Parshiot Tetzaveh – Zachor 5775, 2015

Understanding “Zachor”

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

This Shabbat we will read Parshiot Tetzaveh and Zachor. According to the Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chaim (146:2 and 685:7), this act enables one to fulfill two of the three Taryag (613) commandments associated with Amalek, as counted by the Rambam in his Sefer HaMitzvot: “Zachor mah sheasah lanu Amalek” (“Remember what Amalek did to us,” Positive Commandment 189) and “Shehizharnu mishchoach mah sheasah lanu zerah Amalek” (“We are warned not to forget what ‘the seed’ of Amalek did to us,” Negative Commandment 59).

Amalek personified malicious and unmitigated evil like no other group in history. As a result, they had a truly unique status, namely, no one from the ancient tribe of Amalek was ever allowed to convert to Judaism. The reason is clear; this ancient and now non-existent tribe went to war, so to speak, against G-d Himself. “…milchamah l’Hashem b’Amalek m’dor dor” (“…a war of Hashem against Amalek throughout all of the generations,” Sefer Shemot 17:16). Therefore, Parashat Zachor states, “v’lo yarah Elokim” (“…and he did not fear G-d”). In other words, Amalek acted as if G-d did not exist, as if there would be no reaction or response to malevolent and sadistic behavior. Hence, there must be a war throughout all generations against this representative of evil incarnate. Moreover, this is why we are obligated, in the third Amalek-based commandant of the Taryag Mitzvot, to completely annihilate this tribe’s name and all for which it stood.

At first blush, however, it appears difficult to maintain a strong emotional revulsion against a people that no longer exists. After all, according to Mishnah Yadaim 4:4 Sennacherib, the King of Assyria (720-683 BCE approx.), completely destroyed the cohesiveness of all the nations of his time. In sum, they were decimated and their members were “cast to the wind.” Since that is the case, why does the Torah give us three separate and eternal mitzvot regarding a tribal entity that no longer exist?

My rebbi, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal, known by his students as “the Rav,” answered this question in his famous essay of 1956 entitled: “Kol Dodi Dofak.” Therein, he presented a seminal idea learned from his father, Rav Moshe Soloveitchik zatzal:

Divine providence is testing us once again via the crisis that has overtaken the land of Israel. Let it be clearly stated: The matter does not just affect the political future of Israel. The designs of the Arabs are directed not just against the political sovereignty of the State of Israel but against the very existence of the Yishuv (settlement) in the land of Israel. They wish to destroy, heaven forbid, the entire community, “both men and women, infant and suckling, ox and sheep” (1 Samuel 15:3) At a Mizrachi convention I cited the view expressed by my father and master (Rabbi Moses Soloveitchik) of blessed memory, that the proclamation, “The L-rd will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16) does not only translate into the communal exercise of waging obligatory war against a specific race but includes as well the obligation to rise up as a community against any people or group that, filled with maniacal hatred, directs its enmity against Keneset Israel. When a people emblazons on its banner, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation: that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” (Psalms 83:5) it becomes, thereby, Amalek. In the 1930's and 1940's the Nazis, with Hitler at their head, filled this role. They were the Amalekites, the standard-bearers of insane hatred and enmity during the era just past. Today their place has been taken over by the mobs of Nasser and the Mufti. If we are silent now as well, I know not the verdict that will be issued against us by the G-d of justice. Do not rely on the “liberal” world's sense of equity. Those same righteous liberals were around fifteen years ago, and they looked with indifference upon the extermination of millions of people; they did not lift a finger. If, heaven forbid, yet a second spectacle of blood were to take place before their very eyes, it is likely that they would not even lose a night's sleep over it. (Pages 65-66 from the English translation entitled Fate and Destiny)

According to the opinion of Rav Moshe Soloveitchik zatzal, as presented by the Rav zatzal, Amalek is not a tribe or an ethnic entity at all. Amalek is, in fact, a state of mind. As such, Amalek is not a time-bound entity. Amalek has existed since time immemorial and will continue to exist until Mashiach Tzidkanu (the true and righteous Messiah) comes and destroys this force of evil in the world. (See Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim 11:4 wherein the Rambam states the true messiah will fight milchamot Hashem – the wars of the L-rd) The Rav underscores this point in footnote 23, as found in the original Hebrew edition of “Kol Dodi Dofak”: “…Amalek still exists in the world. Go and see what the Torah says: ‘a war of Hashem with Amalek throughout all of the generations.’ If so, it is impossible that Amalek will be destroyed from this world before the arrival of the Messiah.” Thus, the Rav writes: “In the 1930's and 1940's the Nazis, with Hitler at their head, filled this role. They were the Amalekites, the standard-bearers of insane hatred and enmity during the era just past.”

Make no mistake about it, the ever-changing persona of Amalek has one incontrovertible goal: to destroy each and everyone one of the Jewish people so that G-d’s name, chas v’shalom, would be obliterated from the world. Anti-Semitism, coupled with the rejection of the existence and supremacy of Hashem, are the principles by which Amalek lives. As Hashem’s authentic witnesses, our very existence belies the specious “beliefs” of the Amalekites for all time. If so, it behooves us to fight them with every tool at our disposal. Yet, how can we stand up and join Hashem in His continuous struggle against the forces of ultimate darkness? The Torah gives us the answer in one word: “Zachor!” – Remember! We must not be fooled by Amalek’s single-minded duplicity - regardless of what the media attempts to purvey. Instead, “Zachor!” - never forget the passionate enmity that Amalek has for the Almighty and His chosen people. This is the first step in “timcheh et zacher Amalek,” of destroying the memory of Amalek.

May Hakadosh Baruch Hu give us the strength and ability to join Him in His righteous war against Amalek. In addition, may we witness the time of Mashiach, when the entire world will stand shoulder to shoulder in recognizing G-d’s truth and glory. Then, the words of Zephaniah the prophet will finally be fulfilled: “I will make the peoples pure of speech so that they will all call upon the Name of G-d and serve Him with one purpose.” (3:9) May that time come bimharah u’vmeinu, soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst.

(Sefer Shemot 25:8, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

This pasuk (verse) is the most famous one in our parasha. The phrase, “And they shall make Me a sanctuary” is the straightforward mitzvah to construct the Mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary), whereas “and I will dwell in their midst” contains Hashem’s promise to dwell among the Jewish people subsequent to our building the Sanctuary. In addition, the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) utilized our verse as the source for the obligation to construct the permanent Beit Hamikdash: “It is a positive commandment to construct a House for G-d, prepared for sacrifices to be offered within. We [must] celebrate there three times a year, as [the text states] states: ‘And you shall make Me a sanctuary’” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Beit Habechirah 1:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
The materials for the first Beit Hamikdash were acquired in a planful and highly organized fashion. By way of illustration, Sefer Melachim speaks at great length regarding King Solomon’s acquisition of the lumber (cedar and cypress wood) necessary to construct the Temple. This was a classic Mid-Eastern kind of business transaction, wherein King Solomon bartered wheat and oil for wood:

And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram was ever a lover of David… And, behold, I [Solomon] propose to build a house for the name of the L-rd my G-d, as the L-rd spoke to David my father, saying, “Your son whom I will set upon your throne in your place, he shall build a house for My name...” And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard that which you have sent me, I will do all your desires concerning cedar wood, and concerning cypress wood. My servants shall bring (them) down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts (to go) by the sea to the place that you shall send me, and will separate them there, and you will transport (them), and you shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.” And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat (for) food to his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil, thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. (I: 5:15, 19, 22, 23, and 25)
 
While it is unmistakably the case that the first Bet Hamikdash was built from foreign and domestic (i.e. Israel-based) materials, the question arises, “Where did the Jewish people get the requisite resources to build the Mishkan?” For example, acacia wood (atzai shittim) was used extensively in the construction of the Miskan and its vessels:

They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height… And you shall make poles of acacia wood and you shall overlay them with gold… And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length, one cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. (Sefer Shemot 25:10, 13, 23 - among a total of 26 citations regarding acacia wood in chapters 25-38)
 
Even though the acacia tree is found in the Sinai Peninsula, (https/:ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com:2013:07:30:the-acacia-in-the-sinai-wilderness) it is more than doubtful that our wandering ancestors would have been able to find the requisite amount of this wood to fulfill Hashem’s commands. This would be the case, as well, regarding many of the other materials that were used to build the Portable Sanctuary.

Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself on Midrash Tanchuma IX, asked our question specifically in regards to the acacia wood:

and acacia wood: Where did they get these [trees] in the desert? Rabbi Tanchuma explained that our father Jacob foresaw with the Holy Spirit that the Israelites were destined to build a Mishkan in the desert, so he brought cedars to Egypt and planted them. He commanded his sons to take them with them when they left Egypt.

A parallel version of this Midrash is found in Midrash Shemot Rabbah (Vilna), Parashat Terumah 33:

Rav Tiviyomi said: “When the time drew near for our father Jacob to pass from this world, he called to his sons and said to them, ‘You should know that in the future the Holy One Blessed be He will tell your children to make the Mishkan. Therefore, you should have all the necessary materials prepared and at hand, as the text states, “and G-d will be with you’” (Sefer Bereishit 48:21, i.e. on account of the Mishkan).

The Midrash’s expansion upon this narrative is deeply insightful and, comes to the heart of our original question, “Where did the Jewish people get the requisite resources to build the Mishkan?”

In the future, He will say to you, “And they shall make Me a sanctuary.” He will then descend and cause his Divine Presence (Schechinah) to dwell amongst you. As the text states, “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst.” There will be those of them [i.e. your future offspring] who will have prepared themselves for these matters, whereas others will have forgotten them. [Therefore,] when Moshe will come to build the Mishkan, there will be those who will bring [the materials] from that which they have prepared and there will be those who will bring [the building supplies] in nearly an accidental manner. This is why the text states, “And every man with whom was found blue, purple, or crimson wool, linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red or tachash skins, brought them … and everyone with whom acacia wood was found for any work of the service, brought it.” (i.e. only some individuals were properly prepared for this auspicious moment, Sefer Shemot 35:23-24)

The Midrash’s message is compelling, shedding a bright light upon one of the foundations of Judaism: Spiritual preparation (hachachnah ruchanit) is one of the essential elements in performing the mitzvot in an authentic and meaningful manner. Only those individuals of the Dor Hamidbar (Generation of the Desert) who zealously believed in, and guarded, the Massorah (our tradition) regarding the future building of the Mishkan were then able to fully participate in its construction. The others were forced to scramble about in a haphazard manner in order to be part of this historic moment.

When we reflect upon the Midrash’s message in our own lives, we immediately recognize that our mitzvot-actions must be preceded by heart-felt hachachnah ruchanit in order to be imbued with genuine spiritual passion and devotion. If we fail to do so, our performance of the commandments will be nothing more than mere rote and robotic behaviors. This is not just a factor in 21st century life. Long ago, in the eighth century BCE, the prophet Yeshiyahu (Isaiah) proclaimed the pitfalls of a rote orientation toward mitzvot observance: “And the L-rd said: ‘Because this people has come near; with their mouth and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart they draw far away from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of people, which has been taught (mitzvat anashim m’lumdah).’” (29:13) Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel (1809-1879), known as “the Malbim,” elucidated Yeshiyahu’s words in the following manner:

There are those who perform the mitzvot solely because this is what they have become accustomed to do since their youth and they are used to performing them. They perform them without any cognitive gesture (kavanah) and without thought – even though they may know that they are commandments from G-d. They, however, do not perform them in any way, shape, or form because Hashem commanded them to do so. Instead, they perform them because this is what they were dictated to do by their teachers and parents. They [the mitzvot] are performed without any understanding and are mere mechanical actions reinforced by past rote behaviors… (Commentary to Sefer Yeshiyahu 29:13, translation and brackets my own).

With Hashem’s help, and our passionate desire, may hachachnah ruchanit permeate all our mitzvot-actions, so that they become dynamic existential gestures that are the very essence of authentic communication with the Master of the Universe. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.



R. Simla lectured: When the Israelites gave precedence to “we will do” over “we will understand,” [naaseh v’nishmah, Sefer Shemot 27:4] six hundred thousand ministering angels came and set two crowns upon each man of Israel, one as a reward for “we will do,” and the other as a reward for “we will understand”…

R. Eleazar said: When the Israelites gave precedence to “we will do” over “we will understand,” a Heavenly Voice went forth and exclaimed to them, “Who revealed to My children this secret, which is employed by the Ministering Angels, as it is written, ‘Bless the L-rd, you angels of His. You mighty in strength, that fulfill his word, that hearken unto the voice of His word’ [Sefer Tehillim 103:20]: first they fulfill and then they understand?” (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a, The Soncino Talmud translation with my emendations for readability)

Naaseh v’nishmah are arguably two of the single most important words that appear in our parasha, and perhaps, in the entire Tanach (Hebrew cannon of Scripture). They straightforwardly declare our people's loyalty to Hashem and His Torah, even in those instances when our intellects fail to perceive the depth and meaning of His everlasting commandments. While we are required to plumb the depths of His holy Torah, we are no less obligated to recognize and embrace the limits of our intellect. Our rationalization of the Mitzvot (i.e. the search for ta’amei hamitzvot), therefore, never becomes the reason for our observance of the Mitzvot. Instead, we must observe all commandments as if they were chukim (commandments whose reasons currently elude us), since our understanding of the Mitzvot is never the reason for their performance. 

Given the above, we are now ready to examine the different, yet complementary, approaches toward understanding naaseh v’nishmah that are offered by R. Simla and R. Eleazar. R. Simla’s emphasis is upon the malachai hasharet (Ministering Angels), who rewarded our ancestors with two crowns of glory; one for “we will do” and one for “we will understand.” It is crucial to note that these rewards are not only based upon the content of our utterance and the unmitigated loyalty it conveyed. Rather, the key factor for R. Simla was our willingness to temporarily suspend intellectual judgment and whole-heartedly serve Hashem with the essence of our beings.

In contrast to R. Simla’s interpretation, R. Eleazar opined that G-d, in all of His Divine glory, directly recognized the unprecedented actions of the nascent Jewish people in their emulation of the Ministering Angels. This was perceived as an act of authentic spiritual intimacy and communication. Thus, the Almighty exclaimed via “…a Heavenly Voice…’Who revealed to My children this secret, which is employed by the Ministering Angels [?]’” On the surface, it might appear that Hashem was upset with our forebears. In truth, however, the opposite was the case; G-d’s question/declaration was one of joy and happiness at our having discovered this secret of the angels.

In order to enhance our understanding of the over-arching power and significance of this Talmudic passage, let us turn to the contemporary work of Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg. In my view, her skillful utilization of a musical metaphor enables us to better grasp the full power of the faith-gesture inherent in the words “naaseh v’nishmah,” and their explanation as seen in our Talmudic passage:

In saying, “We shall do and we shall hear! [the literal translation of nishmah]” the Talmud implies, the people assume some of the virtuosity of the angels, who are capable precisely of such a brilliant power of action. Like the virtuoso musician, whose skill makes movement seem to happen before thought (“hearing”) can intervene, the people discover a genius for generous and decisive commitment. All the hesitations that beset the amateur have long been resolved: the fingers fly faster than the eye or ear can observe. In the case of the musician, however, this angelic condition is the fruit of much practice and years of experience. In the case of the [Jewish] people’s response, it is spontaneous, unpracticed…. (The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus, page 303, brackets my own)

In sum, for Zornberg, klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) emulated “the virtuosity of the angels” and their “brilliant power of action.” This was manifested by our people’s spontaneous “generous and decisive commitment” to G-d and His Torah for all time. Clearly, naaseh v’nishmah became the foundation for a fundamentally different and deeper relationship between G-d and our nation.

I believe we are now in a position to more fully appreciate why my rebbi, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1900-1993), labeled the Revelation at Mt. Sinai “our people’s finest hour.” (Public lecture, 1975) Given the Rav’s prodigious intellect and emphasis upon logic and reason, one might very well have thought that he would have championed the Rambam’s perception of the uniqueness of man as being based upon “his thinking capacity” and “his ability to acquire knowledge.” Yet, in the course of his analysis of naaseh v’nishmah, the Rav completely repudiates this Maimonidean principle:

If man’s thinking capacity constitutes his singularity, how could G-d ask man to commit to precepts, the rationality of many of which eludes him and of which some actually conflict with his reason? If man’s dignity and humanity are rooted in his intellect, would G-d command a hukkah, a mitzvah which is beyond human understanding? Why would the angels in heaven salute the na’aseh venishma response of the Israelites which, in effect, negated the rational element that is the basis of man’s Divine image? To ask man to act without reason is to bid him to be less human, while G-d created man precisely to be different, to be human. (Reflections of the Rav: Lessons in Jewish Thought adapted from Lectures of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Abraham R. Besdin, ed., page 90)

Man’s distinctiveness from the rest of creation, according to Rav Soloveitchik, is not to be found in his intellect. Instead, the Rav followed the mekubalim (Masters of the Kabbalah) who suggested that man’s “… ratzon elyon (higher will) constitutes the singular endowment which distinguishes him from the rest of creation.” How are we to understand the nature of this “ratzon elyon?” The Rav suggested the following interpretation:

This will makes decisions without consulting the intellect. It is in the center of the spiritual personality and constitutes man’s real identity. Man’s pragmatic intellect, which weighs pros and cons, is of subordinate stature in man’s personality and is called ratzon tahton, the lower, practical will. (Ibid,. page 91)

This distinction between the ratzon elyon and ratzon tahton enables us to more profoundly appreciate and understand what transpired at Mt. Sinai when man and G-d encountered one another. For Rabbi Soloveitchik, the depth-level contractual commitment into which we entered marked the ascendancy of the ratzon elyon in our relationship with the Almighty forevermore:

When G-d offered the Torah at Mt. Sinai, the Israelites did not ask for a sample, to witness a demonstration, or to accept the Torah for a thirty-day trial period. This would have been the calculated, practical thing to do… The Jewish response was na’aseh venishma, which means “we have decided to commit ourselves and, after that, to understand intellectually.” The decision was a leap of faith by the ratzon elyon, an intuitive sense of what was valid and imperative. The inner soul of man is capable of such bold visions, to transcend mundane considerations in an heroic embrace of what is or must be. (Ibid., pages 95-96)

We are now able to understand why Chazal viewed naaseh v’nishmah as the paradigm- changing moment in our relationship with Hashem: “Two crowns, they taught, were bestowed upon every Jew, one for na’aseh (the ratzon elyon) and the second for nishma (the ratzon tahton), the intellect. Which is the superior perception? Obviously, the elyon, which transcends man’s intellect.” (Ibid., page 96)

I must stress that the Rav in no way disparaged the intellect. He was, perhaps, the greatest Talmudic genius of the 20th century. Moreover, he was the noble scion and pre-eminent representative of the Brisker methodology of Torah analysis. As such, careful analytic understanding was his matchless hallmark. Equally important to my rebbi, however, was the relentless pursuit of the truth. Thus, he was in the inimitable position of recognizing that “this intellect must acknowledge its limitations” and that:

It is subservient to perceptions of faith. The intellect classifies and applies basic truths which the ratzon elyon affirms. This Kabbalistic teaching expresses a cardinal tenet of Judaism. The intellect has boundaries within which it exercises its cognitive powers. The goals of life emanate from within, but the intellect removes inconsistencies, plans implementation, and formulates logical justification. Without the ratzon elyon, the Jew could not sustain his commitments to the demanding discipline of mitzvot observance and the unshakable faith in our people’s future. (Ibid., page 97)

Each time we read Parashat Mishpatim, we symbolically stand, once gain, at Mt. Sinai. Like our forefathers of old, may we have the emunah (faith) to declare naaseh v’nishmah from the innermost recesses of our souls. Then, our ratzon elyon will reign supreme, and guide us on the ultimate journey of faith toward a deeper relationship with G-d. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure (segulah) out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth. (Sefer Shemot 19:5, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

Our pasuk (verse) is one of the better-known verses that precede the Revelation of Hashem and our Kabbalat HaTorah (the Receiving of the Torah) at Mount Sinai. The expression, “a treasure (segulah) out of all peoples,” however, is difficult to understand. What exactly does it connote? What was Hashem communicating to us by employing this terminology? To answer these questions, let us turn to some of the giants of our tradition.

Onkelos (110 CE approx.) translated the term “segulah” as “chavivin mekol am’maya” (“more beloved than all the other peoples of the world”). This approach was followed, and elaborated upon, by the Italian exegete Rabbi Obadiah ben Jacob Seforno (1475-1550) in his commentary on our verse:

Even though the entire species of man is valued by Me more than all other terrestrial beings – for it is in he [man] alone wherein G-d places his special focus – as is born out in the phrase, “Beloved is man for he was created in G-d’s image,” [Pirkei Avot 3:14] nonetheless, you [i.e. the Jewish people] shall be more beloved to Me than the rest of mankind.

In contrast, Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon the Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael, explained our expression as, “a beloved treasure, like ‘and the treasures (וּסְגְלִֵּת) of the kings’ (Sefer Kohelet 2:8), [i.e., like] costly vessels and precious stones, which kings store away…” The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) closely followed Rashi’s lead in his interpretation of our phrase, up to and including the citation of the verse from Sefer Kohelet:

You will be a precious treasure unto Me [literally, ‘in My hands’]. This is the case, since something that is truly beloved is never handed over by a king to someone else. As the verse states: “[i.e., like] costly vessels and precious stones, which kings store away.”

The 19th century German commentator, Rabbeinu Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), in his explication of our pasuk, focused upon our obligations to Hashem and explains segulah in the following fashion:

Consequently, “segulah” is a singular possession to which no one else may lay claim. It, therefore, has no connection whatsoever to anyone other than it’s owner. A fundamental condition thus emerges in reference to  “segulah;” namely, this concept demands of us [i.e. the Jewish people] in reference to our relationship with Hashem, that we will be His sole possession in a total and complete sense – in the very fiber of our spiritual being, in every aspect of our persona and with our entire volition and lives. Moreover, we must see ourselves as depending upon G-d alone, and never upon some other power or being – this principle must shape the trajectory of our lives and influence the essence and approach of all our actions. (Translation from the Hebrew edition my own)
 

In Rav Hirsch’s view, therefore, the concept of segulah emerges as the personification of our extraordinary dedication toward the Almighty that, in turn, obligates us to recognize that everything in our lives is “m’ate Hashem hayitah zot” (“that everything comes directly from G-d,” Sefer Tehillim 118:23).

Rav Yaakov ben Yaakov Moshe Lorberbaum of Lissa (1760-1832), in his work, Netivot Yaakov, provided an uplifting and inspiring interpretation of the segulah concept that bespeaks the permanence of the relationship that obtains between Hashem and Kenneset Yisrael (the trans-historical community of the Jewish people):

You [the Jewish people] are more precious to Me than all the peoples of the world, i.e. you are the Chosen Nation. This is the case not only during the time when the other nations of the world will be enveloped in the darkness and dross of idol worship – but even in the time when we will witness the fulfillment of “for Mine is the entire earth.” (Sefer Shemot 19:5) In other words, even when the entire world, even when all the nations of the world turn to Me and believe in Me, as will be the case in Messianic times, [as it is stated in the prophet Tzafaniah 3:9:] “For then I will convert the peoples to a pure language that all of them call in the name of the L-rd, to worship Him of one accord” – even then you will be my precious people – for “you are children of Hashem your G-d.” (Sefer Devarim 14:1)

Regardless of which interpretation of segulah speaks to you, may we, Hashem’s am segulah (precious and beloved nation), be zocheh (merit) to witness the fulfillment of the prophet Zechariah’s stirring words: “And the L-rd shall become King over all the earth; on that day shall the L-rd be one, and His name one.” (14:9) May that time soon arrive and herald true peace for all mankind, for then we will stand shoulder to shoulder in the recognition of Hashem’s presence amongst us and glorify His holy Name. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

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