Parshas Ki Savo
This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.
Question:
"If you are not careful to keep all the words of this Torah, as written in this book, so as to fear this glorious, awesome name of God your Lord… God will bring back on you all the sufferings of Egypt that you dread, and they will cling to you" (28:58,60)
What are these sufferings of Egypt and why will they serve as our punishment?
Being a Part of Jewish History
When you come to the land that God your Lord is giving you as a heritage, occupying and settling it, you shall take the first of every fruit of the ground produced by the land that God your Lord is giving you. You must place it in a basket, and go to the site that God will choose as the place associated with His name. There you shall go to the priest officiating at the time, and say to him, 'Today I am affirming to God your Lord that I have come to the land that God swore to our fathers to give us.' The priest shall then take the basket from your hand and place it before the altar of God your Lord. You shall then make the following declaration before God your Lord:
'My ancestor [Jacob] was a wandering Aramaean. He went to Egypt with a small number of men and lived there as an immigrant, but it was there that he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried out to God, Lord of our ancestors, and God heard our voice, seeing our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. God then brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm with great visions and with signs and miracles. He brought us to this area, giving us this land flowing with milk and honey. I am now bringing the first fruit of the land that God has given me' (Deuteronomy 26:1-10)
The bringing of the First Fruits is classically seen as an act of gratitude. Regarding the declaration made, Nechama Leibowitz (Studies on Devarim, 260-261), points out an oddity:
'My ancestor [Jacob] was a wandering Aramaean. He went to down to Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number, but it was there that he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried out to God, Lord of our ancestors, and God heard our voice, seeing our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. God then brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm with great visions and with signs and miracles. He brought us to this place, giving us this land flowing with milk and honey. I am now bringing the first fruit of the land that God has given me'
The farmer, hundreds of years later, never was enslaved in Egypt, miraculously redeemed, or brought into the land. Why then does the farmer say 'us', 'we' and 'our' ?
Nechama Leibowitz answers that the farmer, like all Jews, must identify personally with Jewish history. As I understand it, this does not mean simply knowing Jewish history, in a dry academic sense. Rather, it means that we must see it as relevant, as a guiding force in our lives, and ultimately, we must strive to become a part of Jewish history.
What does our history tell us? Among other things, we see that:
There is a G-d
G-d intervenes in history
G-d chose the Jewish people for a mission, to guide the world back to Him
Our national existence is dependent on our service of and commitment to G-d and fulfillment of our mission
[[See News for Jews, Parshat Vayigash (page 31 in News for Jews booklets) for sources about our dependence on Torah. See Rav Hirsch in the Nineteen Letters for a Jewish view/philosophy of history.]]
Without accepting such beliefs, many facets of national existence of simply unexplainable, such as:
Our survival, without a homeland, scattering around the world in typically hostile nations
The age, widespread nature, and intensity of anti-Semitism (see http://www.aish.com/seminars/whythejews/index.htm)
Jewish movements in the past which have deviated from our historic practices, namely both the Written and Oral Torah, have faded away.
We have, after almost 2000 years, returned to our ancestral homeland, the Holy Land of Israel
Only the Jewish people have been able to successfully settle the Land of Israel
[[While quite probably we truly need prophecy to explain historical events, this is not a natural event and in Brachos (don't remember where), it says miracles are only done by G-d. Thus this return must be a kindness from G-d. It says in his Artscroll biography that Reb Yaakov Kaminetsky held this and my teacher, R. Moshe Lichtman, also told me this in the name of Rav Menachem Kasher. This of course need not mean that the state of Israel is the beginning of the flourishing of our redemption. As Rav Moshe Lichtenstein pointed out in the Jewish Action, such a claim means that our existence in the land is no longer dependent on mitzvos. This could be refuted saying that one way or another, we will do teshuva and thus never need to lose the land. This may be implied from Ezekiel but requires further thought. Rav Soloveitchik and Rav Yaakov Weinberg rejected messianic claims based on a Rambam regarding the Messiah. This entire discussion requires further thought]]
Indeed, we are hated for our differences but when we assimilate, we are still hated. Both Rav Yitzchak Arama and Rav Yitzchak Abrabanel, two prodigious scholars who left Spain in the expulsion, find this hinted to in our parshah:
"God will scatter you among the nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will gods of wood and stone, unknown to you and your fathers. Among those nations there will be no tranquility, and there will be no place for your foot to rest…" (Deuteronomy 28:64-65) (Nechama, 296-297)
And they see this echoed in the words of Ezekiel:
"But what enters your mind shall not come about, what you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to serve wood and stone.' As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with poured out fury, will I reign over you" (Ezekiel 20:32).
[[Rav Soloveitchik and fate]]
It is historical truths such as these which must guide our lives.
Food for further thought and discussion:
While identifying with our history is an essential component of the Jewish experience, why is it specifically ordained regarding bringing the first fruit ?
What is the significance of the rampant rates of intermarriage and assimilation found in the United States?
Based on all of this, how do we understand the requirement on Passover to see oneself as actually having left Egypt?
[[Why is the passage for bringing first fruits chosen as for midrashic amplification during the Seder?]]
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai
[[Dr. Dershowitz book about What Israel Means to Me and essays from Rabbi Erich Yoffie, Natalie Portman, secular humanist Rabbi, and Reb Noach Weinberg, and then Rav Soloveitchik on destiny and in Prayer, Redemption, and Talmud Torah]]
[[Rav Moshe Eisemann's hagaddah]]
This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.
A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.
Question:
"If you are not careful to keep all the words of this Torah, as written in this book, so as to fear this glorious, awesome name of God your Lord… God will bring back on you all the sufferings of Egypt that you dread, and they will cling to you" (28:58,60)
What are these sufferings of Egypt and why will they serve as our punishment?
Being a Part of Jewish History
When you come to the land that God your Lord is giving you as a heritage, occupying and settling it, you shall take the first of every fruit of the ground produced by the land that God your Lord is giving you. You must place it in a basket, and go to the site that God will choose as the place associated with His name. There you shall go to the priest officiating at the time, and say to him, 'Today I am affirming to God your Lord that I have come to the land that God swore to our fathers to give us.' The priest shall then take the basket from your hand and place it before the altar of God your Lord. You shall then make the following declaration before God your Lord:
'My ancestor [Jacob] was a wandering Aramaean. He went to Egypt with a small number of men and lived there as an immigrant, but it was there that he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried out to God, Lord of our ancestors, and God heard our voice, seeing our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. God then brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm with great visions and with signs and miracles. He brought us to this area, giving us this land flowing with milk and honey. I am now bringing the first fruit of the land that God has given me' (Deuteronomy 26:1-10)
The bringing of the First Fruits is classically seen as an act of gratitude. Regarding the declaration made, Nechama Leibowitz (Studies on Devarim, 260-261), points out an oddity:
'My ancestor [Jacob] was a wandering Aramaean. He went to down to Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number, but it was there that he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried out to God, Lord of our ancestors, and God heard our voice, seeing our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. God then brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm with great visions and with signs and miracles. He brought us to this place, giving us this land flowing with milk and honey. I am now bringing the first fruit of the land that God has given me'
The farmer, hundreds of years later, never was enslaved in Egypt, miraculously redeemed, or brought into the land. Why then does the farmer say 'us', 'we' and 'our' ?
Nechama Leibowitz answers that the farmer, like all Jews, must identify personally with Jewish history. As I understand it, this does not mean simply knowing Jewish history, in a dry academic sense. Rather, it means that we must see it as relevant, as a guiding force in our lives, and ultimately, we must strive to become a part of Jewish history.
What does our history tell us? Among other things, we see that:
There is a G-d
G-d intervenes in history
G-d chose the Jewish people for a mission, to guide the world back to Him
Our national existence is dependent on our service of and commitment to G-d and fulfillment of our mission
[[See News for Jews, Parshat Vayigash (page 31 in News for Jews booklets) for sources about our dependence on Torah. See Rav Hirsch in the Nineteen Letters for a Jewish view/philosophy of history.]]
Without accepting such beliefs, many facets of national existence of simply unexplainable, such as:
Our survival, without a homeland, scattering around the world in typically hostile nations
The age, widespread nature, and intensity of anti-Semitism (see http://www.aish.com/seminars/whythejews/index.htm)
Jewish movements in the past which have deviated from our historic practices, namely both the Written and Oral Torah, have faded away.
We have, after almost 2000 years, returned to our ancestral homeland, the Holy Land of Israel
Only the Jewish people have been able to successfully settle the Land of Israel
[[While quite probably we truly need prophecy to explain historical events, this is not a natural event and in Brachos (don't remember where), it says miracles are only done by G-d. Thus this return must be a kindness from G-d. It says in his Artscroll biography that Reb Yaakov Kaminetsky held this and my teacher, R. Moshe Lichtman, also told me this in the name of Rav Menachem Kasher. This of course need not mean that the state of Israel is the beginning of the flourishing of our redemption. As Rav Moshe Lichtenstein pointed out in the Jewish Action, such a claim means that our existence in the land is no longer dependent on mitzvos. This could be refuted saying that one way or another, we will do teshuva and thus never need to lose the land. This may be implied from Ezekiel but requires further thought. Rav Soloveitchik and Rav Yaakov Weinberg rejected messianic claims based on a Rambam regarding the Messiah. This entire discussion requires further thought]]
Indeed, we are hated for our differences but when we assimilate, we are still hated. Both Rav Yitzchak Arama and Rav Yitzchak Abrabanel, two prodigious scholars who left Spain in the expulsion, find this hinted to in our parshah:
"God will scatter you among the nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will gods of wood and stone, unknown to you and your fathers. Among those nations there will be no tranquility, and there will be no place for your foot to rest…" (Deuteronomy 28:64-65) (Nechama, 296-297)
And they see this echoed in the words of Ezekiel:
"But what enters your mind shall not come about, what you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to serve wood and stone.' As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with poured out fury, will I reign over you" (Ezekiel 20:32).
[[Rav Soloveitchik and fate]]
It is historical truths such as these which must guide our lives.
Food for further thought and discussion:
While identifying with our history is an essential component of the Jewish experience, why is it specifically ordained regarding bringing the first fruit ?
What is the significance of the rampant rates of intermarriage and assimilation found in the United States?
Based on all of this, how do we understand the requirement on Passover to see oneself as actually having left Egypt?
[[Why is the passage for bringing first fruits chosen as for midrashic amplification during the Seder?]]
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai
[[Dr. Dershowitz book about What Israel Means to Me and essays from Rabbi Erich Yoffie, Natalie Portman, secular humanist Rabbi, and Reb Noach Weinberg, and then Rav Soloveitchik on destiny and in Prayer, Redemption, and Talmud Torah]]
[[Rav Moshe Eisemann's hagaddah]]
posted by Mordechai18 at 12:59 AM
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