THE

ETERNAL FOUNT
By Harris L. Selig

Hebrew Publishing Company

NEWYORK

Copyright 1941,by

HEBREW
PUBLISHINGCOMPANY

Printed and bound by Montauk Bookbinding CmpatMn, New Ymk

CONTENTS

............
........

INTRODUCIION: Influence
on Jewish ........
BERESHIT: The Struggle ....................................
NOAH: The Jew ...........................................
5
LECH L,ECFiA: Destinyofthe Jew ........................... 9
VAY.RA:On
Hospitality ........................................
CFiAYE SARAH: Abraham
Canaan ....................
TOLEDOT: Isaac, Abraham's .................................
53
VAYETZE: Jacob's ....................
3O
..........................................
VAYISHLACH:
35
VAYESHEV: Joeeph ..........................................
4I
MIKETZ: Joseph's ..........................................
4
VAYIGASH: Enrile ............................................
VAYEC.1:
Jacob
Concerning Hi Children ............

..........

.........................................................
.ERA:
Further .............................................
.........................................................
BESHA..CH:.nmthe
Wilderness ............................ 76
JETHRO: The ..............................................
MISHPATIM: The Laws .......................................
TERUMAH: Building ........................................
TETZAVEH: ............................................
6
I.
TISSA: The ...............................................
v...........................
105
PEKUDE: The ..............................................
"'9

VAYIKRA: On Bcrifice ....................................... 113

SHEMINI: The Tragedy of ......................................
TAZ1.:.
The Laws .........................................
'23
. . . . . . . . . . . . .A
.
A d ...,......................'27
-HIM:
Cnrdinal Principles ofthe Torah ..................'13'
EMOR: Priestly Conduct and theOrner.........................
'37

...

nl

CONTENTS

....................... r4r
Conditional Blessings and Curses ............... 146

BEHAR: Social and Economic Legiddon

BECHUKOSAI:
BEMIDBAR: Moses Creates a People .......................... 151
NASSO: On the Giving of Princes .............................. 156
BEHAALOTECHA: Light of the Menorah ...................... 160
SHELACH: Treacherous Spies ................................. 1%
............................. 168
KORACH: For Jewish NationalCHUKAT: Moses and Aaron are Punished ...................... I73
BALAK: Incitement in Words of Paise ......................... 178
PHINEAS: Moses .
Census and Successor ....................... 183
MATTOT .
MASS'E: Israel Takes Transjordania .............. 188
DEBARIM: Moses Expounds the Torah ......................... 192
VAETCHANAN: Moses Protests his Exclusion ................. r g)
EKEB: Etemal Life through Torah ............................. 202
REEH: Man's Choice .......................................... 207
SHOFETIM: Jewish Judges .................................... 212
KI TETZE: Wars of Defense and Conquest ...................... 217
KI TABO: F i Fruits ......................................... 221
NITZAVIM: Between Two Worlds ............................ 225
VAYELECH: The Passing of Moses
229
HAMINU: Poetic Will and Testament ......................... 233
VEZOT HABERAKAH: The Torah Ends ...................... 238
ROSH HASHANAH: Bkthday of Humanity ................... 242
SABBATH OF REPENTANCE: The Light of Faith
246
YOM KIPPUR: Day of Intmsp&on
250
SUCCOTH: How Jews Should Rejoice
254
SIMHAT TORAH: Rejoicing in the Law
258
PURIM: Israel's Perennial Tragedy
262
SHABBAT HAGADOL Fim Sabbath of Israel's Freedan
266
PASSOVER: Seder .
Symbol of Jewish Life
27"
PASSOVER .
SEVENTH DAY: Crossing the Red Sea
274
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
279

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INFLUJ3NCE OF THE AGGADAH ON JEWISH LIFE

(By Way of Introduction)

r n s 71~7D'rfZt8n'nr i ~ w w'r3 nt4 ima'r prui "If thou desirest to comprehend the greatness of Him at Whose word the
universe was created, study the Aggadah" (Sifri, Ekeb).
itu%n 'rw IPW fn"l9 'ry w'lp'r ~ ' 1 3 'n ' y ~ t l )DXI
~ nl'lAWtl
'The aggadot are the most precious means whereby to sanctify
the name of the Holy One blessed be He" (Yalkut, Psalms,672).
The powerful influence exerted by religious faith over Jewish
life can be properly understood and evaluated only through the
concepts of Divinity and of life's essence as expounded in the

Aggadah-

The Halakah, that portion of the Written and Oral Laws which
prescribes the laws and commandments, the positive and negative
rules of man's proper conduct toward God and toward neighbor,
has rendered the Jewish nation D'rCy3 nnW I V W "utterly
~
unique
on earth." The Aggadah, with its remarkable religious presentations, moral precepts, and elucidation of human reward and punishment,has given Israel a special heavenly niche. As the Halakah
demonmated how the Jew may attain eternal life, the Agpdah
provided the purpose, the motive, for desiring immortality.
l+nP U'M OtDDlW If'# ilf3W "The Aggadah neither forbids nor
permits9*(Jerus. Horayot, 5,)). It merely offers counsel as to the
proprieties of conduct which will assure joy of life in this world
and the world to come. It solaces man in hardship, bids him not
despair in adversity. "The main purpose of the Aggadah," declares Leopold Zunz (Gottesdienstliche Vortraege), "is to bind
heaven and earth together, to bring heaven nearer mankind and
to elevate man toward heaven."
It is noteworthy that the Aggadah was ever mon completely
by Jewry as persecutions and rnisfar~nesmultipl;ed.
When the murky clouds swept over Jewish skies, it ws the agga-

~~

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
dists, the homilists, who offered comfort to the people, who with
their divine portraitures drove ofF despair and gave them faith to
live and fight on for their ideals.
Immediately after destruction of the first temple this phenomenon became apparent. The distinguished aggadists of the era
were R Johanan ben Zaccai, Rabban Garnliel, R Joshua ben
Hananiah, R Ishmael, R. Akiba, R. Tarphon, R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, R. Jose the Galilean, R. Eleazar ben Azariah, and many
others. Their example was followed by the amoraim, geonim,
rabbis, and preachers of all ages. Their words had a continuing
power over Jewish life, helping to maintain popular courage and
the faith that renders the Jewish race immortal.
In exposition of Holy Writ, Halakah seeks the direct meaning
of the text, while Aggadah searches out its inner purpose. Halakah is patent; Aggadah is revelation. Halakah is the prosaic research
of the intellect; Aggadah appeals poetically to the heart, the
emotions.
It may be well to refer to several instances wherein the Aggadah
reveals the hidden concepts, the thoughts between the lines, in the
biblical text.
'1Nt3 3lb ilfill i l v W" 53 nH ~ 9 i l SHYt
~ "And God saw
all that He had made, and behold it was very good." T o thii obvious declaration the Midrash adds, "The words 'very good' mean
the evil inclination. For DSlyl llW9 il*il HS ylil 1%'9 7 1 'Without the evil inclination there would be no settlement of humans
in the universe' " (Bereshit Rabbah 42). There is a profundity
of wisdom in this appended anirnadve&on.
It is asked, Why was Abraham. called the Hebrew (Ivri)? Because 7nH 13973 Hlilf 7nH llp 1% DSlyR $3 "All the universe
stands on one side (euer), and he stands on the other" (ibid.). This
one phrase has more homiletic power than all the interpretations
and explanations of linguistic study.
Of Adam God spoke, 373~3'Ity 17 nmyn "I wiU make him a
help meet for (against) him." The Midrash, employing the dual
meaning of the final word kenegdo, thus comments, ,Vlltv n3t
ma33 il3t 85 "If a man prove worthy, his wife is indeed his

vi

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
helpmeet; if unworthy, she becomes his opponent (and embitters
his life)" (Jebamot 63).
Often the Aggadah expresses a deeper meaning in some halakah: flmWn St733 fDp3 "Ye shall hear the small as well as the
great" (Deut. i, I 7). The midrashic comment on this phrase reads:
n3n nHn 7w t , iID113
~
7w 197 797y 39317 ~ n q w "'at
you
may be bent on righteous judgment in litigation concerning value
of the smallest coin as in litigation that is concerned with value of
much gold" (Sanhedrin 8).
The Aggadah has been specially helpful in maintaining Israel's
nationalist spirit. Its wondrous songs of praise of Palestine, its
inspiring tales of the Land, have fostered the Jewish hope to return
to the ancient national home. Always this literature has declared
that, despite present oppression, if the Jews will obey their Holy
Law and maintain their faith, their nation's redemption is certain
to come.
When the editors of "The Day" requested me to contribute the
series herein reproduced, I determined to present the aggadic conception of many passages in the weekly portion, particularly of
those concerning Jewish nationalism. Each contribution was limited to two columns, in which space I could not offer more than
this major viewpoint. It is my intention, however, to prepare a new
series which will illuminate the many other lofty ideals of the
Torah, on the same basis of aggadic interpretation.
I have tried to indicate the sources of the many homiletic comments here employed. It has been my purpose to provide the
reader with the true intent of the aggadic phrases, as I understand
them. I have also made use of the comments of noted preachers
of all times, with due credit.
If I have succeeded in clarifying but one passage in the Torah
or one paragraph from Talmud or Midrash,
nirt n91nthat
will be d c i e n t reward for my efforts.

vii

T H E IMMORTAL FOUNT
BERESHIT
(Genesis i-vi, 8)
The Struggle for EXstence
m N nlt?ul1Db i l t "This is the book of the generations of
Adam"-so begins the biblical exposition of human history:
Adam and Eve taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and
are driven from the Garden of Eden. Over the Tree of Life is
suspended an3DiInDiI 3ln-flaming sword-and man can approach
it onIy through labor by the sweat of his brow.
The world is huge and opulent, yet the brothers Cain and Abel
find it not possible to divide its riches. There is a fratricidal quarrel
and the innocent blood of Abel, murdered by his brother Cain,
clamors from the earth.
Tuba1 Cain, quiet and painstaking artisan in copper and iron, is
unwittingly slain by his blind father Lemech, who himself is thereafter execrated by his wives Adah and Zillah.
nrrSin n:slwNln f9N;S ni.19in il5N "These generations are the
st& out of which history is made; but not the earlier generations"
(Bereshit Rabbah, 84). While Adam and Eve dwelt pacifically in
the Garden, enjoying all its fruits without need of labor or struggle,
their uneventful lives were of little interest to the historian.
Happy men create no history. Men without needs exist, but do
not tmly live. Adam, traversing the Garden in unbroken satiety,
benefiting without effort from all nature's bounties, is considered
as dead in the history of human development
Elsewhere the Midrash expresses that thought in the following
keen observation (Bereshit Rabbah, 19):'iI 513 n N it)DW'i
p3 7% nn o l - r n t ~n y w n o N 5 $3
~ t5nnn "They heard the
voice of the LoId proceeding through the Garden; the ministering
angels thus bantered, 'A dead man is walking about the Garden.' "
T o the individual man life in a Oarden of Eden is far pleasanter
tlicm the realities of existence. His happiness is assured. There is

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
no k g g l e for subsistence. All things needful have been prepared
by other hands. But in such a case he will have accomplished
nothing for humanity at large, for the generations to come. His
world has become stagnant, quiescent, immovable, uncreative.
A life of ease is desirable, but its lack of vigor, of any dynamic
quality, is fatal to the making of history. Paradise on earth is of
worth only to lone men; but it is through a worldly Gehinnom that
the entire community can attain advancement. Lasting achieve
ment results from strife and struggle. Again let us quote (ibid., 89) :

ounv nr - tna >la nlni ,tty P nr - 3ia

93

1193514n ' r ~

'And God saw that it was good' this refers to the Garden of
Eden; 'and He saw that it was very good' - this refers to
Gehinnom."
For man to be enabled to enjoy the light of day, he must first
live through a period of night. n'WH'r3 nWD3 'rtaHn tnH Dl'
"

.tnn

733

~ 1 9

my 9n9i 'ranlw ,n595n 'rnn TSin Dim

'Where the first day is mentioned in the creation story, it is made

clear that it follows after the night, insomuch as it is written, 'And
there was evening and there was morning the first day' " (Hullin
83).
T o a man blessed with a life of unaltered ease and comfort, there
can come no comprehension of the developmental process through
which all the world must pass. The first failure he experiences,
the beginning of hardship, must find him despairing and helpless.
The Talmud tells of the fright experienced by Adam when for
the first time he viewed the setting of the sun.

n595n 43 n3nt

n9n ,9$ 'in 'ran m n 19% nypww tta

"As the sun sank before him, he cried, W

o
e is me!' And all that
night he sat and wept" (Abodah Zarah 8).
Most interesting are the ensuing passages:

"But at the approach of dawn, he exclaimed, 'lo, this is the custom

of the universe!' Thereupon he rose and sacrificed an ox - whose
horns extend beyond his hooves."

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
There is much wisdom in this commentary. Ignorance leads to
doubt and adverse criticism. No man should conduct himself like
an ox, whose horns are extended in readiness to gore, wheresoever
he goes. One must not look for fault and error in any event or
project the reasons for which are still obscure in his mind.
Ultimatelx too Adam recognizes that the judgment of hard
labor for his subsistence is actually an elevation of his status. Thus
he is to become D97lYYl 79n3 "the elect of all creatures." When
God told Adam that henceforth the earth would yield him
but thorns and thistles 52W 9710nS 93H ,7DH ,nlyot 1939y 12%

inyt n773n3 nn5 5 3 ~ nt9Dn nya 15 ~ D H W1193 ,fnH D ~ ~ H

"Hiseyes overflowed with tears; and he said, 'Myself and my ass
must eat from the same crib.' But when God declared that He
would eat his bread with the sweat of his face, his spirit at once
was calmed" (Pesachim i i 8).
In this very matter does man stand above all other creatures.
He must labor in order to exist. Not everything can he eat, nor
can he live in all places. He must carefully plan his mode of gaining a livelihood. Withal, he must strive not alone for his own good
but for that of future generations. He must establish the basis
whereon his offspring may perpetuate and enlarge his own attainments, thereby assuring a better world for his children.
Freedom for All Men

I
I
i

"This is the book of the generations of Adam" - in this p k

is expressed the true meaning of human history.
For no man dare assume that the world is his, and that other
men have no share in it. ,t7Dy 73Ytn D5lyn 530 flWH7n n t H
37379 ,135 ,7lnW ,Dltk4 "The earth out of which the first man
was made was gathered from all parts of the world red, black,
white, and yellow" (Sanhedrin 38). Men of all races and color):
have their origin from Adam; they have but one father. Since the
substances forming them and him come from every quarter, therefore they have the right to live in and make use of every portion'of
*.globe.

3-

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Because of the forevisioned narrowness of the human character,
its ingrained desire to satisfy its own ambitions, without regard to
the comfort of others, there arose a conflict in Heaven as to
whether man ought to be created altogether.
DiSw ,~'1377~31~1
31x ,m39 St4 ~ ' ~ P ' Inm
P I ,~'13' T P ~ N~ b n
DlN i(W$?f'133 ,091972 DnN i(P i("33i( Di(5 '1DN .N33' SN TPlN

"Loving Kindness said, Let him be created. Truth said, Let him
not be created Righteousness said, Let him be created. Peace said,
Let him not be created. Upon which the Holy One blessed be He
exclaimed, 'To what end do you debate? Man has already been
created!' " (Bereshit Rabbah, 88).
With all his faults and virtues man has s t i l l been designated to
rule the earth; and in this he must receive the support of all the
powers of Heaven. We read that the merciful Torah thus pleaded
with Cod: "This Man is of few yeam and is laden with care,
which brings him to iniquity. If Thou wilt not be patient with
him, it were better that he had never come into the universe."
t9~m
i(nB ?'PI
DN an '1'5 mi tat7 p w i D ~ '1x3
P ~ mi( r n ~ n
.DSl$?S H3 NS lSN3 Mi( Vi( ' I P ~ tBP1 To this God replied,
"Not for naught have 1been called long suffering" 91N Of nS Hf
OIDK t'1N 'nP1'13f (Pirke deRabbi Eliezer). God will not judge
man too harshly, knowing he is but flesh and blood and has many
weaknesses '1W3 Nlil DfW3 DfN3 'I717 ftl' Nf (Genesis 16, 3).
But man must understand that certain duties devolve upon him,
that he must perform a specific function through his existence. He
must be prepared to bring sacrifices, offerings for humanity entire.

0 1 ~ nnh! mi n 3 ~ ~ ni (t p m

nM33i( 5af 7 ~ lnh!

9
117n N?D

"God took a spoonful of earth from beneath the altar, and therewith fashioned man" (Jerusalmi Nazir, ch. 7).
All life is one great altar, upon which each man must bring
something of today as an offering for tomorrow, for the future
if he desires the permanence of the world he lives in.

THE JEW IN EXILE

NOAH
(Genesis vi, g-xi)
Many of the aggadists of Talmud and Midrash discover in the
story of Noah an analogue to Jewish life in exile. The generation
of the flood represents the nations of the world; and the flood is
a great catastrophe brought about by the peoples themselves. Noah
is depicted as the Jewish people, and the ark as the home wherein
he and his children find salvation
It will be well to seIect from these many legendary accounts the
details that will best depict Noah and the flood.
The humans who populated the earth before the deluge found
themselves in a wondrous state. Nature provided them richly with
all its abundance; they lacked for nothing. The fields were replete
with grain, their trees with fruit, and the meadows with sheep and
cattle. But the very riches granted them by God were instruments
of their downfall. "They began to pursue new desires and corporeal lusts, gradually losing their mutual regard and becoming
presumptuous even toward God" (Sanhedrin 108).
Envy and hatred ruled the world. The powerful man, observing
that the weaker had a handsome home or domestic animal or wife,
had no compunction against depriving him of his possesion All
classes of men indulged in petty theft and robbery. Morality was
at its lowest ebb. Even the D935t4 9 3 3 "sons of the gods," the higher
and mom learned classes, became ~ 9 5 9 ~
"fallen
3
angels," depraved
characters undermining the fundaments of human society. If on
the highways they noted Mil n13m 9 3 DW;I nl33 "the daughters of men, that they were fair))) l t n 3 t W H 533 lllP9t "they.
passessed themselves of all that they chose" without qualms, and
nllBVB Wl 9731 tr9mW3 953"without marriage or proper family
lifen (Sanhedrin 57; Midrash Rabbah 3 I).

Man of Peace and Honor

At that time there lived an honorable and peaceful man,

p 9 f Y "righteous and perfect," called Noah. He was also
known as 9Wn3 "the comforter," forasmuch as he had invented
the iron plow, which so greatly facilitated men's work in the fields
and increased the bulk of their produce. Of him they said:
3979 f13m12Pn29 i l t "This man has given us comfort from the
melancholy of our hands." Before his time men had been forced
to plow the fields with their hands or with sharp sticks, so that
they suffered from callouses and open wounds. His discovery
lightened their labors and enriched the world's agriculture (Midrash Aggadah 8).
When Noah beheld the evil acts of his neighbors, he entreated
them to better their conduct, and warned that their wickedness
would bring on a catastrophe that would destroy all humanity.
But they ridiculed him and continued on their sinful course, until
DPn y7nn NSM1 "the earth was filled with violence" (Midrash
Rabbah 3 I).
T o preserve himself and his offspringfrom the imminent danger,
he constructed an " a r y a special home and school, in which he
taught his children to remain pious and well-behaved, and to cleave
to the traditions of their ancestor Enoch, who because of his
goodness and piety had been transported unto Heaven. The ark
was built of cedar wood, which God assigned for that purpose;
and no matter of evil was permitted to approach it (Sanhedrin
10s).
When the others saw that he had separated himself from them,
and w d d not pennit his sons to marry strange women or otherwise follow in their paths, they assailed him in his dwelling, in an
effort to injure him and destroy the ark. He defended himself
successfully, however, and with God's aid was enabled to maintain
his home and the purity of his family (Midrash Shochar Tov).

PIPSI

At lengh the c

Death and Destmdcm

ebefell. A fearful dduge overwhelmed

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
all creation, and continued over the earth for an
entire year. Cities were laid waste. Houses, fields, forests, were
wiped off the globe. Men and beasts succumbed alike. There were
swept away the labor and energy of many generations. All things
fell before the great billows of doom.
Noah and his family were forced to uproot themselves from
their birthplace, and in the ark waft over all the seas of earth. So
well constructed was the ark that it withstood the forces of wind
and wave and preserved the family of Noah and all who were
with him.
The ship too had its vicissitudes. At times it attained terrific
heights, as when it floated over Mount Ararat, highest mountain
of that era. But never was Noah tempted to fomke the ark, for
he knew that so long as he dwelt therein, in accord with the precepts of God, he was protected against dissolution (Zeror Hamor
Pfq'il 53 GIN

17).

After this long period of death and destruction, the flood gradually subsided. D'bil I3W'l the water lost its turbulence and the
earth began to breathe once more. But Noah still feared to forsake
hi refuge. He sent forth a dove to see whether PIDil ??pil "the waters were abated" for the safety of them all. The dove, however,
brought back the depressing message 935 nl3B illl'ir ilNYP H S ~
nSf1 she had "found no rest for the sole of her foot." For the
remainder of humankind the deluge had ended; only Noah and his
own were to abide in unchanged isohtion.

l%e Dove - S y d o l of Israel

The dove remains the symbol of the entire Jewish nation:
X t ' S S N Y W ~ tSt&%S "Israel is likened unto a dove" Day on day

she flits about, seeking. a resting place for herself, for Noah and
his descendants, for the ark of Israel but to no avail. She returns
at length with an olive leaf, and with this plaint:

rw

?N? , t t frl'lbn
~
?'il"l n w rvln t n ? f ? m '8' , ~ J J W ~
P ~ H
7 ' 3 ; r l ? m i w 3 7 3 t1937nn

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
" M k e r of the universe! May my food be as bitter as this dive
leaf, only that it come from Thy hand, rather than it be sweet as
honey, but come from the hands of men!" (Sanhedrin 28).
She prays for the time when she and the upright Noah may be
redeemed from the gloom of exile, and the people of Israel achieve
an independent state like other nations, with their own home on
their own land.
The Jerusalem Talmud (Sabbath) thus pignantly replies to
the query 8 32115 5~7Wl15m2 nB7 'Wherefore is Israel likened
to a dove?" 932 fy nlnf in ntyP1 nloy fnw3nlplyn 53W qfDt,
~ S D-3 5y in 1 5 1 ~ "For all other birds, as they fly and
grow weary, rest themselves atop a tree or a rockn It N11 53N
~ ~ D A Knnna
O
nnml 3lDfHD nnn nmip "whereas the dove
merely folds one of her wings and fies with the other."
All other peoples of the earth must have the use of two wings
in order to maintain themselves land and culture. Whenever
one has lost its land, its culture has died as well; its children have
been assimilated among the more powerful and afluent nations
the "tree" and the "rock" - a d all living traces of the people
have disappeared. But when the people of Israel lost their land,
they did not yield up their culture, their Torah. With the one
remaining wing - a spiritual gdt from Mount Sinai Israel has
remained aloft and unbroken as a distinct and functioning ethnic
being. On one wing this people has soared through centnries of
exile in many lands, ultimately to fly back to its own home, the
land of IsraeL

DESTINYOFTHEJEW
LECH LECHA
(Genesis xii-xvii)
"Get thee out of thy land, and out of thy birthplace" thus begins
the story of Abraham; and the same destiny has followed his
descendants during the long generations of their existence.
y7lP( Pn73H7 YllHW RD "That which happened unto
Abraham also happened to his descendants."
Abraham was called "the Hebrew" - 973Yit PI'Il=US because
tnn 7 3 9 ~nlill tnH 7 3 p P'ltyn 73 "The whole world is on one
side (ever, from which 'Hebrew' is derived), and he is on the
other" (Genesis Rabbah 44). His descendanrs are also called Hebrews - they are opposed to the entire world, while the world in
its entirety opposes them.
As a child Abraham repudiated any recognition of the mighty
Nimrod as 3 god. For this rebellion he was hurled into a furnace,
whence he was rescued by a miracle. His offspring also steadfastly
refused to accept despotic man-gods or other forms of idolauy;
for this they were burnt in pyres and auto-da-f4s, to be saved by
newer miracles.
And their salvation has always come from God alone. Michael,
Gabriel, and their fellow angels are pictured as entreating God
to permit their descent to earth, to rescue Abraham from the furnace. But the Divine answer is: tlnl Hlnl ~ 5 f t~
p
938
min n H 5*xn5 t*n*S nN1 ,1a57y:, Y am unique in my
world, and he is unique in his world; it is proper that H e who
is One &dl succor him who is also one" (Yalkut ShimeMli). Abraham's progeny received many offers in later generationsto be aided
in their need by serang.ers; but they never consented to live by
n*DlM tbn "the favor of alien peoples;" preferring to seek proteeth under the wings of their one Gad
Because of N i i s persecutions m Ur-Kasdim, their b
i
d
pkc, Terah, Abraham's father, decided to betake himself with
his children to &e land of Chmm. But tlW tttcn? 1%
~ 3 9 1

EI
i
I

.v

'9

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

"thky came unto Haran, and abode there." Similarly do Abraham's

progeny, following a great national calamity, determine to migrate
to "Canaan" or Ereu Israel to rebuild their national home; but
for economic reasons they halt on the way in strange lands, which
again become their Haran, land of ire and persecution (Rashi thus
plays on the words Haran and baron, "anger" O7fy 7tU qN tl7n).
Evil indeed are the effects of the exile on the entire existence of
Israel: Pwil nN nrryaal ,]laan nN nrryaa 7 " l ~nrryaa 777n
"Wandering diminishes the number of children, the amount of
one's riches, and the Divine Name" (Genesis Rabbah 44).
A most appropriate comment to this midrash is provided by
Rabbi Isaac Nissenbaum:
"The exile lessens our numbers. At the time of the second destruction, there were about six million Jewish souls. Accordmg to
natural growth our people in this day should have numbered a
hundred million at the minimum. But the horrible persecutions
of the exile, the murderous pogroms which also created epidemics
of apostacy, retarded our growth, so that we today count less than
eighteen millions in all.
"In addition, exile has done harm to our worldly possessions. The
energy and industry of the Jewish people led to the amassing of
many great fortunes in their thousands of years on earth. Yet we
remain the most poverty stricken group existent, for conditions of
exile have made it impossible for us to retain any of our capiml.
"Added to all this, our wanderings are responsible for injury
to our glorious name. Out of the 'chosen people' of early days,
which gave the world distinguished prophets, faith, and ideals,
has in the passing of time arisen a ? N ~ Winllb i l W 'lost sheep,'
always among savage wolves, b3YU by31 fy77 'a derision and
sport among the nations,' deprived of all human rights."
Jews have a law: '1337 ID33 7DlD 7773 17 79WnntP 9t) "A
man who finds himself on the road late Friday as it is becoming
dark, should turn his purse over to a gentile (who may carry it on
the Sabbath)." This is a rule Jews have always observed So soon
as their way in exile has grown dark, they have transferred their
possesions to the gentiles and barely escaped with their lives.

I0

Covenant of the Pomomims

Abraham, heeding the voice of the Lord, began the journey to

the land of which God had spoken. But he looked upon a people
l
torn into various economic and political parties f l ~ 5 l ~ t il529
W 7 t n 5781 , n a 5 1 n y "calf, goat, and ram cut into pieces,"
each part disparate and existing as a distinct entity. 1-In3 W78 In71
:rty't nn-Ip7 "And he sought to bring the various pieces together." He was troubled too about -In3 8 7 71PY the birds that
were not split. These were the young birds, the little children,
whose spirits had not yet been riven, but who would some day be
tom in spirit as were their elders. And n 3 W R nP9H "a dark fear"
- fell upon him.
He heard the enemies of Israel say to them:

5mw9

935~3

p5n

035

;vnw

-Iwn

1-13

59 nna

"Inscribe upon the horn of the ox that ye have no share in the God
of Israel" (Genesis Rabbah 44). If you wish to have any use of
the fat ox, of all the economic privileges of our lands, then repudiate your faith, your Torah, and adopt our own religion.
n m 3 H 5y 35P3 nDt-In1 "And a deep sleep fell upon Abraham."
The m g g i d of Dubnow says: One of the greatest misfortunes
of Jewry has always been that in a W c u l t or opportune period,
instead of remaining alert and laboring with all energy for liberation, the Jews are enveloped in a nWnIn nDf'lCI lethargic sleep
- hands folded, doing nothing for their people.
The result has been: Dir5 H7 V-IW D n l 8 l3y1 D t t 3 y 1 "And
they enslaved and afflicted them in a land that was not theirs."
Jews are not alone sufferers at the hands of natives of the lands
they inhabit, but they are enslaved and tormented even by the
immigrant groups, who do not own the land, newcomers, who
nevertheless take a proprietary attitude toward the country and
assail the Jews (Midrash Samuel).
In his despair Abraham cried to the Lord, *33Ht 9 5 fnn ;rp,
* l + l p t5tn ' W h a t canst Thou give me, seeking I go childless!"
How shall I be able to fullfill your commands, the vast undertakkzg
of settling and building up the land, when the people is tom kuo
II

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
pieces, +d no one hears me? (The Hebrew miri may be translated
"alone" as well as "childless.")
As he stood there, addressing the Lord, Abraham observed
Pl'ltfi( 193 'l=ly WN VDS "a torch of fire pass between the fragments." The hellish flames of hatred and persecution pass between
the portions of the people and unite them Then did God complete
a covenant with the people. n H t a YWi( n H 9nfU Ty'lt'I "To thy
seed do I give this land": n'lD ?i(f 5 1 ~ i ('litfi(7P9'IIYP W f P
"from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."
That is to say, I give them as their own, for their national home,
a complete territory, not one divided into small parts.
W e may well conclude with a witticism of Rabbi Berdichever,
in commenting on a passage from this portion:
In the week during which Lech Lecha is read, the rabbi was
going about to collect money for an indigent bride. He approached
a miserly magnate who, instead of offering a handsome donation,
contented himself with blessing Berdichever and felicitating the
young pair. Upon which the rabbi exclaimed: "In this week's
pomon we find the phrase li(37391 1991 nnS H 9 n n p m 9 3 5 ~ 1
'And Melchizedek .. .brought forth bread and wine. .. .And he
blessed him' (Genesis xiv, I 8, 19). You see that Melchizedek first
provided food and drink for Abraham, and then blessed him.
Begging your pardon, first give me something to defray the cost
of the wedding, and then you may offer ail the felici~tionsyour
heart desires."

ON HOSPITALITY

VAYERA

(Genesis xviii-xxii)
The venerable Abraham sits at the door of his tent and awaits
wayfarers. He is still weakened from the operation of circurncision, undergone three days before, despite his ninety-nine years.
But his thoughts are not on his physical discomfort; he is eager to
carry out the religious command to be hospitable to the stranger.
Despite h e heat of the sun and the feebleness of his limbs, when
he sees travelers approaching DnN13'1 y1'7 "he runs to meet
them," and entreats them 71139R N3 78 "Do not pass by"; come
into my dwelling; lave your feet; rest in the shade of the tree
unal I can provide you with food and drink.
He rejoices when they accept his invitation. At once he hastens
into the tent to his wife Sarah, asking that the best food available be
prepared for them. From the stalls he takes a young calf 31bl 77,
"tender and good." He serves the meal himself. With thorough
hospitality he attends to their wants, urging them to take their
fill. As they prepare to leave at the conclusion of the meal, a3138
an5w5 a,my 757n "Abraham goes with them, to speed them on
ction to Exodus, the Maggid of Dubnow offers an
unusual interpretation of the verse in the portion Re'e, which commands us to assist the needy. The person in want must be given
75 1Dn' l W N IllDnD "1 " d c i e n t for his need, in that which he
xv, 8). He thus diseinguishes between

men who give charity with their hearts. Their natural benevolence cannot brook the spectacle of others suffering.
T o the poor who hunger they give food; to the naked and tattered
they offer gannents. However, their aid is of the moment only,
Iimited to the present and without concern for the future. There
are others who Tier in that they give charity with their heads.
They analyze the situation of the poor man, and endeavor to set

13

him on his feet in independence, so that he need no longer rely

upon extraneous help. The first class give the object of their assistance 'sufEcient for his need' at the time. The other class give
'that which he lacketh' and which he should have in order to become like other men."
Our father Abraham did not deem it d c i e n t to provide his
guests with food and drink and repose alone. He inquired their
circumstances, and showed them how to improve and lighten
their lives. His motto, derived from the letters of the Hebrew
word 7W8, was 8917 ,n*nw ,n7738 "feeding, giving drink, and
accompanying on the way."

Abrahhs Every-Day Ideals

i l T i l ;nilW p7rn 731n uTan Dil73H "Our father Abraham used to eat even his weekday meals in purity of spirit" (Baba
Mezia 87). In his ordinary ways of life he was clean of thought
and purpose, in the divine manner. He loved all men and d e r e d
no iniquity. When told by God of the imminent destruction of the
wicked cities Sodom and Gamorrah, he was overcome with apprehension. He pleaded with God: iltil 7373 nlWyP t'l il'lT'lR "It is
not fitting that you do a thing such as this." 3973 ilDDn qHn
? yW7-m 'Wdt Thou also sweep away the righteous with the
wicked?" May there not be in each city fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, or even ten men for whose merit all the others should be granted
their lives? And only after he received Godk assurance that if
there were ten righteous men in Sodom the city would be spared,
did Abraham lP13P7 3W "renun to his place."
Rashi maintains that Abraham was far more righteous than
Noah: "One might assume that inamuch as it is said of Noah
I73 t7nnil Vp7H nM'And Noah walked with God,' while of Abraham we read VfB7 'n371mil 7WH 'For I walked before him,'
Noah is thus proved the greater. He presumably walked with
God as an equal, and God would not walk together with Abraham.
But one errs in such a judgment.
"Noah was weak in his religious conand if God had

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
not guided him he might have forsaken his rightful ways and become like all the generation of the flood. With God and God's
help Noah was enabled to walk on the straight path and become
the righteous man of his day. Abraham, however, was so saturated with Godliness, that he required no support of his aim toward
righteousness. He wended his way and transacted his affairs with
God always 'before him.' God was ever in his thoughts, in all
happenings. In every excursion and every deed he clung to his
religious convictions. None of the men among whom he lived
could lead him from the true path or set him against the dictates
of his God."
There is also a striking comment of the Maggid of Kamenitz
on the passage in the Talmud: DqDW H V t , Tnlq lyqf't, irJirJir ?iff
"He who lives well through his own efforts is gre%terthan he who
is merely a God-fearing person" (Berakhot 8): "The man whose
very occupation is concerned with the fear of God is not to be
thanked for displaying piety. A rabbi, judge of a Jewish court,
ritual slaughterer, or any who deal in 'kosher' materials, find it
far easier to carry their Judaism than a manufacturer, tradesman,
or laborer. The latter come into daily contact with outside forces,
frequendy in opposition to Jewish teaching and practice. They
have many temptations to overcome; and if they still persist in
their Jewish loyalties, they merit a far higher reward."

Ahaham Recalls Evil Times

Tradition tells us that Abraham underwent much hardship. His
diiliculties began even before his birth. In his famed and definitive "Legends of the Jews," compiled from all rhe ancient sources,
Professor Louis Ginzberg has described the hapless c'rroumstances
of the patriarch's advent.
"Abraham's birth had beerr read in the stars by Nimrod. . . .and
it was manifest to him that a man would be born in'his day who
would rise up against him and triumphantly give the lie to his
religion..
He had a proc1amation published duvRlghout his kingdom, smnmoning all the architects to build a great house for him,

..

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
sixty ells high and eighty wide. After it was completed, he issued
a second proclamation, summoning all pregnant women thither,
and there they were to remain until their confinement. . H e
sent midwives to the house, and commanded them to slay the men
children at their mothers' breasts. . .. When the time of Erntelai,
wife of Terah, approached, she left the city in great terror and
wandered toward the desert, until she happened across a cave.
She entered this refuge, and on the next day she was seized with
throes, and gave birth to a son.. . . The babe she bore was our
father Abraham. . . Then she abandoned him in the cave, saying,
'May the Lord be with thee, may He not fail thee nor forsake
thee' " (I, I 86-9).
So was born the father of the Jewish people, in a hidden cave
lost in the forest. There he was miradously reared; and in his
deep solitude he was able to grasp the fact of the true God, whose
reality he was later to spread through the world. Always he remembered his sad and impoverished youth; when he grew rich,
therefore, he willingly disbursed his wealth ammg athers, in particular to the poQr and needy.

..

Maimonides (Hilchot Deot 7) declares that Abraham never

sought to propagate his religion by methods of com@cm.
His
way was always that of the golden mean, through discourses of
reason and friendly persuasion. Says the Talmud (Baba Mezia 86) :
t3W PflS 7 ~ m
il'il ,n'nlwi ~ 9 5 3 11 ~9 i l r n "After they had
eaten and drunk as his guests, he bade them offer a blessing." He
took no advantage of their precarious situation, of their hunger
and want, to trick them into accepting his faith. Having first provided them with their needs, he turned their thoughts in all friendliness to the ideals of religion.
W e are told by Baal Hattmia: nRBD3 %47~*9 Drl3 D'Wp
"@nverts obtained with difEculty are as a waund in the body of
hael." Forced believers are never faithful. Those who are cognizant of the cruel methods employed by other faiths to force heir

16

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
beliefs on men about them, will readily understand the significance
of this dictum. Neither Abraham nor his descendants have ever
favored that procedure.
Wherever Abraham voyaged, he established a center where men
might pause for refreshment and, if they wished, for instruction.
??fib ?DIN

tni

anb

inin tn - 5wn

yaqi

"Some say that the 'grove' which Abraham planted meam an

academy; others say that it was a hostelry" (Somh 10).
For ashel means more than a clump of trees, as commonly taught.
The word is found in many languages - linguistically related in
English to "hostel" or "hotel" - and it can refer to a students' dormitory or pension as well as to an inn for wayfarers.
Such institutions were established by Abraham wherever there
were travelers and needy persons. Other men came only to hear
the attractive new doctrine taught by the patriarch. With these
faithful scholars of his household, he was able to overwhelm the
four kings who had despoiled Lot, his cousin. They too helped
to found the Semitic tribes, who followed after Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob.
Not ordinary guests were the three personages who came to
visit Abraham. They were the archangels Michael, Gabrid, and
Raphael. However, he did not know their identity; imagining
that they were as the others who passed by, he attended them with
his customary extreme hospidty. In such auspicious circumstances was he given the message:

mw5 p m m

fin

nya

7958 3?an 3~

''I wiU certainly return to thee as the time that liveth; and lo, Sarah
thy wife shall have a son" (xviii, 10).

ABRAHAM SETTLES IN CANAAN

CHAYE SARAH
(Genesis xxiii-xm, 18)
The time came when the patriarch was forced to cease his nomadic life, his frequent and aimless journeys, and to find a permanent habitation in Canaan. When Abraham and Isaac returned
for sacrifice,
to Beer Sheba from the scene of the son's bin*
Sarah was not to be found there. She had departed for Hebron in
search of them; and in that city she had died.
:fa3 D V 7 n D n f P i l t N 7 P n N 7 "Abraham beheld Death blocking
his path" (Genesis Rabbah 58).
How could he leave the body of his beloved wife in that place,
and proceed on his way? His life companion, she had gone wiih
him everywhere and shared his every trial. She had more than once
risked her life to save his - as in Egypt before Pharaoh, and in
G e m before Abimelech. More than this, she had been his partner
in his most compelling purpose - that of spreading the divine
ideal. While Abraham labored with the men to bring them to
God,Sarah was devoting herself to the women ( 7 W P D l l n X
DVWJ n v m ;nwt D V w J w "Abraham was converting the men,
while Sarah converted the women" - Rashi to Lech Lecha). It
was unthinkable that he should forever separate from her, even
in death. He must settle in that spot forever, and provide a last
resting place for her and for himself.
From the moment that God had bade him forsake his city Haran, where he and his father had established themselves, and journey
T N 7 N 7 W N Y 7 N a 7 N "to the land which I shall show thee," Abraham had traveled without cease. He had visited many lands and
many cities. Haran. to Shechem to Elon Mamreh to Bethel; thm,
when famine broke out, to Egypt, and back to Beth4 Hebron,
Gerar, and Beer Sheba.
He found no pleasure in most of the lands he visited, and uttered
h e frequent prayer: Mln y ' l N l 9 p 5 n
3 1 9W5n 'Wdd
that I be not destined to dwell in this land." For those that pleased

18

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
him he spoke the opposing formula: 'Would that I be destined
to dwell in this land." But he remained uncertain as to the spot

I
i

['

most suitable for his permanent home. God had not vouchsafed
the proper symbol; therefore he persisted in his travels from place
to place (Genesis Rabbah 39).
When friends and followers accompanying him reiterated
N'n p'n y7Nn "Where is this land promised by God? Why does
He not indicate the site whereon you may make an end of your
wanderings?" - Abraham would reply, "When you reach a place
where the dead are buried, you will know that there are the confines of the land we seek" (Yalkut Shimeoni).
"In this wise," commented Dr. Shmaryahu Levin, "Abraham instructed his children that, in order to take over a land and make of
it their national home, a nation must be prepared to offer the greatest of sacrifices, even that of life itself." The death of the mamarch Sarah provided the first grave to be filled in the new land,
and then began the real settlement of the country. Abraham established himself there, and built his home, to become the permanent inheritance of his descendants.

History Repeats

In the narrative told in the present portion, of Abraham's acquisition of the land, of his dealings with the "Arabs" of that day
and their "Mufti,Ephron
"
the Hittite, one sees mirrored the same
difliculties confronted by our people in the current strivings after
Palescine. The huge problem of Palestinian settlement, undertaken
by the Zionist Organization, the task of converting an obstinate
terrain into a national Jewish home, meets with hardships similar
to those which troubled Abraham thousands of years ago.
A b h did not come to Canaan empty-handed. f Nf) 733
3M31
iC1pr)3 "He was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in
gold" (Genesis xiii, 2). He bore with him all the wealth he had
accumulated in d e . He was determined that when at length he
reached the land indicated by God,he should have with him the
gads and capiml whereby he could develop it to the benefit of
himstlrandhis*~~

I9

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Although Abraham had a divine historic right to the site, since
God had promised nHTil Y 7 H i l n H f n H t y 7 ; S "Unto thy seed
will I give this land," the patriarch made no effort to exercise this
right against anyone. He asked of the native inhabitants: 9> lY3Dl
7 n X 73 fl7DZ)Z "Intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar"
(xxiii, 8). 9 7 W D 7 D "Become my intermediaries" (Genesis Rabbah 48). His purpose was to bring all to a round table where they
might amicably arrange a satisfactory method of developing the
countryside.

The Holy Places

In these land dealings between Abraham and the sons of Heth,

the matter of national shrines at once presented itself. The natives
were troubled lest, when Abraham's descendants took fuller passession of the soil, they might profane their holy places. Hence
they demanded:
79y n H ~ 9 m i ' S m w 9

9m

~ N Wn y l Z w i m y n i - u

"Give us your oath and covenant that the children of Israel will
not take possession of the city Jabus." This city contained their
sacred copper idols. Abraham swore to respect their desires in
this matter. He promised that his descendants would make no
claim to Jabus so long as its inhabitants would not willingly be
come part of the commonwealth (Pirke D'Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 36).
A similar di5culty exists today. Because of declared fears lest
Mohammedan and Christian shrines be profaned, Great Britain has
found it requisite to occupy all the cities which for long g e m
tions have been sanctified by Jewish history. Even the holiest of
cities, Jerusalem, where the T e ~ l once
e stood, and from whose
precincts our great prophets and teachers spread the word of God
throughout the world, is in peril today of being completely excluded from the Jewish state.
T o justify this proposal, unwarranted by history and the Mandate - which simply and u n e q u i v d y proclaims its puqxse as
the establishment of a Jewish national home in our holy land
Britain has covered its purpose by the deceptive title, ''corridai."

20

Tm ETERNAL
FOUNT
The F
+
wishes to create the impression that in this dissociatim of the capital city from Jewish rule the intent is to help the
Jews, to protect them from possible raids by-the Arabs. But thereby there are excluded from the Jewish homeland many important
historic spots; and the Jewish state is shrunk to five million dunarm, far too little for the uses of our people.

Abraham Pays Well for Cemetery Ground

For the ground in which Abraham buried his wife Sarah, he
was content to pay t45P qD33 "its full value in silver." Waste land,
plots neglected for centuries were purchased at truly exorbitant

values
This was the answer Abraham received to his offers: ln2t33
il21il n'nw-pnt3 nt4 123 t 3 w p "YOUmay bury your many
dead in our choicest graves" (Genesis Rabbah 58). The natives
were highly pleased to dispose of their useless ground to the Jews
at excessive rates. Compare the modern efforts to make the land
healthy, to dry up swamps and plague spots, to build highways
for easier transport, during which countless loyal Palestinian
pioneers have dug their own graves in the waste territories for
which they too had expended inordinate sums.
The flourishing colonies created by the Jews, their many new
industries, have provided gainful occupations for the native Arabs.
Through Jewish sacrifices these people have attained health and
riches. The sanitary innovations of our own Hadassah organization are reqxmsiile for the rapid growth of new Arab populationYet they continue to rant
us and place obstacles in the way
of our further progress.

Pri4lce of God

amy

- Not Penmaem Resident

WN am :?*DMnmn n~1DlN"Theypr&

much,

but perform not even a little" (Baba Mezia 87). For every added
plot Abraham was required to pay ' l n l ~ ?12ly tJD3"price beyond
the value of the purchase." This became a hardship to him. W e n
21

'

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
he presented himself as a permanent resident, in the words X V I ,
D3Dp 931H they replied: '1331l73 iVlN D'??H kW" "Nay, thou art
a prince of God in the midst of us." This may be paraphrased, if
you wish to remain a r e b o u s minority in our land, devoted simp
ly to service of God and study of His Law, you wiU be welcome
among us. Thus do the Arab leaders today protest that they have
no objection to Jews settling in Palestine as a r+ous group; but
to permit their permanent settlement, their ingress in large numbers to build up the country as their national home - this is no
more to be permitted than it was by the sons of Heth in olden
days.
Abraham did not lose heart, however. He employed every
righteous effort in dealing with the sons of Heth. The patriarch
expanded large sums to acquire new soil, slowly consolidating his
position and coming nearer to his goal.
n 7 y D n l m W n HYDD 9 3 ~ 7 7WH 3 7 D 3 ~ 37WH ff7DY R'TW D?*l
33pDY Dil73N7 ;3910 1 7 3 3 3 3 3 7WH n'TW3 1WH yyil33t 13 7WH
"And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was
before Marnre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all

the trees that were in the field, that were in all the boundaries
round were mzde sure unto Abraham for a purchase.. .." (XX&
17-18).
So toa in our own day, if the Jews remain unified and determined
in their efforts toward recreating the homeland, ignoring obstacles
and fighting unceasingly for the right, we shall ultimately overcome every hardship; and the land promised by God to Abraham
for his descendants will again be ours, from Dan to Beer Sheba,

ISAAC, ABRAHAM'S SPIRITUAL HEIR

TOLEDOT
(Genesis xxv, ~g-xxviii,9)

?nu9 nn t95in n m 3 ~- n m 3 ~f 3 3nv9 nif5~1

nS~i
"And these are the progeny of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac." The guiding attributes of Isaac's life were the same as
those of his father. "Isaac strongly resembled his father in body
and soul. The resemblances included manly beauty, wisdom, bodily
strength, riches, and good deeds" (Genesis Rabbah 64).
The son also underwent the same storm and stress of life. Isaac
too was forced into a period of wandering. Neighbors in various
lands pursued and persecuted him. They were especially malicious
when Isaac appeared to have attained some good fortune or completed a successful enterprise.
On the outbreak of famine in his own land, he traveled to Gerar,
to settle there as a tiller of the soil. N V i l YYN3 3nY9 yYV1 "Then
Isaac sowed in that land" (mi,12). He plowed and planted,
avoiding the dishonesties of trade, money-lending, or other forms
of exploitation. His was truly hard labor, continued far into the
night; he had no opportunity to join in the political activities of
the state. But soon he proved successful ilNO N V i l n3W3 NYtl91
Q'YYW "and found in that year an hundredfold." Great riches
accrued to him from his labor. Then said Abimelech unto Isaac:
fNb UllD ntlv 93 lltlytl 77 "Go from us; for thou art become much mightier than we," Or, as the Midrash explains:
'375 Nltr Untl r(5 nnvyw nirvvy lnlN 53 "Are they not ours,
all these riches that thou hast amassed?" (Genesis Rabbah 64).
Despite Isaac's patent honesty and love of peace, he found himself
accused as a cheat and bloodsucker.
Quarrel Over Wder
Isaac departed for one of his father's former estates in the valley
of Gerar. With his workers he began to uncover the paternal wells

23

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
which the Philistines had blocked. But no sooner had they found
water, than enemy forces drove them off. He called the well 3 Q ,
"confiict," since it had brought about contention between him and
his neighbors. True to his pacific principles, he readily forsook
the well rather than engage in bloody strife.
Yet the same interference followed the uncovering of a second
well. This well he also named, aptly, ;IlQW,"enmity" orUhatred."
Again he went on, continuing to &g until finally they no longer
molested him. The last well was calIed n131n7, "enlargement,"
US ';I 39mn nny 9 3 "For now the Eternal hath made room for
US" (22). "SOhas it ever been," commented Aaron Jellinek. "EnIargement or liberty for the Jew has always meant only that he
is not being molested or persecuted."
Later Abimelech, king of Gerar, needing Isaac's assistance, came
to him with Phichol, commanding officer of the ~ e r a rarmy, and
requested that an alliance be formed between them. Isaac was
never to do injury to the host of Abimelech, 'Illy23 NS IWN3
"as we have not touched thee"!
Thus comments B. Jayson: "This declaration of Abirnelech holds
true to the present day. Any nation harboring Jews that does
them no evil considers its forbearance in itself a deed of kindness,
an extraordinary benefit which it never ceases to boast of. T o say
to the Jew 'We have not touched thee' is adjudged as bestowal
of a high privilege!"
When Isaac found peace, he acted as had his father before him.
'il PW3 Hl39I n l t b DW 1 3 9 1 "And he built an altar there, and
called on the name of the Eternal." This having been the main
aim and task of the father, it became the similar pnrpose of the
son,

Three Pn'nciiles in Jewish Hinwy

The Midrash provides a sage esdmate of the three basic i d a s
which influenced the life span of the Jewish people dgi011s
faith, n a t i a and assimilation iuprt ??t--Pm3N 9tp tlW33D
lN3P ilYM31 3llUl f H 3 ~"The emblem s p h b h g Abra-

24

ham comprises an elderly pair on one side and a pair of young

people on the other." zH3P 5*DlnI 53t3-t?Pil 717 5W f7DVtP
tH3P 51323 "King David's emblem is a staff and knapsack on one
' 3 n P Sttt f*D*ftP
side, and a tower on the other." l D ~ 73 1
tH3D 3;lt nlDy7 tH3D "The emblem of Mordecai is sackcloch
and ashes on one side, and a golden crown on the other" (Genesis Rabbah 44).
Abraham, whose r u h g ideal was that of monotheism, established his main purpose as that of winning new converts to his
principles. Insomuch as all men are equal before God, he never
dreamed of kingdoms and provinces, of dividing men into rulers
and the ruled. Nor did he contemplate the division of the world
into various lands and nationalities. Sodom and Garnorrah were
as acceptable to him as Hebron and Beth-El. When he overcame
the mighty king Amraphel and his allies, Abraham retuned to
his cousin Lot and to the king of Sodom the men and possesions
captured by Arnraphel. For himself he would not profit by his
victory 5yf771tP t y 7 DjnD "from a thread even to a sandal tie"
(Genesis xiv, 23).
His controlhng principle was: il2lp 'il 5H '7' nH *nlP*lil
YlK: D*PW "I have lifted up mine hand unto the most hi@ God,
possessor of heaven and earth" (xiv, 22). Wealth and eminence,
achieved through might and oppression, through conquest and
bending others to one's will, are repugnant to the faith. Separation of men into castes, slaves and masters, subjects and lieges is
in contradiction to the precepts of the one God, Father of all rnankind. The markings on Abraham's symbolic coin signify that
young and old, rich and poor, have equal right to enjoy the benefits of earth and live in undisturbed freedom.

The Nstrstr& Ideal

I

Many yean later, when the Jewish people had spread throughout the land of Canaan, and their neighbors regularly molested
them, seealing their sheep and cattle, causing them every possible
injtny, there developed among them the ideal of natio&
25

Tm ETERNAL
FOUNT
They determined to establish a unified, independent kmgdom. Of
Samuel, their spiritual leader, they demanded:
nllun 533 :,t!aDa?7% 735
"Appoint for us a kmg to
judge us like all the nations" ( I Samuel viii, 5 ) .
Samuel, seer and sage of his faith, loyal follower of his ancestor Abraham, and upholder of the ancient ideal that only God is
the true leader, was sorely troubled. 5NlDW 933y3 737il y711 "But
the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel" in truth, he
accounted it a form of blasphemy. 'il 5 N 5SftlW 55Bn11 "And
Samuel prayed unto the Lord." God ordered him to comply
onl?y qt?oo 'IDNP 1n'IN 13 ,'IDND
qn?N N? 13 "for not thee
have they rejected, but Me have they rejected, that I should not
reign over them" Their faith had grown weak; they preferred
the rule of man to that of God.
Samuel convoked the people to depict the outcome of their new
demands: "This will be the manner of the king that will reign
to make his instrument. of
over you: Your sons will he take
war. . And your daughters will he take for ointment makers,
and for cooks, and for bakers. And your fields and your vineyards,
and your olive-yards, yea the best, will he take, and give them
Of your flocks will he take the tenth: and
to his servants.
ye yourselves will become his servants." 5133 $lt3Wcc', 0y?l 3 M 1 t
5NDW ''Nevertheless the people refused to listen to the voice of
Samuel." They continued to demand a king, 533 UnfN 03 YlVIl
01113i-r "That we also may ourselves be like all the nations" ( I Samuel viii).
The nationalist doctrine thus initiated reached its height in the
days of David. 7% Xttt Dly27N , D ? D ~
flf ilfW 01tCtStlt f3
"Thirty years was David old when he became king; forty years
he reigned" ( 2 Samuel v, 4). Before his coronation he had fought
many battles, had extended the boundaries of the land, and subjugated many of the neq$boring peoples. Hence was his coin
stamped with "staff and knapsack on one side," signifyhg the
arms and accoutrements of war, "and a tower on the other." It
was his purpose to build a great army under m y generals, who
might capture the strongholds of Zion and convert these mm a

...

..

...

26

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
37 *3B, a mighty tower, signifying a powerful government
The religion of Israel, however, is indifferent to such achievements. When David prepared to erect the Temple, massing up
the required gold, silver, copper, and timber, there came the
prophet Gad to assert: 9PWS n933 333n HS "Thou shalt not build
the House unto My name." Forn3bW WP? 3373 "much blood
has thou poured out" - and no temple may be built of materials
thus tainted. a%yn 737 H Y P ~3Sbn n93 in93 "MY House shall
be proclaimed a house of prayer for all the peoples." True religion
does not stop at national boundaries; it is opposed to oppression
and enslavement of alien nations. Solomon, son of David, "prince
of peace," was to be privileged to build the house in which God
should dwell among His people.

Assimilation and Charity

During later generations, when the Jews found themselves

exiled among other races, a newer psychology developed among
them Faith was weakened, nationalism forgotten In this the chief
role was played - and is still being played - by the philanthropist,
the man of wealth. The Jewish leader becomes a Mordecai -ish
yehudi - who sits in the gate of the king and gazes longingly
toward the windows of the palace. He provides his foster niece
with a secular education. Her Jewish name Hadassah is altered
to the Persian Esther, after a goddess. When she is taken to wife
by the king, she does not disclose "her people or her birthplace"
*3?7?2n95y fit3 13 P "for so did Mordecai command upon her."
Only when there comes a period of distress, and oppressive decrees threaten the very existence of his people, does Mordecai become concerned over their situation. Then both he and the queen
stir themselves to give succor to their own, pleading with the king.
to a n d the harsh decrees promulgated by the heartless Haman.
' T h e emblem of Mordecai is sackcloth and ashes on one side and
a golden crown on the other." In his day the community is already
divided into rich and poor, imo the givers and the suppliants.
Jewry's leaders are those blessed with a cmwn of gold, who an

27

occasion toss w
i
n
s of benevolence into the sack containing alms
for the needy and suffering.
A new cult arises, concerned not with divine religion as with
matters of human welfare. Fundamental ideas are deleted from the
faith; one no longer serves the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
under whom men are equal in worth and desert; but the golden calf
of cold, calculating charity, which becomes the basic formula of the
Jewish faith. Only the institutions created by the new philanthropy attain the sacred status of the Temple, the holy meeting
houses wherein may be heard the teachings of Judaism. No longer
are the priests, the ordained masters of the service, men of wisdom
and probity; their places are occupied by the p e s s o r s of coronets of gold.

E t d Symbol of the J m i h Faith

The memory of Abraham remains forever sanctified in the soul
of Israel. Jews call the Eternal "Shield of Abraham"; and He is
so termed three times daily in the prayer service. Countless anecdotes are related of Abraham appearing in the lands of exile to
rescue his people from danger. One of these tales is here quoted
from Prof. Ginzberg's '2egends of the Jews.:
"On another occasion Abraham granted his assistance to the
people of Hebmn. The lord of the city was a heartless man, who
oppressed the Jews sorely. One day he commanded them to pay
a large sum of money into his coffers, the whole sum in uniform
coins, all stamped with the same year. It was but a pretext to kill
the Jews. He knew that his demand was impossible of fuElmmt
"The Jews proclaimed a fast and day of public prayer, on which
to supplicate God that He turn aside the sword suspended above
them. The night following, the beadle in a dream saw an aweinspiring old man, who addressed him in thk following words:
'Up, quickly! Hasten to the gate of the court, where lies the money
you need. I am your father Abraham. I have beheld the aflliction
wherewith the gentiles oppress yon, but God has heard your
groans' In great terror the beadle arose, but he saw no one, yet

28

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
he went to the spot designated by the vision, and he found the
money and took it to the congregation, telling his dream at the
same time. Amazed, they counted the gold, precisely the amount
required of them by the prince, no more and no less. They surrendered the sum to him, and he who had considered compliance with
his demand impossible, recognized now that God is with the Jews,
and thenceforth they found favor in his eyes." (I, 308).

And Isaac took over the spiritual inheritance of his distinguished

father, to transmit it in turn to his son Jacob. Thus did he bless
Jacob: ??Mil '3DWD1 P'DWil 7BD O'ilSM 7 7 tn'l "Therefore
God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the famess of earth"
(xxvii, 28). This blessing remains with Israel through all generations. Whensoever they have first sanctified "the dew of heaven,"
then have they been able to obtain "the famess of earth." With the
strength of the spirit, Jews have been enabled to attain ever greater
economic security.

JACOB'S EARLY EXPERIENCE WITH EXILE

VAYETZE
(Genesis xxviii, 10-xxxii, 3)
33y9 NY1 "And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba" Jacob
was compelled to forsake his father's house and experience exile
in an alien land. When Abraham and Isaac sought to travel to
other climes, the Bible reads yb'l or 77'1 "he journeyed" or "he
went,'' without compulsion by anyone. The word employed for
Jacob's departure implies compulsory going, actual fleeing in peril
of his life. His devoted mother Rebeccah had learned that Esau
bore his brother a bitter enmity, because of the blessings vouchsafed the younger son by Isaac. In truth, Esau had been making
plans to murder Jacob. Rebeccah bade Jacob flee to her brother
Laban, and live with him until Esau's anger would be partially
appeased.
She did not divulge the full extent of Esau's machinations, but
encouraged his speedy departure by t e h g Isaac that she was not
pleased with YYHil nl33 "the daughters of the land" in which they
dwelt, and could not endure the thought of Jacob's espousing any
one of them. Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and ordered n?n NS
7y33 n133t3 nw# "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of
Canaan" (xxviii, 6). The youth was told that in Padan-aram, at
the home of BethueI, his grandfather, he might espouse one of his
uncle Laban's daughters.
The journey from Beer-sheba to Haran was not a lengthy me.
The distance could be covered in several days. Eliezer, Abraham's
steward, who had originally traveled to arrange the marriage of
Rebecca and Isaac, made the same journey in but a few days. But
this ordinarily quick and expeditious mp was not so readily covered by the hapless Jacob. He was always beset by hardships in
his wanderings. DifEculties of all kinds plagued him and impeded
his progress. man #3 '3 nW 191 b p D 3 yaD'1 "And he lighted

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
upon the place, and tarri2d there all night, because the sun was set"
(xxviii, I I ). Dark indeed were the nights of his tarrying. While
he dwelt in his own home in his native land, the sun shone for him
as for all men. But no sooner had he forsaken that abode, than the
sun darkened for him, and he was unable to reach his goal. The
presumedly brief journey took all of fourteen years (Genesis Rab69).
Before his going, Jacob received from his mother many precious
gdts for his bride, and for all the family of Laban. But he was
waylaid by Hiphaz, Esau's first born, and robbed of everything,
even his garments, so that he remained penniless and naked. He
was forced to swim the Jordan, and wander for long in the great
wilderness of A.ram (Yalkut Shimeoni). Wherever he turned, he
was confronted by huge stones; when he lay down between them
legends relate that they quarreled among themselves and destroyed
his rest (Rashi).
The "stones of the place," the hardhearted rulers of the land,
were sometimes bent on joining Jacob to themselves (Hullin 91),
but entirely for their own advantage. They were well aware that,
as soon as Jacob had rested and come to himself, he would reward
them excessively for the slightest show of hospitality in his period
of hardship. For out of these very stones he would erect great
monuments and irVN7 521 ?OW 3x91 he would pour oil lavishly
upon the heads of these structures, and figuratively upon the
heads of his benefactors.
79335 217% ,3py95 p7qNW i f O "All that happened to Jacob,
happened to his descendants," speaks the midrashic phrase. Jewish
history demmjtmtes that in medieval times a local ruler frequently
purchased rights over another ruler's Jews; transferred them to
his own territory, where for a period he provided them with every
freedom and privilege of settlement; but so soon as they began to
prosper and develop the industry of their country, they would be
torn by oppressive measures and the harshest taxation. These were
the "Hof- Juden," court Jews, with whom each monarch could do
as he pleased (Gram).

The Angels Depart

After extended wandering in the arid desert, Jacob halted at a
resting place -N~ilil 0 1 3 ~ 22 3 ~ 9 1"and lay down in that place."
He was weary and forlorn. During the time he dwelt with his
parents, iniN pifni tniN f'lnwn f ~ l w 9 - y l v~ ~ f nl9n
"the angels of Palestine would guard and accompany him." But,
1 p f n ~ 3y l ~ yinf
f
y'anw 1193 "as soon as he left the boundaries
of the land, they forsook h i m (Tanhuma Vayishlach 3). At home
he was blessed with many friends and protectors, living quietly
in his own tent and studying the Law. Away from home he was
insecure and unshielded. He was open to every danger.
Nor could he observe the precepts of the Law in his accustomed
manner. Oil inilD2 i l l ; ilf l2Y 9f 2 1 ~y t ~ SyiR2W SmW9 "Jews
dwelling outside the Land become servers of strange gods even
though without intention" (Abodah Zarah 8). The process of
adapting oneself to every spot one reaches is both difEcult and
dangerous. It imperils the spiritual and cultural achievements of
many past generations. Without purposeful intent one must often
imitate the ways of one's neighbors and neglect part of one's own
observances. The original f o m of life obtaining in the old land
must be largely modified.
Chaim Weitzmann relates the following anecdote: ''The town
I came from was near the German border. Our Jews carried on
trade with the Germans; and in order to be able to cross the border at will, they had to purchase passes from the police, each costing three roubles and good for three months.
"Jacob, the rabbi's son, was not a businessman, hence had no
necessity for regular visits to Germany. But once it was most
ntxfor him to go there at once. Not desiring to pay three
roubles for a single crossing, he borrowed a pass from a friend.
'Remember,' warned the friend, 'my name is Peretz, so if they ask
yon, don't say you are Jacob, but Peretz.'
"As Jacob neared the boundary line, the sentry asked him, W h o
are you?' The agitated young man replied, nervously, Well, I
'
m
certainly not Jacob!'

32

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
"And this indicates," concluded Dr. Weitwnann, "that always,
when a Jew crosses the boundaries of his own land to dwell on
alien soil, he is no longer the same Jacob - no longer the D n 1 9 N
'complete man' he was at home."

Divine Dremn
Jacob remained weak and despondent. He saw a long, hard way
before him, ere he might achieve his purposes. He was troubled
lest he find it not possible to maintain the teachings of his forbears.
There is a comment of Rabbi Berdichever on this passage from the
w o n - ~ 9 ~ '7 7'il ~W i7l l 73N7 D n 7 '7 I n 3 1 "and if He give
me bread to eat, and a garment to put on. ...then shall the Eternal
be my God" (xxviii, 20-2 I). "When the Jew has food and clothing enough," says the rabbi, "he is then able to serve God. But
when he lacks these needs, then it may unfortunately happen
that his anguish of spirit will lead to forgetfulness of his divine
duties."
The wanderer fell asleep on his stone pillow. God, merciful,
could not look upon the sufferings of His loyal servant. 'ID'?
vnnn 7mw' )I'N ilU2pil "The Holy One, blessed be He, rolled
up all of Palestine under Jacob," so that he might have a soft and
comfortable bed (Hullin 91). The instant Jacob sensed the Land
beneath him, he became animated; his melancholy vanished; his
back straightened; and his thoughts turned to Heaven.
In his dream he beheld a i l Y l N 2YD D7D "ladder set up on the
earthn - irW'Dtail yq.V2 l t a H l l "and the top of it reached to
heaven." Wheresoever Jacob might go, so long as he had with
him the land of Israel, its Torah and its ideals, he remained conjoined with heaven. Also he beheld 13 D'tll'l D'7lY D'37N O N %
"angels qf God going up and down on it" (xxviii, 12). The angek
he had been accustomed to see in Palestine were those going up;
the more exalted and spiritual; those from without the land were
going down, the low, earthly, material beings. But he also sensed:
1% 3x3 'n ium "And, behold, the Eternal stood above him."

...

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Even in the wilderness the Lord was w a t c h q over him and
shielding him from misfortune.
He heard the voice of God: f ? il'?y 3 3 W ilnn ' I W n Y'INil
f y l r 7 l m 2 n n "The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give
it, and to thy seed" ( I 3). He assured the fulfillment of the divine
promises to Abraham and Isaac. Be not without hope - '31H i l f i l t
f 7 n 1WN 7 3 3 f 9 n 1 D W : fay "And behold, I am with thee, and
will keep thee whithersoever thou goest." The writer's father
chose to interpret this passage in this manner: "If I, the Lord, am
with thee, if My faith is in thy heart, then shall I keep thee in all
thy ways."
The faith of the Jew has always protected him from extinction.
If not for its religion, for its Torah, our people would long ago
have disappeared from the earth. Jewry remained intact because
of the Jewish Sabbath, the dietary laws, the laws of family purity.
Says Rabbi 2. H. Kalisher on the passage Y'IW Iby3 fY'I1 i l W 1
"And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth": "The exile has
made the children of Israel even as the dust of the earth. A l t h q h
dust has many uses, still we tread upon it. The Jews have ever conmbuted more than their share to the uses, to the development of
the lands they have lived in - yet they have been persistently
trodden down. However, just as the earth survives every p m e ,
so will the Jew remain alive for all time."
Jacob also heard these words from the Eternal: "Your wanderings will not continue forever. The time will come fvn3Wm
n N t i l iltlt N i l ?H when I 'will restore thee again into this land.'
77 9m3t 'IWH nn *n*ttry an ' I W n t y t 3 r y H NS Tor I will not
forsake thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee.'
Palestine will be yours; and there you will scintillate as of yore."
VlSWl3 33y9 Y$*I "And Jacob awoke out of his deep." His
dream had given him new hope. Before him stretched a radiant
vista. He is convinced i l t i l D13D3 'il fCH PN "surely the Eternal
is in this place." If he persists in his divine duties and observance
of the rules of his Torah and religious faith, every place can become h W W a 'IyW "a gate to heaven," leading to the holy laud and
the house of the b r d .

34

PEACE WlTH ESAU

VAYISHLACH
(Genesis xxxii, 4-xxxvi)

For thirty-four years Jacob did not see his home in Canaan.
Fourteen years were spent on the tortuous road between Beersheba and Aram-Naharairn; fourteen in service of Laban, for his
daughters Rachel and Leah; and six in labor on his own account,
during which Jacob amassed great riches.
Laban had been quite poor when the young man first came to
him. His daughter Rachel, despite her higher social place, was
constrained to serve as his shepherd. Her brothers were too young,
and there were no funds for engaging a pastor (Genesis Rabbah
63). Jacob's advent completely altered his circumstances; he soon
achieved great wealth. Jacob himself remarked:
375 PDT1 ' 2 ~ 5 75 il'il"lWt4 Qytl) U "For a little which thou
hadst before me, is now increased unto a multitude" (xxx, 30).
This had been admitted by Laban: 73533 'it 933'11'1 mwru
"I
have divined that the Eternal hath blessed me for thy sake" (27).
While Jacob labored unremittingly for Laban:

-ty~
injw

t t n t tr5953 ntpt 3 t n 9253~~793+n++il

'Where I was by day the drought consumed me, and the frost
by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes" (xxxi, 40)
Laban and his sons were altogether satisfied with him His honesty
gratified them. nftCInH 133H 795H 'nH3il-HS ilD?D "That which
was tom I brought not unto thee: I bare the loss of it" (39).
But when Jacob began working for himself - 7Ht3 W'Kil rlb't
"and the man increased exceedmglf' (xxx, 43) they grew envious of him They chose to forget that he had also brought riches
ro them. Contrariwise they complained: 7WH 53 nH 33y' n?7
nm t 3 3 n n H nrg, l393NC1 tWHt3l ,lf'lHC1 "Jacob hath taken dl
dvat was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he
made d this glory" (xxxi, I). Laban later spoke similarly: M#il
mn -5 nm ; m ~
7 w ~531 ? ~ H Yf ~ ~ i l,923
' l tl'f3il1 , W U ~
' T h e daughters are my daughters, and these children are my

35

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
children, and these flocks are my flocks, and d that thou seest
is mine" (xxxi, 43).
Such is the sad fate of the stranger, the alien. Though he bring
joy and wealth to the land of his settlement, no sooner has he become openly fluent than he is accused of sharp dealing and is
the object of envy.
Yet his wealth does bring about an alteration It creates a revolution in his thought. There is less idealism and more materialism in
his soul. Jacob, poor, and finding little rest in the stones of the
wilderness, dreamed of heaven, of angels, of God. But in his new
afRuence his dreams were of another sort: i l S i l l DfStil N'lN1
a9t-u; amps aqtlpy fnxn 5y nq5tyn aqtmyn "And I saw in a
dream, and, behold, the rams which went up on the flocks were
ringstraked, speckled, and grisled" (xxxi, 10). Heaven was forgotten; his visions now embraced more riches, a greater income.
Suddenly there came to him the voice of God:
ilqilK1 tqnt3.N Y'lN 5N 3 f W ,P'SD

77

'l93DD 1% TqtXI

"Your father-in-law will no longer tolerate you; return to your

fatherland, and I shall be with you" (Genesis Rabbah 64). He was
to know that the wealth he had attained in that place would not
remain in his possession; it would be taken from him. YlR 'Dm
M an3 fqH YTHS "Possessions gathered in exile have no blessing or permanence." In his own land his earnings would remain
with him; there would be an assured f
~ for ~
k l ef and his
offspring.

]mob Departs for Carnaan

Jacob came to an understanding with Laban, arranged a pact of
friendship, and with wives, children, slaves, and flocks, set out far
his parents' home in Canaan. But Laban remained his enemy. He
could not forgive Jacob's departure, nor the goods he had amassed.
Immediately after Jacob's going, he despatched a secret message
to Esau by his son Beur. This read: "Have you heard of the trick
Jacob played me? He came to me poor and tattered I we1ccmd
him most h d y , giving him my two daughters and two amid-

36

God brought him

good fortune. But now that he has become rich, he has left me and
is on the way to Canaan. You can find him in the kius near the
river Jabok; all his goods are with him. Do with him as you see fit."
But his mother Rebeccah learned of this message, and herself
despatched messengers to Jacob to warn him to be cautious She
counseled him to speak frankly to his brother, and not adopt a
tone of haughtiness. "It is your duty," were her words, "to respect
your older brother. Perhaps God will soften his hew, and his
wrath against you will abate" (Yalkut Sippurim).
Jacob sent out men to uncover Esau's whereabouts, and to ascertain what plans his brother might be making for a meeting.
They reported, sorrowfully: 'IDlH Wil ,lQ?
5H t'nn 5;H llH3
mww3 ufty ,yw'ln twy3 tay mu ntn 5 3 ~in t'nH 'We
came to your brother Esau. You imagined that he bethought himself as a brother, but he still remains the wicked Esau, still utterly
hating you" (Genesis Rabbah 7 I ).They added the alarming news
that Esau was leading an army of four hundred men to attack him.
But Jacob feared not. He knew that when God commanded
him to return to his home, He had promised tDy 'n"il1 "And I
shall be with thee." Hence Esau could do no harm to Jacob. But
the promise of God did not cover the children: fnfti '3124 m' '3
D'f 3 3 DDN 'an1 H3' jb 'Tor Ifear him, lest he will come
and smite me, and the mother with the children"; f 'D Hf '1P Y i l
lQ? f'D 9nH "Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my
brother, from the hand of Esau" (xxxii, 1 1 ) . On this passage
Rabbi Joseph Ber of Brisk commented: uJacob sought protection
from Esau's hand, in that he sought to avoid physical assault; and
also in the sense that extending the hand of fellowship too cordially might cause intermingling of the families and a consequent
deterioration of the Hebraic idealism of Jacob's family."
servants as wives. Because of my intervention,

Gifts to Esau

To achieve Em's favor, Jacob knew, I.eqnired great expndiI

auk He &mld have to provide nDna51 n5Dn'r ?t'InS the stv-

* .

37

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
era1 contigencies of bribery, entreaty, or conflict. The Esaus nnst
always be well paid for the& generosity in not molesting Jacob.
The very fact that Esau organizes no pogrom or economic boycott
against him should make Jacob most happy and grateful.
Jacob chose a present for his brother -goats, sheep, camels, kine,
she-asses, and foals, 1735 1 7 y lty "every drove by itself" (xxxij
16). B n n N 3 153 3 D W n HS ilD5 'Why did he not deliver
them in one group?" yW1 5W fyfyy yy3Wil5 973 "In order to sate
the eyes of the wicked man" (Genesis Rabbah 76). Esau's eyes
were large - he would not be satisfied by a single bribe or present,
but must have a succession of them.
a 5 'IDHS t 5 ~ w t' n f w
~ y t w m ' 2 'LDHS f f w ~ ' l i ln N t v f
~ ' im
l 3 3py95
~
7 7 3 9 5 n m N t . f u ~ 5n 5 8 ~ 5 t 5t n a n t ; m ~
f ~ Y 5V l H 5 i l n t ? "And
~
he commanded the first, saying, When

Esau, my brother, meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose

art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before
thee? Then thou shalt say, They are thy servant Jacob's; it is a
present sent unto my lord Esau" (xxxii, I 7- I 8). This was to indicate that Jacob was not the equal of Esau, born of rhe same parents;but that Esau was the lord, and Jacob even as his subject
But Jacob also made preparations for combat, if needed. He
did in truth prefer to avoid conflict, and settle the matter by
money payment, but despite his pacific character, he was prepared to fight should nothing else avail. He divided his caravan
strategicalIy into two processions, a n f ~ ?13y Nfill "And he
himself passed before them" (xxxiii, 3). On this the Midrash comments: NDbyjY p ilDtH i l l y l ~ 7t W 5 u n n N7n3 ''Like the hen
shaking sand from its wings" (Genesis Rabbah 75). The midrdic
phrase means that just as the hen cannot cleanse herself of the sand
in which she has been sitting without rising and shaking herself,
so couId not Jacob obtain uue salvation without rising and shaking
off the dust of exile, without fighting for freedom
Esau's conduct was in character. He showed himself at &st to
be most generous and friendly. He embraced Jacob and spoke:
7 7 7WN f C ) ' i l ? ,?nN 31 95 Wv ''I have enough, my brother; Be
thine that which is thine" (xxxiii, 9). But jamb understood thpt

38

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

there was deceit in Esau's kiss, that his thought was still of enmity.
n?*r 12 lrost "And he pressed him (Esau) and he took it." Esau
favored his brother by accepting his gifts.

Jacob R m i n s Alone
Jacob gathered together his goods, sent his wives and children
across the Jabok, and remained in that spot. 0 9 2 ~ 3IUD5y 19Mtpf
"He remained because of certain minor goods he had not put together." The Talmud reproaches him for becoming like those who
PDUP 'Ull* PflPP Pil*?y 393il "favor their money over their
physical well-being" (Hullin 91). It is averred that when Jacob
became primarily concerned with his wealth, his material possessions, 1'133 3?y* 7nl91, he remained alone. His family departed
distantly from him, and he was doomed to a lonely old age.
n'r"r3 *Vn* M 9 58 0 3 7 f *P(ln "A man of learning should
not travel alone by night" (Hullin 91). "This is an indication," my
father used to say, "of the tragedy of modem orthodox Jewry.
The gloom of exile has brought great harm to our people. Alien
influences have taken the children from the parents. Had the
pious parents taken a strong enough interest in the upbringing of
their young, had they sought to inculcate an abiding affection for
their people's faith and tradition, our life and our future might
now be faced with greater assurance.
"But when they are interested solely in their businesses, and
money becomes more necessary than health - even when they
enter a synagogue or perform a pious deed, they remain alone
without their children. Our synagogues become homes for the
aged; our institutions remain alive only through some miracle. It
is no wonder, then, that when the night of old age comes upon
us the fathem and mothers remain aIone in the glocnn, deserted by
the youth that live in another world entirely."
tr)y WN S389t "And there wrestled a man with him." This.
implies the struggle in Jacob's mind. After long thought he concluded 1 3 7~1 9 13 ypnl "and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was
sprained" meaning that the 1219 *HPl* "issue of his loins" had

39

THEE ~ AFOUNT
L
departed from him. The struggles for economic security in his
younger years 7 1 3 3 3 HD3 f y Dil*c1273 3 3 H 1Syil "had created
a dust which reached unto heaven" (Hullin 91). Reform, assimilation, and other alien movements had insinuated themselves between children and parents and brought destruction upon their
faith.
When Jacob sought to ascertain the reasons for this denouement, he asked the being wrestling with him, 7DW W'ilf Uil 'Tell
me, I pray thee, thy name." But the only reply was: 5 H W n i l l 4m5
WW9
"Wherefore is it that thou dose ask after my name?"
y13p aw 135 ?*H "We have no established name;" U * n t D W ;*3nWD
"our names interchange" (Genesis Rabbah 7 1). In every land assimilation bears a different name, a different character. The various reform movements, so-called, have merely shattered the unity
of IsraeL Instead of existing as 5 ~ 7 W *D y , "the people of Israel,"
we are become "every drove by itself" varied sects and associations, without unity.
The patriarch Jacob struggled with the stranger 7 R W i l n1Sy
"until the breaking of the day." He would not surrender. "Jacob"
became "Israel." His private Jacob interests were no longer more
important;as Israel he was now concerned with the entire community. 5 3 t n i D*w3N By1 a * i l 5 P a y n77W "Thou hast contended
with God and with men, and hast prevailed."
Although 1377 5y y5X "he halted upon his thigh;" he limped in
the matter of his children's training, 7 3 t ) 7 W H 3 tW3Wil 15 m T * t
5HtfL1 n H "The sun shone upon him as he passed over Penuel"
on the way to his own land. 17t>y> i l m l , n t 3 y 3 ilH3W &QW
'The sun which sank for him (when he went into exile), shone
for him once more (when he xetumed to his a n c d national
home)" ( H u b 91).

JOSEPH IS SOLD
(Genesis xxxvii-xli)
fy23 r'1H3 ,193H qltft) YlN2 33y9 3Wt "And Jacob abode
in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan."
After many years of wandering in strange lands, and suffering
from the baseless persecution of many enemies, he again became
a free man. Having built a home in the country of his parents, he
experienced a new feeling of security.
Life no longer held out its meed of bitterness; nor needed he
fear Esau and his children, who were never content to leave him
happy and who actually sought to take his riches from him. He
was finally saved from the possible vengeance of his brother Esau,
though not without terror and hardship. No more did he fear
Esau's deceitful embrace, nor his companions who wished to do
him ill.
The incident of the seduction of hi daughter Dinah by
Shechem, which brought on armed conflict between his own followers and those of Hamor and Shechem, was M y settled, and
peace reigned.
mSW3 n 3 ~ S3pf)q Wp3 "Now Jacob desired but to a w e in
peace," spending his Iatter years in his own land, and devoting
them to propagating his parental faith. It was his purpose to continue the teachings of his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac,
who had built many altars, and had brought to their neighbors the
lofty concept of monotheism. But no such o p p o h t y was vouchsafed Jacob. His life was to continue harsh and tumultuous.
tp:* 5W lttl'l PV6'He was stricken by the tragic happening in
the life of Joeeph,"the c d c t between the youth and his broohers
which was to end in overwhelming grief (Genesis Rabbah 84).
The narrative of Joseph and his brethren, says Rabbi Isaac
E T i n m , mirrors the perennial sadness of Father Jacob's fate
in the t h v d s of years of hi existence. Always he d e r e d from
bh m ofipring more than from strangers Alien enemiia he

41

was able to elude in time. He managed to coexist with the descendants of Esau; the struggle with these might be bloody and
protracted, but he never lost his courage or his hope for victory.
His own young however provided the greatest grief; and he could
not fight his way out of the conflict. The mighty, unyieldmg
fighter became weak and helpless before the envy and hatred existing among his own children. I#Y' t D D t'D38D1 t'2'3nD"Thy
destroyers and they that lay thee waste shall go forth from thee"
(Isaiah xlix, 17). This curse forever pursued Jacob, and fastened
on him through all the generations of exiIe.

Joseph Endures Jacob's TTiaLc

qDlL2?$l* MtSlR n7t4 "'ese
are the progeny of JacobJoseph." Jacob's story is repeated in the life of his son The utterly unique and vari-colored life of the father was further unfolded in the tale of Joseph.Not to Reuben, the firstborn, or the
other sons, was given the need of experiencing again the extraordinary mishaps of Jacob's career. The mighty billows of the ocean
are not reflected in the quieter torrent of the Jordan. In the placider existence of the older brothers there was no inkling of Jacob's
inner and outer c d c t . Joseph done remained his prototype;
only this son passed through the extraordinary turbulence of the
patriarch's vicissitudes.
32y apfr*5y %yw np 731 ,327 532 1 4 3 4 5 n p n nqn q~1*
q D V 7y "Joseph was in all matters like unto his father, and an
that befell Jacob also befell Joseph." qbl'l ,tWV 1=1 Hl? 13y9
VnN 13 1#1? "Jacob endured the malice of Esan (because of

Isaac's blessings). and Joseph suffered his brothers' +leasure

(because of the favor shown him by Jacob)."

1 4 n ~5 4 3 ~ 2~r)m5n52 qbt? ;rn# 5 9 2 ~ 2pn5 n51 2py4

"use
of his brother did Jacob seek exile in H a m , because of

his brothers was Joseph exiled to Egypt" (Tanhurna Vayeshev).

And what is more
t457ir ntl ,y3#5 Ytn2 b432 V51n fit
pllr(5 YllU D432 "Jacob's children were born in alien lands, and
so were Joseph's children" (Genesis Rabbah 84). Offspring born

m exile are notasoattached to their parents as those born in the

ancestral land. The new and powerful influence exercised by
novel surroundings tends to estrange the youth from fathers and
mothers. As the years advance there are lessening understanding
and association between the generations. Their outlooks are altogether dissimilar; their attitudes toward life are at utter variance.

Brothers' Q m e l

Joseph was very young when his father settled in Canaan, barely
seventeen years old. As a D'+3lpt13, son of Jacob's latter years, born
to his favorite wife Rachel he was especially beloved by his
father. The father dressed him in silk and bestowed upon him
a greater measure of tenderness. The other brothers hated the
youth for it. Like all pampered children, Joseph dreamed of
future greatness and rulership. He envisioned his supremacy, ewnomic and spiritual, over his brothers; and he had no compunction about recounting these dreams to them and to his father.
He beheld them all Of; VP7H irw ~Uirl.,WP5N! OIDSND
33x3 "binding sheaves . . and lo, my sheaf arose, and also placed
itself upright*' (xxxvi, 7). The other sheaves bowed down to his.
This was to indicate that ultimately the others would come to
him for economic succor. In the second dream the sun and moon
and eleven stars bowed down to him-which symbolized his coming spiritual superiority. The recital of these night visions enhanced the hatred of the brothers. !'3N 13 7y2Y Even "his father
rebuked him," denxxnding nP?R Wt4 iltil Ol?Ril irP "What is
this (silly) dream that thou hast dreamed?" (10).
In the Yeshivah of Woloshii the following anecdote was related:
A bussid once approached Rabbi Joseph Ber of Brisk to say that
m s dream he had seen the other hassidim of the town elect him
as their rabbi. T o which the rabbi smiled: "You imbecile! If the
townmen had so dreamed about you, one might expect soinothing dhattly to came of it; but when yon dream about yourself, it has not the value of a sucked egg!*
Tht hatred of the brethren for Joseph increased steadily, and

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
cnlminated in the tragic disposal of the youth to the Midianite
traders, who later sold him into slavery in Egypt. Brothers selling
brother into bondage, must culminate in calamity. In this case it
conduced to the final enslavement of all in the Egyptian exile.
Chief Rabbi G M. Arniel offers the following comment in his
sermonic collection "To My People": - "The tragic tale of the
selling of Joseph has continued to the present day. It has appeared
in altered forms in every generation It is responsible not alone
for the nU9D lff7il il7W the ten slaughtered saints described in
the Liturgy and Midrash, but for the direct or indirect slaughter
of many additional thousands the countless martyrs of Jewish
history.
''To this day Jewry is wracked by internecine hatred and
strife in all the lands of the exile. The greater tragedy lies in the
fact that most of these divisions are predicated upon abstract ideas,
mconsequential visions, purposeless dreams. VllN Nf W f l y lDlDl"1
1-37 9yl i+nin?n 4y 'And they continued to hate him still
more for his dreams, and for his words' (8). They quarreled over
vain words, over matters without Living reality. Hatred exists &st;
then come the explanation and justification therefor.
"It is first related: ~ 1 3 1737
~ 5 1539 N91 VltN lNfW*l 'They
hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him' (xxxvii, 4).
There was no effort made toward mutual understanding. After
this it is said: 1lnN 13 lHlpll 'And his brethren envied him' ( I I).
The distance between them grew steadily greater. 373' P7B3
ul+nn9 mlk! t53fnli
'Even before he approached unto
them, they conspired against him to put him to death' (18). No
desire existed for rapprochement. ?here remained a baseless enmity, which ever leads but to the g e d destruction and dis-

dtllre."

F r a t d Coltflict d the Me&

Our mystical litemture, lost in the realms between heaven and
earth, and finding moral teachings in every pasage of the Torah,
presents fantastic p-ins

of the tragedy of Joseph. It ad-

4+

monMes us that m every misfortune assailing our people, the Jews

themselves must accept the blame. Yet simultaneously it declares
that the people need not be disquieted or despair, since God, ever
mindful of his own, is preparing their salvation 1n'W Dfl?
ail3 uill ti51 ninwil q
n n H !ma i'il ,n91m5 nqr~3wil
il:nH f illD "Before the tribes went down mto Egypt,they looked

with disdain upon the descendants of the handmaids (Bilhah and

Zilpah) and refused to deal with them in brotherly fashion." This
aroused the wrath of God, who thus proclaimed:
053 llDH* D S W ilyW31 D'f3y a53 l'il'l ~ ' 1 3 ~Pf'IlH
5
0'11 a53 NYDl , i l y ~ ~Uq'il
S
Dqf3y

"Ishall bring them downto Egypt, where they will all become
slaves. And when I redeem them, they will say Slaves were we
to Pharaoh; and they will be everyone equal'' (Pesikta Hadata).
Our faith cannot tolerate contempt of brother for brother. It
is especially averse to those who look down upon those poorer than
themselves. Such inimical amtudes undermine the fundaments of
a nation, and bring to its enslavement by other peoples. Any nation whose members are m continual conflict, and where one
section exalts itself above another, is so completely weakened as
to find rehabilitation impossible. A group so constituted must
seek for miracles, for a Messiah, to rid them of their inner and
extmneaus exilism, of the enemies within and without
W e are told that the light of the corning Messiah was kindled
immediately after the selling of Joseph:

mwr
f

;uluyn? '1312 3'1~y HI ;q ~ l n* v 3 ~ nqplay

3
n'aawn
l '?W ~l1lH ~H113 il"33ill ;ilWH HW95 ??by "The m%aof

h
1arc occupied m disposiig of Joseph; Reuben (the elder) env d o p himself in sackcloth, and fasts; Judah (the householder)
seeks a new wife (a new home) ;but the Holy One, blessed be He,
in the meanwhile occupies himself with kindling the light of the
M U n (Genesis Rabbah, Vayeshev).
HOWpe'spicaciously has the Midrash interpreted the very time
minwhichwclivjngliving.l

JOSEPH'S DREAMS REALZED

MIKETZ
(Genesis xli-xliv, I 7)
ypD 9;l91 "And it came to pass at the end" -pmn7 OW f p
"There is an end to all darkness." The bounds of the destiny mling man's life are established by a higher Power, which permits
no excursion outside them, Fate may not intervene in a man's
status one minute beyond the time assigned. ilB3 PSlyS Ins ;Dt
ilS'PN3 1
m
9
P'SW "An allotted period is given of the number
of years any person must suffer in darkness' (Genesis Rabbah 89).
Thereafter his situation must inevitably be altered. The clouds
pass; the sun streams down upon him
Joseph's hour had struck. Now would all things be well with
him Twelve years of gloom in Egypt - first as slave to Potiphar,
subjected to attempted seduction by the master's infatuated
spouse; then in prison as a result of the woman's false accusation;
and finally freedom, under the mercy of God.
nDln n l n il3D BiilW ilD3 ilH=lpil "God heals with the same
means by which he suikes." ~ 5 1,ni5n 9"y n5n 1 3 ~ sn5 qbt9
PlSn
BSH 7% "Joseph was sold as the result of a dream; he
attained power as the result of a dream" (Tanhuma Vayeshev).
The anger of his brothers, because of the dreams that indicated
Joseph would some day rule over them, led directly to hi enslavement. Pharaoh's dreams, which none could interpret until
they were related to Joseph, brought about the youth's freedom
and ultimate realization of his own visions.
In this manner the chain of Jewish dreams extends through
the ages. Because of a divine vision, Abraham wandered for years
in search of a land in which he might realize his life's purposes
Jacob spent tfirrty-four years on alien soil, slaving to enrich
others, but all that while he dreamed the great d m m s of his
parents, that finally brought him back to their and his homeland.
A dream it was that drove Joseph to Egypt, to rise h skme to

46

1
I

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
l e r , and to bring his father and Jacob's children to his new
exilic territory.
The entire existence of the Jew seems to be one vast dream,
ever awaiting the opportunity to be dissipated. Until now no
one has been found to interpret the mystic fantasy, persisn'ng
through thousands of years. Although the Jew sees nothing now
to accord him courage and hope for continued existence, there
is an intimation in the dream itself of the ultimate solution of the
Jewish enigma. He suffers and lives on, persecuted and befriended
in turn, as a result both of his own dreaming, and the drearns that
control the existence of his neighbors.

The Lot of the Jew

Two years before Joseph's release, the royaI butler was imprisoned because 15W ]+'l+alal?qlB3 3nr NXL3f "a fly was found in
the cup of wine brought to the king" (Rashi). "Thus we see that
the destiny of Israel can hang on a fly. Were it not for that insect,
the butler would not have been sent to prison; Pharaoh would not
have learned of Joseph's penchant for interpreting dreams; Joseph
would not have become viceroy and transported his family to
Egypt; and the Jewish people might have remained for all time
in their own land" (Kerem Hazevi). God willed otherwise, however. A fly became the messenger of Heaven - and Jewish histo37
took a new turn.
The butler related a dream of seeing a beautiful vine with three
branches laden with clusters, from which he pressed out a cup for
Pharaoh. Joseph explained that the three branches meant that in
three days the man would be freed and resume his service of the
king. H i y pleased with this interpretation, the butler promised
that if it were realized, he would intercede with Pharaoh far
Joseph's release as well. However, n N n+pwt3il IW I3t 8%
ian3wr c)~13"Yet did not the officer of the butlers remerhber
Joseph, but forgat h i " (xl, 23). Why should anyone m e m b e r
cr Jewrotting in prison?
It ww two years before lnw lnltl pHt tltSPI bftn

g
m

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
'%%amoh dreamed a dream, and there was no one to interpret it;"
H e berated his own sages for their inability, until the butIer recalled Joseph and insinuated himself before Pharaoh with the words
Dl*n 1*3t?3 *fN *HDn at4 "I will make mention of my faults
today" (xli, 9). He related the tale of himself and the baker in
prison, and their difficulty in explaining their dreams. 1fnN PWt
P*n2Dir l W 7 72y *12y ly3 "And there was there with us a lad,
an Hebrew, servant to the officer of the executionem" lWN3 W*!
ir*ir 13 U?MD "And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us,
so it was."
P*yWln 09111N " C m d be the wicked! " cries the Midrash.
Even when they deign to perform an act of kindness for a Jew,
they soon regret their deed. The butler cogitated that the king
might want to give Joseph a large reward, and made endeavor to
belittle him by calling him a Hebrew and a slave - "You need
not give him much; any small amount will suflice" (Genesis
Rabbah 89).
But these deprecating words made little impression on Pharaoh,
though they remained engraved in the minds of the ministers of the
state who were present. Later, when the king professed his intent
of making Joseph viceroy, they spoke: P 9 l Q ? 2127 1np'rW 72y
U*'ry in'r*wnqD3 "A slave purchased by his master for twenty
pieces of silver you raise to rule over us." But the king chid:
12 nNt7 * f ni3%
~
*J'f'lff "I see in him the likeness of a king"
Sotah 36). As the most capable man in the kingdom he was fit for
royal duties
Ginsberg's Legends has it: "The throne upon which he
(Pharaoh) sat was covered with gold and silver and with anyx
stones, and it had seventy steps (each representing one of the
It was the custom that one who knew all
known languages).
seventy languages ascended the seventy steps of the throne to the
top.
The princes of Pharaoh
continued to give utterance
to their opposition to Joseph, saying, 'Dost thou not remember the
immutable law of the Egyptians, that none may serve as king or
viceroy unless he speaks all the languages of men? Send and have
him fetched hither, and examine him.'. During the night Gabriel

...

...

...

..

48

appeared unto Joseph, and taught him all the seventy languages"
(Legends of the Jews,11, 68, 72; Sotah 36).
This tale indicates that no Jew readily attains high office. Said
Rabbi Isaac Jacob Reines concerning the passage t"N ;It3 mtD3il
8 13 P937N nl1 1WN "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in
whom the Spirit of God is?" (M,
38): - "Pharaoh intimated that
if he had discovered another person capable of performing that
labor, he should certainly not have elevated a Hebrew to that
high place. But what could he do, seeing no other was available?"

Joseph Fights the Fmmmne

The sages declare that Joseph was enabled to interpret Pharaoh's dream so exactly because Pf7n n H fDf 7n3 ilw33il17 nN1il
ny1b "God explained Pharaoh's dream in Joseph's own dream"
(Yalkut Shimeoni). Joseph had from his youth pondered on social
betterment, on means of protecting humanity from hunger and
want. H
is first dream, of his brothers's sheaves bending to his
own, proved him to have devised a plan to prevent economic
crises His brothers, disliking him, ridiculed his ideas; but 33y9
137n nN 1DV "Jacob took due cognizance of the matter" and
awaited developments.
Joseph was both physically attractive and mentally proficient.
n97m tC(9N
"And he was a prosperous man" (xxxk, 2).
When he became Potiphar's steward, 9 1 X ~ i ln ~ n 'iNl 7139:
tnW31 n933 tPW9 1WN 733 ,.qDf' 7723 'The Eternal blessed
the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake
upon all that he had in
the honse, and in the field" ( 5 ) . He could have risen sooner and
made his name great in Egypt, except for the handicap of his Jewishnesr. Potiphar's wife, knowing well that her countrymen
despised the Jews, in her pique repeated the common harangue:
33 3n37 -3p tCnN 137 N93il "He hath brought in a Hebrew
unto us to mock us" and pervert our institutions; he is not satisfied with our mode of life, and would d-y
the state.
This was d c i e n t to poison the minds of the judges, and of
Potiphar himself, who was ready to forget aU the profit Joseph's

...

49

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
stewardship had brought him. 7WN DlpD 7illDil n93 SN tMn9'l
D17IDN t ? D i l "19DN "And put him in the prison-house, a place
where the king's prisoners were bound" (20). Placed with @tical
offenders, Joseph was not accused of dishonesty or inabdity, but
of perfidy to the king. Thus has it ever been with the Jew, whose
capabilities are exploited by others while he remains under continuous charge and suspicion that he is secretly lea*
subversive,
radical movements.
Times were prosperous in Egypt.The Nile provided irrigation
for the land; its banks were laden with produce of the earth. But
Pharaoh was wisely looking to the future. He remarked that his
subjects were content with the present hour, and gave no thought
to the morrow. What would happen at the cessation of prosperity?
How soon might not an economic depression strike them? He
posed the query to his magicians, his advisors, but their answers
were unsatisfying. Long was he troubled, until Joseph appeared
to propound his own economic plans, destined to succor Egypt
and all the neighboring lands in due course.
This plan was twofold. First he advised the king to BQRt
Y3Wil 93W Y3W3 D17YQ y > M n N "take up the fifth part of the
land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty." One fifth of all the
produce was to be taken as a temporary tax, to be remmed to the
farmers when bad times befell. Second, n Y 7 D l 9 n R n 7 3 tluX9t
"and let them pile up corn under the hand of Pharaoh" in the
granaries established to hold the surplus - '3W ~ 3 W 7~ 7 ff??d?
~ 7
3Y7il "as a charge for the land against the sevenyears of faminen
(hi,34-36). A plan almost exactly similar was proposed in the
early days of the Roosmelt administration. Many commentato~~
have declared the proposal of Secretary Ickes of the Depamnent
of the Interior to be the same as that first p-ted
by Jin

EwJpf.

EXILE IN EGYPT
VAYIGASH
(Genesis xliv, I 8-xlvii)

At length Joseph disclosed himself to his brethren, and they

were completely reconciled. On a tour through the land he showed
them his greatness and power. Then he imparted the news that
Pharaoh had agreed to assign the splendid city of Goshen for settlement by them, with assurance of everything needful wherewith
to begin their lives there. He also gave them costly gifts, declaring: M ~ N ' I 'IWN 5 3 n N i ~ 9 ' 1 ~ 3' 3f i x 5 3 n N 9 3 ~ 5nnfm
"And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of
all that ye have seen" (lxv, 13); df3n 9 3 K n N P n f 7 : n l Pn'Ii1131
"and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither." Pharaoh
beneficently provided them with wagons for transport "and gave
them provision for the way."
Thus began the fulfillment of the frightening prophecy spoken
at the "covenant of the pieces": Y 7 N 3 7y'IT 719ir9 72 9 ym y f 9
ntw nlw $ 1 3 7 ~P n l N 13yl P n 3 y i ,nnS NS "Know of a w e t y
that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall
serve them; and they shall a c t them four hundred years"
(=,13).
St73 SW n i ~ 5 w 5 w 3 NS "Not in fetters of iron," says the
Midrash, was Joseph carried into Egypt. His journey from fatherland to alien soil was undertaken with full willingness and understanding. So have all Jewish migrations begun: a son of the
family departs for a new land, works his way to riches, and then
brings over his parents and brothers to share his economic o p
pominities; generations thereafter there is an outgrowth of intolerance in the new land, and the process is repeated to a new
place of exile.
Thns does the wheel revolve for Jewry, in all lands and dl
em. On the passage nn9'1ur3 n t n qDl9l "And Joseph was
b m g h t down to Egypt" (xxxix, I ) the Midrash comments: <Do
not read h a d (was brought down), but h o d (he brought down)

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
ailies to Egypt"
(Tanhuma Vayeshev). Though Joseph went involuntarily, he directly brought about the ingress of Jacob, of his brothers, and of
their families into Egypt, where in time they were to be enslaved.
Despite his perspicacity and wisdom, which enabled Joseph to
predict the future of other nations, he was unable to comprehend
the destiny of his own people. He could not grasp the certain misfortune that must follow the uprooting of his father's house from
the land of their nativity. All Jewish history would have had a
different aspect, if he had possessed the political wisdom to p r e
vent the migration into Egypt- With his huge wealth and power,
he could well have supported them in their own land - and there
might have been no consequent clash with the exilic environment.
Even the words of Joseph to hi brethren rang with prophecy:
a33 '2N-nK PntVnt "and bring down my father hither" (xlv,
I 3). The very act of leaving his own country and settling in another was a come-down for Jacob the householder. For thus he
became a stranger, a wanderer, without foundation, everywhere
tolerated and nowhere esteemed. In exile one loses one's independence, and often one's self-respect. One who is always
P*'lnK n y t 2 nSm "dependent on the will of others," must sup
press his own feelings in favor of those forced by the environment.
Children of a race that lives on the beneficence of its masters, fearful of harsh restrictions that are always imminent, can hardly
boast of a favored situation.
More tragic is the gradual lowering of spiritd standards in
exile. The alien's faith must also accompany his @tical and economic decline. ilD'7XD TDf) 7'1K 'Db(
"I too shall go down with
you to Egypt," says the Eternal to Jacob. The destiny of Gad is
bound up with the fate of Israel. As Israel rises, SO too does the
Divine Presence grow; as Israel falls, NnlS23 K t Y D W the
Divine Presence sufferswith him (Genesis Rabbah 93).
The Zohar comforts the people of Israel, and c
d against
dcspair. my 02 7 % VJNl
~
,,m*7m Thy f'lN D1N "I will go
down with thee into E&ypt, and I myself win also sardy bring
fhce up again" (lxvi, 4). Comments the Zohar: 'It1 1"lU
0"IXDS P'tC12Wltl ?'2K nN his father and the

52

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
nW1p"The Holy One blessed be He made two vows unto
Jacob:" n 9 r p ~ *tm
t , m 1 5 ~ nvny ifw5 n9ny nin99-r f n
9nWf3 Dy nw*tp nnp*Df Nnfnn 9nnn5 n913pn "one that
13y9'r

He would go down to dwell with him in exile; and the other that
He would bring him up from the grave to see the joy of his
descendants when He (the Lord) helped them to renun to their
homeland."
Both Jacob and Joseph requested, in their wills, that their offspring bury them in the land of Israel. They would not have their
bones resting in exile, though they had spent their days in Egypt.
Similar requests have been made by pious Jews immemorially; to
live in exile, but to die in their Holy Land, has been their desire.
They have neglected frequent opportunities to return there in life
and rebuild the national home, contenting themselves with occasional donations to Palestinian institutions and with a bag of Palestinian earth in their coffins.
In all propriety did Rabbi Berukiah remark to Rabbi Eliezer,
as he beheld caskets containing dead bodies being borne into the
H d y Land: l N 1 tnn9t311 mln ln93n tn99n3 9 1% 15*yln %1
nS 'What have these men accomplished for their land? During life they neglected it; only in death have they c m e to it"
(Pesikta Rabbati I). If ever we Jews determine to improve our
status and possess a home like all other nations, we must try to live
in Palestine, develop its resources, and pave the way for ever
more newcomers. A Jewish majority in the land would build it up
economically and politically, and definitely establish our national

home,
Joseph Greets his Brethren
That history q e a t s itself is assumed by all students of national origins and development. Our sages tao have declared that
the life of later generations is mirrored in the Me of the fatherk
@fa5 fn9b n ? 3ilm
~
"The acts of the fathers are symbols for
the offspring." Innumerable times do the Talmud and the Mi&
d d v e this mth from the incidents reamted in the Tarah. Our

53

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
sages combed through every word, every phrase, depicting the
lives of the patriarchs, knowing that therein would be found an
indication of future events.
A perusal of Joseph's frigid reception of his brethren in the
Torah, offers a realistic account of Jewish life in all the lands of
exile. For in every land settled by Jews, the early comers considered themselves the aristocrats of the community, looking down
on the "green" newcomers. Even the close relatives of immigrants
considered themselves above them and at times made them suffer.
The wealthy, in particular, have ever endeavored to exercise their
will on the poor "greenhorn"; and where the latter has protested
this assumption of power, he has been accused of unfaithfulness
and ingratitude.
Joseph had not seen his brethren for twenty-two years. At
seventeen he had been sold to the Midianites. For thirteen years
he was Potiphar's slave and a prison inmate - incarcerated on a
false political charge. Then came the interpretation before Pharaoh
of the king's dreams; the nine years thereafter were spent as viceroy and economic dictator of Egypt.
He became rich and powerful. The application of his forecast of coming famine proved most successful. For two years the
local world had been suffering hunger; only Egypt prospered
under Joseph's prevision. Men streamed from other lands to buy
Egypt's produce:
#m*lY~
ON93ilt qD19 a35 OL/ly3W 3iltl q D 3 73 "Joseph gathered and brought into Egypt all the silver and gold in the world"
(Pesahirn 1 I 9). Tremendous was the commerce carried on by
Pharaoh's government.
The king rewarded Joseph well, making him viceroy, giving
him his former master's daughter Aseneth to wife, and extending
his power over the entire land. Joseph was proud and happy over
his achievements. His firstson he named Menasseh, O'ilSN '3 W P 3
93N nQ33 n N t 9 b ~ 3 3 - n
"For
~ God hath effaced from my
mind all my trouble, and all my father's house" (xli, 51). Happy
in his Egyptian citizenship, he tried to forget his m c d origin.
Years later the Egyptians displayed a dislike for Joseph, rr db

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
taste for his company

- P ~ l I Y i nl H 513H5 P91Y?3il 11?319 PC?

tl33Xt32 Nqil il3YUl '3 ,PnS "because the

Egyptians could not

eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the
32). Then Joseph understood that Egypt was
not to be his true home. On similar linguistic grounds, therefore,
he called his second son Ephraim, 9Dy rim PW5H Vl3il-'3 "For
God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my misery"
(xli, 52). With all his good fortune and lofty estate, he could still
not be included in the "social register" of the day; he had no share
in the -an
"four hundred."

Egyptkns'' (xliii,

Joseph Stands Aloof

fy33 y i ~ 3 y i n n'a-'3 P + H 71nz
~

i z w ~5 ~ i w q933

' i ~ ~ t

"And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those that came:
for the famine was in the land of Canaan" (xlii, 5 ) . Only ten departed, for Jacob would not part with his youngest son Benjamin.
Before their going, he spoke to them: nn33 ~ 3 5 1 31D33n 5H
Ylil
ft33 B5Wn HSW 973 ,tnH "Do not altogether pas
through one door, lest an evil eye rule over you." This means
that it is generally more salubrious for the Jew not to be displayed
too prominently before the eyes of the gentile,P33 1H3Pq H ~ w
"13
"that they become not envious and hateful toward you" (Taanit
8)

Joseph recognized hi brethren at once, but nil95H 133nql "he

made himself strange unto them" (xlii, 7). That is, he acted as a
q r , a non-Jew (Genesis Rabbah 93). nlW? nnH 1379: "And
he qaake roughly unto them," almost as though he knew them to
be criminals. He asked, OnH3 t9HD "Whence come ye?" What
is your purpose in Egypt? They replied that they had come from
Canaan "to buy grain for food." But Joseph replied, with apparent suspicion, M H 3 )'inn nny-nn nlm5 nnH nq5ain "Ye
are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come!" Thi:
Midrash says that the brothers protested: lfqfy H3 ilnN n595y3
'You mise false accusations against us." IH35 M i ' nUW3 #%3
9132 n'rsstwc, ta3 nn5 n5nw n i 5 3 , 5 3 t ~np95 ''People d

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
lands have come here to buy food; do you ask them what you
have asked us?" (Genesis Rabbah 93).
Could not this portion have been written in our own day in
Germany, in Poland, in Rournania, and many another land? Are
we not also today called international spies? Every radical movement designed to uncover the nakedness of a land, to expose its
weaknesses, is ascribed to us. They are especially incensed by the
phrase, 7nN-W'N 933 U N N D 9 n N "We are brethren, the sons of
one man" - for as a compact family the people of Israel have little
desire for assimilation As a consequence men speak of a nonexistent "Jewish solidarity" and of mythical "Elders of Zion" bent
on controlling the world, and of other vague and im@e
charges.
' W e es christelt sich, also judelt sich." Our new Jcscphs, the
assimilators in many lands, also treat their brethren as strangers,
not learning until much time has elapsed that their conduct will
bring the grey hairs of the father with sorrow to the grave. This
critical aloofness is destructive of Israel's existence. In unity alone
is there strength. If we wish always to be able to say, "My father
is yet alive," there must be heard 19RWF.5N qD1' yflnil "Joseph
made himself known unto his brethren." The Josephs, the wealthy
and happy members of Israel, must recognize their own in every
land, and together with them strive valiantly for our rights as a
race, as a nation.

JACOB PROPHESIES CONCERNING

HIS CHILDREN

(Genesis xlviii-1)
illw i l ~ v yy2w P ~ I Y ~ y) I N 2 2py9 9n9! "And Jacob lived
in the land of Egypt seventeen years" (xlviii, 1). When Jacob
returned to Canaan, it is written: lQH 91ljr) y I H 2 23y9 I W 9 l
"And Jacob abode in the land of his father's sojourning" (4
1). In exile Jacob was able to exist for a limited period, only ternporarily, but not to establish himself as a permanent householder.
Life in alien parts was without fundament, lacking the freedom
and independence created by a settled home. No one can enjoy
a life spent at the tables of others. Only his physical hunger can
thus be sated, but there sill remains the suffering of the spirit.
Perpetual subjection to strange influences is a narrowing and deadening experience. Such an existence is well called 9R9t "and he
lived," and not I W ' l "and he abode."
T h e Mi&&
inquires: n l 9 W I B i l 5 3 3 i l D l n D 1; i l W I B 1?lT3?
8 n q i n 5W 'Why is this portion conjoined with the other Pentateuchal portions (and not distinct, like them)?" It answers, prof m d l y : 5 m w 9 5 y P ~ I Y D T D ~ W n9nnnw n i w a "Because
herewith began Israel's subjection to Egypt" and there was an end
of Jacob's distinctiveness and independence (Genesis Rabbah 96).
The pomon cannot stand by itself; it is bound to the others. Jacob's
life is bound up with the life of Egypt; exile destroys his every
unique quality.
SHIW
5 w P251 ~ i l l a~ n oy3 t i 2 y w n nlua ''Through the
pressure of exile the eyes and hearts of Israel were trammeledn
(Rashi). Far worse than the fact of enslavement or subjection is
the closing of eye and heart to their own degradation. Tsrael became habituated to their lowly position as aliens, strang.ers, men
of the bowed head The Zohar aptly remarks:

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
mmnn

~ y l w*tmn.r ~ ~ 3 1 9 %
,twnnwN

w;

i3.r MDSY

"The visage of an alien dweller is darkened, and the bright conntenance seen in his own land becomes cheerless and depressed."
Seventeen years did Jacob reside in Egypt with his entire family, accomplishing nothmg. There is no record of achievement on
their part, at a time when momentous events were taking place
in the country, when great masses of the population were being
transported to new settlements, and the entire economic structure
was being altered. During all these years Jacob lived quietly in
Goshen with his family, on Joseph's bounty. Almost a generation of time spent in nothmpess! If they made any conuibutim
at all to the land's progress, it was undoubtedly as E&yptians, as
indigenous citizens and not as Israelites. There is no credit given
them for accomplishment in any of our archives; wen their names
are not mentioned.
Jacob became ill; his days were numbered. Thus he called for
his son Joseph: n * i x ~ S*n.rlq tSq3W3 "On thy account did I go
down unto Egyp~"WlXt33 *113?n Nl 78 "Do not, I pray thee,
bury me in Egypt." ?H ruvlil v53n WDD3 n D D7n lvq98
vnim "Even though a man die on shipboard, his soul turns
back to his parents" (Midrash Tanhuma). In this manner Jacob
explained to Joseph that since Joseph had expatriated his father,
it was as though the older man dwelt on a ship, without solid foundation, and susceptible to every billowy eruption. A nation thus
insecurely placed cannot progress. The man who perforce resides
on the sea is practically without living or achieving; but his spiritual part ever reverts to his forbears.
fnfw l%y' H
W
Jacob would not be interred in Egypt
nlr-;ntly "lest they employ his memory for idol-worship"
(Genesis Rabbah 96). SuEcient was it that all his life's labors were
somehow transformed into activity for aliens and were not accounted to his people's credit. Hence he desired that in the end he
should be buried in his own land and thus be credited to his people.
nu w* nur% ~nw-aw 133~1pinS-ptn3 nDw a "He
dies in exile and is there buried, has died a double death" (MidfPSh
Tanhuma). He has perished once for the present, which is no lang-

58

er his, and once for the future, which is also not his own. Neither
his life nor his death are accounted to his people.

The Divine Presence Goes and Return

Jacob summoned all his children, and spoke:
olnlil n l l n ~ 303nN N Y ~ ~ I W NnN 027 i l f ~ ~
fbb~il
1

"Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall
befall you in the remoteness of days" (xli, 1). Comments the
Midrash: i l 5 l ~7f 03DXp u'pnil ,nnN mtfN t'n "Be as one company; prepare yourselves for the redemption" (Genesis Rabbah
98). "The remoteness of days" is for the Jew completely dependent upon the "gather yourselves together." If the Jews will unite,
and in all lands strive to be one company, with a single aim, then
their future, their latter days, will be secured. Men muse be pre
p e d for redemption; this entails a conscious effort.
Shmaryahu Levin once offered this comment on the talrrmdic
injunction, 131 n93 5W nnpqn 1% 9nqWD3 fyfn 7N-'Do not
molest my Messiahs these are the pupils in the school of their
master." "The Jewish Messiah," said he, "will not come from one
man or a group of nlen. All the mothers of Israel must travail for
our redeemer. The entire people must provide their strongest aid
toward the freeing and redemption of onr nation."
The Talmud (Pesahirn 56) has presented an extraordinary picture of the last hours of the patriarch Jacob:
33p9
Wp3
CUDW unn np7m31 ,prim Y3 nN 19335 n:'l35 "Jacob wished
to uncover to his children the end of the exile, but the Divine
Presence had departed from him" The divine vision he had experienced before his sons were gathered around him, vanished
with their presence. Jacob, terrified, 9nDD3 tcH b d ~ lbn l D H
%UD
"said, 'God forbid, there may be unworthiness in my family!'" There might be, among children and grandchildren, such
as w, longer had faith in the God of their fathm, and becan~eof
this, God's Presence might have departed - It would not remain in
the association of heretics, unbelievers, deniers of the Jewish ooncept of Dmine Unity.

The sons, noting his distress, undemood its origin.

, t n ~N ~ H7303 ptjttr ~ w r - t n n 'il wil% 'il ? m a t

tnn

H ~ H13353 pn 73

ma 'IWN

"They recited, 'Hear, 0 Israel, the Eternal is our God,the Eternal

is one - just as in your heart there is but one God, so in our own
there exists but the one God.' " They quieted his qualms, so that he
would suspect none of them of infidelity. All possessed the same
faith, held the same aims. When Jacob heard these words,
D51y5 ln!35P 7133 DW 7133 ,'lQk41 nnb "He began and
spoke, 'Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and
ever! ' "
The Talmud here speaks most sagely. Jacob, on his deathbed,
his hours numbered, was passing away in a strange land, leaving
his offspring in exile, among worshipers of idols. He could not
know whether his pure faith, for which he and his forbears had
suffered and striven so greatly, would not die out with himself.
It was terrifying to contemplate the Divine Presence, which had
accompanied him in all his wanderings, forsaking his children and
exposing them to every peril of apostacy and assimilation among
their Egyptian neighbors. YtYftHl ?lil'lP? HPil "He gazed into
the future and was appalIed" (Genesis Rabbah 98).
But he heard the glorious prayer that came from the lips of
his children, the prayer that in brief resonance recounted the
great ideal of the lives of the patriarchs - "Hear, 0 h l ! " Once
more he breathed freely. His pmphetic eye saw his descendants
to the farthest generations leaping into flame and water with these
words on their lips, to uphold the sanctities of their faith. H
is life
had not been in vain. His divine ideal was to live in his descendants "forever and ever!" Now the Divine Presex~cereturned and
stood at the head of his bed

v1

BEFORE THE EXODUS

(Exodus i-vi, 1)
Two hundred and ten years had passed since Jacob and his
descendants, on invitation of Joseph, had descended into Egypt.
Only seventy souls had they been - and these included Joseph
and his children. Now they had grown into a nation of six hundred
thousand.
At first d had gone well with them. They were given the land
of Goshen by Joseph. ItRN91 113 Y W 3 D"l'Yt3 Y7N3 ?kt719 31'1
tN13 137*1 17D11 il3 "And Israel abode in the land of Egypt, in the
country of Goshen; and they had p w s i o n s therein, and were
fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly" (Genesis xlvii, 27). Pharaoh's dynasty, saved from disintegration by Joseph, whose abilities also built it into a position of wealth and power, at the outset
displayed marked favor toward the family of the viceroy. They
lived after their own fashion; and many were made overseers of
the king's flocks.
~ D n
VN

yv NS ~

WP
N

~ 52)
D mn 7%

n3r

WOW

there

arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph" (i, 8).
593 19 y r NSt 1Nt33 't3t 911n "He acted as though utterly
ignorant of Joseph and his achievements" (Sotah I I ). Gradually
there insinuated itself the matter of 15 nt33nn3 n3n "Come on,
let us deal wisely with them." How s h d we deal with these Israelites, how dispose of them? 9N7W9 '23 9 D b l'YljPl "And they
were harassed because of the children of Israel" (12). The Tdmud plays on the Hebrew words here, and comments, O;1'PY3 1%
Q9Xl?3 "They became as thorns in their eyes" (Sotah 11).
Such has ever been the lot of Israel. So long as there is a negligible number of Jews in a land, they are tolerated. But so soon is
the "earth GUed with them," than there is talk of "dealing wisely,"
and Jewry becomes a difficult problem m the eyes of the citizenry.

61

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
There arises the familiar plaint, D1Yy1 >'I 9H'IW' 933 iip i%IUil
'UPP "Behold, the people of Israel are more numerous and powerful than we" (9). There is an intimation here that the strength
of Israel has been usurped from the rest of the population. (The
same word, mimerm, means "than we" and "from us.") Abimelech
king of Gem directed the same complaint against Isaac:
7 H P U P D nDYZ) '3 U P y D 77 "Go from us; for thou art become
much mightier than we (through us)" (Genesis xxvi, 16). And
thus spake the children of Laban: lf'3H7 'IWH 93 n H 33y' I739
"Jacob hath taken all that was our father's" (Genesis xxxi, I).
To that very decision concerning Israel's undue power and riches
came Pharaoh and his counsellors. This people was occupying too
great a place in trade and industry; they were taking too much
to themselves, hence must be robbing everyone else in the process.
There began a series of persecutions against Israel. First came
new laws to abridge the people's rights as citizens and freemen.
n n l 9 3 D 3 l n l t y fyP9 D'DP "lW 19'7~IP*W*I "Therefore did they
set over them officers of tribute to afflict them with their burdens"
(Exodus i, I I). Forced labor and special taxes - all the previous
industry of the people went for naught. Only the slightest return
consumed them.
was granted them for their labor. New impTaxes to the government, bribes to the taskmasters never a moment of release or respite (Ekodus Rabbah t).
Y ' I D ~131 23'19 f3 i n H 1321' 'IWH31 "And as they aWicted
them, so they multiplied and grew" (12). The Jew is ever a stiffnecked people. With liberty and kindliness it is possible he may
be misled from his ordinary course; but under oppression his
Judaic spirit grows mighty, and holds him to his people and his
God. ''9 ''))3P
731 133 13 "The Bible should have em~ l o y e dthe ordinary past tense and not the future in telling that
Israel multiplied and grew." 731 23'I' f3 - tn'IW3P tWPIUil t r l l
V D * "But the Holy Spirit indicated by this usage that I d
would continue to prosper in spite of all enemies." The more the
oppression, the more powerful the expression of the u n m ~ e p able spirit of the people (Sotah I r ).

Rays of Redemption

?n*73 nN 73'1

nnpw nw n*n5w

yww*i "And

God heard

their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Joseph" (ii, 24). The years decreed for
Israel's suffering, in the covenant made between the pieces of the
sacrificialanimals, had been attained. Reckoning all the time spent
in wandering by the patriarchs themselves and the period of exile
in Egypt, there was fulfillment of W 5 Y7W3 t y 7 ; il*i[* 23 93
mw nlHD y37w DnN 13yl i3173yl n;r5 "Thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they
shall a c t them four hundred years" (Genesis xv, 13). The era
of hardship having been completed, there now began to gleam
'the rays of redemption
The Midrash declares that the Torah recapitulates the names of
the tribes at the beginning of this portion, because in each name
there is possible a play of words indicating the redemptive process.
Thus:
*Dy *2y nw *n*w7 nw7-piw7
"Reuben
God hath sten
(Hebrew, reu) the afiction of my people."
anpm nw D*n% ynw*?-]lpW
"Sirneon And God heard
(Hebrew, s h m , sime. . . .) their groan."
an737 n"3pn 73nn3w ,n7x3 P3W 1Dy-'15
"Levi 'I am
with him in his trouble' - for God adhered (levi has that meaning)
a them in their difficulties."
"Judah - in that they thanked
na3pn t??nw-nln*
(Hebrew, hodu, as in root of Judab) the Lord" for His liberation.
a n 3 p 7 13w nu3pn an5 ?n3?!t73ww*
"Issachar in that
the Holy One blessed be He gave them reward (Hebrew, sechm)
for their bondage."
n3733 in3*3w v s p n t*3wnw-?r53; c%bulon-in that God
mPdc his Divine Presence to dwell (Hebrew, ~ b u lalso
, me&
d u d ) in their midst."
"Benjamin - the right hand
rU3 + ~ ? M 'I n
J 73*b-?*~*f3
(Hebrew, j d ) of the Lord is glorious with power."

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

*33H f f tttSy* 7WN 912n n N Df l-?7

"Dan 'And also the

nation that shall enslave you shall I judge (Hebrew, dan)."
P*DIIY nDfD a*ptnaw nnSpn an5 fn3w n l t r o l mm-*5not

"Napthali - the Holy One blessed be He, gave them Torah and
mitzvot, which are sweeter than fine honey" (Hebrew, nefet,
honey - first letters of Naphtali).
"Gad - because of the
f f y7r3 n*nW fPn DW 7y-12
marma, which had the appearance of oleander (Hebrew, gad)
seed."
D**tfn 53 D3nN t7WNl-7WH
"Asher and all the nations
will praise (Hebrew, asher) you."
5H7W9 n H 51H27l q*D'litL) i("13iI t*nyW+Dl*
"Joseph for the Holy One blessed be He is destined to continue (Hebrew,
horif, as in Joseph) the redemption of Israel."
Thus the names of the tribes symbolized redemption for all the
Jews in Egypt; hence they would not alter their designations. The
Midrash adds:
5Hfn5 'l3T ,PPW n H 13W NHSW D'lWP "Inasmuch as they
would not change their names,they were deemed worthy of being
delivered from exile" (Errodus Rabbah 2 ) .

The Liberator is B m
Pharaoh's soothsayers deduced from the stars that socm w d d
be born a Jewish child, who would ultimately free his people from
bondage and bring catastrophe upon Pharaoh and W p t (fiodus
Rabbah 2 ) . In terror, the king promulgated the order to the
n DN
nl97Syil n N pt?*2
Jewish midwives VIH f n ~ n ~l t fS
'When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women
if it be a son, then ye shall put him to death" (i,16). Finding his
decree not obeyed, he sent out another command, tt5'il tSi( 53
tn3*'rWn n w n "Every son that is bm,ye shd cast into the
river" ( 2 2 ) .
But this horrible decree proved also of no avail the redeemer
of Israel appeared in despite. n*X 53 HSDN ,nWP t%W WWS
t n l H 15l3 "At the time Moses was born, the entire house

. ..

64

became filled with light" (Exodus Rabbah 2 ) . His mother Jochebed recognized at once that this was a child utterly unique. She
concealed him for three months. When she could do so no longer,
she placed him in a pitched container, and floated the receptacle
on the river. By chance Pharaoh's daughter had gone down to
bathe that day; she remarked the babe, and had a servitor remove
it from the water. 195y 51Dnnl n33 7y3 mnl "And behold, it
was a weeping boy; and she pitied him," saying, ill P973yil '7 59D
"This is one of the Hebrews' children" (ii, 6).
Says B. Joasohn: ' W e n Pharaoh's daughter beheld a yeled, a
babe, and heard him weep like a nam, a grown child, she understood that this must be a Hebrew." Shesdetermined to keep the
little one alive. His sister, Miriam, who had witnessed the incident, asked the princess if she desired a Hebrew nurse for the infant, and obtained consent to convey him to his own mother.
fa5 ilS-9n9l nym-n35 :nnTml 7593 77291 "And the child grew,
and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became as
her son" ( 10).
Under similar circumstances were born Abraham, founder of
the faith, and Moses, liberator and lawgiver. Nimrod the cruel
also decreed, before the birth of Abraham, that every new-born
son should be put to death; Pharaoh emulated Nimrod's example
before the birth of Moses. Amtelai, mother of Abraham, was compelled to conceal her child in the forest, whereas Jochebed floated
her babe on the water.
Such is the origin of those destined to deliver a peopIe whose
entire existence has been predicated upon miraculous events,

VAERA

(Exodus vi, I-ix)

nm3n DmSH 73791 "And God spake unto Moses"-disclo+

ing a hitherto unknown bit of information. 7DN3W DlPD 53
011
'
1N73D Wlfn ,7737 IlWS "Wherever the biblical passage
mentions speaking, there is an indication of some novel afhnation" (Jerushalmi Makkot 2). In this case, God imparts His right
name to Moses. "When 1showed Myself unto Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, I used the names El and Shaddai; but Vyfu NS 'n 9DWl
DilS Iwas not known to them by the Tetragrammaton Jahweh
- the Eternal."
For the four letters of this name sigmfy Eternal. The name,
however, can be properly understood only after a long and troubled period of exile - despite all the misfortunes of which the
nation has s t i l l remained alive. Then is it possible to comprehend
the vast divine power which alone gives a people the ability to
overcome persecution and assault.
D ~ ~ Y
nm
D b nnna Dank! k!vrton oavirf~';r ~ J H
93 D n p t
"And ye shall know that I am the Eternal your God, Who bringeth you out from under the burdens of JZgypt" (vi, 7).
Asks the Midrash: nwaS l n 1 nSf
~
1m5 8 'Why did God reveal H
is name to Moses?" And the answer: n H ?Hi5 7 5 i l ~f p
SHlrltn "Because he was setting out to deliver Israel" (Tanhama).
Moses himself had been seeking the task, when entrusted by God
with the mission to demand that Pharaoh free the Israelites and let
them depart from Egypt. Moses was more fearful of his brethren
than he was of Pharaoh. From the context one understands that
he feared lest Israel mistrust him and withhold the aid requisite to
his undertaking. For, in order to liberate any people from exile,
they themselves muse show their willingness to be freed and p m
vide cooperation. Every member of the g m p must have c d d ence both in the justice of their demands and the worth of their

66

'

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

leader. The earliest account of Moses' encounter with God will

here prove most enlightening.

The First Divine Vision

Moses was in the wilderness, near Mount Horeb, tending the
flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law. And suddenly the angel a p
peared to him ilfDil ffnD WH-n2?2 "in a flame of fire out of
the midst of a bush" (iii, 2). There was wonderment in his glance
l
bush burned
when he saw ?3H ffftH ilfDilf WH2 7p2 i l f ~ i"the
with fire, and the bush was not consumed." A voice came forth
from the flame: D'7YD2 7WH twp tip-nH ~ n r H 7ilH7 "I have
surely seen the a c t i o n of my people who are in Egypt" (iii,7).
7pX2 p l 7 W ? H ~ w ~DW3
w 7Ily2 tf7W 71H D2 "I too am enveloped in care when Israel is filled with woe." f Vlf 72fD 918
DtXlPil "Hence do I speak from the midst of the thorns" (Exodus
Rabbah 2). For God shares the wretchedness of Israel tangled in
the briars.
But God offered Moses words of cornfort.77Hl 9nyDW bnppY
PT11'Ytl f P t y t ~ i l ? "I have heard their cry
and I am come
down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians" (iii, 7,8)

...

~7143909139 DPN n n t t ~ i73

l ,734 t f f t ~W~ H iy12
~
i l f ~ i l wD W ~
?Hw n H "Just as the bush burned in the fire and was not con-

sumed, so will the Egyptians find it impossible to consume Israel*

(Exodus h b b a h 2). God thus tells Moses that the bush is a symbol of Israel, burnt in the flames of its enemies, yet never to be

destroyed
P ~ V ~ D?D~ w * + u 'Dy-nN Hxtnt

;ry~a-?~
fn?wm n3? ;my1

now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that

thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Ismel out of
JIgypP (iii, I ~ )In. the hands of Pharaoh, the king, lay the destiny
of Israel. It was necessary that all arrangements for the deliwiance of the people be made with Pharaoh. But Moses made reply to
God: D39nt24 *il?H nil? 9n7DHl SN7V 912-?H H2 93fH Nn
8 PflTfaS I D N %8
l D W 9 9SJnDHl B3958 Tln?W ''Behold,
%me

67

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them,
The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you: and they shall
say to me, What is H
is name? what shall I say unto them?" (13).
Moses knew that Pharaoh was not his greatest problem; he would
somehow manage with the king: - but what could be done with
Israel? How obtain the people's obedience and assistance?
For Moses saw the true character of his charges most clearly.
So soon as a movement is instituted to liberate the people from
bondage, and to rebuild their national home, they divide themselves into pames, each with distinctive plans and ideas. T o this
day, when one addresses a Jew concerning his duty to his own,
he immediately asks, "What is the name?" In the name of what
party or sect in Israel is he being approached?
?IRW' ' 3 3 5 T m n n 3
ThenGodrepliedtoMosw: ' i n ? W
PY?W "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM
hath sent me unto you." The very God Who gave you life, Who
gave you the strength to continue living during your long and
difEcult exile, will now bring you deliverance. But Moses refused
to be convinced - he knew the difEculty of his task.
95133 i y a w ' w?t ' 5 u~aw~-w?
In1 T a w v nwa t p t "And
Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me,
nor hearken unto my voice" (iv, I). Jews are not easily convinced.
Ordinary argument, however truthful and reasonable, will not insure results.
When God noted how Moses vacillated concerning the mission
assigned him, He advised him to display miracles before the people.
He could cast his stick to the ground, and have it changed to a
serpent. He could pour out water, which would be rransformed
into blood. The Israelites, discovering in Moses a great magician,
would at once become his partisans and hear him out.
But Moses had no liking for the role of magician. If the Israelites were unable to judge their own situation, if they took no
steps to free themselves and become a nation like all others, Moses
saw no reason for undertaking the task himself. Why should he
befuddle them with unintelligible mumbo-jumbo? He pleaded,
n ? W n V 3 N3-n?W 'RN ' 3 "Pardon, my Lord, send, I pray Thee,

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send!" (iv, 1 3). Free me of
this unwelcome d o n !
Finally God saw the justice of Moses' objection. Other means
were required to succor Israel. There must be agitation to awaken
in each soul the spirit of freedom Since Moses was "slow of
speech," and unable to talk freely to them, God suggested,
Pyn'lN 75 N l i M l ~ t ...f9nN f l n ~~ 5 "Is
n not Aaron thy
brother?. . . And he shall speak for thee unto the people" ( 1416).
Even a man heavy of speech would suffice to interview Pharaoh;
but for the people themselves only a popular orator would serve to arouse enthusiasm for their coming deliverance.

Zmael Does Not Hearken

nn txpt, am-%t p a
nW3

~ 5 ,1~ N Y W 9
~ 3 3 3 ~13

awn

t l f ~

"And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel:

but they hearkened not unto Moses through anguish of spirit,
and through hard service" (vi, 9). There is an excellent comment
of Rabbi k c Nissenbaurn on this passage:
'When Moses transmitted to the people Cod's assurance,
rtr3tl 35n nar y 7 ~
58 n97m 9 f p n 3 n ~a5yn 'I will bring
you up out of the afliiction of Egypt. unto a land flowing with
milk and honey,' they were certain that this meant an early deliverance. Within a short period God would free them from Egypt
and at once transport them to the beautiful land of their fathers.
They were eager to believe the news brought them, and hearkened
to every utterance of their leader.
"But no sooner had Moses mapped out the process of their
deliverance: as God said, 'I shall bring you out from under the
burdens of Egypt' (a nation cannot achieve freedom it it devotes
its energies to others); 'I s h d deliver you from your bondage'
(the nation must have a free spirit, untrammeled by alien infiuences); 'and I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm' (on'e
must fight and bring sacrifices for freedom); 'and I shall take yon
rmbo me as a people, and I shall be unto yon as a Gbd'; if you will
attain honor and doff the impurities of Egypt and become worthy
rltlpt

..

69

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

of Me as your God, 'then will I bring you into the land':

when
the Israelites thus learned how long the process must be, how
filled with difliculty and hardship, they regretted the entire project. The program outlined required patience and hard labor.
'But they hearkened not unto Moses through anguish of spirit,
and through hard service.' Deliverance through miracles was different; but they had no patience for long effort in behalf of redemption. They were well accustomed to 'hard service' in Egypt;
but to expend energy for their own people and its liberation
this was too natural and normal a process for a nation that had
placed its reliance upon miracles."

DEL-CE

FROM EGYPT
(Exodus x-xiii, 16)

W'lB'SH H a ilfOD'5H ' i l 'lW'1 "And the Eternal said unto

Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh" - and demand: nuyS rum 'nD-721

'3bt3 "How long wilt thou refuse to be humbled before Me?"

'3173$l't 'DV n5w "Let My people go, that they may serve Me."

Since the time of Moses' first visit to Pharaoh, to transmit God's

command that the Israelites be granted their liberty, Egypt had
d e r e d a series of misfortunes. Plagues, growing in fearfulness,
had broken out; the human inhabitants, as well as beasts and fowl,
had perished in huge numbers; fields were grown bare and fallow;
and poverty stalked the land. There was despair in the hearts of
Pharaoh's underlings, who felt certain that all their punishments
had been caused by the king's obstinacy in refusing freedom to
his Hebrew slaves. But they were helpless before Pharaoh's vast
power, and his iron obduracy in refusing to permit Israel to worship its God in the wilderness.
D935H 1DXV n H i l w ~ W ' l i lilV'lB "The wicked Pharaoh
considered himself a god" (Exodus Rabbah 8). Like all other despotic dictators of history, who attained power by force and ruled
by the sword, Pharaoh ascribed supernatural strength to his reign.
He could act freely, with no restraining hand to oppose him His
tremendous might convinced him of his superiority to all gods. All
concepts to the contrary were to be rooted out
Pharaoh's advisers, who had aided him in achieving power, were
much like h i i l f . They too utterly despised the Israelites, and
helped to harden the monarch's heart against them. It was their
purpose to create greater popular confidence in the king by having him assume the prerogatives of divinity and infallibility as the
national leader. T o their plaint, D"IYD i l f 3 H O n n D'lbil.
"Know you not that Egypt is lost?" hi Goebbels' and Goerings
hd but one reply: "Have faith in your leader!" They proclaimed
widely thtoagh the land that the Nile, a creation of Pharaoli's,

=
,-'

Tm ETERNAL
FOUNT
would soon overflood its banks and bring to all a new abundanct.
God sent Moses to Pharaoh with this message:

77w 1 f ~97w t,1n DN 7nw i l ~ , 9i i ~ ' 9 5 nit)S(t)~( ilnN

"You assert that the river is yours; I s h d show whether it belongs
to you or to Me" (Exodus Rabbah lo). But the impress of Moses'
words was not great. To the contrary, they further aroused Pharaoh's ire. DnlN WU'1 "And he drove them out, " saying 'il 13 'il'
D3DWnN1 D3nN n?WN lWN3 D3Dy"Let the Eternal so be with
you, as I will la you go, and your little ones" (x, 10). Such is
ever the tragic fate of Israel. Even though they are hated and
viciously oppressed, the oppressor will not let them go.
Later, when Pharaoh's servants raised the complaint, once more,
W?lDS US nt nqnv snta rp! "How long shall this man be a snare
unto us?" the king recalled Moses and Aaron, bidding them,
'il-nN 173Y 13? "Go, serve the Lord!" 2 x 9 a31331 D33NP 31
"Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed" (x, 24). The
Israelites and their children were to be permitted egress, but their
possessions, their money, were not to be taken from the land.
These tactics have not been altered in Germany, Poland, and
other modern Egypts.

Attr'tfldes toward Delisermce

The sages of the Talmud and Midrash are agreed that not all
the men of Israel endorsed the movement for Jewish deliverance
instituted by Moses and Aaron. Many of the wealthier refused to
forsake the land, and even threw obstacles in the way of the leader.

nNx5 o m v n

~ 5 71331
1
I W ~ail5 i l m ~ J ~ an5
D Di'il

"Among them were officials of state, boasting riches and honors,

who did not desire to depart. However, on these men fell the punishment of Heaven, for they perished during the three days'
plague of darkness" (Exodus Rabbah I 3).
The sages also have an apt interpretation of the verses,
I ~ N nqn 5 ~ i w q+U 5351 ,bq~m n N j 3 3 il56~qw1-1
*n*i
n n 3 w r ~ 3 "And there was s thick darkness in all the land of
Egypt
but all the children of Israel had light m their habita-

...

72

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
I

tiom (x, 2 2, 2 3). 7 l i s special illumination for Israel, say they, lay
inthat nilnqlPC Dnln Dq~l'1l q i l H'I1 Dnqnn nn 1'113 Twnlr
"they interred their dead in the darkness, so that their enemies
could not see them." Had the Egyptians seen that the Jews were
burying many corpses, they would have thought that Israel too
was suffering from the plague - and this would have held up the
redemption (Exodus Rabbah 13).
Many of die Jewish leaders in Egypt, who at first stood with
Moses and offered to assist him, later abandoned him. The Midrash
asks, D-fplil D 5 i l pqil "What became of the elders?" - the leaders who had expressed their willingness to join with Moses?
an5 t3Ynt TnN Tnn pbnwx ?Buy nn ;qsia r n :uqnim nrm
"Our teachers say that they stole away one by one, and disap
peared" (Exodus Rabbah 5 ) . This is also a historic process. Always
do numbers of prominent Jews make great promises, yet perform
nothing. Other men do what is necessary, while they stand at a
distance. In critical moments, these are the first to rebuke Moses
and Aaron: a'1n n n 5 r q ~ l yqfqyx ny'1a qfqy1 un-'1 nn nnwn3n
U2'1n5 a793 "Ye have made our odor to be abhorred in the
eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in
their hand to slay us" (v, 2 I).
The masses of the people, despite their profound hope that the
project of liberation should be crowned with success, also did not
exert themselves sufIiciently. i l l 9 1 1 1 p ~ y n f1513 'ImW 53 "All
the Israelites were occupied with spoil" (Sotah 13). The late
Nahum Sokolow on one occasion likened this attitude to that of
American Jews, who were always too "busy" to take part in the
movement of liberation. However, the work of Moses finally did
receive recognition: qfqy1 ,Dq'1YD Y'1H1 THD 5772 iln W-Hil
Pftil +3-y31 ,;ry'1a -19
'The man Moses was very great in the
land of Egypt,in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants, and in the eyes of
the people" (xi, 3).
Moses Explains

Thus spdre Moses to Israel: '1nH tU7il a35 1-H ,a35 jllil mnn
57% '"This month is your own; ye have no greater

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
than this" (Exodus Rabbah 19). The months of Israel's bondage in
Egypt were not theirs. They were compelled to reckon time according to the Egyptian calendar. The lunar changes were not
applicable to that calculation. Alien skies hang over alien lands
Do'IanP 33y9 5w nw 1 9 ~gqnx
5w nww pr 53
"Allthe while that Esau's light gleams in fullness, the hght of
Jacob is not known" (Yalkut Shimeoni, Bo). A natim in exile
dwells in darkness. Individuals here and there may achieve happiness, but not the nation as a whole. Wfnn nH tW3P fWrS 1'8
"A single man cannot sanctify (establish the beginniug) of the
month" (Rosh Hashanah 25). Individuals are not able to calculate
the birth of a nation's new mooa The month must belong to all
individuals, all groups.
Moses bade the Israelites bring a Passover offering, which all
must eat together. Families must unite in this observance. 1 5 ~ n - 5 8
N3 UPP "Eat not of it half-done" (xi,9). An offering of the pee
ple, only half prepared, and not done as it should be, can bring no
atonement to the entire folk. Neither may it be D'P3 W3t3 5W3
"sodden at all with water." Such an offering must be brought unmixed with other elements. It is to be WN-95Y -"roast with fire9'which done will insure the retention of its savor (Exodus Rabbah 18). I3 53H9 H5 'I33 13 53 "There shall no alien eat thereof' (xii, 43). This means that any person who is estranged from
his people, and not in consonance with its ideals and beliefs,
should have no share in the Passover sacrifice. Such a person may
bring in new trends which will definitely hinder the development
of the people.
qnn 153Nn n m "And thus shallye eat it" (xii, I I). n n n S nDrJ
"A paschal offering for the genentim''
for every era in which
Israel will unite in labor for redemption, for national upbuilding.
If this offering is brought by the entire nation in full keeping with
the prescribed regulations, nHPtair nN nnl7 "it drives off all
impurity" (Pesahim 96).
niuDn nN Dn'IDwi "And ye shall keep the c o m m a n w

nn

ntwsn nN p m n p 1 9 ~p ,nmn
yr*PnP pm 7 ' 1 ~ 3
''J~nst as we may not permit the maz& to sow, so may we na

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
permit the m'tzwh to sour" (Mekhilta Bo 9). ilm i l N l DN
791)?lnW i l W 9 777 "If a righteous command comes to your
hand, perform it at once." Many great moments in Jewish history
were lost through procrastination. The opportunities soured. Nothing came of them. To achieve freedom, "ye shall keep the commandments" always and immediately.

INTO THE WILDERNESS

BESHALACH

RSWl W 1 "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh sent the

people away": - 721% IIW? NSN U9N 9il91 lPN3W t3fpP 53
"Wherever the expression 'and it came to pass' (vayehi) is employed, this is an indication of affliction" (Megillah 10). In this
incident, the ditliculty lay in the fact that the entire story of redemption was achieved through force. Both Pharaoh and the
Israelites acted under compulsion
Thus we read:

ayn

nN

nftw nSww

'tl

,wlpn ' I n N :nSw3

'fir

"Alas, that Pharaoh was forced to send away the peoplen

(Yalkut Shimeoni). Despite the copious hardships endured by
Israel in Egypt, the land was graven in their hearts, and they hesitated to forsake it. The Midrash Tanhuma thus interprets the
phrase 5NlW' '32 fSft t3'WlPnf "And the children of Israel went
up armed!' - "The word hamushim does not mean armed, but is
derived from the similar Hebrew wbrd meaning five
thus,
t3'W'Dnb f n N t3'lDlN W'f ,rfWPilD f nN 'One out of five, and
some say only one out of fifty, was willing to be delivered.' "
~ S D N' ~~ ' 3? VIP 'nP9Nt "And when did these recalcitrants
pass away? During the days of darkness." They vanished from the
scene as a result of their ignorance, and of their blindness or shortsightedness which kept from their understanding the assured
destiny of the exiled people. Such persons are involved in the
snares of false patriotism and slavish loyalty toward an unworthy
nation.
n t n lnp a aqnW!a Dn 777 a ~ S nan3-rtSt "And God
guided them not through the way of the land of the FWkines,
although that was near." A people unable to evaluate the worth of
freedom and independence, cannot so readily attain its goal. It
must wander for years in a wilderness of inferior life modes, of
valueless achievement, ere reaching the place God has destined for

76

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
it. mnrr 5y 3311 uy rat n5 , # ~ D W9ny ~y ut "A nation

1
I

with merit attains redemption readily from on high; a nation lacking in merit, is granted a Messiah who is poor, and who comes
riding on an ass" (slowly and tardily) (Sanhedrin 98).
A remarkable study of the Jewish character is transmitted by
the verses of the Pentateuch cited below. Before the movement
for deliverance was undertaken, Pharaoh had sought new means of
oppressing the Israelites, for he feared rf5Yl 133 an731 n3Y la
yT#n ID 'lest they multiply
and fight against us, or go up
out of the land" (i, 10). Then, after they had been delivered, God
feared to guide them on a path that was near, bnnll3 Dyrf Dn39 fa
ila9lluD
1 3 ~ 1 r t ~ n 5 "lest
~
peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt" (xiii, 17).
Pharaoh understood that Jews must fight for their freedom; but
God knew that they preferred to escape from such conflict.
Alloses, as it happened, was tom by difiiculties all through the
wilderness years. At every hardship the people assailed him with
complaints for his having brought them out of Egypt. When they
beheld the legions of Pharaoh pursuing them, they cried, n # t rfD
D'IIYDD 1~H~ulrfS
135 n1Wy 'What is it that thou hast done unto us,
to bring us forth out of Egypt?" (xiv, I I ) When there was lack of
water, rfVB Sy Dy,f 13591 "the people complained against Moses."
When food failed them, ;lVD 5 N Dyn 3YPl "the people cried
out unto Moses." At every opportunity they bemoaned their exceIlent state in Egypt, y 3 ~ an5
5
1 3 5 3 ~ 3,llw3rf 79D 5y i3n3w3
"when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to
satisfaction" (xiv, 3). They had no desire to d e r for the sake of
freedom; their steady demand was for miracles, supernatural
events; and even these were not appreciated.
Rabbi Samuel Mohilever comments sagely on the passage,
13nqH5 1 3 1 n u b 5
3 w l l "And the sea returned to its continnity at the turning of the morning" (xiv, 27). 'Why was the sea
so quick to return to its normal state? Because, despite all the
miracles performed for the Israelites, it was still not assured that
they would not turn back to Egypt. Hence the sea resumed i s
tomemkd anme at the break of dawn, to cut off their way."

...

.. .

77

The Red Sea Crossing

Moses conducted his charges toward the wilderness, soon reaching the banks of the Red Sea. ilfill Dn*f*y-nH ?8'1W9-923 18W1
7813 187331 Pil9'1nN yDf P9'1IYt) "And the children of Israel
lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after
them; and they were sore afraid" (xiv, 10). They rushed to Moses,
to expostulate, 737133 n1137 Unnp? P371Y133 P*'13p-f38 9?313i1
"Because there were no burying-places in Egypt, hast thou taken
us away to die in the desert?" ( I I). Moses prayed to the Lord,
who replied, lyD31 ? N ' ~ w * - ~ ~ Y'137
? N 978 py1Yn-1m "Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that
they journey onwards" ( I S ) . A people seeking freedom must let
nothing stand in its way. Every obstacle, every hardship must be
combated. Prayers alone are not sufficient.
The talmudic tractate Sotah offers a unique depiction of the
incident at the Red Sea, with a sage thought quite applicable to
the present situation of Israel. ?y ~ 9 t a ' l y?8'1~9ilqilw nyw3
I?: n?nn t ? 9~
28 113'18ilr ,ill ny nr nqnxf~n9~3wvil nm
il?nn nl* 928 %US 'While the Israelites stood by the sea,

the various tribes argued among themselves, this one demanding

to descend first, and another demanding to descend first."
7'119 938 198 '11318 nt 898 ,nwyw n*n 73 83 '1~18n-tln* '1

9zn 198 '1~18nrr n?nn

19n1 ,n?nn "Rabbi Judah, however,

n97 7'191 fwf3 ~ 3 wybp ,n?nn t'1v

nnl8 n*zfn

ilftily

qw

S the case. Instead, one tribe declared it would

said that this W ~ not
not be fim, and another declared similarly it would not go ahead.
hto plunge into
But in the dispute the m i e of Benjamin was f
the sea. Whereupon the princes of Judah pelted them with
stones!"
Thus is it ever with the powerful and wealthy princes of Judah.
Either they take no part whatever in the effort toward deliverance, or wait for appointment as leaders and counsellm; and
when a Benjaminite group, enthused by the opportunity to be liberated, leaps into the sea of struggle without awaiting their assem,
the princes hurl stones of abuse and criticism upon the hardy

78

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
pioneers. The Talmud gives added praise to the youthful enthusiass: il7nn 1nn93il ail ,a'a 7y iln33il il72fw3 'When God
was revealed on the sea, they were first to recognize Him" (Sotah
I I). A nation's pioneers are first to comprehend the divine ideal
of ilD1Hil n'nn national resurrection, and are primally prepared
to fight for it.
The princes of Judah also were fearful lest the youth be too
radical, too far inclined to the left. On this we have the comment
of Midrash Tanhuma:
,n33 97tn3 'n -pa*
P D ' D ~ D ~ D Wi l ~ 7.Y:H yy?n 'ii
19WlV f9NW3l ,19113" SNDW 1 9 W v D1?D 7W 13lY7 fW1y L/LS7W*W3

7naw

pn9

pwjy w j n

" 'Thy right hand, 0 Eternal, is become glorious in power; Thy

right hand, 0 Eternal, hath dashed in pieces the enemy' (Exodus
xv, 6). Why should the Bible Nvice mention God's right hand?
T o teach that when Israel does the will of God they transform the
left into the right; when they do not perform the will of God,
they tmnsform the right into the left." Had the princes at the
very start supported the redemptionist mwement, they would
have proved the deciding majority, and readily influenced and
controlled the left "radicals"; but while they stood apart, the leftists gained the upper hand

Food in the Wilderness

For the forty years of Israel's wandering in the wilderness, the

people were nourished by the manna which was sent down from
Heaven. The Jewish people is the only one in history able to exist
for thousands of years without a national abiding place. At the
giving of the Law from S i Israel formed a partnership between
earth and heaven, both of which would help to proliferate the
nation. On their own land, the Israelites lived from the earth;
driven by fate to alien soil, to wilderness homes, they drew their
chief snstenance from the heavens. VbDb 933 il il WD 7N 'lf 7DNY
aawa p an5 a35 "Then said the Eternal unto Moses, BeMd,I will rain bread from heaven for you" (xvi, 4). In this lies

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
the power of the Jew. If he is unable to enjoy "the fatness of
earth," he can subsist on "the dews of heaven."
,=pin1 l w i a nqn p n 7y n m i t nt)nnw tiq3
D D J ~m w n nni
nniH n q j 3 i ~ innt) f q ~ nit)iHn
~ i
f 9 ~ 373 7 n ~ i

" 'When the sun waxed hot, it melted' (Exodus xvi, 2 I ) - As soon
as the sun shone on the manna, it softened and ran; then came the
nations, to seize the manna and consume it" (Mekilta). There is a
wealth of wisdom in this observation. Jewish life and self-support
in the wilderness are unable to endure too much sunshine. When
Jews begin to concern themselves too greatly with the sun, with
their material interests, neglecting their spiritual treasures, their
cherished wealth is soon dispersed. Their possessions are seized by
the surrounding populations, and little of their treasure remains
to them.
Thus spake God unto Moses: H S ~ ) nt)w f n l nnH nJYfY np
m n n i ~ 7mt)wt)7 ,ft) m y n "Take thee a glass vessel and place
within it a full measure of manna, as a memorial throughout thy
generations." In7 Tqt)$?il71nqjH V n y w D73T nWSWt) T n H irt
7H7Wq7 "This is one of three things which Elijah will present to
the people of Israel." lDJYanJ f3qnt) lH7 ,inin3 1pDyW D3qnl3N
" 'Your ancestors, who occupied themselves with the Torah - see
wherewith they were given sustenance' " (Tanhurna).
EIijah has carried out his task in completeness. When Jews forsake the Torah in favor of material riches, he shows them the
symbolic phial of manna, to warn them of the possible end result
of their wealth.

THE LAW IS GIVEN

JETHRO
(Exodus xviii-xx)
W e n Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had
done for Moses, and for Israel His people," he set out to visit
Moses. With him departed his daughter Zipporah, wife of Moses,
and the two sons Gershom and Eliezer, to the wilderness about
Mount Sinai where Israel was encamped. It was but three months
after the deliverance from Egypt - the most important months in
any national history, filled with miracles and events of transcendent significance. For all nature seemed to have been altered by the
Lord, to allow for the wonders of the Exodus, the crossing of the
Red Sea, the manna, the victory over Amalek - therewith p r o p
erly to impress the newly freed people.
"And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Eternal had
done to Israel." Tradition relates that Jethro had been one of
Pharaoh's advisers, and that he had opposed the original kingly
plan to do away with the too rapidly growing Jewish population.
He had proposed that the Jews be granted every freedom, so that
they might in time develop into true and faithful citizens. Only
after this proposal was rejected, had he departed for Midian, there
to become a priest (Sotah I I ) . He now was happy over Israel's
successful escape, though he did grieve over the plagues that had
ravaged his homeland. f y H71V ,f'flf ll f'fIfll n W > i l l y
nap tlm% qt>n H? 977 tl7WP "Shudders passed over his flesh,
insomuch as for ten generations one must not belittle a gentile in
the presence of a convert" (Sanhedrin 94).
T o the Eternal the people of Israel were more beloved even
durn His angek Tat? n7w;r '3Hb W 3 n'tl fa ?mwqtSyW3
n?nn ?mw*tnqstr ;rU>p;r 7aN ,;r~'w "When the Israelites'
had massed the sea, the ministering angels sought to utter song,
but the Holy One blessed be He said, Let Israel do so fiW
(Exodns Rabbah 26). He much preferred the songs and p r a k

81

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
arising from His people on earth than those emanating from the
angels in heaven
He ordered His angels rather to descend to earth and there heal
the Israelites of all their afflictions. 19il 09IYPt3 5 ~ 1 ~
lHY9W3
9
T l D n713pP jV3lD 95213 tilt3 "When the people of Israel d e p d
out of Egypt, there were among them many who had been crip
pled by their rigorous labor." irItn fnNW 197 UvU irn33il IPN
3
"The Holy One blessed be He said, It is not fitting
that I give the Law to men who are physically imperfect." '
j m H ?U1)71 17191 nlw 93H'/PS tPl "This served as hint to the
ministering angels, who at once descended and brought them healing" (Tanhuma). T o be fitted for receiving a Torah, a people
must be strong in body and spirit. Men crippled in soul or body
may think pervertedly, and be unable to grasp deep philosophic
ideals. Such persons are frequently embittered against God, failing properly to comprehend His laws and the ways of justice and
righteousness.

To Mount Sinm'
'lilil 722 5HIW9 OW fWt .,*YD I37b UC39'E "And they were
and there Israel encamped before
come to the desert of Sinai
the mountah" (xix, 2). They were weary of their long journeyings, and mentally disturbed by the many extraordinary events on
their route. Moses wished that they rest themselves completely
and again be altogether at ease, ere they appear to receive
the Torah. The moral precepts and ideals soon to be divulged
to them required clear minds and undisturbed perception. Moses
himself, however, did not rest. 0 9 i l S ~ i lSN
n?$l nmr "And
Moses went up unto God" (3). He wished to ascermin from the
Almighty whether the Israelites were yet fit to be granted the
To& and if not what preparations were required ere the culmination of this greatest event in the history of mankind.
But Moses was fated to fight in Heaven even as he strove on
earch. Noshing was granted him in easiness. From the rnomew
that he undertook the divine task to free the people of h d and

...

82

convert them into a nation, he had been forced to endure ever increasing hardships. There was the struggle with Pharaoh, until
permisdon for the exodus was granted; there was the conflict with
the people themselves, to create in them the will to go. And now,
prepared to bring down the Torah, he was engaged in +ute
with the angels, who did not desire that the Torah be given to the
beingsonearth

,nmwrr vu'n, n ~ , um n n nu 5295 a i ~ n 5n m n5yw nyw2

D n ?a25 nm95 w p 2 ~ m u 75 w*w ntlff mt3n ,yuw2~

'When Moses ascended on high to receive the Torah, said the

ministering angels, 0 Master of the Universe, this precious ueasure
of yours you seek to give over to flesh-and-blood!" n"23n 15 l D U
I

i l f f l ~ 5,nn-r~*
P*TYD?

at53 ,an? ~ n n.nltwn an5 ltnn ,nwn?

8 a35 ~ ; m
n ~ 5n l m ,antlynwn "God bade Moses answer
them Whereupon he spoke to the angels, Did you then go down
into Egypt? Were any of you enslaved unto Pharaoh? Wherefore
should you have need of a Torah?" (Shabbat 88).
Moses was aware that the Law had originally been created for
mankind. It was his purpose to unite heaven and earth, to revolutionize the characters of men, cleansing them of sin and rendering
them even as the angels. The Law was not designed for the higher
categories of Creation, the beings who were sinless and had little
yet to learn. It sought to improve those not yet good enough.
God's aim was to make H
is created earth a suitable home for all
its inhabitants. The Torah was the culminating product of Creation, above all formed by the Eternal.
One set condition waslaid down by the Lord in the early days
of His labors: If Israel accepted the Torah, the nation would persise; if not, it would renun to its pristine unimportance (Shabbat
85).

I
I

I
I
I1

I
\I

The Torah was intended for the Israelites who had served in

Egypt and been saturated with the "forty-nine mods of i m p

9.''
They presented an extended field for virtuous influence, both.
for h-bs

and for all with whom they might have cmtact.

n# 73p7 mrm m*nw nnln m

HSi nmiun 53 nff2prr tm

h C t n~ f Mn?
~
'The Holy One blessed be He took the m-

83

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
nre of all the nations, and found no one more suited to acceptance
of the Torah than Israel" (Leviticus Rabbah 13). The ministering
angels soon recognized the correctness of Moses' response, and they
agreed that the Torah should be transmitted to him.

Why Mount Simil

When the Lord determined to grant the Torah on Mount S i
many great mountains came before Him and demanded that they
be accorded this honor. Mounts Carmel and Tabor, particularly,
protested, insomuch as they were taller and more handsome than
Sinai. But God replied, 9f19D 'lil 7XH D n H D'DlD 97y3 D373
"Compared with Sinai ye are all faulty." That which ye account
your importance and pride is truly your imperfection, for
Hlil DfD 5 y l 'l9rr9.l ; H a 9Hil "He who vaunts himself unduly, is
held imperfect" (Megillah 29).
The Torah is noc discovered among prideful men. Always it
favors the modest, humble man. y l T 3 D9f3 n W l 3 15 f'NW 93
9 3 9 ~73 5 9 vnnn i t ~ Hy ~ W"Of himwho is without shame, it is
obvious that his ancestors did not stand at the foot of Sinai" (Nedarim 20). Evil indeed is the vice of pridefulness, self-glorification,
pursuit after honor; and those who would receive the Torah must
be free of all besetting vices. NjJDD 'f9D I l i l 5 9 1tDyW ?H'lW9
I n D m t "Those Israelites who stood at Sinai were rid of all impurity" (Yebarnot I o3b).
When Moses descended to inform the people that within a few
days they would be given the Law, and become the chosen of
the Lord, they cried with one voice, yDtPfl i l W 3 "We shall do
and we shall hearken!" They had had d c i e n t time, during their
period of rest about the mount, to contemplate the great miracles
that had been performed for their benefit, and to develop a powerful allegiance for God and Moses, His servant. The Lord, highly pleased with their reply, proffered them extensive rewards.
P N ~ D ~ 1 3 ' 1 n'ww 1 ~ ,yt)wft
3
i l w v f 5 m w i ~ " 1 p i l w nywa
nrPyf D l n 7 R H , ~ H ' I w ~ D7nN1 ' I n H 7 3 5 b9'lCU 9fW l'lW?l n 7 W n
m W 3 D W t n H t 'When the Israelites promised to do even ere

84

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
they hearkened, there came down sixty myriads of ministering
angels to bind two crowns upon the head of every one of them
one for their 'do' and one for their 'hearken' " l n a n w
y ~ W vf m w f t ilWyf i l f >N ,5f y> "But when they sinned with the
golden calf, they lost the crown of 'we shall do' and were left
only with the crown of 'we shall hearken' " (Tashbaz 403).
Always, when a nation adopts a Law and undertakes to practice
it in life, it takes possession both of the crown of hearkening and
heeding, and the crown of doing, of accomplishment, both for the
present and for ensuing generations. But when it begins to serve
the golden calf and to forsake its true spirit and culture, it loses all
creative power. It may still retain the crown of hearkening, of o b
serving certain minor religious precepts; but its accomplishments
are meagre and insignificant, insomuch as its calf worship has lost
for it the crown of doing, of true achievement.

THE LAWS OF SINAI

MISHPATIM
(Exodus xxi-xxiv)
Dil'fB5 D'Wn 7 W N P*a3WDi? n5nf "NOW, these are the
judgments which thou shalt put before them" God thus presents
the laws according to which the people is expected to live.
leader and teacher of Israel, Moses is told that the new Torah wiU
be called after his name.
,5knW9 :fPW 5 ) fN'lpft Dil95) fW33 ilW?3
D 9 7 l f ilW?tP
D'f9tfit mill ' T o three thinps did Moses devote his life. and a l l
three are called after his -e:
Israel, Torah, and the laws of
Israel" (Exodus Rabbah 30). Israel, for which he endured greatly
in Egypt and the wilderness until the time that it was made a
chosen people, will be known in history as "the people of Moses."
The Torah, for which he split the heavens and contended with
the angels, in order to bring it down to the earth and to his followers, will forever be called "the Law of Moses." So too the
humane and elevated rules which he taught the people are credited
to him, as " the laws of Moses."
Ahad Ha'am, distinguished Jewish philosopher, has sagely depicted Israel's founder and lawgiver:
"Moses ben Amram, greatest of heroes, who stands like a pillar
of light at the beginnings of our history; the great leader, who has
advanced before us not alone during the forty years in the wilderness, but through thousands of years in other worldly wildernesses,
from the Egyptian period to the present day - he wafts before
my eyes even now and raises me to new heights. And I ask, What
manner of man was he?
"A hero of battle?
"No; for there is no indication of that attribute in the entire
picture painted by the Torah of his life and accomplishments. Not
even once do we find Moses at the head of an army, displaying
miraculous prowess against the enemy. During the battle with
Arnalek alone do we see him on the field of war, but only as a

86

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
spec&or, who was able to influence the battlers of Israel through
his mighty spirit, through his devout belief in God and in the
righteousness of his people's cause.
'What then was Moses?
'The master of the prophets, the glorious ideal of Jewish prophecy, in its purest and most exalted sense, both prophet and man of
truth, who speaks truly not out of mere desire but out of inner
compulsion. Of this special task he can never free himself. Beautifully has Carlyle expressed the thought: 'Every man has the power
to attain the stage of the prophet, by searching for the truth. The
difference, however, lies in this: the ordinary man can possibly
become such, whereas the prophet is unable to be otherwise.' "

Moses and the True God

Ahad Ha'arn continues:

'3ince Moses was a man of truth, he was also inevitably a man
of righteousness -for surely righteousness is the essence, the intrhicaIity of m t h . With the combined powers of truth and right
Moses gathers the people of Israel about Mount Sinai, cleaves the
highest heavens for them, and shows the God of their fathers in
a new manifes~tion,which neither the Jews nor other nations had
theretofore seen or understood.
" 'To me belongeth all the earth,' resounds God's voice from
the flame. Not as you considered until now - with the rernaining nations that each land and province had its own gods, r u h g
within their boundaries, and combating and conquering one the
other. This is not so. There is no separate God of Israel, of Egypt,
or of the other peoples. Only one God exists - and He has lived
for all time. He is Master of the univem, ruling all nations. He
is the God of your fathers. All the world is of His making, and all
men are created in His image. You, descendants of his favorite son,
Abraham, he has elected to be H
is chosen people. You must sand-.
fy H
is name on earth, and serve as exemplar of humanity through
your humane laws and clean, ideal exheme, grounded in the
spirit of tmth and righteousnes~.

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

" bRighteousness,righteousness, shall ye pursue.'

'From a thing of
falsehood shall ye stand aloof.' Israelites dare not show unduc favor
to the mighty; they must not af3ict the stranger and the orphan;
yet even for the poor and weak they must not turn the balance of
justice. 73973 7'liVI NS 7'11 'Neither shalt thou countenance the
indigent in his quarrel' (xxiii, 3). Not envy nor hatred, neither
love nor mercy, shall be the measuring-rod of your life - for each
one of these diverts you from the right road and perverts human
rights. Righteousness in its fullest sense shall be the sole criteiion
in your life as people and community.
B wnn tlnn 72'ln wnSN 513 DV pan 'Did ever people
hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire?' Any
people which has hearkened to such words of might and exaltation, even though it be sunk for centuries in slavery and subjection, always retains the power to rise from its lowliness and feel
again the warming stream of light which cleanses out of its soul
every impurity, every uncleanliness."

Hidden Meanings
The Aggadah, and even more so the Kabbalah, discover many
hidden meanings in the plainly expressed laws of the Torah. Many
of their interpretations are most poetic, and present the idealistic
evidences of our traditional faith. Let us quote a number of their
comments on passages in the portion being discussed:
b9'13Vn nNs3 Nsn NS n n ~ 57173-m4 m~ 7 3 ~ 9 "And
~ 1 if
a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she s h d not go forth
as the manservants do" (xxi, 7). Thus comments the Zohar: Before
a man is born, God calls one of His souls to Him and says,
tSP ql33 ,fSB f 773 957y '79t "Go unto that place, into that body."
The soul, not wishing to leave Heaven, protea: NPSyS firn NS
in99393 N3537SD ~ n 93 ~fn3ynw9-f
l
mtrn "I do not want to go
to the other world, where I shall be enslaved and befouled." To
this God replies, u9nn3 9inaS n ~ ~ N1n 5y9,m~
qm Nn'u
Nafy
'Dear daughter, for this were you created, to spend a
+c
term in the other world."

88

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
"The good Torah, therefore," concludes the Zohar, "thus advises in the case of a man selling his daughter. If fate directs a person to sell his soul (God's daughter) as a maidservant, and for his
livelihood to perform acts which debase and enslave her-when the
time comes for his soul to forsake the world and resume her place
in Heaven, she must not leave as do all servants, with sIavish attributes. ; m n l N B f b n D p l B n HS 'She must not be released befouled in debt and sin.' "
iTS-iTWy9 n l f l i T PBtW132 nf?y99 U l ? - P N l "And if he hath
betrothed her unto his son, he shall do unto her after the manner of
daughters" ( 9 ) - 39325 i r l 9 l l l 9ir9N? n 9 n 7 1 5 7 9 l y N l N ? NJ9?2
"as% father acts toward his beloved daughter." If a man wishes to
transmit his soul to his son, by providing the youth with a proper
Jewish upbringing so that he will remain true to his ancestral
ideals, then God will act toward the man's soul even as fathers act
toward their beloved daughters. f f n n n? S n 9 1 ;rS q9BJ , a 5 p9wf
"He will embrace and caress her, and shower her with $ts"
(Zohar Mishpatim).
P S I ~ S 9n917iT 2
"How much money have I Ient the
world?" The money owned by any man is not his. I have Ient it
him for a specified time. If he does good with his gold, I shall let
him keep it. If he chooses to oppress the poor therewith,
t5W n H 5 ~ 1 3N I n l f7i)il: nN 5b1f ' J N "I shall take away the principal and leave him with the interest" (Exodus Rabbah 3 I ) .
The following illustration appears in the Midrash Tanhuma:
5 y ??an9 PH , ~ 9 n 5 1 y nfin , 7 a N mpan
19 ;M ?H
i f i ~ n+nwnw
~ l
y?i9 m

n9l

n N na5w nf3w2
~ , n it n nqll t i n a n

'When Solomon had built the Temple, he prayed, Master of the

universe, if any man shall pray for money in this House, and Thou
knowest that he will act evilly therewith, do not grant it unto

him."
In general a man should not seek wealth at the expense of others.
~ 7 7 ~ ~ 25 y~a a 1a9awl 7 W N "Which is in the heavens
b e and in the earth beneath": - When a man deals with heavenly, spiritual affairs, he should look upward, and learn from
r k e who srand above him; but in earthly, c o r p o d maierial

nnna

89

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
matters, he should look downward, and there see that there are
men living in more difticult circumstances than himself (Shaar Bat
Rabirn)

BUILDING THE TABERNACLE

(Exodus xxv-xxvii, 19)
I

I
I

ilt))!

;aqnpt7 anN 9 7 :Sniw97 nw2pn i n k m t i n 9 7 t n p ~

'nVa31 ,miin D37 ' n i 3 ~"'That they take me a heave

offering' The Holy One blessed be He speaks to Israel: In giving

the heave offering, ye include Me in your offering; in that I have
bestowed the Torah upon you, ye have acquired Me also" (32~odus Rabbah 33). Of interest is the comment of the Saint of Dobshetz: "Concerning this offering, we read not 'they shall give unto
me,' but 'take unto me.' This is to indicate that in charity the
word give does not apply; a Jew who offers charity takes more
than he gives. The coin can always be reversed: today it belongs
to one, tomorrow to another. No one can be certain of his money
wealth. Of rhat, however, which he gives to charity, nntntt, 7nptr
f y 7 'His gift persists forever' in this world and the world to
come."
,n97pw nmin ,wnn nmin :lr nwia:, r i ~ n7~7ur
~ 3
'3
t>!@~finblinl "This portion mentions three kinds of offerings
- one for the foundations, or thresholds of the tabernacle; one for
building it; and one for maintaining it" (Jer. Shekalim I). This is
to teach that first one must give for the very fundaments of Judaisn;and the Bible uses the word "take" to indicate that when one
has properly established the spiritual foundations of a people, one
takes over the God of the people, assuring the continued national
and spiritual existence of one's descendants.
The second task of the Jew is to erect a tabernacle wherever he
may reside, wherein he may meet with his God to pour out his
heart unto Him, and where he may join with his co~eligimksin
holy labor. Insofar as each Jew carries into life the ideals of his
faith, does the phrase "ye shall take my heave offeringn apply tr,
him. As much as men may do for their synagogues and reIigious
cennrs,these iasdattions will do far more for them They serve

91

as citadels, as bulwarks, to u d y , defend, and perpetuate the

people.
The third duty is to see that the Jewish community which
gathers in its houses of worship should be assured of physical sustenance.
Dnna lnpn 7WK ilallnil nntl "And this is the heave offering which ye shall take of them" (xxv, 3): - each one must
give his charitable donation, by compulsion if this prove necessary.
The word zedakah, generally translated "charity," really means
"righteousness" - and this is a matter than can be enforced by
law.
"There are men," says Rabbi Israel Salanter, "who cannot evaluate the importance of zedakah. Though they may boast an annual
income far above previous years, they d l offer the same small
donation to charity given in past times, when they may have been
comparatively poor. Therein lies the meaning of the psalm, when
'Plenty and riches
it declares, ty'7 nmy lnptn ?no3 lWyl-?~n
shall be in his house, and his righteousness shall endure for ever'
(cxii, 3). Although a man's home be filled with ever increasing
riches, often his zedakah, his charitable giving, remains always at
the same level."

Moses was commanded to speak to the children of Israel concerning the various required heave offerings. lap1 1m1W w l n
nann Dnalyn pn lmnw "When the deaf, mentally defective,
or minor (whose legal acts are generally invalid) give any of these,
their heave offerings are not valid" (Jer. Terumah I). One who is
deaf to the needs of his people, his land, his city, or his community, does not give as one should expect of ordinary men. His heart
is hardened; he does not comprehend the significance of zedakah.
He whose mind is not sound assuredly does not understand his
duties toward his fellowmen; he gives copiously to minor purposes,
only slightly to major needs, and often not at all. One who is stiil
a minor human figure in society, when he does give, does so under
compuIsion and in niggardly amounts.

92

THEETERNAL
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The sages always opposed the too searching investigations which
many of our charity organizations have engaged in ere helping the
indigent petitioner. YON t ' B , y a w 3 1 n V 3 5NYw9 n a N W a y W l
3 P l V '7 l n p l ,Qn7 "At the very moment that the Israelites
said, We shall do and we shall hearken, God commanded, Ye shall
take my heave offering" (Yalkut Reubeni). The rule for Jewry is,
first to do, to give the required assistance to the individual or the
movement, and then to hearken, to make full investigation.
There is an apt illustration in B. Joasohn's book, Fun Alten Ozar,
quoted from the Maggid of Dubnow:
The Maggid once approached a miserly man of wealth for a
donation to a communal undertaking. The man refused to give.
Ere departing the Maggid spoke, "I want to tell you, sir, that you
are assured of a place in the world to come! "
The man was astonished. "You say that because I refuse to give
charity, I shall be admitted to the other world?"
Upon this the Dubner related an anecdote. He told of a certain
very wealthy man who through all his life refused to give anything
to charity. His last wishes were that his gold be buried with his body
- and this behest was faithfully observed by his executors. When
his soul stood before the Heavenly Court, the account books
showed that he had given not even a penny for any charitable
purpose!
'Why," he was asked, "did you never fulfill the command of
zedakah?"
"The reason," breathed the departed magnate, "is that the
nether world is filled with deceivers, and I knew not to whom to
give. Hence I brought all my gold along to this World of Truth,
so that it might be properly distributed in this place."
The Heavenly Court, apparently impressed with this explanation, proffered its decision that if two more men were to be
who had acted on the same principle, then he too would
sured of a place in the world to come. But all their searching un
covered only one man of this sort Korach, who was also buried
together with his wealth.
"And now," concluded the Mnggid of Dubnow, ''they are a d '

93

.- ?

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
ing yon there with great impatience, because when you come.they
will have the requisite three Korah, the miser I have already

mentioned, and yourself who, like the three men required to say
grace after meals, will form a similar forum to receive the grace of
the Heavenly Gout"

Building the T a b m c l e
P m a ~ n 3 3 w t WTpt, 9 5
&'Andlet them make Me a
sanctuary, that I may dwell in the midst of them" (xxv,8). In the

matters of supporting the faith or Jewish national institutions, Jews

cannot fulfil their duty by mere giving; they must also perform
some positive action.

t y 7~31' 3 1m92w mwn n7 nwapn qww m ~ tn,m t

i13.NSD lWyW "Great is labor - insomuch as the Holy One blessed
be He would not cause His Divine Presence to rest upon Ismel
until they performed some labor (for the tabernacle)." The biblical passage explicitly demands that they build the holy place ere
God live among them (Abot D'Rabbi Nathan I I).
The tabernacle was covered with the skins of an animal known
as tachash. This creature, according to the sages, possessed two
backbones - and thereon rests a symbol.
For any people, wandering in exile and wildernesses, yet seeking to maintain its faith and culture, when it builds a temporary
repository for its spiritual values, must be the possessor of two
backbones. It must remain proudly defiant against assault by the
outer world, and yet never weakly defer to the derteriorating influences which have enfeebled the loyalties of its own members.
The process of acclimatization in every land of exile has been
thewhief problem of the Jew. To be able to adjust himself to every
country to which fate may have driven him, yet at the same time
be in no wise disloyal to his Judaism that has proved his greatest
concern.
For two thousand years, since they were b d y expelled by
the Romans from their own land, and have been forced to traverse
the seven seas and dwell everywhere, Jews have had the dual spine

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

here described With pride unparalleled among the world's peaples, they have maintained their national and religious individuality, and have not fallen into oblivion. Hemmed in within crowded
ghettos, despoiled of every possession and human right, they stiU
refused to bend their backs, but erected new tabernacles wherewith to perpetuate their heritage.
And they refused to bend their backs as well to the traitors in
their own ranks, who, overwhelmed by the customs of the gentiles,
were bent on bringing alien influences to bear upon Jewish life.
In all times and climes Israel has continued to spin out its
B V n l t l Y , bond of life, whose threads extend from the period
of Mount Sinai through all intervening ages to the present day.

ARK AND CANDELABRUM

TETZAVEH
(Exodus xxvii, zo-xxx, 10)

71 n9r pa 138 t n p 1 5mw9 23-nn ntun mni %nd

thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee
(xxvii, 20). t97Y '3H il7tHS NS ,?? 891 7 9 %
clear olive oil.
"For thee and not for Me; I have no need of its light" (Menahot
86). The ark wherein repose the tablets of the Law contains all
the light of Heaven In order, however, that you and your people
be enabled to approach and comprehend it, you may employ a
menorah, a candelabrum, that will illumine the way to the ark
and lead to the light of the Torah. But the illurninants must be
altogether clear and pure, not mingled with other, alien stuffs
"Malbim," in his Rimoze Harnishkan, asserts that all commentators and aggadists are agreed that the vessels of the tabernacle are
symbols of Jewish life, as prescribed by the Torah. The ark containing the tablets symbolizes i13195Y n D X , heavenly wisdom,
prophetic
which can be attained only through ilHP3il nf7,
vision, of which few can bogst. The Torah transcends human understanding. Its true contents can be understood only by one who
is raised to the rank of seer, prophet, superman. And since not aIl
men can achieve that place, its laws and statutes must be observed
even where a limited intelligence prevents full understanding.
The ark, most- sacred of the vessels of the tabernacle, is to be
placed in the holy of holies, into which only the high priest may
enter, and that but once a year, on Yom Kippur. It must be separated from the tent of assembly by a curtain bearing two cherubs,
a boy and a girl (Hagigah I 3). The cherubs, representing the entire people of Isael, must be n7D3il 5y DilYB323 V331D "sheltering the cover with their wings" (xxv, 20). The ark of the Law a n
be mainmined by Israel only when the people protect it with their
lives - as has indeed occurred countless times in Jewish history.
The cherubim muse also be I9nH 5N VW P V S "their faces

..."

96

turned one to another." Each must watch and assist the other. The
Law can be kept only by Israel's united e f f m In connection with
the building of Solomon's Temple, it is said, n93il 'IH Pil*fBt
"Their faces were turned toward the house" (z Chronicles 3).
The Talmud, noting this conmdiction, asks how this can be; and
then answers: Dl319 'IW 13:Xl f'Wlp 'IH7W9 f'HW fDT3 fH3 "This
latter is the case when Israel does not carry out the will of God"
(Baba Batra 99). When Jews conduct themselves properly, then
are their faces turned one to another. All are laboring together
for the welfare of the people, and are making it spiritually and
economically strong. But when they are perverted from the ways
of God, then each man's eyes are turned toward his own house;
he becomes indifferent to his neighbors. Such a procedure brings
on enfeeblement and stagnation, and curtailment of growth.
The ark was assigned the following measurements: 9Xtll P'nDN
VIDip *rnl nPH1 ,13tll 'rnl ilDN , u l H "TWO
cubits and a half
shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth
thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof" (xxv, 10). Why,
asks the "Shach," is there this mention of half cubits? T o indicate
that the ark is complete only when Jewry forms its other half.
Without the Jews the ark is but half a thing, still incomplete.
It was prescribed that the ark be overlaid YltlPl n92D Tilt9 3ilt
"with pure gold within and without" ( I I ) . The container of the
Law must be the same within and without. Those who study it
must also haveTorah's attributes. 1333 131n f9HW P3tl '5qD'In 'I3
D3n 79~'In U'PC "No disciple of the wise who is inwardly different from what he appears is truly a disciple of the wise" (Yoma
82). T h e heart and the tongue of a learned man must not differ;
thought must not be opposed to speech.

Menorah for Enlightenment

Malbirn speaks of the menorah as symbolizing worIdly enlightall forms of wisdom and knowledge that a man can obtain though his own intellect. The seven candlesticks represent
enment,

the seven fundamental sciences of the world. The ornamental cups,

knobs, and flowers are the beautiful results of these worldly snbjects of study.
nn3n ny3W 17'N' il71mil

9 3 ~5 1 ~
5N "The seven lamp
shall give light over against the face of the candelabm" (Numbers viii, 2). All the learning of Israel should be directed to one
cenaal point, to the end of enhancing our indigenous culture. The
entire menorah, with all its lamps and ornaments, must be formed
out of one mass of gold. If any part be taken from a different mass
(a strange culture), the menorah is not valid for use. A Jewish
candelabrum is to be manufactured out of Jewish gold; if it be
formed from bits of metal borrowed and alien, its light is defective - it cannot be the true light of the Torah.
The oil used must be purchased from money collected in the
general community fund. The light of the menorah is called everlasting - V P n 73 -and even as the sacrifice called tamid (everlasting) must be provided out of general funds, so must this light
be &-da.rIy obtained. Olive oil alone may be used, insomuch as
Israel is compared to the olive - D93mil 73-n'lS ISWP3 5N7W9
39gnP U'N pWilt ill3 ill D'379nP "For all liquors mingle
with one another, while olive oil mixes with nothing" (Exodus
Rabbah 36). Likewise, though all other nations can readily intermingle, the Jewish people camot be mixed but remains distinct
fiam every alien p u p .
It is just that separateness that has kept Israel immortal.
-9p7n nqnw ,ir npiN 59 n i t w 75 1% nipn 7 ~ 5 il"3pil
~ 5 ~ P N
79P993 '33 13 0931 9R 93NW DW3 ''Thus spake the Holy One
blessed be H e to the Angel of Death: Thon hasr no power over
this people, since it is mine own pomon; just as I live everlastingly,
so will my children live forever" (Exodus Rabbah 32). Which
means also that so long as the Jewish people considers itself the
portion of the Lord, it cannot succumb; the Angel of Death,which
has destroyed so many nations, then can have no power over

Israel.

w*

The laws given Israel by God are of a nature ranit(

1m
6n3 'Rl Df Nn "which if a man do he shall live in them" (Levid-

cnsx~5).Thisiscom~toaninvalidwhom.theph~

98

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
has come to visit, and whom the physician has ordered the household they may feed whatever he desires. In the case of another
patient, the doctor has prescribed certain foods which may or
may not be eaten. NS fit71 71347 n7tXZ itT7 ,f7 l7DH "And people remarked, 'One you gave permission to eat, and to the other

no^"' h~

7w 93Witl

,wn

7~ 139H tfwt(N7it it71nit ,nit5 7DN

"He replied to them, 'The first man will not live, hence he may
as well eat everythmg; the second has the possibility of living,
hence should heed his diet.' " God prescribed to Israel what the
people should not eat and should not do in order that they might
live forever (Tanhuma)

Further A ~ v e r s i o t t s

nptS Inn 572 S D D ~ ,UDD 171~9u7 n9112it 15n9 ;nnn nly2a2

"The staves supporting the ark must never be removed from the
rings; he who does so remove them, is liable to stripes" (Yorna 72).
My father used to comment on the passage in this wise:
"One does not find the prohibition against removing the staves
in connection with the altar table. But the ark, which contains the
Law, must be disturbed in no part. The staves bearing it should be
changeless in every land. When Jews remove the customary s u p
ports of Judaism, and carry the ark in keeping with local customs,
creating Reform temples and habitudes, then is the community indeed punished. Then the youth drifts away, and leaves the faith
utterly feeble.
"However, the altar table, which represents the people's ecnomic life, can be carried as one wills. In each land the Jew can
conduct business in accordance with local norms. His table need
only have a small hedge to set it off from those of his neighbors.
More literally, the table of Israel must be kosher, observant of
Jewish law, it may be supported on merent economic staves
in different lands."
W7p.t 'In fU133 1713 yTW3f "And his voice shall be heard
when he cometh in unto the holy place." The high priest wore

99

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
the household symbols, the upim u m , and the

DDttQn IWln,

the breastplate of judgment, representing Jewish learning and

knowledge. But today congregations are satisfied with rabbis who
know little of Jewish household symbols and Jewish judgments.
These men are asked only to have a >ill flDyD, "a golden bell"a good tongue, so that their only duty is that their voices be heard
when they come in unto the holy place.

THE GOLDEN CALF

(Exodus xxx, 11-xxxiv)

After the giving of the Law, Moses spent forty days and forty
nights in the heavenly realms. Only the Ten Commandments were
handed down to Israel at Mount Sinai. These were merely heard
by them: n171pil n N D'Ntl ~ y i r73: "And all the people saw the
thunderings and the flaming torches" (xx, 15) - and thereby understood that they were hearkening to the voice of God. But His
words had to be set down for future ages; hence we read,
n l n l 7 i l 'ry nnn D ' i l 7 ~m 3 "The
~ writing of God was engraved
on the tablets." The Talmud says, Do not read the word as chmut
(engraved), but as c h m t (freedom) (Erubin 54). Words'etched
by the hand of God Himself are aimed to bring freedom to man
and pennit him to develop spiritually.
In addition to the Ten Commandments, Moses was impelled to
take over the entire Torah, with all its laws and judgments. He
was also to be taught the true meaning of every passage, so that he
might aansmit the right doctrine to the generations yet to come.
And d this he learnt during his forty days and forty nights on

high*
It must not be forgotten that tradition declares all of Jewish
thought, with all its later interpretations and development, to have
been given Israel on Mount Sinai. oqrny D'N'lfiltt,
il~
'390 1ilP 'I733 Ilt 733 n l ~ l f n i r 7'Whatever the prophets were
destined to prophecy in future generations was transmitted to
&em on Mount Sinai" (Exodus Rabbah 28). The Torah remains
the essence of the Jewish world outlook; all that may enter the
minds of seers and sages is already indicated therein.
ilViltP il"l?iI? INYD DllD? ilWD ilSYtC, ilYtPl
QrlrU
I7lWlNS 'When, after receiving the Law, Moses ascended to
Heaven, he found the Holy One engaged in placing crowns upon
the letten of the Law" (Shabbat 89). God did not wish His Law
to be fornscd of dead characters of rules utterly apart from

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
a d Me. Every word, every letter of the Torah was to be a
living fact, part of the eternal life which was its crown. On each
letter, therefore, God inscribed a crown of immortality. A Torah
lacking these scriptural ornamentations is invalid.

When Moses completed his study of the Law and'all its details, he turned to inquire of God, SNYW' 133 ' P l 3 n i l P 3 "How
shall the horn of Israel be exalted?" (Baba Batra 10). For Giod
had given His people so lofty a Torah, with such immortal ideals,
that Moses felt it but proper that Israel too should be similarly
distinguished among the nations. T D y t '3N 13'SDfl "Let me and
Thy people be distinct from the rest." iu'3W t,3WnW t l X 7 ' W
SmW' Sy "May it be Thy will that Thy Divine Presence ever
rest over Israel" (Berakot 7).
And God rephed: t v i3n3f
~
S N ~ W * 933 W N I - nN~w n 93
tWD3 3 D 3 'When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel..
then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul" (xw, 12).
The strength of the people was not to lie in its physical prowess
or numerical extent, but in the spiritual power of its descendants.
For physical power does not last; many, great nations, numbering
countless millions, quickly disappeared from the earth. But if
Israel could retain its great sod, its mighty spirit, it would outlive
all nations and ultimately attain the high destiny promised by
the Lord.
When Moses first heard God's declaration that every Israelite re.quired a ransom for his soul, he was frightened He imagined that
a large sum would be required, which not every person could
provide. S3Wil n ' Y n a ,ua' n t NSN , 3 U D iVINW lb3 NS ,SaH
"God said, It is not as you think; each one must give but haif
a shekel."
NL) * i l l a 3 3 9 Nf .l*Wyil "The rich man
may not give more, nor the poor man give less" (Tanhurna ICi
Tissa). I seek no huge i m p from anyone, but that each person
take part in this tax; of these shekel funds will the tabernacle be
maintained, and also the daily sacrifice (maid), and the light of

...

I02

..

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
the menorah. These things combine to form the spiritual basis of
Israel; and in them every person must have his share.
PnH 7383 q23 Pila il9il9-~Si "That there be no calamity
among them, when thou musterest them" God declares to Moses
His wish that Israel be not enumerated in times of extraorcalamities, such as war or plague; but that their numbers be established each year through the reckoning of the generally given
half shekels. Amiel, in Hayonot el Ami, offers a comment on
this passage which applies even at this day.
"At one time it was very easy to determine the census of Jews
in any city. One needed merely to visit the synagogues, and the
meat shops, or read in the communal ledger - and know all the
Jews. In these days, however, few Jews attend the synagogues;
many do not observe the dietary laws; and numbers of them are
not even recorded as in the community. Having been largely assimilated among their neighbors, they take little interest in Jewish
life. The one: thing they universally observe is Jewish burial. After
living their days as non-Jews, to all practical purposes, they expect at the end of their years to be interred in a Jewish cemetery.
This is the meaning of the biblical phrase, 'that there be no calamity among them, when thou musterest them.' The Torah has no
wish that a man die ere he be reckoned in the roster of his people."

The Golden Calf

Moss, bearing the tablets of the Law, began his descent, elated
over the great events just brought about for his people. Suddenly
he heard the voice of God, who had performed these deeds:
P"lm ylnr, n95yn 1WH ~ D Ynnw "Thy people, which thou
broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves!"
(xxx& 7). 7nStt2D 71 .IS "Go, get thee down from thine eminence!" mnnw 19W3y ,5mw9 5 9 3 ~ 3HSN 85172 75 9nn3 ~ 1 5 3
'5
ilnW "I have bestowed greatness upon thee only for the,
sake of Israel; now that they have sinned, what need have I of
thee?" (Berakot 32).
Moses, in great fright, turned back to God to ask, ' w h e & ~
103

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
have they sinned?" First they are called T h y people, and then
Thou refusest to know more of them f 31 7797 9H3T IU9;H 73
9f9f 9HUll lU9N "Why is it that when they conduct themselves
properly they are Thy people, and when they act improperly
they are mine?" (Pesikta). But God explains further, lilt) 11D
15

~ ~ M w ,nma
~ ?
53y nil? l a y ,isn9?u IWN

7173 ;tl

"They turned speedily from the way 1 had compnded them

They have made themselves a molten calf, and are bowing down
thereto."
But Moses, undaunted, spoke up:

7ay3 7Dn mn9 nay ,ant7 t a l y ,>wy

531n 1tw3 N33D

ant4 1m3

"Against whom dost Thou show Thy zeal? Against an ox that

eateth grass and is made ready for the slaughter? Wherefore doth
Thy anger burn against T h y people?" (Tanhuma). With all their
faults, the Israelites are still the best you could choose as your
own. Though occasionally deluded by alien influences, they remain in your heart as your chosen people.
Then spoke God: V l H i1WyH1 Pj3HI Pi13 5DHlR51 5 5 ilR'fi1
5173 9U5 "Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may glow
against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of
thee a great nation" (xxii, 10).

nn

nm3

1 3 w ,P;113Y IWD3 13n1 , ? ~ l w ?inst)ft I'lHW ilWD ilH1

~ T D D Dn3 93na ,?ant n?nl?n "Moses saw that

lwn

Israel had no standing before the Lord, and determined to throw

in his lot with them. He shattered the tablets, and cried to God,
'Obliterate my name from the book which Thou hast written!' "
(Exodus Rabbah 45). YOUseek to make a great nation out of myself. I do not wish it. I shall go nowhere without my people. Where
are the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? What will
the nations of the world say?
ray? n ~ y 137
?
T a n ny~n.5p 'n ~n391"And the Eternal repented of the evil which H e thought to do unto His people"
(xxii, 14). Thus did Moses succeed in placating the Lord

THE NEW TABLETS

VAYAKHEL
(Exodus XXXY-xxxviii, 20)
The incident of the calf lasted but one day, but this day is accounted the most tragic in Jewish history. Every occasion when
Israel suffered a national calamity was thus described by the sages:
Sail 12 ilrpy3W Dl':, ? H ~ w ' ?ilWp il'iF "It was troublesome to
Israel, even as the day on which the calf was made" (Shabbat I 7).
They believed that the sin committed with the golden calf was
responsible for ail the misfortunes that befell the later generations
of Israel. Were it not for this crime, the Jews would ever have
remained the chosen people, the "kingdom of priests and holy
nation" as originally destined by God, and would have known no
future pain and hardship.
The first pair of tablets were made by God alone - runs the
account - and were written by the very finger of God. Hewed
out of huge diamonds, they were exceedingly heavy. But ni'niHil
VXv nn f'53lb iqil "The letters bore their own weight."
art33 t m r ~ 3 1nnr?ya 3naa nla ?ly3 t m n w fi'a "Assoon
as they sinned with the calf, God's inscription vanished from the
stones, and they became too heavy for Moses to bear." They fell
from his hands and were shattered (Tanhuma). While Israel
observes the prescriptions of the Torah, the laws and judgments
remain alive, carrying themselves along with the people. When,
however, they are forsaken or surrendered for other precepts,
they fall heavily upon the people, who suffer greatly because of
the aliens they would thus emulate.
The second tablets had to be prepared by Moses himself. Said
God:
b9'13frPnH nin5n-5p 'n3nai n ~ n w ~ nu>#
i a nn?-3w 753ba
nww TWN n3ffwH'lii nln5irt/y t'il 'IWH "Hew thee two tab
lets of stone like unto the first; and I will write upon these tablets

the words that were in the first tablets, which thou b m b t "
(xxxiv, I). Because the Jews did sin against God in bending to

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
the calf, they no longer merited that God himself make the tablets.
Moses was to prepare them, and then the holy words would be
inscribed upon them

For the Tabernacle

5HIW' 922 n t p ? ~ n H;rWD 7;rp'l

"And Moses assembled

all the congregation of the children of Israel" (xwrv,I ) to request

that they assist in building the tabernacle and all its vessels. If they
possessed enough gold to mold the calf, which brought upon them
the anger of the Eternal, they should be able to provide more than
sufficient for a tabernacle, wherein the Divine Presence might rest
and dwell among them. The Israelites, oppressed by feelings of
guilt, at once carried out Moses's request, both men and women
proffering gold, silver, and all other needful materials. Shortly
Moses was given the joyous news: f i t l y 3 TtD H'lil? Dyil D91ID
"The people bring much more than enough for the workn (xxxvi,
ilWH1 W'H
5). And by his order it was proclaimed, t'lri&y'-?~
m p ; r n D n n 7 ill)H?D "Let neither man nor woman make any
more work for the heave offering of holiness" (6).
In this manner did the Israelites atone for their sin of the calf by their generous donations to the tabernacle. God was gratified
by this evidence of repentance, and to the plea of Mmes he replied, T I 1 7 3 'nn?b "I have forgiven, according to thy word"
(Numbersxiv, 20).
There is much interest in the dispute between Moses and God.
4 I r n V p D y '3 f 1 I p 1 i l f y H H? "I will
Says the Eternal,
not go up among thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people" (xxxiii,
3). Elsewhere He says,
4Iy-;rW?-Py DnH ? H I w + + ~ ~ IDH
~H
"Say unto the children of h e l , Ye are a &-necked people"
(5). Moses, after letting the Eternal express his anger, then pleads,
tcln q I p ; r W p - P y '1, 1 3 1 I p 1 ' R H H3q?"'Let my Lord, 1 pray
Thee, go among us; although it is a &-necked people" (xxxiv,
9). Obduracy is without doubt a grievous fault. The o b t e
man will not learn, nor follow leadership. But this sin carries with
h the virtue of persistence. Such a one will complete an under-

106

I
I

taking. He wiII endure every hardship to perpetuate his ideals

Precisely because Israel is a stiff-necked people, is it certain that
God will walk among us. Despite all persecutions, Israel will re
main with its God,
Torah and Talmud

~ 5 9 5n'ft2lm nv n'y2lN 'n-nv nw 9n91 "And he was

there with the Eternal forty days and forty nights" (xxxiv, 28).
Upon this the Midrash inquires, Dl' 'now i r W ~y-rr Pir ~ J D
37'7 'nD9NI In the everlasting light of Heaven, "How could
Moses know when it was day and when it was night?"

II

n 9 n w 3 ,~n19 N I ~ Wyf19 il9n 3 n x r n u l l - r n9n

~ ~ n~~2pilw3
~
NSN
n595 Nlnw y-rV n9n -rl~Snlma^ n5 5y IYDSD "When the

I
I
I
I

Holy One blessed be He taught him the Torah, he knew it was

day; when God taught him Mishnah and Talmud, then he knew
it was night" (Tanhuma).
This midrash at first appears odd and incomprehensible. But
we are able to grasp its meaning when we understand the process
of Jewish thought and the effect of the sages upon all Jewish
history. This is an expression of a readily discoverable historic
fact; that any student of our enigmatic history may establish.
What presemed the unity of Israel during a thousand long and
gloomy years of exile? Scattered over land and sea, widely separated, subject to varied influences, Jewry was still able to maintain its individuality, its special and peculiar character. It is generally agreed that this sustaining force was the Oral Law, or Talmud. The Talmud, adopted by the Jewish people as their own
source book of law and ethics, kept them unified in all the confines of earth.
This literature was the constitution of Jewish life. The "fences"
placed about the Jew's conduct by the Talmud, protected him
from the customs and manners of alien peoples. Its regulations
formed the basis of Jewish existence everywhere, so that every
community of Israel, wherever found, became a link in the chain
d Jewish immortality a chain extending from Sinai to the

F==-

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
During d the period of day, of light, of independence in the
Iand of Israel, Jews studied the Written Law. But when they fell
under the yoke of the Greeks and the savage Romans, and our
sages saw that a long and ebon exile was closing upon us, then
they - the Pharisees of history - began creating both Talmuds,
first the Palestinian and then the Babylonian, to serve as national
and spiritual bulwarks. The Saducees and later the fhaites, who
cleaved ro the Torah alone, refusing to recognize the validity of
the Talmud, vanished from the earth; but the descendants of the
Pharisees still five, and will five forever.

-THERECKONING
PEKUDE
(Exodus xxxvi&

21-XI)

PWrn Vl?D ir7H "These are the sums of the tabernacle."

Although none of the leaders had demanded an accounting of the
funds gathered for the tabernacle, Moses preferred to supply this
onhisown.
an9 nwty 92938 ,an a92273 5~3~913
n133w 92s y719 ,nwt3 313H
73Wn n3H'r~5313 Il2wn "Moses said, IErnow that many Israelites utter complaints against me; hence I shall give them a clear
reckoning of the work on the tabernacle" (Tanhuma).
Rabbi Aaron Carliner used to say: "What power there lies in
uncleanness! The Bible declares that all the people took off their
gold earrings, in order to fabricate a calf out of the huge mass of
metal. Yet, though the result was a small animal, no one requested an accounting of what had been done with the vast surplus. When, however, the tabernacle was being erected under
God's guidance, many people complained and suspected Moses
and his assistants of misusing communal funds. And who were
the men who voiced these suspicions? The very ones whose donations were least generous."

Sq~nnwyn 'ry a,* 5nnjw a'rly 9n253'r wn nny ,nnyn pwn

"It was called the tabernacle of testimony, insomuch as it attested
to all the world God's forgiveness of the sin of the calf." Immediately after this episode, and God's consequent wrath and intent
to d e m y the entire people, many imagined that God would no
longer desire to dwell among them. But he was pIacated by Moses,
who was ordered to begin erection of the tabemacIe, as a symbol
of divine pardon (Exodus Rabbah 5 I ) .
It is highly interesting and instructive to read what the Midrash
writes concerning Moses' most efficacious prayer. When God
spoke, ~ L ~ W H
'lm
I qlil '92me be, that I may destroy them."
'3 *fin nt 727 n m lt3H "Moses understood thereby that the
mutter depended upon him"; and ilSDn3 7Dv 7913 'We at once

109

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
stood up in prayer" (Berakot

32). Thus did Moses address God:

"Thy Israelites are not greater sinners than were the people of
Sodom and Gamorrah; yet at that time Thou promised our father
Abraham that if ten righteous men were to be found in those cities,
Thou wouldst spare all for their sakes. Dost Thou not think that
there are ten men of piety and worth among Israel, whose merit
may preserve them all?"
Upon this God agreed to spare Israel if ten righteous men were
indeed to be found among the people.
Moses at once began enumerating: "There is myself my
brother Aaron, Eliezer, Ittarnar, Phineas, Joshua, Caleb" - and he
ytq HS "He
could say no more beyond these seven. niwy?
knew not what to do." He turned in his difticulty to God:
"Master of the universe, are our
P'nail Pil P"n , P ? ~ i 1137
l
sainted dead fated to live on?" til 17 7t)N "God replied that they
were." Upon this Moses cried out in triumph, ? n ~ ' ?P ; n 3 ~ ?Tat
;nwy W' n?n ,?NTW'?I "Remember our patriarchs Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob - here hast Thou thy ten!" And God returned,
797373 vnq'nn nwa ,uH ' n "As I live, Moses hath given Me
new life with his words!" (Berakot 32). 71373 'JV'l?D "I have
forgiven, according to thy word. Return and build the tabernacle
unto Me" (Exodus Rabbah 44).
The Midrash herewith expresses the lofty thought, acknowledged by all historians, that the greatness of a people consists in
the number of great men it has produced through all the periods
of its existence. One who ignores the past of a people, may readily
discover in the present that it boasts insufficient men of importance to justify its continuing historical w o r t .

Moses and the Tabernacle

The actual labor on the tabernacle, by God's command, was entrusted to Bezalel, skilled artist and builder. T o assist him there
were assigned Aholiab, master weaver in silk and wool, and a

number of other special workers When every part of the labor

had been severally completed, the Israelites gathered to put the

I10

structure together. But each time that they arranged the sections,
these promptly fell apart. They thereupon proceeded to Bezalel,
Aholiab, and the others, to declare, "Ye have formed the various
sections of the tabernacle - put ye them together. We have uied,
and failed."
The master workers set out themselves to complete the labor.
But their work also collapsed. The people were in despair.

139wy u'I nmnw np 'I3 ,I? 1mn ,nwP 'In p m i l nH I H ~ Z V

tDly f3qH ilP'I ,:3n3 ;nq'I 13n'lYW ilP 'I31 "So they brought the

tabernacle to Moses, saying: 'We have done all that you bade us;
and all that you ordered us to give, we have given; why, then,
does not the suucture stand?' "
Moses was shocked and pained at this information. But here
God interposed to say, "The tabernacle will stand only if thou
put it together" - ,fPly 13% 779 'Iy DHW , ' I H ~ w 'I3
~ lyfW '73
a'Iiy7 tB1y UqH 3 f W "so that all Israel may know that if it be not
established at thy hand, it will not be established forever" (Tanhuma). The foundation must be that of ilWP n71n "the Law of
Moses." The temples and tabernacles built by Jews after the prescriptions of alien laws, did not long endure, and speedily collapsed.
Thus comments the War:
5)) DljYD'I 'I39 H'If , H 3 3 ~~ttj?H'I H n H 73PlH fUqH 53

Hnw

i l q iilq~f
~ ~ ~;u> ,ilq'I nq31~1i l m HnHf f y ,1il9qfq

"All the artisans who built it came to set up the tabernacle; but
it could not stand under their ministrations, until Moses himself
put it together, insomuch as he was ~roprietorof the house." Because of his prayers God had forgiven the sins of Israel and consented to dwell among them. Not alone is the Torah known as the
Law of Moses, but the sacred edifice is called the Tabernacle of
Moses, built by his efforts.

Grandfather of Sbpall
Rabbi Loeb, called the Grandfather of Shpall, was a most charitable man. He would distribute most of his small income among
the pow of his city. He also compelled many of the wealthy citiIII

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
zens to contribute weekly sums far the same purpose, without ever
offering them an accounting.
He was most liberal in his allotments. It mattered not who the
poor man was. If he were in need, he was given aid with a fulI
hand. Even known thieves received his alms, when they actually
required help.
On one occasion the town's householders complained to him,
"Rabbi, we never demand an accounting of you, but why, we
ask, should our money be used to support thieves?"
"You do not understand, my sons, why I do this," returned the
rabbi. "At times there comes a year of hardship, when all the gates
of support are closed to the Jews. Then I send out my thieves to
break open the P'Dn7 '7yW 'gates of mercy,' and our people begin to earn their sustenance!"

ON SACRIFICE

VAYIKRA
Leviticus i-v
"And the Lord called unto Moses" - God summoned Moses to
the Tabernacle, to hold private converse with him The "aleph"
in "vayikra" (and he called) is much smaller than the other letters
of the word, sigdying that the call was for Moses alone. 5133
1 9 p l W H'I fH7~9731 f'ftNf yVol tfrn "The voice goes forth
and reaches unto his ears, but none other of Israel hears it"
(Rashi). The reason for such secrecy is declared to be God's d a
sire to expound to Moses the purpose of the sacrifices. Had the
Israelites also hearkened to God's words, they might have assumed
that God desired the sacrifices for Himself, for His own pleasure,
whereas the contrary was His true intent.
The prophets, who were later to expand the ideals of the Torah,
speak with acerbity against the earthy, materialist aspect of the
sacrifices. They abhor those who imagine that God really desires
their derings, which they consider atonement for all their sins.
The prophet Samuel uttered that notable exclamation: 'il5 yDnn
37no 39wpn7 >in n m yaw mn 'n 5133 yow3 n'n3ri ni7y3
n t S * ~ "Hath the Lord as much delight in burnt-offerings and in

sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is

better than sacrifice, and to attend more than the fat of the rams"
(Samuel 1, xv, 22).
Isaiah castigates Israel's rulers for oppressing the people. He
calls them QyD 93933 "princes of Sodom," - who are characterized as evil and sinful men, displaying piety only in matters ro
kting to God. They were of the belief that so long as they o f f d
sutiicient sacrifices to the Lord they might do as they pltasod,
and be assured of forgiveness. Says Isaiah:

mr.1 ..97

miyn n7n3 ...'a 7 0 ~ 9n39n3r 311

q3-y f ~ f o
n3977yr) p i i
~ i3tn
~ n

~ 9 n

95

m5

"For whzt sent& me the multitude of your sacrifices, saith thc

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Lord. ... Incense of abomination is it to me. .. . Wash yourselves,
make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your deeds from before my eyes. .. . (Isaiah i, I I, I 3, I 6).
"

At a later time Jeremiah speaks in the same strain:

95

tmy ~5

~ 3 9 ~ 71~75
3 ~ 1~5 n39nt5y

"Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are

not agreeable unto me" (Jeremiah vi, 20). The Psalms speak the
word of God: IWWH P'tlny Ptl P9793N 7W3 53Wil
"Do I eat the flesh of fatted bulls, or drink the blood of he-goats?"
(Ps.I, 13).
It becomes obvious, from these declarations, that the primary
idea behind the sacrifices was not the offering itself, but the intent
of the person bringing it. The very word - karban - means ''corning near." Its purpose is to lead man closer in his thoughts to
Cod. Hence have the sages proclaimed:

myin n ' y w ~n3t

~iil
il3iwn ~39577373

"A sacrifice brought without thought of repentance is accounted

by the Lord as an offering of the wicked, an abominatim7' (Zebachim 7b).

Free Will Must Accompany OjJerings

The biblical phrase has it 'il7 1373 P3P 39739 93 PtH "If m y
of you wish to bring an offering unto the Lord" (Leviticus i,2).
T o this Torat Cohanim comments: ,39739 93 5"n , M U 53'
nwl H5N U9H Hil "Since one might understand this to be an a b
solute command, the word yakiv (wish to bring) is used, to indicate that it is a matter of choice, of free will." Men are not ordered to offer sacrifices if they do not comprehend their m e
meaning, if they are without penitence, and if their purpose is
not to come nearer to the Godhead thereby. Their offerings, in
such a case, are not acceptable to the Lord. There must be a vduntary intent and understanding that thxmgh the medium of
sacrifice the person seeks closer proximity to God and improvement in his own conduct
There are two main divisions of the sacrifices. One is the 1373

114

'

or D*D%, thank- or peace-offerings, brought to the Lord

out of gratitude for His bounties. These imply a recognition that
a man's goods, gained through his efforts, are not truly his own,
but freely given by the Lord. Then there is the PWH 1373 or
nHt9n - the f i t offering brought in expiation of sin incurred
apim~or-.
n'rtln n H >*wni m * ~ y wn3i
3
'33 9 y i~l 9 y ~N
i m n 93 W D ~
'il'r n*2* ?DWNn N ? 9ra raw8
"If any person sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord; if he,
namely, lie unto his neighbor. ..he shall restore what he ha&
taken violently away. .. .and his trespass-offering shall he bring
unto the Lord" (Leviticus v, 21, 23, 25). The sages are agreed
that a sin 1ra3n9 P t H 193 against one's neighbor - is far more
serious than a transgression Pl?D? PtH 1'3 against God.
nna f rm rani* '/w w ~ t y nwp ('The punishment for robbing a man is much severer than that for robbing Him on high (of
a divine precept)."
Hence does the Torah declare that if any person feels double
guilt, both against man and against God, "he shall restore what he
hath taken violently away" to the injured man - and thereafter
"bring his uespass-offering" to propitiate the Lord. God has no
delight in an offering which is not the possession of the person
who brings it - which has come to him through robbery (Sukkah
30). T o despoil a neighbor in order to bring a sacrifice to God is
an unforgivable sin.
t3DD lra9apn H7 Waf 731 11NV 73 "Of whatever is leaven,
or of any honey, ye shall not sacrifice an offering made by fire
unto the Lord" (Leviticus ii, I I ) Rabbi Joseph Saul Nathanson
thus comments on this injunction: ''Leaven and honey are two
extremes, both as to their intrinsic qualities and their taste. One is
sour and the other sweet. This fact indicates that God H i i l f
dislikes extremes. He does not favor one who is overly soured,
who is completely devoted to thoughts of the world to come, with
no interest in his own world. Likewise does He abhor the sycophant, him who approaches the Lord with words of hypocritical
flatmy. All extremes are hurtful; one must hold aloof from excess

...

...

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
in either direction. It is best for the Jew to tread the way of gold,
that which is called 'the golden mean.' "

Prayer in Lieu of Sacrifice

According to Maimonides (Guide, ch. 32) and other famed
Jewish philosophers, the command of sacrifice was given to the
Jew in order to preserve him from the sin of idol-worship. In early
days the nations had a widespread custom of offering sacrifices to
their gods. Many went so far in their superstitious practices as to
bring human offerings. Thus the first-born male child was often
slaughtered as a godly sacrifice.
To obviate such idolatrous and superstitious excesses among the
Jews, it was biblically ordained to build a proper tabernacle and
altar, to which only such offerings might be borne as would elevate humanity to closer kinship with God. This thought is directly
expressed, adds Mairnonides, in the verses: 913 ?NU9'lWN WtlS
D9VyWS f 1y In39 NSl .lnS Dn'n3r nn SN'lW9 "In order that the
children of Israel may bring their sacrifices. . .unto the Lord.
So that they shall offer no more their sacrifices unto evil spirits"
(Leviticus xvii, 5,7).
Many scholars would have it that in the story of the binding
of Isaac on the almr, God sought to teach the world through Abraham that He has no desire in human sacrifice (Akedat Isaac).
h e a d of seeking the sacrifice of the firstborn, God established
the method of their redemption by the Israelites through the payment of five shekalim to the priest. This thought is derived from
the biblical query: BlWDl nHan 93D3 +tB ,+yWB 97733 fnNil
"Shall I give my firstborn for my tmmpxsion, the fruit of my
body for the sin of my SOU^?" (Micah 6 7 ) .
In the latter years of the second Temple, when the priesthood
was conupted, and abused the true intent of the sacrifices, the
men of the Great Assembly began gradually to replace d c e
with spoken prayer. There are many talmudic passages clvifying
this measure, several of the more &@cant of which sre huewith cited nn'nury 53 ?y nil5 5n1n 91s 9lb5 n9mpw 72at3
116

..

...

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
"Whensoever they call upon me in prayer, I grant them for+
ness of all their sins" (Taanit 27).
nunn n5r n5ty NS 7 ' 1 ~U'H mura p ~ r y n53 uai i t 3 ~
aWN ~ 5 nnm
1
~ 5 "Said
1
Raba, All who busy themselves with
study of the Law are exempted from the requirement of offering
the various sacrifices" (Menahot I 10).

;5un u n p n 53 a ~ y ~ n t 5 9atn3il
~ 3 t95y n5ya n5Bw mnw 9 n

W e who humbles himself in prayer before the Lord is considered

as though he had offered up all the sacrifices" (Sanhedrin 43).

nuaipn In in)' n5pn n5tta iry5n 'i

in^

"Said Rabbi Eliezer, Prayer stands much higher than sacrifices"

32).

THE TRAGEDY OF AARON

SHEMINI
Leviticus ix-xi

On the eighth day following the establishment of the Tabernacle Moses called upon his brother Aaron, and Aaron's children,
to prepare for priestly service at the altar. For seven days Moses
himself had conducted the sacrifices in the temporary role of high
priest. He had doubted the availability of Aaron to undertake
this duty, insomuch as his brother had assisted the Israelites in
building the golden calf.
However, the work did not seem to prosper under his conduct.
Says the Jerusalem Talmud (Yoma, ch. I ) :

n m w mmw nSi njin32 n a p WDWD nm nvniS~n9 ~ ~9 2 73w

17' 5y "Allthe seven days during which Moses assumed the labor
of the high priesthood the spirit of the Lord did not rest in his
hand." He understood that this task was not for him, that he was
usurping a high station primally reserved for another. Capable
and fit as he undoubtedly was, the knowledge was brought home
to him that to be a D'ln3 vW2 WDnWD to occupy the two
greatest offices of a people - those of leader and high priest, was
too vast an undertaking for expedient adminimation by a single
man.
God is Himself represented as being dissatisfied with this official
usurpation. 87172 7n3 nByt t M n W V 2 D ;mt4 nD "What do
you imagine?" He asks. "Thatthe high priestly &ce is also your
prerogative?" (Midrash Tanhuma). In later years, when Hasmonean kings occupied both the throne and the high priesthood simultaneously, powerful protests arose from the Sanhedrin and the
sect of the Pharisees. They previsioned the inevitable ruin of that
course. Whenever a monarch or national ruler arrogates to himself all the high and responsible posts of government, he inevitably
is transformed into a dictator, determined to impose his will upon
all the people and abrogate their liberties. History has proven the
justness of their fears.

118

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Moses soon comprehended that not himself, but Aaron, was destined to serve the people in the supreme priestly office.
177

59

ns73w

m w

,wnqwi min3 qt23 ?Tnn w35w 1193

The talmudic passage already cited goes on to say, "As soon as

Aaron donned the garb of the high priest and commenced the
priestly service, the spirit of the Lord rested in his hand."
But Moses was always fearsome lest the Israelites doubt Aaron's
suitability for this exalted office. He was aware of their continuing sense of guilt over the great transgression of the calf. Although Moses had reassured them, saying that in the very command ordaining the building of a Tabernacle in which the Lord
might have His being among them, there was proof of His forgiveness, there were many who s t i l l averred that no man who had
aided in their sinning could properly hold the highest ecclesiastical post in Israel.
Hence did Moses declare unto Aaron, "Take to yourself a calf
as a sin-offering." For, ,79773 n~lir>n n?D?Dns 529ir 7r 59
77773 nDD13lD H'ir 52931 "Because of a calf was your fitness
as priest brought into doubt, and with a calf will it again be established" (Tanhuma). This special sacrifice was to serve as an
open declaration that both Aaron and the populace had completely
repented their rash act, and that thenceforth 'jI f 133 03'?H HT7
"God's glory would be evident unto you,"
Immediately following the activity of Aaron and his sons before
the altar a great tragedy befell them for the two elder sons fell
dead before the holy place.

The B&g

of Nadab and

Abihu

Nadab and Abihu, next to Moses and Aaron, were the most
exalted leaders of Israel. So great was their distinction that when
Moses,Aaron, and the elders ascended the mount to receive the
Law, these two were also taken along and were privileged to look
upon the Lord (Exodus xxiv, I, 9). Why therefore were they
doomed to so terrible a fate - to be consumed by fire while serving at the altar? The sages, seeking justification for this divine

punishmenr, have offered varied reasons, of vast importance to

an undemanding of the enigmatic causes of this n a t i d y
mourned tragedy.
One explanation is that their sudden death resulted from their
refusal to acknowledge the propriety of the high honors accorded
Moses and Aaron by all the people; that when they became cognizant of the reverence with which the populace regarded these
two leaders, they remarked each to the other:
8 nwnnn m w D V ~ U'13~7
n*nD i ~ nq~pt
~ nqfw ' n &
"When will these two old men die, so that we may take over
their leadership?" When God heard these words He cried out,
'D nN V : p ' a nNW "We shall see who will bury whom!"
1b~w21 l i 1 ' ~ i 3-13 v n 2 3 1 ~ 2 x 1W N 5w n ' ~ i r i ' f w 1 ~ x 9
'Wherupon two threads of fire came forth, which leaped into the
nosuils of Nadab and Abihu and utterly consumed them" (Sanhedrin gza).
Envy is a vicious attribute. He who resents another's existence
or his possession of goods or talents is a man of evil. It is of particular moment that a popular leader must not entertain soch
thoughts, for they lead to narrowness of vision and purpose. Assuredly a high priest, the divine intercessor for his people, who
presents himself before God in the Holy of Holies to portray the
needs of the nation - if such a one is consumed by envy, he becomes incompetent as a pleader and unfitted for his station.
Another aggadic relation has it that Nadab and Abihu were
fated to die young because of their overweening pride. So great
was their self-conceit that they even refused to enter into marriage:
I I ~ H,n2'1na W D i r 1 2 ~ ,9772
i
fn3 unn , t s ~1 2 ' 3 ~'nN :m n
3 :25 n2un nWN "Thus spake they: Our father's brother is a
kingly ruler; our father himself is the high priest; we are next in
succession; what woman can be suitable to our statid" (Tan-

huma)

Rabbi Phineas Koritzer used to say: "The greatest sinner if the

man of pride. All transgressions require a modicum of effort, of
energy expended - but no action is required to transgress in the
matter of pridefulness. The proud man lies stretched out on his
120

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
bed of ease, and without laboring merely utters denunciations of
This sort of pride is the greatest of possible blemishes; it transforms its possessor into a spiritual cripple. No longer
dots he seek learning or an understanding of the thoughts of other
men;he has convinced himself of his superiority to everyone!'
The Zohar declares that because they refused to wed were they
rendered unfit for the priesthood, and fated to an early demise.
all the world

m 5 y 3 13-13 H R ~ ~ W H
9m3
Y ~ l ~
n t ,Hyn
l DUB 3qaln
oqmrz'r 179 5y f3w 53 , f 9 9 l w H? 195y ,w 5y

m tm

"An unwed person is without wholeness, and is not deserving that

through him blessings shall come upon the earth: - insomuch as
there are no blessings in him, how may he bestow blessing upon
others?"
The priest must represent the people before God. He must
pray for them to the Lord. He who is unwed does not comprehend the popular needs; as he grows older his heart becomes circumscribed and self-centered. Can any such person be entrusted
with the responsible office of a priest, a spiritual leader, reciter
of public prayer, intercessor for his people?

A More Lofty Explmurtiion

In the portion under discussion there appears the following reason for the premature death of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu:
ontN

ills H? il1r

WH 'il~ J D ?1391p9t

"And they brought near before the Lord a strange fh,

which He
had not commanded them" (Leviticus x, I ) . In the service of God,
as in all matters of formal religion, alien influences must be pro-

hibited &range fires, strange thoughts, derived from other

sonrcts. These profane belief, and diminish the sanctity of tradition.
Says the Talmud concerning Nadab and Abihu: nnWJ nDlW
093 lu'l "Their souls were consumed, but their bodies remained
wholew (Sabbath I 1 jb). Hence the introduction of strange forms
and c~stoansin spagogues and temples does undermine the spirit-

I21

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

ual fundaments of a nation; its soul is consumed by fire - and a

body without a soul cannot exist.
The integrity of its religion, its unique inner fire, comprises the
true spirit of our people. Once we begin to employ strange fires
and intrude novel ideas upon our faith, alien to its genius, we can
be assured that its spirit is moribund, soon to perish utterly. The
children will inevitably forsake their own and reach out for the
faiths from which the strange fires were derived.
For this crime of bringing strange fires into God's service, the
souls of Nadab and Abihu were consumed by flame. It was necessary for Moses to enjoin their cousins, Mishael and Elzaphan:
n3na5 ytna 5~ wfipjl 933 n8a n ~ n un8 ~ P S W
YOU
brethren' from before the sanctuary to without the camp" (Leviticus x, 4).

THE LAWS OF SANITATION

Leviticus xii-xiii
The portion Tazria, and the succeeding Metzora, are devoted
to an exposition of the laws of purity and impurity, and also of
those requisite sanitary regulations which guard the Israelites from
infectious disease. "By means of these laws," declares Maimonides
in the introduction to his section on purity legislation, "God elevated the Jews of that time to the highest plane of cleanliness and
health."
Maimonides, himself a distinguished physician, was more concerned with preventive medicine than with healing. He always
urged special caution with regard to contagious ills, which can
spread rapidly if stricken persons are permitted to mingle at will
among the people. Hence he admonished all Jews to absorb the
basic knowledge of the purity code.

Wn9W t y

9nh ntV ,195y ill2yill m9ljXl7', 39DD9 N5

9t)w nn913 1 ~ 3-plwc)5y

,?*DDt)

"It is not d c i e n t merely to read and obtain a superficial knowledge of the sanitary regulations; one must study them profoundly,
and know them as well as one recalls the words of 'Hear, 0 Israel.' "
It is costly of money and effort to establish a nation's sanitary
rules. Proper hygiene requires restrictions not easily provided for
and accomplished. In order to assure their stringent observance,
Moses made thelaws of ~ u r i t yand impurity essential parts of the
Jewish religion. God wishes to dwell among the people of Isad,
and this too is desired by Israel; but that indwelling can be realized
only when the people remain holy - holiness, however, demands
utter personal cleanliness, absolute purity of self.
linan 'n 9335 "Before the Lord shall ye be cleansed."

tl~n'lvbfnn w a n nYi ,93n wit?

93 P9wttp

Pn99m

"And holy shall ye be, for I am holy, and ye shall not defile your
S
O
&
'
'
a3m1 p7w 93n 92 ,nn*3m nn 7 ~ ~ ~NS?3 "Aad
9

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
they shall not defile their camps (with disease), for I dwell in the
midst of them" Precisely because God Himself demands purity
and will forswear dwelling among them if they disregard the laws
of sanitation, have rehgiously faithful Jews strongly maintained
the rules of purity and impurity; and they therefore transformed
Palestine into a cleanly and healthy land - one upon which "The
eyes of the Lord rest from the beginning to the ending of the
year."
The famed scholar and poet of blessed memory, Hayyim Nahman Bialik, once remarked to me, "In order that men should
properly evaluate the achievement of the portions Tazria and
Metzora for the people of Israel, let them first visit Egypt before
entering Palestine." In Egypt the traveler encounters thousands
of persons with scabby faces, eyes overrun with trachoma, and
other infectious skin aWictions. Even in the Alcazar, greatest Mohammedan theological seminary, in Cairo, one can look upon hundreds of students similarly afflicted.
I visited this great educational institution in the company of a
noted Egyptian physician, who had studied in America. As we
looked upon the many scabrous countenances, I asked, "These are
the intellectual members of the people; why do they not consult
a physician?" This was his reply: "That would be against their
belief. They believe that if a man is stricken with an infection,
this is in accord with God's will; and they will do nothing to
oppose the purpose of the Almighty."
In that very fact lies the distinction of Judaism over other
faiths. Our religion is not limited to divine worship and prayer. It
is derived from the "treasure of Iife" and purposes to beautify and
ameliorate the life of mankind. A healthy, active people can fidy
appraise the holiness of the everlasting God
MI^ , n w a

7 9 5 n ~ ' = ) tniw"ID
)

, J V W " ~9795
B

n~*=)t)
nrpl

ril'r'btl rl'5 nn'3b

"Clean intent brings to separation from impurity; @on
brings
to bodily cleanliness; cleanliness brings to piety" (Abodah Zarah
ma). T o the Jew piety does not comprise synagogue attendance
and prayer alone. One should not merely pray like a Jew, but live

124

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
like a Jew; Jewish Life must be clean physically as well as spiritually-

Diseare as Divine Punishment

AII diseases that a c t man are visitations from God, who inf?ictspunishment for transgression. A sin against God 193 ?lV3y
DlPD5 D t N is punished by pain in a hidden part of the body; but
a sin against man n3115 D t H 193- results in a visibIe &ess, to
be noted and avoided by all.
n t n 3 In ,nnm In ,nnw nw3 n p nlni 93 D ~ N
"If a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a swelling, a rising, or
a bright spot" (Leviticus xiii, 2):
of thii phrase the Zohar says,
~ n i ~ l mn3lH
3
W3 335 n3iH t 3 n"33 "When God punishes
a man, He does so with mercy;" 337 ir9r)V3 irl? 1nD Nn9Dt33
"fim he visits on him an unseen illness;"

n1y3 nnnm n i m 395 rnr) ~ N S9 ~ 1, 3 ~ 1n93

~ ~ t 'nH
"if he thereupon repents, all is well; if not, he is stricken by a skin
growth, under his garments, and only slightly recognizable by the

observer;"

H S ~ t a 39 1 ~ 3 ~11319727331~3n4CI qnt3 ,~HS9 ~ DID

1
a93 3tn ' H
"if then he repent, all is well; if not, he is assailed by a visible skin
afliction, seen by all men, who thereupon stay clear of him."
nY3X $I22 73 nlnr 3WN tl3irt "And if there be a garment on
which there arise a plague of leprosy" (xiii, 47), or 93 ny3X Y f f
n933 Zlvill "if there be a plague of leprosy in the house" - then
these too must be shown to the priest, and thoroughly cleansed.
Here is established the now accepted law of hygiene that not alone
can men transmit infection one to the other, but that clothing,
structures, and other inanimate objects can be mediums of transmission. In every such event the garment or house must be fumigated, vapored with hyssop, which kills bacteria and renders the
object safe for later use.
The purity Iaws have been the subject of comment by the most
diseingnished of Jewish scholars. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah ramarked to Rabbi Akiba:

nl7;rNl

n'yn

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
~ X 777
N

79nnm 773

, n v M ~ X 77
N

nt,

"Why do you occupy yourself so greatly with the legendary and

cursive portions of the Talmud? It were better that you turn to
a discussion (with your students) of the laws of infection in men
and material things" (Hagigah 14a).
Many of our half-enlightened brethren take pleasure in ridiculing the common laws and customs of their people. They are especially amused by the rules requiring the washing of hands before
and after a meal, insomuch as the sages of the Talmud have pronounced these acts efficacious in driving off 3 y 3 n:3 - the evil
spirit - which wafts over one's hands. They do not understand
that this "evil spirit" actually refers to the bacteria which transmit
infection. ilNt3fD7 filnl'fW P"T9 "The hands are always close to
impurity, to uncleanliness." In handling so many different objects
during a hay, they may well have touched some infectious bacilli
- it is obvious, therefore, that the law requiring washing of hands
before meals was at the outset designed to prevent the spread of

disease.
It is related that Rabbi Israel Wishnimr, who mightily opposed
the protagonists of Haskalah, those men of "enlightenment" who
departed from the rules of piety, once engaged in the following
colloquy with a "maskil."
'Why," asked the enlightened one of the rabbi, "do you pious
men 'so dislike us maskilim? Are we not all children of the same
Father?"
"Most assuredly," was the reply. ' W e are all children of one
father but not of one 'mutter' (mother)."
The German or Yiddish word "mutter," for "mother," has
almost the same pronunciation as the mlmudic Hebrew word
"muttar," mewing "permkib1e."

T O GOD AND T O AZAZEL

AHARE MOT
(Leviticus mi-xviii)
The first sections of this Pentateuchal portion are also recited in
the synagogues on Yom Kippur, since they give an account of the
two folk-sacrifices required on that day - "one to God and one to
A d " The first, to God, is brought on the altar in the Temple.
The other is hurled over a lofty cliff in the wilderness. These sinofferings, say the sages, serve as atonement for the transgressions
of the Israelites against God and man.
nlbw n1.1 12 ~ 3 3 3 fa PH HSH 1n2f)'121f)P'IN f i
"No man," says the Talmud, "commits a transgression except as
goaded by the spirit of folly" (Sotah ja). While a man is possessed
of full consciousness of his acts, he conducts himself with p n
priety. But when seized by a wild, foolish desire, destructive of
one's conscience, his judgment is perverted and he is impelled to
commit various crimes against Gbd and his fellowman.
It is most diflicult, however, to be ever conscious of one's purposes. A sound man is ordinarily not aware of his bodily members,
he takes note of head or foot only when a sudden pain assails him
in either part. In the same manner it requires some unusual h a p
pening to render him conscious of his entire being.
While a people resides peacefully and normally on its own land,
each of its citizens needs not ponder perpetually on his duties to
the nation. Through his ordinary activity on the land, in the shop,
the factory, the school, and all else, he quite naturally adds his
portion to the economic, political, and cultural development of his
people and his country.
The Jewish people, however, is dispersed over the seven seas.
Without conscious effort each Jew adds his mite to the develop
merit of the country in which he lives. He can accomplish some
thing for his own people only when he becomes immediately aware
of its unique situation in the world. But this is a cmmmimaticm
difficult to attain and to maintain.

127

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
W e must readily absolve from guilt any Jewish community in
P strange land which fails to perform its full duty toward its nation and its God. It cannot be altogether blamed, for, according
to the phrase i13iW3 Qil 535 93 men normally act without plan,
and can therefore not be expected to achieve greatly.
There is an extraordinary declaration in the Midrash:
irtry

5w 19'133 5p nmui 5mw9 nuty nii33n Srru 3"19:,

"On the Day of Atonement God divests Israel of its iniquities and
places them on the garments of Esau." This signdies that the tragic
situation of the Jew causes him to be enveloped in the garments,
in the customs and conduct, of the land of his habitation It is
most di6cult for a Jew to syncretize his Judaism with the actualities of exile. One cannot easily go against the mores of a land and
its preponderance of population.
Rabbi Levi Isaac Berdichever once commented on the biblid
injunction: 79yWil WH7 5y PntH In31 "And he shall place them
upon the head of the goat." "All Jewish transgressions must be
placed upon the head 7W of Esau. On his head falls the guilt
for all the sins of the Jews against God and their fellowmen. Esau's
eternal persecutions are alone responsible. Oh, Master of the Universe, guide us to our land, and see how much better and fairer our
lives will then be!';
For this reason are the Jews required to bring annual offerings
"to God and to Azazel." The one will atone for the crimes cornmined without conscious putpose against their God, their religion,
and their cultural heritage. The other is atonement for the sins
brought about through their condition of exile - sins against their
people, and against the people's re-creation in their own land,
their own home.

n~rrn7n91y-919yb

9fw

np9

~ 'fa
7 n t~y

nm? "And

from the congregation of the children of I s d shall he (the high

priest) take two he-goats as a sin-offering.'' The T b d coznmts:

~ 9 ~ n~~ 1
2 312~ 1 ~ plw
7 ~ nnuw
3
PSVW

r 28

;nm

m e

/
I

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
mle m n c a d n g these is that they should be identical in appearance, in height, and in value" (Yoma 62a). In this connection
Rabbi Aaron Karliner once declared, 'Would that the sacrifices
which the Jews bring unto God were in no wise smaller or less
desirable than those they offer to Azazel, to all the follies taught
them by the gloom of exile!"
There is profound verity in this objurgation. The word "AzaA," according to Yoma 67, means "And the mighty of the land
he took away." The Jew who is weak before his neighbors, among
the majority, pays a huge price for his Judaism. Everywhere he
must offer the greatest of sacrifices. In many lands arise the altars
of his foes and oppressors; on these he is compelled to offer pans
of his soul, his spirit, as well as of his physical being, his goods
and possessions. In the lands of freedom and democracy the Jew
erects his own altars, and in his synagogues, homes, communities,
offers unnecessary sacrifices, solely with the intent of pleasing his
neighbors. Treasures of money are expended on these sacrifices;
for truly Jewish purposes very little remains.
mta y r ~
SH nnuty 53 nH t*Sy r y w n ~ w 3 t
"And the g a t shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land
not inhabited" (Leviticus xvi, 22). Says the TaImud (Yoma 67) :
fit*? ItJnPn 13HSH 8112 f * ~
' T h e word gezerah (in this phrase) means something that becomes steadily more terrible and intolerable." This can refer to
the exile, in which the Jew, subjected to unfavorable decrees and
oppresdon, is forced to offer ever greater sacrifices. These decrees
and strictures arise without warning, rendering Jewish life incrtmsingly sad and diflicult. The sacrifices the Jew offers everywhere are in large measure his own children, brought upon the
altar of asshilation - to the everlasting depletion of his ranks.
1*n31 ,an*qj 83 a>*nfs3b W
IH

n*tJil *Dam3 Yn3

b n w tU*ntl*>D 'Im ti*Uil *DBtW)31 The Talmud (Sanhedrin 39) asks: "In one passage it is written, Ye did not act in 'accord with the customs of the peoples ye lived among; yet in
d e r passage it is said, Ye did act in accord with the customs of
the surmmding peoples !" This contradiction is thereupon ex-

129

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
plained: 'Dn'wp Dn3w f*'rp'rlpD3 ,Dn'Wy H'r an3 ;'lpWS3
"Like the righteous among them ye did not act; like the shameless
among them ye did a"
It is a sad truth that in the impulsion to
imitate our neighbors we do not ordinarily seek to emulate honorable men, faithful to God and nation, but those who are without
character and indifferent to the traditions of their faith and their
people.
The most tragic element of this perversity is its utter inutility.
No matter how earnestly the Jew apes the gentile and sinks his
own faith and individuality in the endeavor to please him, there is
no assurance that thereby the Jew can mollify his perennial enemy. My father, of blessed memory, thus commented to me on
the passage in the Talmud:
' 1 3 ~'n'13'1 =ynqix ' ~ W Hyyn p n :~ D H ~ ?Wpt, n i i n n ?a p n
? nS3N YDP "How do we know Haman is mentioned in the
Pentateuch? From the sentence meaning 'Hast thou not eaten from
the tree which I commanded thee not to eat thereof?' and which
begins with the same letters as spell out Haman's name" (Hullin
I 39b). "Many persons," said my father, "assume that the Hamans
develop their greatest measure of hatred against us from religious
Dii*nt'l
sources, insomuch as the original Haman complained
Dy S3D nUtW 'And their observances are different from those of
other people.' These persons therefore feel that if we assimilate
ourselves, give up our own form of life to become like the rest, our
neighbors will readily open their arms to us.
"This thought," he continued, "is utterly in error. The Talmud's
quotation from the Pentateuch implies that the various Hamans
have learned to hate us even when Israel partakes of fruit of the
forbidden tree. No advantage wiU ever come to any Jew by virtue
of his eating from that tree. So long as the Jew is in exile and sups
at alien tables, the Harnans and the Hitlers will continue to rise
against him."

aqnanS HJ i n 3 awn N ~ H- 1 ~ n5nrtcair

1 ~
i y w n $2t
5mw7 nP fay f*mSI iywawt t i y m atf~~nw
, ~ * p w ~ )nuwj
%
"Thus the high priest prays over the scapegoat sent into the wilderness, 'I enmat Thee, God, to pardon the sins, iniquities, and mans-

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
gressions which Thy people Israel have committed against Thee' "
(Yoma 66a). He pleads that all this is not the fault of the people,
that they were driven by the tragic disabilities of their lot. They
are sinners without volition, blinded by the horrors and hardships
of exile.
Yet if Jews wish to retain their faith and nationality, and triumph over their enemies, they need but read these two words in
the present portion - P?il 4n1 "and ye shall live by them," by observance of the divine statutes. Rabbi Mendel Kutzker used to
interpret this phrase as meaning "that there must be life in the
biblically prescribed observances. They should be living, flaming
facts in the life of every Jew - not merely dead precepts learned
by rote and blindly followed. They must appeal to head and heart,
to reason and emotion. Indeed, emotion is more important, for
' y l H3'1 N3t3iV 'God seeks the heart.' He craves heartfelt deeds,
which alone have assurance of perpetuation"

CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF THE TORAH

KEDOSHIM
(Leviticus xix-xx)
*3H WIT? *>-r*nn P * w t ~ p -"Holy shall ye be, for I am
holy"- thus speaks the Lord to Israel. Since He has marked them
off from other nations as ~ S U DP y , a chosen people, they must
reflect the spirit, the sanctity of God
D*wI'LD I*;m 7 3 Wl'LD *3NW O w 3 , l V h P * W l W "Separate
shall ye be - this means that just as I am pure (separated from the
impure) so shall ye be distinct in your purity" (Vayikra Rabbah 24). The life and conduct of the people must differ altogether
from the life and conduct of other peoples. Their godliness must
be apparent in their every station and activity. Life to them must
prove a synthesis of heaven and earth; even their daily humdnun
actions must have some gleam of heaven's glory.
if2 o * i S n m i n *DU

217w *SDD S n 3 3 2 ~ D H S
IT ~ W D

"This Pentateuchal pomon had to be presented before the entire

popular assemblage, insomuch as it contains the cardinal principles of the Torah" (Torat Kohanim). The laws comprised in this
section cover the entire life of Jewry, within and without the
home. They indicate the proper attitude of the Jew to God, to
family, to the community. They also outline his duties to his own
people, and to all other nations he may encounter.
In all these relationships Israel is admonished to be holy and
separate. It is that very separateness which has assured the strength
and eternity of the people. So soon as the Jew surrenders his distinctive forms of l i e and begins to ape his neighbors, he lases not
alone his hdividuality but also his national vigor. Somewhere
there is an interesting comment on the passage in Numbers (xxiii,
9)
2wnn3 HS P ~ f 2 fl ~ 7729
w Q1R
l "LQ, it is a people
that shall dwell alone, and among the nations it shall not be reckoned." The Jews are a nation only when they live distinctively,
according to their unique tradition. When, however, they begin to

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
mingle too extensively with surrounding peoples and emulate their
ways, then they "shall not be reckoned" with they can no longer
be accounted a distinct ethnic body.
The late Dr. Shmaryahu Levin once remarked at an assembly in
Boston:
"A noted attorney here with us has asked me, W h y is it that
my father, who was an old-fashioned pious Jew far less affluent
than myself, could boast more friends and panisans among the
gentiles with whom he did business than we, his children, completely Americanized and so much wealthier than he? I recall
that whenever my father entered the bank, the president himself
rase to greet him, prepared to grant any request of his. Now, they
treat us too with courtesy, but without any such warmth and
friendliness.'
"To this I replied: 'The attitude of the gentile toward the Jew
by day is largely determined by the Jew's conduct at night, away
from the workaday world. Your father understood the gentile's
psychology far better than yourself. When he completed his day's
work at five o'clock, he turned promptly to his home and the
society of his own. He did not insist on loitering under gentile feet
and imposing himself on gentile clubs, golf links, or other recreadon spots. You, however, pursue the gentile even after you have
ceased the day's labor, seeking his social companionship in his night
haunts. You crave his company wherever and whenever possible.
" 'But you must remember that the average gentile possesses no
d affection for the Jew. At the best he tolerates us. It is not a
hardship for him to do business with Jews, but he has no desire for
their continued c~rnpanionship.It irks h i to find this continual
inamion in his private life - hence he becomes fed up and d k
pleased with his Jewish associates.' "
If the Jew desires the continuance of gentile tolerance, he must
maim& a definite line of parat ti on and never become an intruder. There must bi. seprateness and holiness - the distinct&.
character of the race must not be enfeebled by imitation of one's
neighbors, by any surrender of racial dissimilarity.

The Ten C

~ Clarified
s

T h e midrashic sages have it that Moses recited this portion before the entire assembly of Israel il3 nt5t53 nt73tn 5 3 'by
~
"because therein all the Commandments were repeated and clarified." Below are recounted the Ten Commandments and their analogues in this portion:
I. "I am the Lord thy God
"I am the Lord your God."
2. "Thou shalt have no other gods"
'Ye shall not turn nnto
the idols."
3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain" "Ye
shall not swear by My name falsely."
4. "Remember the Sabbath day"-"My Sabbaths shall ye keep."
5. "Honor thy father and thy mother" "Ye shall fear, every
man, his mother and his father."
6. "Thou shalt not kill" "Thou shalt not stand (idly) by the
blood of thy neighbor."
7. "Thou shalt not commit adulteryn "The adulterer shall be
put to death, together with the adulteress."
8. "Thou shalt not steal" - "Ye shall not steal."
9. 'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor"
"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy
people."
10. "Thou shalt not covet" - "And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Vayikra Rabbah 24).
The sages have added enlightening expositions of the alterations
from the text of the Commandments found in this portion.
The original second Commandment reads: D%?N 75 l'il' HS
D97nN "Thou shalt 'lave no other gods." In the weekly portion
we are told: D9595NiI 5 N U D n 5~ -"Ye shall not turn unto the
idols." On this the Sifra comments: Dil D9595N D n W n "At the
beginning they are adjudged but idols." That is, though we at
first evaluate them properly, if we continue to regard them and
their superficial beauty, there rises the peril that ultimately we
will desire to make copies of them Therefore are we specifically
enjoined: "And molten gods shall ye not make to y d v e s "

....

(xi% 4). The outward beauty of these images means nothing; the
Jew must predicate his judgments on the inner character and truth
of all visible phenomena
The fifth Commandment begins: T P N n N 1 T U N n N 733
"Honor thy father and thy mother." The words in this pomon
go thus: : N 7 5 n 153N1 1 M W3Nl "Ye shall fear, every man, his
mother and his father" (xix, 3). The order of the parents is here
changed in order to teach that I37ipW D V f W - "they are of equal
worth" (Keritot 28a). A child must not give one parent more
honor thsn the other; he must respect them equally.
Whereas the sixth Commandment reads: n Y 7 n N7 -"Thou
shalt not kill"- the pomon has it: 7 y 7 D f Zy f l P y n N7 - "Thou
shalt not stand (idly) by the blood of thy neighbor" (xix, 16).
The sages expound this phrase to mean that we are forbidden to
malign a neighbor, for when a man is insulted the blood rushes to
his face - and this too is accounted as the blood of murder. Not
alone, moreover, may no man himself insult a companion, but he
must not stand idly by when another offers a similar indignity to
his neighbor. The crime is the same in either case. The Talmud relates a case in point:
W e n Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi S i e o n died, his body
remained lying in his room for a long period. H
is wife entered
each day to look upon the corpse. One day she noted N 3 f 3Wn57
i l V 1 N P p+Df a small worm crawling out of his ear. She was very
much frightened; to pacify her the form of the rabbi appeared to
her in a dream. He explained the phenomenon in these words:

yma 'mra

MI p 3 i ~~ 3 7 1 n~n l1? ' r 3

*nyw

'm nBr5

'Once I hearkened while a person maligned a great sage, and I did

not protest heartily enough' " (Baba Mezia 84b).
The ninth Commandment reads: .73W f y 7 y 7 3 i r f y n N7
'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." The portion has: 7 P y 3 5337 77n HS - "Thou shalt not go up and down
as a talebearer among thy people" (xix, r 6). 97 nW N*Ylt37 m;lTW
'Thii is a warning to those who revile a neighbor" and spread
false reports concerning him (Ketubot 46a).
The Baal Shem Tob prefers to translate the phrase thus, "Spread

Tm ETERNAL
FOUNT
no tales concerning thy people." There are, unfortumdy, m y
among us who like to criticise their brethren adversely, even in
the company of non-Jews. They do not understand that themby
they create new hatred against all Israel, hence against t h b v e s
as well.
It is told that Rabbi Lmi Isaac Berdichever once found himseif
in a synagogue where an itinerant preacher was strongly denouncing his people. The rabbi immediately retired from the house of
worship, raised his hands to heaven, and exclaimed:
"This preacher is undoubtedly constrained to travel from city
to city because he has a daughter to marry off or is unable to sup
port his wife and children properly. Grant him, oh Lord of the
universe, all that he requires, so that he need never again be impelled to transgress the command concerning talebearing against
his people! "

PRIESIZY CONDUCT AND THE OMER

(Leviticus xxi-xxiv)
87 W ~ l 5 - t ~ i l 933
n n93il3n 5 n van : m5~~'a m n ' 1
? * P y a NPB* "And the Lord said unto Moses: Say unto the priests,

. ..

There shall none be defiled by the dead

the sons of h.
among his peoples" (Leviticus xxi, I ) . The priest conducting his
holy offices in Tabemcle or Temple is the religious teacher and
spiritual leader of his generation. :959 t*il5N Tt3 "He bears the
crown of his God" Hence: l n W l f 33 Nlil 4N 9 n W t t p 2 93N fin
"As I remain in my holiness, so shall he remain in his holiness" and
never be tainted with impurity (Sanhedrin Jer. 11, I ) .
Holiness and purity are concepts intimately related in Jewish
tradition. T o be holy implies being clean of every blemish that
may stay the process of spiritual progress. 8 5 1 W7lj72 1*5J?D
f*t*TlP "One must advance upward and not downward in observance of holiness." Life itself implies upward progress - for only
the living are enabled to climb to the heights destined them by
God. Death is a quick descent, breaking the chain of human development. Death therefore irnpurifies all that it touches. And the
sanctified priest must not come near the dead.
The chief requisite for any priest, rabbi, or other leader of Jewry, is to attain an understanding of the lofty ideal and principles
of their Law, their faith. Each g e n e d o n is a link in the long chain
of Jewish achievement. It is therefore incumbent upon every Jewish leader to perform his proper share in developing the Jewish
spirit. Priestly duties must apply more to the living than to the
dead. il* 155il+ D*nt)rt kt4 "The dead praise not the Lord." They
are part of yesterday, of the past. But Jewish ideals are concerned
with tomorrow, with the future they are the motivation of the
living.
The repositories of the dead were never the prime interest of
Judaism. The "kaddish" and memorial prayers were never reckoned the chief QCP&OL~S of Jewish worship. Our onrogues

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
and temples have always been 'n P9?5N9n2 "homes of the living God," houses of study for the Law of Life (OW n7tn). The
common people may permit themselves to be made impure by the
dead, but not the priest or rabbi. Maharal of Prague was the first
to name those engaged in service to the dead HW9fP N73n "holy
company" - because it was so difficult to find persons willing to
participate in that labor. Hence did he ascribe holiness to them by
this name, and also decreed that the community provide the group
with an annual banquet, in gratitude for services rendered.
The priest must also be prepossessing in appearance and habit. In
the Guide, Maimonides thus expounds the phrase PIP
13 n'ir* 11k4
3739 NS "For any man that hath a blemish shall not approach"
(Leviticus xxi, I 7). He who approaches the altar must be respected
of the people, who will not give their esteem to one physically imperfem Also, the priest must don irfuy5 P3ptnP PnW P9Y.73
"gannents that are suitable for his holy services" (Yoma 43).
n 9 r ~ on n 3 p ,7391 ~ t ' f i l fir2 *fa> w39w 9tfa lira 'When
a high priest dons the garments of an ordinary priest and performs
his holy service, such service is invalid" (Zebahim 18). The chief
spiritual leader must create a favorable impression upon his people.
He must be most circumspect in his conduct WlPPj Dl329 NSW
199 9WlW
and "not enter the sanctuary befuddled by wine" (Keritot 13b). His family life must also be irreproachable, lest he become subject to gossip and consequent loss of respect.

7 ~ 7 1 9 933 7m3

9nmpt

,9wf3

PW nH

rHnn NS

"Neither shall ye profane my holy name; in order that I be hallowed among the children of Israel" (xxii, 32). The chief rabbi
of New York, Jacob Joseph of blessed memory, thus replied to
a Reform rabbi who boasted that he was sanctifying the name of
God by being invited to address Christian churches: "Against: that
sort of self-given permission, to desecrate the Sabbath and to weaken all our sanctities, for the purpose of possible 'sanctification of
the Name' thereby - a most doubtful probability the Torah has
expressly warned us. It declares, 'Neither shall ye profane My
holy Name'; and then adds the phrase, 'in order that I be hallowed
among the children of Ispel.' This implies that if one desecrates

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
God's laws, ultimately sanctification of His Name win be sought
not in Israel, but among alien peoples."

C m t i n g the Omer; Festival of R. S h e m b. Johd

Moses commanded the Jews, when they reached their own
land, to bring an omer,a measure of the first products of the land,
to j e priest.
tnH1 t n H 737
0 3 5 t~n H TPty

~
95

~ !nu
l 'n"n
y
,!an

n H n37 ;nu 9n99m3

fH9lil 19W3y ,Dl* 532 P3P ' m e n I

was giving you the manna (said God), I would give each one of
e
7 from all
you an mer every day; now bring Me at least one m
of you" (Vayikra Rabbah 28). The omer offering is designed as
thanks to the Lord for the abundance bestowed on Israel in their
own land, and as a remembrance of the food they ate in the wilderness. God does not demand tremendous sacrifices; but He desires
men to remember that their possessions are not altogether their
own, but given of the Lord - hence is it their duty to give of their
own to those who have not.
il399itn

nmn ninlw yaw nlwn

nTnPr, n35 nnTDDt

"And ye dull count unto you from the morrow after the day of
rest. ...seven weeks shall be complete" (xxiii, I 5 ) . About this
counting, which begins after the first day of Passover, there are
varied explanations. Many maintain that it was the result of the
eagerness of the people to receive the Torah, so that they counted
the days with impatience between Passover and Shabusth.
,ntn Tnn 7y n9nS~nn H fnlyn , n w ~nil5 TPNW ilywa
an7 YaH ? i t m a y m a % u 9 a ~nm ,?nYrtn IS ITDN
amm i y q ~;Ha@ , i ~ x y 5tnm tnH 73 ?93lr, i v t ,019 a9mn
.TDyn ~ T ~ D D ?

qfaS

"When Moses commanded the Jews, Ye shall serve God on this

mountain, they asked of him, When will our service begin? He
m e r e d , At the end of fifty days. Thereupon every Jew began
counting the time day by day. And because of this the sages decreed that the cxmdng be resumed every year" (Ran, arwh to

Pcsrhim).

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
The Midrash comments on the phrase "seven weeks shall be
complete." 2W U ' I n flwtr'lf] ~ H ' I W ~ Win12 8 nlnlnn fil lnn'k4
~ 1 3 0"When will there be completeness? When Israel performs
the will of God" (Vayikra Rabbah 28). If the people is eager to
receive the Torah, they must remain throughout free from transgresion. A day during which any sin is committed can not be
reckoned in the number of the week; and to be fit for the Torah
the weeks of the people must be complete, seven meritorious
daysIn the work Matteh Moses we read the thought of Rabbenu
Judah the Pious, that the Torah prescribed this counting of the
Orner because in those days, between Passover and Shabuoth, the
people were occupied in the fields; thus far from home and city,
they might forget the passage of time and make an error in their
reckoning of the day of Shabuoth. T o avoid that error, they were
to count each day as it passed.
The days of counting - Sefirah - are also in part days of sadness. Observant Jews arrange no occasions of joy for those days,
for then thousands of the disciples of Rabbi Akiba were slain during the Bar Cochba insurrection against Rome (Yebarnot 62b).
Only on the thirty-third day-Lag BaOmer-is open festivity permitted. Then, says Maharil, the plague was lifted. Others offer
the explanation that on that day the manna began to fall (Hatam
Sefer, Yoreh Deah, 233).
T o the kabbalists Lag BaOmer is the f e d day of Rabbi S i n
ben Yohai, upon which he disclosed his divine secrets to his disciples, before his death (Zohar 291). T o this day oriental Jews
celebrate the festival at Meron near Safed, where Rabbi Sirneon
is buried. Thousands of men and women gather here, kindle a huge
conflagration, and circle around it with torches, chanting Pnir PC73
P1w DtWB "All this is in honor of the righteous man!"

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LEGISLATION

BEHAR
(Leviticus xxv-xxvi, 2)
"And the Eternal spake unto Moses on Mount Sinai, saying:"
5n intsn 93 ,on"ln. nwnt 5 ~ 7 ~92s9 5n 73'1

' 2 7wn
~
y7nn

In7 nsm y 7 ~ nmlwt ,035 ]nu

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye
come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep rest
unto the Eternal" (xxv, I, 2). The laws in this portion treat of
Israel's social and economic life - laws also handed down on
Mount Sinai. There is no dichotomy in Jewish law - the precepts
1721~50'IN 193, relating to conduct among men, are as much the
word of God as those 01?!3? P'IN I'Q, concerning man's duty to
the Lord.
The sages go still further, for they pronounce the precepts between man and man more exalted and more rigorously to be observed than those between God and man. The Day of Atonement
has been given to provide absolution from sins against Heaven;
prayer and fasting purge the transgression. But no orison or abstinence of Yom Kippur will atone for a crime against one's fellowman. This can only be cleansed when ?>>IT nN n379W ty
"one conciliates one's fellowman," and makes good all damage.
In the Kol Omer Kera there is a profound and brilliant comment on the well-known passage from the Ethics of the Fathersrln o97aw w9i , n v i ~ sma ir r l n 7Sw 7Swi *?w ~ S W'lainn
QfD n'Ia lt "He who says, What is mine is mine, and what is
thine is thine, his is a neutral character: some say, this is a character like that of Sodom" (V, I 3). From the words of Isaiah one
may infer that the men of Sodom were religiously observant:
PSY73t 317 *? I ~ D ?,.D'ID 93933
73'1 lyDW "Hear the word
of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. . . .For what serveth me the
mdtitude of your sacrifices" (i, 10, I I). 1NSr) 09D7 01979 "Your
hands are full of blood" (IS) from robbing and mistreating your

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
fellowmen! The commentator declares the teaching from the
Fathers to imply that the upholder of "what is mine is mine" tells
God the he will do as he pleases concerning his own acts, his own
interests - so long as he prays and studies and lives piously as to
God - "what is Thine is Thine." This is accounted a precept of
Sodom, whose inhabitants were pious toward God but depraved
in their conduct to their fellows.
The portion Kedoshim, containing many of the laws applying
~
'3
between man and God, says: yy 'I:, Dnyrrji y7N;r ' r lrsun
S:,HD
"And when ye shall come into the land, ye shall have
planted all manner of trees for food" (Leviticus xix, 23). On this
the Midrash comments:

n'rnn yan3 ~ ' r r s'Ipbynn rs'r y7rs'r ibj:,nw>

"When ye enter the land, ye shall first occupy yourselves only
with planting" (Leviticus Rabbah, 24). For even though these
were a chosen people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, yet
God did not require them to devote their energies to things of
Heaven in their early years of settlement. The first duty was that
of planting, building, and economic habilitation. Fully atablished
in the land, they could then engage in the propagation of their
divine id&
The same midrash thus interprets the phrase: 73 Dqir(m 'ir 7yBqf
ffy3 "And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden" (Genesis ii,
8) ....

n'mn y a m N% aU33n payn3 ~ ' ~r ' r i y'rw

~13'13

n'rnnn

"At the beginning of his creative labors Gwl was occupied in

planting alone." Those who build a new settlement must first
trouble themselves concerning economic security. There must be
assurance against hunger and need. Only then can there be a cultural development. Every spiritual advance of a nation depends
mightily on its economic and social situation.

Ethical h

There are many ethical rules for Jewish conduct in the ponim
Emor. Among these is found:

142

THE
ETERNAL
FOUNT
n n ~ a i l ,il'l9rp
l
n H nn'lrp: ,a37 tnu 9 3 '~ l w y'lHn
~
'm rHran 93
?;ran SH ~ 2 7 9 3 3n ' w ~ 1 1
nH

"When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall
reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring an omer of the first
fruits of your harvest unto the priest" (xxiii, 10). The fundament
of Jewish ethics is i l y P i l submission to the Godhead. The more
certainly a Jew recognizes the supremacy of God, the more ideally
will he conduct himself toward others, the more generously will
he aid his brother in need.
The Tosafists to Berakot explain why the sages established the
blessings for various occasions. With each of these benedictions
the Jew acknowledges that his possessions are not altogether his
own, but are given him by God. This acknowledgment conduces
to a generous sharing of his belongings with his poorer brethren.
In bringing the omer to the priest, each tiller of the soil repeats
"The earth is the Lord's, and
the profession: ilH?nl Y 7 H 3 'il?
the fulness thereof." Only by will of the Lord has he been granted
a year of sustenance and satiety. That thought at once creates the
n H D n ? 3 n H?
corollary - n n l H I t p n 'll?r up? ,'lup? ~ t w
"Thou shalt not make clean riddance of the comer of the field
when thou reapest. .. .thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and
to the stranger" (Leviticus xxiii, 22). This and similar passages
end, "I am the Lord your God" - the poor and the stranger are
also My children, and are entitled to part of the produce of My
earth.
m n H Y'lHn H ' V HSl "That the land vomit not you out
also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before
you" (Leviticus xviii, 28). The earth of Palestine differs from
that of other lands. It cannot suffer pusillanimity and oppression.
It is not designed to become the possession of a few individuals,
who will seize and exploit it for their own uses. ' l 3 D n H'I Y'lHn
nln*PYS "The land shall not be sold absolutely," for all time (xxv,
23). It is the joint possession of all who inhabit it. Each has his
share, for Y'lHfi 93 77 73 "all the earth is Mine."
Further comment may be cited from Rabbi Zevi Hirsch Kalishu; who declares: A p e c d h i t y of Eretz h e 1 is that any pc-rson

143.

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
not fit to settle there, and not desired by the land, is imbued by
Providence with an aversion for the country. He departs from it,
or refuses to settle on it, as though it did not please him. He does
not know, however, that in cold uuth the land has spued him out.

Against Quick Enrichment

Though social and economic matters take up most of this portion, there is an additional phase of interest in the quotation:
'nCI nlw y7Hn t m l w i n>CI In3 *JH ~ W yH l ~ nCIN i ~ i mP
"When ye come into the land which I give you, then s h d the
land keep rest unto the Eternal" (xxv ,2). To keep the ground productive, it must not be steadily exploited. i13Wll .,yltn PUP WW
ylH5 n*n* ;ln=rW nlw n*y*2wn "Six years thou shalt sow thy
field. .. . But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of strict rest
unto the land" (xxv, 2, 3,). This will permit the earth to gather
its powers for new production in the years to come..
The supreme importance of this regulation is powerfully demonstrated in America. Many of the states have in recent years
suffered alarmingly from drought and flood. The experts ascribe
this to erosion, exhaustion of the soil, wasted forests. Such wastelands spell ruination for a counuy. The winds have wider
scope to develop into tornadoes, into hurricanes, which destroy
everything in their path, and drive the rivers over their banks to
add to the general devastation. The American government is expending hundreds of millions to repair the territories to which
man's desire for quick enrichment has brought damage of billions.
One must not seek wealth at the expense of other men.
V I * D ~nH W * H UVI ~ 5 ' ,1. l * n ~ nH W H UVI %
'Ye s h d not be extortionate to one another.
Ye shall not therefore be extortionate one to another" (xxv, rq, 17). The sages, wondering why the thought is thus repeated, have decided that the
first passage refers to f lDD nW1n deception in matters of finance;
the other covers P*117 nH3ln deception by words, W e a t i o n .
tnwn7 tn3 r ~ 7at1 tilwn? tn3 nt ,?IDIDnn3m m m nrutn 7na

.. .

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
"To deceive a person by word or idea is a greater crime than to
deceive him in money, for the extent to which the first deception
can be carried has no measure, while there is a measure to the loss
of moqey" (Baba Mezia jab).
B. Joasohn relates of Rabbi Raphael Bershader that the rabbi
once noted his wife blessing the candles in a pair of new silver
candlesticks. "Well," he asked in wonderment, "how have we
fallen into such sudden riches?" "The candlesticks are of glass,"
smiled the wife, "but they have been silvered over." The rabbi
struck at his forehead and cried in anguish, "I must run away
from this place! It is a place where the senses are deceived, a nest
of falsehood!"

CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS AND CURSES

BECHUKOSAI
(Leviticus xxvi, 3-xxvii)

nawn %ma nH1 u f n 'nlpn2 DH "If ye walk in my ordinances, and keep my commandments" - this is the condition
wherewith God would treat with the Israelites, if they desired
the continuance of their national existence. Heaven and earth
would serve their cause if they conducted themselves according
to the precepts of the Torah. YtHil i13n31 any2 PYaWl 'ml
il'll2' "Then will I give you rain in its season, and the land shall
yield its produce" (xxvi, 4). Then would they become economically and politically powerful and achieve independence and a p
probation, for they would remain the possessors of all they had
labored for.
a m H 3 nrr37 bn3wti y>w?

an%t

"And ye shall eat your bread to the full, and abide in yoap land
safely" (5).
"If, however, the Israelites refused to accept this condition, they
would be forced out of the land and, in alien territory, fail to benefit by the blessings outlined to them. No matter how well it might
be with them, no matter how wealthy they might wax, so long as
they drew their sustenance out of strange earth, their food would
lack savor and they could enjoy no true satiety. Life in exile has
no permanence; it is too dependent upon the doubtful good will
of neighboring majorities. There is no ground under one's feet,
there is no assurance of security.

nz

m l n nn37 ay3wiq

am pm nn35 aawv

antt a 3 x w

"Only in your own land are you able to abide in safety; but you
cannot remain secure in lands without its borders" (Torat KO-

hanirri).

"If ye keep my commandments," you will ever ascend to higher spiritual planes. a 3 3 W 933m ' M J t "And I will set my

146

dwelling amongst you" - my presence will still further elevate

you. Then will the life of the people, glorified by godliness and
idealism, be distinguished from the ways of other nations. And the
name of the Lord will be exalted. l v n DnH! ~ 9 3 5 ~I13
55 9ni9ili
Dy5 9 5 "And I will be your God,and ye shall be my people" ( I 2).
These facts are mutual and interdependent - when Israel has its
own national home, God Himself is possessed of a dwelling place.
D935H 15 ;lHW 9t33 3t3it Y'IH?yinl 'It3 53 "Me who
dwells outside the land is like unto one who has no God" (Ketubot I I I). The Divine Presence cannot find Himself in foreign
parts - as though He were also in alien exile. Regardless of piety
and spiritual progress, the excellences of Jews in strange lands is
accounted neither to their nation nor their God. The very process
of acclimatization robs them of individuality. Alien cultures show
strongly in their spirits;they lose their distinctiveness.
The demands of Exile are tremendous. It retains all virtues and
spiritual attainments for itself, and leaves to the people only failings and defeats. Their geniuses, artists, and spiritual leaders are
reckoned as part of the several nations among whom they dwell;
to the credit (or rather, discredit) of the Jew are reckoned only
those attributes conducive to disgrace, and which may be employed as justification for attack and persecution.
9 3 4 qH ~
3 9n'Ibll
n ~ "When 1 punish you, I also punish
Myself," reads a passage from the "Tank" Faith and culture
thrive in a nation only when it is spiritually independent, and is
not compelled by material and political considerations to subject
itself to the influence of others, to alien thoughts and attributes.
D3nM 9Wbf 5vm 851 "And My soul shall not loathe you." The
Lord wishes to remain God of his people, and that the people remain forever His. The Midrash declares: "AU the blessings and
curses in this podon begin with a ww conversive, which sansforms a fnture verb to a past or a past to a future. The thought
here is: n ~ ~ n1553
2 5 035 Tbl3 WT;T bnw DH 'If ye are
&Y,
I
transform d your ams inm b l d g s ' " (Vayi-

IcraRabbdl25).

F e w Blessings; Many Cwses

The Talmud deplores the fact that in the present portion Moses
gave voice to too few blessings and too many curses.
P'nWl P'7WY3 PSSj71 i l f l D W 3 P 3 7 3 "He gave them but eight
blessings, and of curses twenty-two" (Baba Batra 88b). The reason
for this disparity is simple - blessings are all-embracing; the fortunate man has luck in everything. He need not worry about details; without undue effort he rises steadily.'"y Z W y f I n 3 H ? P 131
P'7.lnH
"Those who have good fortune find that even their work
is performed by others." But of misfortunes and curses there are
a plethora. He whom bad fortune pursues finds no rest; he must
guard every step, insomuch as one undue event brings on another,
and nullifies his every effort.
P 3 n 3 3'79 Pn'l
"And your strength shall be spent in vain"
(20).

-rr- nym i p + P D n NSI , n m n ;IBD nS fnif'l 1n3 n N N+WD? i l P i t

ifrrrr n H ~ ~ H i Dn 3I n H 7 3 i 3 ~ r m - i n 3 nnrrw t y n H r S nnwrrn
"This is likened to one who marries off his daughter and gives her
much money, and she dies ere the end of the seven days of feasting
- he has thus both buried his daughter and lost his money" (Torat Kohanim). This is the tragic fate of those who live in exile.
They labor for the sake of their children, and seek their happiness
by bestowing upon them all the results of that toil, yet permit the
youthful minds to be wed to alien ideals and beliefs. Ere one can
look about, the children are departed, and the money expended on
them is lost. All the efforts of the parents go for naught.
D Y f 3 7 W 3 P n S 2 H i "And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons."
When they are young, instead of sending them to the proper
schools to study the Torah, you place them in shops and stores
to earn their living, and in latter years must look to them for
sustenance. P3+1Y 7N P n D D N f l "And ye s h d be gathered bp
gether within your cities" (25): - Rabbi Solomon Aaronson, late
chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, thus translated this passage - 'You shall
have to concentrate in the cities, for you will not be admitted to
the villages and to work on the soil."

148

THEETEKVAL
FOUNT
039W'IpD nH 9nlP' Will "And I will bring your sanctuaries
unto desolation" (31): nlwll'l~9n3f nf'~f39n3 n:3~(1 "This
phrase also includes your temples and synagogues" (Torat .KO-

hanim). You will always be driven for a livelihood, and this will
cause you to forsake your houses of worship and your academies,
the immemorial citadels against assimilation and extinction. an'l3~f
09133 "And ye shall perish among the nations" (38), and your
chiIdren wilI rush from land to land with 03373 TYlr), with fear
in their hearts and a deep despair.
As is commonly known, Rabbi Levi Isaac Berdichever always
loved to engage in discussion with the Lord. Once during the
week that the ltn3fn8God's chastisement, was read, he suddenly
threw off his phylacteries in the midst of prayer, and cried, "Oh,
Master of the universe! The Talmud relates that You too wear
tefillin, and that in these is inscribed the words, Who is like pnto
Thy people Israel! Now I ask - even when the tefillin of an ordinary Jew fall to the floor, he lifts them up and kisses them. Why
then do You permit Your tefillin, the people of Israel, to welter in
the mire and become everywhere a shame and a byword?"

Yet We Shall Not Die

Though the curses are fearsome and life in exile is highly
tragic, yet the Jews are assured of perpetuation. No matter in
what lands or situations they find themselves, God will not utterly
f o d e them; he will visit them from time to time. anlm3 1Kf
when they be
o n l S 3 5 - a ~ nHS
~~
on939lH
~
Y Y N 3 "And yet.
in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away. .. .to consume them" (4)
This
. is likened by the Zohar to one who espouses a bride living in a street of dyers, from which rises an evil
odor. Ordinarily he would never come there, but he visits the
street for the sake of his bride. So God himself, although His Jews
dwell in the land of their enemies, unpleasing and unworthy of
His sojourn, will come to Israel as though the people were H
i
s beloved bride. (The word kkalotm, meaning "to consume them"

..

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
or "make an end of them7' has the same root letters as kallah,
"bride.")
It is certain that the land will not be permanently occupied by
others, but will wait for its Jews Even though nN '18 ~nmwilt
p7Nil "I will bring the land into desolation" and il'?f) 1Dt)Wf
DYYln "your enemies shall be amazed at it" (32)
ilfD ll
D97l5 iln3
N? P7N1t-r131b "This is a pleasing fact the
land will not yield its strength to strangers" (Torat Kohanim). All
the nations that sought settlement of Palestine have at length been
compelled to forsake it. The land would surrender itself to none of
these, until its own children, the Jews, returned to establish
themselves thereon. ni79D ~ ' w i y n'l9il5 Dqr9ny PD 9359~q~
"Even withered trees will bear fruit in days to come" (ibid.).
Under the ministering of Jewish hands the land of Israel is attaining new life, and once again becoming "a land flowing with
milk and honey."

MOSES QUUTEB A

PEOPLE

(Numbers i-iv, to)

TlYD 73703 ittW. 7t4 ';t 71791 "And the Eternal spake unto
Moses in the desert of Sinai." The forty years of w a n d e ~ in
g the
wilderness, on the way to Palestine., were first intended to provide
Moses and the elders with the opportunity to teach the people
how properly to conduct the new settlement. Merely to adopt a
Torah, a constitution, is not the major task of a nation. More important is the power to administer the Law - and for this purpose men but recently freed from bondage have little capability.
W e have seen many a new country suddenly established after
the World War, and their full independence generally proclaimed.
They adopted highly liberal constitutions, carrying out the War
slogan "To make the world safe for democracy." The basic law
was completely democratic.
T o the minority groups in each land full freedom was assured.
They were to be permitted to live autonomously, in accord with
their laws and customs. Every section of the citizenry was promised economic and political equality. Popular rule became their
consbtutional prerogative. But these splendid documents were not
carried into existence. The majority in every case seemed too immature to appreciate and fulfill the sudden new opportunities life
offered them. No sooner was any major group firmly establiihed
than it turned chauvinist, resendng the freedom and equality of the
lesser parties. While developing their national power they adopted
the p u s u u s policy of persecuting the oppressed and feeble,
determined to take from these persons whatever share they might
have of the the national wealth.
"And the Eternal spake unto Moses in the desert of Sinai."
m a 3 1 nsm wk43 ,mum mn3 ns73.r itt??w3 :uYnl37 13w ?ma
"From this our masters learned that the Torah was given us in
three media - fire, water, and the wilderness" (Numbers Rabbah
I). This eqression implies the mandate that the Torah must be

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
maintained in every circumstance. When a conflagration breaks
out which envelops the entire nation, demanding many sacrifices
for the preservation of national life, one should not lose one's head
and heedlessly transgress the commandments of God. Those who
ever cling to the dictates of the Law are not spiritually lost even
in days of military conflict Ql7W7 PANi7pl "And ye shall call unto peace"; the wild instincts customarily evoked by battle must
not convert humans into bloodthirsty beasts.
Likewise there must be no slackening of Torah observance in
days of figurative flood, when the ship of state finds itself in nubulent economic and political storms, and all energy must be exerted to guide the craft through the billows. The liberties won by
blood and fire must be protected. Continued adherence to the laws
and statutes of the Torah becomes of added importance in maintaining the popular equilibrium. Then there must be no forgetfulness of the dictum 12?nN
I Qn3irHt "Thou shalt love the stranger." Do not alienate him; he too has a right to live and find repose
among you; he too must be accorded every opportunity to exercise his faculties toward the advancement of his own new national
home.
Also, when a nation enters the wilderness of hardship and depression, none of the statutes of the Law may be forgotten. There
must be no false accusations of pit concerning the general illfortune - certainly not against the stranger who has settled in
the boundaries of the land. For he too is suffering, even more than
"Thou shalt surely help
the indigenous dweller. lt3Y 3ryn
him" and ultimately be thyself aided. Discrimination and restrictions against a single class of inhabitants has never proved of benefit to a people; to the contrary, such inhumanities have always restrained its free development, and ruined it spiritually and economically.
The writer asks the privilege of quoting another interpretation
from his father. "That the Torah was given in fire, water, and the
wilderness may be thus expounded. In time of fire, when great
persecutions sweep over Israel, we are certain that the Jews will
in every case cling to their Law and tradition. History demon-

3v

152

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
I

strates that in a period of pogroms and cruel restriction they flock

to the synagogues, wherein alone they may draw a free breath.
Again, when the people are immersed in a troubled economic sea,
saugglvlg for life in the seething waters, then too are they prone
to adhere to their ancient Law. His difficult personal status draws
every Jew back into the circle of his people and his faith. His great
danger, however, comes from residing in a 'wilderness,' in a free
nation which permits his unrestricted advancement. In lands such
as these the Jew becomes weak in faith, striving in all things to
emulate his neighbors. Hence did the Lord warn the people of
Israel not to forsake their heritage in a land of freedom, not to
neglect the religious training of their children, and in no wise to
imperil their entire national future."

Jews Must Hold to Their OIwn

5HlWq 9 2 1 nlry 53 WNl nu 1HW "Take ye the sum of all
the congregation of the children of Israel." This may also be translated, "Exalt the chief of the congregation" - meaning, If ye desire to attain your destiny, free yourselves of exile, and be established in your own land; give heed unto your leaders. There must
be national unity, for only with unified strength can ye reach
your goal. The attainment of a national homeland is not entirely
dependent upon the will of the nation seeking to settle thereon,
but also upon the good will of other nations, in particular those
immediately contiguous. This consummation can be achieved only
through a planned, single-minded effort; it would be fatal for each
individual to assume and act upon his own personal plan, distinct
from that of his fellows. He who would indeed accomplish something of worth for his people must follow the "rosh," their chief
and leader; there must be a general unanimity of aim and effort.
Dr. Aaron Jellinek thus interpreted the use of "rosh" in this
passage. "They were commanded to take the sum of the heads of
the Israelites, insomuch as the other corporal parts are ssonger
and sounder among the gentiles. There are more power .and
breadth in gentile limbs; but as to heads - seek out those of the

I53

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Israelites. For since they have heads, they will readily comprehend
the importance of unity."
1727 7)! W9N "Each man to his own flag":
ypn ?)! 2?7Dl n 3 n ~'IN12 '3N ~9?2?nn u t 3 'Tor the sakeof
the flags shall I redeem you, and bring closer the end (of exile)"
(Tanhuma). When Israel will raise its own banner aloft and not
change it for others, alien to the people and its religion, then must
the period of exile come to a speedy close. National self-pride is
the most efficacious weapon wherewith to fight the enemies of
Israel and to unite the youth in the struggle for freedom
71n~fq~n'
WN 7w pnrv '3w 1'3 ,~')!Du 7 ~ 7 19nw
~ 9 tlyw3
fWMlW ~ U D ? 973 fllN 5~ 7973 93W ''While the Israelites
traveled on, two sparks of fire were flashing from the staves of the
Ark to confront their enemies" (Numbers Rabbah 5 ) . Jews who
carry with them their own Ark and Torah can travel with assurance of security. The staves represent Jewish self-pride; they protect the people from every onslaught, and provide strength to resist the perils of exile, until the triumphant return to the land of
promise.
W e are told by the Midrash that at first Moses feared to raise
flags above the people.

nwD 59nnn4952-1 fnlN nw)! n w ~ 5n q n TDNW npw3

n9a3an 193 fnm? npl?n~nntvn)! ~ w 3 yTDN 'When God
'1x9~

ordered Moses to prepare banners for the people, he was at the

start much troubled over this command For he was minded that
now conflicts would arise among the tribes" (Numbers Rabbah
2). For each group might seek the exaltation of its own flag, thus
creating divisions among the populace. Moses was especially fearful that such differences might cause an extension of the exile.
With every tribe under a special banner, and determined that its
symbol should take precedence over all others, there could well
be a stoppage of that unified effort which can alone bring libention.
But God gave this assurance: lyD' P UR9 IWNI, "As they encamp, so s h d they journey on." 98 l137n 'D 52) ?nv9ln:lt3
ILU'lrf 'O 5p fnp'bJ "Just as their rest is motivated by His word,

I54

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
so will their journeying to the Land be conducted under the singleness of His word" (Menahot 98). The destiny of Israel lies in
God's power alone, and in proper time the tribes will be reunited
in prospect of redemption. But the Lord desires the people to retain their uniqueness and national pride - hence they must bear
their own bannexs; they must have a single flag to signify that their
political power and purpose will be commensurate with'those of
the other nations.

ON T H E GIVING OF PRINCES
NASSO
(Numbers iv, 2 I-vii)

A large part of the present Pentateuchal portion is devoted to

an account of the gifts and offerings given by the princes of Israel
to the tabernacle. The gold and silver vessels brought in, and the
various sacrifices, are fully recounted. Although each of the twelve
princes brought identical offerings, the same weights of gold and
silver, the same measures of oil and meal, the same number of sacrificial animals, yet the details are repeated throughout for every
one. It is quite possible that even in those days men of wealth
were lovers of publicity. Their gifts, like those of their modern
counterparts, had to be generally advertised. Not alone must the
existing public know of their benefactions, but there had to be a
permanent recording in the historical writings.
As to the donations of the popular rank and file, these are cited
in one passage:
' 3 7 n373 1 ~ 3 n - - t 3 n
~ ~3 377 3

-ran nwm

W ~ N7 3

"The children of Israel brought a free-will offering unto the

Eternal, every man and woman whose heart impelled them" (fiodus xxxv, 29). The names of individuals are not mentioned. The
various objects of value which they bore are not enumerated
They gave to the building of the tabernacle because the "heart
impelled them"; and he who gives with a full heart requires no
special honor and no public acclaim.
The princes were in a Merent case. Each name had to be publicized, as well as the exact substance of his gift. In order that
there be no lack of .proper honor, the individual donations were
not accepted all at one time, but Dl95 tn19 N'Wl ,Dl95 t n K H'Wl
"each prince on his day" (vii, I I). On separate days each presented his share, with appropriate ceremony. Thus even now,
whenever a man of wealth proffers a large gift for c
d
purposes, he is honored by banquets and speual days of dedication and every desired & h a .

156

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
'lqn'lnqpn 173w D ~ * z - - ~ > w wnH
~ ~ * 3 n S~ W nr73
D
a?*>qnqi
"This was on the day whereon Moses completed the erection of
the tabernacle, on the day wen all his labors were concluded"
(Jerushalmi Peah i, I). When Moses was assured that all that was
needed for the tabernacle had been brought by the people, and
nothing further was required - on that day came the twelve
princes together, their conveyances packed with gifts. Where
had they been at the beginning of the work? asks the Midrash,
and replies:
, p w ~ n~ ~ H S 'PnSn 1 ~ r 7 nIn*>* 3s 19% 73 awn 7nnw
~ i l * f * y y7
l n*n ,a*H*w~"rnn HSI

nywl

"When Moses proclaimed that every person whose heart was willing might bring an offering to the Lord for the tabernacle, and he
did not first turn to the princes, they became much irked."
1H'l*W ilD PYil 1HVq 17DH "They said, Let the people bring
that which they will, and we shall see if it will suffice" (Numbers
Rabbah 12).
Such has ever been the case with our men of power and wealth.
They are not quick to aid. When the need of building some
charitable or educational project is laid before them, they are not
at first inclined to listen. But no sooner has the public begun collecting funds and erecting the needed structure, than the "princes"
grow angered that the matter was concluded without their consent and advice. But, seeing that the work is being completed, and
not desiring to lose the prestige of being connected with every
communal achievement, they rush in with their offerings and assume the leadership. The mass of the people, and definitely those
who labored most unremittingly for the success of the project, are
gradually eliminated, until only the chiefs, the newcomers, remain
in power.
And not alone do these strong men seek to rule their people's
imtituti~ll~
in the manner they prefer, and generally to exert their
authority - frequently they alter the entire purpose for which
the institdons were founded. Particularly in America have we
noted the process of kasher institutions being made trephah; organbdons designed to give personal aid to the needy becoming

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
bureaus of apathetic, coldblooded "social workers," doling out
charity with the intellect and not the heart. There is no compassion for the poor in their long and searching investigations; the
righteous applicant himself loses heart ere he is given comfort.
Likewise the Talmud Torahs, organized by the Jewish masses for
the simple purpose of imparting the Judaism of the Torah to the
young, become in the hands of the new rich mere "Hebrew
schools" wherein Judaism is handed out in tiny measure and Torah in infinitesimal doses.
On his first visit to America Chaim Weitzmann offered his own
comment on this problem, referring to the midrash which tells
that when the Jews built the second Temple the rich men provided the east wall, the householders the north and the south,
while from the poor offerin$ of the populace came the cost of
the West Wall. "Remember therefore," said Weitzmann, "that
the only relic we boast of the glorious period that gave us the
Temple is-the wall built by the sacrifices of the submerged mass
of the populace"

Moses O b j e c t ~ t othe Princely Gifts

At the start Moses hesitated to accept the belated gifts of the
princes. Dira 523 H71 , f 3 m i l UD7 nay7 1H2 'They came and
stood before the tabernacle, and he would not receive their offering." So generously had the people responded to his requests that
the overseers were able toreport: inllyir *.ra W21m Dyir Qvl7D
'The people are bringing more than is necessary for the work."
Though apprised of this excess, still 7322 ,ir2f) f fy tH'2ir Qiff
7322 "They continued to bring new gifts every morning."
Moses was compelled to proclaim to the entire encampmem
mpir nannS ~=IN?P?tp nwyr ?N nwNt W ~ N"ktno man or
woman darnore labor for his holy purpose" (Exodus Rabbah 36).
So greatly did Moses exult in the generosity of the masses that
he entirely doubted the advisability of accepting the offerings ob
the princes. He was eager to show them that the tabernacle, eread

158

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
as the abiding place of the Eternal in Israel, had been completed
by the aid of the' plain people alone, without help from the
mighty who had so long held aloof from the work. But God camrnanded Di(13 i7p "Take of them" - and he could not do otherwise. Their gifts had to be accepted, and honor shown them
Nevertheless, Moses employed a mild expression of their g d t .
DDIPt) n l K 1DVI l S i t y n 3 W D v N W 3 3 "He removed a letter from
the names of these dilatory princes." f "19 l D i 7 D9NW33l 39n3 ;3W
"In that passage the word meaning princes is lacking the letter
ywi." Thus was it signdied that because of their wealth and armgance they had lost the right to the full meaning of the letter
meaning Jew; they had not taken proper part in the Jew's aims
and interests.
The Kaminetzer Maggid long ago explained why the princes
made identical gifts to the tabernacle: The common people, when
requested to aid the building of the holy object, gave with full
hearts and to the best of their ability. N o one looked. to see what
the other gave. N o Simeon said, "If Reuben can offer so much,
I can do as well." :N%i(-lnN
Nit133 1WN W*N 73 "Every man
brought that which was found by him." But the princes made
general inquiry as to each one's offering, and then they brought
an equality of everything.
Once Dr. Stephen S. Wise thus described the situation, during
an address in Boston: "In America there are four classes of Jews,
divided according to their riches. Up to $25,000 a Jew is still orthodox, reciting his daily prayers and remembering the anniversaries of parents' deaths in a synagogue of the pious. When his
fortune reaches $~oo,ooohe must join the conservative temple.
Over this and up to half a million means membership in a Reform
temple. But when his wealth is at a million, he is no longer a
Jew, but avoids his brethren like the devil fleeing from holy

incense."

LIGHT OF THE MENORAH

BEHAALOTECHA
(Numbers viii-xii)
n l l f i l n N tnl5y;u
"When thou settest up the lampsw:NS 395tn2 "It is not said, when thou kindlest the lamps;

'law

this is because when one kindles the menorah representing the

Jewish faith, taYy n N ;E*a ;mN one uplifts onesew' (Yalkut
Shimeoni). When the light of Judaism is set up, is raised on high,
then there is a concomitant elevation of the people's economic and
spiritual standards. nlun ny3w nw muan ua 5 1 ~5n
"The seven lights must gleam toward the middle of the menorah.*
God does not seek its illumination: 7'73 UN i('llN5 N5 "I do
not need its light" (Menahot 96). God Himself is the source of
light, and the high priest is not required to illumine the way of
godliness. The brightness of the Jewish menorah is intended for
Jewry and its descendants, to make comprehensible to them the
lofty ideals of their Torah. But the gleams must all be directed
toward the centerpoint. Only as the spiritual achievements of
itself, upon its national
Israel are concentrated upon the
existence, can there be any elevation through the menorah.
The Zohar relates that when the Israelites had completed the
fabrication of the menorah God bade the angels-create an exactly
similar menorah to be placed in Heaven. fllmt4 k i r 3 " r n y ~ ?
f m f f W y f 9 3 ~ 1 3f~
,nnn5 f 9 f v i 3 ~ 3 9 7 ~"When
5
the
priest kindles the lower lights, the upper lights become luminous
alm" The biblical passage tnl5yir3 thus indicatesathatwith the
lighting on earth there comes about a new radiance in the celestial abode. Tho spiritual standard of the Jews on earth is reflected
on high. The upper luminary is ever above that on earth, wherever Jews may live. If Jews choose the path of darkness and ignorance, the heavens too will darken. But when the Jews kindle
their everlasting light on earth, the high heavens glow with dance.
"Malbirn" declares that the Ark, symbol of the Jewish faith,

160

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
was placed in the Holy of Holies, unbrightened by thalight of
the menorah, insomuch as the Ark, containing the tablets of the
Law, had no need of such illumination. For the menorah symbolizes worldly enlightenment, all forms of wisdom and knowledge
which man can artain through his own mentality. The seven candlesticks represent the n f D 3 i l Y3W seven basic ideas of the world.
The D"il7D7 Dq7lnDZ) D'9I933 "cups, knobs, and flowers" decorating the menorah symbolize the magnificent achievements
possible through learning.
"The seven lights must gleam toward the middle of the menorah." All Jewish wisdom'must be directed centerward, to enhance
and improve its own cultural self. Had the great spirits of Israel
during our long existence ever turned toward their own people's
spiritual centrality, Jewish culture would have blossomed everywhere, and the exile itself might more readily have been arneliorated.
i l l t f D i l i l W p ilWpt.3 "The menorah must be beaten work"
all its uprights and ornaments hammered out of a single sheet of
metal. If any pare be taken from another portion of gold, from
alien c u l m , the menorah is ritually imperfect. No Jewish menorah formed from borrowed metal, from foreign ideals, can emit
that illumination which alone can guide us to the light of the
Torah.
The writer's father once said, in this matter: "The seven candlesticks represent the various divisions of the people, scattered over
the seven seas. If Jews wish to maintain a distinct existence, then
all communities in Israel, wherever they may be, must turn to the
centerpoint of the Jewish faith. Each one must definitely remain
bound to the entire people, and all communal strivings must be
directed to the single purpose of maintaining the entirety of the
Jewish nation."
T h e menorah must be beaten out of one sheet of metal. Every
portion must bear the same character. But when the people is set
off into separate social entities, each one of which adopts the religious d o r i n g of its land of habitation, the result is excessive
divkh, certain to put off the end of exilism

161

The Jew Preserued by his Uniqueness

"SO will it
n595 W H ilH'lr)'-13~3~ f ~ y i r;r a n nqir9 I:,
ever be: the cloud will cover you. . .and shall have the appearance
of fire at night." These words proclaim that when the clouds envelop the communities of Israel, and life seems intolerable, there
should be no yielding to despair. A pillar of fire will gleam forth
in the dusk, to repel the darkness and brighten their lives once
more. But this is posslble only when they retain their solidarity;
otherwise there can be no escape from their ficulties.
We are told that when Moses ascended to receive the Torah
from God, he remained aloft "forty days and forty nights." The
Midrash poses this query:
t irSq5 qnaqni oi9 qnaw naa yti9 n9n pm 'WOW could
Moses tell when it was day and when it was night?" For in Heaven,
before the throne of God, it is always light.
~inw:,i,of' niirw yti9 nqn 3n33 n7ul ttaSD nqn nff3pnw:, HSH
n5q5 Hlnw yttq nqn tlt35nl nJwa irEl 5y 1 7 ~ 5"However,
~
when the Holy One Blessed be He tought Torah to him, Moses
knew it was day; when He taught the Oral Law, Mishnah and
Talmud, then Moses knew it was night" (Midrash Tanhuma, Ki
Tissa).
This is an extraordinary thought of the Midrash. Every student of Jewish history must marvel at the perplexing fact of a
nation continuing to endure under the circumstances of Israel's
long and troubled existence. How were the people able to combat
the persistent hatred and assault of their enemies, who sought so
assiduously to wipe their name from the earth? The wonder grows
greater when it is learned that after every attack, after every protracted anti-Semitic assault, the Jews became even stronger, and
more able and determined to fight for their free existence.
Important and impartial historians are agreed that the strength
of Israel derives from the Talmud. The Talmud served as Jewry's
constitution in all the lands of exile, mainmining their &ct
character in every spot of their sojourning. The laws and regulation of that great compilation proved a unifying agency at dl
I 62

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

times.Everywhere Jewry's religious life remained unaltered. T h e

Sabbaths and festivals bore the same character; synagogues were
conducted in the same manner; and even their daily life retained
a uniqueness which inevitably set them apart from their neighbors.
Professor George Foot Moore, in his monumental "Judaism,"
asserts that without the Talmud, its "hedges" and "fences," the
Jews would long ago have been completely assimilated among
the nations. Because of the farseeing perspicacity of the Pharisees,
who in the last days of the Hasmnean dynasty separated themselves from the ruling Sadducees and began instructing the populace in their distinct form of life, the Jews were prepared to perpetuate their existence even in the diacult environment of exile.
There is a cosmopolitan character to the Torah, the Written Law,
which renders it applicable to all peoples as well as the Jews; but
the Talmud is specifically identified with and applicable to the
people of Israel.
Thus the Midrash becomes understandable. When Israel lives
in the bright day, on its own land, then the Bible, the written
Law, is sufiicient. N o d life on one's own territory, is enough
to make the nation distinct, and assured of perpetuation. But when
night comes, the night of exile, there must be special laws and ordinances to protect young and old during the process of naturalization in strange lands, and to keep them unchangingly loyal to
their sacred and ancient tradition.

TREACHEROUS SPIES
SHELACH
(Numbers xiii-xv)
7nln n:rD ' D ~ H91H , 7 n y t t r ~ ~ w75f ~n5w
'Send thou
men' - on thine own account; I do not command thee thereon."
The Israelites demand a troop to spy out the land; this becomes
the responsibility of Moses, and is none of God's doing. 'fH ?vH
779 5y 2 2 "I
~ shall
~ in no wise prevent you" (Rashi, Sotah
34b).
One does not approach the Jewish homeland in Palestine as one
reckons with other lands. It is not to be contemplated superficially,
on the basis of what the eye sees alone. Common, dispassionate
judgments do not apply to Eretz Israel. What the spies spoke of
the land was true: ylH3 3Wl'iI Dyil ;y "The people are powerful that abide in the land," and every advance of the Israelites
would be fraught with hardship. But the territory would be theirs
nevertheless. For the divine promise had been given in the time of
Abraham: 7yl;St ilffnH 75 "To thee shall I give it, and to thy
seed." This promise was oft repeated thereafter; hence the Israelites should have known and believed that victory would ultimately be theirs - they had no need of the calculated reports of sober
investigators.
It appears that even then there were Jews who had no heart for
the general attitude toward Eretz Israel. They are called q1DBDN
a conglomeration, composed of converts, and of cemin wealthy
men fearful lest their brethren be transformed into an independent
folk.
These persons placed obstacles in Moses' way at the time of the
~xodus. DvY11 lqil H51 71321 lW1y nil? il'ilt ?vfflUD Pil? fvil
f C W Z "Among them were men of wealth and note, and these did
not wish to depart" (Exodus Rabbah 13). Even when Israel stood
on the bank of the Red Sea, and on command of the Lord 5H 137
tyDv1 Pyn "Speak to the people and let them journey on" dle
tribe of Benpamin plunged into the waters, D*Pl?l inlir 97W 1'il

DnlN "the princes of Judah pelted them with stones" (Sotah 36).

This obstinate group, declares the Gemara, was comprised in

large measure of persons who 'il 9'lnND 17D, "had turned from
following the Eternal." They were almost completely laclung in
faith, and were bent on destroying the popular confidence in God
and in Moses, their leader. D95273 9VN '1 3DH ? DD13D f Y M
"And what was the focus of their activities? Rabbi Ashi says they
acted among the banners, that is, among the various parties in
Israel" (Shabbat I 16). They formed no party of their own; but
bored within other groups, to create dissension and disrupt all
possibility of unity. Whenever an emergency arose demanding
the harmonious effort of all the people, they were first to incite
the folk to rebellion against Moses: ilD"lXD i131V3'1 VNT n j n 3
"Let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt!"
When the time came for preparing the land for settlement,
these gentry persuaded the tribes to make demands on Moses:

mu
fa*%

139~91 pun-nu u Y - n ~ n 9 1 u r j ~ 5
HX IWH n9'lyn n u 1 n>-il?ftj 'lwu

n~wju nn5wj
t'lfn nu 737

' W e will send men before us, and they shall search us out the
land, and bring us word again by what we must go up, and into
what cities we shall come" (Deut. i,22).
5w N n w 5 n5H u w n ~
H? n953-r~ H ~ H
7 3 X++n "1
5N'lB" Y'lN Said R. Hiya son of Abba, The only intent of the spies
was to uncover the ingloriousness of Eretz Israel" (Sotah 34).
The words Y
W nU 'ltDn5 "to search out the land" can also
mean "to undermine."
Moses was at fim unwitting of the true purpose of the group.
He thought the Jews truly eager to reach the land, hence desirous
of proper investigation and information to expedite their settIe
ment 'I>fn Wy3 3 W l "And the matter found favor in my
eyes," later spoke Moses. He fulfilled the wishes above expressed
but what were the consequences?
The men sent ahead to search out the land and gain a knowiedge of its economic and political status returned as traitors to
the Jewish ideal. N I l H 'ISfI+l ?uWH 5lU 7 y 1H1391 il'lilil I?$Pl
"They went up into the mountain, and came unto the brook of

165

Eschol, and spied it out" Their investigation was altogether superficial; and they came to the immediate decision that the land was
of no worth. Instead of a profound search, that might lead to
easing the people's way, they conducted themselves after the
manner of common spies, and by their hasty and unfavorable
report definitely prolonged the era of the exile.

Tragic Results
tn5wn rnt=rrs n a ~ 5mn w9n ,tnn a% "Of every tribe
of their fathers shall ye send a man." These were chosen not by
God nor by Moses, but by the people alone. But when Moses
asked God for judges to help him rule and instruct the people,
God spoke: 5 H l W 9fptW W9H D9y3W 95 ilDDH ''Choose for
Me seventy men of the elders of Israel." Moses chose and conducted to the tabernacle six men of every tribe. There were
seventy-two; on an equal number of cards Moses wrote "elder"
seventy times, leaving two blank. DilS lt3H: 90533 1fnfl 1773
D39?nD lhl fH3 "He put these together in a receptable, and
bade each draw hbcard." TttrljJ '133 ,1M 13; 17'3 il5yW 9W 53
D~PW "To each one who drew the word 'elder' Moses said,
'God has sanctified thee.' "

e 7s ilwyn ilt3 9fn ,-pyDn NS ~lpwil,lm p5n n*)n7pw ~ t 3

"He who drew a blank was thus addressed by Moses, 'God has
no desire in thee; what then can I do for thee?' " (Sanhedrin 17).
The Midrash relates that when Pharaoh promulgated his decree
DyS pn nn5 pD9Dln HS "Ye shall not continue to give straw
to the people," though he demanded the regular production of
bricks nevertheless, he placed Jewish overseers over the slaves,
to be responsible to him for the carrying out of his orders. When
the king's emissaries found that the assigned number of bricks
were not forthcoming, they used to beat the Jewish overseers
5~~llw9
932
9'1blw t)*t
But these watchers permitted themselves to be assaulted, loyally shielding those responsible for the
lapse. "It is better," they said, "that we be beaten than the people."
When God bade Moses elect the seventy elders, Moses cried
I 66

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

out dEat he knew not whom to choose, who would be fit to judge
the people. 'To this God replied, Oftn 'f3t O i l 93 nftv
I'lQlWl
"Those whom thou knowest to be elders of the people
suffered physiand their overseers." The men who had -1y
cal torment for the sake of their brethren - these were fit to become their judges and masters (Midrash Rabbah, Behaalotecha).
The spies dallied forty days on their mission, returning to announce first that the land was flowing with milk and honey; then
they added, "The people are powerful that bide in the land." T o
this Rabbi Kalischer has commented, "This is ever the way with
spies, with bearers of false reports. At first they give praise to the
matter they wish to injure, but then dampen the warm expectations of their hearers with the damning word, but. .. ."
The report of the spies had a powerful effect on the populace.

tqnn

n5953

Pya

133': ,oSr? nH

vnr myn

53

~wn1

"And all the congregation lifted up, and raised their voice; and the
people wept that night" (xiv, I ) . This vain weeping aroused the
anger of the Lord: ilfW 09ft37N 73'1D3 09ftll V i l 9 03933
"And your children shall wander in the desert forty years. . .
rdWS 019 n f ~ S019 each day (of the spies' dallying) for a
rnnun nN Pnyvt and ye shall know my estrangeyear..
ment.... ,* (xiv, 13-14).
Not alone was the generation of the Exodus fated to suffer
because of the conduct of the spies; they brought injury even to
the later generations. sf'il 3N3 nyWn 2lft nS9Srt nnlK "That
night was the eve of the ninth of Ab."

..

n m o2'I ftxp 'Jnl o3n 'Iw no3 on923 onN ,nu33non? 'lan
"Said the Holy One blessed be He to them, Ye weep
now to no purpose; for this I shall establish unto you a permanent
lamentation for this night" (Taanit 19b). And indeed, both Temples were destroyed on that same date, the ninth of Ab.
The Rabbi of Osuowicz thus commented on the phrase of the
spies, N'il i1'3W:' nS3W YlN "It is a land that eateth up the inhabitant thereof': "Palestine will not suffer the idler, the waster;
there men must ever strive and advance."
nllttS

FOR JEWISH NATIONALISM

KORACH
(Numbers xvi-xviii)

ilwn9y

dilp"1

.,,my

~ K ~ Wn*nHni
J

nqmn *.n-~p npr

"And Korach took (his followers). .. .two hundred

and fifty princes of the congregation. . And they were assernbled against Moses, and against Aaron." In this and the portion
precedmg, remark our talmudic and aggadic sages, is represented
the historical conflict conducted in all lands and climes by the
wealthy "princes of the congregation" against the common people
and the Jewish national ideal. The attitude of our assimilators,
whether in Berlin, Paris, or London, that each of these capitals is
to become our Jerusalem, and that each country of our sojourn
can be designated our Zion, was anciently expressed in the declaration of the "Asafsuf7in the days of Moses - 37W 13) >It9 Hi)n
i l t 3 W t S "Is it not better that we return to Egypt!"
The "men of name" in the wilderness, even to the powerful
householders of the present era, have always feared lest the Jewish
striving for national independence might undermine their economic and political fundament in the lands of their habitation. Thus
did Korach and his followers rebuke Moses: un75yn a
W l f l 3517 n3T Y7Ha "Is it a small thing that thou hast brought
us up out of the land flowing with milk and honey?" (xvi, I 3).
The fact of exile appeared no concern of theirs, nor did the bondage of their people disturb them, so long as they might be assured
of their own "pot of flesh." That their nation might be generally
accounted as parasites and nomads was to them no problem
Whenever a movement has been instituted to recreate a Jewish
homeland in the land of our fathers, the Moses', the leaders, have
been assailed by the same plaint as was long ago raised by Korach
and his coterie: f m ~ % i l W 3 f i 3i)n n3t ~ W ? N Hi) qH
"Neither hast thou brought us into a land flowing with milk and
honey." Whereunto wilt thou lead us? To a tiny waste territory,
f7nH-5yl

..

168

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
where one must labor in hardship for one's bread. The inevitable
refusal follows it?lff N? "We will not come up" (14).
T o obliterate all nationalist sentiment in the hearts of youth,
"reform" of Israel's faith is instituted. The home is divested of its
dietary observances; in the world at large Jewish life is not distinguishable from that of the gentiles; Jewish places of worship
adopt alien customs, obviously imitated from the manners of the
non-Jewish environment. The chief intent of these derelictions
is that through honor given the culture and spirit of our neighbors,
these groups will at once accept us as brethren, and we shall no
longer be constrained to strive for our own land, our own domicile.
This leading motive is ascribed by the sages to Korach and his
band. Rebelling against any nationalist motive, they remained
perturbed by the failure of the spies to carry out their plot against
the establishment of a land of Israel. They were not dissuaded by
the fact that their treachery had brought great grief to the people
in the form of a pestilence. They must in despite make an onslaught on Jewish Law and the Jewish faith. "And they were
assembled against Moses, and against Aaron." It was quite clear
to them that so long as the populace followed their leaders, they
could not be assimilated, and would cling to the triune principle
of "the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the land of Israel!'
Concerning all those statutes not explicitly declared in the Ten
Commandments, they exclaimed to Moses even as do today's Reformists:
t N t t l i l n M 1735~:f;l*?$l n * l b Y f N? t?Mj 09727 'These matters
were not commanded unto you by God; out of your own h e m
have you devised them" (Tanhurna). Generations later, when
the descendants of Korach, suffering in anti-Semitic, purgatorial
lands, discovered that the ancestral teaching of assimilation was
of no avail to them, the famed Rabbi bar bar Hannah heard their

cry:

r9

Dilt

nnN (1ntrnlr nW

nW?2"Moses spake mth, andahis

T d is uuth, but these others are gdty of

falsehood'' (Sanhedrin I lo).

The Yaikut Shimeoni relates that at the protest meeting ow-

169

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
ized by Korach, he loudly denounced the Law, and Moses and
Aaron, the uphoiders thereof. "Hear ye!" he cried. "Near me
sojourned a widow with her two orphaned daughters. Her husband had bequeathed her a field. But when she sought to plough
the field, she was confronted by the ordinance of Moses,
lrrnr llnnl ltv wtmn kt7 'Thou shalt not plough with OX and
ass together.' Then, when there came time for sowing, she was
ordered, 0 9 ~ 7 3ylm kt7 77W 'Thou shalt not sow thy field
with mixed seeds.' When there is reaping to be done, comes the
command to leave on the field the produce that remains or is
forgotten or is untouched in the corners ilnB iln3W b37. And
when the meager harvest is gathered up and is ready to be stored,
there is the demand for separation of the various tithes.
"At length the poor widow, seeing that she could gain nothing
from her husbandry, sold the field and purchased sheep, which
would provide milk and wool. But when the fmt lambs were born,
she was informed that all 'firstlings belong unto Me! When it
came time to shear the animals, Aaron again appeared, to ppclaim,
9 7 Inn pnr ra nqvm ,i18133il lrrn 73 'Thus saith the Holy
One blessed be He, The first of the shearing of thy sheep shalt
thou give unto Me! Thus embittered and oppressed by the irnpormnities of this man, the widow determined to slaughter the
sheep and eat of their flesh.
"But no sooner had the slaughtering been completed than Aaron
returned to demand the forelegs, cheeks, and maws - t3rVl7 yl7t
33rp Upon this the woman exclaimed, 'Then I pronounce a
ban t3ln upon this flesh; let no one have use of it!' Thereupon
Aaron responded, 'Now all belongs to me, for the law declares,
ilrilq 77 7ktlttn3 O l n 73 meaning that everything banned and
thus devoted to the Eternal must be given to the priest.' "
Then Korach cried out: 77Vll ~n3tSynil7 7739 flilSl3 1973
V3pn3 "And thus did these two (Moses and Aaron) do unto
this unfortunate woman, and all in the name of God!"
%

t42il DStpS

The Jewish Future

35n DnS p N mp nvl D9fna "The spies and

the congregation of Korach have no share in the world to come"

(Sanhedrin 109). Not to them belongs the Jewish future, Jewish
immortality. Insomuch as they have rejected the Jewish past, the
fathers and the land of the fathers, they live only in the present;
and a today without a yesterday has no tomorrow. One can plant
produce for one's own future only in the soil of one's own past.
Those without desire to have a Jewish future, refuse to reckon
with the Judaism of days ago& When Jacob prophesied concerning his children "in the latter days," he prayed to the Lord,
tntpt mp np15m2 N S ~ ,nqSfYa> 'ate, tn9 NS "Let not my
name be included with those of the spies and the congregation of
Korach" (Numbers Rabbah)
Thus did God speak unto Moses: 393bt) tSy~F-.liil58 737
l71p 73WDS "Speak unto the congregation.. .. Get you up from
abut the dwelling of Korach" (24). They had fallen grievously
low and required uplifting. For these rebels were DniWafl ~9Nbn
''sinnus to their very souls"; D93 Dalfl nD1Wf DnbWfW "for
their souls are consumed by fire, though their bodies remain"
(Sanhedrin p a ) . Their theory of life was impossibly altruistic,
and built upon a shifting and unstable materialist basis. The end
of such men is always ilS#W DW I t 1 9 1 "They go down alive
into the grave" (30). For they quickly disappear in the process
of assimilation.
Jews who establish themselves so firmly in the life of strange
b d s and thereby forget their God, their Law, their people, and
their land, are ultimately obliterated, with all their goods.

m3'ln-73 nttt

...nil9n>-n~innK yS3nl n'a-n~~

i nnanr
~ n

"And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and
their houses. .. .and all their substance" (32). Y1Nil Dil-Sp D3nl
7npn tm w l ~ t"And the emth (their new land) covered
them, and they perished from among the congreg&on" (33).
Reed the reply of Moses to Korach:*nNW3 DnP tnN 1lDn NS
Y have n a taken one ass from them" (15). He had &d
no

17'

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
payment for any of his services to the people. An appropriate
story is related in this connection by B. Joasohn:
'There came to Rabbi Israel Rizhiner a this-wordly apostle of
'enlightenment' to ask, 'Pray tell me, Rabbi, why former rabbis
lived in need and difficulty, residing in wooden huts, wearing
homespun garments, and traveling afoot, while present rabbis
live in palaces, dress magntficently, and travel in carriages!'
"To this query Rizhiner replied: 'I shall tell you. A rabbi has
three sorts of visitors - men of piety, householders, and m?sgressors. The redemption money they leave with him is distributed in keeping with the character of the givers. That which comes
from the pious is employed for sacred duties, for fringes, phylacteries, citrons, alms, and similar ritual and social purposes. That
received from householders is used for pemnal support. But the
money given by sinners is devoted to special purposes, such as
the luxuries of horses and carriages. In former years, when there
were but few sinners, the rabbis went afoot, since they had no
funds wherewith to purchase horses. But now that there are so
many transgressors, there are plentiful funds to provide the rabbis
with a &ciency of draft animals and conveyances.' "

CHUKAT
(Numbers xix-xxii,

I)

HS'I f f f f l f+Q?ii5 MW lDXy 7f3WD ilWD il+il il3W Ll+y37H

195yD IHWD 373 "For forty years did Moses refrain from show-

ing anger against the people, and from surrendering their burden"
(Numbers Rabbah 19). From the day on which God's mission to
liberate the Jews from Egyptian bondage had been assigned to
him on Mount Horeb, and through all the forty years of their
wandering, both he and his brother Aaron had suffered greatly
at their hands. They remained unimpressed by the magnificent
miracles performed in their behalf by the Lord. His devoted
labors and loyal application to their interests brought Moses few
friends; definitely opposed to him were the princes and men of
wealth, and those in their favor. No opportunity to deprecate and
assail the leader was passed by. On every occasion which presented difEcuIties to the people's protracted journey, they uttered
their complaints, and reproached Moses with having taken them
from the excellent land of Egypt into a wilderness; their deliverance, they wailed, had brought them only misfortune. When
Moses first brought the news to the people that God had heard
their cries and seen their agony, and was prepared to liberate
them, he was greeted in this fashion: lY?D iiWW 5 8 1 m W HS'I
nap ; n > ~ ! ~nn
t
'They hearkened not unto Moses, through
a+h
of spirit, and through hard service" (Exodus vi, 9 ) . When
he gained an audience with Pharaoh, accompanied by several
prominent elders, f n H f n H tr+DbWfl D D y n H a + 3 f m t,+n
an7 o5m "they drew away stealthily m e by one," leaving
Moses and Aaron alone (Exodus Rabbah 5 ) . Then, when Pharaoh, irate, issued still more stringent decrees against the Israelites,
the elders were first to denounce the two emissaries:

vf-11~7
tm3 m n r w 5 1 + n y 9393731 ayla ~ y t ~3n 9 7nrz anwmn
'Ye have made our odor to be abhorred in the eyes of pharaoh,

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to

slay us" (Exodus v, 2 I ) .
When the hour of deliverance struck, and the people were to
gird themselves for their departure, again did Moses and Aaron
find themselves deserted. The people had personal matters to hold
their attention n t P 2 tpDyn3 fmtP f 3 "All Israel was occupied with despoiling (the Egyptians) " (Sotah 13). All through
the wilderness Moses was continuously tortured by their waywardness. When they beheld the hosts of Pharaoh pursuing them,
is it
they cried out, D9lYPD lfH9Ylnf 137 n9Wy n H t n P %at
that thou hast done to us, to bring us forth out of Egypt?" (Exodus xiv, I I). Repeatedly we read the phrases, "And the people
cried out unto Moses," "And the people complained against
Moses." They kept on recalling their good fortune in Egypt:
VmWS nn5 i f 5 3 ~ m,TW>~( I'D
5y Ifnmw2 "when we sat by
the flesh pors, and when we did eat bread to satisfaction" (xvi, 3).
They refused to suffer for the boon of liberty. Always they demanded new miracles, new s u ~ t u r a evidences
l
- yet refused
to remain content.
When he built them a tabernacle, they suspected him of misusing communal funds. 5 t 4 7 ~ 9 t 3 rm3W 93H V'l19 i(WB I P H

p w ~ nn

~ f3wf ?i3wn
~ n;rt nwy

,nn n u n

~li(

"MOSS

spoke, I know that many in Israel speak ill of me; hence shall I
give them a reckoning of all the labor of the tabernacle" (Tanhuma, Pekude). Yet he bore them no resentment; and when God
Himself grew angry at them, he defended the people with all
hi power. Even after the incident of the golden calf, when God
cried, ?l% 'ti? 7nlH i(QlHil Df3H1 97 rtnyfil "Let me alone,
that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation"
(Exodus xxxii, 10) - Moses exclaimed in anguish, 7'lDbB NJ-3
nmm lwn "Blot out my name from Thy book which Thou bast
written!" Moses would not live without his people.
Later, when the wilderness journey was ended, and they stood
on the boundaries of Edom, near the Pr&
Land, Moses felt
assured that now the Israelites would be content; and would together expedite entrance into their new camtry; but a new coar-

I74

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

act arose. nm by ayn

3r!--;r?

a*a n*lt n51 "And there

. ..

was no water for the congregation.

And the people.quarreled
with Moses" (Numbers xx, 2, 3). The complaints were always of

the same nature:

u r y 3 i isnjN nw nia? ntn i 3 ~ a n S
'n ~?np-n~
nnwn nay
"And why have ye brought up the assembly of the Eternal into
this desert, that we and our beasts should die there?" (4).
alps n5 ntn yln nipan 5~ u n N n*x5 n*ima un*5yn m5i
;*N n*at ?tali ;P2t nfNn1 y i t "And therefore have ye

ninW'r

made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place?

it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates;
neither is there any water to drink" (5). There was no thought
of obtaining their own home in their own land - only of the today, of the immediate life of exile in which they were living.
Thus did they arouse the wrath of Moses.

Moses Strikes the Rock

The current quarrel with Moses was far more severe than any
that had preceded it. Not alone did they express their resentment
against him and Aaron; even the honor of the Eternal was not
untouched. Recall the passage:
"This is the water
'WnN S N l W W 3 !31 l W N il>*lD *b
of Meribah (quarreling); because the children of Israel quarreled
with the Eternal!' They seemed to be affrighted by the realization that very soon they would have to wage war against the inhabitants of the land. They still remembered the report of the
spies: Tna n'l5iw niiiu3 n*iyni yiN3 3wi*n nyn ty 9 3
'The people are powerful that abide in the land, and the cities
are fortified and very great" (Numbers xiii, 28).

5w 1p*ntin5 n*piiti nvap n;r*nis>lnnm ~ N T Wi*n

* n*5rru

m ?i?n?an5 nspnn nwn m !niay p :IS iiaw awn

B t?#? at15 nlpnn nDSlP "The Israelites would set their little

sons and daughters on Moses' lap, and say: Son of Amram! What
corning joys have you arranged for these children? What. economic future have yon provided for thed" (Yalkut Deuteron-

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
omy). Their intent was to proclaim that neither the Torah nor
the land given by God could assure the future of their oBspring.
All their words and deeds were overlaid with the attitudes of
Korach and the spies. Although they had witnessed the cruel end
of these treacherous men and had seen how dearly Israel had paid
for their derelictions, still did they remain under the influence of
h e evildoers - thus deeply distressing their leader.
Cod spoke unto Moses: y b i l 5H D m 2 7 1 ...iltin~il n H np
I'D%
In31 Pilq3qyS "Take the staff. .. .and speak ye unto the
rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth its water" (Nurnbers
8). From this passage many sages have adduced that
Moses did not in fact sin against God, for if he were only to speak
to the rock, why should he be commanded to take along his staff?
His real sin was in the expression of his wrath against all Israel,
and his abuse of them. When he struck the rock, he imagined
himself beating the people.
PqDyD 1ilDB3 y5Dil-nH 791 1 Y n H ilWW P'IY "And Moses
lifted up his hand, and with his staff he smote the rock twice"
(11).

.fqDD7qDD ,fqDylD P'D qDY ySDil ~~MI'I

n n H PYD i l 3 3

8 3 5 n + 5 1 ~ 2 5 1H WliW 933195 1553 PqDn ,I5 1'IDH "With his

first blow the water began flowing slowly, drop by drop. Thereupon they asked him, Is this water for nurselings or babes just
weaned?" They had asked for drink for the entire people, and
for their sheep and cattle. W q l PsDflD l n 3 i l l P Y X 3 V D P i l liqD
' I D m "Immediately he grew wroth against them, struck
the rock a second time, and brought forth a great stream of water"
(Tanhuma)
The second blow was really intended for the Israelites - this
was his transgression. A popular leader must display no anger;
he must reason and not strike. His patience must be of iron
else he may become - contrary to the will of God - a dictator
and tyrant. The consequent doom was heard by Moses and Aaron:

an5

'nm Y w n y w n

5n lttn 5npa

nn

tnqm NS 135

"Therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which
I have given them" (xx, 12).
Moses, ever r&dy to assume all guilt upon himself, pleaded

176

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
with Gcd, B Nan iK3 f1ilH ,9n7Dpil 9 3 H ynW21 "Master of
the universe, it was I who showed anger; how then has Aaron
sinned?" (Tanhuma). But God, unrelenting, replied:
,?tow9 932'7 9nn3 lwn y w n '7n Hi29 ~ ' 972 i v y ' 7 f~ l n ~~ D H '
n2rla ~n'7 9D n
H nnq'la 1WH ? y "Let Aaron be gathered
unto his people; for he will not enter the land which I promised
the Israelites, insomuch as he defied my command at the waters
of Meribah (conflict)." Aaron was equally guilty, for assenting
to Moses' act and not restraining his anger. Faith and confidence
can never be created through force; it must arise through enlightenment and conviction.

IN-NT

IN WORDS OF PRAISE

BALAK

(Numbersxxii, 2-Em,

9)

9 ~ 3 ~Sulw?
~ 5 i l w y i w u - 5 2 nu T ~ E I Y 359
- ~ m*i "And
Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorities." However, he was not interested in seeing what Amor had
done to the Israelites. This attitude is the beginning and end of
the fearful D5ly By7 n 5 i y nufw "eternal hatred of the eternal
people." The peccadilloes charged to the Jew by others are never
forgotten; but the great barbarities perpetrated by others against
the Jew - these are not known nor remembered.
Moses made a peaceful request - f Y l W nl3frU "ht me but
cross over thy land," with the assurance that he would in no wise
injure the inhabitants. But Sihon king of the Amorites assembled
his entire army; 5 U l w q 3 m 5 * 1 ...;73?Dn 5UlW* n U l p 5 NY*1
"and went out against Israel in the desert.. . .and fought against
Israel" (xxi,2 3). This is the incident which Balak refused to recall
and thus concealed from his people. He knew only that 1bV?!
S ~ W +"Israel smote him (the Amorite)" and was therefore to
be abjured.
qnawn qbaa 52rz "Thou shalt sell
9 5 ]M q b x
me food for money.. . .and give me water for money" (Deuteronomy ii, 28). Thus Moses had reassured the king. None of Israel
would overreach himself in the land; everyone was prepared to
be friendIy and helpful to the populace. Jewish newcomers have
always given to other lands, and taken naught from the.native
population; but Balak would not think of this. Only one thing
remained in his mind - l Y l N nH Wl*ql that Israel had taken
m i o n of the land from Sihon king of Amor and Og king of
Bashan. T o him Israel was only the assailant, the oppressor, not a
pacific coworker, intent only upon his normal human rrghts.
Balak proceeded to incite his people against Israel. H P D y Mn
a 9 l r D D '%Behold, there is a people come out of Egyp~"H e det+
&bed these wanderers as having lived for 1% in a m t r y

...

178

1I

where they lacked for nothing, yet suddenly a r i s i i and departing therefrom. This was represented as Jewish gratitude toward
the land that had befriended them
YW p y - n N n D 3 mn "Behold, they cover the face of the
earth" - meaning, these newcomers occupy the best lands, and
seize the most influential places in indusuy and commerce.
' 7 P P 2WT Nlnt "And they abide over against me" (xxii, 5 ) they are my opponents politically. Israel, it is intimated, is never
content with any land's government, is always found in the o p
position, and is the bulwark of liberal and radical parties.
B y 3 '3DP 2NlP 72'1 "And Moab was affrighted of the people." The poisonous propaganda of Balak was doing its work.
a n ~ ? ~ ,aiSwS
S i
pattrry p ~ v,a'stayS p ~ v5 ~ 7 t~~ w
9:,
ilPnSt35 P ~ s ~ + ~f qT~P' l f"To the Ammonites, seeking peace, the

Israelites had the semblance of peaceful men; to the Moabites,

however, they appeared armed for warfare" (Numbers Rabbah
20).
wnn ny2 %tnS 7% Y t D r f 3 3521 - "And Balak, the son
of Zippor, was (became) king of the Moabites at that time"
(xxii, 4). It was said that his envenomed diambes against Israel
had brought him to the throne.
WHY 3Wy3 SKYW'S YYPUII 5 3 "All who oppress Israel are
elevated to power." The darkest forces of a nation unite to make
such their leaders. Thus spoke Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik: "Why
is the fact that Balak was king not mentioned at the beginning
of the portion? This indicates that he rose to prominence only
because of his active campaign against the people of Israel, whom
he had presented to his followers asan object to be feared. When
they were thoroughly frightened, then alone did he become king
of Moab."
Thus had the Lord commanded Moses: 2 N l b n N Y Y n 584
tll VnnJm "Diiess not the Moabites, neither contend with
tttan in war" (Deut. ii,9). This order the people obeyed
%
D
I
n 1 2 9 2 un*r "And they encamped on the pIains of
IMoab," not approaching the inhabited land itself. Recalling the
mgk fate of his combative neighbori, Balak feared to enter into

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
open warfare with Israel. He determined on a novel means of
fighting the newcomers - by the tongue. Just as Israel's strength
lay in their prayers and erudition, so would he too employ the
power of the tongue against them, through imprecation and defamation (Numbers Rabbah 20). He called for the notorious
Jew-baiter Balaam (she-bila' am-"who destroyeth the peoplenSanhedrin 105) to become minister of propaganda. N3-837 nn)l
T
N
9 - 8 7 "Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse
me this people!"- Y7Nil?D 13W73N1 -"that I may drive them
out of the land" (6). The spreading of slanderous tales about them
would bring about their expulsion and the expropriation of their
goods by the king. The pen is mightier than the sword; if Bdak
could succeed in making Israel everywhere hated, he might do
as he wished with them, and none would stay his hand.
Blessings Zmended as Cztrses
7393 n9n na ytv ; m ~yw7 lnlN jw l9ni373a "From
the very blessings of this wicked man one could determine that
which was truly in his heart "(Sanhedrin 105b). Whensoever the
anti-Semite, the Jew-baiter, begins to praise the Jews and portray
their achievements, his purpose is only to evoke greater hatred
and envy toward the people. He would open the eye of the gentile to Jewish wealth and power, and thereby incite other men
against Israel. Similar tactics have been employed against us from
time immemorial; they are far more dangerous than'ordinary slander and misrepresentation.
Often a gentile of distinction offers words of flattery to his Jewish brethren, but the effect of his statement is directly opposite to
his apparent intent. The sycophantic weaklings among us are often
misled by such words. Imagining that these overtures of friendship are well meant, they depart ever further from their own.
nu73 ylatttt.t-7~7w9nN 1337 nwa n-=lt,w
nm3m ymw7 3itrr
o*trr9W3 19Dll a37 nla Dn3w oy73 7W "It is better to hearken
to the rebukes which Moses administered to Israel, than to the

benedictions of Balaam, which elevated the pride of the people

I 80

but brought about their discomfiture at Shittim, capital of Moab"

(Midrash Kohelet 7).
The Talmud also indicates that all Jewish suffering arises primarily through the Balaams, who manage to create envious hatred
of Israel among the nations. For the talmudic statement has it that
Balaam was one of the three advisors with whom Pharaoh took
counsel concerning the Israelites. He was chief speaker at the
conference that declared ir379 fb I5 irb3nnf ir3it "Come, let
us deaI wisely with them, lest they multiply." He proclaimed the
policy of hurling newborn sons of Israel into the river. The orher
two demurred at this barbarity - 37y nnq,pnW 31% "Job was
silent, and Jethro forsook the land" (Sanhedrin 106). BaIaam
was triumphant; and the Israelites were doomed to savage suffering. In c o ~ e c u o nwith the war against Amalek, we read the later
phrase, 35t3y N3Y "And Amalek came." N3 139irt3 "Whence
came they?" asks the Midrash. Why should they suddenly arise
to attack the host of Israel? yW7n Dy53 ~ Y . K S"From
~
the side of
Balaam the wicked," comes the answer. They had been counseling with Balaam, who instigated the quarrel (Midrash Rabbah).
Thus through history clanks the long chain of Balaam's antiSexnitism; all Jew-baiters in our story, in every time and clime,
have been of the same mind and the same school.
Balak erected seven altars, before which he convoked great
assemblages of Moabites, while Balaam uttered his tirades against
IsraeL Thus spake he: 33y' 9 5 n7N ir35 ,353 9fn39 D7N p
'Wak has brought me from Aram, saying, Come and curse me
Jacob" - come, elucidate the Jewish problem ! However,
5N i133 N7 3pN ilt3 "How can I do injury to those blessed of
the Lord?" "How shall I imprecate, whom God hath not imprecated?" (xxiii, 8).
UltWN nlfl33t31 UN7N Dq7Y WN7W3 "For from the top
of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I view him" (9).
S ~ W * ?Ntn7 f W 7W 'Who can overcome this Israel" on his
high impqanbIe
3WMq HS Dqql33l ? U W q 7737 Dy til
"Zo, the ptople shall dwell solitary, and shall not reckon itself
among the nations" (9). 33y9 7by il3B qt3 'Who hath counted

181

THEETERNAL
FOUMT
the dust of Jacob?" (10). Ilt)D 1393 f**lWK M)3t ]*?**I7 i7D3
"Who can recount the host. and armies laid in the dust by Israel,
in his long history?" :iTt33 9nt'lM *fin1 "And let my last end be
like his!" (10) (Mar).
And so did Balaam without cease seek incitation against the
Israelites. The Moabites were to be &righted by a recital of Jewish power and wealth. It appears, however, that Balak did not
fully understand this academic form of anti-Semitism. He demanded excesses, pogroms, bloodshed. He protested to Balaam:
7%
1
m
ynnp5 '3'18 335 "Itook thee to imprecate
mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether."
Balaarn replied that Balak did not understand the prophet's m e
meaning. But the king angdy demandedat length, 77 n'U Mp
7D;pD 7N "Therefore now flee thou to thy place! " (xxiv, I I).
So is it ever conflict breaks out among the ranks of anti-Semkq
and thereby is Israel succored.
Hassidic lore thus speaks of Balsam's contumacious conduct
and his final downfall:
Once there came to Rabbi Baruch Mezhibuzer a certain antihassidic rabbi, who prided himself greatly on his leaning. Though
Baruch was known to be most hospitable, he received the guest
coldly and without honor. When those standing by marveled at
this conduct, Baruch explained:
"You know that the Sabbath and its synagogue service a ~ e
marked by a vast hospitality. When the Sabbath falls on the New
Moon, it gives up to that festival its right to the prophetic reading
(maftk). When it falls on a standard festival, it transfers thereto
the full reading of the Pentateuchal portion. When on Yom Kippur, the Sabbath even yields up its right to dining. Oniy when the
Sabbath coincides with Rosh Hashanah, does it not yield up its
right to forbid the sounding of the ram's horn. Why is the horn
(shofar) not sounded in that eimd Because one d e q i s s a gust
that always blows abont himself."

MOSES: (=ENSUS AND SUC(=ESSOR

PHINEAS
(Numbers xxv, 10-xxx, I )

Israel rested after the victories over Sihon king of Emor

and Og king of Bashan. No longer were heard the olden plaints,
that Moses had brought the people out of a good land in order
that they might die in the wilderness. Fruitful were the lands
they had conquered, splendid and mighty the cities they had
taken, and plentiful the sheep and cattle that had become theirs.
Though they were now very near the land promised them by
the Eternal, they were little inclined to continue their wanderings,
and appeared determined to remain in the territories so recently
acquired.
DBW3 5N.lW9 3W"I "And Israel abode in Shittim" (rrw, I).
4873 8% ll9S 3W'l l M 3 W DlpP 53 "Wherever it is said that
Israel sought to abide there, trouble inevitably followed" (Sanhedrin 106). Only in Palestine, the land set apart for Israel since
the birth of the patriarch Abraham, could the nation build a aue
home, wherein they might live according to the prescriptiofls of
their Torah, and assuredly become a chosen people. No alien
territory was suited to that destiny - for there a perpetual conflict against foreign influences is required,
those factors
b+kg to spiritual plague and catastrophe, undermining Jewish
foundations and robbing them of their pristine strength. W
was able to persist in such environments only through the zeal
d devotion of each generation's Phineas', who fought wirhcwt cease against disintegration and intermarriage.
'n.53 NS'l
*map3 5 n - 1 ~ - 3 3 - n ~ "I consumed not the children of Israel
in my jealousy" (XXV,I I). Phineas and those like bim did, indeed,
pmeme their people in every situation.
The territorial section called "slG&m" was alfo known s '?Ra
phidim," Remarks the Talmud:

I P D ~ ~i lW~

~'nw
w ,;nmr l 3 m ~

X i Y~

m
ww n'vm

ntBW "It was called Rephidim because there they grew weak

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
( r e ) in study of the Law; it was named Shittim because there
they occupied themselves in labor of vanity (shenct)" (Sanhedrin
106). In addition to this play on words, it is traditionally taught
that Balaarn counseled Balak to achieve the friendship of Israel
through the medium of the handsome Moabite women. Dyil ?nyt
3N1D n33 ?N n U l S "And the people began to commit harlotry
with the daughters of Moab" - which culminated in llnnw'l
Iil'il?.rcf bowing down to the gods of these women (xm, I, 2).
The end result was 9% DrlWyl ily37N 4-333 D'nDil t'il'l
"And those that died in the pestilence were twenty and four
thousand" (9). The pestilence of assimilation!
The Midrash Tanhuma comments that Balaam's advice to seduce Israel through harlotry was designed to bring on God's
vengeance for their grievous sinning, and their complete discomfiture. He was careful not to prescribe besotting them with
wine and strong drink, pf*tD3 NSN
''tnw3 tftt' NSW
"so that they be judged not as helpless drunkards, but as wilful
transgressors." He had no intent that Israel offer any excuse for
sinning. The people were to be D't'tD "conscious malefactors"hence to be penalized more harshly. But Phineas instituted
counter measures, which stayed the tide of misconduct and intermarriage. For this devotedness God proved most grateful DI?W r n r 7 r n n I? in3 rffil 7 t 3 ~135 "Wherefore, say, Behold,
I give unto him my covenant of peace" ( I 2).
Nkll ily'D? PlSItrf 1 "The letter vav in the word shalom
(peace) is broken, defective" From this the Talmud derives the
assumption:
N n W 3 N?1 t35B NkllWk3f'lDB :nt'tly 73yW ~ m - t y 3
'When a priest with a bodily blemish conducts the Temple service, the service is invalid; for a priest must be whole and without
blemish" (Kiddushin 66b). He who fights for an ideal, if his purposes are sincere and not self-centered, must ultimately achieve
victory. Only one so perfectly constituted can properly become a
Jewish priest, a Jewish leader. Personal modves, however, create a
spiritual blemish which invalidates d his efforts.
Far a lengthy period the Israelites remained in the lands t h y

184

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
had acquired; during that time the elder generation died out.
ft3 11 ywtn9t rl3t~l'fl
173 tlw3 W ~ H
nrla mu N S ~
"And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun" (xxvi, 65). The new generation that arose was comprised of freemen, who had never suffered
bondage and subjection like their forbears in Egypt. Moses, sensing that his days were numbered, spoke to his followers:
%47?P+31 nty-53 WN7-nN "Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel" (xxvi, z). P97XPD 7H7B" IHXVP3
f m 3 n791nit

n5ryn p

- ;93a1 naa5 nu3pn ;ma

7trr095 ~1

"When the Israelites departed from Egypt, God turned them

over to Moses with a numerical reckoning; now that Moses was
prepared to depart from the world, he wished to turn them back
with a reckoning" (Numbers Rabbah z I ) . He would ascertain
those who comprised the m y of Israel, and were prepared to
fight for the people; he must be certain of them ere they entered
the beloved land which, on Cod's command, he was not to be
permitted to approach.

Who Is a Fit Leader

of

Israel?

y m n nmr n;n n9-1ayn 7n-5~n5y nm 5~ In law1

m~-n
-pyS~
~ ~ O D H ~3nI:H nwt . ~ H - I w93~35 9nn3 ~ W
qW

"And the Eternal said unto Moses,

Go up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have
given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it thou
also shalt be gathered unto thy peoples, as Aaron thy brother
was gathered" (xxvii, r 3, 14). An extraordinary tragedy is depicted in these words. A life time of labor for one purpose, countless acts of self-sacrifice toward that end - to be told at length,
Yon alone can have no benefit of the accomplished fact! The land
he loved so greatly, and for which he had fought without let
together with his brethren - he might only gaze upon it from
afar, and never have the boon of entering and Evhg upon it. Yet
he did not despair. He was content that his ideals were a
d of
viamy. He W e d the creation of a new nation that would btawl
T'nH f7nH

7WH3

185

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
a p t from the other peoples of earth. More important than the
mere establishment of a state was assurance of the permanent existence of the nation - and in this aim he had proved highly
successful.
He sought knowledge of his successor, knowing well that the
fate of a people is dependent on the character of its leaders.
f ' ~ 3 tN D ~
V W * ~~kb-m~f
fil9w9l Sy NSN ~ w 9 9 p nNDSy
~
n95
m y 7 911 ~ 5 3 5 ~9117 f w t NS 9 ~ ,NDYS
1
20 , m S y S 3t3

'The world exists only in respect to its national leaders; if these

be men of worth, then it must be well with the nation and the
world; if they lack worth, woe be upon the nation and the
world" (Zohar). The heads of a people may well be men transformed into wild beasts, who imperil the entire peace of the
earth. Often the peoples are innocent of the desire to conduct
themselves in any brutal, militaristic manner; they have been misled by their rulers, who seize the throne and carry out their iniquities until the end of their time. Moses hardly favored such
chieftains.
T o God he pleaded f o r a popular leader,
?IN? v n t 9 3 a P N ~ Y ITWN
~
, P ~ J D S~ 1 3 9l w ~ PI'I~JDS
f
N Y ~~ W N
t*n1'312 ON929 "who should go before them and come before

them, who would' lead them forth with honor and bring them
in with honor" (Rashi). There are two main classess of popular
leaders. One consists of those who seek the favor of the populace,
and to that end become followers of their whims, accordmg their
conduct with the people's own desires and purposes. Since they
do not lead but are led, their guidance is not of much value. The
true leader is he who does not descend to the level of the folk,
but who endeavors to raise them to his level. OWJDS M 1WM
"One who goes before them," and not after them (Derarshot el
Ami) .
W ~ N ? 9 n l m t 127 9 n m N N?

Jose used to say, Never have I uttered an*,

99~ 1 9~'1 TDN

"Rabbi

and then hiked

back to see the*impressionmy words have made" (Shabbat I I I).
Convinced of the honesty of his statements, he had no desire to
discover what the people thought of them. A proper ieadez and

186

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
teacher need never permit himself to be influenced by others, in
the sense that he must seek to satisfy all his followers.
Rabbi Israel Salanter employed another talmudic passage to express this thought: 351iI '331 7l'liI '33 H3 '11'1 l3tr 717 "In the
generation during which the Messiah will come, the leaders will
have the semblance of dogs" (Sanhedrin 98). This is Salanter's
comment: "It is in the nature of the dog, when going with a human, always to run before, as though he wished to be the guide
and leader. Yet, at every few steps he turns back his countenance
as though to satisfy himself they are content with his guidance.
This will be the guise of the Jewish leaders of that time. They
will continually look back to make certain that they are satisfactory to everyone. In a generation such as this, Messiah, the
true leader, must make his appearance. For he then will elevate
the people to his own level, and assume their hardship with veritable pride."

ISRAEL TAKES TRANSJORDANIA

(Numbers xxx, 2

a ~ i n P"llu3
l

- d )

,n157u3 ,5u7w+ y7u

np5nn3

~ " 1 3 7nw5w3

"In three ways was Palestine apportioned - through

lot, through divination, and through money" (Jer. Yoma 4, I).
By lot is meant pure chance, the fortunes of war. Now, in order
to conquer the land, each tribe was expected to choose its proportion of military scouts, prepared to fight and die for their
brethren. This must be done as prescribed by the Urim v'Tumim,
in the sense of the uue Law and spirit. The aim was not to establish a mere political and economic national center. Palestine
was to become a spiritual focus, influencing all branches of the
people throughout the diaspora.
This would unite them into a homogeneous people, capable of
withstanding every hardship, and of combating the injurious influences striking at their harmony. Those tribes unable*to supply
the full quota of fighters must compound their assessment with
money. They must provide the funds required for the various
enterprises of land regeneration - and thus be considered part of
the entire process of settlement.
The fate of Israel is in its own hand. When alI divisions of the
people display singleness of purpose, with unswerving devotion,
their victory is assured. W e read in the H e g y m t el An#' of Chief
Rabbi Amiel of Tel Aviv an apt quotation from a midrash
in Tosefot Menahot. This relates that Ashmodai once brought
Solomon a man with two heads, whose father had died and who
was now seelung his share of the inheritance. Ashmodai inquired
whether the double-pated man was to be considered as two persons and be granted two portions or be considered but one. Sole
mon thereupon advised that a kettle of boiling water be poured over
one head; if the other felt no pain, that would prove it a different
person; but if the second began howling, that would indicate
their singleness.
P'DD331

188

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
This counsel, so adds Amiel, is highly applicable to Jewry. The
organism of Israel has many heads, which ordinarily impress the
beholder as bearing no interrelationship. All talk, think, and plan
differently. Often the query arises whether the heads belong to
one body. Are the Jews a unified nation or not?
But all doubts vanish when boiling water is poured over one
head. When persecutions and direct assaults overcome any pare
of Jewry, there is an instinctive feeling of anguish in all Jewish
heads everywhere. Here is the proof of the oneness of these many
heads on one body.
73 93351 13W7 9335 i l y i l 37 333Dt
"Now the children
of Reuben and the children of Gad had much cattle" (xxxii, I).
Hence they thus approached Moses:
% ,ntnn5 t'tzy5 nnrn y~nn-nnIn9 7939y3 tn UPCYPPPC
;fin nH u'layn "If we have found favor in thine eyes, let
this Iand be given unto thy servants for a possession, and make us
not pass over the Jordan" (5).
13aB5 n97yi ~ E I t33pa5 n333 ~ P C Y n n f f ' W e will
build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones"
(15). The Midrash comments on this oyrr3wn 53a

n5nn i5a 729~5,niw~3n;a mi' P ~ P PnH i33yn

"They held their possessions more dearly than their children (in
that they spoke first of providing for their cattle and then for
their little ones) ;therefore they were first of the vibes to be driven into exile" (Numbers Rabbah 22).
And so is it always. As soon as Jews begin to care more for their
physical property than for their offspring, for ama~~hg
wealth
rather than for imparting spiritual values to the next generation,
they undermine the existence of their people - and they are the
first to disappear.
When Moses acceded to the request of these triies, he replied,
o33mrf nttfai o2an'r W'lp n3s 133 '%Build ye cities for your
little ones, and foIds for your flock" (24). The children were first
to be taken care of. They are the true riches of a nation. When
the young are filled with pamotism and imbued with fidelity to
tradition, the fucare of their nation is secure.
8

189

The Security of Israel

When Moses first heard the request of the tribes that wished
to remain east of the Jordan for the sake of their cattle and other

+ons,he
cried angrily,itD UWn M H l irDn?J2? W S PPnHil
"Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye abide here?" (6).
Moses was also fearful lest this conduct halt the other tribes on
their task of entering and subjugating the land. Te exlaimed:
'n QnS ;m 'IWH ylnn ?H my^ 3 ~ 7 913
~ 917-n~f v v f n 1m71
"And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel
from passing into the land which the Eternal hath given them?''
(7). He feared as well that the original plaint of the spies, that
the people of the land were too strong for Israel, still lived in their
hearts and wasweakening their faith in the Lord 039n13~IVY 132
"Thus did your fathers," he added. They too spoke ill of the
Holy Land, and were consequently doomed to remain in
the wilderness ftln nwyn Inn 73 on ty "until the end of
all the generation of evildoers," "until all the generation that had
done evil. . .was consomed" ( I 3). IS it your desire to anger God
once more, that He v?Da lR9fa7 ?'ly EiWt "yet again place
them in the d ~ ('I)?
"
Rabbi Jonathan Eibschutz (Yamat Deymh) has a slightly different rendering of the phrase already translated, "Shall your
brethren go to war, and shall ye abide here?" "Do you believe
that when enemies attack your brethren in Palestine or elsewhere,
you will abide in peace and suffer naught? Then you are m error.
Yon who sit with folded arms while your brethren are
will noc either be sparedn
B. Joasohn has related the following historic fact: In the winter
of 1095,at the beginning of the Crusades, the Jews of France sent
a letter to their brothers in Germany, in which they urged the
German Jewsto offer prayers over the dire misfortune that had
befallen kd, declaring that a similar danger was imminent m
Germmy as well. The answer advised that the German commmriy was indeed profoundly shocked by the terrible news they hnd
rccxved, and would assurkdiy pray for their agonized kin in

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
France; but, they added, as to their own comunity, 9335 ntn
nB3W3 N 3 D PlW 79H 93 ,DM I f H V H S ~19 'ItSW* HS NX3ft)
ir9307D nlSn?nS "They need not be concerned or worry about
the Jews of Mainz, for no possibility of danger lurks ovw the
German communities."
What actually happened to these assured persons within a few
months is fully recounted in history - which forever repeats
itself.

The tribes of Reuben and Cad did promise Moses that they
would not isolate themselves in Transjordania and permit the
others to fight alone. T o the contrary, 933 9335 P*wn YSnf utunr
P111p?H PW9lir-PH 7tttPC 79 5HTW9 "But we ourselves will
equip and speed before the children of Israel, until we have
brought them unto their place" (xxxii, 17).f p l f m 3 ?H 3:W3 H'1
VLSIU PIN SNTW* '33 tnmn 'We will not return unto our
houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every one his
inheritance." These words pacified Moses, who declared,
'IHTW~D~
'

n a933
~

an99ni

....

...n t a Tmn-nH flttqm-m

"If ye will do this thing

ye shall be gulltlas before the Eternal, and before Israel" (2422). If God had destined this beautiful
land for the transjordanian tribes, it was surely with the knowledge that they would aid their brethren to win and build up the
major territory across the river - to form a single community.
an9yDls n?#i n ~ - 7 yPil.'yDDS Pn9ktsitmH- n m 3nYr
bn*mlaS "And Moses wrote their goings out according to their
j m e y s by the commandment of the Eternal; and these are their
journeys according to their goings a t " (6,
2). T h e Maggrd
of Dubnow has thus explained the inversion of "goings out" and
"jotu-mys" in the second clause:
"Ihe children of Israel considered of highest importance the
going out from Egypt, the exodus from the land of badage;
hence they regularly reckoned the distance already t r a v d ,
leaving
behind. But the prime aim of Moses was to reach
the P
land therefore he wrote down %heir goings out
to their journeys,' since this form of recording add how
d i m they had yet to ower before mching P d h . "

191

MOSES EXPOUNDS THE TORAH

DEBARIM
(Deuteronomy i.C, r r )
O913f il il5H

"These are the words":-

'Inlwi 53 iay i r w ~5 5 if
~ nnin3w iDfnD ~ 5 n"These are
the words of rebuke which Moses spoke to all the people of
Israel" (Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel). Before Moses expounds
the Law to the new generation, he wishes to make clear to them
the reason for the delay of their redemption. Why should the
short route between Horeb and Kadesh Barnea, which ordinarily
would take no more than eleven days, occupy their fathers for
forty years?
He explained that this long journeying was their own fault
their conduct was not what it should have been. Their evil deeds
prolonged the day of deliverance. Unable properly to evaluate
the boon of freedom, they longed ever for Egypt, the land of
slavery. Their personal interests were placed above those of the
community; and they failed in uust of the Lord. Therefore were
they fated to die in the wilderness - a judgment from which
Moses himself could not be delivered. Had they from the first,
following the exodus, united in national loyalty and in the saiving for redemption, they would long before have reached their
inheritance, the Promised Land - and Moses would have entered
with them
Because this portion relates all the events which brought about
the extension of Israel's exilic period, it is read on 'Sabbath Hazon," the Sabbath before the Ninth of Ab, when the prophetic
portion is the first chapter of Isaiah. Those who arranged the
weekly Pentateuchal readings wished to indicate thereby that the
Israelites themselves were largely responsible for their tragic situation. Israel's exile is always due to lack of faith in God and the
consequent enfeeblement of national loyalty. AIso the exaggemted
love of exile lands, dqlayed in greatest measure by the weal-

192

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
c b e s , causes divisions in the people and prevents the unification
of all parties in the aim of rebuilding the Jewish national home.

In one terse passage Moses recounts the various spots in which

their fathers sinned, and expounds the incidents which prolonged
the exile:
,135'1 7bn-pt ~ ~ ~ - ,qm
1 7 7m
3 ,mi213 , i 3 m , n i v ~13213
381 9% n t l x n l "On this side of. the Jordan in the desert, in the

plain over against the Red

Sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and

Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab." In all these places, says the
Sifri, did the Israelites transgress against their people and their
God, and engage in varied conflicts which in no wise helped their
ultimate deliverance.
'I3tD3 Now in every difficult situation during their wanderings they would cry, "Would that we might die in the wilderness." T o fight for freedom, to sacrifice for the ideal of independence, like all liberty loving peoples, was not in their purview.
They demanded miracles, supernatural events - and even these
did not always d c e them; at every slight discomfort they waged
a conflict with God, and with Moses and Aaron.
"In the plain, at Shittim, in the plains of Moab" - when with
God's help they finally reached the boundaries of Moab, following victories over Sihon king of the Arnorites and Og king of
Bashan that brought much excellent terrain and riches to Israe1,
they once more turned to wrongful paths. Instead of increasing
their faith in God and their pride in nation, 58 nlft7 Dyil Sfl-1
3Wlt) nu3 "The people began to commit whoredom with the
daughters of Moab" (Numbers xxv, I ). This meant intermam@%
assimilation, and idol worship.
qlb S P "For they rebelled at (against) the Red Sea"
while
at the shore of the sea a few days after the exodus, they had
already become disIoyal. No sooner had they glimpsed the pursning legions of Pharaoh than they turned madly on Mases:
337D3 nla7 lmnp? D'lYts3 P913p PN '53Bjl '%ecawethere
are no burying places in Egypt, hast thou taken us away t~ die in
the desert?" (Exodus xiv, I I). Even thereafter, when they he&d the
assured word of God, tflD1 DPiF 9N 737 "Speak untd the chil-

I93

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

dren of Israel, that they journey onwards" (IS), and His added
reassurance, Pa7 Pi739 'il"The Eternal shall fight for you" ( q ) ,
they still showed no txusddnes6. Many cried, ill1Wfl tm7 ilZn1
I'IPTlYP "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egyptn
(Numbers xiv, 4).
i'LKQi 9 3 When the Israelites came near Paran, a group of
important men approached Moses with the request that a number
of reliable persons be sent to spy out the land. Moses agreed to
permit them to choose twelve representatives, to serve as investigators and to bring back a speedy report. But they returned
not as investigators, but as scandalmongers, intent only on slandering the land. Despite the assurance of Caleb ben Jephuneh,
rVIN 1 f V l ~ fn'7y2 n'ly "Let us go up at once and possess it"
(Numbers xiii, 30), they were readier to hearken to the words
of the spies than to believe the word of God.
There is a play of words on the Hebrew place-names 7Dn 193
I371 Tophel and Laban: 139 HlilW pil 59 1
9 I'IP ~ "what
~
they spoke against (taphlu) the white (laban) manna." When
the people protested their lack of food, and God replied,
Pn9 P29 1WPb Sffn "Behold, I will rain bread from
PQtttn
heaven for you" (Exodus xvi, 4); and when this manna proved
luscious and sustaining, the complaints still persisted. Thus they
cried, 731'13iI Pn93 i I Y 3 ff VBfl "And our soul is harassed
through this light bread" (Numbers xxi, 5 ) .
nilxi71 In Hazeroth took place the conflict with Korach
and his followers, who sought to undermine the authority of their
faith, and to destroy Jewish unity. This brought great misfortune
upon a large portion of the people.
Dizahab is the site of the f e d crime of the calf of gold
(zahab), which the people bowed down to with the cry, 'This
is your god, 0 Israel!"
P'Yl7H3 'W1-Z)f'lf W?3 ?y 79yW 7 i l 7 7 f flll'lb Dl'+7tClft M H
b37 PnPlf ilP 1N"hffW
"It is ordinarily eleven days from

Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea; but it tmk you

forty years; see what ill you have caused yomielva" ( T d29).

i
!

The Torah is Expounded

Mtn;mK Vz3 nWD 7ynttr .,?719n 13213 "On this side of
the Jordan. . .began Moses to explain this Zaw" (Deuteronomy
4 5).

nmnn t n n 3 pap52 nu5'nn

DyD

31'lw ' 2 3 ~
nmn5 n5wm mmn
;la353 "The Torah is likened to a fig-tree, insomuch

as most trees are plucked at one time, while the fig is plucked
little by little" (Tanhuma). All other fruit trees produce at one
period of the year; whereas the fig-tree is continuously producing,
hence must be plucked often. One can always find fruit among its
leaves. So too the Torah - the more we study it, the more rich
new thoughts we discover therein.
Moses begins his exposition with the words,
v ~ w 51723
n tap3 ,ahwa3 a m t l u n nS 'Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as
the great" (i, I 7). Freedom and equality are the foundations upon
which the laws of the Torah are built. Jewish law recognizes no
caste or class. The rich and poor, learned and ignorant, are all
equal before it, without special favor or privilege.
Rabbi Hirsh Leib Wolozhiner's father, Jacob Berlin, was a
wealthy merchant. His home was filled with fine imported furniture and antiques. Once a servant accidentally broke an expensive
dish. Mrs.Berlin grew angry and loudly berated the gir).
'You have no right to abuse her," spoke her husband. "She is
fully as worthy as yourself."
"But look!" cried the wife. "!k what damage she has done
me! "
'Tor the damage you may ask pay," he rejoined. "But you have
no right to abuse her."
'Tken," said she, "I shall take her with me at once to the rabbi."
She domed her shawl and ordered the maid to come along. Mr.
Berlin par 0x1his coat and prepared to accompany them.
YIou can remain here," said Mrs. Berlin. "I do not need you
wi& me at the rabbi's. I can make the complaint myself." .

Yamnat:goingwithyoutoassistyourcomp~"rmswered

I95

CIkE ETERNAL
FOUNT
ha QI'knowI can rely upon you; you need no help. I go to plead
for the maid. She is a poor, frightened orphan, and she will not
know how to defend herself!" (B. joasohn).

MOSES PROTESTS HIS EXCXUSION

VAETCHANAN

'n 5N f 3 M N t "And I besought the Eternal" (iii, 23).

n 3 l r r n Y'lNn
; m t N t Nf i ( l 3 y N "I pray Thee, let me pass
over, and see the good land" ( 2 5 ) . The Talmud asks, i(D13PD
8 5NlW9 ~ 3 Dl37
~ 7rtWD n t t N n 3 "Why did Moses so strongly
desire to enter hhe Land of Israel?"
? 7933 Ntir a%lD19 Y 3 W 7 t i(9lD19 5 3 ~ 7D l 'Was it that he
wanted to eat its fruit and sate himself with its bounty?" It is
not credible that this spiritual titan, who devoted his life to create
an immortal people in a new land of romance, should meditace
only on its material aspects. If his thoughts had turned to economic and political advancement alone, what was there lacking in
the already conquered territory this side of the Jordan? Surely
the people recognized their present site to be most productive,
and its fortified cities were certain protection against all foemen.
However, other considerations were involved.
What was Moses' purpose? 'rNlW9 11BY3 n f l Y L ) il37il , l D N
5m~9V N 3 NSN f 9 t v l p n D ?W "He said, Many commands
have been given to Israel, which can be fulfilled only in the Land
of Israel." It was his desire to enter and see them carried out (Sotah 14). He was primarily concerned with Israel as "a kingdom
with their spiritual and cultural
of priests and a holy people"
development. In the spiritual center he envisaged for Palestine
9
n
i
l 'pW3 N V l N l N'DW
a place "where heaven and earth join
together." It was to be a i(WtNi( nDW3'r l Y l 9 i l n93 a home of
creativeness for the nation's soul, which would assuredly render
it a holy people, fully capable of transforming this footstool into
a kingdom of God on earth. In no other country could such a
change be consummated. Only in Palestine was it possible. And
Moses was bent an ~ m p l e the
~ glabor he had began. .
A h Mos;es wished to I
d upon a95wn* IT , n t n 3mn u#r

I97

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

"this goodly mount on which shall rise Jerusalem" Jerusalem,

which would stand above all other cities of earth, since it was
fated to become the cradle of all faiths (Berakot 48b). He desired
as well to see 5 ~ 7 5w
~ 9 nil9nufiy ;93hw w f ?nil n93 :1 ,71f3CI
"Lebanon (the white), the sanctuary which whitens a l l the iniquities of Israel" and makes Israel DWYil 52tS ilSldD Dy "chosen
among all the peoples" (Sifri)
Moses protested, "Eternal God, Thou hast begun to show Thy
servant T h y greatness" (24). At Mount Horeb, when God's mission had been broached to him, he had laid down this condition Y V J ~D3YW Va 793 ,n7wn 793 N3 n7w that he who brought
Israel out of Egypt should be fated to accompany them into the
Promised Land. And God had replied, Pyil n N ill73 77 "Go,
lead my people." Why would not God now keep the promise
thus implied? (Maharam Schiff)
But God replied, n9wy n1311y ilww "Six transgressions hast
thou committed" to alter the mind of the Eternal. The first was
his answer, l77Wn-793 N3-l77~ 'Send, I pray Thee, by the hand
of him whom Thou wilt send" (Exodus, iv, 13). This sounded
like reluctance to undertake the work of Israel's deliverance; like
a desire to be absolved from the task, at the hands of another.
Second, at the first disappointment in negotiating with Pharaoh, Moses returned to the Lord to complain, n N n7Xil 87 O ~ i l
7ny "Thou hast not delivered T h y people at all" (v, 23). H e
appeared to wish the miracle to take place at once, even before
the people and himself made any real effort to accomplish their
deliverance.
Third, when the Israelites demanded meat, Moses cried out
angrily, nil7 -1
nil0 nl7Wr 7331 f w i l "Shall the flocks and
herds be slaughtered for them, to d i c e them?" (Numbers, 22).
Herein he seemed to doubt the ability of God to provide food
for &e people.
Then, during the conflict with Korach, Moses assembled the
congregation and proclaimed, if Korach were to die a natural
death, *Jl77W 'il U7 "then the Eternal hath not sent me"
(Nnmbas ~ 629).
, By these words, he proved hitnseIf prepred

198

I
I

to appeal to the people on nationalistic grounds alone a sin in

God's eyes, since Jewish nationalism must never be dissociated
from the Jewish faith.
The fifth transgression concerned the incident at Marah, whem
Moses angrily smote the rock, crying, OqiDir NJ-1pW "Hear
now, ye rebels!" In striking the stone while intending the Israelites, he proved himself unworthy of leadership.
In rebuking the younger generation Moses committed his sixth
fault. P ' H D ~ o*WJN n 1 3 i n nll'nl3~nnn ona? mnl "And
behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, a progeny of sinful
men" (Numbers xxii, 14). It is not proper thus to describe the
fathers to the sons. One must be cautious in calling up the past,
if one wishes to retain the people's unity (Tanhuma).
Moses added to his plaint: "Joseph, who devoted his entire life
to Egypt and its enrichment, was worthy to have his remains interred in the Land of Israel; while I, who have through all my days
sacrificed so much for the Land, have not been adjudged worthy
of this distinction." T o this God replied, 7333 l Y i H 3 ilflirtt, 'l3
1WH3 7331 IJ'H 1Y1H3 ilflil HSW 'Dl ,1Yi#3 "Hewhohas
acknowledged his land, is buried therein; he who has not acknowledged his land, will not be buried therein." Joseph never
denied his origin, even when Potiphar's wife cried, W'M 11'7 &P38
t f l ?nu5 'i3ft "He hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to
mock us" (Genesis xxxix, 14). He suffered greatly for his admission; and when telling his story to the butler, he declared,
O'i2pit yina ' n X 3 333 "Iwas stolen away out of the land of
the Hebrews" (xl, I S ) . Moses, however, did not declare his land
and origin. When Jethro's daughters informed their father,
1341YiI 1iYD W'H "An Egyptian man delivemd us out of the
hand of the shepherds," Moses would not refute their designation,Themfore he could not be buried in Paleshim mil.

m5t, vsn imN cl*rrDmn 5m o ' p ; r ~ / y~ w 4 ~ i w

my?
"Now therefore hearten, 0 Israel,
PRil
,nltryf nmrc

m5

I99

unto the judgments which I teach you, for to do them, that ye

may live" (iv, I). The Maggid of Kobrin comments: "Why does
God address them in the singular? Because to hearken, they must
become as one. Only as a completely unified people are they
enabled to carry into life the statutes and judgrnents taught by
the Torah. 'That ye may live' proclaims that if a l l Jews everywhere observe the Law as one, they will never vanish from the
earth."

nS1yS ' r n y SNW-t nWw nt(lt31 n ~ n n

t n S ~ "Kingdoms rise and kingdoms pass, but Israel remains forever" (Ecclessiastes Rabbah I ) . History is replete with stories of governments
which persecuted the Jews and sought to annihilate them; but
these have disappeared, while the Jew lives after them.

wra ?pun wS1 o x w nix^ -338 'lww v f n - f y :D-DVI 87

'Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither
shall you diminish ought from it" (iv, 2). Says Rabbi Jacob Reines,
"A Jew must seek no reward, either in this or the other world, for
observing the Law. Neither should the pious seek an excess of
otherworldliness by adding to the severity of the statutes; nor
should the Reformists diminish and reduce them in order to find
a greater share of this worldliness. There are two seemingly contradictory phrases in Psalms: Tf D n ~ ' ~ ~ Sft
f -3
y 'For
b
great
above the heavens is T h y kindness' (cviii, 5 ) ; and 572 -3
T t D n D - D m 'For great, even unto the heavens, is Thy kindness' (lvii, I I). The contradiction is explained by the words of
Pesahim ( p b ) : ilt3W5 WSW D-Wlp3 IN31 ilt3W5 D'Wlp3 IN3
' A command performed for its own sake and not for reward is
great above the heavens; but one performed for the sake of reward reaches up to the heavens but no higher' (Sefer Arakhim).''
nt-n a353 a--n n3-nSw ' n l a-p3tn annl "But ye that
did cleave unto the Eternal your God are alive a l l of yon this
day" (iv, 4).
a99n anN-t3-nt3 nSyn Saw i l y w ~~ S ~ D N "Bm at SU&
a t h e when all the world shall die, ye shall remain alive" (Sanhedrin 9ob). Other nations lay greatest stress on their economic
status; this engenders wars, which spread death and dcsaPction.

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
But those who hold to God's word are to be delivered from the
death drama and given eternal life.
There is an old grandmother's tale covering this matter. "On
the Messiah's advent, all other peoples will embark on a bridge of
steel, yet will fall into the abyss. Israel will proceed on a paper
bridge, yet will cross in safety." The cannon and other steel
weapons with which the nations maintain themselves will some
day drown them all. But the Jews, who live only by the writings
of the Law, mere paper supports, will always pass over undis-

turbed.

ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH TORAH

EKEB
(Deuteronomy vii, 12-xi, 25)
Tan1 1m1wa~wy-pln 52n ~ m p n
ln~-~'lynwn3pp ;r*nt
'52l l 3 ) l b:?N 5W a
m
9
2 7317 " 'And the consequences will be,
if ye hearken' - in that event I (God) will be prepared to tread
down your enemies" (Deuteronomy Rabbah 3). The meaning
of this passage is that so long as the Jews observe their Law, God
will protect them from dissolution at the hands of every opponent.
The commands and transgressions of the Torah have been divided by the sages into two main categories - those between man
and God, and those between man and man ; ~ % - c ~P?IN~ PDl )?
(Illi77 b7N. Such observances as tefillin, zizit, m d , Sabbath
regulations, are duties owed to God; they are of no p a r t i a h
value to other men. But observances such as charity, hospitality
to the wayfarer, and the like, are duties to society, to brethren
and associates.
Transgressions like desecration of the Sabbath and eating forbidden food are sins against God alone; they do little harm to the
rest of humanity. But stealing, robbing, murder, and false pretense undermine society and do injury to its members. The sages
say, 332 5t30 MI9 D197ir 512 irW3 "It is a graver crime to
rob and injure a human than to sin against God" (Baba Batra
85b). Crimes against a fellowman are termed by the Talmud
b9503l lmi7 "doubly sinned." Misconduct against God is a single
sin; but harm done a fellow has the double fault of being misconduct against the man and against his Maker.
It is commanded that God be worshiped in love and fear. Love
of the Eternal brings observance of the commandments, fear, of
God prevents commission of crime. The positive commands,
duties to God and fellowmen, are ordinarily pedonned out of
love - love for faith and tradition. The negative commands are
performed out of fear - fear of punishment. In this thought has
the Malbim read the first sentences of the present ponioaL

202

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

OnVPy1 OnlBWt "If ye keep and do them"

that is, the negative commands, which are maintained through fear; and if you
will maintain the positive commands out of love of God: - then
7> 7*i1%1 '3 7 M "the Eternal thy God shall keep unto thee
the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers."
Then 73331 73iINl "He will love thee, and bless thee."
O*Bp;l ?3B n*;m 7 n 3 "Thou shalt be blessed above all the
people" (vii, 14). The negative commands will prevent Israel's
dissolution. Avoiding the sins cited in the Torah will give Israel
life above all others. That regimen provides patience and stamina
for assured existence. Crimes, transgressions, particularly those
against man, are largely explained by human impatience, and by
the desire to attain advantage over others. But such victories do
not endure, and ultimately destroy the victor.
Let me quote my father's interpretation of the passage,
8 3 PnN IWN y % n - n ~ M*;nn-n?! "So ye shall not sully the
land wherein ye are" (Numbers xxxv, xxxiii). The word :ounn
meaning "sully" may also mean "flatter" or "make much of."
One must not unduly favor a land in which one finds oneself
merely because of its superficial evidences of advancement. If
these were created through the blood of others, they can have no
permanence: yiN;mN q*;n* Hln Of3 93 "for blood it sullieth the land";
the blood of the innocent transforms every apparent attainment
into something as baseless as flattery; it ultimately reacts against
the shedder.

UDW p t 3 OW93 il37DW 7WN O f ? 7~3*-N?Y7NL)l

"And the land cannot be expiated of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it." The future will bring
rehniution for all transgressions committed by leaders of a nation
in the past.
The positive commands of the Torah, the deeds of goodness
ordered by God, d serve Israel in the present, and will nourish
rhe peuple in body and spirit, for they are 931N O f NW O*l3f ir p
am? m * * p ppnl at3 Ofly3 Oir*ntl*D "those things the
of which one partakes of in this world, yet their some and

203

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
principal persist in the world to come" (Kiddusbin 40a). On today's fundaments is the morrow built; a nation's future is nourished by its past. If its life remains in consonance with its faith
and striving, which served to keep it alive in past eras, then its
future is assured.
OW7 nHV H7N ID7193 i1"33i~S17 Irk4 "God seeks nothing
from this world except the fear of Heaven" (Shabbat 3 ~ b ) .It is
related of Rabbi Hirsch Lueb Wolozhiner that once there came
to him a former pupil, who had given up his studies to become a
wealthy trader.
"How are you?" inquired the rabbi.
"God be praised," was the answer, "I have nothing to complain
about. I have my health, and I make a good living."
They sat and conversed for a while, when suddenly the rabbi
interjected the same query, "How are you?"
"I've told you, rabbi - I have health and a livelihood.. ."
Again they talked of various things; and again the rabbi exclaimed, "Now, tell me - how are you getting along?"
"Now, don't be angry, rabbi, but it seems that you have asked
the same thing three times already. Let me tell you finally, that
I am well, and am making a living!"
"No," spoke Rabbi Hirsch Loeb, "you are not answering my
question. When I ask how you are getting on, you talk of health
and income. That is very fine, but the Master of the Universe is
responsible for these things, not you. I want to know how yon are
doing: do you set aside time for study of the Torah? do you give
charity? and in general how do you show your devotion to Judaism?"(Fun Unser Alten Ozar)

Torub Ow Only Salvatkm

w u r , t~ ??*pinNSI b*33i:, nnay 53 tlwsta 73yw lnNf
mn p i ~ ~nnn *nw ~ * ? Hp ~ Hn*nw '28 7731 U)H ~ 1 7 3
7987~' n t2, nlrw ,iiOun n w t n $3 Timm 77 7x3 ,DRtln'33

"After Manasseh had performed every kind of idolatry, and none

of these abxmions had proved of avail in his need, he nmartod,

'I recall my father reading the following passage, 'When thou

art in distress, and all these difficulties beset thee, then shalt thou
return unto the Eternal thy God' " (Sanhedrin Jerushalmi I, 2).
The more a Jew seeks escape from his people, the more do his
people's distresses pursue him. Unless he succeeds in escaping his
origin altogether, the gentile hems him in and despises him still
more.
A Jew must always understand that everything he possesses has
been granted him by the will of God, and that therefore he must
share with the have-nots. No Jew may say, 95 3Q 979 QYyl 'n3
rttrt 59Ril-nH "My strength and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth" (viii, 17). Now, ozem means both might and
shutting; the phrase might well mean, by keeping my hand shut
and giving no one a penny, I have gotten me this wealth. Experience proves that no one ever became wealthy by not giving
charity (Arono she1 Joseph).
ny3wl n 5 3 ~ 1 "And thou shalt eat and be satisfied" (viii,
lo). There is an excessive piety, said Rabbi Baruch Mezhibuzer,
which leads its practicers, instead of improving their ways and
sanctifying their thoughts, to a c t their bodies with frequent
fasts. Such men are likened to a boor who sits in an inn
while his horse remains bound without, hungering.
N l 3 1 "And thou shalt bless the Eternal" after eating. Once
Rabbi Israel S a h t e r was asked, 'Why, when we say grace with
a quonun of ten, must seven of the ten have partaken of the
food; whereas in reciting public prayer, only six must be actually

e,

praying?"

''The all-highest," he replied, "finds greater satisfaction in that

more Jews have enough to eat than in their reciting prayers."
aqn3n rt9a5n n:rnS - m9n T ~ S H'n-n~"'Thou shalt
f e a r h e Eternal thy God' - this phra& has an additional article,
et, which serves to include, in the fear of God,also reverence for
disciples of the learned." Rabbi Shachor of Boston once spoke
thus: The Talmud declares that when Rabbi Akiba was still an
ig~~rantman,
he would say,llDn3 tf3WfH1 Q3n 7Wn 95 fn9 923
'Who will bring me a disciple of the learned, that I may bite

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
him as a donkey?" In Europe ignoramuses used to ape Akiba's
attitude by betrothing a daughter to a learned rabbinical student,
and then make his life a torture. In America, however, this is an
expensive undertaking; so the ignoramuses have discovered another method of fulfilling the sadistic attitude mentioned in the
Talmud. They get together, establish a synagogue, and engage
a rabbi; then they do their best to shorten his years, by fitting
him without mercy.

MAN'S CHOICE
REEH
(Deuteronomy xi, 26-xvi, r 7)

Thus spake Moses: ?IS531 3333 PlW P39fDS In1 9 3 3 ~nH7

"Behold, Iset before you this day a blessing and curse." Blessing
will result from hearing and obeying the divine commands; and
a curse from not heeding the words of God. This choice is entirely
free to Israel; the people may choose as it wills.
The chief end of our Torah - so declares Rabbi Isaac Jacob
Reines - is to elevate humanity to that stage wherein his m o d
and ethical concepts shall have the same power over him as have
his n a d instincts. For complete free will is ascribed to man,
and indeed free will is one of the foundations of the Jewish faith.
P'DW nH3'P Y'ln D+nw *7'3 S3n "All things lie in the hand
of God except only the fear of God" (Berakot 33b). T o have true
fear of the Lord and to go in His ways, this is left to the individual's free will alone. The Torah forces no one to follow its behests;
it merely instructs men and shows them the path to happiness.
Were not this free choice given to man - thus continues Rabbi
Reines - then all his acts would have to be dictated or indicated
by outside agencies. In such a case, he would soon lose every
attribute of humanity; or be altered either into an angel or superman, or into a wild beast or base creature. The Midrash relates that
when God was contemplating the creation of man, he pondered,
in namnnn la ,na U'NI ln HI~I a~fl'?ynfa f ~ ' l f 3+ f PH
~
V l U'H: "If Icreate him out of celestial stuff alone, he will live

nt,

on forever and never die; if only out of earthly material, he will

die and never live" (Genesis Rabbah 14). For this reason man is
made of body and soul; the body is composed of earthly elements,
and the soul of heavenly elements. This fact renders man both
"a little less rhan the angels," because of the divine part in every
created human, and always mortal, because of hi mundane
parrim.
Thought, reason, deliberation before acting all this is part of

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
the soul. Will, desire, the effort to satisfy yearnings and passions
- this derives from the body. The Torah does not seek to force
man's will; it gives him full freedom of action; it guides him concerning proper employment of reason before acting in a manner
harmful to himself or to others. As reason frequently prevails
over desire, bringing man to perform deeds of worth, such as
freeing himself from the mastery of the ego, the Talmud sagely
remarks,
t S ~ 33 1 N i l VC/f)
i l W Y N S ~DfNfl iltYt3 U ~ W Y S
DfN 3WR
i l N V "If a man plan to perform a righteous deed, and circumstances prevent him from accomplishing it, the Law considers him
as worthy as thought he had actually fulfilled his intent" When
any person is highly inspired, and has determined to actuate a
righteous commandment, he is in ordinary circumstances enabled
to carry through the will to complete it. But when extraordinary
circumstances hold back accomplishment this is not to be considered his sin; ilwyn5 q1YD il3tb il3WRl3 "Good intent is
accounted as the deed" (Kiddushin 40a).
Moses is particularjy insistent that the Israelites do not succumb
to alien influences: DVil D3nN iltYD 93fN 1WN flfil'fD PmDt
nnyt*-~57wN n v n N a*il5H 'ink4 n3SS "but depart from the
way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which
ye have not known" (xi, 28) If you possess free will, you will not
readily be seduced by alien ideas, such as are not in accord with
the Law and faith of your people and your God.
ilftDil $3
; l i m n 533 lBt33 n w u n r n y 3 "He who turns to idol worship, to foreign principles, is as one who has denied the Law
entire" (Sifri)
It is true that the process of acclimatization in exile is most
diflicult for the Jew. Circumstances differ in every land; and not
everywhere is it easy to carry into life the commands of the Torah. It is especially W c u l t to restrain the youth from succumbing
to the influence of surrounding groups with whom they have
contact Every effort must be made to counteract this tendency,
which moves to destroy Israel's uniqueness, and to hold up the
process of self liberation.

ilw

208

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
The founders of Reform in Germany maintained that their new
regulations were designed to facilitate observance by the younger
generation of the major commandments of the Law. T o this assertion Rabbi Ezriel Hildesheimer of Berlin replied after the following fashion: "The Torah declares, nw ~ D W S- f f ~ nlfnm NS
'il n1Yb 'Ye shall not diminish them' - that is, no one may reduce the number of observances, even, as the rest of the quotation
has it, in order to observe the commandments of the Eternal.' "

Preserving lsraers Unity

P3'il'lN 'il?PnN P933 "Ye are children (sons) of the Eternal your God" (xiv, I ) ;and so must ye conduct yourselves. There
must be no sects or classes among you; all must be equal. Children
of one father should live in amity and be mutually helpful. The
Gemara remarks, most aptly (Kiddushin 36a) :

ilnw a m 3il3n P93il11nnww Int>--a'.r>y

D ' N ~ ~ X13933
I
~19~7~3

"Why are the Israelites sometimes designated 'sons'

and at other times 'servants'? Because, when ye conduct yourselves as is proper for children of one Father, then can ye truly
is sons"; but when you divide yourselves into different
be called H
classes, with varied privileges, you are no longer as sons. Your
observance of the Torah's commands then becomes a mere form
of worship. Such empty religion is more suited to servants and
slaves than to divine offspring.
n:tun nttuw t v y n NS-irrunn wrl "Ye shall not form
parties - ye shall not make sects of various trends" (Jebamot 14).
This breaks up the people's unique quality and weakens its creative efforts. Parties, separate groups, are a product of exile, induced by life in various lands under various cultures. That tendency must be erased in Palestine; there all the people must be
united in a single aim. mp ilWyW OW3 - imR7p 1DWn US
"Nor d e any baldness (xiv, I ) - just as did Korach" (Yalkut
Shimeoni). (This is a play on the name Korach, since in Hebrew
''baldness" has the same root letters.) 0,nGct among parties rnili0933 P'N7p3

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
tates against national unity and a p n s t rapid national advancement.
The phrase "Ye shall not form parties" applies also to rabbis
and other leaders. 17173 D71D H25D ,nnH 19y3 7nH 7"3 1123
??il n93 97373 N27bl ,WDW n93 "It is like unto a court m one
city; half of the judges are faithful to the teachings of the House
of Shammai, and half to the teachings of the House of Hillel; and
each would pass judgment against the other" (Jebamot I+).
When rabbis differ greatly, the entire people is dected; the r e
spect due from Jews for their r e w o w law is undermined, and
the entire religious life is upset.

ppn nS1 7x5-nn ynm-n5 ..7 'nn 7 n m p93n

7 3 n'n9-93

"If there be among you a needy man of one of thy brethren. . . .thou shalt not make thy heart obstinate, nor close thine
hand" (xv, 7). One must give him 17Dnt) 97 "enough to cover
his lack!' The Maggid of Dubnow expounds this thought capably: "The Midrash Rabbah (Mishpatim) declares that David
pleaded to God, I I W ~ , ~ : D w y n ,nw2 tnS1y 2ttnsn 'I pray
Thee, divide Thy possessions, equally among the rich and the
poor.' Now this should apparently have been done; but in that
event the more capable would still grasp all within their purview,
and the rich would become wealthier at the expense of the poor.
Hence does the Torah say, 'If there be a needy man among you.'
This implies that his potential possessions are in your hands; since
you hold them to his detriment, at least give back part of what
is ~ t f u l l his."
y
779'nN

'n

73139 ntn 737n 5523 93

,.t~ 7

~ 7337
3 yl9

n7

'Thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him:
because that for this thing the Eternal thy God shall bless thee"
(xv, 10). PS1y3 qnnw n1n 5272-5nynw9 937 937 Nzn "The
school of Rabbi Ishmael thus taught: There is a wheel that revolves in the world" (Shabbat 151b). Every coin is circular; it
rolls to one today and to another tomorrow. T o maintain the law
of God, one must always remember the needy and assist him with
a fulsome hand.
On the xnatter of charity we read in the Talmud (Gitth 7),

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
i(lrtr, 513~ ,i(pW Dilt3 f(Wvl 'I'D33

PSmf 5W

tlUi( 53

"He who pares his possessions to give charity therewith, is delivered from all harm of hell."
~

nnHi
W ntitf nnN ,iils3 nnny vnw nr5'rn ma5 5
m
nrtrl m'nwl n l l l y ;rnw ,nrtrl "This is likened

n v l y m'N

to two ewes who wish to cross a river, one of which is shom,

while the other is unshorn. She that is shorn will pass, whereas
she that is not shorn will not be able to cross over." (The Hebrew word here translated "pares" and "shom" are the same.)
The man who did not allow himself to be "shorn" in prosperous
days can expect no assistance from others in times of crisis; even
the heavens forget him, for V5-y D'r)nlr) ntWn 5y Dnlt3;r 53
D'r)Wi( 10 "He who showeth mercy unto others, may himself
hope for the mercy of Heaven" (Shabbat 15lb).

(Deuteronomy xvi, 18-xxi, 9)

D9tyfi ntrrlH9 ~ 9 75-79
f
inn n*m:wl n*abrrt, "'Judges
and bailiffs shalt thou make thee' - for thyself and not for the
nations of the world" (Midrash Rabbah). . . "Once it was the
case that when a community was about to elect a rabbi, they chose
a committee of outstanding householders, who would search widely for a highly leaqed, Godfearing, and personable leader. But
today, pamcularly in the communities of the free countries, the
first thought seems to be whether the new rabbi will prove acceptable to the gentiles or to those half gentilized. In place of Jewish
learning, he must be expert in the vernacular; in lieu of ability
to interpret Jewish law, he must be a talented orator; fear of
Heaven is replaced by fine manners and proper urbanity toward
the officers and members of the congregation. For this reason,
says the Midrash, when a Palestinian community finds it mcmsary to engage a 'judge' or spiritual leader, he must be 'for thyself
and not for the nations of the world' " (Rabbi Naphtali Sofer).
The Yalkut Shimeoni remarks that at the throne of King Solomon there seood a herald, who at each of the six seeps leading to
the throne would proclaim one of the negative commands given
at the beginning of this pomon - all of which, say the sages, apply
to the judges of Israel.

abrm nrm ny

,1773

n*n nnarzm n?ym n?iy n*nv fi*:,

'When the lung mounted the first step, the herald would cry,
'Thou shalt not wrest judgment!' " For a Jewish judge must know
the law in completeness, in order to make proper decisions since
PMYW*D p7nDnw ,U*~W?
nyu tnab67 ntm 19'1 u*&w19- 7~
"Any judge who does not decide truthfully and p p d y is nsponsible for the departure of the Divine Presence frcnn Israel''
(Sanhedrin 7a). The high purpose of the Jewish Law is steadily
to enhance the clarity of Jewish thought and decision, to make
possible the abode of the Divine Presence among the people. The

rr

212

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
rabbi or judge who does injury to the truth of the Torah nnn
i(f93Wi( %
"pushes
l
away the feet of the Divine Presence" which means that Divinity can find no resting place in Israel.
On Solomon's reaching the second step, the herald cried
DUD 1 * 3 n NS "Thou shalt not respect persons!" No one may
receive superior consideration; all are equal in judgment. Poor and
rich, learned and ignorant - all must be judged impamally.
It is told by B. Josohn that on Rabbi Shmelke Nickelsburger's
wall there always hung a bag and a stick. This served as warning.
to those who came to his court for judgment and to all local men
of importance that he would pay undue attention to no one; and
that if they wished this otherwise, he was always prepared to
take down the stick and bag, give up his position, and wander off,
even if this entailed his begging from house to house.
The third proclamation at Solomon's throne was f n W npn NS
"Thou shalt not take bribery!"- qSD91 O*t)3ll *3*y llyq f nWil '
3
D*p*fY "137 "For bribery doth blind the eyes of the wise and
pervert the words of the righteous." A rabbi or Jewish judge who
looks to the palms of litigants, to ascertain who will give more
for a favorable judgment, can never form a just decision; he turns
to the side of the richer. The Talmud (Ketubot iojb) asks why
the Hebrew word for bribe is shochad; and replies that bribery
is chad - sharp - lacerating both the litigant and the judge.
On the fourth step came the cry irlWH 77 yt(ln-HS "Thou
shalt not plant thee a grove" for idol-worship.
SNlE"3 31WH yt(l13 1SH3 llfn U * W f * * f f*DYt)i( 'I3 "Any
community that engages a spiritual guide who is not suited to
such leadership, is even as one who has planted idol worship
among the pOple" (Sanhedrin 7b). Any congregation which
elects a rabbi not because of his knowledge and distinction in
learning, but only because of his worldliness, oratory, or social
graces, is not building a Jewish place of worship wherein the
Jewish spirit may develop in all propriety, but has built a sacred
grove, devoted to physical and not Jewish or spiritual pleasures.
The fifth proclamadon was irl'Yt) 77 D9pn MI "Neither shalt
thon raise thee any monument!" A Jewish arbiter must not be-

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
come like a cold impersonal monument, completely separated
from his community. "There are such rabbis," says Rabbi Jonathan Eibschutz, "who, after receiving their rabbinical contract,
become completely cold to Jewish interests - like a monument,
a stone. They do not stir from their places, nor take any active
part in community matters. Men like these, even though they be
great in learning and fear of the Lord, are not fit to become leaders
of their people. A popular leader must share in all matters of
community concern."
When Solomon mounted the sixth and last step leading to his
throne, the herald exclaimed, 2)1 127 53 .,T*irSH 'irS n2tn NS
"Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Eternal thy God... .any evil
thing!" The communal leader must see that the sources of c m munity support are untainted. One cannot engage in any activity
whatever as a means of providing that support. HS ir3lt 13nH
Sn32 Hll* "He shall not bring the hire of harlotry for community purposes" (cf. xxiii, 19).
Confrict Over Rabbis
y l ~ n - n n n m * i i r * ~ fm7 qmn 373 ?W "Justice,
justice shalt thou pursue, that thou mayest live, and inherit the
land" (xvi, to). Justice is mentioned twice - to God and to man.
For each Jew must be just to God and perform his full duty
toward his people's spiritual interand at the same time he
must be just to all the community and give every help possible
to his fellow citizens. Justice is the fundament of our Law and
faith; hence are we enjoined, #'W jrl n42 T l n H sir ' Y k k
out a worthy house of judgment (rabbi synagogue, community)."
The rabbi is the spiritual center of the group; about him must be
gathered all the practical evidences of religious life.
%73
nnwn 72) plwtnSt 7 ~ nn7 n i~m 5 n*~wair f 4 f 4 ~ i rTm
'The service o i the right sort of rabbis is calmdated to bring new
life to Israel ana return the people to its land" (Rashi). Thm&
his learning and wisdom a great rabbi can keep his communify
unified; and unity brings redemption.

214

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
YD-V.31 29733 3'33 O33D f y l "And by their mouth shall
every strife and every stroke be tried" (xxi, 5 ) . This passage may
well refer to the modem fact that many synagogues and small
communities engage in strife concerning their rabbis. Such disputes lead to a desecration of the Name. They destroy Jewish
solidarity, absolutely essential for perpetuating our unique heritage. Maharsha on Sotah 40 asked why the Talmud posed two
conficting statements: H?H H2 HLj DYlYLj nH2W nl2Y71B Lj3
587W' '3'97 5'2W2 "All Jewish calamities arise only because of
the Jewish leaders and judges" (Shabbat I 39) ;and nl2y7lr, t't4
y 7 ~ n'PY 5'2W3 NLjH D V I ~ V ilH2 "All Jewish calamities arise
only because of our ignoramuses" (Baba Batra 5 ) . Maharsha disposes of the seeming contradiction by asserting that each state
ment is the complement of the other. In truth, calamity does come
from the judges, but because of those taken from the ranks of the
ignorant, P21Y7 'D> WH7 Dil? D'772Dil "who choose a head
in accordance with their predilections." This conduct can create
much dissension in any community, disrupting unity and all spiritual development.
Rabbi M. 2. Margolies once jested concerning the life of American Jewry: "In Europe the sexton stood in awe of the congregational officer; the officer reverenced the rabbi; and the rabbi
lived in fear of God. But matters are reversed in America. The
synagogue president is afraid of the sexton; the rabbi must kowtow to the president; and God surely is fearful of the rabbi insomuch as the little remaining Judaism here is in the rabbi's hands.
At his desire, the rabbi m y convert his synagogue into a Reform
temple, discard the godly prayerbook, and substitute the Union
Prayer Book!'
The Jews of Slonirn were fond of recounting the witticisms of
their late distinguished spiritual leader, Rabbi Eisel Harif. It is
aold that before Rabbi Joseph Slonimer was ordained, he lived as
a m-paying guest at the home of Rabbi Eisel, his father-in-law.
"Now l i Joseph," once remarked Rabbi &el, "I should
like to know which of us is the rabbi of Slonia, you or I. For it
happens that neither of ns give ritual deckiofls - for that we have

215

the service of the learned Rabbi FeiteL At religrous court trials

we sit together; we both live on the income from these sessions.
Which of us then has the position of rabbi?"
"That can be readily ascertained," smiled Rabbi Joseph. ' W e
need only go about the city, eavesdropping. Whoever of us is
being generally maligned must be the rabbi!"

WARS OF DEFENSE AND CONQUEST

KI TETZE
(Deuteronomy xxi,

I 0-XXV)

TD'N-Sy nDtiSD5 Nxn '3 "When thou goest forth to war

against thine enemies" 1 3 t D 31n3il nlWlil nDnSD3 "The passage speaks of a war waged by one nation against another for
political or economic gain" (Sifri). There are two kinds of international conflict. One is a f f b nDn%J "defensive war" against
an invader that wishes to conquer and oppress a people. This is
also called a holy war or illYP nDnSD, for the prosecution of
which the government has the right to conscript all man power.
mlm,nS31 ntm Inn ~ S ~ P N,fq~xi' 53il nix^ n ~ n S D 3
"In a war of defense everyone must go forth, even the groom
from the bridal chamber and the bride from the canopy" (Sotah
44b). When a land is imperiled and its fate is problematical, no
one is exempt from joining in its defense; all must aid in preserving its identity.
In a war of conquest, however, undertaken by a government
soIely to enhance its political and economic status, there must be
unanimity on the part of all representatives of the people.
t n n t ayyaw 5v tu3 98 9p NSN niw'lil n~nSt35f q ~ q x i1%
~
"There is no undertaking of a war of assault except with the
unanimous consent of a popular Sanhedrin of seventy-one" (Sanhedrin 2ob). Neither king nor governing officials are empowered
to force upon their subjects a conflict against a people that is not
attacking them, and which is begun only with the intent of bringing new industrial profit or soliddymg the political prestige of
those in power.
Mosc g o v e r n m a are desirous of spreading their rule beyond
the confines of their own lands. Kings are not coment with the
gmmess and glory accorded them by their own subjects; they
are eager to Seizt control of other lands and other nationalities.
Thebe is a pass~gereading, 3il 3ir nt33 *nW jrp15yS dl has

217

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
two daughters, who ever cry, Give, give!" On this sentence thc
Taltnud comments:
, ~ 3 n, ~ 3 nntn n5fy3 nfiafNf n3n'aa ntpytrw nu3 'nw 513
nf3'a 8 183'3 fNDl "These are the voices of the two

nftfllilt

daughters who cry out to the world from Gehinnom, Give, give!
Who are they? Freethought and government" (Aboclah Zarah
17a). The fim, freethinking, would destroy all established traditions, even those that have bestowed upon the people its unique
character and maintained it through all its existence. The other,
rapacious government, creates poverty and destruction in its pursuit of new realms of conquest. Such reigning powers ignore the
true feelings of the people, who must send their offspring to risk
their lives in battle. Always they cry, Give, give! - voices that
rise from hell, and that demand the conquest and destruction of
mankind.
Also in case of an offensive war, even after the Sanhedrin has
given its consent and the high priest his blessing, the entire army
must be assembled to be told the purpose of the conflict. The populace must be subjected to agitation and aroused to enthusiasm for
exertion of every effort - for if, by sad mischance, the war be
lost, the national peril would be tremendous. Maimonides declares:
~ 5 3i3fy ,nary ? m a t ,mn5a3 lain51 3:wn7 5mnan 53
? ~ i t t9a1
~ 53w HSH yty HS/I ,n3335/ 719 YN ~ D N ~ ,#myn
W
flNfY3 fq'f5n "He who begins to ponder and meditate in time

of war, and becomes terrified, violates the commandment, Let not

your heart grow soft; and more than this, the blood of all Israel is
dependent on his action." Fear undermines courage and creates
a desire to retreat - thus endangering an entire people in times of
stress.

Jewish law also prescribes that before mobiidon the priest

must proclaim, 1WN ,m3 yPJ 1WN ,W7n n'3 n33 1WH TD
~79252twv 751 ,325n 711 N i q n ,n?m m8 "What man is
there that hath built a new house.. .that hath planted a vine-

yard. .. .that hath betrothed a woman. .. .that is fearful and fainthearted?. . .let him go and return unto his house" (Deuteronomy
xx, 5-8). Such men will not proceed wholeheartedly into ?he

218

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
battle; they will prove a danger to all the rest. 335 n H DD9 Ml
12353 19nN "Lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart."
One must throw himself into the struggle with resolution. Whoever greatly yearns for his home, his wife, his business, and is
primarily concerned with his own interests, lacks the resolution
to fight for land and people. The fearful ones can well infect their
comrades with the same fearfulness, and thus change the entire
course of bade.

War Against an Acncnl E n m y

"When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies" "be first absolutely assured that he is thine enemy"
(Yalkut Shimwni). The Jew is forbidden to spill innocent blood,
to wage war only for expediency, to extend governmental powers
over other lands all this is opposed to the Jewish ideals of peace.
aBw5 n35~nmpi , 8 9 5 ~ an585 v y 5~ 213n 93 "When
thou approachest unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim
peace unto it" (xx ,lo). Even though you are convinced that the
enemy is bent on destroying and oppressing your people in any
eventuality, you must not assail him at once, but first make a
proffer of peace. ill31 ,irDn'W ttsy ;mvlttsy D95Wn NS DH
ir97)?
"And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make
war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it" ( I 2).
Any offensive war declared by the government must be definitely in accord with the ideals of the Torah. If the reasons adduced will be of use not alone to the nation but to all humanity,
including even the nation to be assailed, then the necessary bloodshed may be justified.
l# DNl f9lL3XM) Dil
9053 f953nDts SNILWW fDt 53
P ~ S ~ U"All the while that Israel looks toward Heaven, it is
v i h o z l s ; if not, the people falls" (Rash Hashanah 19a). . n t
is, if the goal is above political and economic self-advancement,
if the war has an ideal aim that is in accord with Judaic principles and culture, then the people can be certain that 'r'l mn31
7 3 79*#
'We Eternal thy God will give it in thy hands" (13).
739% NlilW

ilm

219

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
nwn5 ,t%PnS royn5 , y W 1 ~ 9 3 3 3SNTW* I I ~ W ~ I I Ywrlw
P
in'R3tr n'3 PnS nu251 ,?by 5W l ~ "Three
t
commands

were imposed upon the Israelites when they entered the Land to establish a kingdom, annihilate Amalek, and erect their chosen
House" (Sanhedrin zb). T o assure the permanence of the Jewish
land, it must be properly governed, so that there be a unified organization to carry out the national destiny.
One reason for the continued exilism of Israel is its excessive
worldliness, its cosmopolitanism. The national spirit has been
weakened by too great devotion to alien culture. Says the Midrash
Rabbah (Toledot 63): When Rebecca felt the pain engendered
by the twin children struggling within her, and sought the counsel
of the wise men, she was informed, 7JB33 P"13 'N't 'JW "You
have within you two prideful nations." ,nt tt35lf13 nNmD fit
mu5~3nN3nD "One (Jacob) is proud of his worldliness, and
the other (Esau) is proud of his powerful government." We understand by this that while Esau is engaged in strengthening his
territories and power, Jacob is involved in international &airs,
fighting on aII fronts, trying to improve the entire world, though
he still has no real abode of his own.
I f Y W nl73yt3 HVn,
"He that is fearful and faint-hearted"
"who is afraid of his past sins" - "let him go and return unto his
house" (Rashi). Conscience doth make cowards of us d.The
conscience-stricken lacks courage; he cannot be a soldier; he can
only infect others about him.
"What a man does," Rabbi Zisha used to say, "should be done
with a full heart. Out of every command performed there comes
into being a good angel; every command disregarded creates a
bad angel. It was given to me to see these wicked angels of Jewish
iniquity - they were complete cripples, without hands or feet
This is the case because whenever a Jew sins, he feels a tugging
at his heart; he has, if only for a moment, a sensation of shame and
sorrow. Hence the angels created by his evildoing are not entire,
but are half creatures without limbs."

FIRST FRUITS

KI TAB0
(Deuteronomy xxvi-xxix, 8)

YTNS DXUI m3w2w m x nay-y~rzn

~
5rz rznn ' 3
thou art come in into the land' - perform such righteous commands as may bring thee the reward of entry into the land"
(Sifri). Jewish nationality draws its chief sustenance from its
religion. God made Israel His chosen people, in order that they
might carry into life the lofty ideals of His Torah, and thus serve
as example for all other nations. The ultimate functions of the
people of Israel are indicated in the Law of Israel; and since many
of the divine commands are bound up with the land and cannot
be performed in alien territories, God also provided a Land of
Israel, in which the nation could live its own unique life.
Bikkurirn - offering of first fruits to the Lord - is one of the
commands operable only in Eretz Israel. The Bible speaks:
79n5?4 ' n nq2 Nqm 7nt)TH 97132 n9WH7 "The first of the
first fruits of thy ground thou shalt bring unto the house of the
Eternal thy God" (fiodus xxiii, r 9). These must be fruits of their
own ground, excludmg all alien soil, which is not theirs. Thus
the priests, who are given the first fruits, are forbidden to eat
them outside the Holy City.
In Albo's lldtarim we read that the main thought of bikkurim is
'17 In32 'to 15 wqw now n m n nrz 5rz7wqo fnn 53 253 y ~ f 5
"Pb implant within the heart of every Jew the recognition that
all he possesses has been given him by the Lord." To be able to
work m e must have health, and health comes from the Lord; to
be able to produce, the soil must have rain in its season, and chis
is in the hand of the All-highest, wealth is generally the result of
happy circumstances, and all change of circumstance is d i e e l y
appointed. The custom of bringing the first fruits is designed to
awaken this understandi in every Jewish breast, so that each
will be impelled to perform hi full duty to Judaism and his community. Of a man with God in his heart, who offem Him his first

fruits, we are assured that he wiU give his t

d to the priest,
his first tithe to the Levite, and his second tithe to the poor. The
spiritual and economic needs of the community will be granted
the proper share of his possessions, given him by the Master of the
Universe.
Pious old Jews, after reciting the habdalah rite on the passing
of the Sabbath, would pour a little of the ceremonial wine on the
table in which to extinguish the hghted taper. Then they would
dip their fingertips in the same wine and moisten their eyes and
pockets therewith. Thus did my father explain the custom to me:
"On the Sabbath the Jew is more conscious of his God and his
people; he is too occupied during the week to think of higher
matters. Hence do we take some of the wine in which the light
for the expiring Sabbath has been extinguished, and wet eyes
and pockets - to symbolize our desire that even on week days
our eyes may turn to the holiness of God, and that our pockets
may be filled with the returns of honest labor."
? D"Il327 13*0"1BL)7393 "How do we set apart the first
fruits?" asks the Mihnah (Bilrkurim 111).

fm'l

,'lxo 7!3o~,il'lalo

n3~ni l ~ t ' l ttmo t t n l

atR

tn9

'When a man goes into his fields and sees a fig that has ripened,
a ripe cluster of grapes, or a matured pomegranate, he must Gind
them with a cord and cry, These are first fmits to the Lord"
(Bilrkurim 111). A Jew must not wait until all his fruits are ready
to eat, and then give fulsomely to spiritual and charitable ends.
Even before he knows how copiously he will reap, he must have
God in mind; this alone will bring him luck and riches. Such conduct raises him above all other creatures, which care only for
themselves and have no thought beyond satisfying their own immediate desires.
Ismelites knew well how to estimate the spiritual value of bjkkurim, which they would transport to Jerusalem with p t Cdat.
The Mishnah descnies the grandiose proccsbon All the d a g e n
of a given district assembled in their chief town, where they
w d d spend the night sleeping in the stroecs. In thc morningtheir

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
leader would cry out, 137p5N 'il n73 5N nSy3l tDlp "Arise, and
let us go up to the house of the Lord our God!"
~3331 1m3 5y 5 ~ n5au TSPn 1 5 % ~n m In5 yvn
'When they reached the Temple, even the king had to place his
basket on his shoulder and enter the court" (Bikkurim 111).
Dr. M. Lazarus, in his "The Ethics of Judaism," shows that the
chief motive of Jewish religious ceremonies is subjection to the
Godhead. In the Temple court all are alike - king and rabble are
given the same recognition. The Levites met all comers with the
psalm, 73n7511 73 'n TaPnN "I will extol Thee, 0 Lord, for
Thou hast lifted me up" (Psalms xxx, 2 ) . It is on the basis of the
bikkurirn concept that Israel merits the title of chosen people, for
only the Jews possess such unique and outstanding principles.

Individual Offering

"And thou shalt go unto the priest (thyt ~ r 5 l nKll

t
self)" (xxvi, 3) to bring the first fruits of thy fields; one could
not appoint a messenger for that purpose. D375y Tn7ln Niln NS
W1Pw *B 5YN imw Dl335 ,n7f13 n33 n393n
"Let not my
Torah be unto you as a grown daughter, whom you wish to bestow upon the first available groom" (Deuteronomy Rabbah 7).
There is wisdom and cleverness in this comparison. Though
one love a daughter as one's own life, yet there is every desire to
marry her off as soon as possible. There are Jews who deeply esteem the Torah, but prefer that others assume its care. They are engrossed in their personal affairs, and seek an agent to perform their
own duties toward people and Torah for them - a rabbi, communal leader, or other social factotum. This class is largely to be
found among the wealthy, who often believe that membership in
a congregation, Hebrew school, or charitable federation, fulfills
every duty to Torah, to community, or to nation. It is expected
by one of these that the rabbi, teacher, or communal worker qvhom
his money supports shall serve God for him and maintain His precepts; he himself is too busy with his affairs, and must be free. T o
snch does the Midrash address itself: Let not the Torah be unto
you ss a grown daughter, whom yon wish to bestow u p another.

223

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
You yourself must come to the priest, and conduct yourself in
full accord with Jewish law.
47733 p
Iwp3 wty3 "Ihave put away the hallowed
thmgs out of mine house" (xxvi, 13). Isaac Abrabanel explained
why in offering &st fruits or tithes one must make open declaration in the Temple that one has complied with the commandment
- required of no other biblical command. "These fruits are like
'money that has no c l h n t s . ' They are &cult of collection, and
one may readily slip up in the process. But when the law requires:
an open declaration of performance, it is certain that each person
will do the thing as is proper." Nathan Straus once complained,
"How revolting is publicity. However, one cannot avoid it in a
campaign for charity. Our rich men will not give, unless their
benefactions are heralded!"
nD7 UDD 7nn3 N71 "Neither have I given aught thereof
for the dead" (14). There are Jews - so remarks Rabbi Amiel of
Tel Aviv in his Derashot el-Ami - who turn to Judaism only
when they mourn for the dead. W e know the common types of
kaddish and jahrzeit Jews, who ordinarily are aloof from Jewry
and its basic interests. The only time they r e d their origin and
their duties to God and people is following the passing of a member of their families. In saying that the Temple donor must aver
that he has not given thereof for the dead, the Torah declares itself a docuine for the living and not for the dead.
will pre~ 9 3 9 nn'P
1 ~
1tlfain3
87 IWN i l 3 ~7a '(Gd
serve thee from every calamity including those not writsen in the
Torah -this means the death of the righteous" (Rashi). The passing of great men is a grievous loss to the people. If Jews do not
properly conduct themselves, they cannot retain their great men,
who depart before their time.
Once Rabbi Shachor of Boston was requested to deliver the
euIogy over a prominent temple member, after the temple rabbi
had read a prepared address. "I had thought," he said to me, %
' hat
the death of a righteous man is one of the calamities that is not
written down; I see, however, from my collcpgue's d o - that
it may be a caIamity that is written down!"

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

(Deuteronomy xxix, pxxx)
KZn

uS!y Swi ntn uSty Sw la193

unH

- U ~ Z Y SunH

'Ye are placed this day all of you before the Eternal your God'
ye are the base upon which this world and the other world are
established" (Tanhuma). Jews take a disproportionately high
place in the economic and political development of humanity.
They are the center point in all national and international controversies. There is more conflict concerning the Jews than over
any other races or nations of the world.
Likewise, in other-worldly matters, in spiritual and cultural
spheres, Jews take a foremost place in history. The spiritually rich
teachings of the Jewish faith still serve as the fount of religious
sustenance for hundreds of millions. Israel's great prophets remain
moral preachers to all mankind. It does appear that mX HS
S n w 9 593~3 HSH H>n uSlym n?n uSiyn "This world and
the other were created only for the sake of Israel" (Yalkut
"

Shimeoni) .

The center point of the Jewish people is its Torah. This is the
fundament of Jewish existence. 851 nlalHn 53 n"3pir t t a
~ H T WNSH
~ ,nnn nH 5335 n v ' i ~nnmw
~
naiH ~m "God
measured all the nations, and found no other but h e 1 fit to receive the Torah" (Leviticus Rabbah 13). Its humane laws demand
of every man that he should often pass his own interests by for
dK welfare of others. This mode of life requires extraordinary
self-sacrifice; and no nation has offered so many sacrifices for
Torah and faith as has Israel. But the greater the offerings for the
Toah, the more it has protected the people from dissolution.

y n 1ynS

- 7 w ~ 35337 7315 533 79n'rN 'n

"To love the Eternal thy

nrz n3;1~5
God with a11 thine heart, and with aU

thy soul, that thou mayest live" (Deuteronomy xxx, 6).

"Ye are placed this day" - URH qH ,19PtPt ?'DM3 UtVI ilt)
ru5 ?*tn5 'rm $37 ilSDNW3 "Just as the day is dark and

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
then light, so will you, after the corning of darknes~,a& light
again" (Sanhedrin I 10). Rabbi Bunim would say: "The life of
man is likened to a clock dial, on which the hands revolve. When
both hands are on the six, at the lowest point, the onlooker need
not lose hope that they will turn upwards again." The sages cornment on the phrase, "It was evening and it was morning the first
day"; irS'fir 1nN 7913 Dl'ir "The day must follow the night"
(Hullin 83a). When one has misfortune, through illness, business
hardships, or rearing of children, he must not despair. Day comes
after night, and all clouds depart, leaving the sun to shine upon

hia
The great faith in their God, that He would not forsake them
but would ultimately deliver them from their great stress, always
brightened the epochs that so frequently darkened the long existence of the Jews. T o make little of the sad present, in hope of
a better tomorrow - therein lies the remedy provided by the
Torah against all visitations and misfortunes. 13nlpn i t f l N N'I f l y
"Not yet has our hope been lost." ' W e shall outlive you all," has
been our answer to the Hamans, Hiders, and Musolinis of all
generations.
a353 Dlqil DqX3 DnH "Ye exist until this very day:'
ilj 'n33W1 iTt31N qnq3ir H? D j t p nw33ir l D N "The Holy One
blessed be He declared, I have never smitten a nation and then
brought it back to Me." No sooner has a group lost its land and
economic support than it has vanished, and its children have been
swallowed up by the conquering nations. But the Jewish p p l e
persists. Dqtaiy Palpa3 ant 793 7 9 1 1 ~ ~"Their
1
case, and they remain in their place" (Sanhedrin I 10; Tanhuma).
History makes clear that following every burst of hate and persecution upon the heads of the Jews they have emerged stronger
and more determined than beofre. Oppression helped to unite
them and their various divisions, and to stnmgthen their n a t i d
spirit. "Ye sons of Jacob have not been overthrown." So soon as
the Jews become consciously nationalistic and return to their
people, to their Law and faith, they become immord, never to
be destroyed

~~

226

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
VnW

n N T'n5N

'n

thy captivity" (xxx, 3).

3Wl "The Eternal thy God will turn

qW rt3?&3Wl N5N lt3N2 N? 3'Wnl

"The grammatical form used means

that He will not merely bring them back, but that He will return
Himself with them out of exile" (Megrllah 29a). While the Jew

n1'13il ft3 OIIIDp 3

W i1"3pil

lives abmad and suffers persecution, the Divine Presence is also

in exile, finding no resting place on earth. The return of the
people to Palestine will provide a proper home for the Godhead
as well.

The Torah Is Our Fortune

3lnn nNf Onnn n N OVn 7 9 2 ~ 59nn2 nm "See, Ihave set
before thee this day, the life and the good" (xxx, 15). Jewish continuance is strongly bound up with the Torah, which remains
the people's support and life purpose. Spoke Rabbi Samuel Mohilever: '%ufFering for an ideal end is never so painful. A life purpose
provides courage to withstand assault in every clime and time.
Such an idealist group fears not the machinations of its neighbors,
knowing their lower culture will never overwhelm it"
"The life and the good": - "There are people," said the Rabbi
of Kutsk, "who lack the intelligence to understand the true end
of life. When they perform a good deed, they think only of themselves with regard to it. They wish to enhance their own joy of
life. But their attitude is an error. One must not seek the good, in
order to live; one must live with the intent to do good."
n%p3??1 !?t33 ytlw? t?n?n 'n-nu n>m? "That thou
mayest love the Eternal thy God, and that thou mayest obey H
is
voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him" (xxx, to). Prayer
and study done will not fulfill a man's duty to God; he must live
with God.Wheresoever he goes, whatever he does, must accord
with God's laws. 7JW 7
' 5y 7% 'il "The Lord is thy shade;
H e is on thy right handn (Psalms cxxi, 5 ) . He who considers the
Lord na at his right hand an71 do no evil. Rabbi Shneur Z a l k
Ladim &us commented on ''that than mayest cleave unto him" #A man must say, 'Ido not want His Eden, I do not demand Hi
other world; I want but Hm alone.' "

227

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
n'M fyQS D W 3 nTDl "Therefore choose the life, that
thou mayest live." "There are many men who forever seek ways
of passing time. They act as though they would rid themselves of
life by spending it completely. American Jews in parucular are
always trying 'to kill time' with parties, card-playing, and other
inutilities. The Torah protests against this aptitude - 'that thou
mayest live,' it declares - live fully and fruitfully" (Derashot EJ
Ami)
nNvn il'r~ilnHi nNvil n ' m nn n73 P ~ Noat>? 03nn NCII
'IWK
nHi is'il'r~'il *JD? evil tt3y u ~ y
i l 'UP'
~ YwN-nH P
o t v UQy il9 UJ'H "Neither with you only do I make this
covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us
this day before the Eternal our God, and also with him that is not
here with us this day" (xxix, I 3-14).
mls n'r qu p t y W q H OW 1'il nit3wfil 53 "All the souls of
Israel stood there, even though their bodies had not yet been
created" (Tanhuma). It is against the entire course of Jewish
thought to imagine that religious faith is a human creation, and
that each generation chooses its own faith, its own Torah, to harmonize with its form of life. Tradition proclaims the Jewish Torah as created long before the world; and the task of every Jew
is to render it an actuality in life.
If Israel adopted the idea that our Law, our faith, can be altered
or reformed, we should long ago have lost our unique quality,
which kept us alive through the ages. In that case t*?y WbD3
7HI'W' fWN Pil "As the number of thy cities wonld be thy
gods, 0 Israel." Jewish unity would disappear, and instead of om
race, one natiun, we should be scattered in small groups about the
world.
"All the souls of Israel stood there" - this fact creates the Envincibility of Israel - they were there at the giving of the Law,
though their bodies were not yet created. Jews may apparently
differ according to the lands and climate of heir residence, but
their souls remain the same, bearing the same c h a ~ ~ c t e rone God,
one Law, one tradition, one essential spirit!

THE PASSING OF MOSES

VAYELECH
(Deuteronomy xxi)
ntrta tS*f "And Moses went" among the people to bid them
farewell. He had heard the ultimate divine judgment - :n3
nm7 t*a* "Behold, thy days approach that thou must die" (14).
UtSNl yWlil* nt4 N73 "Call Joshua. . .that I may give him a
charge. Even though Moses was termed NM pt4f *n*l 733
"He is faithful in all Mine house" (Numbers xii, 7), and had loyally transmitted his divine lore and precepts to the Israelites, and
through them to all humanity; now he must abdicate, and pass
his task on to another. The divine mission was no longer to be his.
The spirit of prophecy, which had brought him so close to God
"face to face" - was depamng from him. Now Moses could not
understand the speech of the Almighty; and he turned to Joshua
for explanation of the words addressed to the new leader. In agony
he cried out, nnN ilt4fp KS1 nVl*D nt4D "Let me have a hundred deaths but not one feeling of envy, to embitter my life and
bring constant thought of death!" (Midrash Rabbah 9).
For forty years had Moses served his people. He had sacrificed
his very soul for them, fought for them against Pharaoh in Egypt,
against the hostile forces of the wilderness, even against God Himself when H e wished to castigate them. And now all must be given
over to a snccessor.
U ~ N S, m t ntwyn 9 3 M~a * f~w ,m7t nnu7 t t y 7 3 1 ~~ ' r
"Ian no longer able to go out and to come in unto them, for the
power has been taken from me and given to another" (Rashi).
Now &e lawgiver passes his days among the various classes of his
@c; some he covers with praise, to others he gives admonitions
to cleave to their people and fullill the promises of the Torah.
Like a devoted father he rebukes them, speaks to all, worries over
them, and yet promises them a b r i l l i t destiny.
It is related of Rabbi Israel Wanter that before his death he
summoned all his householders to his bedside. T o some he bade a

229

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
warm farewell. Among these was a well-known "Epitmma,'"
with whom Salanter spent more time than with any of the others,
and from whom he took his departure with unusual fervor. Bystanders remarked on his greater favor toward this backslider than
to the pious genuy with him.
"Let me explain," returned the rabbi. "I am hopeful of seeing
you men once more, after long years, in Paradise. But this fellow
I doubt whether I shall ever meet again hence my fervent goodby to him" (B. Joasohn).

The Soul That Soared Heavenward Cannot CTOSS

the Jordan
The Midrash, depicting the last days of Moses, speaks in me:
v-rqn n N -r12y'r wp2a nqn rwl)y - - r a n yqp-r? n51y nqn 5 m n ~
513 UqNl "Yesterday he soared in the heavens like an eagle now he would but cross over the Jordan, and cannot" (Deuteronomy Rabbah 9 ) . The hero of heroes, who rose like a pillar of
light on the threshold of Jewish history, who had forced heaven
and earth to do his bidding, was now too enfeebled to pass the
tiny Jordan and gaze upon the Promised Land, for which he had
labored so greatly as his ultimate goal. The master of prophecy,
before whom angels had trembled and even Deity had altered His
judgments, could not prevail upon God to permit his ingress into
Palestine with his own people, as the culmination of all his Life's

Pnrpose.

The Aggadah divides in three the 120 years of Moses' existence

- forty years in the palace of Pharaoh as adopted son of the princess, who had found him in the ark among the bullrushes - thus
was his early life spent. There he was taught all the requirements
of a popular leader. But even at this time he was intensting himself in the problems of his brethren. ant5333 H V t "He saw
their burdens"; WlH 71N 13 LOlqt "and he saw there was no man"
(Exodus ii, 11-12). No proper leader was there to organize them
and prepare them for liberation. He himself determined to cake
up their cause, but an Israelite informer compelled his fbght hum
the land of Israel's bondage.

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Moses' next forty years were spent in Midian. There he married
the daughter of Jethro, priest of Midian, and served as shepherd

for his father-in-law. There was born his older son Gershom, socalled because i19'133 Y'IN> W9il 'If "I have been a stranger in
a strange land" (Exodus ii, 2 2). Through all his years of shepherding Moses was constantly occupied with thought of human destiny.
P9ilSNil ln 5N NDY "And he came to the mountain of God"
(iii,I ) - to the highest pinnacle of human thought, of all spiritual
development. At Mount Horeb he beheld the divine vision, which
impelled him to return to Egypt and free his brethren of their
exiled bondage.
More fruitful than any experience by other men were the last
forty years of his life. In that period Moses was able to convert a
slave people into a free nation - a chosen people and a kingdom
of priests. Human beings sunk in impurity, coarse and unknowing,
were under his guidance transformed into beings little less than
the angels, camen of the Law which, whether they willed it or
no, worked its power on all men - and which in the latter days
wiU reign supreme in the thoughts of humanity's soaring intelligence.
Moses was most eager to conduct the people into the Promised
Land, for there, in their own territory, he was assured that they
would be able to establish the spiritual center he had for so long
striven to create. But he was not fated to attain this consummation; he was to die in the wilderness, and leave the completion of
his task to Joshua, his disciple.
924 ,MN 7% ,PfN '33 ail> tqL/bUD I'nP tilW3 nls'I>il 73
f3 f48Bb 4& N'L/?Sl "'When all other human creatures die,
the sons d men alone occupy themselves with the departed; but
when you die, Myself and My angelic household will care for
you" (Deuteronomy Rabbah 9). 79 lf11113 nH ttHH 97' HSI
8
"But no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day"
(Den-my
xxiv, 6). For in truth Moses has not died. He lives
and will continue to live as long as there is a people of Israel. So
writes Ahad Haam: "Mases, the illustrious, remains Israel's leader,
Illarching in their van not alone for the forty years of the wilder-

231

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
ness, but for the thousands of years of wandering in various wildernesses, from Egypt to modern days."

Final Wora3 of Comfort

n n t n ilW"nt4 P37
TVlgl "Now therefore write ye
this song for you" (xrmi, 19) - this Law which is God's spiritual

poem. Take it with you on all your wanderings; and teach it to

your children and children's children, whom it will also protect
from dissolution. And if perchance VSn rlnH ilf tl iltn Pyil P31
yinn 733 "this people will rise up and go astray after the gods
of the aliens of the land" (16) - then ntlLX1 n137 nlyl ktKXD1
"many evils and distresses shall befall them" mlnDn1 P~n3Tyl
PilB qfb "and I will forsake them, and I will y e My face from
them" (17). 9flNM 93133 V S N f9N-3 Sy nSil Nlilil P193 lDH1
nSHn myin "So that they will say in that day, Are not these
evils come upon us, because our God is not amongst us?" All
Israel's misfortunes arise through loss of faith. i l i W i l iVlfY1
19fbS nntil "This song shall testify against them as a witness"
(2 I ) . However, these words can mean that the song will provide
an answer to despair and give the people courage and hope to
combat all hardships and achieve an ultimate victory.
These are the comments of the Maggid of Dubnow: 'When
night is approaching, and some itinerant peddler of fruit looks
upon his greatly dwindled stock as he prepares to hasten home
he gathers together the remainders, the few pears or apples or
plums from each bin, and puts them dl together for quicker disposal. Hence I interpret the passage, 'Many evils and distresses
shall befall them,' to mean that when Ism1 finds itself beset by a
variety of hardships, this is a symbol that the culmmaaon is near;
the Messiah is coming to take his people home."

. .

POETIC WILJL AND TESTAMENT

(Deuteronomy xxxii)
'D*InH

V H n y P w n r n13-rm

nmwn uwn

"Give ear,

0 ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, 0 earth, the words of

my mouth." Isaiah begins differently: Y l N qfltNifl DtPW 1 p W
"Hear, 0 ye heavens, and give ear, 0 earth." The sages thus distinguish the two utterances:
P ~ P W
uqt~n
~ I P H = ~ D S , ) ' I H Ppimi aww5 3113 nrtrrr nqnw 'a5
y I H n yPWn7 "Since Moses was near to Heaven and far from
earrh,he addressed the heavens with the word haazinu, 'give ear',
and the earth with tishmrr, 'hear.' But Isaiah was nearer to earth
than to Heaven; hence he reversed the forms of address" (Sifri).
To give ear is to listen to a quietly presented secret; while to hear
implies a loud deckation readily caught by others.
This interpretation of the sages provides a suitable estimate of
the true greatness of Moses, as contrasted with the world's later
prophets and lawgivers. Moses always stood close to Heaven; the
fundamental aim of his teaching was to bring earth nearer to the
heights, to offer mankind a more lofty ideal to strive for than
satisfaction of material and bodily needs. P Y ~ w SDTHO
~ PnlPW37
"Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves (your souls)'' (iv,
IS). Keep your souls clean and sound, so that Heaven need not
be ashamed of them This is the essence of the Torah, taught to
Israel in order that the people undertake the mission of spreading
its id& among all peoples. Hence the Law speaks to both heaven
and earth, forasmuch as
24% 5HIWq n H 5Hlf i11133il flH
tWt' "The Holy One blessed be He wiII redeem Israel only by
virtue of both of them" (Midrash Rabbah). "In Israel's redemp
tioan, which includes the liberation of all mankind, the m y
must be bound up with the heavenly; there must be a synthesis
af sanl and body" (Rabbi Jacob Levinson).
The Midfash Tanhums offers an a d d i t i d explanation of the

233

invitation by Moses to heaven and earth, to hear his last wiil and
testament:
nny?;mtn 735 ,n?iy?; 9 ~ 9 9 p 5mw9i n5iyS ; T P ~ ~~Pi l w*D?
nllXPil1 il7Vlil ?H7W' lP*T?TW"Insomuch as these will exist
forever and Israel too will exist forever, therefore did he invite
them to serve as witnesses that Israel will maintain the Torah and
the divine commandments." Eternity is the basis of Moses' teaching. God is eternal, His Torah is eternal, and His people will live
eternally. The Torah is not a national constitution, devised for a
specific time under specific circumstances. nD?nlO Mn N?
"It cannot be altered or amended," for it embraces all generations
and all times. It is a book of laws for eternity, to which men can
at all times refer for proper conduct of their lives, which they
may thus render immortal. God created heaven and earth for all
time, but their existence is dependent on the practice of the Law;
if Torah does not exist, neither will heaven and earth; and all will
return to primordial chaos,

Torah and Life

9np5 7 a ~ 3 47y9 "My doctrine shall drop as the rain"

(Ioii, 2). n?rft? nwn inn 9737 QH n?iyS nwn ?at3 ,m
"Just as rain brings life to the world, so does the Torah bring life
to the world" (Sifri). Ignorance bears in its train chaos and destruction; it puts a halt to human progress and development.

5 r ~15 mini inrrm t n ? ~19% mip >mi 3wy 53 5p

"Over every blade of grass stands an angel, to give it the impulse
and the order to grow." Inertia is overcome by idealism, which

creates enterprise; without ideal motives the world remains stagnant and immovable. All achievement must be motivated by some
spiritual source; without it only purposeless dissolutim can follow. As the rain provides the earth with the @blny of prodncing, so does the Torah give men the initiative to soar t ~ c r
higher and higher.
*n7Dn 5a3 5tn "My speech shall flow ps the dew." %3 ftL)

pa p9nPw i151pil 53

inn

1.127

has

13

n*mw

nSlpn 93

"just as dew brings joy to all the universe, so do the words of the
Torah bring joy to all the universe" (Sifri). The Torah was not
devised for a specific sect or group; like the dew, it descends over
all creation, without distinction. Many ideal undertakings are restrained by limitatons, by laws that exclude certain classes from
their functioning and benefits. The Torah is the dew that is democratically intended for all men alike.
"My speech shall flow as the dew" D ' f 3 N npnwn .IUD m
f3PCn 3 5 npnwo nnnn Elk4 "Just as rain abrades stone, so
does the Torah wear down the stony heart" (Tanhuma). The
Torah serves to improve human character; its laws ennoble and
soften human hearts, creating an undemanding of the problems
of brethren in other circumstances. Wv n n W 1 D t N 5 3 8 PC5W D t 1 3
?nPC 3 5 8% 15 1% n n l w l 531NW .InPC? , n t 3 3 5 vfW 15 "Before
a man has partaken of food and drink, he has two hearts; after he
has eaten and drunk, he has but one heart" (Baba Batra I 2). This
passage is explained by the "Shpaler Grandfather": "The poor
man, lone and hungering, has two hearts, for he senses the heart
of others in the same circumstances. But the rich, sated person
has one heart, his own - he does not sense the heart of another.
He is not prepared to enter into the spirit of other men, but is like
a beast that lives for itself alone."
usn585 S
v u n NTPPC ' n DW "3 "Because I will call the
name of the Eternal; ascribe ye greatness unto our God" (3).
From this sentence the sages have derived the requirements of reciting a benediction both before and after one is called to the reading of the Law (Jerusalem Berakot ch. 8). The Maggid of Kaminetz thus addressed a Bar Mitzvah boy in Whitechapel, London: "Many of our parents are satisfied with the pim benediction
which means the instruction they give their sons in the
prophetic portions before they become Bar Mitzvah. But after
the Bar Mitzvah ceremony they no longer are interested in the
sons' Jewish education, and permit them to grow up ignorant of
matters Judaic. It is because of this that the Jewish spirit in England, France, and America, has been so unproductive during the
last centnry. If we wish our young to retain their Judaism, we

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
must see that they recite the latter benediction, in that they continue their Jewish studies until they are able to appreciate the
greatness of the Torah. Because of the ignorance of the current
generation, their nationalist fee*
have been enfeebled, and
they fall into despair in times of Jewish stress. If our children are
given a basic Jewish training, and an acquaintance with the imp i n g spiritual treasures of our people, their faith in God will be
strengthened, and they will derive hope and courage to fight for
our ultimate redemption."

-9 7'3N Hln N7n "Is not He thy father that hath obtained thee?" (6). Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer relates a legend that
when the generation of Babel was about to be divided into the
various classes of human beings, God gathered all his angels about
him to assist in separating men into their nationalities and tongues.
He suggested that lots be cast to decide which celestial being
should have control over which division. ?Dff nfSlU l'l'bil
nu3pn SW l?SnS 5 ~ 1 "They
~ 9
cast the lots, and the Jewish
people was dotted to the Holy One blessed be He." Since then
He has kept us as His peculiar possession, and we have been called
'n By "God's people."
BD~D 1'33 NS 17 nnw "The corruption is not his; it is that
of his children, the blemish is theirs" (5). This can be otherwise
translated to mean if Jews are corrupted by denying themselves
as God's children, the fault is their own. When Jews no longer
call themselves chldren of Israel, but become Germans or Frenchmen "of the Mosaic p e e o n , " they lose their uniqueness as
Jews, and are found faulty by the very ethnic groups they attempt
to emulate, who accuse them of disloyalty and treason. Those who
are not Ioyd to their own origins cannot expect to be accounted
loyal citizens of other nations.
4ty fW1 rtflt)M SM He is a "a Cod of fai-ess
and
without iniquity." If one at times feels that God has been unjust
to one,m e must not sin by bringing
against the Lord

~~

234

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
W e cannot undernand His ways; we must retain our faith. Once
Rabbi Moses Leib Sasover cried out, during the reading of the
weekly portion: "Master of the universe! You wish us to have
faith in You even though we do not understand Your ways, and
to believe that there is no iniquity in You. Repay us after the same
fashicn! Even though now You see no good deeds among us, have
faith that ultimately we shall change and become m e penitents!"

THE TORAH ENDS

VEZOT HABERAKAH

The final pomon of the Torah is not assigned to any separate

Sabbath. It is read on the last day of the Succoth festival - Simhat
Torah, so called because thereon Israel rejoices over the great
spiritual treasure given by God to the people. Israel is the only
people that has a "Time of the Giving of the Law" as well as a day
known as Rejoicing of the Law. Shabuoth, when the Torah was
handed down on Mount Sinai, has the former designation; and on
the last of the Succoth festival, there is rejoicing when the cycle
of Pentateuchal readings is concluded and recommenced. Shabuoth belongs to the past - a historic feast celebrated in commemoration of an outstanding event in Israel's national existence. Sirnhat Torah, however, belongs to the present and future; it expresses the popular tha&sgiving over the continuing influence of
Sinai.
One cannoc rejoice over the mere acceptance of a Torah. For
none may know what will result from its laws. Many nations
have adopted liberal constitutions, which promised freedom and
equality to all inhabitants. But these documents remained dead
letters, since the populace and its leaders never grew to the elevation of their constitutional ideals, and never carried them into
practice.
Only after the Jew has perused his Torah from beginning to
end, and has studied well its lofty principles and ideals; aft& he
has performed as well as hearkened: - only then can he rejoice
in the Torah. My father often said: "The festival is called Rejoicing of the Law, which m&s that it too rejoices in us. Hence
do we demand that all take part in the joy 'Rejoice and make
meny on Simhat Torah' - since the jubilation is mutual. There
is a joint festival, prolonging both Jewish life and the Jewish

Law."
3pp nS;r3 nltn'lhfm uS rlrrr ntvr "The Torah which

.
*

Moses commanded us is the inheritance of the entire people of

Israel." It belongs to every Jew, and every Jew shares in it. It was
not given to individuals, or to the class of the learned alone; a Law
so limited could never exercise an eternal influence on a whole
people.
'19ni3nnSma lSrla tVn3 tw5n ~ D Pn35n y~iail53
"He who refrains from teaching his pupil one law of the Torah
is as one who withholds from him part of the rightful inheritance
of his parents." Each Jew is expected to know the Torah completely from i s beginning:
n'wn'I3 %* nwm Sn'lw* 533 ~ 9 ni l w 7 ' i ~ "It is the legacy
of all Israel since the six days of the world's creation" (Sanhedrin
91b).
The Yalkut inquires why God did not give the Torah to Abmham. For Abraham was the first to recognize Deity, and to
teach the cQncept of God to his children and associates. Holy
Writ says, r w n in93 nnl 1923 nn nix* 7Wn fya5 :my79 93
"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him" (Genesis xviii, I 9). Furthermore, Abraham is the
father of his people, and founder of the ideal of monotheism.
Why then was not he accorded the privilege of transmitting the
Torah? Thus is the query answered:
ay5 ,ni'nfn nfm a9ww n> nvnw m'inn nn MS ilu13iln3n
mur3 nin tnn 535 nww 973 ,nu7 nqww 19nw a m *a*>5 ~ 7 ~ 9
"'God waited to give the Torah, which contains six hundred
thousand letters, until the time of Moses, when there was just that
number of Israelites, in order that each one should have one letter
of the Law" (Yalkut Shimeoni, Jethro).
And because each Jew has a share in the Torah, one must not
withhold from a pupil the knowledge of any law within it. He
who does so robs the student of a heritage rightfully his. For this
reason it is the custom to call to the reading of the Law every Jew
who is in the synagogue on Simhat Torah, and young boys as well.
Rabbi Seshet adds: n ~ ~ il3ll
b l iltil ~ 5 1 ~,nur
3
mhil 53
N3R
'We who teaches the To& in this world eanis the
right to teach it in the world to come" ( S a n h a 92a). The

239

Jewish Torah is eternal, extending from before creation, and destined to exist so long as creation does. He who propagates knowledge of the Torah among his disciples thereby binds himself to the
world of eternity, and his name will remain among the living to
farthest futurity.
9 t ~ S5
mw9 93-nn ~9irSnirw9n n m 793 ~ t c mn m n nnti
V1P "And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God
blessed the children of Israel before his death." While the people
observe the To& and carry out its precepts, they cannot succumb. God speaks to them:
'n'lmf ,w'lm oaS qn'lm
"I delivered my Torah unto you, and Myself with it" (Exodus
Rabbah 33). AS God lives for all time, so will Israel exist forever.
Moses calls all the tribes together, and gives each an individual
blessing, according to its character. He ends with the lofty declaration:

my

~ 1 x =~'ln?wn'l
1
7'lry

?m"n3 ywu oy 71~2'D

5mw9 7rlwn

"Happy art thou, 0 Israel: who is like unto thee, 0 people saved
by the Eternal, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of
thy excellency!" (xxxiii, 29). Have no fear of thy enemies, if they
be false to thee: -j'ltn la~nm=r-?ynnm "and thou shalt tread
upon their hy~hplaces" and be victorious over them.
The sword whereby we fight unintermittently against unnumbered enemies is made of deep pride in our past, and of certainty of our future and the outstanding role which Jewry will
yet again play in the world. With this weapon of just pride we
have maintained omelves in the cruelest periods, in the most ind e r a b l e circumstances, certain of ultimate victory and of outliving our asadants - just as we have outlived the pow&
empires of the past who persecuted us and re t h d m no more
on earth (Rayanot veHomer LiDerush).
God Takes the Sod of

Ado~es

Moses, having completed the Torah, prepares to leave this

world. T h e sages present a remarkable account of his death:
ntm Sw m ~ w f'7 ~ l i9l~ 9 ' l l a S nU=rpn'la8 "Said God to
d# angel Gabriel, 'Bring me the soul of Moses.'

240

f i l ~ y 55139 '98 f 9 H n ,H131 D'WW 7 x 3 5 1 3 HlnW

~
st) 19 1 D H

8 n H t 3 nlQ9Xn "To this Gabriel returned, 'A man who is held

equal to all six hundred thousand of the people how can I act
so boldly toward such a one?' " How can I take away the leader
of a people, who will immortalize Thy great name through the
Torah Thou gavest them?
;rm 'lW U l D W l 95 n3n , 3 8 3 9 ~ 5 m n "Thereupon God
asked Michael to bring in the soul of Moses." But Michael begged

off: r n ~ w f5 1 ~ 9 5 5 ~ 99 2 9 ~, 9 7 9 ~ 5 n n9n ~ i n 1i 3 1 9 n 9 9 i l ~ J H
"I was his teacher and he was my disciple; I cannot take his soul."
A large measure of my spirit is now in his; how can I remove
from him that which is myself?
n n D W 3 75tr H l m 5 ~ H 3~ "Then
0
came Same1 (angel of
death), and he undertook the task happily." DW >nu IHW
VDtS f'KII19 W N 5W fqptptl W l I D E i l "He found Moses writing
the ineffable name of God, while sparks of fire issued from his
mouth."PlDp f 3 9133 71Wy'l 5139 D9H l D H 1 SHDD 1Tn "Samael
returned and declared, 'I cannot stand before the son of Amram.' *
He is wrapped in eternity, and cannot be taken by death.
i l p r W f 3 i n b w f i l ~ ~ 9 ,lpWll
1
i1443ptl my "Upon which
the Holy One blessed be He Himself arose and kissed Moses,whose
soul departed with the kiss." Moses' death could not be a natural
one, as his life was not natural. A man who lives in realms of Heaven cannot die in the manner of all the earth. His soul,part of God,
must. always be near God's throne of glory.
8 H m n 'f*m nmnn , n * l ~ ? # i ~9373 n w n 93nb vn
''The a e r i n g angels wept and cried, 'Whence now will the
world's wisdom come?'" The fountain of wisdom must surely
have dried up (Bet HaMidrash 71). ilWB DW nD91 "So Moses
died there" (xxxiv, 5 ) . He died only there, in the narrow circle
of his family and friends. For humanity, however, for the &en-tions to come, ttr2)tp~l ft)ly "he remains and serves them." Whep
Moses was born his home was filled with light. He it was who
kindled the light of faith in the house of Israel; and his radiance
still guides the living inhabitants of the world (Sotah I 3b).
*

BIRTHDAY OF HUMANTI'Y
(Rosh Hashanah)
nfWn WN73 3
f'lWN7n n-tN "Adam, first man, was
created on Rosh Hashanah, the New Year" (Leviticus Rabbah
29). Jews do not reckon their years by the birth of a god. That
which is born will also die. The Jewish people is eternal, for it
belie= in an eternal God. The Creator of life will not succumb
to death.
Rosh Hashanah is a birthday for all humanity, and must so be
seriously considered. It is not alone the beginning of a new year,
but also the end of a year past. On such a day the balance must
be drawn of all human accomplishments and failures, successes
and defeats. The past year must serve as guide and preceptor for
the year to come.
a f w n w ~ q7n m ~ ' 5 ~ nw33n
1 ~ 1 u ~ n7wn
s 9 3 ~ 4 t 3n'Df>nt)
"The ministering angels gather about the Holy One blessed be
He, and inquire, When does Rosh Hashanah fall?" , 3 W D n"33m
~ D P
'rw rw357% n n N 7 ' f ~ ? n'5~iw n n N '51 "And God replies, Why ask Me? Let us go down to the court of judgment below" (Yalkut Shimeoni, Tehillim I ) .
T o the Creator of eternity there are no beginnings and ends of
years. T o Him 13y' 9 3 5 1 D n H D l 9 3 D'fW q 5 H "A thousand
years are as a yesterday when it is past" (Psalmsxc, 4). The concept of past and future cannot be employed as we understand it,
when we discuss the Creator of time.
When Moses requests the Lord, 7 7 3 3 - n N N f + f t z l n "I beseech
Thee, shew me Thy glory" (Thy great future), he is thus
answered, IN79 NS 'fDl 9 7 m N n ' N 7 1 "Thou shalt see what
is behind Me: but My face shall not be seen" (Ejrodas xxxiii, 18,
23). My face, that which is directly before Me, may not be seen
or understood. But man can study the past and learn its lessoas.
Rosh Hashanah, beginning and end of years, is to be reckoned
by men below, who live by divisions of time. They alone may establish the temporal guideposts called New Years.

...

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

The commonly employed name Rosh Hashanah, for the fkt

of the month Tishri, appears among the Jews only in the later
generations of the Talmud and after. The Torah uses the phrase
t l l 3 t 3 Bl* "Day of Memorial," of self-searching, ~ C C O U ~ M
of~
past and future events - and this is the fundamental Jewish idea
of the season.

Praying

fix

All

Hzlmanity

When Jews gather in their synagogues to ask God for a good

year, they at the same time pray for all mankind. When we plead
with the Lord to bring t l ' y 7 tlWW1 t ~ l N 7ilRPW "happiness
to Thy land and joy to Thy city," we also pray for all peoples nRN n32t4 B'n, 1WJ'l "May they all become one confraternity." And though our aim is 71133 PWP fi's Ti13 t i S ~ n i
"Mayest Thou reign on Mount Zion, the tabernacle of Thy glory,"
we crave the redemption of all humanity: 731 il'b y1Bpn M 7 l y
n73n ??by3 3713 nywln "Iniquity shall be swallowed up, and
evil shall pass away like smoke."
We Jews have always understood that the fortune of one nation is mightily bound up with the stam of all peoples. On Rosh
Hashanah we read the Pentateuchal portion of the sacrifice of Isaac
-which the Midrash gives a special significance:
"God showed Abraham the ram, provided as a substitute offering for Isaac, entangled among the trees of the forest, and then

spoke &us:
b v m f i n i l s 3 nv3bfi niPiN3 f ~ t n n~i vf S 7'33

?*t*nyv

s?M& n u b a 'So are thy sons destined to be entangled

among the nations, involved in hardships, and dragged from one

government to another' " (Leviticus Rabbah I 9).

At a Zionist Congress, Dr. Chaim Weitzrnann presented a m e
example of how the fate of Israel is governed by the conduct of
other peoples. In his address concerning the status of Palestine u p
building- wherein he recounted the maladministration of the British pvexnms there, he remarked: 'The Italian-Abbysinian *war
had great repmxdofls on the status of tbe Jews. Had Italy lost,

243

TWE
ETERNAL
FOUNT
the honor and prestige of Europe would have declined in the
Orient, and chauvinistic forces there would have drawn new
sources of energy and incitation from the fact. Now that Italy has
won, the results have shaken the prestige of England, which took
a specific stand in the action This is reminiscent of the 'fear for
the pot,' which is equally susceptible to injury if it falls on a stone,
or if a stone falls upon it ir11135 ir5 '11 Such was our own situation. The air was electrified, and therefore certain soon to break
forth in thunders and lightnings!'
All through the Jewish exile a similar fate has confronted our
people. "Involved in hardships, and dragged from one government
to another" - every international crisis has made its impress upon
Israel. Hence do we pray on Rosh Hashanah, 5 3 'ry 7 7 n P In
T'WYt, "Set the fear of Thee over all that Thou hast made"
not alone over Israel but over humanity everywhere.

The Shofar Teaches Unity

Chief Rabbi Avigdor Amiel of Tel Aviv asks, in his Derashot
el A d , "Why must the sounder of the shofar recite the bless*,
TPtW ?I? YtaW? 'to hear the sound of the shofar'? Would it
not be more proper to say, 1DfW 513 y t p n 5 'to blast the sound
of the shofar'? The answer is that we have plenty of men eager to
sound their own horns. Most people would like to become popular
spokesmen. We need more who will hearken A d follow, and who
will unite themselves in one aim and ideal."
n n b t w ~fw?m,o93w ~ C l t N ~ P M t t ) ~
?nn ~ b f w"God
prescribed that we hear the blast of a single shofar, and not of
several together." The Talmud implies that the shofar itself has
no specific sound, but emits the tones blown through it. The
right fort of leader sends forth the proper blasts, adling for
unity the single notes called tekiah. But when he has p e d
and private purposes to express, the tones come forth brokenly,
in the technical form called sheba7im. And the resulting
brings on the w h , the much shamred blast which reppain and woc
t'

244

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Rabbi Abuha asked, Why do we use a ram's horn? Because the
Lord prescribed this instrument, in remembrance of the near sacrifice of Isaac - 9337 P ~ D Yn N~ nntpy l'rN3 "ASthough you
yourselves were offering your persons as a sacrifice unto Me"
(Rosh Hashanah 16). The individual must not seek control of
others, but control of self; he must look upon himself as part of
the nation, with which he must work in unison.
The Zaddik of Apt, also known as 7NlW9 3iltH "Lover of
Israel" once addressed his congregation in this fashion, before
the sounding of the shofar:
"Once I developed the desire to become the leader of all Israel.
I worked energetically to attain this goal, but without success.
Thereupon I determined to become leader in my own city - again
unsuccessfdy. Then I decided to become head in my household,
onIy to be astounded by failing here also. But to cany out my
ambition for power, I at length made an e h r t to control my own
personality. But this aim too was not granted fulfillment. Now
you will understand why no person should uy to obtain pawer
over others, insomuch as he cannot first develop control over his

THE LIGHT OF FAITH

(Sabbath of Repentance)
The days comprising Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are
known as the Ten Days of Repentance. On the eve of the New
Year the spark of faith is rekindled in every Jewish heart, steadily
growing more luminous until the Day of Atonement, when a great
light cleanses the spirit and warms the heart. Thus the Talmud interprets the phrase in Psalms, Y W * f VlH ' i l "The Lord is my
light and my salvation," D W 2 i l l * 2 *YW*l il"l3 * l l # "He is my
light on Rosh Hashanah, and my salvation on Yom Kippur"
(Rosh Hashanah I I).
Repentance elevates man to Godhood. 'il 72,- S S l W * ; n t W
79n5rc "Return,0 Israel, unto the Eternal thy God." The thought
is that when a man contemplates his deeds with full conscience,
his spirit soars beyond all the heavens to the very presence of God.
tt=r=)il K D 2 f y J7yzPW 8 2 1W f i i l S r r 3 "Great is repentance, that
reaches to the throne of glory" (Yoma ch. 6).
Peretz has related the story of the hassidic rabbi whm followers declared that during the days of penitential prayers his soul
would ascend each night to heaven. One day an opponent of hassidism,visiting the town, decided to uncover the extent of the truth
of rhis declaration. He waited all night before the rabbi's home;
before dawn he saw the rabbi leaving with an ax in his hand for
the nearby forest. Following, he noted that the rabbi proceeded
to chop down firewood, which he brought to a poor hut in which
an d d woman lay ill. The rabbi himself placed the wood in the
stove, and while the h was warming he recited the penitential
prayers. This sight converted the opponent to hasridism. He became a follower of the rabbi; and when others told how their
spiritual leader ascended nightly ta heaven, he would add, "And

even higher!"
Without repentance man would become a wild beast. When
c a m b c e dies, all higher feelings also die, and the soul pmgns+

246

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
ively sinks into a quagmire of gloom and filth. Repentance purifies conscience, quiets the nerves, and heals the wounds of the
heart. DSl$?S nHlD1 ilH'3nW il3:Wn ilSltt "Great is repentance, which brings healing to the universe" (Yoma ch. 6).
Repentance is also beneficial in preventing despair of a better
future in human breasts. Bialik, once addressing the higher students of Yeshiva College on Wisdom and Torah (nlinl 1%3n),
made this distinction:
'Wisdom, knowledge, provides a penetrating glimpse into the
future. But it is too cold, too exact, too severe; it does not form
part of man's life but stands without and gives its orders: So do,
and so do not! A person who errs and disobeys its commands, is
deserted by it and left to suffer.
"The Torah, however, is friendly and approachable. It is part
of man's life, and talks to him in human phrases. If he errs, it comforts him and restrains his despair. We may therefore call our
Tarah a ilft'5y i1133n the highest wisdom."
Here may be quoted a passage from the Jerusalem Talmud,
which presents an excellent estimate of how Wisdom, Phophecy,
Torah, and Faith adjudge the sinner. lin, Hbfn 1m3n5 15nW
fin qn?n D'Ht9ln ,an5 nlnn 8 lW31p "They asked of
dom, What is the punishment of the sinner? Replied Wisdom,
Their evil will always pursue those who sin. Prophecy, asked the
same questian, replied, nim N'n nHDlnil WQln The erring
sod will surely die. The Law or Torah, made this response,
f w3n't DWH NU* Let him bring a guilt offering and obtain
atonement. ;rWp* 1% Hbfn nll3prrY ~ Y H W Then they asked the
Holy One blessed be He, What shall the sinner do? God answered,
rS la3nv miwn
Let him show repentance, and atone
ment will be granted h i m (Makkot ch. 2).
Wisdom, cold and impartial, condemns the transgressor forever. Prophecy, more concerned with the future than the prcsent, postulates the end of his days. The Torah offes a friendly
means of extricating him from his difiiculties. Religious faith goes
d further; it does not demand sacrifices. Repentance, clearing of
d c e , a determination to act properly in days m come, is

wis-

247

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
snfficient to elevate man to higher realms, and bring him closer
toGod.

The Talmud bids every man to look upon the universe as in a

perfect balance of good and evil; thus, a single crime of his own
can turn the entire balance toward evil, upsetting the status of all
human society. Conversely, his single good deed will turn the
balance toward the side of merit, and improve the state of humanity. 8 5 i ~ ~n H
n n 3 7 3 ~n3rtPn "Repentance brings closer
the day of redemption" (Yoma ch. 6).
However, repentance must be sought in due time. If one waits
too long, until one has become old and weak, it loses its d c a c y .
The Yalkut Shimeoni declares, 7R33 nnHw f y n31.wn flttrff
"Offer repentance while you have the faculties to implement i ~ "
pw u In 3517 vnw tp "While the lamp yet burns, add
olive oil to enhance its sheen." 0153 59ylD IbWn 194 ,13n i133
"Once the lamp is extinguished, the oil will be of no use to it."
Repentance that comes too late in life to be translated into correction of old crimes is of little value.
The Talmud posits two conditions that can bring redemption
to Israel. vlwn3 5~1715ptmy lut H5 ,tov> 51~tnSprny 13;
"If Israel proves its worth, the people will be redeemed in the
month of Nissan; if they prove unworthy, they will be redeemed
in Tishri." 0'19tl'Tan nalpn3 tnH31 1 ~ 9 3 napn3 tnHa
D'IW ilS'Sm "During the months of Nissan and Tishri the nights
and the days are approximately equal." all!# D3'H t S ' ~ i Inxi
"In later months there is no such equality." After Nissan the days
p o w longer and the nights shorter; after Tishri the days grow
shorter and the nights longer.
If the Jews offer repentance and understand their obligations,
their redemption will come in N i i after which the days will
bccomc ever larger a steady and progressive attainment of hap
pines. But if the people stand off selfishly and will not come near
to assist their brethren, then they may be delivered in Tishri, but
as the nights grow larger, their difficulties must increase.

248

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
In no case, however, should Israel despair. The Rabbi of Tchartkov used to say: "The life of the Jew is like a clock dial. When
both hands are at twelve, that is, at their highest point, he should
not proudly remark, irtrf 39nir nn 9 3 nwy 979 nutyl qn3
'My strength and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this
wealth' (Deuteronomy viii, 17). The hands may begin to droop,
indicating the fall of man's pride and power. Yet, when both are
at six, the lowest point, man must not give up hope, and complain,
WDf 7 y Wt, IN3 'The waters cover my soul.' While the mechanism works, of clock and man, the hands will move upward once
more, and assure amelioration and salvation!'

DAY OF INTROSPECTION
YOM KIPPUR
8 3 3 ~ 3nyn 535 93 n3in3 vn v5i 5nTtcrr

v> nty 535 n5btt

"And all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger that sojourneth among them: in respect
of all the people it was done unwittingly" (Mahzor).
It is f i c u l t always to be conscious of one's deeds. Healthy
men are not conscious of their members. The only time a man
becomes witting of his head or hand or foot is when he injures
them or feels a sudden pain in them.
When a people lives quietly and normally in its own land, its
citizens find no need to be constantly mindful of their national
obligations. As fellow worker in field, business, factory, or school
each partakes automatically in his country's economic, political,
and cultural progress.
But Jewry is dispersed beyond the seven seas. Every Jew without conscious thought aids in the development of the land of his
habitation. The-only time that he does anything for his own specla1
group is when he becomes conscious of some special circumstance
surrounding it. But this specific interest is not readily attained,
and cannot be steadily sustained.
"And all the congregation of the children of Ism1 shall be forgiven" - forgiveness must be granted to any Jewish community
in a strange land that has not done its full duty to its people and
its God. It cannot be altogether blamed, for "it was done unwittingly." Men customarily sin without thought and this is a bar
to greater human achievement.
vT33
?
DlSnl
953 P9D9 Q3W tfn 73
Of the talmudic phrase, $
"He who lets a week pass without a single dream is adjudged a
wicked man" (Berakot 14) the Gaon of Wilna declarg "%y
this we mean the Sabbath."
It is incumbent upon every Jew at least once a week to envision
some great dream of Israel, Torah,and God; to feel that the Jcwish s o d is part of a divine Being with eternal life and creativene~

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
If, however, during the week he is not enabled to ponder his
divine duty, because of necessary preoccupation in material pursuits, he should think of such matters on the Sabbath, when he is

at rest. But if he permits the Sabbath too to pass without a dream

of rebuilding his land and people, then is he adjudged a wicked
man a wicked Jew.
Pardcularly on Yom Kippur, the Sabbath of Sabbaths, whereon
a Jew doffsall things material and is invested with full spirituality,
and by fasting and prayers approaches near unto God, must he
dream his great Jewish dream.
iwy 5w r v t u 5y hfnur 5 ~ ~ nrfrry
1 ~ 9 rf1'33rf 5 ~ r f3 " r ~
"On Yom Kippur the Holy One blessed be He removes the sins
of Israel and places them upon the garments of Esau" (Midrash
Rabbah). All the year around the Jew is enveloped in the garments, the customs and modes of the land in which he lives. The
process of acclimatization may be diflicult, but one cannot always
oppose the w e s of a land and its majority.
Yom Kippur changes all this. Then the Jew becomes conscious
of h i s ~ ~ Nd ~. ~ Q D * N~S n r wr~
i * ~n*? ~ m u tmr*> frrw
"On Yom Kippur Satan has no power to turn him from his duty"
(Yoma 20). On that day he can dream for his people; he can
divest himself of '%u's garments."
i3*t~n15 o*ylrp hr5n3 t * v > ylrpn "He who tears off
his garments (of indifference, of exilism) in his dream, will find
his evil desdny also tom from him" (Berakot 57). HiS year will
be joyful and spiritually replete.

Memotial and Charity

It has become a custom among Jews to make an appeal for

charitable causes in all synagogues before the reciting of the memorial prayer. The exhortation, most pronounced on Yom Kippur,
asks aid for all d e r e r s on the ground that rfptY1 il5M il3lWn
nlt3ri
n H p ' l 9 3 ~"Penitence, prayer, and charity avert the
severe decre!en (Mahzor).
Public meimrd of the dead has been made a most sacred duty

251

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
in recent Jewish generations. The custom did not obmn in ancient
times. There is no such command mentioned in the Bible. The
customary memorial prayers were devised centuries later.
In other days Jews were interested in their own souls, in impelling their living spirits to fulfill their important Jewish duties.
Each day the Jew prayed for " the soul Thou hast placed within
me," in the trust that it would remain forever pure. But in these
days, especially in those lands wherein circumstances regularly
create neglect of duty and forgetfulness of spiritual heirlooms,
Yizkor has become the outstanding prayer; when it is recited the
size of every congregation is at its greatest.
One can of course say that occasional remembrance of past generations, of parents and friends and distant kin, is truly a beautiful
custom The spiritual wealth of a people lives in the past. Without
consideration of the great and honored dead of past eras, one
would deprive any nation of its traditional treasure, and of those
developing powers which make its entire existence justifiable. A
people without a past has no future. Its history must be largely
predicated on the achievements of those who established and
fought for it. For this reason the exploits of national fathers are
always taught to the young.
The Midrash thus speaks of the memorial prayer: 'When the
Israelites sinned with the calf, forgetting their God because Moses
deIayed his return, Cod cried angrily to Moses: P738l ,.97 im'fil
ya33 'Let Me alone. . .that I may consume them' (fiodm xxxii,
10).
"Moses thought at once that God's acts, as expressed by the
divine words, would be dependent on his (M&es') will; he therefore replied, 'Didst Thou not promise Abraham that if there were
ten righteous men in Sodom, Thon wouldst not destroy the city?
Surely among all the people of Israel there must now be ten righteous men, for whose sake all may be saved!'
"To this God rejoined, 'If thou canst enumerate these hen, I
will deliver the people.' Mases, after enumerating himself, Aaron,
Eliezer, Ittamar, Phineas, Joshua, and Caleb, could go no further.
Thereupon a thought snuck him and he asked, '(2x11 we reckon

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
the great and honored dead also as living beings?' God nodded
afhnatively. Upon this Moses shouted in triumph, 'Add the memories of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and there are
ten!' God, r e l e n ~ g ,said, 797373 9nnyb 'I have pardoned, according to thy words' ?' (Bereshit Rabbah 44).
It seems that even in Moses' time it was diacult to gather a
minyan, or religious quorum of good Jews, without reference
to the grave, to pious leaders of another generation.
The Yizkor prayer unites yesterday and today in order to build
a better tomorrow. By again coming near to our parents, we reweave the cord of "the bond of life," the eternal existence of
IsraeL
The prayer requests God's remembrance of our loved ones, inasmuch as "we offer charity" in their memory. Every Jew must
pay this obligation.
I Q B ~ W ~ .95w n5ivi1 53 ,.nixm3 n ' f ~a5ivS 81 at8
at?:, nm a5iyn p 9n5~1 85 ..nirriw~ 1'7' n5iya f~

"A man enters the world with his fists clenched. .. .as though to
say, All the world is mine; he departs with his hands open. ...as
though to say, I have taken nothing with me out of this world."
There is vast wisdom in this passage from the sages.
In the words of Rabbi Levi Isaac Berdichever, "There are no
pockets in our last garments, our shrouds. One can take nothing
along of all the wealth one has amassed here. But the garments
themselves are strengthened by the good deeds performed on this
earth. W 8 73139 3 9 3 3 9 0 4 'Accordmg. to his garments shall a
man be honored.' "

H O W JEWS SHOULD REJOI(=E

From Yom Kippur, when "ye shall f i c t your souls," until

Succoth, when "ye shall rejoice before the Eternal your God"
(hence when the soul s h d be at peace), it may be well to take
up the problem of the physical self.
Following the purification byofasting and prayer of the Jewish
sod, the Jew is prepared to celebrate the Feast of Ingathering
and assure a sound mind in a sound body.
After the fast God speaks: 5173 tSirSl n>n to ,518 5tH? r
m
hCf3WlR "What is gone is gone; from now on let us begin a new
reckoning" (Vayikra Rabbah 20). After one is cleansed of sh,
life can be carried on anew.
But the Jew cannot celebrate his 'Time of Our RejoiciagW in
the manner of other groups engaged in national festivity by
banqueting and sinful night life. PWY> 592 7 8 SM7Wq RoWn SH
"Let not Israel rejoice in em-s, like the other nations." Their
excessive and lustful pleasures can only be harmful to the Jew;
his newly cleansed soul cannot be permitta to become impure
again. Wild revelry does not accord with the spirit of Yom Kippur.
ow* ny3w t 3 w n n l 3 D 3 'Ye shall abide in booths seven
days" (Leviticus xxiii, 42). In tiny huts covered with vegetation,
through which the dweller could look up at heaven, while heaven
looked down upon him there rhe Israelite was to observe his
feast of joy and harvest.
9 ~ 7 yn v ? > >tw $133 n7-?ta mr "Depart out of thy permanent dwelling, and abide in a temporary home." Purified spirits
do not feel at home in mansions, nor can they well e n d m excessive
luxury. Since human life is so fleeting, why should it be enslaved
and encumbered by massive walls and costly posesdons, requiring so great an expenditure and a lifebme of bard labor?
F u r t h e m e , a life of too great enlargement leads to pride and
pusillanimity. Man may come to believe that his riches are altogether his and can never be taken from him; he may thezap

254

feel himself unbound to help the poor and needy. Everyone must
know that life is but a temporary abiding, a tiny hut that is used
but seven short days.
The pursuit of sefish peasures deadens the emotions and converts man into a beast. He no longer is concerned over the circumstances of brother or neighbor. Even his community and nation become alien to him, in his self-importance he recognizes the
worth of no one. This sort of life is not the Jewish mode of existence, prescribed by the Eternal.
S. Ansky relates in "The Dibbuk": "A wealthy follower once
came to his rabbi for advice. This man, despite his riches, was
niggardly and rarely gave charity. The rabbi conducted him to
the window looking out into the street, remarking, 'Tell me whom
you see there.' The visitor named all whom he glimpsed. Then
the rabbi led him to the mirror and asked the same query. The
man replied that he saw only himself. 'See now,' spoke the rabbi;
'this is the same kind of glass which is used as window, except
that it is covered with silver and all that you can see in it is
y o d ! ' 'I

Unity and Nm'onul P&ie

Interpreters of Jewish law are agreed that the use of the lulaw
is designed to teach Israel the need for unity. Since the four p m
ducts - etrog, lulav, myrtle, and willow - must be bound together,
for use under the religious law, so must all classes of Jews be unified in order to build up all IsraeL

mil ,n*'l u pn1 ayp w wq 3715 ,nq'l u WY aya 13 wq ji'lnn

r i t ~ ~ p i wna
r l f q ~ iayn n3 1% nmy ,nya a ;*nt n"l 13 t ~ n
~ S H5y 1% p'laarr mi nnn nntn a73 "The earog hastaste
and WIIM',the IuIav has taste but no aroma, the myrtle has aroma

but no taste;the willow has neither taste nor aroma - they are all
to be bound together, with each serving as complement for the
others" (Vayika Rabbah 30).
The four products represent all classes of Jews -- the learned,
the wealthy, the middle class, and the poor. They are all children

of one God. When united, they supplement one another, and form
a single complete nation.
The four also symbolize the individual:

,f*y5 ~ ~ 1b '~1n n
, o w 5w n77w5 n ~ i 3515n
7
,355 i~t31.13nn~n
nB5 nD17 n37pn "The etrog is likened to the heart; the lulav to
the backbone; the myrtle to the eye; and the willow to the mouth"
(ibid.).
Human members and senses are united and perform their duties
in consonance. If the heart feels one thing and the mouth speaks
another, one is not an honest man. If the eye sees the truth and the
backbone bows to falsehood, the stronger influence, one becomes
a hypocrite.
Rabbi Isaac Nissenbaum thus comments on the midrash:
"The chief requirement of the etrog is that it shall belong to
the user, grown in hi garden or purchased with his money. One
cannot employ one that belongs to another or has been borrowed,
or whose ownership is unknown. This is derived from the passage:
0 3 5 ,035
~ ~ - I T n yy *7a 035 annp5i ' "And ye shall take
you the fruit of the tree hadar" - it must be yours, belonging to
you' (Succah 27).
"The etrog - the heart of Israel must h a y s be yours, fully
Jewish, loyal to God and people. It must take part in popular joys
and sorrows. 51bB 31IVIHn 37D3 'An etrog that is split may not
be used.' A Jewish heart that is riven by alien thoughts is not Jewish; it is of no worth.
"The lulav, backbone, q~ustaIso be y w s proud of its o*,
true to its people's ideals; it may not bend to foreign influences.
51b3 D1C/yi( :X7Bf 'It is forbidden for use if its leaves are pulled
apart.' A man's spine must be entire; if the vertebrae have been
separated by some foreign body, he becomes a useless cripple.
"The myrtle - eyes
must always be directed toward the
people. They must seek means of being helpful. Once they look
away, toward foreignisms, strange ways, they cause the people
much harm.
"The willow - mouth must by all means be yours. It must
be all truth and loyalty. A Jew who viWes another, or who ria-

cules a Jewish custom or ideal, spreads hatred and contempt and

shame for his people. No one can respect a mouth that spews over
its own face. The mouth of Jewry must also speak the intent of
the people, demand its rights, and defend it against assault."

Succah

- Symbol of Jewry

The sages call the Jewish nation "succah." Since Israel was
driven from its soil, it has become P719 7W I n 3 l D "the succah of
the world." We have been unable to erect any permanent home
in the many lands of ow long exile. Therefore do we pray that
God raise again the n 7 D l f n 37 n 3 l D "fallen succah of David
(king of Israel)."
The prophet Zechariah, in the prophetic portion read on the
festival, angrily assails the nations which prevented or refused
to assist the rebuilding of the Jewish homeland. He warns them
that for this reason nothing will grow on their fields: Pil'Sy 87
PW2n i l W "the rain will not fall on them."
f i n ? ~?y' N? I W N n s ~ f i l33 n w n l PZIYD nmn wnn nw
n t 3 ~ n2n n N "This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the
punishment of all the nations that will not come up to celebrate
the feast of tabernacles" (xiv, 19). These words refer to all who
stand in the way of Jewish revival in Palestine.

REJOICING IN T H E LAW
SIMHAT TORAH

nnn finBW3 tnPwt 1W.W "Rejoice and be glad on Simhat

Torah." Jews rejoice in the Torah, and the Torah rejoices in them.
The Jewish nation is the only one that celebrates separately a
"Time of the Giving of Our Law" and a "Rejoicing in the Law."
One cannot find joy in mere acceptance of a Law; there is no
prevision of the outcome of its precepts. The Law must be carried
into daily practice, ere one can achieve satisfaction and joy through
it
Only following the complete reading of the Torah, with understanding of its ideals and principles, does it provide uue gratification. The Jew must first realize the "we shall do" as well as the
"we shall hear" of the biblical phrase. For the Torah finds delight
in the Jew reciprocally; it is interwoven with his being.
Asks the Yalkut: "Why did not God give the Torah to Abraham, the f i m to acknowledge the Godhead and teach divinity to
children and neighbors? ITas not God Himself said, 'For I know
him, that he will command his children b d his household after
him, and they shall keep the way of the Eternal'?" It answers:

ny7 ,nrnin ~i=ri

n9ww n3 n'ilw iliinil nn ~5 nw=rpnn3n
niin=rnm tnn 939 nv9w 973 ,nin D ~ W Wt9ilw ilm 913~939mv
"God waited to give the Torah, which has 600,ooo letters, to the
time of Moses, when there was an equal number of Israelites, so
that every person might have one letter of the To&" (Yalkut
Shimeoni, Jethro)
A living Law must belong to all living humans. The Torah was
not given to chosen individuals, to the learned alone. Had it been
such a document, it could have had no nfluence upon the people at
large. Each Jew has his share in the Law hence they are both
immortal.
5 ~ 1 935
~ 9~9n
nwitts--nwim nw, US ntr nim T h e
Torah which Moses commanded unto us is an inheritance an
inheritance for the entire nation" (Sanhedrin 91).

258

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
The earth was created according to the plan detailed in the
Torah: ~Slyrt nn n~ulmlnl a m rrv rt"33n "God
c d t e d the T o a h and then created the world" (Genesis Rab-

bah I).
In this one can comprehend the difference between Reform and

/
I

orthodox Jewry. The orthodox Jew believes that the Torah existed long before the world, and that the men who came after had
to govern their lives according to its ordinances. Law and faith
are not the creation of flesh and blood; and man may not alter
his nature according to differing circumstances or viewpoints.
The Reformer, however, maintains that man came first upon
earth, and that the Torah is largely man's product - hence he may
alter it to accord with his chosen way of life, with new surroundings or times.
History has demonstrated that the Torah and Judaism have remained with the orthodox and not with the Reformists. No Jewish "reform" movement has ever persisted. For a short period it
attracted the wealthier classes, who wished to liberate themselves
from the yoke of the Law which made them different from other
naticms and from their neighbors. But soon the stream of their own
"reformation" tore them from their Jewish moorings, and their
children readily succumbed to other faiths.
Prof. John Foot Moore, famed Christian Semitic scholar, relates
the following anecdote in connection with a discussion of Jewish
Reform:
"A farmer purchased a pair of trousers of a peddler. But they
proved too long for him At the table he asked both mother-inlaw, wife, and daughter to shorten them by two inches. The
mother-in-law, first to retire, remembered to abbreviate the garment by the required length. The wife, who had been occupied
in the kitchen, pefonned the same o p e d o n later. The daughter,
retnrning late from a dance, like a good, obedient child, did likewise. One a n imagine what was the result on the trousers. .. ."
As soan as men permit themselves to cut down Torah and faith,
there will be no end to their operatiom. Each cuts a little he& or
them, until thm is nothing fcmaining of folk-rradition and belief.

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
When a Jew adopts a new idea, it should be grounded in or in
consonance with the teachings of Sinai. Then may it have an assured existence among his people.
VD mlt 1 5 2 ~
7111 711 512

nl~2~nilS
wvnV

nn

~ 9 ~ 9 l 3 i l w

"That which the prophets were to prophecy in the generations to

come they received from Mount Sinai" (Tanhuma, Jethro).
At all times during which the Jew obsemes his Law and follows
its precepts, God remains with him. 9n73lt3-9n7tn D35 9n73n
illtv "I transmitted my Torah unto you, and with it Myself"
(Exodus Rabbah 33).

The Torah Belongs

to

All

Although the Jew alone rejoices in the Law, and is always prepared to offer the greatest of sacrifices to maintain it, he is not
niggardly in regarding it as his sole possession. All are welcome to
study and obseme it.
I l f P l mum ilSfi~
"Why was the Torah given in
the wilderness" and not in Palestine, in Jerusalem, on the sacred
mount? The answer is characteristic of our great teachers, who
nfn3 15'NW
always prayed for all nations and for world peace:
n l p5R DSlVn nltllN5 f9N SN7wq"Nl mln "Had the Torah
been given in Palestine, the nations of the world would have had
no share in it" (Mekilta 5 ) .
The Law was transmitted in the wilderness, untrammeled and
free for all. Therein lies its strength. Neither the Torah nor its
followers are delimited, so that they may not be able to exist in
accord with any site wherein they are found. The Torah recognizes that 8~91Nm35lt1 Nftf "The law of the land must be
obsemed." It has no intent of severing its followers from all other
folk. D i l l nlL)9tv 851 ,=r9n3Dn=r 9nt "The Torah writes that
one must live through observances of its precepts, not die through
them" Too rigorous laws strongly enchain the people and de
prive them of joy in life.
Our sages and teachers have always sought to extend the wnceps of our Law; and whenever they recognized a law or custom

260

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

of another group, they found an Hn3DDH "support" - in the

Torah. My father once told me: "There is a great difference between Judaizing a non-Jewish law, or 'gentilizing' a Jewish law.
The fim enriches and strengthens our own; the other rends from
us part of our heritage and reduces its worth."
Rabbi Mordecai Aaron of Koydenov once spoke on Simhat Torah: "Jews are accurnstomed to sell the privilege of being bridegroom of the Law' and 'bridegroom of Genesis,' for since we love
the bride, the Torah, we are willing to give her an added gift.
A groom who marries for the bride's dowry cannot love her wholeheartedly. But we love the Law for its own virtues, and have no
desire of reward for observing its precepts. Hence do we dance
on Simhat Torah and sing the injunction to rejoice on the day.
W e rejoice in the Torah, and the Torah rejoices in us."

ISRAEL'S PERENNIAL TRAGIEDY

PURIM
q i ~ qNS a ~ r aiT t t m n T i n D n2y9 H'l n5nn a s ~ t ~*r)*1
n
W 7 t T l n D "And these days of Purim will not pass away from

the midst of the Jews, nor wiU their memorial cease from their
seed" (x, r 8). il7DH3 tWlPil R l 7 2 'VIDH :qDlT '7 7DN "To this
R Joseph comments: The Book of Esther was given in the holy
spirit" (Megdlah 7), for it presents a Jewish tragedy which has
repeated itself during the long era of Jewish exile.
The identical complaints employed by Haman against h e l
thousands of years ago are to this day reiterated by his followers,
antiSemites in all lands. The sorrowful status of being "scattered
and dispersed among the nations," ever a small helpless minority
existing insecurely on the turn of fate, is still the destiny of Israel.
Haman's plea to Ahasuerus, "It is no profit to the king to tolerate
them," remains the slogan of the Judaeophobes.
There is much evidence of prophecy in Haman's charge
a9wy O ~ ~ LT JS D ~qnr-nwi ayJm n i 3 w an9nri 'Theirlaws
are Merent from those of every people; while they do not execute
the laws of the king" (iv, 8 ) . N J 9 5 7 ~ D 871 Df35P kt7 0*7r)BQ 1%
T r y t D a q t 2 n t "They do not observe and indeed despise all your
days of festival'' (Midrash Rabbah).
Unwittingly here Haman expressed the accepted &ought of rll
students of Jewish history. They are all agreed that the only
power which sustained Israel through the long cmel exile, was
and still is the observance of their relights laws and cuskms,
which they bore with them from their ancient homeland and
maintained through fire and flame in all lands and periods. "When
the Jews observe their traditions, their Sbbaths and fesrivals,
they b d d a great nation which cannot be destroyed. But so soon
as they begin, in various lands, to ape their neighbors by observing
Sundays and ristmases, they are broken up into p d y local
groups and sever the cord which binds them into a single nation"
(Moore: Judaism).
262

Esther Perpehlates P

h
nnn9 *3ry2p ,am3n5 m~wnn? nn5a "Esther sent to
all the sages, bidding them establish Purim for the ages." ,nS tn5w
nl?3lHn p25 u*5y n33rp nnn nnn33 "They replied, DO you
wish to arouse the ire of the nations against us?"
~ ' l b*m
i
9 3 5 ~ 5D * D * ~-3'5

5y

93nn

nam3

323

:nn5 nn5v

"Upon which she wrote: I am already inscribed in the history of

the lungs of the Medes and Persians" (Megdlah 7). There is a
byword among the wise: "If you wish to acquaint yourselves
with the history of the world, study the story of the Jews, since
they have had dealings with all the nations." The Talmud indicates that in order to understand Jewish history one should learn
the story of all nations among whom Jews have lived, insomuch
that through political considerations many events of great significance have been omitted from the written history of the Jews.
In addition to the regular festivals prescribed on Sinai and never
to be abrogated, Jews in many lands have adopted additional festivals, celebrating specific historic events. In "Megillat Taanit"
alone there are enumerated thirty-five days of celebration, of
which it is said, Pn3 ~DDoS HS Yl On3 H**3ynilS H7 *t "One
may not fast or mourn thereon." The sages later abrogated these
observances, except Purim and Chanukah, though these also are
nor prescribed in the Torah.
~ 9 5 ~ 2 nn5
3 n9'~i~t
n3un ,n*5a2 r*n* n*-ryrDn 73 nnn
"Though all other festivals die, Chanukah and Purim will never
be annulled" (Jerusalem Taanit 2). The reason for this declaration is that Chanukah took place in Palestine and had a profound
influence upon Israel's later development; and that Purim is a
symbd of Jewish life everywhere, and evidence of Jewish irnmrtaliry.
The Midrash comments bribntly:

nn3pil?nn,nwn9n fa nnn t2nn'lr n n f t*~wn5f ~ m>w

n nywJ

q4n B'IV tmTn51Y HSli m*awn'l *n?w9 3 ~ ,nLny3w

.
illrrrw
d,
PWBW m e n Haman wrote the decree to destroy, to I
to exmmhte d the Jews,the Holy One blessed be He, declared,

263

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
Fool of all the world, I too once tried unsuccessfully to destmy
them - your head will fall before theirs! " (Esther Rabbah 7).
The Jewish people has been destined by God Himself to live forever, for 7il NnvS71N1 5~7W91n"33 "The Holy One, Israel,
and the Torah are one." The death of Israel would mean the death
of religion and Law.
Those who persecute Israel will receive their due punishment.
589732 3v~n-1*7y ?BJ y y i ~nN -r~n
q 9 3 ~f ~ nvnw
n
nyw3
n 9 3 7BV5 ,'1BN1 'When Haman deliberated upon and measured the gallows upon which to hang Mordecai, it fell upon himwhereupon the angel Gabriel remarked, You have built it for
yourself" (Jellinek: Bet Hamidrash 6). All the Hamans who like
wise erected gibbets for Israel have themselves died thereon, while
the Jews continued to live.

Criticism of "Esther7'
Not all our scriptural interpreters are friendly toward Esther
and Mordecai. Many citicize the book as a picture of assimilation
in exile. For there is nowhere mention of God's name, and by
many this is cause for censure. Israel did not adopt the day as coequal with the festivals enumerated in the Torah and generally
observed.
Rabbi Jonathan Eibschutz, in his 'Yaarat Dwash," quotes
from the Talmud Hullin: m b n 7PN3W ,193~infnn p 7nDH
*JD nN 74nDK "How do we know that Esther is p r o g n d cated even in the Torah? Insomuch as it is written, 'I shall surely
hide (aster hartir) My countenance'"
a pun on the Hebrew.
Her true name was Hadassah; this she altered to the name of a
Persian goddess, since assimilation leads to concealment of Jewish
appearance and origin.
The story is mainly concerned with a "Jewish
who sat
"at the kng's gate" looking up at the palace windows. Hi niece, or
foster-daughter, would not divulge to the king her race or origin,
9371W it** 373 f3 93 "for thus did Mordecai command her."
Only after the publication of vicious decrees against the people,

="

264

under which he too would suffer, and for which he was largely
responsible, did Mordecai trouble himself over the condition of
his own folk. The same applies to Esther, as she moved to attain
the king's clemency for herself and her kin against the decrees of
the wicked Haman.
The Talmud utters similar strictures against the entire Jewish
generation of that day:
ti9y37Ha mi9 nym mDn n'1l~1
n*na3 maw1 "The handing of the king's ring to Haman was
more efficacious than all the utterances of the forty-eight prophets
urging loyalty to God and Torah" (Megillah I+).
Those who return to their people because of outer pressure,
through the persecution of the various classes whose friendship
they once sycophantly pursued, have had no part in the creation
of Jewish history. For this reason Purim is a day only of joy and
feasting, and is otherwise no outstanding festival. n93yn1 LlDN

?n**Sy1'113 wS >in n i y n i t ) n3nhl '1% , t m n "One may

not fast or mourn on the day, but labor may be carried on, for the
people did not accept it as a full festival" (Megdah 5b).

FIRST SABBATH OF ISRAEL'S FREEDOM

SHABBAT HAGADOL
The Saturday before Passover is traditionally known as the
Great Sabbath. In many pious Jewish households it is customary
to read part of the Passover Hagadah on that day, for it is reckoned as a segment of the important festival of deliverance. Surely
the first day of rest after a people's emancipation must be a Great
Sabbath, since only free men can grasp the true merit of a national
day of respite from labor.
When Moses first approached the Israelites with the news that
God had mercifully determined to free them from Egyptian bondage, they paid little heed to his words. nwtt~ 9H f y ~ W ~ 9 1
nwp ntl3yD1 iT> > l 1 p ~ "But they hearkened not unto Moses
through anguish of spirit, and through hard service" (Exodus vi,
9).

Men who are enslaved by day and by night, expending all their
energies to the enrichment of others, laboring seven days a week
without any day's respite, are not capable of understanding the
meaning of human emancipation.
The blind can never appreciate the beauty of the sun; the slave
can never properly estimate the boon of freedom. During the
American Civil War, instituted to free the slaves, history relates
that most of the colored slaves fought with their masters against
the North, in direct oppostion to their own redemption. President
Lincoln was compelled to despatch agents to convince the mthem n e p that the war was being waged in his own behalf.
When Moses became aware that his greatest difEculty resided
in Israel itself, so steeped in the iniquities of bondage as to be disinclined to aid in its own deliverance, nlmn 01' 0nS 1pnl t7n
"he at once proceeded to establish the Sabbath day for &emn
(Midrash Rabbah I). From Pharaoh he obtained the concession
of one day's rest a week, so that through rest they might develop
is w e purpose, quite underrenewed energy for later labon. H
standably, was to provide the Israelites with one free day on which

266

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
He might reason with them and gain their assistance in the com-

ing act of deliverance.

Yet with all its obvious virtues, a Sabbath observed in exile is
not exalted enough to merit the designation of Great Sabbath. Rest
only for the purpose of beiig able to toil the more rigorously
thereafter, is too materialistic an ideal. There may be holiness in
the concept itself, but a day that serves as mere preparation for
ordinary mundane activity cannot bear the true aspect of a national festival. The Sabbath, to be indeed "great," must powm
the n7n9 nDW3 "oversoul" - which can elevate man from his
weekday life to a high worldly rank.

Symbol of Jewish Strength

Jewish communities everywhere became accustomed to hear

rabbinical discourses on the Great Sabbath concerning the various
Passover regulations. Congregations were highly interested in
learning these laws, and the rabbis were just as eager to expound
them In these times, however, particularly in America, few
queries are propounded; and the populace is not so ready to be
informed thereon - hence the Great Sabbath lectures have taken
a Merent character.
It is told of Rabbi Zevi Hirsch Berliner, then rabbi in Mannheim,
Germany, that on one Great Sabbath he announced that he would
deliver no address on the day. When several householders protested this violation of an ancient tradition, he replied: "The sages
say, Q D D ~ an3 nba n135n3 pWV71 t4nlw 'One must
inquire about and expound the laws of Passover before the coming
of Passover.' Both words are employed here, to indicate that when
members of the congregation actually inquire about the Passover
laws, then only is the rabbi to expound their doubts and meanings
in a public address. But in a city like Mannheim, where there.are
none to inquire of the rabbi since in all likelihood the householders already know all there is to know, the rabbi is exempt from
'do&'
(which means both 'expound' and 'address publicly')."
Rabbi Amiel's Dermhot el Am. comments on the custom of re-

267

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
moving all leaven on the eve of the Passover: "Every pious Jew
accompanies his destruction of the leaven with the words, 'All
manner of leaven that is in my possession. . . .shall be considered
null and void, and accounted as the dust of the earth.' This idea
of nullification is the strength of Israel.
"The sages prescribe three forms of renouncing lost property:
yiurh, or completely despair of its return; hefker, or permitting
tis appropriation by any finder; and bittul, or complete surrender
of all rights and ownership, even as though the owner had never
actually possessed it.
"In exilic lands we Jews often employ all three methods simultaneously. When persecutions break out, and Jews are deprived
of their goods and freedom, many of us - in particular the assimiationists who have convinced themselves that their defection has
assured them an unimpeachable place in their country's economy
fall into immediate deep despair and rush into suicide.
"Others - and these will include the persons of means who have
not altogether doffed their Jewishness but who have never been
too close to their people - immediately give up their belongings
to any who seek them, save what they can, and rush off wherever
they find a turning. They wander into new lands to find a new
life. .. .to remain there until the wave of antisemitism engulfs
this country also, and compels the repetition of the process.
"But nationalist and religious Jem, do not despair and lose their
courage. They pass off the tragic events as though they had never
existed, and turn their thoughts to a new hope of redemption.
They have always known that the Jew is like a sheep among the
volves, because he has been living in exile, everywhere a small
minority. This fact has made it possible for corrupt political
schemers to draw the general attention away from their own
misdeeds and ascribe them to the helpless Jewish community.
"Jews must destroy, pass off the leaven; they should not lose
their courage W e live on the eve of Passover always. Passover is
soon to come. The day of our deliverance is at hand."
Rabbi Levi Isaac Berdichever, known as Israel's great defender,
once went out to the public market, after d q a h g of his leaven

268

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
on the eve of Passover. There he encountered a gentile smuggler.
"Have you any foreign silks?" asked the rabbi.
"I have," answered the smuggler.
"How many yards?"
"As many as you want."
The rabbi walked off at this point and m a a Jew.
Of him the rabbi asked, "Have you any leaven?"
"Leaven?" returned the Jew, in perturbation. "Certainly not!
I destroyed it all."
Seeing another Jew, the rabbi asked the same question.
'Why, rabbi!" exclaimed this one. "I'm a good Jew!"
Upon which Berdichever stopped and raised his hands to heaven, exclaiming, "Master of the universe! See how holy is your
people Israel! The czar is so powerful, with armies and mighty
weapons and instruments of punishment. H e has forbidden the
importation of goods from without and has placed a permanent
border-guard to prevent smuggling - yet these goods are openly
sdd in the,marketplace. But You, 0,God, have merely written
down our laws in the holy Torah - one sentence, 'Let not leaven
be seen among you' - You employ no boundary, no guard; yet on
the eve of the Passover not a crumb of the forbidden leaven is
found in the Jewish community!" (B. Jo~sohn,Fm Alten k ) .

SEDER

- SYMBOL OF JEWISHLIFE
PASSOVER

The seder, celebrated the first two nights of Passover, in a symbol of Jewish life in all parts of the world. Since we speak of the
earth's four corners, the number four properly rules the entire
ceremony. The Hagadah is written for the "four sons," representing the four classes of Jews: - the wise man, seeking to know
everythmg; the wicked who ridicules everything; the simple, who
and he who cannot ask, who is apart from all
knows no-;
knowledge.
Four cups of wine must be drunk, because of the four expressions used by God to s i g d y Israel's deliverance,*n5~rt'i,*nNrlill
'n5N2l ,*nnpfl "And I shall bring forth; save; take; redeem."
There are four chief foods - pesach, ma&,
mmor, and haroset.
The fim is the offering of the paschal lamb; represented on our
phtes by a single roast bone, it records the angel of death's passing over the homes of the Israelites at the time when every firstborn was destined to die. Maaah is the bread hastily baked by the
fleeing Israelites in lieu of ordinary bread. Maror, bitter herbs,
reminds us of the bitterness imposed on us by the Egyptian taskmasters. Haroset, looking like mortar, is prescribed as a result of
Israel's hard labor with bricks and mortar.
The children, for whom the seder is primaily designed, are expected to ask four questions. Thus the four corners of the world
have left their impress on the numerical character of Passover
CuStOIlES.

The seder plate, besides the foods mentioned, must also contain
a hard-boiled egg, symbol of mourning, for 5n ,nOD 13 5nw 01*3
343 n)!wn P2 U "Tishah Beab falls on the same day of the week
as Passover" (Orach Qayim 473). At the end of the seder a cnp
is poured for the prophet Elijah, who will announce the coming
redemption to US: n'm 7512 mpan n.3 33nw a i a T h e
Messiah was born on the very day on which the Tempfe was des-

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
troyed" The Hagadah reading must also conclude with the phrase,
D97W1'193 i i H 3 i i ii3W7 "Next year in Jerusalem!"
So has the mystic wheel of Israel's destiny turned through these
thousands of years. n 9 3 1 3 i y 3 D9WDnWD T W n 1 '11H "Light and
darkness are inextricably mingled." Joy and sorrow, hope and
plaint, ever combined - this is the fate of the chosen people, existing after so many centuries of persecution. Our situation is still
tragic; maror and haroset are consistently our fare. The Jew's existence is bitter in every land of his habitation. He still expends
his energies in building Pithom and Raamses for others. T o this
day does the Jew celebrate his early emancipation with mourning
over the last destruction. But despair, surrender of life and hope,
this does not follow. The eternal trust in the ultimate return as a
free man to Jerusalem brings strength and courage to Israel.

Seder Past and Present

When the Jews lived on their own land, their seder was a commmal o b s e k c e and not one for each household separately. As
to the paschal offering the Torah commands, 7HTW9 n.ry 7 3
l n l H t W y T "The entire congregation of Israel shall perform it."
All the families in one section of the land would assemble to partake in the sacrificial ceremony. So soon as this offering is presented
as symbol of Jewish freedom, all Jews must partake of it - for
only through unity can any national independence be maintained.
The sacrificial rite on Passover was unique. The sacrifice could
not be eaten half-roasted; it could not serve as atonement for the
entire people if only partly prepared. It could not be cooked in
water, but must always be roased in fire, entire, thus retaining all
its savor (Exodus Rabbah 18). An alien might not eat it - one
who is foreign to his people and its ideals can have no part in its
religious life. Such a one may bring in strange thoughts, that may
harm all traditional development.
The Talmud calls this offering n t i i 7 9 nDB "a paschal sacrifice for the generations." For in every generation, at every-time,
when the Jews wish to bring a sacrifice for freedom, they must

THEETERNAL
FOUNT

unite all their efforts toward redemption, toward upbuilding of

land and people. A paschal offering brought by all the people,
and in accord with biblical prescriptions i l t t ~ l ~ inlN nnlf
"drives away all uncleanliness" (Pesahim 96). T o be pure before
God any national offering for liberty must derive from all the
people and all their powers.
The seder now observed is only a memory of the ancient form
h e a d of the actual paschal lamb, of which all the nation partook,
we have only a small bone. In lieu of great sacrifices of the past
for our own safety and redemption, we are in truth today sated
with a bone. We can expect nothing other. The seder dish is
largely occupied by maror, haroset, and the hard-boiled egg,
which as symbol of mourning, reminds the Jew that he is not in
his own homeland.
Hence does the pious and understanding Jew properly recite
the words of the Hagadah: n31f f 3 lnlN 3 7 ~ 7 UD! 3WN3
inirccy7 "As we were privileged to prepare it, so may we be
it." In exile we can only make preparations
privileged t ~ ' ~ e r f o r m
in the matter of sacrifice; actual achievement for our future must
await our return to our own home, our own land.

The Gaon of Wilna on Redemption

So writes the Gaon of Wilna in Aderet Elijah, portion Ekeb:
ntrfw f r l x y7Nir niJ*17 "Three things are required
for the return to Palestine: Y3H7 YlnD nNx7 n u n "preparations to leave alien soil"; f 7' 7WN 777n "the path on which to
go"; nwnpn Y3H7 lfN*lil "entry unto the Holy Land."
In these words there is discovered great wisdom, which every
laborer for Israel's redemption shouId understand. Entrance into
the land and creation of a new life there is greatly dependent
upon the path to be taken. If the path is the old way of Israel's
progress, if it is built upon the centuries old experiences of the
race, created with full comprehension of Jewish principles, the
journey will prove happy and successful.
But both enay and path can be of service only if the first reDrllf

272

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
quirement is met. Preparations to leave alien lands must mean the
breathing out of the alien dust in our lungs, the development of a
new vitality and endurance such as the nation long ago possessed.
This is altogether essential to the consummation of any plan for
the saving of Israel.
As long as we choose to submit to galw influences, and refuse
to employ the original powers that made us a chosen pepole, the
obstacles in our progress will remain great and troublesome.
No nation has gained its soil as a favor from other nations. If
a group settles a territory only through the continuing good graces
of "the giants that are in the earth," the land becomes nS31N Y7H
il'3WlT
"one that consumes its own inhabitants." Any position
there created through the blood and gold of the people, which
remains dependent on the good will of other peoples, is thereby
enfeebled; its future is always uncerrain.
W e must wipe the dust of exile from our garments - selfsubjection and humility created by the diaspora. W e must proudly
demand that which is ours, and to which history entitles us. No
part of our exilism must be brought into Palestine. The land must
resume the original qualities of body and sod which once it possessed. The traditions which long have served as our bulwark
should assume their proper format in our own land.
Let us prepare a proper seder for our future. "This year we
are in servitude," enslaved by alien cultures. These will have to
be given up. Then can we hope, with God's help, to be privileged
to perform our Passover duty to the full, and to be able to cry,
"Next year we shall be free men!"

CROSSING THE RED SEA

PASSOVER - SEVENTH DAY

On the seventh day of Passover there is read in all synagogues
the paean of praise beginning "Then sang Moses." This fo110wed
the splitting of the Red Sea and the peaceful passage of Moses
and his people. The Egyptians following them, however, were
drowned; for immediately after Israel's crossing the mighty waves
swept down upon the pursuing army.
~ 9
nyw)
The sages say: P31H5 rp5nnl ,o'n 5y 5 ~ 1 rmyw
nm2 "When the Israelites stood on the shore of the sea (watching the pursuers), they separated into four groups." One group
said, f'T32 nltW "Let us pray against them." This division was
composed largely of the pious old folk, who saw no means of succoring themselves from the mighty Pharaoh and his vast armies
except through some awaited miracle.
A second group cried, P*il 5kt1 5103 "Let us plunge into the
sea!" These comprised, in all likelihood, the "princes of Judah,"
the wealthy assimilatory Jews who placed little credence in Moses
and his promises. These persons followed the rest of the nation into
the wilderness only because they were unable to remain in Egypt.
Fearful of the huge host threatening them, and convinced that
Pharaoh, victorious, would subject them to horrible tortures, they
yielded to despair. Since they saw no way of escape, they preferred to take their own lives. Self-destruction would solve ail
their problems.
The third faction wailed, n9w13'Z lltnt 'Xet as return to
Egypt!" These were the more ignorant people, to whom the fleshpots of Egypt were the most influenrial consideration. They were
too steeped in slavery to understand the value of freedom. They
had first accompanied Moses out of wonderment over the wemendous miracles he had accomphshed in Egypt, and they had
been assured that their progress back to Palestine would prove
facile. But when they remarked the hardships and baxtles they had

to encounter, they regretted their step, and sought return to their

former bondage.
The fourth group made this decision: nan5a atmy nwy3
"Let us wage war with them!" Those who spoke thus were the
nationalists, who understood that a people's freedom cannot be
lightly won, that one must fight, even risk one's life, for liberty.
Death on the field of battle was far more pleasing to them than a
lifetime of slavery. Better to die free thaa live in fetters (Midrash
Hazait I, 14; Jerusalem Taanit 2).
Moses, with full faith in the Lord, and convinced that God
would send salvation at the right moment, quieted the people. T o
those who wished to pray, he said, ZlWvlnn DnMl "Ye be silent."
Their means were not the proper ones in the present emergency.
Prayer alone would not provide salvation and protection from imminent danger. Deliverance could not depend upon miracles. Actual physical effort was the only way of coping with the emergency*
The second group, despairingly advocating suicide, were thus
addressed by Moses: 'il nyial nrs 1H71 13wnn "Stand by, and
see the salvation from the Lord." Men lacking confidence in their
God and their people readily succumb to despair and lose courage.
God's aid can come only when one has faith in the Divine and
in the deathlessness of the race. Such faith gives courage to endure.
T o the third party, bent on returning to Egypt, Moses declared:
~nimStaqaul HS nvil ~ 9 7 ~nH3 n n w ~ W H93 "As ye see
the Egyptians this day, ye shall no longer see them." For now
they are pursuing you, with apparent interest in your destiny. It
is possible that they will approach you in an effort to convince
you that they regret their actions of the past, but that now they
will treat you as equals. But you will be in error if you hearken
to them. The moment you return,you will be again enslaved and
forced to expend your energies to their profit alone. No advantage
can thereby accrue to you (IUiinbaum: Sabbath Addresses).
The fighting faction was thus silenced: 1335 Dn59 'n "The
Lord will fight for you." Your self-sacrifice will not be in v h ;
God will help you. Later the prophet was to say of Israel's re-

275

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
demption, t1395N j131WN1 9% n31W "Return unto Me, and I
will return unto you" (Malachi iii, 7). Those who fight for freedom are helped by God, and are privileged to celebrate their
deliverance and independence.

The T m Arks
When the Israelites witnessed the crussing of the sea and the
destruction of Pharaoh, their enemy, they broke into the paean,
"Then sang Mo~es."
minn ;a vnan n w 5 1~312,'l*w*N ~ 'Nl a ~NS
f 'lw , ' l w 9%
"Said Rabbi Meir, The word is not 'he sang,' in the past; but the
future, 'he will sing.' From this we derive the truth of resurrection, that the dead wilI return to life" (Sanhedrin 81b). Jewish
redemption is not a matter of the past; it will yet come in the
future, with the triumph of the chosen people. The mighty forces
that labored for Israel's emergence, and still fight for its existence,
will never die. Resurrection is to be derived from the Torah. No
matter how tragic the people's state, no matter how close to dissolution, it will be revivified. "Thou shalt live by them," declares
the Torah; by these laws and against the divine command the
mightiest enemy loses its power. The Jew will yet chant his song
of deliverance, when all his persecutors have vanished.
The Jew has lost the concept of past and present; he lives
only for the future. H
i
s yesterday and today serve him solely
for the beautiful tomorrow toward which he is striving, and
which he hopes for in all times and circumstances. With him
are ever his magnificent ancestors. They remain alive in his
spirit; each festival day he memorializes them

na 5w

?RN,ntfn~
9fw 19il73m3 5mw9 i9nw w f w

;nm 53

nt by nt n935;ma nf93w 5w mNt "Allthe years during which

LsraeI spent in the wilderness, the ark containing the bones cd
Joseph and the ark containing the tablets of God's Law traveled
~ e r y(Sotah
y 13).
The Jwephs, Israel's defenders, live forever in the people's
memory. Together with his Torah, for which he is pnpared to

276

THEETERNAL
FOUNT
lay down his life, is the memory dear unto the Jew of his great
ancestors, who transmitted to him the elements of immortality.
The entire wilderness, the huge darkling exile, is strewn with
dry bones; thus speaks the prophet in today's prophetic portion:
ilb7 5HlW' nsl-53 il5Hil nlnxyil "These bones are the whole
house of Israel" (Ezekiel xxxvii, I I). But if Israel carries with it
the ark of the tablets, ilSHil nlnxyil my'nn "these dry bones
will come to life," and salvation will surely come unto IsraeL

TRANSLATOR'S

NOTE

In 1932 I had occasion to compile and edit an anthology of

sermons by American rabbis on the fifty-four annual portions of
the week. In my preface therein I protested against the inferior
books and plays, the current news stories and political aberrations, which had become the texts of countless synagogue addresses. It was my purpose to "see a compilation of Jewish sermons that reverted to the old forms and manners."
Whatever strictures were expressed or implied in that anthology (somewhat flamboyantly titled "The Books of Moses")
applied, of course, only to the sermon in English, and hardly at all
to those delivered or written in Yiddish and Hebrew. For the old
time orthodox Jewish preacher has always found his inspiration
in the words of Holy Writ, and has always been more intent on
preserving tmditional Jewish values than on uttering apparent
profundities that might catch the eye of newspaper religious
editors.
It was with interest and pleasure, therefore, that I perused Mr.
Harris L. Selig's "Fun Ebigen Kval" in the original. For here were
sixty discourses on the weekly portions and the holidays that
were filled with biblical, mlmudic, and midrashic texts; that declaimed in favor of Torah and Palestine and all Jewish loyalties;
that even in their discursive portions sought with single-mindednesf to bring the people of Israel back to the Law of Israel.
In another respect these were not ordinary sermons. Limited by
the restrictions of their original newspaper publication, they were
more exactly m a t d for homilies than simple addresses. Within
their few pages they contained as many as a dozen good ideas,
each one of which might be expanded into a full-length sermon.
Here was an oppommity to present to English homilists and
readers much of the religious material that delighted-and imd
proved-our forbears.
On this ground I undertook the translation of Mr. Selig's w o k
I have tried to retain his terseness and clarity. In almost every case

I have sought and included the actual source of quotations. Generally, transliterations of Hebrew works have followed the spelling of modern scholarship. If errors have remained in my rendition, they in no wise qualify the value and usefulness of the com-

pilation.
A~RAHAM
BURSTEIN..

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