Hide and Seek
You used to hide from me
But now you let me see
More of you
As you dance through the heavens
And cruise on the seas
You used to hide from me
But now you let me see
More of you
Through the eyes of love, a tender heart
And a helping hand
So now I know
As know I must
From what I see
That I won your trust
When I will yearn
And I will seek
I trust that then
We shall meet
September 2009
Parashat Lekh Lekha 5770
The Profound Word
Howard S. Joseph
From Abram to Abraham
Modernity has brought a host of challenges to traditional notions of Jewish identity. For the past two hundred years Jews have pondered and debated how to respond to these questions. Are we still a nation apart given that we are offered membership in other nations? Can we still fully guide our personal and communal lives according to Torah standards? And if we are indeed citizens in our local countries what does it really mean to be in exile awaiting the Messiah to return to our own land?
Furthermore, a re-thinking of the relationship between Jews and other nations had to be made. Tolerance should promote a different relationship than during a period of exclusion. What might that be? Are the Jews now normalized to be a nation like any other? Or is their still some purpose that Jews serve vis-à-vis the other nations? Is there a Jewish mission to the world that is not yet finished? Is that mission ultimately to convert the world to Judaism or to impact upon it in a different way?
Jews in Western Europe were faced head-on with these questions as they lived in Emancipated or soon-to-be- Emancipated circumstances. While Jews in Eastern Europe were not quite there yet, they were aware of the potential disruptions that could come, certainly after Napoleon’s fateful march to the East. Changes were happening and will continue to happen.
It is, therefore, not surprising that rabbis addressed these issues in their commentaries and writings. The thrust is clear in the great Central European leader, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Rabbi Berlin – an almost exact contemporary of Rabbi Hirsch – shows concern as well. Jewish identity must be defended. Jewish practices that give us a distinct identity – such as the Sabbath, Kashrut and circumcision must be preserved.
Neziv focuses a lot of his attention on the figure of Abraham, who appears in this Parashah as the Founding Ancestor of what will become the Jewish nation. Beginning as Abram in Mesopotamia he is challenged to seek a new venue and there ‘to be a blessing’. He makes his way to Canaan with his wife, Sarai, and other family members and with ‘the souls that he made in Haran.’ Something momentous is occurring. It is in this context that we look at Neziv’s ideas.
Texts
Neziv expresses his views throughout the Parashah and I will try to piece them together as we go.
He likes Isaiah’s formulation of a nation as a ‘berit am’, a covenantal entity with its culture and social contract. Some nations can grow larger into a ‘goy’, a full-fledged nation-state. Ultimately all nations should remain intact but impacted for the better by Abraham and his descendants. [And, of course, Sarah too.]
Gen. 12:2 – ‘and I will aggrandize your name’ – Even those who will not join your faith to worship the one unique God which will be unlike other various religions which despise, deny and belittle the faith of others – this will not be the way of Abram –for even those who do not wish to join it will know and understand that Abram’s faith in the Supreme God is great. However, it demands restraints from desires and such which is not pleasing to everyone. In this way people will know that Abram merited to faith and service of the Supreme God.
We see here that there is no expectation that all will convert to Abram’s way but they will be respectful of it and maybe influenced by it to some measure.
This is amplified later on in chapter 17 when Abram becomes Abraham [and Sarai becomes Sarah.] The subject is a covenant that will be sealed by circumcision as its symbol. The added Hebrew letter ‘hey’ to Abram’s name – and the change of Sarai’s last Hebrew letter to the ‘hey’ as well now to be Sarah – comes from the Hebrew ‘hamon’ which means many, numerous, or a multitude:
17; 4-9 As for Me, behold My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations: And your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations…. And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you…. And God said to Abraham, “And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
Neziv has a lot to say here.
‘and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations’ – Until now Abraham had called out in the name of God and had converted some people completely who entered into the category of servants of God through the teachings taught to them by Abraham…. But this approach is impossible for the entire world. The intention from the very beginning was only ‘He set up the boundaries of peoples according to the number of the children of Israel [Deut. 32:8], [i.e., God wished the many nations to continue to exist –hsj]; but not that all will enter the congregation of Israel [Adat Yisrael]. It was the Divine intention that all nations will come to know God and that idolatry will pass away. This is what the Blessed Holy One told Abraham: that his goal was to implant in Abraham to be a father to many nations in order to bring them to the knowledge of God. Through this he will be known as the father of many nations, as a father places his son on the right path.
This explains what God asked him earlier – ‘walk before Me and be perfect’. That is, that Abraham should publicize God even to those nations that are not prepared to accept complete conversion….
Neziv adds in HRD:
As in Isaiah 42; 6, ‘I fashioned you and gave you as a covenanted people [berit am], a light to the nations.’ … I gave you a special structure separate from the nations…. In order to improve the faith of every nation….
The texts are clear. No matter what the circumstances the Jews have a special role to play in God’s dream for the world. Social and political changes may occur but the unique structure and purpose of Israel’s existence remain.
The goal was never to convert the whole world to one way of worship. The nations were created by God and will remain. However, Israel’s impact upon them should lead them to improve their relationship to God and the removal of idolatry.
Neziv does not here explicitly address the modern situation but I believe it is lurking in the background. He is respectful to the nations of the world in these lines and in many other places, as we will see in the future. He is positive that there will always be a special role for Israel in the world – and so should we be as well.
Finally, in verse 9, he adds his comment on the place of the Covenant of Circumcision as the sign of this mission:
Since God had charged him with the fulfillment of publicizing His Glory among the nations even if they will not convert to enter into the community of Israel – here He adds the command of Berit Milah because with this they will be distinguished in the world…. for circumcision is a distinguishing sign [of the covenant] of the nation everywhere [they will go] to announce that they were created for this purpose: to bring recognition of God to the world.
That’s his profound word for today.
Shabbat Shalom
Parashat Noah 5770
The Profound Word
Howard S. Joseph
THE SPIRITUALITY OF COVERING AND UNCOVERING
“I want to see you naked in your body and your thought” –Leonard Cohen
Noah’s Downfall
Genesis 9: 20-27
After being the rescued hero of the Flood, Noah suffers a humiliating experience at the hands of his grandson, Canaan. Noah had become a farmer and vintner. After becoming drunk from his wine – “he revealed himself in his tent.” Ham the father of Canaan saw this. Rashi brings some Talmudic comments: ‘saw his father’s nakedness’: Some say that he castrated him, and some say that he sodomized him. — [ Sanh. 70a]. So, something degenerate is going on.
In order to rescue their father’s dignity his other two sons walk backwards – in order to avoid seeing his nakedness – into the tent carrying a covering garment that they place on Noah. Eventually Noah awakes from his drunken sleep and realizes what has happened with an angry response.
Covering and uncovering. Clothing and nakedness. Why do we cover? When do we uncover? These questions and more are suggested by the texts.
Neziv comments here on various details of how the story is told. However, he might have assumed that we are already aware of his dramatic commentary on this subject already presented in Bereishit on the question of Adam and Eve’s nakedness and clothing.
“The were both naked, the Adam and his wife, and they were not ashamed.” (Gen. 2:25)
Neziv in Harhev Davar:
“There is a rule in Hebrew that two word roots can be mixed into one word giving two meanings…. Thus, the expression ‘they were not ashamed’ includes two meanings. One is from the word ‘bushah’ [shame] related to the fact that they were naked, that is, without clothing [lebush]…. Thus, they did not feel any shame by being naked.
There is yet another meaning in the term ‘naked’. The dagesh in the ‘mem’ … also suggests a double meaning, two types of nakedness…. It is written in the book of Samuel (I:19:24): ‘Then he [Saul] too stripped off of his clothes and he too spoke in ecstasy before Samuel; and he lay naked all that day and all night. That is why people say, “Is Saul too among the prophets?”
The meaning here is not that he was naked without clothing but speaks about the removal of the body and its needs from him. His mind was elevated and clinging to the Supreme Mind.
Now all prophets and whoever wishes to cling to the Shekhinah is required to remove from himself the body’s clothes, that is, human ideas, and to attach himself and his ideas to the Shekhinah. Thus, one does not easily or swiftly reach this degree but rather delays quite a while to approach slowly. Humans before the sin [in the Garden of Eden] did not have this problem for they were naked with no barrier of human ideas to interfere [in their attachment to God]. Thus there was no delay when they wished to reach attachment to the Shekhinah. They were able to immediately achieve the love of God. Similarly, Moses was able to say to the people: wait and I will listen to what God says.
Similarly, a woman who wishes to be physically, mentally and lovingly intimate with her husband – she removes her clothes that are made for going out into the world and not for this activity in order to arouse her companion. The woman in the Garden did not have to do so for she had no barriers due to human ideas [clothing]. When she wished to be with her husband there was no hesitation to achieve this union. It occurred immediately.
Now we understand that the lack of shame really means the absence of delay in achieving union. [Later on in the Torah, boshesh is used to express the delay or hesitation in that Moses did not descend from Sinai at the expected time leading to the Golden Calf episode- hsj.]
… The attachment to the Shekhinah is like the love of human beings. Today we appreciate that the love of the Holy Blessed One is similar to the love of a man and woman which cannot happen without the arousal of desire…. Thus one who wishes to connect with the Shekhinah must do so privately in his room [just as it is appropriate for man and woman to express their love privately]….”
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Neziv is convinced that the Torah is a book of poetry and therefore must be studied as such. By its very nature poetry has levels of meanings and allusions. Very often Neziv will point out the double meanings of words and terms that must be understood in order to really comprehend the Biblical text. [He also believes that the entire Book of Deuteronomy is intended to be understood on two levels, hence the rabbinic name for the book Mishne Torah, the ‘doubled’ Torah.
We saw that with elohim last week. Elohim can simply mean God but it also means the Creator who used judgement to bring order and balance onto the creation.
So, there two types of nakedness and two types of bushah. There is physical nakedness and mental-spiritual nakedness. There is physical shame resulting in physical coverings only removed when we are ready to surrender our privacy and engage in an intimate act with an appropriate loved one; and mental hesitation before we decide to remove barriers to open engagement with another of deeply personal feelings and thoughts that are usually held in private.
We humans in our post-Eden state do not jump directly and immediately into the surrender of our privacy and independence. We use judgement in making these kinds of decisions. Sometimes we may be right and sometimes we may be wrong and are hurt by our misplaced trust in another.
We are all bidden to respect the emotional and physical privacy of another. We must not violate it in any way and force someone to reveal their nakedness against their will. The Torah considers this an ‘ervah’ offense, a nakedness crime. Desire is aroused by the slow and deliberate removal of all that blocks us from this relationship, our often selfish and foolish human thinking. Then this intimacy can effectively be reached. Longing is not enough. There is a method involved.
We can also expect that some people in our lives be charged with greater responsibility to protect our dignity. Later on in the Book of Leviticus there are numerous people with whom we should not reveal our nakedness. They are too close to us and not there for that purpose. Our family members who live in close proximity with us must not violate this trust. Incest is a great violation of this trust. With these people we must remain covered and not reveal our full nakedness nor can they demand that we do so.
The fullest revelation can take place in the private company of our appropriate and dearest lover. Even here there is slow and deliberate consideration. The time must be right. There is delay, hesitation. Each person may long for this intimacy but it does not happen automatically, and certainly not as often as each person may desire. Spiritual and physical clothing is removed until there is the union of two souls.
Neziv suggests that this same process applies to our connection with God. As a great student of the Song of Songs for which he wrote various commentaries he appreciates the human love model as the one suitable for the human-divine relationship. The above quote from Leonard Cohen expresses this longing to connect with God: “I want to see you naked in your body and your thought”.
Modesty – tzniut – is therefore a form of behavior that properly reveals and properly conceals. It is a moral code and not a dress code per se.
I think you will agree with me that these are indeed profound words.
Shabbat Shalom
Bereishit Addendum
The Profound Word
Howard S. Joseph
http://TheProfoundWord.com
Dear friends,
Thank you for joining me in this Neziv project. I have been contemplating it for a long time. Now that I am somewhat retired I hope to accomplish it. It is important to me to have the opportunity to spread the teachings of someone who has guided and inspired me for so many years. I hope you will benefit in the same way. Please feel free to share these pages with anyone you would like.
A bit of housekeeping information:
Please notice the blog address that I have created on the web. This will help manage the distribution of the weekly Parashah. Please go there and register so you can receive it from there. I will give the process a couple of weeks and will still send it directly to you meanwhile.
I will also be putting other materials on the blog, some Neziv related and others as well. I hope to get permission to put my book about him on the website as well as an article I wrote. We will see.
I was quite rushed last week to prepare the first item. So I would like to add this addendum to clarify some of the issues that were raised.
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What is prompting Neziv’s focus on the word Elohim that is usually translated as God? I would venture that if we had in the text Bereishit bara Ha-Bore – in the beginning the Creator created, we would not have been surprised or disappointed. But we find instead that the Creator is given a name – Elohim. That must mean something; but what?
Usually a name is given to something based on how we experience it. Therefore, we wonder, what experience lies behind the term Elohim?
We know that the term elohim comes from the world of everyday experience. It actually means judges- dayyanim in Hebrew. We see this in Exodus 21 where a master is bidden to take his servant to elohim to resolve an issue. The ancient Aramaic translation of the Torah translates elohim as dayyania.
What role do judges play in society? They restore order when there is a question or problem that has to be resolved. They consider the issues and competing interests and claims at stake and render a decision. They restore and promote order through a process of din, judgement.
So, the use of the term elohim to describe the Creator suggests to Neziv that we experience the creation of the Creator as an orderly system. The Creator too has created order out of chaos by balancing the forces of nature through the laws of nature.
Furthermore, these laws of nature are equal to the laws of the Torah. It is Torah law that is part of the very structure of the natural world ordered by Elohim. Calling the Creator Elohim is a personal approach based on our experience of the orderliness of the universe.
Neziv then moves on to what I called the cemetery blessing – one that has fallen into disuse in many areas. [We rabbis are partly to blame: this blessing is not said unless you have not been to a cemetery for thirty days. It is rare that rabbis do not visit a cemetery once in thirty days. So they often forget to remind others to recite it. It is interesting that the Sephardi versions of the blessing that I have seen do not mention ‘and caused you to die in din’.] In this blessing we address the inhabitants of the cemetery and recognize the significance of din in their lives. They are the testimony to the forces of life and death that permeate the world.
Does the blessing serve another purpose as well? Maybe it is supposed to comfort us. Do not think that death comes because of a sin or better, a failure on our part – which is what het really means in Hebrew. Your beloved was a good person – do not think of them as a sinner, as a failure. Death is natural, part of the necessary din process by which the world is structured. It is inescapable. Healthy human beings must learn to accept these facts like any other facts of existence.
So if the universe sometimes appears as unfriendly it is not because Elohim did not try to make it so. Midrash Rabbah speaks of God as creating and destroying many worlds before ours was made. We do not know if this was an actual series of events or reflects the planning stages in which various possibilities were considered and rejected or accepted. Again, it reflects a process of din, considered judgement by the Creator Elohim until a viable and workable universe could exist.
Of course, if Torah laws are at the foundation of the world order then it is necessary for us to know them in order to live a good life: hence our constant declarations of gratitude to Elohim for having revealed them to us. Without them we cannot live.
There are other names of God in the Torah. The most important one is the four letter Hebrew word that we no longer know how to pronounce. It represents the most personal name of God and we see it written Y-H-W-H. It suggests to us more the quality of rahamim, love, compassion, care and mercy that we also experience in God. There is a lot more to say about this name but we will hopefully come back to it.
Meanwhile, I wish you Shavua Tov and Hodesh Tov on the occasion of Rosh Hodesh Heshvan.
http://TheProfoundWord.com
Gen 1:1 Bereishit barah Elohim- In the beginning, Elohim created….
Elohim signifies a judge [dayyan]. However, just as the laws of the Torah are called judgement [din], so too are the laws of nature that the Blessed Holy One [HKBH] planted in his world, as explained in Shabbat 155 on the verse ‘the righteous knows the din of the poor’ as meaning that the Blessed Holy One knows that a dog has need for little food. This is not a punishment but its nature is such; this is called judgement [din].
Now the simple meaning of the name Elohim is that He guides the world in justice, here it means that He creates His world in din….[HD]
[HRD] This is also the meaning of the blessing (before entering a cemetery) “who created you in din and caused you to die in din…. It is all the natural creation as God said to Adam: you are dust and to dust you will return…. I will explain further in Numbers 16:16 according to a statement of our Sages that the laws of the Torah are the nature that were imprinted in the world and by which the nature of the world is sustained. Therefore, both (Torah laws and natural law) are called din.
This is also the intention of our Sages in Bereishit Rabbah: In the beginning the Holy Blessed One created the world in din and saw that the world could not be sustained only with din so He joined mercy [rahamim] with din. This does not mean that there was a retraction from what He first planned, has veshalom. It means that the creation was completely according to din but the management and sustenance of the world cannot be solely through judgement according to Torah laws, – to punish for every sin – unless mercy is joined with judgement. The Holy Blessed One knew this prior to creation: that after creation it would be necessary to add mercy.
We have here quite a complex of ideas based on the connection between the name Elohim that is used both for God and judges in the Torah; the notion that the Torah laws are the foundation of creation, they are embedded in the structure of the universe; and the necessity for mercy with judgement in order for the world to be sustained. One could add the oft-quoted test that ‘God looked in the Torah and then created the world’ as another support for some of these ideas.
This leads Neziv to conclude that life and death are normal phases of nature built in to the structure. Even without sin, humans would die. Human action may certainly affect life and death moments depending on how these actions conform to or violate the Torah laws. But there will be birth and death as part of the natural order of things.
But it is not all mechanical. In the running of the world judgement must sometimes give way to mercy, din to rahamim. This opens up the areas of repentance and prayer to be effective.
So we humans really live as part of a natural order as well as part of a meta or super-natural order. Where the lines are drawn and where they meet is a difficult matter to calculate. But we must do so.
Neziv cites the cemetery blessing as an example of his thesis. He could also apply this to the blessing recited when confronted with bad news of a death or otherwise: barukh dayyan ha-emet. He might have cited the cemetery blessing because it includes ‘created you in din’ which is clearly not a punishment issue. So death too is a natural occurrence and the blessing means we accept death as part of God’s world, God the dayyan, who created the world in the balanced way of a judge.
This complex approach leaves room for humans to function in a natural way in this world as well as to relate to the Creator on through a mature appreciation of what the world is and how it is managed by God. We have to know what to expect from nature and how what we do affects the world. We have to try to act with Yirat Shamayim and Yirat Het, that is, not to act in such a way that violates the way of the Creator.
Shabbat Shalom
