These dramatic words encapsule the special relationship every Jew has with
G-d's covenant and usher in the Jew's everlasting duty to uphold it.
The Torah states unequivocally that the covenant is binding even on
"whoever is not here with us today," the future generations of Israel. But
how can that be? How can a person be responsible for a commitment he did
not really make and never approved of?
In his commentary on the Torah, Akeidat Yitzchak, Rav Yitzchak Arama raises
this question, explaining that, indeed, such a commitment should not be
legally binding. "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the teeth of the
children are set on edge?" asks the prophet Yechezkel. "By My Name, says
the L-rd,...the soul that sins - [it alone] will perish.
Apparently, there is no connection between the deeds of parents and the
responsibilities of their offspring. How can a child, who does not suffer
for his parents' misdeeds, be bound by their oaths?
The Akeidat Yitzchak, therefore, suggest another explanation, that "G-d's
love for Israel is not dependent on the latter's material existence but is
a lasting natural phenomenon so strong that it's cancellation is
inconceivable."
Just as nature dictates that a person would not abandon his identity, "so
too is it inconceivable that this nation would ever detach itself from G-d
and His laws in any manner, because this is a law of their nature which is
stronger and more significant than an oath."
There is an element in the Jewish soul which is intimately connected to
Hashem and to His Torah. As our Sages say "Israel, Torah and Hashem are
one." The observance of the Torah's laws is not just a matter of choice but
rather is a healthy expression of a Jew's deeper nature. Abandoning this
commitment is as harmful to a Jew as ignoring his psychological identity or
physical constitution.
This understanding of Jewish nature is in line with the rule that allows
beit din to punish a recalcitrant husband until he agrees to divorce his
wife. Though such a get should be invalid since the Torah requires that it
be given voluntarily, this divorce is legitimate. Why?
The Rambam explains that deep in the husband's heart is a desire to do the
right thing. Were it not for his yetzer hara holding him back, he would
divorce his wife. By punishing the husband we merely remove the obstacle
that prevents him from doing what he truly wishes to do.
Similarly, built into a Jew's nature is a desire to connect to Hashem and
obey His laws. Only the presence of disturbing influences , which plagues
us as psychological barriers and distractions, prevent us achieving our
spiritual potential.
This notion can well explain the return of so many Jews to our tradition
and has ramifications for our work in outreach as well. The soul of every
Jew possess characteristics that were found infused at Sinai and in the
subconscious of every Jew, the Akeidat Yitzchak maintains, lies an awareness
of the commitment made long ago. That memory is part of a Jew's being and
cannot be erased without his sense of identity being lost.
Our commitment to Torah was not made by others but by ourselves. In the
depth of our subconscious lies an unshakable memory and feeling that stems
from another, more enlightened spiritual age.
Rabbi David Algaze
Rabbi David Algaze is Rabbi of Congregation Havurat Yisrael, Forest Hills, N.Y.
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