"I am the Lord your God": the God of all of you; just as I am your God, I am the God of aliens.

 (Rashi, ibid., ibid.)

 

"For alien and citizen alike, for I the Lord am your God": The God of the alien and the God of the citizen, and will not favor the rich over the poor.

(Sforno, ibid., ibid.)

 

"For stranger and citizen alike": The stranger who comes from a different land is called a ger - related to the word gargir (seed, speck) separated from the tree, and one whose parents come from the same city is called an ezrach [citizen] as with (Psalms 37) "Well-rooted like a robust native tree" ['native tree' - ezrach raanan], analogous to a tree planted from days of old, and therefore he said that this law will be equal for all.

(Rabeinu Bahayey, ibid., ibid.)

 

FROM PIRKE AVOT, CHAPTER 4

Whoever desires to be a hassid... let him observe that which is written in Pirke Avot"

(Bava Kamma 30a).

 

Shmuel HaKattan [the Lesser] said: If your enemy falls, do not exult; If he trips let your heart not rejoice, lest the Lord see it and be displeased and avert His wrath from him.

 (Proverbs 24:16-18)

 

Said Rabban Gamliel to the sages: Is there anyone who knows how to formulate the prayer against the heretics? Shmuel HaKattan composed it. At a later date, he forgot it.

 (Bavli, Berachot 28b)

 

Whom did Rabban Gamliel ask [to compose the prayer against the heretics]? What did he ask of the man whose mind uplifted him to come and coin this prayer?...

The man whom Rabban Gamliel appointed to formulate the prayer against the heretics was totally devoted to hessed - to kindness and benevolence. Hessed flowed from him with force and courage. If the unfortunate events of the period caused the Sages of Israel to deviate from the line of mercy and love for all, and to stand up with bravery and amazing mettle against an inflexible and corrupt movement which perverted the face and the nation and the faith, the permission to attack was given only to a man whose soul drew from roots of heavenly kindness and not from the sources of power. Only this man, whose entire soul and might were planted by the streams of giving and of mercy, in whose soul welled up the fountain of hessed, only he was authorized to compose the prayer against the heretics and to ask of his Father in Heaven the eradication of evil and the destruction of the evildoers. They searched and found Shmuel HaKattan, whose life's goal was expressed in the aphorism from the book of wisdom "If your enemy falls, do not exult: If your enemy falls, do not exult." Shmuel, the righteous and the humble, the meek and the unobtrusive, who had never tasted the taste of hate, who never longed for measure-for-measure retribution, who never complained about another nor bewailed insult and injustice caused him, he was chosen for this assignment which was essential for the generation.

(From: Rabbi Y. B. Soloveitchik: B'sod HaYachid v'HaYachad - The Remnant of Their Scholars, edited by Rabbi Dr. Pinhas Peli)

 

 

 

 

Editorial Board: Pinchas Leiser (Editor), Miriam Fine (Coordinator), Itzhak Frankenthal and Dr. Menachem Klein

Translation: Kadish Goldberg

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