Original Torah: Ancient Words in a Modern Light

Va-Yetze 5762, Genesis 28:10-32:3

Shabbat Shalom-

This week’s portion holds many secrets. Many people don’t know this,
but the historical roots of the male ritual head covering, the kippah, are
here. As it says “Then Jacob went out from Beer Sheva”
(28:10). And could Jacob go out without a head covering? Of course
not! He must have been wearing a kippah!

Another memorable morsel: Jacob vows that YHWH (the Lord) will be his
god if He provides him food and clothing as well as protection on his journey
and a safe return home (28:20-21). Imagine what the world would be like if
we actually demanded of God these things. There wouldn’t be a man of faith among
us! Or perhaps we are only obligated to believe in a god in good times but
not in bad.

On a more serious but related theme, I think we’ll discuss what God might
be. In the Hebrew Bible the two most common names of God are Elohim and
YHWH. The former, besides being a generic term for a god or gods, means
“mighty or powerful” (Gen 1:2, 30:8, 31:29, Psalm 36:7). The
latter’s meaning is most likely something like “he who causes everything to
be” or more generally “the sustainer” (I Samuel 1:11, Ex
3:14 &c.). The ancient rabbis (2nd-6th century CE) saw in these two
names a distinction between the two ways in which God relates to the world (cf.
Gen 1, Gen 2). Elohim is the distant and abstract God of natural laws (Gen
14:18-20) whereas YHWH is the more personal, imminent God that attends to our
daily affairs (Gen 3:8, 11:5, Ex 15:3). Biblical scholars of course
attribute these differing ideas to different traditions, though all will agree
that they were eventually merged together as is seen in the Bible.

This difference is born out in how Rachel, Jacob’s second wife, understood
the birth of her first son, Joseph.

She conceived and bore a son, and said, “God [Elohim] has taken away
[Heb. asaf] my disgrace.” So she named him Joseph [Yosef], which is to
say, “May the Lord [YHWH] add [yosef] another son for me.” (Genesis
30:23-24, NJPS)

If we understand that the Bible uses the names of God with a particular
purpose in mind, we may understand this exchange to be saying something very
fundamental about how we see the world. Giving birth was an act of nature
which we can recognize, but when we really need something, we pray to a
personality, to people. Hence, Rachel saw at once the natural result of
her childbirth in lessening her disgrace in the eyes of others, but at the same
time she requested the help of the personal deity to bring her more
children. This is the way a religious person sees the world. While
the world is run by natural law, we must seek the help of our friends to cope
with life’s difficulties.

As Jeremiah can only lament against a personal
deity �You will win, O Lord, if I make claim against You, yet I shall present
charges against you: Why does the
way of the wicked prosper?� (Jeremiah 12:1, NJPS). It is this imminent
god that Abraham accuses of injustice at Sedom and Ammorah (Genesis
18:25). It is no wonder that this brilliant insight into the human psyche
has YHWH as the most personal name of God. Though we may recognize nature
to be cruel and heartless, we seek out love, mercy, and friendship in our daily
lives. Nature acts according to rules, while humans act with their hearts
and minds. This is how we are created in the divine image (Genesis 1:27).

Thus,
though we know the world can be cruel, we must relate to people with warmth and
care.

Have a caring week!

Benjamin Fleischer

Toldot 5762, Genesis 25:19-28:9

A quick thought: Jacob was a homeboy, and mommy’s boy, his mommy cooked
his goat (27:14). Esau was Dad’s kid, a hunter, an outdoorsman; he cooked
the venison he caught himself (27:31). Just goes to show you, real men
cook.

Another quick thought: ESP is in the Bible. “And Esau said
to himself…. And it was told to Rebecca the words of Esau her son”
(27:41-41). Obviously, either Rebecca had telepathic friends or Esau
thought really loudly. Since the latter is ridiculous, ESP must exist.

But seriously folks,

“25:19 This is the story of Isaac, son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac.
20 Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel
the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean.”

Shabbat Shalom-

This week’s reading is called Toldot primarily because it’s the second word
in the reading. The name was also chosen because of the word’s relation to
the portion. The NJPS translation colloquially translates it as
’story’ according to some of the medieval commentators. But the word
itself is rooted in YLD/WLD, the root for children. How can a word meaning
‘children’ or ‘offspring’ come to mean ’story’?

In Ethics of the Fathers (2nd Century CE), the following exchange is found:

“He [Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai] said to them [his students]: ‘Go out
and see which is the straight path to which a Man should cling’…. Rabbi Shimon
[ben Nethanel] says: ‘He that sees the Nolad’” (Mishnah Avot 1:9) where ‘nolad’
is from the same root YLD/WLD as Toldot.

A literalistic understanding of Rabbi Shimon’s answer would be “He who
sees a birth” whereas a more figurative understanding in Rabbinic Hebrew
would be “He who sees the outcome of a thing”. When I first came
across these two translations of the quote, I was perplexed. Neither meaning
seemed to answer the question. Perhaps witnessing a childbirth
brings upon Man a knowledge of his insignificance and of the limits of his
powers of creation (cf. Rabbi Shimon described as ’sin fearing’, Avot
1:8). But can such a feeling last? On the other hand, if you always
know what the outcome of your deeds are, in all their long-term ramifications,
you would surely be more likely to do what is good for everyone. But, does
knowing what is good lead to good deeds? Humility, no matter how short
lived, would be a more fair judge! (viz. the answer of R’ Elazar ben
Arakh, a good heart is needed for one to choose correctly).

So, we return to the Hebrew root which embodies both of these ideas.
Toldot can have both the meanings of ‘outcome, happenings’ or ‘children’.
What’s the point, you might ask. The point is that both of these themes
are dealt with in this reading. First, we have the toldot/stories, of
Isaac’s and Rebecca’s offspring being born and going off on their own to have
children. Secondly, we have the decisions made by Jacob and Esau, the toldot/children
of their parents.

For example, when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, the text reads with
continuous verbs (25:34) “And he ate, and drank, and got up, and went, and
scorned Esau his birthright”. Had Esau seen the nolad, the outcome of
his eating, he would have seen it led directly to the rejection of his
hereditary double-inheritance and favored status. And of Jacob is says
somewhat softer (27:14) “and he went, and took, and brought [the goat] to
his mother.” And follows a continuous dialogue of deception as he
convinced his blind father that he was his hairy brother, back from the hunt by
divine providence (27:20). Jacob got the birthright and the blessing, but
he also incurred the wrath of his brother and eternal rebuke. All this, on
the assumption that tricking Esau and Isaac would force God into giving him the
blessings and wealth (cf. I Samuel 15:29). He did not see the outcome of
his deeds.

So, we see how our reading is aptly named. The toldot of Isaac are the
stories about his children. Our children live through us. We see in them
ourselves reflected, both our strengths and weaknesses. Our children carry
with us our lives and our stories. They are our toldot, our stories.

Have a caring week!

Benjamin Fleischer

Hayyei Sarah 5762, Genesis 23-25:18

Shabbat Shalom-

There is a saying in the 2nd century Ethics of the Fathers 5:22. Ben Bag Bag says “turn it and turn it [the Torah] for everything is in it”. This week’s reading has a lot of interesting things in it.

For example, the second Biblical pickup line is in this week’s portion:

Genesis 24:23 “Does your father’s home have a place for us to spend the night?” Not nearly so hot and steamy as Abraham in Gen 12:11 “Don’t you know you’re a fine looking woman”? (reading ‘yadati’ as archaic feminine) but still a good line.

Another reading shows the antiquity of the statement: “The only two certainties in life are Death and Taxes”. If you change the letter spacing, Gen 24:25 reads “And she said to him ‘And you must understand, there is a great tax here with us’”.

And lastly, we speak of true love and getting the girl. Now, Isaac our ancestor was a shy fellow. His father Abraham didn’t let him out much. He was very protective of him. After the grief of losing his son Ishmael and almost killing Isaac (perhaps to punish himself), he loses Sarah, his beloved wife. Abraham realizes the value of companionship and that he’s got to let go of Isaac and get him a wife. The boy was 40-years-old, for goodness sake.

So, Abraham sent his servant back to the homeland to pick up a woman from his family (Gen 24) so he could avoid dealing with inlaws. He was an old man and didn’t have time for that kind of stuff. While the servant is away, Abraham tells Isaac he’s gotta shape up, suck in his gut, brush his hair, and man, learn how to talk to the women! So, Isaac went out into the field to go practice on the sheep, talking I mean (24:63) and was working on some really good lines, when he looked up and saw camels in the distance. So, he did everything his dad taught him, brushed
his hair, and tried to look manly among the sheepfolds. He was going to meet his wife!

Rebecca, meanwhile, was sold off by her father and brother to the kindly old servant of the great Abraham. She didn’t know much about him except that he was wealthy, and had left the family behind back in Aram Naharayim. Knowing her family, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. So, when the servant came and offered to take her there, it seemed like a pretty good idea. But it wasn’t really up to her in those days. Only at the request of the servant did she get the choice to go immediately and she bolted.

Rebecca knew nothing about Isaac except that he was her ticket out of her household. But she was nervous. So when she saw the composed young fellow in the field walking to greet her, her heart beat that it be Isaac and not just another servant. She jumped off her camel, practically fell (24:64), and asked the slave accompanying her who he was! It was he so she veiled herself in modesty and prepared to meet her husband.

Now, we know that Isaac and Rebecca hit it off and got married but that they were never quite on the same
page (cf. Gen 25:28, 27:13). What we learn from this story is that even with the best preparation and the most chiseled figure, marriage is a relationship between two people. It is more than a friendship– it is a partnership. Since Isaac was a recluse and
Rebecca a strong-willed and wild woman, they managed to stay out of each other’s hair. But, if you want a
life-mate, you’ve got to do more than just be attracted to someone; you’ve got to make a friend. But I’m not saying not to practice your pickup lines.

Have a caring week!