The "Holy Dozen" - Course #4

Introduction | Course #1 | Course #2 | Course #3

The Wages of Sin and Disunity
Hoshea 4:4-Hoshea 4:19 (end of chapter)

Soon after the split of the Children of Israel into two Kingdoms: the Kingdom of Israel (also known as the Kingdom of Ephraim) and the Kingdom of Yehudah, in the time of Rechavam ben Shlomo, Yeravam ben Nevat, the first King of Malchut Ephrayim erected two statues of Calves in his Kingdom. This was an obviously provocative reminder of one of the greatest sins of Israel when they were in the desert; namely, their worship of the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai soon after they had received the Torah.

When he took the further step of forbidding his populace to go up to Yerushalayim, in the Kingdom of Yehudah, on Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, he set into motion a process that led to continuing disunity among the People of Israel, because he deprived his own People of their spiritual center, and he denied the residents of the Kingdom of Yehudah of the close camaraderie of their brother Tribes. This disunity contributed to the drifting of both Kingdoms away from HaShem and away from each other, and led to the eventual destruction and exile of both Kingdoms.  

The Kingdom of Yehudah would ultimately be gathered in and redeemed at the time of the Mashiach, but the fate of the Ten Tribes of the Kingdom of Israel would remain in doubt until the end. According to one opinion, that of Rabbi Akiva, the Ten Tribes would not return; according to Rabbi Eliezer, they will be part of the National Rebuilding.

RASHI explains that Hoshea is directing this criticism at the residents of the Kingdom of Israel , "You warn true Prophets not to prophecy to your communities and not to give you reproof. As we find in Amos (7:16), Amaziah, Priest of Beit E-l, tells Amos, another prophet of the 'Trei Asar,' 'Do not prophecy in the Kingdom of Israel and do not preach to the House of Yischak' "(sic), where we find the name of Yitzchak Avinu purposely misspelled by the Prophet, perhaps because the altered spelling and pronunciation used by the representative of the seceding Kingdom of Israel is yet another break with Jewish tradition, regarding the spelling of the name of one of the Patriarchs. And this particular misspelling has the specific connotation (via the related word "sechok"), of light-headed laughter and immorality. As Rabbi Akiva says in Pirkei Avot 3:17, "Laughter (Sechok), and light-headedness make a person accustomed to sexual immorality."

"This warning by Amaziah to Amos was given during the reign of Yeravam ben Yoash, a King of Israel during whose reign Hoshea also prophesied."

RASHI quotes Targum Yonatan, who changes the focus of the conflict from the Prophets to the Priests, "…and your People argues with its teachers, because the 'Kohanim,' the Priests, were also to be the teachers, as the Torah says, 'They shall teach your laws to Jacob' " (Devarim 33:10).

RADAK, like the Targum, also understands the reference of the "Passuk" to be to the Priests, as would at first glance seem to be supported by the language of the text, which makes specific reference to the "Priest," "Your People are like those who fought with the Priest," for which the RADAK offers three explanations:

"…and nowadays the People are fighting with the "Kohanim," the Priests, behaving as 'a generation that (unjustly) judges its judges' "

"…the Priests are just as corrupt as the masses, and when the Priests offer reproof, the People reprove them as well."

"… just like the 'mob,' or 'assembly,' of Korach, who protested the allocation of the Priesthood to Aharon (Bamidbar 16:1-18:7)."

RASHI quotes Targum Yonatan, "You will stumble in the day and false prophets who are with you will stumble as if it were night, thereby putting to shame the whole nation (represented by the mother)."

Rabbi Yosef Kara (a biblical commentator, contemporary with RASHI and not to be confused with Rabbi Yosef Karo, compiler of the Shulchan Aruch), explains that you will be cast into Exile, such that the nation, also working with the idea that "mother" symbolizes "nation," will not be able to open her mouth, for her sons will have no part in the leadership.

RADAK explains that "Hayom" (literally "today" or "the day") refers to this time, in the sense of "coming soon;" your destruction will not be long in coming. "And I will cut off your nation;" that is, there will be nothing left of your once-large congregation; this part of it will be here in Exile, that part will be there in Exile, etc.

(Another thought on the appropriateness of the term mother is that the mother is an inexhaustible source of love for the child, who never ceases defending it, but now, even the mother is silenced.)

RASHI, in his characteristic style, gives the answer to an unstated question. Here the question is, "Why is punishment being delivered upon the children for the sins of the parents?"

RASHI, citing Midrash Tanchuma on Parshat Vayigash:2, answers, "At the time of 'Matan Torah,' the Giving of the Torah to the People of Israel, HaShem demanded guarantors that it would be observed. The Jewish People said that their guarantors would be their children. And the unborn, but still present future generations, accepted the responsibility. Thus, when the parents did not observe the Torah, the responsibility fell upon the children."

(We see this tragedy in our time, when parents or grandparents broke from the Jewish Tradition, their children or grandchildren were left aimless, without spiritual anchors, unhinged and unaware of their heritage and their destiny, like "infants captured at birth by heathen nations.")

MAHARI Kara (abbreviation for Rabbi Yosef Kara, cited above) notes that this verse uses the word "Daat," "Knowledge" as a synonym for Torah, much as the word "Chochmah," or "Wisdom," is used in the Book of Mishlei, because Torah confers the knowledge to a person of the ways of the Holy One, Blessed be He.

The form of punishment is "Midah K'neged Midah," "Measure for Measure;" since you rejected My Torah, I will reject you from being My Priests, and strip from the nation the honor of being My "Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation," because you stripped yourselves of the requisite holiness.

RADAK asks, "How can Hoshea say that because of the lack of knowledge, the People were rendered speechless. Didn't they, during this entire period, have True Prophets, (such as himself!), who taught them the Torah, and gave them reproof on a daily basis for their evil ways!

He answers that because the Priests, whose mission it was to teach them Torah, strayed from the true path in the same manner as did the masses of Jews, the People were confused about them. And similarly, because of the presence of False Prophets, who taught them the opposite of the Truth, (they became confused about the Prophets as well); therefore the Jewish People did not know what to say (or to think, and, lacking a national mission) became corrupt.

(Note the ongoing parallelism in verses 4:5-6:

for emphasis and, as above, to teach the idea of "Midah K'neged Midah.")

RASHI explains this characteristic expression of the Hebrew Language, to reflect (unexpected) inverse proportionality; that is, results just the opposite of those expected - for example, "As much as they persecuted them, so did they expand" (Shemot 1:12) and "as much as they called to them, so much did they withdraw from them" (Hoshea 11:2). "Here too, the meaning is, 'the more the prophets called to them to give them reproof, so much did the People flee from them.' 'Therefore,' says HaShem, 'just so will I turn their honor into shame.' "

RADAK offers two interpretations:

Aharon "HaKohen," was the first "Kohen Gadol," High Priest, and he was completely faithful to the requirements of his office. Therefore he enjoyed great honor. However, his descendants broke moral boundaries and sinned before Me and forgot My Torah. Although they originally had the honor of being the ones who accomplished atonement for the Jewish People (via the Temple Service and especially on Yom Kippur), I will take away that great honor from them, and the People, instead of honoring them, will not respect them at all. (And ultimately I will take away the "Beit HaMikdash," the Holy Temple, the place where they performed the Temple Service).

I gave them so much material blessings that they lost track of the fact that these blessings were coming from Me, "And Yeshurun grew fat and kicked, you became fat and thick and coarse; And he forsook G-d Who had made him, and was contemptuous of the Rock of his Salvation" (Devarim 32:15).

RASHI continues to understand the criticism of Hoshea as being leveled at the False Prophets, who have usurped the position of the Priests, in demanding that the sin-offerings be brought to them.

RADAK, however, maintains that the object of the criticism is the Priestly class, the members of which are interested in having the sin-offerings of the People brought to them, but not in teaching them to refrain from sin.

The sinful practices adopted by the Children of the righteous Priest, Eli - Chofni and Pinchas (early chapters of Shmuel I, specifically "Perek"/Chapter 2, "P'sukim"/Verses 22-25), are cited as illustrative of the spiritual decline of the "Kohanim." One of the practices adopted by the Children of Eli was that they would eat the meat of the sacrifices before the sprinkling of the blood and the burning of the inward parts, contrary to the Command of the Torah.

Hoshea 4:9

RASHI explains that the punishment of the People will be that just as they stopped believing in the holiness of the Priests, so will HaShem strip them of their holiness. Whereas they once were a "Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation," now they will be reduced to the level of the surrounding nations.

RADAK

The commentator makes note of the use of the "Koph HaDimyon," the "Comparative 'Koph'," whereby the Priests and the People are compared; just as the Priests Chofni and Pinchas (illustrative of the moral breakdown of the majority of the Kohanim), didn't eat in accordance with the instruction of the Torah, as explained above, so did the People not eat Kosher food, or ate Kosher food gluttonously, and therefore they were not satisfied, as the verses continue…

The normal law of cause-and-effect will be replaced by the moral law of cause-and-effect, whereby if the "cause" is immoral, the effect is unpredictable, because HaShem is the One Who creates all the "laws," including the so-called "natural laws," that govern man's existence.

RASHI remarks that these patterns of behavior are powerful enough to divert one's attention from one's true purpose in life.

MALBIM (Rabbi Meir Leibush Malbim, 1809-1879); a leading Biblical commentator, remarks that this behavior is in marked contrast from the sanctified existence that is required of the Priest of Israel, as specified in Vayikra 10:9, "Drink no wine or strong drink, you and your sons with you, when you go into the "Ohel Moed," the Tent of Meeting," nor that specified in Vayikra 21:7, "They shall not take a woman who is a harlot…for he is holy unto his L-rd."

Hoshea 4:12

RASHI interprets "a piece of wood" as an idol that was made by his own hands!

RADAK describes the confused idol-worshipper as one who is blind and who as-if follows his walking-stick, symbolizing the false prophets, who tell him what to do based on ideas that they themselves make up.

Hoshea 4:13

RASHI, citing Targum Yonatan, explains that because you are thoroughly integrated with the idol-worshipping nations, including and especially by intermarriage, your daughters follow in the ways of their mothers, and engage in harlotry, and your daughters-in-law follow in the ways of their immoral families, who engage in adultery without second thoughts.

"MAHARI Kara," Moreinu HaRav Yosef Kara, says that since the men are busy all day with their "Avodah Zarah," that absolutely permeates the Land, the daughters and daughters-in-law have much opportunity (never having learned about sanctity and modesty), to engage in harlotry and adultery.

Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra says that "upon the mountaintops" and "upon the hills" imply "in public," without shame.

RADAK says that the grammatical form of the word for "they sacrifice" "yezabechu," implies the continuous, non-stop activity of idol-worship. He remarks that the expression used here resembles the Biblical expression, "on the lofty mountains and upon the hills and under every leafy tree" (Devarim 12:2), that is used in connection with the command to destroy all the places of idolatry that will be found in the Land of Canaan.

RASHI explains that this refers to the fact that the practice of administering the "waters that tested the 'Sotah' (wayward, possibly adulterous wife)" was discontinued at this morally decadent period of Jewish History, because its effectiveness depended on the innocence of the husband. And since the vast majority of husbands were far from innocent, tragically, this miraculous test designed to restore husband to wife, which the wife took voluntarily, and if she were innocent of adultery, she would emerge fine and dandy; otherwise, it would cause her death, could not be used.

RADAK explains the fact that the daughters and daughters-in-law would not be punished was because they had had no moral instruction from their parents, who were themselves thoroughly immoral.

"…the People that is without understanding is distraught."

RASHI - the weariness of the road; referring, presumably, to the Exile.

MAHARI Kara - an expression of "lashes," designed as punishment, to bring the one who receives the lashes out of his spiritual and moral doldrums.

"Though you, O Israel, play the harlot, let not Yehudah also become guilty; but do not (Yehudah) come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beit-Aven, nor swear, 'As the L-rd lives' "

1. Let Yehudah not learn from the treacherous ways of Israel.

2. If you, Israel, play the harlot, I will not blame Yehudah as well, as above, "And I will have mercy on Yehudah." (Hoshea 1:7)

RADAK:

If you, O Israel, stray after the Calves (erected by Yeravam in your territory), let not you also, Yehudah, follow their example, because you have the real thing, the Beit HaMikdash!

…on condition that the people of Yehudah do not go to Gilgal, that is the center of Idolatry of the Kingdom of Israel.

The people of the Kingdom of Israel set up their idols in Gilgal because that was the first stop of the Mishkan when the Jewish People first entered the Land of Israel, but again, that is hardly a reason for the people of the Kingdom of Yehudah to abandon the Holy Temple!

"Beit-Aven", the "House of Sin," refers to Beit-El, where Yeravam ben Nevat erected one of the two Calves, and commanded the People of his kingdom to worship there instead of at Yerushalayim.

This is Beit E-l, where one of the Calves was erected by Yeravam ben Nevat, and the use of the name "Beit-Aven" is an uncomplimentary reference used by the Prophets (the term means "House of Sin). Our Father Yaakov had called the place Beit-E-l, because of the vision he saw there, and because HaShem revealed Himself to him there. It was after Yeravam placed one of the Calves there that the Prophets began to call it Beit-Aven, because the Calf was an empty and meaningless object of worship.

In Yirmiyahu 5, we find an account of the following perversion: that when the People of the Kingdom would swear untruthfully they would say, "As the L-rd lives," and when they would swear truthfully, they would say "As the Baal lives."

The reason is that if idol-worshippers swear in the Name of HaShem, that is a grievous insult; others (including Targum Yonatan ben Uziel) say that the meaning is "Do not swear falsely in the Name of HaShem."

RASHI explains, "like a fattened cow that, over-stuffed and over-satisfied, kicks at those who give it food," as it says, "And Yeshurun got fat and kicked" (Devarim 32:15).

RADAK compares Israel's behavior to a cow that refuses to work even when it is under the yoke, just so was Israel, when it should have accepted the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven and the yoke of the Mitzvot, it rejected both. Its punishment will be that whereas it had fed as if amongst a tranquil flock of sheep, now it will be pastured as a lonely isolated sheep in a foreign grazing area, such that out of its loneliness it will not be able to feed nor find rest. The picture is an accurate representation of the life of the Jewish People in Exile.

RASHI explains the meaning as Israel is attached to idols, and cannot break away; reproof will not bring him back; therefore, HaShem says to Hoshea, "Stop trying to persuade him, but obey the principle of 'Just as it is proper to give "Mussar," ethical reproof, when it has a chance of being accepted, so also is it proper not to give "Mussar" when there is no chance of it being accepted.' "

MAHARI Kara suggests that when the People of Israel wish to worship idols exclusively, HaShem is less bothered than when they worship HaShem together with the false idol. As Eliyahu HaNavi said, "How long will you try to cross over two threshholds - if HaShem is the L-rd, then follow Him, and if the Baal is, then follow him" ("Melachim"/Kings I, 18:21).

Their feasts that I once took delight in, says HaShem, have now become degenerate to Me.

"…has become degenerate…"

The expression is one of degeneracy, as we find in Yirmiyahu (2:21), "Yet I had planted you wholly a noble vine; how then have you turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine for me?"

RASHI explains the metaphor as a bird that cannot escape from the wind that carries it far away, so Israel will be carried far away by its enemies into Exile.

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