Spiritual and
Ethical Issues in the Historical Books of Tanach;
SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE BEREISHIT STORIES 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. HAGAR and YISHMAEL [3] Here, to the Chosen Nation-Land was for the first time added a mention of a religion and a mitzva; a Covenant whereby Hashem promises to be his G-d, and, Avraham and all his male descendants, for their part are to be circumcised. "Avraham undertook to be a partner with Hashem by completing and perfecting the work of Creation. First he would do so in the small world that is his own body through the Mila that multiplies the Divine and spiritual in that small world; for not only the orla of the male organ is to be removed but the orla of the heart, the orla of the ear and of the speech as well. Thereby all his actions and of the descendants promised to him, will increase the divine and spread the Shechina in the large world" (Malbim). It should be noted that there are only two things that have a din of Orla, trees and Man; both disobeyed G-d after Creation, Adam by eating of the Eitz Hada'at and the trees by not producing fruit that tasted like the tree (B'reishit1:11-12). This 5th revelation came to Avraham , as we learn from the following sedra, when his tent was pitched in Alonei Mamre, so that his tent can be compared to that of Moshe's that was Ohel Moed, a place of meeting with G-d, as befits a revelation that commands him to "Walk before G-d and be tamim". Tamim is perfect: a person of complete faith in Hashem; one who seeks to emulate and cleave to "The Rock, perfect is His working, for all His ways are the Government of Justice, a G-d of confident faith and no misuse of power, Righteous and Straight is He" (D'varim 32:4). Avraham's descendants are commanded: "You shall be tamim with Hashem, your G-d" (D'varim 18:13). "Tamim is without blemish, as in the Para Aduma" (Rivash) and Chazal saw Orla as a blemish that has to be removed. In this, Judaism differs radically from other faiths and philosophies. Everybody else seeks perfection through addition whereas we are taught that the way to achieve kedusha and perfection is through subtraction. So we subtract one day from the weekly pursuit of the secular; the fruit of our trees remain forbidden as orla till their fourth year; our land may not be worked every Shmita year; our money and wealth are reduced by our obligation to do charity and by legislation as to how and when we earn them; some foods are kasher but not others, and this also determines their preparation and when they can be eaten, rather than our appetites and our senses; through removing flesh from the male sex organ by mila and through the limitations of taharat hamishpacha we turn sex from mere physicality into holiness. It is understandable why, threatened by this way of achieving perfection, our persecutors throughout the ages, have attacked and forbidden Shabbat, Mila and Kashrut. "Mila is called 'ot brit', the sign of the covenant, a constant and permanent reminder to walk in His ways, since we bear the brand of ownership of the Lord" (Sforno). Mezuza is a similar sign of His mitzvot, a reminder that our homes are Jewish so that all we do in them are devoted to Him; yet it is a stationary sign that cannot be carried physically with us and so its influence may be weakened when we are out of our homes. Tefilin are another sign, more mobile but their spiritual message may be limited to the time that they are worn. Tzitit are a sign that is less limited and more mobile than these two as we carry them in our clothes wherever we go; when the wife of Potifar saw that Yosef refused her, she tore his Jewish garment - tzitit, considering correctly that the sight of them reminded him of G-d-given morality. Only mila is immobile, permanent and with us even when we are naked; "even in the most secretive and private place we are never free of His Presence" (Rama, Orech Chayim 1:1). The development of the 5th revelation was accompanied by a change in the names of Avraham and Sara from Avram and Sarai. Berachot 13a, teaches that referring to Avraham as Avram transgresses a positive mitzva: Your name shall be Avraham. Alternatively there is the negative mitzva: Your name shall no longer be Avram. Though Yaakov was called Israel, it is permissible to use his original name. Basically, the two cases are ideologically different. The name Avram, originated from Terach the idolater, whereas Avraham was his G-d given name that severed him completely from his roots. However, Yaakov was the name given by pious parents; the new name was a sign of added spiritual growth" (Yalkut Yehuda). "May Ishmael live before You": it is difficult to understand this reaction of Avraham's to the promise of a son and heir born to Sara. How could he refuse this promise in favor of the son of Hagar, the seed of accursed Ham? By what right did he waive, on Sara's behalf, the fulfillment of this Divine Promise that included her; had she not complained [B'reishit 16:5] about his asking for a son but omitting to include her in his prayer? 'Be tamim' preceded Mila, so we learn that before Mila, Avraham was not perfect and complete. Avraham's merit was kiruv; unlimited kiruv can be a blemish, a blemish that has to be corrected by the ability to repulse that which is impure and wrong. By this lesson of Mila, Avraham could be 'tamim'. It was by individual choice that Ishmael was circumcised so that he is judged by Midat HaDin; his share of the Divine Promise of the Land is conditional upon deserving behavior. Yitzchak's Mila was fully fulfillment of Hashem's commandment, an expression of unconditional faith and love for Him, so that Israel's claim is eternal and independent of their behavior". (Shem MiShmuel). This is the 104th installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its messages for our times” [The
Parshat Chayei Sara Homepage]
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