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. "To Sacrifice Your Son" [1] "The timing of the Akeida is spelt out for us at the outset of its introductory verse: And after these things Hashem tested Avraham: After what things? Said Rabbi Yitzchak ben Zimra, "After Satan spoke to Hashem and said: "This ancient to whom You granted a son in his old age, made a feast when the child was weaned but did not sacrifice even a dove or a pigeon as a thanksgiving offering". To which Hashem answered: "If I say to him offer your son up to Me, immediately he will do so". So we read: And Hashem tested Avraham". Rabbi Levi said: "After Ishmael said: You were only 8 days old and so did not offer your brit voluntarily, whereas I was 13 years old and consciously entered the covenant". "Yet I would willingly offer not a small part but my whole body", answered Yitzchak. Immediately: And Hashem tested Avraham" (Sanhedrin 89). "After what happenings did Hashem test Avraham? The commandment of the Akeida follows after the covenant that Avraham made with Avimelech whereby he granted the Philistine king and his descendant without the consent of Hashem, sovereignty over part of the Land promised by Hashem to Israel. Therefore Yehoshua was precluded by this covenant from conquering the five Philistine cities, despite G-d's command. So Hashem tested him, saying; "Go and sacrifice your son whose inheritance of the Promised Land, you have partly given up and we will see of what help to you is the covenant that you have just made with the Philistine" (Hizkuni and Rashbam). "The Akeida was the greatest of the tests which faced Avraham [and also the only one explicitly mentioned as such in the Torah], since it was diametrically contrary to his very nature. Avraham had the same weakness as did Shaul HaMelech in that they were so full of mercy that they were unable to be harsh to any group of people even though they did not deserve such mercy; Avraham in the case of the covenant with Avimelech and Saul to Amalek. This was true even when the mitzva placed on them demanded harshness. So the Akeida was placed on Avraham so that he would be accustomed to withhold mercy where necessary to fulfill the Divine Will "(Yalkut Yehuda). "Why was the Akeida to be performed after a journey of three days until he reached Har HaMoriah, when he could have done it immediately? There were two reasons for this: 1. Otherwise it would have been done in haste, in spiritual confusion and without proper kavana, whereas now he had time to consider calmly and deliberate on Hashem's commandments. ["Just as a workman receives payment not only for the actual time a job takes but also for his preparations and planning, so too we should not pray suddenly, without deliberation and casually" (Menachem Mendel of Kotsk)]. 2. In order that the Akeida should be in that place chosen for the building of the House for G-d, the place where korbanot would be offered. Furthermore, that that place where G-d and people would meet, should be consecrated by the action of Avraham, the beloved soul". (Radak). "And Hashem tested Avraham";
and Avraham's reaction? "If Hashem Himself would have appeared to Yankel the
shoemaker or to Berl the tailor or any other simple Jew in Berdichev and
commanded them to offer up their sons, would they not have done so? So what
was the greatness of Avraham? We know that there is no power and no fury
that like that of a parent, human or wild animal that can compare to one
whose offspring is threatened, yet the next verse tells us: "And Avraham
rose up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, chopped the wood and set
out for the place of which G-d had told him". No doubts, no questions,
nothing but immediate and swift obedience to Hashem's word, therein lies the
greatness of Avraham" (The Admor Levi Yitschak of Berdichev). "Out of fear that she would cause herself harm, Avraham did not mention anything to Sarah" (Radak). Avraham performed all the preparations diligently, leaving nothing to his servants, despite the anguish it must have been for him. Furthermore, there is no hint of any tortured discussion by Avraham, or of the inner conflict, envisaged by Kirkegard and other non-Jewish philosophers or secular Jewish scholars, between morality and G-d's commands; to us as Jews, what He commands, that is moral and ethical so there was no conflict. This is the 109th installment in Dr. Tamari’s series on “Tanach and its messages for our times” [The
Parshat Mikeitz Homepage]
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