Parshat Ba’midbar 5769 -The Danger of Holiness

Parshat Ba’midbar 5769

Rabbi Ari Kahn

The Danger of Holiness

As the Parsha and the new book "B'midbar" ("Numbers") open, Moshe is instructed to take a census of the males aged twenty and above, all those who are fit for military service.

במדבר פרק א

(א) וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר: (ב) שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כָּל זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם: (ג) מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה כָּל יֹצֵא צָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תִּפְקְדוּ אֹתָם לְצִבְאֹתָם אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן: (ד) וְאִתְּכֶם יִהְיוּ אִישׁ אִישׁ לַמַּטֶּה אִישׁ רֹאשׁ לְבֵית אֲבֹתָיו הוּא:

1. And God spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they came out from the land of Egypt, saying, 2. Take a census of all the congregation of the People of Israel, by families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of names, every male by their polls; 3. From twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel; you and Aharon shall count them by their armies. 4. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one chief of the house of his fathers. B’midbar 1:1-4

A Different Counting

In the fourth chapter of B'midbar, another group is counted - a group that was excluded from the earlier census: the Levites. The range of the census is markedly different; the Levites are counted from the age of 30, and not 20 as were all other men.

במדבר פרק ד

(א) וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר: (ב) נָשֹׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי קְהָת מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי לֵוִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם: (ג) מִבֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וְעַד בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה כָּל בָּא לַצָּבָא לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד:

1. And God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying, 2. Take a census of the sons of Kehat from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3. From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the army, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting. B'midbar 4:1-3

The difference is more than simply ten years, more than a mere mathematical percentage of lifespan. In terms of experience, maturity, perspective, the gap between a 20- year-old and a 30-year-old is extreme. Apparently, the task reserved for the Levi’im was a solemn one, a weighty one, requiring insight, maturity and levelheaded thinking.

במדבר פרק ד

(ד) זֹאת עֲבֹדַת בְּנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים:

4. This shall be the service of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting, the most holy things; B’midbar 4:4

Indeed, the work of the Levi’im involved the holiest item in the Mishkan – the Ark. The next verse contains instructions regarding the covering of the Ark:

במדבר פרק ד

(ה) וּבָא אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנֶה וְהוֹרִדוּ אֵת פָּרֹכֶת הַמָּסָךְ וְכִסּוּ בָהּ אֵת אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת:

5. And when the camp sets forward, Aharon shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the Ark of Testimony with it.

The Burden of the Kehat family

The particular family entrusted to carry the Ark was the family of Kehat. This chore was fraught with danger:

במדבר פרק ד

(טו) וְכִלָּה אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו לְכַסֹּת אֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֶת כָּל כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּנְסֹעַ הַמַּחֲנֶה וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יָבֹאוּ בְנֵי קְהָת לָשֵׂאת וְלֹא יִגְּעוּ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וָמֵתוּ אֵלֶּה מַשָּׂא בְנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד:

15. And when Aharon and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the utensils of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kehat shall come to carry it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting.

These instructions sound ominous: “lest they die”, “they shall not touch any holy thing”, “the burden of the sons of Kehat”. God adds an additional comment, designed to save the family of Kehat from this precarious situation:

במדבר פרק ד

(יז) וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר: (יח) אַל תַּכְרִיתוּ אֶת שֵׁבֶט מִשְׁפְּחֹת הַקְּהָתִי מִתּוֹךְ הַלְוִיִּם: (יט) וְזֹאת עֲשׂוּ לָהֶם וְחָיוּ וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ בְּגִשְׁתָּם אֶת קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו יָבֹאוּ וְשָׂמוּ אוֹתָם אִישׁ אִישׁ עַל עֲבֹדָתוֹ וְאֶל מַשָּׂאוֹ: (כ) וְלֹא יָבֹאוּ לִרְאוֹת כְּבַלַּע אֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וָמֵתוּ: פ

17. And God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying, 18. Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kehatites from among the Levites; 19. But thus do to them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach the most holy things; Aharon and his sons shall go in, and appoint them each to his service and to his burden; 20. But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. B'midbar 4:17-20

This last line contains a word whose meaning is unclear: k’vala. The translation offered here is based upon Rashi's[1] explanation of this word as "to cover". Literally rendered, the word k'vala means "as it is swallowed". The Ramban offers a mystical explanation: The holiness was so overwhelming that it was beyond the capacity of human perception: anyone who beheld it would be "swallowed up", consumed or subsumed by holiness.[2]

The mission of the sons of Kehat was such that their lives were in peril every time they performed their assigned task; such is the price for proximity to holiness.

The core of this holiness was encapsulated in the Ark which housed the Tablets of Testimony, the Word of God, inscribed and transcribed by God. As the Ramban describes it, the holiness of Sinai was transferred to the Mishkan.[3] At Sinai, the epicenter of holiness was the Decalogue, the Ten Statements uttered by God. In the Mishkan, these same words were to be found on the Tablets in the Ark. The medium had shifted, but the holiness was the same.

At Sinai, the words were accompanied by sounds and lights, thunder and lightning. The entire mountain was holy, and no man or beast was permitted to touch the mountain – any infringement on this holy space would result in death. That same holiness now resided in the Mishkan, and the consequences of violating that holiness remained unchanged. Moving the Ark posed a supreme challenge: it must be done with the utmost respect and care.

Man’s Orientation to Holiness

Holiness fascinates and terrifies man. We are drawn toward it, despite the danger, yet we are frightened – frightened of knowledge which obligates, scared of truth which could be life-altering. We are terrified by the intensity. And we are scared of the possible consequences - death. Nonetheless, as if pulled by a magnet, we find holiness irresistible. This was true during the Revelation at Sinai, and it is true today. At Sinai, the text reflects both the attraction and the terror felt by the people: The mountain had to be fenced off, and the people severely warned and carefully prepared in order to keep them from breaking through the barriers and attempting to approach the unapproachable. On the other hand, the Israelites recoiled at the mountain, afraid to hear the Word of God directly – afraid of death, of being consumed by the holiness.

שמות פרק כ

(טו) וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק:(טז) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים פֶּן נָמוּת:(יז) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם אַל תִּירָאוּ כִּי לְבַעֲבוּר נַסּוֹת אֶתְכֶם בָּא הָאֱלֹהִים וּבַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ: (יח) וַיַּעֲמֹד הָעָם מֵרָחֹק וּמֹשֶׁה נִגַּשׁ אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הָאֱלֹהִים: פ

15. And all the people saw the thunder and the lightning, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they were shaken, and stood far away.16. And they said to Moshe, Speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 17. And Moshe said to the people, 'Fear not; for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that you sin not.' 18. And the people stood far away, and Moshe drew near to the thick darkness where God was. Sh’mot 20:15-18

Yet we are told that there were individuals who felt comfortable. They ate and drank in the midst of this singular revelation of holiness; they looked on unabashedly, luxuriously, and saw what should have remained unseen.

שמות פרק כד

(ט) וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: (י) וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר: (יא) וְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ: ס

9. Then Moshe, and Aharon, Nadav, and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up; 10. And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet a kind of paved work of a sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11. And upon the nobles of the People of Israel he laid not his hand; also they saw God, and ate and drank.

These mutually exclusive, contradictory feelings coexist within man. In fact, in comments on the verse that discusses the perils of the Kehatites' task, the Midrash identifies both sides.

במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה א אל תכריתו

א"ר אלעזר בן פדת בשם ר' יוסי בן זמרא בשעה שהיו ישראל נוסעין היו שני ניצוצין של אש יוצאין מתוך שני בדיו של ארון כדי לפגוע שונאיהם ומניין שכן משה אומר לישראל מה אתם מתייראין מן בני ענק וכי קשים הם מאותן שהיו באים כנגדנו והיה הארון שורפן וכן הוא אומר (דברים ט) וידעת היום כי ה' אלהיך הוא העובר לפניך וגו' מכאן אתה דורש שהיו ב' ניצוצין מקדמין לפניהם אמר להם הוא ישמידם והוא יכניעם לפניך

R. Eleazar b. Pedat, in the name of R. Yose b. Zimra, said: When Israel were on their journeys, two sparks of fire would emerge from the two staves of the ark to strike their enemies. Whence do you know this? Because Moshe in effect asks Israel: 'Why should you be afraid of the sons of Anak? Are they harder to conquer than those who came against us and were burned by the Ark?' And so he says to them: 'Know therefore this day, that The Almighty, Your God is He who goes over before you as a devouring fire' (Devarim 9, 3). From this you may infer that two sparks advanced before them, and so he said to them: 'He will destroy them, and He will bring them down before you (ib.)'. B'midbar Rabbah 5:1

The Midrash describes a power emanating from the Holy Ark which is reminiscent of Sinai; the Midrash continues and tells how this power also burned those who carried the Ark.

במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה א אל תכריתו

וכיון שהיו הניצוצין יוצאין היתה האש שפה בטעוני הארון והיו נשרפים ומתמעטין ומנין שהיו שבט קהת ממועט …אלא כשם שאמר ר"א בן פדת בשם ר"י בן זמרא מתוך שהיתה האש יוצאת ושפה בטועני הארון היו מתמעטין והיו כל א' וא' רצין זה נוטל את השלחן וזה נוטל את המנורה וזה נוטל את המזבחות ובורחים מן הארון מפני שהיה מזיקן והיה הארון כאלו מתבזה והיה הקב"ה כועס עליהם ושוב היו מתכלין אמר הקב"ה למשה מה אני הורג בני קהת אם יטענו הרי מתמעטין ואם לא יטענו הרי כעס עליהם א"ל הקב"ה למשה ולאהרן עשו להם תקנה לבני קהת כדי שלא יכרתו מן העולם שלא יהו מניחין ובורחין אל תכריתו את שבט וגו' אלא יבא אהרן ובניו ושמו אותן איש איש על עבודתו ואל משאו כדי שלא יוכלו להתחלף מעבודה לעבודה וממשא למשא הה"ד (במדבר ד) וזאת עשו להם וחיו וגו'

Now when the sparks came out the fire grazed those that bore the ark and so they were burned and reduced in numbers. How do you know that the tribe of Kehat suffered depletion? You find that three families carried all the vessels of the Tabernacle. Gershon carried all the woven articles: the curtains, the veil of the screen, and the hangings. The family of Kehat carried the Ark, the Table, the Menora, the Altars, and the vessels of the Sanctuary. Merari carried the boards, the bars, the pillars, and the sockets. … Why was it so? As R. Eleazar b. Pedath said in the name of R. Jose b. Zimra: Their numbers were depleted because the fire came out and grazed those that carried the Ark. In consequence everybody would run elsewhere; one would take the Table, another would take the Menora, and a third would take the Altars, and they would all flee from the Ark because it inflicted damage upon them, and so it seemed as though the Ark was being slighted, whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with them and they were again consumed. B'midbar Rabbah 5:1

They were frightened, they were burned, their numbers depleted. Their quandary was clear: How can they carry the Ark? The task is far too dangerous. How can they not carry the Ark? Rejecting an opportunity for holiness proved equally dangerous. And yet, the Midrash tells us of their desire, despite the danger, to embrace and carry the Ark:

במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה א אל תכריתו

רבי שמואל בר נחמן אמר ח"ו לא היו בני קהת מניחין את הארון ורצין לשלחן ומנורה אלא אע"פ שמתמעטין היו נותנין נפשם על הארון ואם כן למה היה מזהיר עליהם אל תכריתו את שבט וגו' אלא מפני שהיו יודעין שכל מי שטוען בארון שכרו מרובה והיו מניחין את השלחן והמנורה והמזבחות וכולן רצין לארון ליטול שכר ומתוך כך היה זה מריב ואומר אני טוען כאן וזה מריב ואומר אני טוען כאן ומתוך כך היו נוהגין בקלות ראש והיתה השכינה פוגעת בהם אמר האלהים למשה עשה להם תקנה כדי שלא יתכלו מן העולם אל תכריתו וגו' אלא יסדרו אותם על עבודתם ועל משאם שלא יריבו זה עם זה עשה להם משה תקנה אלא שהיו מריבין זה כנגד זה זה אומר אני טוען בארון וזה אומר לאו אלא אני טוען ולא היה יודע אחד מהו קבוע לו מהו משאו אמר הקב"ה והיו אהרן ובניו נכנסין ונותנים לכל אחד ואחד טעונו שנאמר ואהרן ובניו יבאו ושמו אותם וגו'.

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said: Heaven forfend! The sons of Kehat did not abandon the Ark and run to the Table and the Menora. On the contrary, even though their numbers dwindled they gave their lives for the Ark, and the only reason why He warned them, CUT YE NOT OFF THE TRIBE, etc., is because they knew that whoever carried the Ark would have great reward in store for him, and so they left the Table, the Menora, and the Altars and they all ran to the Ark in order to obtain reward. In consequence quarrelling would break out; one would insist and say, ' I am going to carry it here,’ and another would insist and say, ' I am going to carry it here.’ As a result they would behave irreverently, and the Shechina would strike them. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moshe: 'Make some provision to safeguard them so that they may not be exterminated from the world; CUT NOT OFF, etc., but let them be arranged properly in their service and in their burden so that they may not quarrel with each other. So Moshe instituted a measure for their protection. However, they still quarrelled with each other, one saying, ‘I shall carry the Ark’ and another saying, ' No, I shall carry it,’ and no one knew what was definitely his duty or what was his burden. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said: ‘Then let Aharon and his sons go in and assign to each one his burden ‘; as it says: AHARON AND HIS SONS SHALL GO IN, AND APPOINT THEM, etc. B'midbar Rabbah 5:1

The Midrash records a disagreement among the Rabbis. Apparently, the point of debate goes beyond the precise historical accounting of what transpired in the Mishkan; the rabbis debated the meaning and necessity of this "additional" verse to protect the sons of Kehat, "Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kehatites from among the Levites." Both rabbinic opinions express authentic human feelings and reactions to holiness, even holiness fraught with danger: On the one hand, a desire to run away, and on the other hand a desire to embrace the task with disregard for personal safety.

Nonchalance

Embracing holiness, while perhaps preferable to running away, holds its own dangers: Familiarity with the holy may erode the awe which should accompany every moment spent in the proximity of something holy. The Midrash laments the implications of such nonchalance:

במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשה ה ד"ה ד ד"א אל

ד"א אל תכריתו וגו' מה כתיב למעלה וידבר ה' אל משה ואל אהרן אמר ר' לוי מה עסקו של אהרן נזכר כאן אלא שהוא נותן רמז לבני קהת ואומר להם תנו דעתכם שלא לנהוג בקלות ראש ולהכנס אצל הארון אם נהגתם בו בקלות ראש למדו מבני אהרן אמר בני אהרן בשביל שנכנסו שלא ברשות מה כתיב בהן (ויקרא י) ותצא אש מלפני ה' ותאכל אותם אף אתם תנו דעתכם שלא יגיע לכם כשם שהגיע לבני אהרן

"And God spoke unto Moshe and unto Aharon" (B'Midbar 4, 17). Why, asked R. Levi, should Aharon be mentioned here? Because He gives a hint to the sons of Kehat, saying to them in effect: ‘Take good heed not to be irreverent when you enter the place where the Ark is; for if you would behave with irreverence towards it, take a lesson from the sons of Aharon. The sons of Aharon,’ said He, ‘entered without permission, and what does Scripture state concerning them? And there came forth fire from before God, and devoured them (Vayikra 10, 2). Take note, therefore, in your turn, lest what befell them befall you! 'B'midbar Rabbah 5:4

The sons of Kehat are warned not to suffer the same fate as the sons of Aharon: Every detail of their task must be performed with precise adherence to the rules set by God. Approximation of the rules, deviance from those rules, taking the rules lightly or failing to treat the task with the appropriate seriousness would result in death. Both the nature and the messenger of this warning offer a very painful reminder of how even the slightest infraction can end. The case of the sons of Aharon was all too familiar to the generation of Kehatites receiving this warning, but did not end there. There is an archetypical episode which occurred in the Beit Hamikdash, recorded in the Mishna and Talmud: Two kohanim, rushing to perform divine service, jostled for position and one fell and broke his foot:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף כב עמוד א

משנה. בראשונה, כל מי שרוצה לתרום את המזבח - תורם. ובזמן שהן מרובין - רצין ועולין בכבש, כל הקודם את חבירו בארבע אמות - זכה. ואם היו שניהן שוין - הממונה אומר להן: הצביעו. ומה הן מוציאין - אחת או שתים. ואין מוציאין אגודל במקדש. מעשה שהיו שניהם שוין ורצין ועולין בכבש, ודחף אחד מהן את חבירו ונפל ונשברה רגלו. וכיון שראו בית דין שבאין לידי סכנה - התקינו שלא יהו תורמין את המזבח אלא בפייס. ארבע פייסות היו שם, וזה הפייס הראשון.

Mishnah. Originally whosoever desired to remove [the ashes from] the Altar did so. If they were many, they would run and mount the ramp [of the Altar] and he that came first within four cubits obtained the privilege… It once happened that two were even as they ran to mount the ramp. One of them pushed his fellow who fell and broke his leg. When the court saw that they incurred danger, they ordained that the Altar be cleared only by casting lots. There were four lots; this is the first. Mishna, Talmud Bavli Yoma 22a

The kohanim in this episode seem to suffer from sort of tunnel vision. They lose sight of the larger picture, and in their zeal and their eagerness to perform the exalted, holy task, the kohanim push and shove so that they can merit this opportunity to serve God.[4] And if that story isn’t bad enough, the Talmud cites an even more disturbing episode - a tale so horrific that it leads inexorably to the destruction of the Temple:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף כג עמוד א

תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, מַעֲשֶׂה בִשְׁנֵי כֹהֲנִים שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִים וְרָצִים, וְעוֹלִים בַּכֶּבֶשׁ, קָדַם אֶחָד מֵהֶם לְתוֹךְ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, נָטַל סַכִּין וְתָקַע לוֹ בְלִבּוֹ. עָמַד רַבִּי צָדוֹק עַל מַעֲלוֹת הָאוּלָם (בהר הבית) וְאָמַר, אַחֵינוּ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל, שְׁמָעוּ. הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר, (דברים כא) "כִּי יִמָּצֵא חָלָל בָּאֲדָמָה, וְיָצְאוּ זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ". אָנוּ, עַל מִי לְהָבִיא עֶגְלָה [עֲרוּפָה]? עַל הָעִיר? אוֹ עַל הָעֲזָרוֹת? גָּעוּ כָל הָעָם בִּבְכִיָּה. בָּא אָבִיו שֶׁל תִּינוֹק, וּמְצָאוֹ כְּשֶׁהוּא מְפַרְפֵּר, וְאָמַר לָהֶם, הֲרֵי הוּא כַּפָּרַתְכֶם, וַעֲדַיִן בְּנִי מְפַרְפֵּר, וְלֹא נִטְמָא הַסַּכִּין. לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁקָּשָׁה עֲלֵיהֶם טָהֲרַת כֵּלִים יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, (מ"ב כא) "וְגַם דָּם נָקִי שָׁפַךְ מְנַשֶּׁה הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד" וְגוֹ'. עָמַד רַבִּי צָדוֹק עַל מַעֲלוֹת הָאוּלָם בְּהַר הַבַּיִת כו'.

IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT TWO WERE EVEN AS THEY RAN TO MOUNT THE RAMP. Our Rabbis taught: It once happened that two kohanim were equal as they ran to mount the ramp and when one of them came first within four cubits of the Altar, the other took a knife and thrust it into his heart. R. Zadok stood on the steps of the Hall and said: Our brethren of the House of Israel, hear ye! Behold it says: If one be found slain in the land... then thy elders and judges shall come forth. . On whose behalf shall we offer the heifer whose neck is to be broken, on behalf of the city or on behalf of the Temple Courts? All the people burst out weeping. The father of the young man came and found him still in convulsions. He said: ‘May he be an atonement for you. My son is still in convulsions and the knife has not become unclean.’ [His remark] comes to teach you that the cleanness of their vessels was of greater concern to them even than the shedding of blood. Thus is it also said: Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other. Talmud Bavli Yoma 23a

The knife plunged into the heart of the Kohen did not kill only one person; it killed the Beit Hamikdash, and caused holiness itself to be exiled. This is tunnel vision in the extreme – extreme attention to minutiae of the law and utter disregard of the larger purpose, the spirit of holiness and awe with which one must approach the Sanctuary. Familiarity, routine practice of ritual to the point where the sense of awe had disappeared, caused destruction and devastation. These men allowed themselves to be "swallowed up" by the holiness, and the holiness disappeared.

Swallowed

We find a in a later episode in the Torah a descendant of Kehat who speaks of holiness:

במדבר פרק טז

(א) וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי …(ג) וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל מֹשֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב לָכֶם כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם יְקֹוָק וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל קְהַל יְקֹוָק:

1. Korah, the son of Yizhar, the son of Kehat, the son of Levi took, …3. And they gathered themselves together against Moshe and against Aharon, and said to them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and God is among them. Why then do you lift up yourselves above the congregation of God?

Korah is not satisfied with being a Levi; he jockeys for position, angles for an opportunity to be a Kohen – to be Kohen Gadol. At first glance this seems strange: Surely Korah, a son of one of the Levitic families, was aware of the tremendous responsibility, the awesome task – and the potential for disaster – in the position he sought. Surely, he knew of the peril[5] that a Kohen Gadol would endure if he were to blunder when entering the Holy of Holies.[6] The test Moshe suggests is to bring incense. Surely Korah knew what fate befell Nadav and Avihu when they brought the unsanctioned k’toret. How could he imagine that he would survive? Why would Korach wish to endanger himself?

When we realize that Korach as a son of Kehat has already been endangering himself – every time the Ark was moved - we may gain insight into his personality, or more importantly his state of mind. Carrying the Ark – both the proximity to such holiness and the danger involved - must have been exhilarating. At the same time, this task required tremendous focus: the older, more mature sons of Kehat were expected to remain constantly aware of their place, constantly focused on the task they must accomplish, constantly mindful of their limitations, vigilantly differentiating between the things that they were permitted to look at and the things that were beyond their capacity to comprehend. Only in this focused state of mind could they survive and continue to serve in their unique role.

Korach lost focus. He shifted his gaze, and began to view his task in terms of the perception of others, and he became dissatisfied with himself and his task. In that mindset, his life was in danger each time he ventured into the Mishkan. Carrying the Ark became a form of “Russian roulette”, and the terror of this life-and-death situation may have led Korach to behave recklessly, in ways typical of sufferers of post-traumatic stress. Korach may have asked himself, 'If I am to endanger myself, to look death in the face time and time again, then why do it as a Levi, as a glorified moving man? If I am to take the risks, why not enjoy the glory of the spotlight?' Korach seeks out the one task that will hold even greater risks, but will entail commensurate respect and fame, a position that places him at the spearhead of the entire nation's hopes and prayers.

The erosive effect of constant exposure to holiness and to danger brought about his nonchalant attitude toward holiness and danger. Despite the precautions instituted to insure that the sons of Kehat not be "swallowed up" by their awesome task, Korach looked where he should not have looked. Driven by ego and tortured by stress, he made himself at home with the holiness, became too familiar with the danger, and he was swallowed up by the ground.

Here, then, is the challenge for all of us in our personal journey towards greater spirituality and holiness: We must continue to be cognizant of real holiness, to treat it with proper respect, to embrace it to the extent that we are allowed. But we must maintain the distance required of us, safeguarding the awe of things that are holy. While we seek God, we must avoid the nonchalant familiarity which is born of egotism and narcissism. We must look and listen when possible, and cover our eyes in modesty and respect when required. Only in this way can we appreciate holiness and avoid being swallowed by it.

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[1] It is likewise explained by Targum Unkelus and R’ Avraham Ibn Ezra.

רש"י על במדבר פרק ד פסוק כ

(כ) ולא יבאו לראות כבלע את הקדש - לתוך נרתק שלו כמו שפירשתי למעלה בפרשה זו ופרשו עליו בגד פלוני וכסו אותו במכסה פלונית ובלוע שלו הוא כסויו:

[2] See Ramban 4:20

רמב"ן על במדבר פרק ד פסוק כ

אבל ע"ד האמת טעם הכתוב, כי בעבור היות כבוד יושב הכרובים שם הוזהרו הלוים שלא יהרסו לראות את ה' עד שיורידו הכהנים את הפרכת, כי אז תראה הכבוד בחביון עזו, וישוב אל מקומו הראשון לקדש הקדשים, ויהיה כבלע את הקדש כפשוטו והמשכיל יבין:

[3] See Ramban Sh’mot 25:2

רמב"ן שמות פרק כה

וסוד המשכן הוא, שיהיה הכבוד אשר שכן על הר סיני שוכן עליו בנסתר.

[4] See comments of the Seforno, who certainly has this Gemara is mind in his commentary to the verses speaking about the family of Kehat, B’midbar 4:18,19

ספורנו עה"ת ספר במדבר פרק ד פסוק יח

(יח) אל תכריתו. אל תניחו את המשאות באופן שיזכה בהם כל הקודם, כי בזה האופן יקרה שידחפו זה את זה ויחללו את הקודש, וזה יהיה סבה להכריתם, כמו שסיפרו ז"ל שקרה בתרומת הדשן:

(יט) ושמו אותם איש איש על עבודתו ואל משאו. ולא שיהיה כל הקודם זוכה, אבל ימתין כל אחד להיות מצווה ועושה:

[5] See Talmud Bavli Yoma 8b -9a,19b.

Rabbah b. Bar Hana said: What is the meaning of the passage, 'The fear of God prolongs days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened'? 'The fear of God prolongs days' refers to the first Sanctuary, which remained standing for four hundred and ten years and in which there served only eighteen high priests. But 'the years of the wicked shall be shortened' refers to the second Sanctuary, which abided for four hundred and twenty years and at which more than three hundred [high] priests served. Take off therefrom the forty years which Simeon the Righteous served, eighty years which Johanan the high priest served, ten, which Ishmael b. Fabi served, or, as some say, the eleven years of R. Eleazar b. Harsum. Count [the number of high priests] from then on and you will find that none of them completed his year [in office].

[6] The teaching that a rope was tied to the Kohen Gadol in the event he dies while performing the service is found in the Zohar Vayikra 102a.

R. Isaac said: ‘A cord was tied to the feet of the High Priest before he entered the Holy of Holies, so that if he died suddenly within they should be able to draw him out.

Parshiot Bhar-B’chukotai 5769

Parshiot Bhar-B’chukotai 5769

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Standing Tall

Blessings and Curses

B’chukotai, the last parsha in the book of Vayikra, contains blessings and curses. The blessings are assured if we collectively follow the word of God; noncompliance will set in motion an array of curses that will bring us to our knees and lead us to the brink of destruction.

The blessings are conditional:

(ג) אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם: (ד) וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ:

3. If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4. Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Vayikra 26:3,4

The curses are also conditional:

(יד) וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה:

14. But if you will not listen to me, and do not perform all these commandments…. Vayikra 26:14

There is one verse that stands between the blessings and the curses - a strange verse, both in form and in content:

(יג) אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִהְיֹת לָהֶם עֲבָדִים וָאֶשְׁבֹּר מֹטֹת עֻלְּכֶם וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם קוֹמֲמִיּוּת:

13. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and march you upright. Vayikra 26:13

The Hebrew grammar is not easily translated into English. The first part of this verse is certainly framed in the past tense; it is God who took us from Egypt. Yet the last two phrases, “broken the bars” and “march you upright” are both written in language categorized in Hebrew grammar as "present ongoing tense", a form of present tense which may well include the future. Had this verse been written in more straightforward language, say in the future tense, it would be clear that this verse belongs with those immediately preceding – the blessings. Had it been written in a more easily recognizable present tense, it would be construed as a closing statement, not part and parcel of the blessings bestowed upon the people. As written, it is unclear if this is in fact a blessing, or a statement of a different nature altogether.

To make matters even more complicated, the meaning of the words themselves is somewhat elusive: the word komemiyut is often translated as “upright”, though this word, or the entire idiom, is not clear. The Rashbam's,[1] attempt to clarify this word may even make the verse less clear: Rashbam relates komemiyut to the preceding reference to the yoke of slavery. In other words, the “upright” stature of the Jewish People is the result of removing the yoke of slavery from their necks. This frames komemiyut as an outcome, not as an independent blessing, making the grammatical shift of tense all the more pronounced.

Pride and Arrogance

Rashi explains that komemiyut means 'to stand erect'.[2] This definition is not easily justified with other sources: The Talmud notes that to stand with koma z'kufa, a fully erect posture, is a sign of arrogance.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף מג/ב

תנו רבנן ששה דברים גנאי לו לתלמיד חכם … ויש אומרים אף לא יפסיע פסיעה גסה ואל יהלך בקומה זקופה…ואל יהלך בקומה זקופה דאמר מר המהלך בקומה זקופה אפילו ארבע אמות כאילו דוחק רגלי שכינה דכתיב מלא כל הארץ כבודו:

Our Rabbis taught: Six things are unbecoming for a scholar. … Some add that he should not take long strides nor carry himself with a fully erect posture … since a Master has said: If one walks with upright posture even for four cubits, it is as if he pushed against the heels of the Divine Presence, since it is written, 'The whole earth is full of His glory.' Talmud Bavli Berachot 43b

Rashi himself uses this phrase to describe the haughty behavior of Dathan and Aviram, leading members of Korach’s band of rebels:

ספר במדבר פרק טז

(כז) וַיֵּעָלוּ מֵעַל מִשְׁכַּן קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם מִסָּבִיב וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם יָצְאוּ נִצָּבִים פֶּתַח אָהֳלֵיהֶם וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וְטַפָּם:

27. So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Aviram, on every side; and Dathan and Aviram came out, and stood strong at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. Bamidbar 16:27

רש"י על במדבר פרק טז פסוק כז

(כז) יצאו נצבים - (תנחומא) בקומה זקופה לחרף ולגדף

The Torah writes that they stood nitzavim - strong or defiant. Rashi explains that this means b'komah z'kufa, they stood strong - tall and erect, alluding to the negative connotation cited in the Talmud. If this is the case, why would Rashi use the same language to describe a very positive stance, an element of the blessing that is bestowed upon us if we adhere to God’s commandments?

Two Types of Standing

Apparently, there is more than one type of standing tall. There is haughty, self-centered standing erect, and there is a second type which is part of our prayers and aspirations, the posture found in our verse in Vayikra. Rabbenu Bachya[3] explains that this blessing of "standing tall" has yet to be fulfilled: it is a promise that did not come to fruition during the First or Second Temple periods.[4] According to this understanding, our puzzling verse is composed of two separate blessings. The first part speaks of the past, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves.” The continuation of the verse is future-oriented, “and I (will) break the bars of your yoke, and march you upright.”

This aspiration is incorporated in our daily prayers, and in the Grace After Meals.

סדור תפלה - נוסח אשכנז - סדר יוצר

וַהֲבִיאֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ. וְתוֹלִיכֵנוּ קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵנוּ:

סדור תפלה - נוסח ספרד - סדר יוצר דשחרית

מַהֵר וְהָבֵא עָלֵינוּ בְּרָכָה וְשָׁלוֹם מְהֵרָה מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת כָּל הָאָרֶץ. וּשְׁבוֹר עֻלֵּנוּ מֵעַל צַוָּארֵנוּ. וְתוֹלִיכֵנוּ מְהֵרָה קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵנוּ:

סדר ברכת המזון

הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁבֹּר עֻלֵנוּ מֵעַל צַוָּארֵנוּ וְהוּא יוֹלִיכֵנוּ קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵנוּ:

The wording of the morning service, especially according to the Sephardic custom, and the text of the Grace After Meals it quite clear that this verse in Vayikra was the liturgist's frame of reference: We pray that God remove the yoke with which we are encumbered and lead us, upright, to the Promised Land. This last element is crucial: this is no aimless march, for we are not truly free without a destination that imparts independence and pride. The positive nature of this upright stance, this bold march, stems from its' purpose: it leads to the Land of Israel.

This future-oriented approach, marching into Israel standing tall, may have its antecedents in the prototypical first redemption, the Exodus from Egypt. The Chizkuni draws a parallel between komah z'kufa and the description of the Jews leaving Egypt "b'yad rama" – with an “uplifted hand”:

חזקוני על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יג

(יג) מטת עליכם - העול שיהיה מטה ראשיכם וצואריכם כלפי ארץ.

ואולך אתכם קוממיות - בקומה זקופה כשם שהשור זוקף ראשו כשמרימין את העול מעל צוארו, כדכתיב ובני ישראל יוצאים ביד רמה.

This comment hearkens back to the verses describing the Exodus, and to the Chizkuni's unique explanation of the verse in Shmot:

שמות פרק יד פסוק ח

וַיְחַזֵּק ה’ אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יֹצְאִים בְּיָד רָמָה:

8. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharoh King of Egypt, and he pursued after the People of Israel; and the People of Israel went out with a high hand. Sh’mot 14:8

חזקוני על שמות פרק יד פסוק ח

יצאים ביד רמה - שברשות יצאו.

According to the Chizkuni, the description of the “high hand” indicates that the Jews did not "escape" from Egypt; they left with the acquiescence of the Egyptians.

Perhaps combining these two elements[5] gives us the fullest understanding of the scenario: Leaving Egypt at dawn, with the Egyptians' permission, rather than sneaking out at midnight when the Egyptians were preoccupied with the Plague of the Firstborn, was far more dignified.[6] The Jews marched out of Egypt in daylight, with their heads held high.

The difference is dignity. This concept was articulated by the Hasidic master Rav Zadok HaKohen, who lamented that those who returned to Israel in his own day did so not with their heads held high, but with degradation, for they were in fact still in Exile – despite geographically being located in the Holy Land. Without autonomy, [7] subject to the whims of the ruling foreigners, their return to the Land of Israel is demeaning, not uplifting.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov chided those who do not feel the pull of the Land of Israel; he instructed them to pray to God that they be the ability to feel longing for the Land. Rav Nachman explained that the Land of Israel is inseparably intertwined with our faith: Before our daily declaration of faith, expressed in the Shma, we pray to return to our land.[8] Rebbe Nachman understood the verse in Vayikra as it is reflected in the liturgy: We pray that God lead us to the Land of Israel, and “ultimately every step and every battle the Jews have undertaken has been toward and about the Land of Israel.[9]

The Pendulum

The context of this verse may give us some tools to understand its meaning. As we have noted, two choices are presented, two paths through history: As a nation, we may choose to heed the Word of God, or to reject it. The verses thatintroduce each of these option are remarkably similar:

(ג) אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם:

3. If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

(יד) וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה:

14. But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments; Vayikra 26:3,14

This pendulum-like relationship begins with the introductory verses to each of the sections, and carries through the entire section. Thus, the curses are described as the opposite of komemiyut:

ספר ויקרא פרק כו

(לו) וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּכֶם וְהֵבֵאתִי מֹרֶךְ בִּלְבָבָם בְּאַרְצֹת אֹיְבֵיהֶם וְרָדַף אֹתָם קוֹל עָלֶה נִדָּף וְנָסוּ מְנֻסַת חֶרֶב וְנָפְלוּ וְאֵין רֹדֵף: (לז) וְכָשְׁלוּ אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו כְּמִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב וְרֹדֵף אָיִן וְלֹא תִהְיֶה לָכֶם תְּקוּמָה לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיכֶם: (לח) וַאֲבַדְתֶּם בַּגּוֹיִם וְאָכְלָה אֶתְכֶם אֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶם:

36. And upon those who are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursues. 37. And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursues; and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38. And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. Vayikra 26:36-38

Instead of pride – fear; instead of standing – falling; instead of autonomy –impotence; instead of return –exile, assimilation, and destruction.[10]

The situation of the Jew cowering in the exile is a curse and a desecration of God’s Name.[11]

The verses of blessing, in which a triumphant march to the Land of Israel is promised, cannot be more different than this exile mentality. The Jewish People will return to their Land with head held high. What causes this pride, and what distinguishes it from the haughty demeanor, the arrogance which the Talmud decried as morally damaging and spiritually empty? The answer is simple: The arrogant expel God; they refuse to see the Hand of God in their lives or in human history. They credit themselves for their success. The Torah encapsulates this corrupted world view (weltanschauung) in one succinct verse in Devarim:

דברים פרק ח

(יז) וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה:

17. And you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this stature. Dvarim 8:17

A Divine Tour

The blessing of komemiyut, of komah z'kufa - walking erect - can be best understood when connected to the verse which precedes it:

(יב) וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בְּתוֹכֲכֶם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי לְעָם

12. And I will walk among you, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. Vayikra 26:12

Rashi's comments on this verse hold very deep theological insights:

רש"י ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יב

והתהלכתי בתוככם – אטייל עמכם בגן עדן כאחד מכם, ולא תהיו מזדעזעים ממני. יכול לא תיראו ממני, תלמוד לומר והייתי לכם לאלהים:

And I will walk among you: 'I will stroll with you in the Garden of Eden, as one of you, and you will not be frightened by Me.' Perhaps you think this means people will not hold God in awe, therefore it continues, “I will be for you a God.”

This is an incredible combination: God will walk with us, manifest, like a friend. We will appreciate God, understand the vast abyss which separates man from God, and yet feel close and comfortable. We are then able to hold our heads high, yet not be arrogant. This relationship existed at only one point in history: in the Garden of Eden. It did not last long; man was seduced into thinking that the abyss did not exist – that he could be like God.

ספר בראשית פרק ג

(ד) וַיֹּאמֶר הַנָּחָשׁ אֶל הָאִשָּׁה לֹא מוֹת תְּמֻתוּן: (ה) כִּי יֹדֵעַ אֱלֹהִים כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְכֶם מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִפְקְחוּ עֵינֵיכֶם וִהְיִיתֶם כֵּאלֹהִים יֹדְעֵי טוֹב וָרָע:

4. And the serpent said to the woman, surely you shall not die; 5. For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Bereishit 3:4,5

Instead of strolling with God, man hid from God. In a verse reminiscent of Rashi’s idyllic description of “And I will walk among you,” vhithalachti, in Bereishit a similar word is used: mithalech:

ספר בראשית, פרק ג פסוק ח

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה’ אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּא הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ מִפְּנֵי ה’ אֱלֹהִים בְּתוֹךְ עֵץ הַגָּן:

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Bereishit 3:8

The stroll was aborted. Rather than walking in stride with God, head held high, man hid, humiliated and embarrassed. Instead of Paradise, man would soon be exiled. And there, God's presence would no longer be apparent. In exile, fear is the norm, vulnerability man's constant companion. Man would lose his stature:[12] Instead of standing erect, man would lay in a burial plot.[13]

And what of the instigator, the Serpent? He sold man a bill of goods, convinced him that he could be like a god. The Serpent was also punished with a loss of stature:

ספר בראשית פרק ג

(יד) וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֱלֹהִים אֶל הַנָּחָשׁ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה עַל גְּחֹנְךָ תֵלֵךְ וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ:

14. And the Lord God said to the Serpent, 'Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life'. Bereishit 3:4:14

He was made to crawl – but prior to this episode the Serpent stood tall, b'koma zekufa:[14]

מדרש רבה בראשית פרשה כ פסקה ה

א"ר לוי לעתיד לבא הכל מתרפאין חוץ מנחש וגבעונים נחש שנאמר (ישעיה סה) ונחש עפר לחמו לא ירעו ולא ישחיתו וגו' … ר' אסי ורבי הושעיא בשם ר' אחא אמר לו הקב"ה אני עשיתיך מלך על הבהמה ועל החיה ואתה לא בקשת אני עשיתיך שתהא מהלך קוממיות כאדם ואתה לא בקשת על גחונך תלך אני עשיתיך שתהא אוכל מאכלות כאדם ואתה לא בקשת ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך אתה בקשת להרוג את האדם ולישא את חוה ואיבה אשית בינך ובין האשה הוי מה שבקש לא ניתן לו ומה שבידו ניטל ממנו:

R. Levi said: In the Messianic age all will be healed save the serpent and the Givonite; the serpent, as it is written, And earth shall be the serpent's food (Yeshayahu 65, 25); … R. Issi and R. Hoshaya in the name of R. Hiyya the Elder said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him [the Serpent]: ‘I made you king over all the cattle and beasts, but you would not have it; therefore, MORE CURSED ARE YOU, etc.; I made you upright like man, but you would not; hence, UPON THY BELLY SHALL YOU GO; I made you that you should eat the food of man, but you would not; hence, AND EARTH SHALL YOU EAT; you desired to kill the man [Adam] and take his wife: therefore, AND I WILL PUT AN ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN.’ Thus what he desired was not given him, and what he possessed was taken from him. Midrash Rabba Bereishit 20:5

Paradise, Eden, proximity with God was not enough; the Serpent, who tried to stand tall without God, was lowered, degraded[15]. The result was exile. Conversely, when the Jews left Egypt, they were lifted from the depths and made to stand tall, with dignity:

מדרש רבה שמות פרשה כה פסקה ח

… (ש"א ב) מקים מעפר דל אלו ישראל שהיו משוקעים בטיט ובלבנים במצרים והוציאן הקב"ה בקומה זקופה שנאמר (ויקרא כו) ואולך אתכם קוממיות הוי מקים מעפר דל

… He shall dwell on high... his bread shall be given, his waters shall be sure (Yeshayahu 33, 16); and also, He raises up the poor out of the dust (I Sam. 2, 8)-these are the Israelites who were buried among clay and bricks in Egypt, but whom God brought out with upright stature, as it says, And I made you go upright (Vayikra 26, 13)-hence: 'He raises up the poor out of the dust'. Midrash Rabba Sh’mot 25:8

The pendulum of Jewish history swings along this very axis: The Jews would march triumphantly to the Land of Israel, in dignity, in tandem with God. They were to live by the Word of God, which would keep them in the Land forever. When they sinned once again, they were exiled once again. Fear became their constant companion; even worse, like the serpent they lost their stature and their identity. This is the assimilation of which the verse warns: “And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up” (25:38).

Another swing of the pendulum, and another chance to reinstate Jewish independence in the Land of Israel, by the Word of God: The Jews returned, and rebuilt the Temple. But once again, the words of the Torah were abandoned, and the Second Temple was destroyed. There was one more glimmer of hope: brave soldiers who stood tall and strong, led by a shining star known as Bar Kochba.

He had two hundred thousand men of each class; and when they went forth to battle they cried, ' [O God,] neither help us nor discourage us!’ Midrash Eicha Raba 2:4[16]

No less a sage than Rabbi Akiva thought that Bar Kochba could be the Messiah, could restore Jewish sovereignty, Jewish dignity. Yet Bar Kochba and his men were infected with hubris. They prayed to God to leave them to their own devices, so confident were they of their own strength and virtue. When Bar Kochba turned his back on God, he was killed - according to tradition, by a serpent.[17] The exile that followed lasted longer than any other.

From this exile we have now begun to emerge – hopefully, with heads raised high, not due to an exaggerated sense of self- worth, but because we know it is God who has chosen to take us along this historic path. This time, we will not hide, nor will we deceive ourselves. The pendulum has begun to swing back, and the blessings have begun to pick up momentum. We will walk this Land together with God.

---

[1] Rashbam Vayikra 26:13

רשב"ם על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יג

קוממיות - כשהוסר העול זוקף את ראשו:

[2] Rashi Vayikra 26:13

רש"י על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יג

קוממיות - בקומה זקופה:

[3] The same idea is found in the Shla Hakadosh commentary to Vayikra

ספר השל"ה הקדוש - ספר ויקרא - פרק תורה אור מספר תורת כהנים. (ח)

אחר כך באה ההבטחה על העתיד, דהיינו הברכות שבפרשת בחקתי שלא נתקיימו כהווייתן עד לעתיד, שיתן משכנו בתוכנו ויוליך אותנו קוממיות. וכרת ברית שנקיים התורה, ואם לא נקיים אזי האלות והקללות. אחר כך חזר לערך אדם כמה יהא ערכו, ויש לזה סודות עמוקות כאשר נבאר בעזרת הש"י. וסיים כל חרם אשר יוחרם מן האדם לא יפדה מות יומת, כי תכלית האדם להיות חי נצחי כמו שיהיה לעתיד. הרי התחיל ספר תורת כהנים באדם כי יקריב, וסיים באדם. ועתה הוא הולך למות ויש לו קירוב על ידי קרבן באמצעית הכהן, ולעתיד וחי לעולם והאדם יהיה בעצמו קרבן ליהו"ה בגוף ובנפש, תמים יהיה עם ה':

[4] Rabbenu Bachya Vayikra 26:13

רבינו בחיי על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יג

(יג) ואולך אתכם קוממיות - כבר הזכרתי למעלה כי פרשה זו עם הבטחותיה הנפלאות לא נתקיימה לעולם בשני המקדשים אך תתקיים לעתיד.

[5] In one edition of the Chizkuni bracketed words are added, bkumah zkufa “walking upright”.

חזקוני על שמות פרק יד פסוק ח

יצאים ביד רמה - שברשות יצאו. [בקומה זקופה]

[6] See Ktav Vkabala, citing the Vilna Gaon, who drew the same conclusion.

הכתב והקבלה על דברים פרק ד פסוק לד

(לד) וביד חזקה ובזרוע נטויה. הראב"ע פי' ביד חזקה שיצאו ישראל ביד רמה, ובזרוע נטויה כטעם בעמוד אש וענן, והגר"א פי' ביד חזקה בע"כ, שע"י המכות הוכרחו להניח אותם לצאת ובזרוע נטויה הוא באתגלי' לעיני כל ולא כמו בורחים כמ"ש בעצם היום הזה, בנ"י יוצאים ביד רמה, ומזה אמר ואשבור מוטות עולכם ואוליך אתכם קוממיות, מוטות עולכם הוא נגד ביד חזקה, קוממיות שהוא באתגלי' הוא נגד בזרוע נטויה:

[7] Yisrael Kedoshim section 5

ספר ישראל קדושים - אות ה

והגם שאין התעוררות קדושה כל כך להיות הגאולה שלימה בפועל לשוב כולנו לארץ הקודש [קוממיות בקומה זקופה, לא כאלו הנוסעים היום לארץ הקודש להיות שם בשפלות ובגלות בין העמים המושלים שם דאין זה חזרה לארצינו ולקדושתינו בפועל] מכל מקום יוכל לפעול בהתעוררותו על כל פנים שיגיע המשפט לפדות אותם השבויים ביד צר ממש:

[8] Liquiti Maharan mahadura kama 195.

ספר ליקוטי מוהר"ן - מהדורא קמא סימן קנה

וְצָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם לְבַקֵּשׁ מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ כִּסּוּפִין וְגַעְגּוּעִים לְאֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְגַם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה גַּעְגּוּעִים לְכָל הַצַּדִּיקִים לְאֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהוּא סְגֻלָּה לְהַכַּעַס וְלָעַצְבוּת, כִּי 'כָּל הַכּוֹעֵס כְּאִלּוּ עוֹבֵד עַכּוּ"ם' (שַׁבָּת ק"ה). אֲבָל אֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא בְּחִינַת אֱמוּנָה, בְּחִינַת אֶרֶךְ - אַפַּיִם, הֶפֶךְ הַכַּעַס: וְזֶה שֶׁקֹּדֶם קְרִיאַת - שְׁמַע, שֶׁהוּא אֱמוּנַת הַיִּחוּד, אָנוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים: 'וְהוּא יוֹלִיכֵנוּ קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵנוּ', הַיְנוּ שֶׁאָנוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים וּמִתְגַּעְגְּעִים לְאֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל - יְדֵי - זֶה זוֹכִים לֶאֱמוּנָה, הַיְנוּ קְרִיאַת - שְׁמַע, שֶׁהוּא אֱמוּנָה:

[9] Liquiti Halachot Birchat Hamazon, commenting on the phrase “May the Merciful break the yokes from upon our necks, and bring us back to our Land standing tall.”

ספר ליקוטי הלכות - ברכת המזון ומים אחרונים הלכה ד

יד) וְזֶה בְּחִינַת וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם קוֹמְמִיּוּת וּפֵרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י, בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה. כִּי זֶה הַמִּקְרָא נֶאֱמַר לְעִנְיַן אֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁלְּשָׁם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי כָל הַהֲלִיכוֹת וְהַדְּרָכִים וְהַנְּסִיעוֹת שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַמִּלְחָמוֹת וְהַכְּבִישׁוֹת הַכֹּל הָיוּ לֵילֵךְ וְלִכְבֹּשׁ אֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּמּוּבָן וּמְבֹאָר בְּסִפּוּרֵי כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ. וְזֶהוּ, וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם קוֹמְמִיּוּת, דְּהַיְנוּ בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה בְּחִינַת עַזּוּת וְעַקְשָׁנוּת שֶׁעוֹמְדִין זְקוּפִין בְּעַקְשָׁנוּת גָּדוֹל לְנַצֵּחַ הַמִּלְחָמָה וְלֵילֵךְ וְלָבוֹא לְאֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁזֶּה הָיָה עִקַּר תַּכְלִית יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם וְכוּ' כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָבוֹא לְאֶרֶץ - יִשְׂרָאֵל לְנַצֵּחַ מִלְחָמָה זֹאת שֶׁהִיא עִקַּר כְּלַל כָּל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁל אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי כִּי אִם עַל - יְדֵי עַקְשָׁנוּת גָּדוֹל מְאֹד בְּחִינַת וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם קוֹמְמִיּוּת. בְּחִינַת וְתוֹלִיכֵנוּ מְהֵרָה קוֹמְמִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵנוּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, אָמֵן:

[10] These parallels seem to have eluded all the commentaries. For a similar approach, see comments of the Chizkuni to Vayikra 26:25.

חזקוני על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק כה

ונאספתם - כנגד ואולך אתכם קוממיות והיא שנייה.

ושלחתי דבר בתוככם - כנגד ומאה מכם והיא שלישית.

ונתתם ביד אויב - כנגד רבבה ירדופו והיא רביעית.

[11] See Rabenu Bachya Vayikra 26:13, who sees within the curses, God's Name literally divided.

רבינו בחיי על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יג

הנה הפרשה זו ביעודים הטובים הללו התחילה באל"ף, אם בחקותי, וסיימה בתי"ו קוממיות, והנה זה להורות שאין הברכות האלה לישראל בתשלומין אלא בזמן שקיימו כל התורה כולה מאל"ף ועד תי"ו. ופרשת האלות הסמוכה לה תתחיל בוא"ו, ואם לא תשמעו לי, ותסיים הפרשה כולה בה"א בהר סיני ביד משה, והוא חצי השם, ועל שם שכתוב (תהלים צא) עמו אנכי בצרה:

[12] See Baba Batra 75a:

 And I will lead you komemiyut, R. Meir says: [it means] two hundred cubits; twice the height of Adam.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא בתרא דף עה עמוד א

מיתיבי: +ויקרא כ"ז /כ"ו/+ ואולך אתכם קוממיות - רבי מאיר אומר: מאתים אמה, כשתי קומות של אדם הראשון;

[13] One of the ramifications of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, was that death entered the world.

[14] See Shla Hakadosh Toldot Adam rimzei otiot

ספר השל"ה הקדוש - תולדות אדם - רמזי אותיות לחתימת ההקדמה (טז)

והנה פרק קמא דסוטה אמרו (ה, א) אמר רב חייא בר אשי אמר רב, תלמיד חכם צריך שיהא בו גאוה אחד משמונה בשמינית שהוא חלק ס"ד. וכן אמר שם רבא, בשמתא מאן דאית ביה ובשמתא מאן דלית ביה פורתא מגאותא. פירש רש"י, כדי שיהו יראים ממנו ויהיה לו כח להוכיח. הרי מי שהוא תלמיד חכם לא יטה לגמרי לקצה האחרון, רק יאחז בקצת מהקצת בשביל כבוד התורה ללמדה ולהוכיח, אבל זולת זה לא מינה ולא מקצתה, לא יהיה בו שום נקודה מהגיאות, רק ילך בקצה האחרון לגמרי להיות שפל רוח. ואז יתבאר ענין גמלי"ן צדי"ן כו', פירש רש"י שהם דומין בכתיבתו, אלא שזה למעלה וזה למטה. רוצה לומר צדיק כפוף למעלה רומז למה שכתבתי, מי שהוא אדם גדול המוכיח לרבים אף שהוסיף לו כפיפה על כפיפתו, מכל מקום יהיה בו קצת גאוה מעט מן המיעוט לשם שמים כדי להטיל אימה שיקבלו תוכחתו, על כן נשאר הראש למעלה אף שהוא כפוף, מכל מקום צדיק ראשו למעלה. אבל הגימ"ל הפוכה זה הראש למטה, רומז על אינש דעלמא, לא די לו שיוסיף כפיפה על כפיפה, רק יהיה כאילו אין לו ראש כלל והוא למטה לארץ, ולהיות ממש כעפרא דארעא ילך לגמרי בקצה האחרון של שפל רוח. ולזה לא יתערב גימ"ל בצד"י ולא צד"י בגימ"ל. וענין רוב מעלת הענוה הוא מטעם שכתבתי, כי בזה מתוקן חטא אדם הראשון הכולל כל החטאים. ולעתיד כשיכלה זוהמת הנחש והקליפות, כתיב ואולך אתכם קוממיות, כי ה' ישכון בתוכנו, ה' מלך גאות לבש:

[15] See Toldot Yitzchak Bereishit 3:24, who insists that these verses should be understood literally: prior to the sin, the serpent walked and talked.

ספר תולדות יצחק על בראשית פרק ג פסוק כד

ודע שכל מה שכתוב בפרשת בראשית, הוא אמת כפשוטו, גן עדן עץ הדעת ועץ החיים והנחש וכל הענין הנאמר בהם, וכן כתב ר' אברהם בן עזרא שכתב הישר בעיני שהדברים כמשמעם, והנחש היה מדבר והולך בקומה זקופה, והשם דעת באדם שם בו דעת. וכתב עוד ודע כי כל מה שמצאנו כתוב הוא אמת וכן היה ואין בו ספק, גם יש לו סוד ע"כ.

[16] Compare with Yerushami Taanit 24a

[17] Aicha Rabba 2,4: "He went and found a snake encircling his neck"