A thought on פרשת לך לך

"...v'hinai tanur ashan u'lapid esh..."
"...and he envisioned a smoking furnace and a flaming torch..." (15:17)

Avraham Avinu forged a covenant with HaShem which involved a set of profound spiritual acts.The Torah relates that he fell into a deep trance as HaShem spoke to him. This was the Bris bain HaBesarim - the Pact of the Splitting. Our verse contains two vivid descriptions of his spiritual encounter with the Divine. What does the Torah want us to understand in depicting a smoking furnace and a flaming torch seeming to split the deep darkness, passing between two rows of sacrifices?

The Rambam writes (Moreh HaNevuchim I:21) that these images were metaphors for his effort to apprehend a sense of the radiant Presence (Ohr HaShechina) which he experienced in this prophetic vision. There are a number of events in the Torah and TaNaCh where the prophets had a sense of fire or light in their efforts to depict their vision from above. This vision of Avraham foresaw the exiles to come and the covenantal promise of salvation. The dark night of exile would end with the light of Divine intervention and protection. Avraham was able to capture an image of a smoking furnace and then a flaming torch as if these were symbols of the intense energy and radiant power which would "split the night of exile." The images are very spiritual portraits of Avraham's heightened sense of the Sacred.

The Rosh writes that the images are not symbols of the Divine Presence, even though fire and flame can connote a spiritual sense. Rather, the smoking furnace and flaming torch have a concrete meaning: they are too hot to touch. They are painful and too hot to handle. The Rosh considers these images as representations of the suffering foretold in Avraham's prophecy.

Suffering may come about in two ways. There is the physical agony of oppression. There is also the eternal suffering of the wayward soul. The former takes place in this world r'l. The latter is a spiritual consequence in the next world r'l. The Pact of the Splitting portrayed the split, the choice, with which Avraham was presented. His descendants could face an oppressive exile which would be followed by geula. However, they could opt for a lifetime without meaning or structure which would be followed by the dismal fate of eternal void, known as gehinom. The former was a focused, flaming torch which would ultimately be extinguished. The latter was portrayed as a smoldering furnace which would await those who shirked a life of devotion and spiritual ascendancy. Avraham was able to distinguish one from the other and chose the path of exile-to-salvation for his descendants.

In our own lives, our choices and options sometimes seem murky and leave us in the dark. As the Rambam writes, we must look above and beyond for enlightenment. HaShem and the Torah are our only tools for making our way through the darkness. But our choices must be sound ones. We should not be split and uncertain in finding direction. As the Rosh writes, religious life does entail sacrifices, including painful ones. Yet, the alternative of abandoning the nurturing of the soul will eventuate in fearsome and irrevocable loss.

Good Shabbos. D Fox

A thought on פרשת נח

"...va'yered HaShem ...hava Nerda..."
"...and HaShem descended...saying 'let Us descend'..." (11:5,7)

HaShem instructed Moshe to record for eternity, in the Torah, that viewing the earthly scene of people posturing "revolt" against the Heavens was to be depicted as "a descent from Above." We are familiar with the numerous anthropomorphic expressions in the Torah which utilize a mortal term regarding the Divine in order that we humans can relate to its imagery. What is the lesson specific to this instance where HaShem, timeless and omnipresent, is depicted as going down below in scanning lowly man's misconduct?

The Rambam (Moreh HaNevuchim I:10) explains: HaShem is neither above nor below in any physical or measurable sense. His "place" is "high" in the exalted sense, in that greatness and majesty are His alone. It is unfathomable to us that the One Above would monitor or take notice of matters which are in fact lowly and of no celestial significance. Collectively, humanity does not deserve Divine recognition and individually, one person does not warrant Divine concern. On the other hand, HaShem is all knowing at all times and is thus intimately mindful of every act and every event on earth and elsewhere.

The concept of HaShem the Knowing also being HaShem the Caring is theologically blasphemous, for while we can attribute knowledge to Him, we will not attribute feelings or reactions to Him for He is not mortal or subject to shifts in perception or disposition. So, if HaShem knows what we are up to, and does not "care" in reaction, even His "knowing" is not knowledge (which is something which is learned and implies a change in the one who learned it) but is actually His "willing" (ratzon) far in advance of an event, or before a person or community came into existence.

All that occurs in this world is, ultimately, ratzon HaShem. We have our sense of what "counts" and what is good, and what is not good, but we do not fathom His ratzon in real terms, for we are far too tiny and remote from that Knowing to know much of anything. Yet, in those instances where humanity falls beneath its civilized standard, we develop a sense of what must be considered wrong even if it that wrong deed or act had been preordained and is, in effect, still within the Divine will. The fact that HaShem will "deal with" those instances in a punitive manner is hardly a "reaction" from Above, as we have explained. But the lesson for us is still present.

Those illustrative lessons, that HaShem does attend to such lowly and base earthly events, are shocking, given HaShem's exalted majesty. We can best "capture" those Divine interventions as a "descent", for it is humbling that His will extends to us, even in our times of dishonor and misdeed. We must try to feel humbled that HaShem "lowers" to our lowly level. That is a feature of His intimate relationship with His creations. It is the Merciful Divinity of HaShem which we come to know, from our mortal perspective, as His descent.

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"...shiva shiva ish v'ishto..."
"...seven pairs of animals, man and its wife..." (7:2)

The animals were marched into the Ark. Our verse refers to the male-female dyads as "man and wife" rather than by their respective genders. The Rambam, we should note, writes that the Torah uses those words only as idiom and intends them as "male and female" (ibid. I:6).
Still, the words in the verse are ish v'ishto, and man and wife are very much human terms of implied intimacy and monogamous commitment, something lacking in the animal kingdom. What is the Torah's lesson for us in depicting those animals in the Ark as "seven by seven, man and wife"?

The Rosh writes that the Torah hints here at another set of seven in order to reveal a deeper truth about the events of the Great Flood. In Tehillim (29), we sing about how HaShem is sensed throughout the entire universe! His Presence, or Voice, is heard over the desert! It bursts through the forests! It permeates fire and sky and it rushes above the waters. In seven ways His mighty and powerful Voice fills the cosmos and reverberates through time and space. That is awesome strength and frightening energy for us to apprehend, and one can sense how those seven levels of intensity pulsated during the Great Flood. Such abject majesty through severe Divine judgment!

Yet, says the Rosh, that psalm closes with a surprise: Hashem la'mabul yoshav (29:10). It was HaShem alone (in comparison with the attribute Elokim, connoting justice) at the Great Flood. It was our G-d to whom we attribute that very intimacy and compassion - which the Rambam described on the earlier verse, above - who was Present at the mabul. In dealing with the planet by deluge and destruction, which were "descending din", He was also preparing for the ultimate rebirthing of the world. A selection of creatures was spared, as was a small family of mortals, from which to build civilizations and animal kingdoms in ages to come!

Those chosen few portrayed that selective, intimate component of HaShem's midas Rachamim. It was that Rachamim which resounded above the seven voices of power and might during the flood. The Rosh sees that alluded to in the image of animals as "man and wife." The Torah captures this focused and delicate sensitivity in hinting at the Divine loving kindness which was paramount, even amidst the chaos of a submerged world. Within the descent towards judgment arose a higher force of benevolent power.

Both the Rambam and the Rosh depict for us the very intimate connection which Hashem shows His creatures. One sees it in the Divine attention to mortal straying, and one sees it within the protective attentiveness to those who do not stray. One again, these two great rishonim derive a lesson for the universe from the Torah. "Va'yeshev HaShem Melech l'olam" - HaShem reigns King throughout the world!

Good Shabbos. D Fox

5770 A thought on פרשת בראשית

A Thought On Parshas Bereishis

For this year’s Torah reading cycle, I have elected to study the works of two great rishonim. Both of them were great halachists and leaders. One of them is the single most studied authority on Talmudic law, and his extensive writings are known to every Torah scholar. The other lived a bit later and was a forerunner of those who composed Talmudic commentaries focused exclusively on applied contemporary halacha. His writings are found following the text of every standard edition of the Talmud.

The first was a Sefardi Jew whose family fled from Spain to escape coercive Islamic rule. He passed through North Africa and finally settled in Egypt where he was esteemed as a rabbinic leader, a philosopher and a physician. His works eventually formed a basis for a legal compendium addressing the practices of Sefardic Jews, which is used today and known as Shulchan Aruch.

The second was an Ashkenazi Jew from Germany, who received the traditions of the greatest European halachists and Tosafists who preceded him. In later life, he was forced to flee to Spain, where he was regarded as a ranking authority among that country’s eminent leaders. His works eventually formed a basis for the glosses appended to the Shulchan Aruch which presented the Ashkenazic practices when they differ from those of the Sefardim.

I hope to present some of the teachings of each of these great scholars, who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries, respectively. At times we will be able to compare their approaches to some Torah verses; at times we will explore their thoughts independently.

This year’s focus will be Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon and Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel. Meet the Rambam and the Rosh zichronam livracha.

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“…kotz v’dardar tatzmiach lach…”

“…thistles and thorns will sprout up for you…” (3:18)



As man was banished from idyllic Eden, HaShem defined the new rules which would shape the existence of human life on this planet. Among these rules was the reality that man would labor to sustain himself, and would struggle to survive. We were told that while we might till the soil and plant crops, the yield would include thistles, brambles, thorns and weeds. The almost poetic words used in our verse demand some interpretation. Is there a deeper thought within the stark imagery of this forecast?



Surely those of us who plant gardens or who trek through parks and fields know about weeds and stickers. They are a reality. They are a fact of natural life. What did HaShem want the first man to understand as those words were spoken? Why is this such a thorny issue?

The Rambam writes that this verse introduces a life concept which is embedded in the universe, that of mida k’neged mida: for every wayward act, there is a corresponding consequence from Above. Man had been placed in Eden where life was truly serene. There was a sweet and easy feeling about living, for Odom and Chava lacked nothing. Their needs were sustained so that they would commune with HaShem through a sublime consciousness of Him. In having sought more, in having fantasized about the forbidden and living in pursuit of desire, a consequence would have to sprout.



Thistles are coarse plants and thorns are animal food. They are not tasty or pretty and can be hard on the human system. Moreover, they come about after people have labored to improve the land, something that was not in the original plan of creation. In place of tranquil Eden, man who had devalued having what he needed in favor of lusting for what he wanted, would now toil for the food he needed, and would be troubled by the un-wanted.



There is a saying in English, “cheaters never prosper.” The Rambam understands that such was the lesson of the thistle: those who aim to veer from the perfect Divine system must bear the imperfect consequences which signify man’s descent. The Rambam learns a universal principle, a halacha, from our verse.



________________



The Rosh looks at the words kotz v’dardar and relates that these words have a numerical value (gematria) which equals the value of the word doros, generations. The forecast that henceforth, man’s efforts in the field to produce food would also yield the thorn and the thistle brings a deeper message. In Eden, existence had been a pure process of encountering all of the good manifested in HaShem’s creation. Outside of Eden, man would experience good and evil for generations to come. “Each epoch produces its righteous ones yet they are opposed by adversaries who spring up – Avraham faced Nimrod; Yakov, Esav; Moshe, Dasan & Aviram…”



A world which was meant for harmony was to become a place of interpersonal strife and conflict. The good people in times to come would have their goodness challenged and their ascent sparred by a new rule of the post-Eden creation: an embedded halacha of mundane existence is that attaining goodness is a struggle beset by both internal resistance and by a social environment which can be antagonistic. The thorn and the thistle are symbols of the harsher realities which spring up amidst our best efforts to grow and to improve. The Rosh learns that this universal principle can be traced to our verse.



May this year yield a wholesome harvest from our field of study. Wishing you a good Shabbos.

D Fox

A thought on פרשת וזאת הברכה

"...sefunei temunei chol...""... what is buried, hiding in the sand..." (33:19)

Moshe Rabbeinu alludes to the Torah as a treasure hiding beneath the sands. The image is alluring and striking yet begs interpretation.

The Ralbag offers that something buried in the sand can lurk hidden for ages and ages yet be untarnished, unharmed and unstained. Once unearthed, it is as fresh and preserved as if it were new. It maintains its worth and value.

There are many faiths and doctrines which have come and gone. They have been lost to civilization and when unearthed by an explorer or researcher, they offer views about life which are outdated, antiquated, superstitious or infantile by scientific and contemporary standards.

Torah is not that way! Those who have maintained its traditions for centuries continue to thrive and grow with them. Those who have discovered them more recently as they sift through the sands in search of wisdom and truth, find the Torah's treasures alive, relevant and perfect. They are untarnished by time and immutable throughout the changing eras and shifting sands. This is Moshe's vision of Torah: it is "that which is buried yet still hiding in the sand" in its full and original, timeless form.

* * * * *

This ends my year of study with the commentary of Rabbeinu Levi ben Gershom zt'l. I have labored over his writings, which are often long and detailed. He has presented an approach to the Torah which offers clarity in understanding concepts by way of elucidating words. He has also offered novel angles for fathoming many of Chazal's principles, and how they echo principles laid down within the Written Torah. He gives perspectives on how many Torah lessons and commandments give us spiritual, philosophical and practical tools for living according to the Divine plan.

I feel good about accomplishing this learning, for it has been a productive year in looking into the thinking of a great but less studied rishon. His commentary is one of the Torah treasures which has been hidden in the sand, yet is glowing and as rich with insight as when he crafted it centuries ago. I will miss the Ralbag and may the zchus of learning his Torah endure for all of us.

The challenge for this new year of 5770 is selecting the next rishon. We have merited the study of Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra (short version), Ibn Ezra (long version), Chezkuni, Rabbeinu Bachya, Rabbeinu Yona, Rabbeinu Avraham ben Rambam, Recanati, Radak, Seforno, Rashbam, Rabbeinu Efraim, Ralbag... Sadly, there are few remaining published rishonim whose writings might illuminate our study of Torah. Let us see what parshas Bereishis brings to our weekly parsha emails with the loving help of HaShem.

Wishing you a good yom tov and good Shabbos. D Fox

A THOUGHT ON PARSHAS V'ZOS HA'BRACHA

"...sefunei temunei chol..."

"... what is buried, hiding in the sand..." (33:19)

Moshe Rabbeinu alludes to the Torah as a treasure hiding beneath the sands. The image is alluring and striking yet begs interpretation.

The Ralbag offers that something buried in the sand can lurk hidden for ages and ages yet be untarnished, unharmed and unstained. Once unearthed, it is as fresh and preserved as if it were new. It maintains its worth and value.

There are many faiths and doctrines which have come and gone. They have been lost to civilization and when unearthed by an explorer or researcher, they offer views about life which are outdated, antiquated, superstitious or infantile by scientific and contemporary standards.

Torah is not that way! Those who have maintained its traditions for centuries continue to thrive and grow with them. Those who have discovered them more recently as they sift through the sands in search of wisdom and truth, find the Torah's treasures alive, relevant and perfect. They are untarnished by time and immutable throughout the changing eras and shifting sands. This is Moshe's vision of Torah: it is "that which is buried yet still hiding in the sand" in its full and original, timeless form.

* * * * *

This ends my year of study with the commentary of Rabbeinu Levi ben Gershom zt'l. I have labored over his writings, which are often long and detailed. He has presented an approach to the Torah which offers clarity in understanding concepts by way of elucidating words. He has also offered novel angles for fathoming many of Chazal's principles, and how they echo principles laid down within the Written Torah. He gives perspectives on how many Torah lessons and commandments give us spiritual, philosophical and practical tools for living according to the Divine plan.

I feel good about accomplishing this learning, for it has been a productive year in looking into the thinking of a great but less studied rishon. His commentary is one of the Torah treasures which has been hidden in the sand, yet is glowing and as rich with insight as when he crafted it centuries ago. I will miss the Ralbag and may the zchus of learning his Torah endure for all of us.

The challenge for this new year of 5770 is selecting the next rishon. We have merited the study of Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra (short version), Ibn Ezra (long version), Chezkuni, Rabbeinu Bachya, Rabbeinu Yona, Rabbeinu Avraham ben Rambam, Recanati, Radak, Seforno, Rashbam, Rabbeinu Efraim, Ralbag... Sadly, there are few remaining published rishonim whose writings might illuminate our study of Torah. Let us see what parshas Bereishis brings to our weekly parsha emails with the loving help of HaShem.

Wishing you a good yom tov and good Shabbos. D Fox