MARK, ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH, WHEN YOU HAVE GATHERED IN THE YIELD OF YOUR LAND, YOU SHALL OBSERVE THE FESTIVAL OF THE LORD SEVEN DAYS: A COMPLETE REST ON THE FIRST DAY, AND A COMPLETE REST ON THE EIGHTH DAY. ON THE FIRST DAY YOU SHALL TAKE THE PRODUCT OF THE HADAR TREES, BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, BOUGHS OF LEAFY TREES, AND WILLOWS OF THE BROOK, AND YOU SHALL REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD SEVEN DAYS.
(Vayikra
23:39)
On
Rejoicing - When, How Much, and How?
... All seven days of the festival, we recite the [full] Hallel,
but on Pesach we recite the [full] Hallel only on the first day and its
preceding evening. Why? Because "If your enemy falls, do not exult; If
he trips, let your heart not rejoice." With regard to Shavuot, simcha
- joy - is mentioned only once, as is written, "And you shall
observe the Festival of Weeks for the Lord, your God, and you shall rejoice,
you and your household." Why is joy mentioned? [Because] the wheat has
been harvested. Why is it not mentioned twice? Because the fate of the fruits
of the tree is still being decided. But on Rosh Hashana, joy is not mentioned
even once, because souls are being judged, and man pleads for his soul more
than for his wealth. But on the festival [Sukkot], because all souls were
pardoned on Yom Kippur, as is written, "For on this day, atonement
shall be made for you", and the grains and the fruits of the tree have
been gathered, joy is mentioned three times, "You shall rejoice in your
festival", "You shall rejoice before the Lord your God", "You
shall have nothing but joy".
What is "nothing but joy"? Even though man may rejoice
in this world, his joy is incomplete. How is that? Children are born to him -
he worries lest they not survive. But in the future, The Holy One, Blessed Be
He, will abolish death forever. That joy will be complete, as is written "Our
mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with ringing song."
(Yalkut Shimoni, Torah,
Parashat Emor, 247 654)
"Deceit is in the minds of those who plot evil; for those who
plan good there is joy."
(Proverbs 12:20)
Said Rabbi Hamma bar Hanina: Whoever talks with his friend and eats and
drinks with him, and speaks badly of him, The Holy One, Blessed Be He, calls
him bad, as is written,, "Deceit in the heart of those who plot bad",
but if he speaks well of him, The Holy One, Blessed Be He, calls him Shalom,
as is written,, "for those who plan peace, there is joy."
(Yalkut Shimoni, Proverbs, 247, 949)
Spread over us your shelter of
peace,
A sukka of mercy, life, and peace
ON EXPULSION, ON EXILE, AND ON YEARNING
Yossi Penini
On Expulsion
There is good reason for Gan Eden being the desired
destination of the living as death approaches. The Gates of Gan Eden have been
locked, at the entrance is positioned the two-edged sword, which prevents all
possibility of renewed entry. The Biblical story establishes the experience in
Gan Eden and the expulsion therefrom as a basic experience assigned all
mortals. We carry in our hearts the memory of the garden and the pain of
parting from it.
The story of man's history is the story of the
expelled.
The story of Creation, which opens the Bible, shows
us the establishment of an ideal world.
Man is the crown of creation, and the purpose of his creation is to supervise
the garden [the world], that it not be ruined. Man fails to fulfill the task
for which he was placed in the garden - and perhaps for which he was created -
and he sins. The depth of the sin can be determined by its punishment; man is
expelled from the Garden.
Just as man seeks to complete in his death, in his
eternal sleep, all that he cannot repair in his lifetime, so with all the
dreams; man dreams about returning to the place from which he began the human
journey. But the expulsion is final; there is no repair.
On
Exile
Exile is different from expulsion. Expulsion is
final, there is "no return". Exile is the act of uprooting a person
from his place, with the option for return remaining open.
The experience of exile is one of the experiences
which forms the depths of Jewish identity.
Paralleling the expulsion from Eden narrative, the
Bible is replete with warnings about exile, the stringent punishment awaiting
the Israelite nation should it not observe the ways of life with which they are
commanded. Thus also do the prophets, at a later stage of Israel's history,
justify the fall of the Jewish kingdom and its exile to Babylon. This is also
the rationale offered by Chazal as they wrestle with the question: Why was the
land laid waste and why did its children go on a journey of exile?
As We Are Celebrating Sukkot, Let Us Clarify the Place of the Galut Experience, As Expressed In This Festival
The Midrash reads: "Said Rabbi Elazar bar
Maryom: Why do we erect a sukka after Yom Kippur? To teach us the
following: On Rosh Hashana, The Holy One, Blessed Be He, sits in judgement on
all mankind; on Yom Kippur He seals the verdict. Perhaps the verdict for Israel
will dictate going into exile? Therefore, we make a sukka, and go into
exile from the house to the sukka, and The Holy One, Blessed Be He,
reckons it as if though we had gone into exile in Babylon, as is written, (Micha 4:10) "Writhe and scream, Fair Zion, like a woman
in travail! For now you must leave the city and dwell in the country - and you
will reach Babylon. There you shall be saved, there the Lord will redeem you
from the hands of your foes." (Pesikta d' Rav Kahanah, Pesikta Aharita d'Sukkot/ ed.
Mandelbaum 8-457)
Two subjects provide background for this midrash.
One is the way we look at the Hebrew calendar, and the Biblical festivals in
particular.
There is significant thematic connection between
adjacent festivals. The connection between Pesach and Shavuot is obvious - seven weeks are counted between one
and the other, and the fiftieth day is a festival. Rosh Hashana and Yom
Kippur, about which the Bible has little to
tell us in terms of essence and content, are shaped by Chazal as days of
repentance and forgiveness, with the Ten Days of Repentance serving as a
thematic framework. In the light of the above, the juxtaposition of Yom
Kippur to Sukkot demands clarification. In
view of the Torah's reason for the Sukkot Festival (Vayikra 23:43) "I made the Israelite people live in
booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt" - it would seemed more fitting to place Sukkot next to
Pesach which marks the exodus from Egypt.
A homiletic exposition provides an interesting
answer: the going out to the sukka has a symbolic element of going into
exile, of man's being uprooted from his permanent abode to dwell in a temporary
place. This connection is not accidental. Yom Kippur is the climax of the
personal and collective effort at repentance. The fact that there is no divine
sign that repentance was complete demands a reaction. The going out to
the sukka is like going into exile.
Exile is bi-faceted. One aspect - it is an act of
punishment for acts and failures; on the other hand, galut has a
rehabilitative function: "There you will be saved... " "There He will deliver you..."
Simulation of the exile experience by means of the sukka
finds expression also in the prayer "Yehi ratzon" - ("May
it be Your will") which is recited when entering the sukka [a
supplication which probably originated among the Kabbalists) which reads: "...
In the merit of my leaving my house and going outside, may it be reckoned as
though I wandered far away..."
The proximity of Sukkot to Yom Kippur contains a tragic element. There is good reason for the Yom Kippur prayers ending with "The coming year in Yerushalayim." This statement expresses deep disappointment, as though saying: Here we stand following a concentrated spiritual effort which began with Rosh Hodesh Elul, which includes days of Selichot followed by the days of Rosh Hashana, the Ten Days of Repentance and their Yom Kippur climax, until their peak in the Ne'ila service. The entire period is deeply suffused with thought and deeds of teshuva. Chazal taught that "Whoever [did not experience] the rebuilding of the Temple in his times - it is as though as if it was destroyed in his times." And since no sign came down from heaven and no temple of fire descended, it is a sign for us that our acts of tikkun and labors of teshuva have not been completed. Therefore we say "The next year . ." Since in this year we did not succeed, and our mission remains unaccomplished, may it be successful in the coming year... and this being the case, we must again go out to exile. On the conclusion of Yom Kippur we immediately begin to erect our sukka....
It seems that, in contrast to expulsion, which takes place on an individual basis, exile, even though its hurting may be personal, its circumstances are collective. The grounds for exile is the averaging of the sum of the collective's actions. This is also true for termination of exile. Thus the exiles - willingly and unwillingly, to their benefit and not to their benefit - are responsible for each other.
Rabbi Tzadok of Lublin, from whose waters we drink, in his Sukkot sermon (Pri Tzadik, Sukkot 8) expanded upon the rehabilitative element of the exile. He claimed that it is not accidental that the Vision of the Chariot seen by Ezekiel took place on the Chebar Canal in Babylon. It is not by chance that the main Jewish creation, from the Babylonian Talmud on, is a "galut creation". It is the summation of the Jewish cultural effort to achieve tikkun in its galut dwelling.
Galut is "the collective Archimedean experience" which is the distillation of the powers found in the "external" and which are destined to build the "internal".
Rav Tzadok relates his thought to his own generation and to the existential experience of his followers:
"This passage ["and you shall
come to Babylon... " quoted in his opening midrash], if it applies solely
to the Babylonian exile which followed the destruction of the first Temple -
then the time of remembering was completed after seventy years, and from then
on the mitzva of going up [to Eretz Yisrael] is in effect... But
certainly the term "Babylon" is a term denoting all the exiles,
because it was the first exile, and subsequently in this current galut,
too, the command "there shall they remain until I take note of them"
is relevant, and similarly, in all types of galut, we are to bring
the geula closer internally, in the souls of all Israel, as is written "There
will you be saved and there God will deliver you from the hand of your
enemies."
Elie Wiesel appends the following parable to his book "The Town Beyond the Wall":
"The aggada tells how one day, Man said to God:
"Come, let us change roles. You will be Man and I will be a god. Just for a second."
God gently chuckled and asked:
"Are you not afraid?"
"No. And you?"
"I am afraid," said God.
Even so, God granted Man's request, and became Man.
The other ascended the throne of glory, and immediately exploited his power: He refused to return to his previous condition.
From then on neither were as they seemed.
Years passed, centuries, perhaps eternities.
Suddenly the drama unfolded. For one, the present became an unbearably heavy load. For the other - it was the past.
Since the release of one depended upon the release of the other, they renewed the dialogue, the echoes of which reach our ear at night. Laden with hate, regret, and mainly with longing without end."
The aggada speaks about "Man" - every man.
And God?? Exiled? Or Expelled?
"Hafooch al hafooch" - a double reverse.
Perhaps this is the reality of our life - the expelled and the exiled become the expellers and the exilers.
Will years... perhaps centuries... perhaps eternities, have to pass before the dialogue is reestablished? Even though its beginning will be laden with hatred and regret, perhaps there will be aroused longing for other days.
Perhaps only then will the exile of the exilers come to its end.
*These words were written in blessed
memory of my father-in-law, Yitzchak (Sabba Itche) Gruenwald, z"l, who, in
his journey through life, was one who was expelled, exiled, and who yearned.
Yossi Penini is Chairman of "Meitarim"
- Network for Jewish-Democratic Education
Upon the publication and distribution of the pamphlet "The Temple Mount - Compromise in the Eye of the Storm", edited by Dr. Menachem Klein, published by "Ir Shalem-Yerushalyim".
This pamphlet which we received a few days ago is in the category of "a small vessel which contains a lot" - it is only 50 pages long, but it presents the reader with a rich variety of approaches which should arouse constructive dialogue in Jewish Israeli society regarding the issue of the Temple Mount, which is, in many respects, "a burning issue".
Our member, Dr. Klein, who edited the pamphlet, writes in his preface:
"There is no unanimity among the writers, except on one point: The desired reality of a peace agreement far from the current situation. >From this point, the writers open for discussion a list of complex questions, such as: Who is worthy of conducting the negotiations over the Temple Mount - the neutral/liberal secularist, or the religious Jew with his sensitivity and ties to the holy site? Can the religious person compromise on a holy site stamped with the seal of the absolute and the super-human? Is not compromise the art of earthly, secular politics? And perhaps the opposite is true?"
In addition to this description all the writers in the volume - mostly observant Jews - deal with the complexity of the problem, each according to his world view.
The two opening articles were written by the Rishon L'Zion, Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Shlita. The first article - published at the approach of Ramadan on 26 Kislev, 5760 - is a call to all religious leaders who believe in peace to make every effort to advance peace. The rabbi writes:
"We must strive to guarantee that all political controversies between us be be settled by honest negotiation, with understanding and mutual respect, justice and equality, and recognition of the need to protect the rights of every person and people... efforts should be made that sites holy and dear to Muslims, Christians and Jews not cause arguments and conflict, and not be exploited as ammunition in the hands of those who fight peace. We must preserve the existing situation and respect the holiness of the Temple Mount, which is also known as the area of the El Aksa Mosque. We must beware any change in the present status, lest the place be desecrated and lest there result bloodshed, which is opposed by every faith and every civilized society."
The second article, written in the name of the Chief Rabbinate at the approach of Tisha B'Av 5761, is directed to the rabbis of Israel:
"... Of course it is important to clarify that our belief is: That the Creator of the Universe, Master of all the world, promised to bring geula to the world, and He will send his annointed one, the righteous messiah, who will make peace between the nations, in realization of "Nation will not raise sword against nation, and they shall no more learn war". Only He will reveal to us how to return to our original service through the building of the Bet Hamikdash. We believe that the third Bet Hamikdash will be built by The Holy One, Blessed Be He, Himself, as is written, "The sanctuary, O Lord, which thou hast established" - ‘the future Mikdash which we hope for will be revealed fully constructed and perfected, and will descend from heaven' (Rashi, Sotah 41a)"
It is important that these words of the Chief Rabbi be widely disseminated, and that his voice, a balanced Torah voice which sanctifies the Name of Heaven, reach a large public.
In addition to the above, the pamphlet contains interesting articles about the archaeological aspects of the Mount (Magen Broshi), about its symbolic importance (Menachem Klein). Prof. Shalom Rosenberg suggests a covenant between believers based on division of sovereignty of the Mount, whereas Rabbi Shmuel Reiner, Prof. Moshe Halbertal, Gershon Gorenberg, Elchanan Reiner, and Rabbi Menachem Fruhman see a contradiction between the sanctity of the Mount and the concept of sovereignty. Additional contributions are by Aviad Kleinberg (The Temple Mount Is In Our Hands), Aharon Kleinman (Special Rule for Yerushalayim), and Menachem Klein (The Rationale for Mishkan and Sacrifices).
Most of the articles have already seen print in other publications, two of them in "Shabbat Shalom" (Dr. Elchanan Reiner and Dr. Menachem Klein).
Considerations of space do not permit us to sum up the wealth of material in this pamphlet, but I hope that we have transmitted the feeling that we have here a courageous and serious attempt to cope with a complex issue in a spirit of respect and appreciation for servants of the Almighty.
Rashi (Devarim 11:18), in the steps of Chazal, explains the words "And you shall place My words" - "Even in exile, be distinguished by the mitzvot - apply tephillin, make mezuzot (a variant text reads: Give terumot and set aside maaserot) so that that these will not be new to you when you return. And thus the prophet says (Jeremiah 31:21) "Erect markers, set up signposts".
To our sorrow, at this time there is no practical application for the various suggestions offered in the pamphlet; but every attempt at thought which may some day serve as a basis for solution is to be applauded. The pamphlet can be ordered from:
Amutat Ir Shalem-Yerushalayim
P.O. Box 8159,
Yerushalayim 91081
Editorial Board: Pinchas
Leiser (Editor), Miriam Fine (Coordinator), Itzhak Frankenthal and Dr. Menachem
Klein
Translation: Kadish
Goldberg
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