Parashat Vayechi, 5773, 2012:

                            “Am I instead of G-d?”
                       
                                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, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

This week’s parasha (Torah portion) contains a verse that seems to defy all manner of understanding: “Now Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died…” (Sefer Bereishit 50:15, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach). What can the Torah possibly mean when it tells us this? After all, the preceding two verses unequivocally state:

And his [Yaakov’s] sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and they buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought for burial property from Ephron the Hittite before Mamre. And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. (Ibid. 13-14)

Rashi (1040-1105) answers our question by quoting a Midrashic explanation that suggests that the brothers perceived Yosef’s behavior as being different than it had been when their father was alive:

Now Joseph’s brothers saw that their father had died: What does it mean that they saw? They recognized his (Jacob’s) death in Joseph, for they were accustomed to dine at Joseph’s table, and he was friendly toward them out of respect for his father, but as soon as Jacob died, he was no longer friendly toward them. — [From Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel; Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Sefer Shemot 2]

Another statement, this time from the standard edition of the Midrash Tanchuma, seems to indicate that the brothers began to worry about how Yosef would treat them almost immediately after they buried their beloved father:

Now Joseph’s brothers saw that their father had died: What did they see now that caused them to have such visceral fear? But in fact, they saw at the time that they returned from their father’s burial that Yosef went to make a blessing [for his salvation] over the very same pit into which his brothers had tossed him…. Once they saw this, they said: “Now that our father has died, perhaps Yosef will bear a grudge and surely repay us in kind for all the evil that we did to him.” (Vayechi 17)

When the above-stated Midrashim are viewed in tandem, it becomes clear that Yosef’s brothers had legitimate reasons to fear a potential outpouring of pent-up anger and rage. Yet, Yosef did no such thing. The reason, I believe, is that Yosef had conquered his desire for revenge because he had reached a high level of moral rectitude. This notion is encapsulated in the honorific title by which he has been known throughout Jewish history: “Yosef Hatzaddik” (“Yosef the Righteous”). It appears, however, that the brothers did not fully comprehend Yosef’s true moral stature and judged him, perhaps, in the same manner in which they would have judged themselves. In fact, they so misunderstood Yosef’s nature that they offered themselves to him to be his slaves: “His brothers also went and fell before him, and they said, ‘Behold, we are your slaves.’” (Sefer Bereishit 50:18) Yosef, of course, desired no such debasement of his brothers. Moreover, he did everything in his power to assuage their fears, and to assure them of his continuing protection and physical support:

But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid, for am I instead of G-d? Indeed, you intended evil against me, [but] G-d designed it for good, in order to bring about what is at present to keep a great populace alive. So now do not fear. I will sustain you and your small children.” And he comforted them and spoke to their hearts. (Ibid. 19-21)

This passage contains the particularly fascinating phrase of “for am I instead of G-d?” This is not the first time we encounter this expression in Sefer Bereishit. It also appears in the midst of the heartbreaking dialogue that ensued between Yosef’s then-barren mother Rachel, and his father Yaakov:

And Rachel saw that she had not borne [any children] to Jacob, and Rachel envied her sister, and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, and if not, I am dead.” And Jacob became angry with Rachel, and he said, “Am I instead of G-d, Who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Ibid. 30:1-2)

Even a cursory reading of the two passages reveals that although Yaakov and Yosef used the same words, they meant something quite different. Yaakov angrily and insensitively berated Rachel with the words “Am I instead of G-d?” whereas Yosef used them to comfort and reassure his frightened and trembling brothers. Chazal (our Sages of Blessed Memory) alluded to this fundamental difference in Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Parashat Vayatze 19:

Rachel said to Yaakov: “Give me children, and if not, I am dead.” And Jacob became angry with Rachel. And the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh) then said: “Shall a wise man raise his voice with opinions of wind…” [i.e. meaningless words and causeless anger (Rashi) Sefer Iyov 15:2] Yaakov then said to Rachel: “Am I the vice-regent (antikyasar) of the Holy One Blessed be He? Am I instead of G-d?” [In response to Yaakov’s gross insensitivity to Rachel] Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One Blessed be He) took an oath and swore: “In the same language that you [Yaakov] angrily said, ‘Am I instead of G-d?’ shall her [Rachel’s] son arise [and state from a position of strength and sensitivity] to your other sons: “Am I instead of G-d?”

The noted Israeli Bible scholar, Professor Nechama Leibowitz zatzal (1905-1997), presented the crystal clear difference between Yaakov and Yosef in their use of the same phraseology, in the following insightful analysis:

Jacob had shirked responsibility in these words, rejecting his wife’s Rachel’s request to pray for her in time of trouble and share her distress, on the grounds of man’s incompetence and his limitations in the matter concerned. He had adopted this pose of humbleness and inadequacy in order to absolve himself of all responsibility. Joseph, on the other hand, uttered this expression of inadequacy and self-abasement in order to save his brothers’ feelings and reassure them. It was not for him to judge them; the judgment was G-d’s. (Studies in the Book of Genesis: In the Context of Ancient and Modern Jewish Bible Commentary, translated by Aryeh Newman, p.560)  
Based on these sources, it appears to me that we can learn something essential from both Yaakov’s and Yosef’s reactions and subsequent actions. Yaakov taught us precisely how we ought not to behave. Rather than demonstrating insensitivity and abnegating responsibility to our spouses, we need to recognize their pain and take on their emotional burdens as if they are truly our own. After all, according to the Midrash, G-d Himself soundly rejected Yaakov’s behavior toward his suffering wife in no uncertain terms. In stark contrast, I believe that Yosef taught us how to “take the high road,” in order to protect another’s feelings at his/her moment of greatest weakness. Perhaps most importantly, we must remember that it is not our role to judge another. Thus, each of us should try to emulate Yosef and declare in heartfelt humility: “Am I instead of G-d?” May Hashem grant us the wisdom and understanding to walk humbly before Him, and before all mankind. 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 new 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.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my new blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                         Parashat Vayigash 5773, 2012:

                    Understanding Yehudah’s Greatness

                              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, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya, and in honor of the engagement of Tanya Wertentheil to Natan Farber.

Yehudah ben Yaakov and Leah, the fourth-born son of the shiftei kah (Tribes of Hashem), was a multidimensional individual to whom many of us can relate. Like all other great Torah personalities, he was truly human, in that he was not perfect. Nevertheless, and this is perhaps the essential link between Yehudah and ourselves, he demonstrated the potential for, and actualization of, tremendous spiritual growth and leadership throughout the course of his life. Yehudah’s ability to overcome his faults was, perhaps, the major factor in his achieving malchut (kingship).

Tosefta Berachot, 4:17-18 asks: “Mipnei mah zachah Yehudah l’malchut?” (“Why did Yehudah merit kingship?”) no less than four times. It responds with three different answers:

1. Because he admitted his culpability in reference to his daughter-in-law Tamar (Sefer Bereishit 38:26)
2. Because he saved his brother Yosef from death (Sefer Bereishit 37:26)
3. Because of his humility (Sefer Bereishit 42:33)

Let us analyze each one of these reasons for Yehudah’s ascendancy to kingship, based upon some seminal passages that appear in the Midrashic Literature.

The Incident of Yehudah and Tamar

Midrash Shemot Rabbah 30:19 asks a parallel question to that found in the above-quoted Tosefta: “Why did the Holy One Blessed be He give the crown to Yehudah?” It notes that he was not the only heroic and powerful figure among the brothers. Certainly Shimon, Levi, and the other brothers were as well. The reason offered in the Midrash is that he “issued an honest halachic decision in reference to Tamar,” i.e., he found her innocent. As the Midrash notes, this was no small matter:

The case of Tamar came before him and he initially declared that she should die by fire for her seemingly licentious behavior. Subsequently, he declared her to be innocent because he found contradictory evidence of her innocence [even though it directly implicated him in the matter.] What exactly transpired? Yitzhak and Yaakov were sitting in front of him, and all of his brothers surrounded him. At that point, [even though he was, in fact, the father of Tamar’s unborn children and therefore about to be publicly embarrassed] he recognized the truth of Hashem’s presence, stated the truth, and declared: “She is more righteous than I am!” As a result, the Holy One Blessed be He designated him as the monarch [for all time].

Imagine the pressure that Yehudah must have felt. His holy and beloved grandfather and father were watching him render judgment, as were all his brothers. By declaring Tamar innocent, he was forced to reveal exactly what took place between them. By doing so, Yehudah truly answered to a higher authority, and thereby transformed and transcended himself to become the authentic leader of the Jewish people. In short, Yehudah’s singular pursuit of truth, even when it necessitated his total and complete embarrassment before his entire family, earned him the kingship of our people for all time.


Yehudah as Yosef’s Savior

Yehudah’s act of saving Yosef’s life was, in reality, an act of pesharah, of arbitration, compromise and concession. As the verses in Sefer Bereishit 37 (19-27) make crystal clear, the brothers desperately wanted to kill Yosef. They surely would have done so without Yehudah’s bold intervention:

So they said one to the other, “Behold, that dreamer is coming. So now, let us kill him, and we will cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him,’ and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But Reuben heard, and he saved him from their hand[s], and he said, “Let us not deal him a deadly blow.” And Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the desert, but do not lay a hand upon him,” in order to save him from their hand[s], to return him to his father. Now it came to pass when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his shirt, of the fine woolen coat which was upon him. And they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty - there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal, and they lifted their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and lotus, going to take [it] down to Egypt. And Judah said to his brothers, “What is the gain if we slay our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers hearkened. (This, and all Torah translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

The Midrash Tanchumah, Ki Tisa: II, tells the story behind the story in the following manner:

So they said one to the other, "Behold, that dreamer is coming. So now, let us kill him…” The tossed him into the pit and they said: ”Let us eat and drink and afterwards we will take him out and we will kill him.” They ate and they drank and they prepared to say Grace After Meals. Yehudah said to them: “We want to kill someone and we are going to bless our G-d! We are not blessing [Him], instead we are blaspheming [Him!]…Let us go [instead] and sell him to the Arabs”

Yehudah’s valiant act of pesharah is considered, according to the halachically-accepted opinion in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 6b, to be highly meritorious:

R. Judah b. Korha says: Settlement by arbitration is a meritorious act, for it is written, “Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.” [Sefer Zechariah 8:16] Surely where there is strict justice there is no peace, and where there is peace, there is no strict justice! But what is that kind of justice with which peace abides? — We must say: Arbitration. So it was in the case of David, as we read, “And David executed justice and righteousness [charity] towards all his people.” [Sefer Shmuel II, 8:15]. Surely where there is strict justice there is no charity, and where there is charity, there is no justice! But what is the kind of justice with which abides charity? — We must say: Arbitration. (Translation, Soncino Talmud)

My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), explained the superiority of pesharah over strict judgment in the following fashion:

In pesharah, however, social harmony is the primary concern of the dayyan [judge]. The fine points of the law and the determination of precise facts are of secondary importance. The goal is not to be juridically astute but to be socially healing. The psychology of the contenders, their socio-economic status and values, as well as the general temper of society, are the primary ingredients employed in the pesharah process. These considerations are evaluated within the broad halachic parameters of the Hoshen Mishpat [section of the Code of Jewish Law that deals with judges and the legal process], and the final resolution of the conflict is a delicate and sensitive blending of both objective legal norms and subjective humanistic goals. For this reason, pesharah is the preferred alternative. (Rabbi Abraham Besdin, Reflections of the Rav, Volume I, page 54)

In light of the Rav’s analysis, it is little wonder that Yehudah’s heroic and righteous act of pesharah was so often emulated by the greatest of all of our kings, David Hamelech (King David).

Yehudah’s Humility

In Judaism’s view, the true leader places his or her needs second to those of the people he or she represents, and paradoxically, remains subservient in word and deed to the community, the klal, that he or she leads. Yehudah demonstrated this manner of humility in both this week’s and last week’s parshiot. At the end of Parashat Miketz, the Torah relates the brothers’ words to Yosef in light of their reaction to the discovery of the regent’s royal cup in Binyamin’s sack. Significantly, the spokesman is none other than Yehudah: “And Judah said, “What shall we say to my master? What shall we speak, and how shall we exonerate ourselves? G-d has found your servants’ iniquity in both we and the one in whose possession the goblet has been found.” (44:16) Herein, Yehudah calls all of the brothers Yosef’s servants. In the beginning of our parasha, however, he labels himself a servant four times before Yosef:

Then Judah approached him and said, “Please, my lord, let now your servant speak something into my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be kindled against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.’ For your servant assumed responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, “If I do not bring him to you, I will have sinned against my father forever.” So now, please let your servant stay instead of the boy as a slave to my lord, and may the boy go up with his brothers. (44:18, 32-33)

Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 13:3, focuses upon Yehudah’s humility (anivut), as demonstrated in these verses, and declares this to be the cause of his tribe’s subsequent position of glory and honor:

Rabbi Berechyah the Kohan, the son of Rabi, said in the name of Rabbi Levi: “The Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘Yehudah, since you have lowered yourself before your younger brother [in order to rescue him from servitude,] when the Mishkan (portable Sanctuary in the desert) will be erected and all of the tribes will come to offer [sacrifices]; there will be no tribe that will offer before you. Rather, they will all demonstrate respect before you and you will have [the honor] of being the first to bring [the sacrifices].’” Therefore the Torah states: “And the one [of the tribal princes] who brought sacrifices on the first day… from the tribe of Yehudah…”

Anivut, therefore, emerges as one of Yehudah’s outstanding qualities, and an ethical characteristic that made him particularly suited to receive the mantle of kingship for all time.

In summary, Yehudah represented three major qualities that are fundamental for true Jewish leadership:

1. He pursued emet, truth, regardless of the personal consequences that might obtain.
2. He was a master of compromise and arbitration (pesharah).
3. He was humble and grew to become a baal anivut (a master of humility).

From time immemorial we have been called Yehudim (Jews) after Yehudah, the progenitor of nearly all Jewish kings. May we be zocheh (merit) to emulate the qualities that he personified: emet, pesharah, and anivut. By achieving this lofty goal, with Hashem’s help, may we hasten the coming of Yehudah’s most beloved heir, Mashiach Tzidkeinu, the Righteous Messiah. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://www.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 new 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.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my new blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                Parashat Miketz - Shabbat Chanukah, 5773, 2012:

            Chanukah: Elevation and Transformation

                                 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, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

We are very fortunate to have clear and accepted texts of our tefilot (prayers). As long as a shul follows a specific nusach (accepted version) of prayers, its particular geographic location is immaterial. This means that whether I pray Nusach Ashkenaz or Nusach Halab, for example, it will not matter whether I am in Jerusalem, Israel, Brooklyn, NY, or Deal, NJ. The texts of the tefilah will be nearly uniformly the same. We are so comfortable with the standardization of our prayers that we tend to take it for granted. Historically, however, this was not the case. Moreover, like many texts in our tradition, the siddur (prayer book) evolved and changed over time. Allow me to present a timely example.

The earliest extant order of Jewish prayers is found in the ninth century work known as the Seder Rav Amram Gaon. Rav Amram Gaon lived in Bavel (modern day Iraq) and headed the illustrious Yeshiva of Sura. As such, his collection of tefilot is considered very authoritative. In his version of the Al Hanissim (In reference to the miracles) of Chanukah, we immediately notice that the phrase “u’temayim b’yad tahorim” (“and the impure into the hands of the pure”) is nowhere to be found. Apparently, it was not part of Babylonian Jewish practice to recite this phrase. In addition, it probably was not part of any Jewish community’s seder hatefilot (order of prayers) at that time. By the next generation of Geonim, however, we find that the great Rav Saadiah ben Yosef Gaon (b. Egypt 882/892, d. Baghdad 942) included “u’temayim b’yad tahorim” in his siddur. So, too, is it included in the late 11th century Ashkenazi order of prayers known as the Machzor Vitry, compiled by one of Rashi’s (1040-1105) leading students, Rabbi Simcha ben Samuel of Vitry, France (d. 1105). The final stamp of authority for the inclusion of this phrase was issued by the Rambam (1135-1204) in the Mishneh Torah, in his collection of tefilot that appear at the end of Hilchot Tefilah (the Laws of Prayer).

Now that we have briefly traced the history of the phrase, “u’temayim b’yad tahorim,” let us try to understand its meaning. Who exactly were the “impure” that were handed over, with G-d’s concealed intervention, into the “hands of the pure?” In addition, what is meant by the term: “the pure?” The “impure” (temayim) refers to our most dangerous enemy during the Wars of Chanukah – ourselves. The temayim were the radical assimilationists among our own people. They were our internal enemy, who sought to adopt Greek mores and values and eschew the essence and foundation of Judaism. They went so far as to subject themselves to painful operations to remove their brit milah, so that they would be able to wrestle nude and be indistinguishable from native-born Greeks. In a word, they rejected the Torah and its laws as antiquated relics of a bygone past that had failed to successfully compete with the glory of Greece. In contrast, the “pure,” i.e. the Maccabees, were a relatively small number of Jewish loyalists who were dedicated to maintaining the glory and integrity of our holy Torah. Thus, the most dangerous war was not the war between the Jewish people and our external enemies – the Syrian-Greeks. Rather, the war that determined the future of our nation was the civil war between the Torah observant (tahorim) and the Hellenistic assimilationists (temayim, or mityavnim). The victory of the tahorim over the temayim is one of the major reasons we exist today.

My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, understood and analyzed the nature of the victory of the Maccabees over the Jewish-Hellenists in non-militaristic terms. True, the Jewish-Hellenists personified the potential destruction of Judaism. In this sense, they were evil, since they sought to defile our Torah from within our own ranks. Yet, the Rav suggested, one of the true miracles of Chanukah is the concept that it is possible to transform and elevate such evil and change it into a positive force:

One can understand why the passage [of Al Hanissim] states, “You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few.” This refers to the military miracle [against the Syrian-Greeks]. But what is the miracle of delivering the impure into the hands of the pure? In fact, the latter is greater than the military miracle, of delivering the strong into the hands of the weak. It is the miracle of elevating evil. The impure was not destroyed by the pure, but was elevated and became pure. The wicked one, the cruel one, was not annihilated by the righteous one, but he himself became holy.” (Days of Deliverance: Essays on Purim and Hanukkah, page 154, brackets and underlining my own)

The Rav’s understanding of the battle for the heart and soul of our people at this time reminds me of a powerful Talmudic passage that appears in Talmud Bavli, Berachot 10a. Therein we are allowed a glimpse into the beautiful marital relationship that obtained between the great Mishnaic Sage, Rabbi Meir, and his beloved wife, Beruria. We see, as well, the depth of wisdom and understanding that was Beruria’s hallmark:

There were certain bandits in R’ Meir’s neighborhood and they caused [R’Meir] considerable distress. Once, R’ Meir was praying for mercy regarding them, so that they would die. [R’Meir wanted them to perish immediately so that they would still have a chance at some kind of reward in the World to Come.] His wife, Beruria, said to him: What is your reasoning to pray for their deaths? Because it is written: “Let sinners cease from the earth.” You therefore emulate King David – just as he prayed for the death of sinners, so too do you pray for their deaths. But is it then the word chotim that is written in the verse, in which case the verse would refer to sinners? No! [The word] written is written chataim, which refers to that which causes one to sin, i.e. the Evil Inclination. Accordingly, King David is not praying for the death of sinners, but for the end to the Evil Inclination that leads them to sin! And furthermore [said Beruria], go down to the end of the verse that states: “and let the wicked be no more.” … [Given all of this,] you should rather pray for mercy regarding [these bandits] that they should repent…[and then] the wicked will be no more! [R’Meir] heeded her advice and prayed for mercy regarding [them], and they indeed repented of their wickedness. (Translation, The Artscroll Talmud with my emendations)

Once again, this vignette, just like the story of Chanukah, teaches us that evil can be elevated and transformed into a positive force. The bandits in Rabbi Meir’s time became new and better people who added to the greatness of our nation. In addition to all of the standard interpretations of the Chanukah lights, perhaps we need to add this message of hope to our repertoire of understanding: Just like the flames of the candles ascend toward Heaven and purity, so, too, do all Jews have the potential to grow, be transformed, and connect with their hearts and souls to Avimu she’b’shamayim (our Father in Heaven). May this time come soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!

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 new 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.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my new blog: http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

                       Parashat Vayashev - Chanukah 5773, 2012:

                            On Being the Chosen People
                                   
                                   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, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam and Moshe Reuven ben Chaya.

The concept of our being G-d’s Am Hanivchar (Chosen People) is the essence of Chanukah. On the surface, however, this may not appear to be the case. After all, one could easily view the story of the Maccabees and their incredible victory over the Syrian-Greek regime of Antiochus and his hordes of soldiers and elephants in purely naturalistic terms. When seen in this light, it is an amazing military victory of a small band of Jewish men and women, who, against all odds, defeated the powerful Syrian-Greek army. The essential and, paradoxically, most overlooked aspect of the Maccabean victory, however, was the civil war they waged against the Hellenizing assimilationists among our own people. To illustrate the significance of this idea, our Sages formulated the Al Hanissim (On Behalf of the Miracles) prayer recited on Chanukah in the following manner:

You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your world, and effected a great deliverance and redemption for Your people Israel to this very day.

(http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/597182/jewish/Val-Hanissim.htm - underlining my own)

Hashem’s deliverance of “the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah” denotes an entirely different and parallel battle than that which was fought between the Maccabees and the Syrian-Greek army. It refers, instead, to the internecine struggle, the civil war, between the Torah loyalists (Maccabees) and the mityavnim (the Hellenists, radical assimilationists) among our own people. Rabbi Yechiel Michal ben Aharon Halevi Epstein (1829-1908), popularly known as the Aruch Hashulchan after the title of his halachic magnum opus, depicts the crushing defeat of the mityavnim in the following manner: “Hashem, the One who desires [the future] of His people Israel, handed over… those Jews who rejected G-d’s dominion [and repudiated the Torah] and had joined Antiochus’ [cultural revolution] … to those who followed the Torah way of life (oskei hatorah).” The Aruch Hashulchan leaves us little doubt as to the everlasting contribution of Chanukah within the spiritual history of our people. In his view, we are Jews today because of the sacrifices made by the Maccabees, and Hashem’s guiding hand in ensuring their victory. In sum, the sacrosanct nature and primacy of the Torah was upheld against overwhelming military and cultural odds.

What was the point of contention between the Maccabees and the Hellenists? Why was the civil war fought? My rebbi and mentor, Rabbi Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993) answered this question by suggesting:

The main conflict between the Hellenists and the Jews centered around the concept of bechirat Yisrael [the Election of Israel]. The Hellenists wanted the Jews to abandon their awareness of bechirat Yisrael. The Hellenists, and later the Romans, hated the Jews, because the Jews believed in bechirat Yisrael. Thus, the function of ner Chanukah [the Chanukah candles] is to remind us of the hashraat Hashechinah [the unique and immanent presence of G-d in our lives]. This is particularly true according to the Ramban [1194-1270] (Parashat Behaalotecha), who maintains that the ner Chanukah represents the Menorah of the Mikdash [Holy Temple], and, nowadays, that the Mikdash does not exist, the ner Chanukah serves as its substitute. This is the reason for the Mitzvah of pirsumai nissa [publicizing the miracle] by ner Chanukah. Not only does the ner Chanukah remind us of the miracle itself, but, the ner Chanukah serves as the testimony of gilui Shechinah [the Revelation of G-d’s immanent presence]. One who lights the ner Chanukah testifies that the Schechinah resides only among the Jews. (Norot HaRav volume II, Two Public Lectures in Matters Pertaining to Chanukah by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, B. David Schreiber, editor, pages 4-5 underlining my own)

Chanukah, therefore, is not only the “Festival of Lights,” it is the “Festival of Hashraat Hashechinah.” Consequently, it bears powerful testimony to the unique relationship we share with G-d. He chose us, just as we chose Him. We are unabashedly His Am Hanivchar, just as He is our G-d: “My strength and song is G-d, and this is my deliverance; This is my G-d, I will enshrine Him, my father's G-d, I will exalt Him.” (Sefer Shemot 15:2, translation, Rav Aryeh Kaplan, The Living Torah) May we be zocheh (merit) to appreciate this lesson as we celebrate Chanukah, and bear testimony to this relationship through the manner in which we live each day of our lives. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!

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