The Sacrifices of Sukkot, and Jewish Gratitude In Parshat Pinchas, the Temple sacrifices associated with the various Jewish Holidays are detailed - BaMidbar (28:1-30:1). In particular, we find in BaMidbar (29:12-30:1), a description of the sacrifices for the Holidays of Sukkot and of Shemini Atzeret. On the first day of Sukkot, we find that in the required Burnt Offering, bulls, rams, sheep and a goat were sacrificed, in addition to a Grain Offering and the Daily Burnt Offering. The numbers of all the components remained constant throughout the Holiday, except for the number of bulls. With regard to the bulls, we find an interesting phenomenon; namely, on the first day, the number required was thirteen, on the next day, twelve, and so on, decreasing by one each day of the Holiday till on the last day, the seventh, only seven bulls were included. One can formulate a simple algorithm, or simply add up the daily number, to determine that the total number of bulls was seventy. CHAZAL say that these were offered for the sake of the seventy nations of the world; for their atonement, for their prosperity, peace and welfare. We also find regarding this matter, “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, ‘If the nations of the world only knew how much benefit they derive from the Beit HaMikdash, they would have appointed armed guards around it to protect it...” (BaMidbar Rabbah 1) It is only on Shemini Atzeret that we find that the Burnt Offering included only one bull, symbolizing the private feast that the King, HaShem, enjoys with His most beloved nation, Israel. But perhaps there is another element operating here. We know from the Laws of making blessings after deriving benefit from the Creation, and from Laws regarding inter-personal relations and other aspects of the Torah that gratitude is an underpinning of Judaism. During the Holocaust, that terrible period of Hester Panim, when G-d looked away, so to speak, from Jewish suffering, a number of gentiles rose to our aid. These individuals were recognized (and doubtless others did their holy deeds without any earthly recognition whatsoever), by the People of Israel with the title of “Chassidei Umot HaOlam,” Righteous Gentiles, for their mitigation, even if only a little bit, of the gigantic tragedy. The Jewish People expressed their gratitude towards these good and moral people, on a permanent basis at the Yad VaShem Memorial in Jerusalem and elsewhere, in commemorations, in many Jewish communities. In our time, when the fires of anti-Semitism or, more correctly, hatred of the Jewish People, are again burning in various parts of the world, it would appear that we are not completely without friends here on earth. And although nobody has appointed me to the Committee for the Designation of Chassidei Umot HaOlam, it seems to me that President George W. Bush and his advisors, in particular Vice-President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and even Secretary of State Colin Powell, whose own decent nature has helped pull him out of the moral quicksand of the Arabist State Department, are in contention. When Europe seems to be returning to its centuries-old habit of Jew-hatred, in effect siding with the Arabs, our ancient enemy, the leadership of the United States seems to be standing firm, and insisting that Jewish blood is not cheap. And hinting even at a recognition that the State of Israel is a bright light of morality in a still-dark world. Though we Jews know in our hearts that our light can be ten thousand times brighter. Time will tell if this administration will hold to its course of friendship with Israel, but so far its courageous resistance to anti-Israel pressure, and its own confrontation with terrorism, seem to stand it in good stead. The nations of the world have a role to play in the Messianic Period, as we find in Yeshayahu 56:7 with regard to the “Righteous Gentiles,” “Even them will I bring to My Holy Mountain, and make them joyful in My House of Prayer; their Burnt Offerings and their Sacrifices shall be accepted on My Altar; for My House will be called a House of Prayer for all the nations.” Rabbi Pinchas Frankel |
