Impressed

 Impressed!

As I mentioned in last week’s “Impressions”, we visited my sister in the State of Wisconsin, where we were shocked at the sight of all the dead ash trees that we saw on her property. During our stay there we spent time with a number of old friends and acquaintances that we made when we lived in the area for four years, back in the 1980's. One particular lady (Chris) was our midwife, who coached us through both pregnancies and subsequent births. Now two of her daughters, Beth and Billy Jo have joined her in this wonderful profession and calling. When we contacted them, they were excited to show us around their new birthing center.

We were first invited to Billy Jo’s new home on a small pond, to enjoy some refreshments and reminisce about years gone by. Her husband took us for a short ride around the pond in his pontoon boat. While relaxing and conversing on the boat, Billy Jo referred to something that she had read in my book “Firstborn Factor”.  Being a midwife, she naturally brought up the story of Joseph who offered his knees to his grandson’s wife, while she was giving birth. This episode is found in chapter 40, page 14 of the book.

“Joseph lived to see the third generation of the children of Ephraim, but when it came to Manasseh’s firstborn, Machir, he did something quite strange. Scripture tells us that Machir’s sons were born on the knees of Joseph (ref. Genesis 50:23)…  So when the wife of his grandson Machir gave birth, she sat on Joseph’s knees as a sign that the child came out of his own loins, and in that way he became his great grandfather’s offspring and belonged to him. Many years earlier, Joseph’s mother Rachel enacted this very same proxy procedure. “So she said, ‘Here is my maid Bilhah; go into her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her’” (Genesis 30:3).” End quote. 

Billy Jo then proceeded to tell us about a situation that she was in, which required her to act as a birthing stool, positioning herself so that the mom sat on her (Billy Jo's) knees. She then surprised us with an observation that could have only been made by a midwife.  She exclaimed, “I know how Joseph adopted Yeshua!” She didn’t have to say another word, our souls were already filled with joy at what was about to be uttered verbally. Of course, Miriam gave birth to Yeshua on the knees of her husband! Their immediate circumstances (of being by themselves), as well as the legal requirement, made it most likely that this is how the birth took place. Thank you Billy Jo!

After our little ride around the pond, we proceeded to meet Billy’s mom at the birthing center. That also turned out to be a big surprise, as we drove up to a beautiful little red brick church building (picture below) that was sold to them by the seven members who were left of the congregation. The three midwives, along with a local Amish community, renovated the building into a first-class facility for mothers (and fathers) to give birth in the most accommodating conditions. The sign on the front of the building says: MAMA 1-2-3 CENTRAL WISCONSIN MIDWIFERY.

I want to end this short missive with a comment that Billy Jo made while we were in the building: “This church failed to bring forth new life and so the community died. But now, once again, new life is being birthed here". 

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Ki Tavo – D’varim (Deuteronomy) 26 – 29:9

 

“When you have come – ki tavo – into the land…” informs us that “living in Israel is the assumption behind the Torah itself”, to quote Nehemiah Gordon.[1] And whereas last week’s Parasha raised the issue of the firstborn son, this week the Parasha deals extensively with firstfruit (both of which belong to YHVH, ref. Ex. 13:2; 22:29; 23:19, Num. 18:13). Here in 26:2 and 26:10, just as in Shmot (Exodus) 23:19, the term used is not “bikkurim” but rather “resheet”, which literally means “beginning”. (In Parashat Emor, Vayikra-Leviticus 21:1-24:23 we dealt extensively with this term, as it applies to the Beginning/First of the Omer, 23:10).  It is the very term which is attached to the Messiah who is IN the beginning and who IS the beginning (John 1:1-2). Rendering to YHVH the first fruit/beginning that belongs to Him can be done only in the land of Yisrael. The triune bond of the Heavenly Father, His people, and the land is expressed here in a most poignant way. “And it shall be, when you have come into the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving to you as an inheritance, and you have possessed it, and live in it; then you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground which you shall bring in from your land which YHVH your Elohim is giving to you, and shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which YHVH your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell there” (Deut. 26:1,2 italics added). Once the Israelite person is well established in the land that YHVH has caused him to inherit, and once that land yields its produce that same Israelite is to render back to YHVH the first/beginning fruit of the produce while doing so only in the place and in the manner prescribed by Him.

“And the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and place it before the altar of YHVH your Elohim. And you shall speak and say before YHVH your Elohim…” (26: 4). Now the Israelite is bidden to recount before YHVH some of the history of his people (v. 5ff), which of course highlights YHVH’s indispensable role, generating thanksgiving in the said Israelite worshipper, as well as a greater sense of oneness with his ancestors and with the future generations. And so (as we have noticed in many other instances), place, time, and people all come together under the sovereign rule of YHVH. 

However, the declaration: “… And you shall place it before YHVH your Elohim, and bow yourself before YHVH your Elohim” (26:2), along with the presentation of the fruit in the basket, does not end this particular activity. In verse 11 we read: “… and rejoice in all the good which YHVH your Elohim has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the alien who is in your midst”, immediately leading to: “When you have made an end of tithing all the tithes of your increase the third year, the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the orphan, and the widow, that they may eat inside your gates, and be filled…” (v.12). Thus, what issues from recalling the historic continuum, are joy and a sense of gratitude that leads to concern for and empathy with the less fortunate. 

In Parashot R’eh and Shoftim (2 and 3 weeks ago, respectively, and before that in Parashat Mishpatim Ex. 21-24) we encountered the root b.ae.r (bet, ayin, resh), used in reference to YHVH’s burning anger, and also in regards to removing any and all impurities from Yisrael’s camp, hence meaning, to “burn, purge or consume” (in Mishpatim we examined this root closely, finding several more meanings not mentioned here).* Last week’s Parashat Ki Te’tzeh also cited several times this term in regards to sexual impurity (22:13-24), with one more reference to kidnapping (24:7).  Here this term is used once more, but surprisingly in a very different context: “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year -- the year of tithing -- and have given to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before YHVH your Elohim: 'I have removed the holy tithe from my house… I have not eaten any of it when in mourning...‘” (Deuteronomy 26:12-13, 14 italics added).  In Hebrew both “I removed” and “I have [not] eaten” are rendered as “bi’ar’ti”. This further emphasizes the potential for YHVH’s burning anger to be kindled if one were not to fulfill the above-mentioned requirement of rendering that which is set apart (kadosh) for those to whom it is due (i.e. the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow).  

Let's reiterate, the individual Israelite, who is responsible before his Elohim for handing over the initial yield of his land, for thanking Elohim and rejoicing before Him, is at the same time also to encompass the needy ones within his gates, since doing so is as good as “lending to YHVH” Himself (ref. Prov.19:17). 

The afore-mentioned address made to the Israelites (in chapter 26) is in the second person singular, which constitutes, as noted before, a means to underscore the individual responsibility to be borne by each person (as well as the oneness of the people – one and all). The confession, however, that the Israelite worshiper is to make is in first person plural, denoting the collective national identity in relationship to YHVH (vs. 5-9). In verse 10 there is an immediate change, again to the first person, as the focus shifts back to the individual’s responsibility and relationship with his Elohim. Verses 17-19 sum up the ‘transaction’ which will take place: “You have today declared YHVH to be your Elohim, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes and His commands, and His judgments, and to pay attention to His voice. And YHVH has declared you today to be His people, a special treasure as He has spoken to you, and to keep all His commands. And He will make you high above all nations that He has made, in praise, and in name, and in glory; and that you may be a holy people to YHVH your Elohim, as He has spoken” (italics added). The verb “declared” in both instances is “he’emir,” of the root a.m.r (alef, mem, resh), meaning to “say, utter, declare, speak”. However, because “he’emir” is an unusual conjugation, rather than the regular “amar”, some translate it “elevate”, stemming from the root word “a’mir”, which is “top or summit” (for example, “uppermost branch” in Isaiah 17:6). The wilderness journey had seen many incidents of rebellion, as Moshe states in Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 9:24: “You have been rebels against YHVH from the day that I knew you”. There, as in many of the other references to the Israelites’ rebelliousness, the word used is “mam’rim” of the root m.r.h. This sad fact is stated in alliteration form in Tehilim (Psalms) 107:11: “They defied Elohim’s words” – “himru ee’mrey El”, and another alliteration is found in Tehilim 106:20, "they exchanged -  va'ya'miru – their glory for the glory of an ox". Both of these (himru and he'emiru) find their ‘remedy’ (tikkun) in the present term - “he’emiru” - that is in the definitive action of the Israelites “saying and declaring” YHVH’s “elevated” words, deeds and goodness toward them. Additionally, we can't fail to see that in the second part of this "transaction", YHVH promises to make His "special treasure" – the segula – "high above all nations". 

The rest of the Parasha is mostly devoted to the blessings and the curses (chapter 28). Even the undertaking in the future, of writing the Torah on “large stones” after crossing the Yarden and reading it to the people, is intended to illustrate vividly the extant dichotomy of “blessings” and “curses”, as this event was to take place between the “Mountain of Blessing” and the “Mountain of Curse”.  And, as if to make sure that the people will understand the simple equation of ‘obedience equals blessings - rebellion equals curses’, it says: “And you shall write on the stones all the words of the law very plainly” (27:8). “Very plainly” is “ba’er heytev”, and while we have already examined once the verb “ba’er” (and its connection to “be’er,” “well” – in Deut. Ch. 1), here we encounter the additional “heytev”, of the root “tov” - well, good, pleasant”. “Ba’er hey’tev”, then, is plainly “do a good job of explaining and making the meaning clear and simple”. 

Moving now to the blessings versus the curses, we take a look at 28:1 (regarding the blessings) and at verse 15 (the opening verse of the passage enumerating the curses) and read the following commentary: “Particularly remarkable is the difference between the emphatic double phrase of obedience used in the positive passage: ‘If thou shalt diligently hearken (shamo’a tishma)’ and the bare: ‘if thou shalt not hearken’ in the negative one. … Rashi, following Talmudic exegesis, interprets the idiomatic doubling of the verb in a conditional sense: ‘And it shall be,’ im shamoa, ‘if thou shalt hearken’, tishma, ‘then thou shalt continue to hearken’. Though grammatically this is not the implication of the verb doubling, it nevertheless expresses a deep psychological truth that once man has started on the right path, his progress becomes easier, gathering momentum with each fresh good deed. Maimonides also observed: ‘The more man is drawn after the paths of wisdom and justice, the more he longs for them and desires them’”. [2] 

The blessings and the curses are set side by side in chapter 28 and are parallel in content. But whereas it takes 14 verses to spell out the blessings, it takes almost four times that to go through all the curses. It appears that both blessings and curses are all-encompassing. When blessed, one is blessed everywhere one goes or happens to be, and likewise when one is cursed. The blessings and the curses are therefore all-pervasive. The more the blessings sound pleasant and appealing, the more horrendous and appalling are the curses, and using some of the same words in both underscores this fact all the more. The word fruit, for example, is used this way. In 28:4 and 11 we read: “The fruit of your body shall be blessed, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your livestock, the offspring of your oxen, and the young ones of your flock (italics added)”. “And YHVH shall prosper you in goods, and in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground in the land which YHVH swore to your fathers to give it to you” (italics added). In the next section, we read about a fierce nation, which “shall eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your land, until you are destroyed” (v. 51, italics added. In the English translation “increase” and “produce” replace “fruit”. See also v. 42, "produce" = "fruit"). But what renders “fruit” and its usage much more macabre and sinister is verse 53: “And you shall eat the fruit of your body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom YHVH your Elohim has given to you… “(italics added). 

Let us review several other similar examples (where the same term or root is used in widely differing contexts, highlighting the severity of the message). In 28:11 it says: “And YHVH will grant you plenty of goods…” (emphasis added), which is “ve’hotircha” from the root y.t.r -“that which surpasses” and is, therefore, a “surplus”. But y.t.r (yod, tav, resh) is also the root for “that which remains”. And so, in 28:54 the root y.t.r is employed once more, though with a very different message: “The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest – “yeter” - of his children whom he leaves behind – “yotir” - so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat…” (emphasis added). These words, aside from highlighting the horrid situation, especially as juxtaposed against the blessings of y.t.r., also echo the same morbidity that characterized the passage we just read above (having had to do with “fruitfulness”). “Avod” - “work, labor, worship, serve” is another term that is used in this manner.

Verse 14 concludes the list of blessings by saying: "So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (italics added). In contrast, it is written in verses 47-48 “Because you did not serve/worship YHVH your Elohim with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things, you shall serve your enemies whom YHVH shall send on you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in lack of all things. And he shall put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you” (italics added). Verse 64 takes us even further: “And YHVH shall scatter you among all people, from one end of the earth even to the other, and you shall serve [of the root a.v.d again] other gods there, wood and stone, which you have not known, nor your fathers” (italics added). 

Becoming “a proverb and a byword – ma’shal u’shneena - among all the peoples” (28:37) is another outcome of not heeding YHVH’s voice, as opposed to “all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of YHVH, and they shall fear you” (v. 10). In Parashat Chayey Sarah (Gen. 23-25:18, in reference to 24:2), we examined the noun “ma’shal” extensively. We found that one of the verbs for “to rule” – mashol – shares its root (m.sh.l) with words such as “proverb, parable, and example”. Thus, a ruler who represents his higher authority, as he is meant to do in YHVH’s kingdom, becomes a fit example of the latter. Here Yisrael is warned against misrepresenting YHVH and becoming an object lesson exemplifying what happens to those who betray trust. In Yoel (Joel) 2:17 the prophet laments: “And do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule (“lim’shol”) over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their Elohim?'" 

The second term used in the above “proverb and byword” - “sh’neena” - stems from the root sh.n.n. (shin, noon, noon) and means to “sharpen, whet”, and by implication “repeat”. Thus, if Yisrael should set a negative example, that fact will be told repeatedly, over and over, and in every place. However, if they obey the word, “vesheenantam… “teach repeatedly” YHVH’s Word to their children (Deut. 6:7), not only will they not become a “sh’neena” - “a byword”- among the nations, but rather they will be at the “head” of all the nations (ref. 28:13). 

The last phase of the fulfillment of the curses is a scattering among the nations. This entails unbearable conditions: “And among these nations you shall find no ease, nor shall the sole of your foot have rest – ma’no’ach…” (28:65). In Parashat No’ach we read: “The dove was sent to see if the water had abated and, found no resting place – again ma’no’ach - for the sole of her foot….” (Gen. 8:8-9). But the suffering, anguish, and dread only continue: “And your life shall hang in doubt before you, and you shall fear day and night, and shall have no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, Oh that it were evening! And in the evening you shall say, Oh that it were morning! For the fear of your heart with which you fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see” (28:66-67 emphasis added). "Hang" in this excerpt is spelled with additional alef – thus, tlu'yim – has become tlu'eem, landing an additional meaning of "trouble" – t'la'ah - to the 'hanging position' of one's life.  A book that was authored by a Holocaust survivor about his experiences, was named, Oh That It Were Evening. “Evening” as we noted several times already is “erev” of the root e.r.v (ayin, resh, bet/vet), with its numerous derivations such as mix, pleasant, raven, and guarantee (at the end of the day “erev” is a guarantee of the coming morning). In the present case, the Guarantor of the ‘coming day’ is directly involved in the circumstances of those to whom He has pledged His guarantee. Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) chapter 30, for example, contains tremendous (and guaranteed) promises to Yisrael. In verse 21 we read the following: “Their leader [“moshel” which we just encountered above] shall be one of them and their ruler shall come forth from their midst [remember Parashat Shoftim and the leader who was to be raised from “among their brethren”?]. And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?”. “Dare to risk (his life)” is of the same familiar root, e.r.v - “a’ra’v”. The answer to this question is quite clear then, as no one else but Elohim’s Son could risk His life, as indeed He has, by “sacrificing” (which is identical to the above “approach”) Himself! 

Finally (in 28:68), “And YHVH shall bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘you shall never see it again’” (see Exodus 14:13).  The mention of ships is rather curious here, as it would not have been the normal passageway from Yisrael to Egypt. This imagery may be pointing to the sea that the Children of Yisrael crossed miraculously on foot when coming out of their land of bondage. Returning to that same place would be very different from the supernatural and miraculous means they had once experienced; this time it would be more like “crossing the sea of distress” (ref. Zech. 10:11) on proverbial ‘slave boats’. There, in Egypt, the place where the Israelites had experienced deliverance from slavery, they will once again be in bondage. Should this happen, they will sell themselves as slaves, the word being “hit’makar’tem” from the root m.ch.r (mem, kaf/chaf, resh), which is a very unusual form of “to sell”, meaning “becoming sold by selling oneself”. However, while willing to sell themselves to slavery, “there shall be no buyer” (v. 68)! 

Verses 1-9 of chapter 29, which form the epilogue of our Parasha, serve to remind the Israelites, once again, of the miracles that they had experienced in this Egypt, which just a moment ago was presented before them as a potential place of untold future sufferings. They are called to remember in the future the extent of YHVH’s past goodness toward them and His great mercy, love, and power; a remembrance which will be essential for their conduct and wellbeing, hence the exhortation: “Pay attention to the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may act wisely in all that you do”! (29:9)

 

[1] Karaite Korner http://www.karaite-korner.org.

* This is not to be confused with b.ae.r, bet, ALEF, resh, which means "to expound", found here in 27:8 and in chapter 1.

[2] New Studies in Devarim, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman, Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora, Hemed books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

Impressions

 I suppose I can make the claim that, 'little by little we are making progress adjusting back to everyday routines after being gone for five weeks'. As promised, I will try and share a few highlights of our trip. One, which I will focus on this time, had the markings of a prophetic warning.  Having enjoyed our friends and family in Canada, with one week on an island in Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, we started to make our way to the U.S.  The impact of the experience I’m about to share accompanied us all the way back to Israel.   It started while waiting for our flight to Indianapolis, Indiana at Toronto’s Pearson Airport (after spending two days there due to flight cancelations).  Just before the call to board the plane, while we were relaxing near the gate, suddenly a Johnny Cash song came booming over the loudspeaker. I had hardly noticed that there was music in the terminal, but when I heard the familiar voice of Johnny Cash, who was one of my favorite Country Western singers in the 1960's and beyond, I perked up. The song that was playing was The Ring of Fire.  The chorus is as follows: “I fell into a burning ring of fire, I went down, down, down and the flames grew higher, it burned, burned, burned that ring of fire, that ring of fire”.

I immediately felt from the Spirit that these lyrics had something to do with our going from Canada down to the States.   I asked Rimona if it was making some kind of impression on her, but it did not. I shared with her what I felt and left it at that.  Our first destination was the southern State of Tennessee. While visiting friends there, a very strong thunderstorm with gale-winds and blinding rain blew through the area, downing trees and more. These types of storms have been quite frequent in that part of the country, along with very hot temperatures.  A week or so later the weather forecasters were using the term “Ring of Fire” for a high-pressure dome that had stalled in the middle of the US, causing a number of problems, with record-breaking heat and severe storms all around its huge circumference.   

Fast forward, about a week later, we were in Wisconsin enjoying much cooler temperatures.  Upon arriving at my sister’s residence, I was shocked to see that all the beautiful ash trees flanking her long driveway looked like they do in winter, after shedding their leaves.  Apparently, a worm from Asia was responsible for the plague that devastated these trees, all the way from New England to the Mississippi River.  Interestingly, it appeared about the same time that Covid landed in America four years ago.  Having grown up in Wisconsin, I also recalled the multitudes of insects, especially the mosquitos that were constant companions most of the summer, along with horse flies and other pesky bugs.  One could hardly drive down the road without insects splattering against the windshield.  What a surprise it was now to sit outside or go for a walk, free of these annoying critters! Additionally, in all the driving that we did from south to north, we did not have to stop and clean the windshield, as there were no bugs. One of the beautiful sights after dark was that of the “fireflies” a glowing bug, but even those were rare.  I couldn’t help but think about that “ring of fire”.  Another phenomenon that amazed us was the vast areas of farmlands in the Midwest, that grew nothing but corn and soybeans.  

We were delighted to meet family members and old friends in what was my home so many years ago, and especially the talks we had with my great-nephew and wife, who are a wonderful couple and enthusiastic believers in Yeshua. Nate informed us that the movie Sound of Freedom was playing in the area and that it had received a lot of attention, as it was based on a true story of rescuing children from human traffickers. I had not heard of it, but earlier that day Rimona happened to read an article in an Israeli News site about this very movie. Since it was playing that evening in a local theater, we decided to go and see it.  While I was about to pay for the entry tickets, we were both taken aback by the sound of Johnny Cash's song…. “Ring of Fire”.  During the entire time of watching the movie, we could not shake off the overwhelming feeling that the Almighty Elohim of Israel is warning the USA that sin and iniquity (“wild desires” mentioned in a verse in Cash’s song) will never be blessed, but will bring about the fires of its own demise.   The wages of sin are death, whether to an individual or a nation. Great empires of the past have all been found wanting in the balance of YHVH’s righteous justice, why would it be any different now?    

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Ki Te'tzeh - Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 21:10 - 25:19

 

Parashat Ki* Te’tzeh (“when you go out…”) consists of lists of commandments, some of which we have encountered earlier in the Torah, others are repeated in a modified form, while quite a few are mentioned here for the first time. Whereas the previous Parasha (Shoftim) focused on national matters, here the focus is on the individuals within the nation. It should be noted that even though, at first glance, the various injunctions seem to be placed randomly, a closer study reveals them to be organized in clusters wherein there is a common theme or some other link that ties together each respective group. One such example, where the rulings almost form a storyline, is found at the beginning of the Parasha (21:10-23). The first one is a case of a man desiring and marrying a foreign woman taken captive in war, but losing interest in her at a later stage. The next ruling focuses on the rights of the firstborn son of (again) an unloved wife, whose husband has another, favored, wife. From the firstborn son, we are taken to a command regarding a rebellious son, whom some of the sages believe to be the offspring of the foreign wife mentioned above. This son’s behavior makes him a ‘candidate’ for stoning, while the following statute deals with a criminal who is sentenced to hanging.  At the very end of the Parasha (in 25:13-16), to mention another example, we read about unjust weights and measures which are detestable in YHVH’s sight (v. 16). The concomitant ruling is a reference to the Amalekites, who are to be completely wiped out because they ill-treated Yisrael during the Exodus, which also places them under the category of: “Anyone doing these things is hateful to YHVH your Elohim, everyone acting evilly” (v. 16 again), even though “these things” is actually in reference to using unjust weights. Parashat Ki Te’tzeh illustrates the extent of YHVH’s involvement in every aspect of the Israelites’ life - the individuals as well as the community. In turn, Yisrael is to live life in a manner that is worthy of Him.
 
Returning to the paragraph about the "unloved woman" (literally, "hated"), it is made clear that it is incumbent upon her husband to "bestow firstborn status" on her firstborn son if she happens to have given birth to him (21:15-16). In Hebrew, the action of bestowing this status is contained in a single word - "ba'ker" – b.ch.r (bet, kaf/chaf, resh) – while "firstborn" is "b'chor", from which "first fruits" – bikkurim - is derived. Interestingly, in Modern Hebrew, this verb ("ba'ker" - "to instate a firstborn") is one of the synonyms for "to prefer".
 
The stubborn and rebellious son described in 21:18, 20, according to his own parents’ admittance “will not listen to his father's voice or his mother's voice; even though they discipline him, he will not listen to them”. “Stubborn and rebellious” is “sorer u’moreh”; “sorer” is of the root s.r.h (samech, resh, hey) and means “turn aside, defect, or withdraw”. “Moreh” is of the root m.r.h (mem, resh, hey) meaning, “contentious, defiant, or rebellious”. The type of attitude displayed here issues from the heart and so in Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 5:23 we read: “To this people there is a revolting/defiant and a rebellious – sorer u’moreh – heart”. This son is further described as “a glutton and a drunkard”.  The latter noun is “soveh”, the root being s.v.a. (samech, bet/vet, alef), recalling, “sovah” (sin/shin, bet/vet, ayin) which is not only close in sound but also in meaning (albeit employing a different spelling). Thus, if one is not ‘satisfied’ - “sa’veh’ah” - and chooses to overindulge, he becomes a “soveh”. By making use of similar sounds Hebrew typically points to life’s fine demarcation lines. Proverbs 23:19-21 addresses the same issue, using identical terminology ("soveh"). The rebellious son was to be executed by stoning (ref. 21:21), the latter being the verb “ragom”, one of several Hebrew terms used to denote this action.

Another stoning was to occur in the event of a young woman who upon marriage was found not to be a virgin (ref. 22:20-21), as well as when “a girl that is a virgin, betrothed to a man, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her” (vs. 23-24). In these cases, the stoning is “sakol” (s.k.l, samech, kof, lamed), which means not only to “hurl rocks”, but also to “gather rocks” such as in Yishayahu (Isaiah) 5:2: “My Beloved has a vineyard in a fruitful horn. And He dug it, and cleared it of stones” (italics added). This again illustrates the close proximity between apparent contradictions, of which we shall see more examples later.
 
Following the prodigal son in 21:20, the text goes on to speak of “a man [who] has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree” (v. 22), appending to it: “he who is hanged is accursed of Elohim” (v. 23). The rabbinic explanation for a sin that incurs hanging is idol worship and/or blaspheming. This is exactly what Yeshua was charged with, that is, he was accused of blaspheming the Name of the Almighty (ref. Mat.  26:65; Mark 14:62-64). This is also how He “redeemed us from the curse of [what is pronounced in] the Law [for breaking] its laws [or redeeming us from the “laws of sin and death”], having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).
 
The next set of injunctions, in chapter 22, focuses on concern for the property of one’s fellow man and his welfare, as well as sensitivity toward YHVH’s creation. “You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep driven away, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely turn them back to your brother” (v. 1). “You shall hide” here is “hit’a’lamta”, of the root a.l.m (ayin, lamed, mem), and means “hidden or concealed”, and in this context also “disregard, neglect” or “pretend not to see”. It is from this root that we obtain “olam” or “ad olam” which in Biblical Hebrew speaks mostly of “eternity” (future but also past), being indeed concealed and uncharted from man’s vantage point (Deut. 23:3; Gen. 17:7; Ex. 12:24). One of the Biblical terms for a young man is “elem” (and “alma” for a young woman), issuing from the same root (e.g., 1Sam. 17:56; Gen. 24:43); this being the case because their character is still unfolding and their future unknown.
 
At the other end of this cluster of injunctions, we read: “If a bird's nest happens to be before you in the way in any tree, or on the ground, with young ones, or eggs; and the mother is sitting on the young, or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. But in every case, you shall let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, so that it may be well with you, and you may prolong your days” (22:6,7 italics added). This somewhat obscure command holds a great promise, like that of the 5th Commandment of the Decalogue, which says: “Honor your father and your mother, as YHVH your Elohim has commanded you, so that your days may be prolonged” (Ex. 20:12, Deut. 5:16). The fact that this promise is common to both these injunctions has puzzled the sages all the way back to Talmudic days. Some of them concur that YHVH’s ways are higher than ours, and therefore various precepts are “passed finding out”, while others maintain that one should not even try and discover whether the Divine commands have reasons or not. On the other hand, Professor Yitzchak Heinemann contends that “it is incumbent on us to detect the finger of God in the wonders of nature and the events of our life, though they will still remain unsolved mysteries, so we must endeavor, as far as possible, to appreciate the wisdom and justice of His commands”. [1] 

The identical reward for honoring parents and for shooing the mother bird before taking her young may serve as a clue to a principle that applies to every word spoken in the Torah: “kala k’cha’mura”, meaning that each precept (and/or word), whether insubstantial or weighty, is to be treated equally. Thus, all the way from the weightiest precept to the least esteemed, through those that are ‘in-between’, obedience is equally required, with the result (of so doing) and the rewards being at times identical. Our Parasha, to cite another such example, also exhorts us to “have a perfect and just ephah [a measurement]; so that they prolong your days in the land” (25:15 italics added). Applying this principle to YHVH’s commandments, each one is to be ‘weighed’ by the same scale, not denigrating one and estimating another.
 
"Letting go" of the mother bird is denoted by the verb "sh'lach" – shin, lamed, chet, which also means "to send away". This verb is found in several other instances in this Parasha, all of them having to do with wives – the captured woman from the beginning of the Parasha, once having lost favor with her captor-husband, is to be "let go" of (21:14), as is the wife whose husband has found something unclean about her, and who, therefore "sends her away", as does her second husband who likewise dismisses her (24:1,3,4).
 
Right in between the lost ox and sheep and the nesting bird, is the oft-quoted verse: "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to YHVH your Elohim” (22:5). This injunction is especially used to “prove” the Bible’s disapproval of women wearing what is thought to be strictly male clothing.  However, this is not what the Hebrew text is expressing. “Lo yi-hi-ye kli gever al isha” means “there shall not be a tool/implement of a man upon a woman”. This implies that she is not to carry or wield a tool or an implement characteristic of man’s responsibilities. In this case, therefore, Scripture is not concerned with apparel or fashion, but with certain types of activities that distinguish men from women! As for the men, they are indeed commanded, plain and simple, not to wear women’s garments. The noun "kli" is found in another place in our Parasha. "When you come into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure [lit. satisfaction], but you shall not put any in your container" (23:24). The "container" (or "vessel") here is "kli". Notice also that here the "eater" partakes of the grapes until he is, literally, satisfied. It is this "satisfaction" – sovah – that did not suffice in the case of the son we read about above, turning him into a "so'veh", someone who crossed the boundary lines and turned into a glutton and a drunkard (just as we noted above, although similar in sound, there is a difference in the spelling between "satisfaction" or "one who is satisfied" – which is the case here – sa've'a - spelled sin/shin, vet/bet, ayin, and the dissatisfied glutton is who is soveh, samech, vet/bet, alef).

 
Back to chapter 22:14, and 17, where we encounter a woman whose husband charges or accuses her. These accusations are "alilot" – a.l.l (ayin, lamed, lamed. In Mitzrayim YHVH is said to have "hit'a'lel" with the Egyptians – that is, He performed deeds that made a mockery of the enemy (Ex. 10:2). "Olal" is also a toddler, and in 24:21, "le'olel" is "to glean" grapes: "afterward; it [the leftover grapes] shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow". Despite such a varied scale of meanings, all share a common root that points to movement or development toward attaining a certain goal, be it a positive or a negative one (such as in the case of the accused woman).
  
In 23:7-8 we read: “You shall not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not despise an Egyptian, for you were an alien in his land, sons of the third generation that are born to them may enter into the assembly of YHVH”. This directive is in contradistinction to the one dealing with the Ammonites and Moabites, who were not to enter the assembly of YHVH even after ten generations, that is, never. Da’at Mikra ponders: “Why is it that the Torah deals this way with the Edomites, not demanding from them what was demanded of the Moabites and Ammonites, which was to greet Israel with bread and water when they had passed by these peoples’ territories? Because Ya’acov tricked Esav and had wrested from him the birthright and the blessings; while for having chased Ya’acov, Esav and his progeny have already been punished by having been held off from the assembly of Israel for two generations. The Egyptians are also forgiven for their treatment of Israel, as [their reason for doing so was because] they were afraid lest Israel would join their enemies.” [2]

* The conjunction “ki” is used very frequently in Dvarim. Many sections open up with “if” or “when”, in both cases being a translation of “ki,” which at times is also translated as “for.”

[1] New Studies in Devarim, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman. Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora. Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

[2] Devarim with Daat Mikrah Commentary, Pub. Mossad Harav Kook, Jm. 2001.

 

 

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Shoftim – Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-21:10

Last week’s Parashat R’eh ended with: "Every man shall (‘give as he is able’ – is not in the original text), according to the blessing of YHVH your Elohim which He has given [natan] you” (Deuteronomy 16:17 italics added). Parashat Shoftim (“judges”) starts with: “You shall appoint [“titen”/give] judges and officers in all your gates, which YHVH your Elohim gives you [noten]…”  Thus “giving” (in various conjugations) is clearly emphasized here, with the “giving” of YHVH making it possible for those who are His to do likewise. In fact, His “giving” appears throughout the Parasha, especially, but not exclusively, regarding “the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving you…”            

Several institutions, and/or their relevant supervisory regulations are being set up here for the future administration of Yisrael’s national life. To begin with, as we noticed already, the appointment of judges and officers is provided for, leading to a number of prohibitions regarding just conduct. Idolatry and the consequences of its practice follow. The establishment of arbitrators and judges in all matters leads to instructions concerning the monarchy, and the conduct of the Levites and priests with, once again, severe warning against idolatrous practices such as witchcraft. From here we skip to the much-discussed topic of cities of refuge and the blood avenger, touching also on setting up boundaries. Matters on witnessing a crime and false witnesses come next. The many issues associated with wars, and how to deal with the corpse of a slain person whose killer is unknown, seal off our Parasha. 

The expression that we encountered in last week’s Parashat R’eh, namely, “You shall put away [purge] – literally burn or consume - the evil from among you” (13:5), is another repeated theme in Parashat Shoftim, almost like a refrain (ref. 17:7,12; 19:13,19; 21:9), thus subtly pointing to the results of incurring YHVH’s burning anger (as we also saw last week). 

Right at the core of this list of subjects, there is a passage, which although at first glance may appear to be compatible with the others, pointing to yet another authority figure in the future life of the nation of Israel, is nevertheless of an altogether different genre and purpose (18:15-19). Above all else, it is prophetic in nature, describing an individual who will appear on Yisrael’s horizon. This individual’s qualifying characteristics are somewhat specified in this passage and contrasted with potential false claimants or counterfeits (see vs. 20-22. For more on the latter, refer to 13:1-5 in Parashat R’eh). The instructional aspect of this text is simply, “Whoever will not listen to My words which he [this prophet] shall speak in My name, I will require it at his hand” (18:19). Moshe says of Him: “YHVH your Elohim shall raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, one like me; you shall listen to him” (v. 15), and again in verse 18 YHVH Himself is speaking, addressing Moshe: “I shall raise up a prophet to them from among their brothers, one like you; and I will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him”. Mention is also made in verses 16 and 17 of the fact that before the giving of the Torah in Chorev (Horeb) the Israelites had asked Moshe to interpose between them and YHVH, and YHVH apparently looked favorably upon that request (even though His ‘favorable’ attitude may have only been relative to knowing their inability to ‘draw close’ to Him. Regarding this matter see, for example, Deut. 5:26, which reveals the Father’s depth of heart for His children immediately after declaring His so-called approval of their request).

The future prophet, like Moshe, will also have this characteristic of mediation. By inference (re Moshe) some of his other attributes will be, granting deliverance from bondage, being mighty in word and deed, offering strong leadership yet being humble beyond any other human being, willingness to offer up his own life for the people, acting as a teacher and a judge, and being raised from among the ranks of his own people. Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 34:10 appends more about Moshe, thus implying more about the future prophet, “And never has a prophet like Moses arisen in Israel, whom YHVH knew face to face”. Does placing this passage, amid the Torah’s judicial, civil, and clerical instructions, which flank it on each side, point to the reason and end-all of these instructions themselves, and to that which imbues them with life? In Romans 10:4 we read: “For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah”. Shim’on Keyfa (Peter) also identifies this prophecy with the “One proclaimed to you before” (Acts 3:20, 22), who is Messiah Yeshua. 

In comparison with this passage, which portrays Yisrael’s supreme ruler, we read in 17:8 – 12 about the Levites and the priests who are to judge and instruct Yisrael: “If a matter is too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between cause and cause, or between stroke and stroke, matters of strife within your gates… And you shall come into the priest, of the Levites, and to the judge who is in those days, and shall inquire. And they shall declare the sentence of judgment to you”. Summarizing the above passage, we see the following points: (1) The place where these arbitrations are to take place, is “the place which YHVH your Elohim shall choose” (17:10). (2) The litigants’ response is to be in obedience “to the word which they [the judges] declare to you” and “you shall do according to the mouth of the law which they direct you, and according to the judgment which they deliver to you. You shall not turn aside from the word, which they declare to you right or left” (vs. 10, 11). (3) The consequences of disobedience are: “And the man who acts with pride so as not to listen to the priest who is standing to serve YHVH your Elohim there, or to the judge, even that man shall die…” (v. 12). 

There are marked differences between these conditions and what applies to the “prophet” of 18:15 – 19. Whereas obeying the priestly judges is to be preceded by some specific judicial matter, obeying the “prophet” is not subject to such prerequisites: “…I will put My words in His mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him” (18:18), says YHVH. And while it is YHVH who appoints this one, the judges are simply mentioned as, “the priest, of the Levites, and… the judge who is [that is, who happens to be officiating] in those days” (17:9). Whereas YHVH will “require at His hand… whoever will not listen to My words which he [the prophet] shall speak in My name” (18:19), the person who does not obey the priest or the judge, although subject to a death sentence, will not be accountable to YHVH Himself. In addition, the priests and judges, unlike the “prophet”, are not mentioned as speaking in YHVH’s name, but rather as “standing to serve Him” (17:12). 

Just before the passage about the “prophet like Moshe”, mention is made of the abominations of the people living in the Land of Promise. Yisrael is warned not to do as “these nations whom you shall expel [who] listen to observers of clouds, and to diviners” (18:14). Rather, Yisrael is to be “tamim” - “whole, wholesome, innocent, without blemish -  with YHVH” (18:13). This calls to mind Avraham, who was told, “walk before Me and be tamim” (Gen. 17:1 italics added). It appears that “wholesomeness” in one’s walk before YHVH is connected to the afore-mentioned passage, and to the Person at its center. It is only by Him that one is rendered tamim”, as Ephesians 1: 4-5 points out: “According as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us to adoption through Yeshua the Messiah to Himself” (Italics added). 

The “prophet”, whose coming is predicted here, unlike the body of the judging and teaching priests which is set up in response to the people’s needs, will be “raised up” by YHVH Himself (ref. 18:15) and will represent Him in an overall manner. 

Verses 1 and 2 in chapter 18 state unequivocally that the Levites "shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel… they shall no inheritance among their brethren, YHVH is their inheritance". Yet, verse 8 seems to indicate that the Levite could profit from that which "comes from the sale of his inheritance".  However, in Hebrew, this verse reads differently: "They [the Levites] shall eat equal portions aside from the sale[s] of the fathers". Admittedly, this is not easy to understand, but even so, it is NOT saying that the Levites have property, which would be contrary to the above verses 1 and 2, in particular since the context here deals with food and not possessions. 

In 17:14-20 the institution of the (‘earthly’) monarchy is discussed. It will be set up in response to Yisrael’s request: “When you come into the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving to you, and have possessed it, and settled in it; and you shall say, ‘Let me set [place/put] a king over me like all the nations around me’” (17:14). Once Yisrael decides to “place” (“sim”- “put”) a king over itself YHVH will select him, providing he is “from among your brothers”, and not 'from among the foreign subjects'. In this way the king would be like the “prophet” whom we just discussed, with the difference being that the coming of the latter (the prophet) will be solely by YHVH’s initiative.  It will be incumbent upon the king to study the injunctions of the Torah. In fact, he is to make a copy of it in a book for his own use, termed here “mishneh Torah” of the root sh.n.h, meaning to “repeat” or “secondary” (v. 18). The king is also to live modestly, “so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left” (v. 20). The root for “king”, “melech” in Hebrew, is anchored in the root m.l.ch (mem, lamed, kaf) and makes for a verb which means “consult, consider different views”, such as we see in Nehemiah 5:7, where it is translated “serious thought” or “consulted”. Thus, it is assumed that in making decisions Yisrael's king will be consulting and considering different views; a very far cry from the common idea of kingship, especially in the ancient world, which often ascribed divinity to the ruling monarch. 

Chapter 18 verses 3 and 4 present the “priest's due from the people, from those that offer a sacrifice, whether an ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest the leg, and the two cheeks, and the stomach, the first of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your flock, you shall give to him”. Concerning “this order of giving the priests of the fruit of the land and the fruit of the flocks”, Daat Mikra observes that it was a way to ensure that the priests will not lack “even when there is shortage or famine in the land, because whatever the people have available will also be made available to the Levites. And moreover, since the gifts are handed from one person to another, from lay people to priests, these individuals will be encountering one another as well as exchanging views with each other, and thus drawing closer together. The Israelite (that is the “non-Levite”) will learn the priest’s lofty manners, and the priest will get to know the customs and way of life of the ordinary farmer, his talk and concerns, and thus together all of them will become one single holy people”.[1] In reference to “customs” (mentioned by the commentator above), the text (18:3) reads: “And this will be the priests’ due….” The word for “due” is “mishpat” – sharing its root with the Parasha’s title, which aside from meaning “judge/judgment, litigation, govern” etc. also means “custom” or “manner” (e.g., Ex. 21:9). 

Most of chapter 19 is devoted to the cities of refuge and to the “ancient boundaries”. The cities of refuge were set up in order to prevent the avenging of blood, in cases of unintentional killing. The blood avenger is called a “go’el dam”, literally “redeemer of blood” (vs. 6, 12). The role of a redeemer is to mete out justice (within his family) and bring about the required cleansing from pollution created by the shedding of innocent blood (ref. v. 10). All three of these terms, that is, “meting out justice,” “cleansing” and “pollution” are designated by the root g.a.l (gimmel, alef, lamed). Thus, the term’s tri-fold meaning portrays accurately the ultimate Go’el – Redeemer - whose death, whereby He has taken upon Himself sin’s pollution, accomplished all of these and more. 

As to the “ancient boundaries” - in 19:14 we read: “You may not remove your neighbor's landmark, which those of former days have set in your inheritance, which you shall inherit in the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving you, to possess it”. The word for “remove” is “tasig”, of the root “sug” (samech or at times sin, vav, gimmel), meaning to “move away” and therefore often accompanied by “achor” (“backward”), as is seen in 2^nd Samuel 1:22: “the bow of Jonathan did not draw back (nasog achor”). He who moves the marking of a property (in order to extend his own lot) is actually “backsliding”, or “retreating” away from the ones “formerly set” and from the way they were originally determined. The emphasis here on “the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving you to possess it” implies that it is He who set these boundaries in the first place, and therefore altering them would also constitute spiritual “backsliding”. In Proverbs we find the same verb, “sug”, used very similarly in 22:28 “Do not move the old landmark which your fathers have set”. 

The war regulations (chapter 20) stipulate who will be exempt from the obligation to go to battle. In 20:5-8 four such cases are cited. The first is a man “who has not dedicated [or consecrated or inaugurated] his new house” (v. 5 emphasis added), being the verb “chanach” (ch.n.ch, chet, noon, kaf/chaf) which also means to “train” (e.g., Gen. 14:14, Avraham’s trained servants are called “chanee’chim”. See also, Prov. 22:6) as well as “consecrate" and "habituate”. 

The second person to be exempt from army service is he “who planted a vineyard and has not begun to use it” (v. 6 emphasis added). The verb used here is “chalel” (of the root ch.l.l, chet, lamed, lamed, which we examined at the end of Parashat Yitro, relating to Ex. 20:25) and also means “profane, pollute, defile, begin, to bore holes, entrust, release, dance and a dead body” (example of the latter, “chalal,” is found in 21:1). In a typical Hebrew fashion, we find that ‘ends meet’ and come full circle in the various meanings of ch.l.l. Thus, if we follow this root, starting with ‘profane’, which also means ‘hollow’ (void of real content), then comes ‘release’ (once again, ch.l.l)2, ending with a (new) ‘beginning’ (ch.l.l) and  'eradicating profanity'. Applying this picture to a dead body; a deceased person has certainly been released from any obligations, BUT at the same time, as our verb points out, there is also a new beginning here… albeit in another dimension. This is similar to the term “chet” - “sin” - into which is built the means for reform (“cha’teh” – “cleansing”), here too, profanity and defilement are couched in a term that provides for a transformation by way of a new beginning. The other two individuals who are exempt from army duty, are the one who is betrothed but has not consummated the marriage, and one who is fearful. 

 In last week’s Parashat R’eh we discussed the meaning of “male”, being “he who remembers”, and then pointed out the special reference there to those who belong to YHVH as “those who are being remembered” (16:16) - “z’churim”. Surprisingly, the same reference to males occurs here too (20:13), although this time it is applied to “all the men of a city which refuses to make peace” and who are to be “struck”. Thus, even these men (who are destined to be put to death) are no less known and remembered by YHVH, who is indeed “in all and over all” (Eph.4:6)!

Lastly, the Parasha deals with the “decapitated heifer” – “egla arufa” (21:1-9), in connection with the case of an unknown murderer: “And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to an ever-flowing stream, which is not plowed nor sown. And they shall break the heifer's neck there by the stream” (v. 4). The word for the “nape of the neck” is “oref” (such as in “stiff-necked” – “k’sheh oref”), hence the verb for “breaking the neck” is “arof”. Although the heifer is killed while the elders declare that their "hands have not shed this blood" (v. 7), its killing is not a sacrifice or an offering, which is why it is slaughtered in this manner. Thus, its carcass is buried rather than burnt. The heifer symbolizes the restitution (atonement) of the blood of the dead person, as he cannot be fully avenged without his murderer being found. Additionally, the shedding of innocent blood defiles both people and land, therefore this occasion renders the opportunity for the elders of the area to “wash their hands off of the matter” and be counted innocent of the blood of the deceased (ref. 21:6, 7). The usage of the “nape of the neck” for the action of decapitating the heifer also alludes to the Hebrew idiom of “turning the neck”, which means to “turn away from” or “reject” (Jeremiah 2:27 for example). In this way, the elders’ action constitutes a declaration that they have rejected and renounced the evil deed that has been committed, also applying it vicariously to the entire people of Yisrael (ref. vs. 8,9) as well as to the land (see 19:10). Just to add an observation - this action, taken by the elders, denotes a conscientious moral oversight the likes of which does not come close to what we can expect from our nations’ leaders!  

  

1 Davrim with Daat Mikrah Commentary, Pub. Mossad Harav Kook, Jm. 2001.

2 Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, based on the commentaries of Samson Raphael Hirsch, Matityahu Clark, Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem – New York, 1999.

 

 

 

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