Spiritual and Ethical Issues in the Historical Books of Tanach; SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE BEREISHIT STORIES
by Dr. Meir Tamari

These four books ostensibly are merely the history of Israel from the entry into the Promised Land until the destruction of the Temple and the temporary loss of independent statehood. In fact they are actually, in a specifically Jewish sense, the most deeply religious and spiritual books of the Bible. One does not have to be specifically Jewish to see or feel the religion and spirituality in the revelations of the prophetic writings or in the words of the Tehillim. They speak to all people, as evidenced by the fact that the Bible is still the world's bestseller and there are millions of non-Jews who regularly recite the Psalms. However, it is specifically and intrinsically Jewish to understand that G-d is revealed in the prosaic material, in the political, social and military events in the lives of ordinary men and women, kings and leaders that are described in the Nevim Rishonim. Here are described the ideology and religious thoughts in Judaism, while in Chronicles we have the purely historical.

TANACH
SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE BEREISHIT STORIES by Dr. Meir Tamari
"Megilat Yaakov" [2]
"The purpose of the revelation vouchsafed to Yaakov was to teach him that Hashem rules the world and conducts it through all the forces, natural, animal and human, that are in it" (Radak).

Yaakov's reaction to this revelation was twofold:
He awoke filled with awe and trembling; "This is the House of G-d". "Avraham understood the way to G-d as being a mountain; as it is written [at the Akeida] "On the mount of G-d one is seen". [That is on the spiritual heights one experiences Hashem]. Yitschak understood the way as being a field; as it is written "And Yitschak went out to meditate in the field". [That is in spiritual isolation, separate from worldly matters]. Yaakov alone saw the way as the home of people. [Sanctifying everyday mundane human activities]" (Shem Mi Shmuel). The text uses a sequence of 5 words to show the zeal with which he set the stone on which he had slept, as a matzeiva, as a memorial of his revelation. "Then he anointed it with olive oil either to be able to recognize that particular stone on his return or as mark of its holiness as Moshe did to the vessels of the Mishkan. It would serve as a sign that his descendants would indeed inherit the Land since he was thereby demonstrating ownership, just as Avraham and Yitschak had done by their actions in the Land" [digging wells, pasturing their flocks and buying Ma'arat HaMachpeilah]" (Radak). "The matzeiva, consists of a single stone, mizbaeach is an elevation built of numerous stones; the former presented by nature, the latter made by man.

Before Matan Torah, G-d's rule was manifest primarily in what Man gets from G-d, whereas with Matan Torah G-d, is revealed and glorified primarily by what Man does with G-d given gifts; that is the purpose of the Lawgiving" (S. R. Hirsch). When centralized worship became mandatory with the establishment of the Mishkan and Temple, the bamot were forbidden, however, it proved extremely difficult to enforce and only a few kings succeeded in abolishing them. It is quite easy to understand this difficulty since the need for voluntary personal individual prayers for success or petitions for release from suffering or ill-health, and even praise of G-dare universal human religious needs and spiritual desires practiced by all religions even pagans. However, our concept of mandatory prayers, all of a national character couched in the plural, is an intrinsic innovation of Judaism only and has remained so even until this day. One does not fulfill one's halahkic obligation of prayer by supplications of a personal nature, these are merely permissible insertions into the national prayers. The matzeiva was used throughout Sefer Bereishit, to express Man's worship of G-d, since this is the book of individuals, great men seeking Him, from Adam, Noah, Shem, Eiver, culminating in the Avot and Imahot; for all of them the individual stone was a fitting expression. However, with the formation of the Jewish People, the expression changed to that of a whole nation settled in the sanctity of their Land and devoted to Him, for that the matzeiva was not suitable and had to be replaced by the mizbeiach of 12 stones, this is the chidush of the other 4 books of the Torah.

"And Yaakov vowed a vow… then Hashem will be my G-d" (28:20); this is the first time in Tanach that we find somebody explicitly taking an oath, the second is when Israel promised to dedicate all the booty if the war against Arad was successful (Bamidbar 21:2-3). Rabbi S. R. Hirsch translates the 'im' in the vow not 'if' but rather as 'when', just like Chazal understood it when they explained that the Torah speaks not of the possibility but rather of the obligation to make interest free loans (Shmot 22:24). Therefore the vow is that when G-d brings Yaakov back home to his parents, prosperous and safe, despite his going into exile penniless and his subsequent suffering there, then it will be obvious to all that He is his G-d. Similarly, it is argued that the real proof of His existence is the continued existence of the Jewish People and their return home, despite their unnatural being in the long galut, landless and persecuted. "In his vow Yaakov uses the name 'Elohim', G-d in His manifestation of Justice and Judge, showing that he accepts that from now He, the Compassionate One, will deal with him in Judgment" (Soforno).

"The blessing of food and clothing is preceded by Yaakov's prayer for G-d's protection, not of possessions of which he then had none but rather of his spirituality and morality. Who can count the number of people who before they had to trod the path of earning a livelihood were morally pure but to gain bread and clothing have given up morality, consideration of the honor and property of others, and even for their own marriage? Now commencing on this path, he is so deeply conscious of this danger that he first prays for strength not to forfeit any of his spirituality and morality. Integrity is therefore the first thing that the first Jew on his way to found a home, wishes for" (Rabbi S.R. Hirsch).

This is installment #129 in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its messages for our times”

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