Sunday, January 11, 2015
Audio and Essays Parashat Vaera
Audio and Essays Parashat Vaera
New Echoes of Eden Project:
http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2015/01/parashat-vaera-5775-lessons-in.html
As published in Jerusalem Report
http://www.slideshare.net/arikahn1/lessons-i-leadership?ref=http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2015/01/lessons-in-leadership.html
Audio
Deserving Freedom
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/802698/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/Deserving_Freedom
The Plague of "Frogs" and Kiddush Hashem
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=359
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/768099/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/The_Plague_of_'Frogs'_and_Kiddush_Hashem_
Knowledge In Exile (The Haftorah)
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=366
version 2 The Haftorah for Vaera - the exile of Knowledge
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=474
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/768102/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/The_Haftorah_for_Vaera_-_the_exile_of_Knowledge
Moshe And Aharon
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=373
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/768224/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/Moshe_and_Aharon
The four Expression of Redemption and the Brit Bein Habitarim
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=390
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/768103/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/The_four_Expression_of_Redemption_and_the_Brit_Bein_Habitarim
The Four Cups Of Wine
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=391
The Staff
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=400
The Exodus and Elusive Perfection
http://rabbiarikahn.com/audio?id=402
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/768101/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/The_Exodus_and_Elusive_Perfection
Essays:
Pharaoh’s Conundrum
The Fifth Cup
http://rabbiarikahn.com/writing?id=79
(with Hebrew sources )
http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2010/01/parshat-vaera-5770-fifth-cup.html
Frogs
http://rabbiarikahn.com/writing?id=80
(with Hebrew sources )
http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2009/01/vaera-5769-frogs.html
Pharaoh's Heart
http://rabbiarikahn.com/writing?id=81
And His Name Will Be One
http://rabbiarikahn.com/writing?id=82
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Book Review: I Kings: Torn in Two
I Kings: Torn in Two
Alex Israel
Koren Publishers, Magid Books/ Yeshivat Har Etzion
Book Review by Ari D. Kahn
The Jewish People has been known for over a thousand years
as “the People of the Book.” Despite the pejorative intentions of those who
first coined the phrase, the Jews have adopted it wholeheartedly, reveling in
their reputation as a learned people, a nation whose identity and destiny are intertwined
with the “book of books,” the Torah.
However, in spectacular irony, the Jews, especially those
most orthodox and most educated, are often surprisingly ignorant of the Bible.
Sections of the Tenakh that were not included in the liturgy came to be
regarded as obscure. As Professor Nechama Leibowitz, the late great teacher par excellence of Bible often remarked,
men who study in classical yeshivas know only the verses cited in the Talmud,
and are able to locate them only insofar as they are cross-referenced on the
Talmud folio. And therein lies the rub; the Talmud has become such an
all-encompassing repository of Jewish knowledge and scholarship that all other
books have been eclipsed by the Talmud’s huge shadow.
The return to the Land of Israel in the modern age brought
with it a renaissance of Bible study. For the early pioneers and founders of
the State of Israel, the study of Tenakh was a means of reconnecting the nation
with its homeland and heritage, and they revitalized Tenakh studies in Israel’s
nascent education system. More recently, the torch of Bible study has been
carried primarily by the National Religious stream; the Tenakh curriculum in
non-religious public schools has been cut back drastically, and the more
traditional streams have preferred to maintain the Talmud-based system -- perhaps
because they fear the nationalist and even Zionist messages contained within
the Bible.
The return to the Biblical text has given rise to a cadre of
dedicated teachers who have brought their own intelligence and creativity, as
well as the wealth of tradition, to the study of Tenakh, while expanding the walls
of the classroom to include the length and breadth of the Land of Israel. Rabbi
Alex Israel has firmly established himself as one of the more important
teachers of this school of thought, particularly for English-speaking students.
His first published volume is a guide to the Book of Kings,
and it is neither a classic academic inquiry nor a commentary. I Kings: Torn in Two combines a traditional
reading of the text and the classical commentaries with a smattering of
academic insights and relevant archaeological findings. A broad introduction
addresses larger issues that lie beyond the text, including the general
perspective and concerns of the author of the Book of Kings, as well as the
different perspectives of the events as they are retold in other books of the
Tenakh. Israel’s work displays great sensitivity to the words of the Biblical
text and great attentiveness to its underlying concepts. Adopting an ancient
exegetical approach that is based on midrashic readings of the text, thematic
connections that span between various books of the Bible are revealed. Israel
is creative and knows when to look at symbols and when to read things
literally, both in the Biblical text and the midrashic material.
In this volume, Rabbi Israel attempts, once again, to expand
the limits of the classroom – demographically, not geographically. This book
undertakes the challenging task of converting lectures given in the classroom
into a vehicle to reach a larger audience. The results are sometimes uneven: On
one hand, the reader is engaged, and is never left with the sense of hearing
only one side of a conversation. On the other hand, when more than one solution
to a textual problem is offered, the reader is left to wonder which resolution
the author advocates, or to create a synthesis on their own. Thus, in an early
chapter, Israel discusses the first chapters of the I Kings, in which the main
protagonist, King David is elderly and infirm. Why, Israel quite rightly asks,
are these chapters not the concluding sections of the previous book, II Samuel,
in which the vast majority of David’s life is detailed? Two approaches are offered
to understand the material, one political and the other religious, yet the
reader senses that ascribing such a dichotomy to the Biblical text is somewhat
forced. Is it not possible that both approaches are correct, and not necessarily
mutually exclusive?
In a similar passage, Israel notes the threat posed by
Adonijah, David’s son and self-appointed heir. Israel then carefully shows the
correlation between this rebellion, which is ultimately thwarted, and the
rebellion of Absalom, which ends tragically. The parallels are insightful; we
are often guided by “result oriented thinking” and hence miss this important
parallel. Yet Israel could have been more daring and gone further: After noting
that both sons were “good looking,” he could have cited the Talmudic tradition
that David had many children from “beautiful captive women.” This insight would
draw a clear line of thought from the rebellious ways of David’s children back
to David’s own impetuous behavior. This, in turn, could take us as far back as
Deuteronomy, to a newly-enlightened reading of the section regarding the king
who takes many wives and its relationship with the consecutive sections regarding
the beautiful captive and the rebellious child.
I Kings: Torn in Two has
much to offer any reader seeking instruction and insight that is based upon,
but not limited to, the classical commentaries. This volume will surely
enlighten and enrich any reader’s understanding of the words of the Prophets,
but the leap to internalizing and applying the methodology it suggests may
prove too great to be accomplished without the classroom setting. Even so, this
volume will fill a void, particularly for readers whose language skills do not
allow them direct access to the classical commentaries, and will help bring the
English- speaking audience back to an authentic understanding of the Book of
Books.
Rabbi Ari Kahn,
Director of Foreign Students Programs at Bar Ilan University, is a teacher,
communal Rabbi, and author. His most recent book in the Echoes of Eden series is Bamidbar:
Spies, Subversives and other Scoundrels.
Book Review of Torah from Alexandria
Looking Up to the
Patriarchs: A Book Review of
Torah from Alexandria, Volume I:
Genesis
Kodesh Press 2014
Edited by Rabbi Michael Leo
Samuel
Reviewed by Rabbi Ari D. Kahn
A very new, very old book has been published recently. Rabbi
Michael Leo Samuel has set out to perform the herculean task of translating
Philo of Alexandria's commentary on the Book of Genesis into smooth, readable
English, presented in the order of the verses and chapters of the Torah. This
volume is the first in a projected series on all five books of the Pentateuch.
At the outset, I should make it clear that my limited
knowledge of Philo’s philosophical milieu
limits my ability to write a comprehensive review of Torah from Alexandria.
I leave it to scholars well-versed in the Hellenistic Roman and Egyptian
philosophical traditions to examine Rabbi Samuel's efforts to compare and
contrast Philo’s commentary with the philosophical trends of his age. Instead, I
approached the material hoping to discover the Torah insights of an ancient
Jewish philosopher, and to consider these insights in their historical and
masoretic context.
I was not disappointed. In addition to translating Philo's writings,
Rabbi Samuel explains the texts when necessary, often with the aid of
references and notes, thus allowing the modern reader to access and understand
Philo's interpretation of the Torah. Even more importantly, through Torah
from Alexandria we are able to reveal the underlying exegetical approach
with which Philo explained the Torah to readers of his own generation. The
relevance of his approach to our own generation is striking.
In recent years, students of Tanach, especially among the
religious Zionist community in Israel, have been engaged in a debate (some
might characterize it as a battle) regarding authentic and legitimate
interpretation of the sacred biblical text. The debate centers around two
related points: First, to what extent is fidelity to classical rabbinic
commentary requisite (or even desirable); and second, to what extent is it
legitimate to interpret the text in a manner that implies that the heroes of
the biblical narrative were less than perfect? This debate has come to be known
as interpretation b’govah ha- einayim
– looking biblical heroes in the eye, as opposed to gazing up at them as a mere
mortal would view a titan.
One maverick in the new school of Israeli interpretation,
the late Rav Mordechai Breuer, was fond of saying that he reads the text just
as the sages of old did -- without the commentary of the sages. In other words,
Rav Breuer's insights were based upon an unfettered reading of the text itself,
stripped of the layers of traditional rabbinic exegesis. Opponents of this
approach decry the deconstruction of our spiritual forebears, denounce the
abandonment of our traditional view of the forefathers and our accepted
understanding of their behavior. According to the more traditional approach,
looking biblical characters in the eye borders on heresy and undermines the
very foundations of Jewish spirituality. According to this approach, deconstructing
our spiritual heroes diminishes us all, and leaves us empty and bereft of role
models. At the same time, discarding traditional rabbinic explanations of the
biblical text casts a shadow on our masorah, subtly calling into
question the centrality of teachings attributed all the way back to Moses and
passed down to the sages of each subsequent generation.
With the help of Rabbi Samuel, we are now able to look back
to the exegetical method used by Philo in Alexandria some two thousand years
ago, and what we find may have important ramifications for our current debate. In Torah from Alexandria, we find a
biblical commentator whose work is remarkably in sync with rabbinic tradition --
which is no small feat given that a good number of the interpretations he
offers are found only in much later rabbinic writings. We must therefore assume
that Philo, like the authors of those later rabbinic texts, recorded ideas and
exegetical traditions that had previously been transmitted orally (or,
alternatively, that these rabbinic interpretations originated in Alexandria).
The masorah's centrality and antiquity are clearly reinforced.
Even more fascinating is the impact Philo's approach should
have on the govah ha'einayim debate. Philo proves to be a staunch supporter
of the classical approach to biblical characters, immediately and unequivocally
defending them and dispelling any possible negative interpretation of their
behavior. In situations where such
"mainstream" commentaries as Nachmanides or Rabbi S.R. Hirsch find
fault in the behavior of the matriarchs or patriarchs, Philo is quick to defend;
in fact, there are many instances in which he inserts a virtuous spin on
seemingly neutral situations .
For example:
·
Abraham could have resolved
the problem with Lot by force, but did not wish to humiliate him, and sought a
peaceful resolution. (p. 156)
·
When Abraham seems to
complain to God that he has no children, Philo reads it as a virtue: “A servant
must be direct and honest with his superior.” (p. 164)
·
While Lot’s daughters'
behavior is “unlawful,” their intentions were “not without some merit.” (p.
199)
·
Sarah suggested that
Abraham have a child with Hagar; her motivations were “selfless and altruistic.”
(p. 171)
·
Sarah’s treatment of Hagar
was “disciplinary, and not abusive, in nature.” (p. 174)
·
Philo turns Abraham's false
claim that Sarah is his sister into a virtue, explaining that a person who
speaks only the truth in all situations is “unphilosophical as well as an
ignoramus.” (p. 154)
·
Sarah's demand that Hagar
and Yishmael be banished was not motivated by spite or jealousy. It was a
well-earned response to their having spread malicious rumors that Isaac was illegitimate
child. (p. 206)
·
Abraham acquiesces to his
wife's demand; this behavior always has “the best and happiest kind of outcome.”
(p. 206)
·
The expulsion of Yishmael
is compared to the expulsion of Adam from the Garden of Eden: “Once the mind
contracts folly, it becomes almost an incurable disease…their penchant for
superficiality and mediocrity.” (p. 207)
·
“The animus against Abraham
stems from an envy and hatred of everything that is good.” (p. 209)
·
The sacrifice of Isaac (whose
name connotes joy) teaches us that “even joy must be subordinated to God.” (p.
210)
·
Isaac was not misguided or
mistaken in his love for Esau. Isaac’s love for Esau was compartmentalized or
limited, conditional; he was attracted to Esau's skill as a hunter, because
Isaac himself sought to “hunt down his passions and keep them at bay.” (p. 233)
·
Esau had always been a
slave, and was destined to remain enslaved for all time – with or without the
blessing Jacob took. By selling the birthright, Esau proved that he was a slave
to his “belly’s pleasures.” (p. 233)
·
When Jacob buys the
birthright from Esau, it is an act of virtue intended to save his brother from
rampant materialism that would bring about Esau's downfall. (p. 234)
·
Isaac wants to bless Esau because
he sees that Esau is limited and lacking, while Jacob is perfect and does not
need his blessing. (p. 240)
·
Jacob should be admired for
respecting both his parents and carrying out his mother's instructions to the
letter, rather than being vilified for taking Esau's blessings through
subterfuge. (p. 242)
·
“Malicious people never
tire of accusing Scripture of excusing Jacob’s deceit and fraud… subterfuge and
maneuvering have their place in life…sometimes a general will make a threat of
war, while he is actually working in the interest of peace.” (p. 243) “A good man may do something that
appears wrong, but [he] acts with noble intention.” (p. 245; also see p. 248)
·
Simeon and Levy “acted as a
vanguard of justice and fought to protect their family’s purity.” (p. 272)
·
Joseph treats the sons of
Bilhah and Zilpah as equals, hence drawing the ire of his other brothers. (p.
275)
·
Jacob's love for Joseph was
not arbitrary favoritism. Rather, he loved Joseph because of his skills, his
virtue, and his nobility. (p. 275)
·
Regarding Tamar: “Virtue is
subtle –sometimes she veils her face like Tamar.” (p. 284)
·
Joseph was physically
assaulted by Madame Potiphar, but never succumbed to her advances. (p. 287)
·
Joseph does not seek
revenge; he wants to see how the brothers will treat Benjamin, another son of
Rachel. (p. 301) Joseph sees the entire episode as divine providence (p. 313).
·
Even in prison, Joseph behaves
virtuously toward all the other prisoners. (p. 288)
·
Joseph does not gain
personally from any of the wealth accrued in Egypt; rather, he is a dedicated
civil servant. (p. 318f)
·
Joseph completely forgave
his brothers and never sought vengeance, not only out of respect for their
father, but because of his love for his brothers. (p. 326)
·
Jacob enters the palace and
all those present are aware of his dignity. (p. 318)
Philo proves to be a sensitive reader of the text –
sensitive to the underlying philosophical issues as well as a staunch defender
of Judaism. Perhaps because he lived among non-Jews, within the general society,
he intuited that attacks on Abraham and Sarah are tantamount to attacks on the
underpinnings of Judaism and, through a subtle process of anti-Semitism, on
every Jew. Alternatively, he may simply have seen the patriarchs and matriarchs
as spiritual giants – people whose thoughts and actions were far more elevated
than those of common men, people who were far above the petty jealousies and
foolish mistakes more cynical readers ascribe to them, people who actually were
"larger than life." Philo teaches us that in order to look at them at
all, to see and understand them, to learn from them - we must look up.
Rabbi Leo Samuel has done an outstanding service, both to
Philo and to modern readers. In Torah from Alexandria, Philo's ancient
Torah commentary becomes readable and meaningful, exciting and contemporary. I
look forward to future volumes.
Book Review - Chumash Mesoras HaRav
Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Shemos
compiled and edited by Dr. Arnold Lustiger
Reviewed by Rabbi Ari D. Kahn
Some of my fondest childhood
memories are of Shabbat meals in my parents’ home: Family and guests around the
table, food, songs - and words of Torah. My father would share Torah insights with
us – more often than not, ideas he had
heard from “The Rov.” The highlight of my father’s week was traveling to Manhattan
to participate in Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik’s weekly shiur in the Moriah synagogue. This weekly Gemara class (in which The
Rav dedicated a few minutes to the parasha)
was attended by laymen and rabbis alike, and the words of Torah, the questions,
the answers, the explanations that my father heard there and shared with us, are
the bedrock of my own learning, teaching and religious identity. Only years later
I was privileged to personally learn from The Rov, and to read and study his
writings.
A newly published work by Dr.
Arnold Lustiger reminds me of those early years, and of the glow on my father’s
face as The Rov’s words flowed from his lips to our young ears. Mesoras
HaRav is a digest of Torah commentary, ideas that The Rov either wrote or
delivered orally in different venues, and to different types of audiences, throughout
his career. Despite the fact that this work was not written by The Rov, and
despite the fact that a commentary of the Torah written by The Rov himself
would have undoubtedly been a completely different book, Dr. Lustiger’s Mesoras
HaRav is a major achievement.
The Rov was notoriously careful
with language; this was a family tradition. Had he chosen to write a commentary
on the Torah, every word, every letter, would have been weighed carefully -
first and foremost, in terms of the intended purpose and audience of such a
work. The Rov was a master of pshat,
drash, homiletics, midrash, philosophy and philology (in fact, students who
sat in his classroom sensed that the Rov has mastered all of Judaism); had he
chosen to focus on any one or more of these aspects of the Torah, the result
would no doubt have been magnificent, breathtaking. Furthermore, The Rov had
the unique ability to communicate with audiences that spanned the entire
spectrum of age, affiliation and background. Whatever audience he might have
chosen to address, any and all readers on this spectrum would have benefitted.
But alas, the Rov did not leave
us with such a commentary on the Torah, neither a complete nor even an
incomplete opus. Thus, the purists, the “real” students, the “Rovaphiles”
will have ample room to criticize Dr. Lustiger’s work for what it is not: It surely is not what The Rov or any of those
attempting to imitate or recreate his style would have written. In a sense, though,
the fact that Dr. Lustiger is not among that innermost circle of The Rov’s
students may be an advantage: Mesoras HaRav is not limited to sentences
that The Rov himself would have penned. Instead, Dr. Lustiger attempts to share
a glimpse into the thought of Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik with a new
generation. What emerges is a compilation, smatterings of many things the Rov
said and wrote; and even if it is uneven, it is nonetheless, magnificent.
A new generation has arisen, a
generation that “does not know Yosef.” This generation does not sit in his
daily Gemara shiur, his weekly Chumash
shiur or his mesmerizing public classes and lectures. This new generation
cannot aspire, as did every serious yeshiva student for decades, to reach the
level required to join The Rov’s Gemara shiur. Today’s Orthodox Jewish
community will not experience the sunburst of intellectual and spiritual energy
that previous generations enjoyed at The Rov’s annual Yahrziet and Teshuva drashot. This generation will have no
firsthand acquaintance with The Rov’s well-crafted lectures or the uplifting messages
they conveyed, nor will they know the awe and wonder that earlier students felt
when they came face to face with The Rov’s breathtaking process and methodology
of learning. Although more and more of The Rov’s recorded shiurim are making
their way to the internet in digital form and there is an ever-growing library
of publications based on his teachings, many of these are far beyond the grasp
of those not on the highest levels of Torah scholarship. Some of these
publications treat topics so specific and with such erudition that they are
esoteric; others, although they address broader topics, require the layperson
to keep both a dictionary and encyclopedia close at hand in order to understand
the words and follow the references.
Mesoras HaRav is different,
accessible. Again, the purists may complain: The work is uneven, collected from
many different lectures and articles, cobbled together from sources that differ
in purpose, audience, topic and methodology. The eclectic nature of the sources
is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Despite the disparity of its sources,
the book is cogent, and should be seen as a reflection of The Rov’s vast
knowledge, of the different topics he tackled and the different ways he would
approach the same topic. Many of the Rov’s own writings do not lend themselves
to the creation of a running commentary on the Torah. Long essays in which The
Rov laid out critical elements of his philosophy, such as the delineation
of “Adam I” and “Adam II,” cannot easily
be harvested for micro-comments on specific Torah verses. Such essays, although
they elucidate central components of the Rov’s weltanschauung, are often too unwieldy to be used as primary
sources for Mesoras HaRav and the reader must suffice with small samples
from such a monumental work.
Some suggestions: In my opinion,
more footnotes are needed. Occasionally, thematic connections or overarching
ideas are expressed in several independent comments, but no connection is made,
either between the sources from which these ideas are drawn or between the comments
themselves. When a particular idea or theme is illustrated through various
different verses, it would be useful to note that each independent comment is
part of a larger whole; each verse expresses a larger idea in its own way, but
all are related. For example: The Rov taught, in numerous lectures and to
different audiences, that at one point Moses had actually given up hope in the
redemption of the Jewish People, and had taken up permanent residence (or so he
thought) in Midian. In Mesoras HaRav, the commentary to each relevant
verse illustrates this idea, but at no point do the comments on individual
verses refer to any of the other verses that deal with this topic. An
introductory section would do much to help the reader identify and understand
such concepts as they are applied or expressed in the remainder of the work. Alternatively,
an index and cross-referencing in the footnotes would allow the reader to gain
a wider view of The Rov’s treatment of this recurring theme, and would
alleviate much of the perceived repetitiveness. Moreover, although it is not
unusual for a single source, a single lecture or article written by The Rov, to
lie behind Mesoras HaRav’s commentary to many disparate and far-flung
verses, the reader is generally given no indication of this connection.
While this is not a book the Rov
wrote -- or would have written -- it is a book that reminds me of those Shabbat
meals with family, when my father shared The Rov’s Torah with us. Those early
lessons led me, and both of my brothers, to attend The Rov’s shiur, and led our
entire family to a deeper knowledge and experience of Judaism. Some of the
ideas I first heard at my parents’ Shabbat table appear in print for the first
time in Mesoras HaRav. The citation reads “Moriah,” where my father
attended those weekly shiurim years ago. Each time I see that citation, a smile
comes to my face as I recall the question my father raised at the table or the
answer he relayed. Occasionally, I can recall only one or the other; now,
thanks to Dr. Lustiger, they have come together.
Mesoras HaRav is valuable
in and of itself, as it transmits hundreds of The Rov’s insights and
explanations. If it spurs the reader to further inquiry and investigation, if
it leads the reader to seek out the primary sources – The Rov’s original essays
or recordings of his classes or lectures - perhaps this generation who “do not know
Yosef” will at the very least “see his back” and understand the profound
privilege my generation enjoyed: We had a Torah colossus in our midst, an accessible
and inspiring source of Torah tradition and innovation. I applaud Dr. Lustiger
for his efforts and look forward to the publication of future volumes that will
allow a new generation to bring The Rov to their table and inspire children and
adults alike.
Rabbi Ari Kahn is a student of Rav Soloveitchik, he is author
of numerous books including a series on the Torah called “Echoes of Eden”.
Monday, January 5, 2015
notes for lecture on Korbanot in the future
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/791463/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/Introduction_to_Vayikra;_Whither_Korbanot
2. רמב"ם הִלְכּוֹת מְלָכִים
וּמִלְחָמוֹת פֵּרֶק יא
11.
חזון הצמחונות והשלום
הראי"ה טו.
על המתנגדים לקרבנות
פרשת
ויקרא
התשע"ג
הרב ארי
דוד קאהן Rabbi Ari Kahn
1.
רמב"ן ויקרא
פרק א פסוק ט
והנה בכתוב הזה
טעם הקרבנות שהם אשה ריח ניחוח לה'. ואמר הרב במורה הנבוכים ]ג
מו[ כי טעם הקרבנות, בעבור שהמצרים והכשדים, אשר היו ישראל גרים ותושבים בארצם מעולם, היו
עובדים לבקר ולצאן, כי המצרים עובדים לטלה והכשדים עובדים לשדים אשר יראו להם
בדמות שעירים, ואנשי הודו עד היום לא ישחטו בקר לעולם. בעבור כן צוה לשחוט אלה
השלשה מינין לשם הנכבד כדי שיודע כי הדבר שהיו חושבים כי הם בתכלית העבירה הוא אשר
יקריבו לבורא, ובו יתכפרו העונות. כי כן יתרפאו האמונות הרעות שהם מדוי הנפש, כי
כל מדוה וכל חולי לא יתרפא כי אם בהפכו. אלה דבריו ובהם האריך: והנה הם דברי
הבאי,
2. רמב"ם הִלְכּוֹת מְלָכִים
וּמִלְחָמוֹת פֵּרֶק יא
א הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ עֲתִיד לַעֲמֹד, וּלְהַחְזִיר מַלְכוּת
בֵּית דָּוִיד לְיָשְׁנָהּ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, וּבוֹנֵה מִקְדָּשׁ,
וּמְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְחוֹזְרִין כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים
בְּיָמָיו, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מִקֹּדֶם: מַקְרִיבִין קָרְבָּנוֹת, וְעוֹשִׂין
שְׁמִטִּין וְיוֹבְלוֹת כְּכָל מִצְוָתָן הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה.
ז וְעִיקַר
הַדְּבָרִים, כָּכָה הֶן: שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת אֵין חֻקֶּיהָ
וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיהָ מִשְׁתַּנִּים לְעוֹלָם, וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים, וְאֵין
מוֹסִיפִין עֲלֵיהֶן, וְלֹא גּוֹרְעִין מֵהֶן; וְכָל הַמּוֹסִיף אוֹ גּוֹרֵעַ, אוֹ
שֶׁגִּלָּה פָּנִים בַּתּוֹרָה וְהוֹצִיא הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁלַּמִּצְווֹת
מִפְּשׁוּטָן--הֲרֵי זֶה בַּוַּדַּאי רָשָׁע וַאֲפֵיקוֹרוֹס.
ח [ד] וְאִם יַעֲמֹד
מֶלֶךְ מִבֵּית דָּוִיד הוֹגֶה בַּתּוֹרָה וְעוֹסֵק בַּמִּצְווֹת כְּדָוִיד
אָבִיו, כְּפִי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְשֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, וְיָכֹף כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל
לֵילֵךְ בָּהּ וּלְחַזַּק בִּדְקָהּ, וְיִלָּחֵם מִלְחָמוֹת ה'--הֲרֵי זֶה
בְּחֶזְקַת שְׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ: אִם עָשָׂה וְהִצְלִיחַ, וְנִצַּח כָּל
הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁסְּבִיבָיו, וּבָנָה מִקְדָּשׁ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ, וְקִבַּץ נִדְחֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל--הֲרֵי זֶה מָשִׁיחַ בַּוַּדַּאי.
3.
רמב"ם הִלְכּוֹת
מְעִילָה פרק ח
ח וְכָל
הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת כֻּלָּן, מִכְּלַל הַחֻקִּים הֶן. לְפִיכָּךְ אָמְרוּ
חֲכָמִים שֶׁאַף עַל עֲבוֹדַת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד--שֶׁבַּעֲשִׂיַּת
הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, זוֹכִין הַיְּשָׁרִים
לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא; וְהִקְדִּימָה תּוֹרָה צִוּוּיֶיהָ עַל הַחֻקִּים,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת-חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי, אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה
אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם" ויקרא יח,ה.
4.
רמב"ם הלכות בית הבחירה
פרק ב הלכה ג
מִדּוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מְכֻוָּנוֹת הַרְבֵּה,
וְצוּרָתוֹ יְדוּעָה אִישׁ מֵאִישׁ. וּמִזְבֵּחַ שֶׁבָּנוּ בְּנֵי
הַגּוֹלָה, כְּעֵין מִזְבֵּחַ שֶׁעֲתִיד לְהִבָּנוֹת עָשׂוּהוּ; וְאֵין
לְהוֹסִיף עַל מִדָּתוֹ, וְלֹא לִגְרֹעַ מִמֶּנָּה.
5.
רמב"ם הלכות מעשה הקרבנות פרק ב הלכה יד
כָּל שיעורי הַנְּסָכִים הָאֲמוּרִין בְּסֵפֶר
יְחֶזְקֵאל, וּמִנְיָן אוֹתָן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְסִדְרֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה הַכְּתוּבִים
שָׁם--כֻּלָּם מִלּוּאִים הֶן, וְאֵין נוֹהֲגִין לְדוֹרוֹת; אֵלָא הַנָּבִיא
צִוָּה וּפֵרַשׁ כֵּיצַד יִהְיוּ מַקְרִיבִין הַמִּלּוּאִין עִם חֲנֻכַּת
הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, בִּימֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ כְּשֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בַּיִת שְׁלִישִׁי.
6.
עולת ראיה כרך א עמוד
רצב הרב ארבהם יצחק הכהן קוק
וערבה
לד' מנחת יהודה וירושלים כימי עולם וכשנים קדמוניות. בעלי החיים, הקרבים למזבח, חל
בהם עצמן התקון על ידי התעלותם להיות זבח לד', שכיון שאין בהם דעת אינם מגיעים
להתעלות זו כי-אם במעשה הנעשה בהם בהעלות לד' דמם וחלבם, שהם עיקר מכון הנפש. מה
שאין כן האדם, אשר בלבו המבין ישכיל את מעשה הקרבן ויתקרב אל ד' בדעתו. אבל לעתיד
לבא שפע הדעת יתפשט ויחדר אפילו בבעלי-החיים, "לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ
בְּכָל הַר קָדְשִׁי, כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת ד'" (ישעיהו יא:ט),
וההקרבה שתהיה אז של מנחה, מהצומח, תערב לד' כימי עולם וכשנים קדמוניות.
7.
ישעיהו פרק סה
(כה) זְאֵב וְטָלֶה יִרְעוּ כְאֶחָד וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן
וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל הַר קָדְשִׁי אָמַר ה’:
ס
8.
רמב"ם הִלְכּוֹת
מְלָכִים וּמִלְחָמוֹת פֵּרֶק יב
א אַל יַעֲלֶה עַל
הַלֵּב שֶׁבִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, יִבָּטֵל דָּבָר מִמִּנְהָגוֹ שֶׁלָּעוֹלָם, אוֹ
יִהְיֶה שָׁם חִדּוּשׁ בְּמַעֲשֶׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית; אֵלָא עוֹלָם כְּמִנְהָגוֹ
הוֹלֵךְ. וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר בִּישַׁעְיָה "וְגָר זְאֵב עִם-כֶּבֶשׂ,
וְנָמֵר עִם-גְּדִי יִרְבָּץ" ישעיהו
יא,ו, מָשָׁל
וְחִידָה. עִנְיַן הַדָּבָר--שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹשְׁבִין לָבֶטַח עִם
רִשְׁעֵי הָעוֹלָם, הַמְּשׁוּלִים בִּזְאֵב וְנָמֵר: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר
"זְאֵב עֲרָבוֹת יְשָׁדְדֵם--נָמֵר שֹׁקֵד עַל-עָרֵיהֶם" ירמיהו
ה,ו. וְיַחְזְרוּ כֻּלָּם לְדַת הָאֱמֶת, וְלֹא יִגְזֹלוּ וְלֹא
יַשְׁחִיתוּ, אֵלָא יֹאכְלוּ דָּבָר הַמֻּתָּר בְּנַחַת כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וְאַרְיֵה, כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל-תֶּבֶן" ישעיהו
יא,ז;ישעיהו
סה,כה.
ב וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֶא
בְּאֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים הַכְּתוּבִין בְּעִנְיַן הַמָּשִׁיחַ, מְשָׁלִים הֶם;
וּבִימוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ יִוָּדַע לַכֹּל לְאֵיזֶה דָּבָר הָיוּ מָשָׁל,
וּמַה עִנְיָן רָמוּז בָּהֶן. [ב] אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, אֵין בֵּין הָעוֹלָם
הַזֶּה לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ, אֵלָא שִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכִיּוֹת בִּלְבָד.
9.
אגרות הראיה, אגרת תתקצד – כרך ד', עמ' כד
ובעניין הקורבנות, גם כן יותר נכון להאמין שהכל
ישוב על מכונו, ונקיים בעזרת ה' כשתבא הישועה, ונבואה ורוח הקודש
ישובו לישראל, כל האמור ביעודה כמאמר. ולא נתפעל ביותר מהרעיונות של התרבות
האירופית, כי דבר ה' אשר עִמנו, הוא עתיד לרומם את יסודי התרבות כולם למדרגה יותר
עליונה ממה שיוכל כל שיקול דעת אנושי לעשות. ואין ראוי לנו לחשוב שבקרבנות
מונח רק הרעיון הגס של העבודה המגושמה, אלא שיש בהם טבעיות קדושה פנימית, שאי
אפשר שתתגלה ביפעתה כי אם בהגלות אור ה' על עמו, ותחיה מקודשת תשוב לישראל – ואותה
יכירו גם כן העמים כולם.
10. חזון
הצמחונות והשלום הראי"ה
יד. -
אין ספק בדבר שיגדיל האדם מעשהו בזה, כאשר יבא המועד הנכון
לו לפנות למקצוע זה, ונעלה מעל כל ספק שיגדיל האדם ויאדיר את תורת השכלת בעה"ח והתפתחותם
החומרית, וביותר המוסרית והרוחנית, במעלה נִשאה כל כך, עד שאי אפשר לנו כלל לצייר אותה במצב
ההוה, המלא שפלות ועכירות דעת; עד שיקבלו כולם צורה חדשה ונשאה, עולם חדש,
"אי בעו צדיקי ברו עלמא" סנהדרין סה ב. וזהו הוד התמונה אשר ציירו לנו הנביאים במצב התרבותי של
בעה"ח הדורסים ישעיהו יא ז: "וּפָרָה וָדֹב תִּרְעֶינָה, יַחְדָּו יִרְבְּצוּ יַלְדֵיהֶן,
וְאַרְיֵה כַּבָּקָר יֹאכַל תֶּבֶן. וְשִׁעֲשַׁע יוֹנֵק עַל חֻר פָּתֶן, וְעַל
מְאוּרַת צִפְעוֹנִי גָּמוּל יָדוֹ הָדָה. לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל
הַר קָדְשִׁי, כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת יְהוָה, כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם
מְכַסִּים".
11.
חזון הצמחונות והשלום
הראי"ה טו.
על המתנגדים לקרבנות
...על כן כל זמן שלא
התרוממה האנושות עדֵנה עד למִדה זו שתהיה ראויה להגדיל את ערך יחסה עִם בע"ח במשקל המוסר הטהור - עד אז, לא ויתור הוא, כי אם
גם זבחי צדק, זביחת בע"ח במקום הראוי. ובהקבץ עמים יחדו, וממלכות לעבוד את
ד', יביעו מעומק נפשם, ההודאה היותר עמוקה, היותר מרושמת לפי טבעו של אדם ורגשו.
ואם הרגש יהיה מעט סולד מזביחת בע"ח, ...
אמנם בהגיע תור האנושות לצעדים היותר רמים, בהרפא כליל המח של הנפילה המוסרית, שגרמה את הצורך של שימת איבה בין הגזעים, למקום שהיתה ראויה להתכונן דרך סלולה, של יחש אהבה ואחוה בין האדם לכל החי, אז מברכת הטבע,
מיתרון המוסר וטוב ההנהגה, ויותר מכל, מעונג החכמה, משמחת הצדק והמישרים התמידית, מאור דעת
ד' והתענג על טובו, ימלא האדם אֹמץ וחָיִל, ער לאין צורך לשימוש אכילת בשר מצד
העמדת חוזק כחות גופו. ותכונת המוסר תתרומם כל כך עד כדי הערת הצד החיובי של משפט
הבע"ח ביחשו של האדם אליהם. על העת ההיא, שהיא ראש פסגת הגעת הקולתורה
הטהורה, אמרו חז"ל דברם הגדול, שהוא גדול ומפליא "כל הקרבנות בטלין
לעתיד לבא" (תנחומא
אמור יט).
והכתוב אומר על קץ החזון: "וְעָרְבָה לַיהוָה מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם" מלאכי ג ד, הבליט מנחה מן
הצמחים במקום
הקרבנות.
ורמוזה גם כן בתורה "וְנֶפֶשׁ" גבי מנחה למשל ויקרא ב א בניגוד הזבחים שכתוב בהם "אָדָם" למשל ויקרא א ב, להורות על סִבָּת החסרון, כלומר "האדם" המסופר במעשי
בראשית בירידתו ונפילתו, הצריך להקמה משפלותו המוסרית.
טו.
על המתנגדים לקרבנות.
ובקול
דממה דקה אומרת חכמת ישראל הקבלה (שער המצות לארי ז"ל דפו"י דף צט,
דפו"י דף מב): "מדרגת החי דלעתיד לבא תהיה כבחינת המדבר דעכשיו ע"י
עליית העולמות". ..., בין מצד עצם מדרגת המוסר הנמוכה שלא הגיע זמנה כלל
להיות אפילו רשאה להטפל עם הצד המוסרי של משפטי בע"ח, ע"כ כל אותו
הזמן הגדול והארוך שהאדם עודנו נזקק ונדרש לאכילת בשר, לזביחת בע"ח לצרכיו,
כל הזמן שעוד יש חפץ בהחזקת החיץ המבדיל בין האדם ובין יתר החיים, מצד צורך שמירת
מעלתו המוסרית שלא תתחבל ותתטשטש - כל הזמן הזה כמה מגונה יהיה, וכמה שפלות ערך
והריסת מצב של התרוממות הנפש תביא לאדם דליגה פחזנית כזאת, אם כל זמן שלצרכיו
החומריים יזבח בכל אות נפשו בע"ח לאכול את בשרם, ולהורות ההכרה הפנימית בחסדי
ד' טובו ורוממות כבודו, אשר כפי הנטיה הטבעית החזקה מתבלטת היא בהקרבת קרבנות,
"עולות מחים, וזבחי רצון" תהלים סו פה במקום הצורך לפתח את מקור האורה, של
התנשאות האנושות בכלל, תמצא החמלה מקום; כאן יעשה האדם רחמני, ולא יוכל להתאכזר על
בע"ח להעלותם קרבן? פה יאמר "שלחן ד' מגאל" מלאכי
א נטיה
כזאת איננה מורה רושם של התעלות רגש האדם לטובה, כ"א על נפילתו המדעית
והמוסרית בכללה. מה שפל ונבזה יהיה האדם עם טענה כזאת, בעת אשר יגיע מצב המוסרי של
האדם ער מעלה זו, עד כדי להכיר בהכרת אמת פנימית את צד העול שיש בנטיות (בנטילת?)
חיי בע"ח. צריכה ההערה השכלית לעשות ראשית דרכה, בהוראת פעולתה על הצרכים
החומריים של האדם, שתכליתם שפל ונבזה, ושרשם פתוח אל יסוד זוללות האדם השפלה. אמנם
הקרבנות שהם באים לתעודה נעלה, להוציא אל הפועל את רגש הכרת הטוב, למקור הטוב,
לאדון עולם הטוב והמטיב, יתברך שמו, שכח הכרת טובה היא כח מוסרי אביר ונאור המסתתר
בנפש, ומבקש את תפקידו לצאת בפעולות מורגשות, שהפעולות הללו המה האותיות והתיבות
שהמיות הנפש הזכה מתכנסות בהן, למען תוכל לשוב למנוחתה מעצמת געגועיה, להורות אות
תורתה העמוקה, המתפרצת כפרץ מים רבים, כשטף נחלים גדולים רחבי ידים הזורמים בשאון
דכים "מקולות מים רבים אדירים משברי ים אדיר במרום ד' - עדותיך נאמנו מאד...
... - מהלך התעודה השלמה תבא עם הדעה החזקה והאמתית שהתפתחות המוסרית האנושית
בכללה תבא בהנהגתה ע"י מסילתה מונהגת בה מיד ד'; ע"כ כל זמן שלא
התרוממה האנושות עדנה עד למדה זו שתהיה ראויה להגדיל את ערך יחסה עם בע"ח
במשקל המוסר הטהור - עד אז, לא ויתור הוא כ"א גם זבחי צדק, זביחת בע"ח
במקום הראוי, ובהקבץ עמים יחדו, וממלכות לעבוד את ד', יביעו מעומק נפשם, ההודאה
היותר עמוקה, היותר מרושמת לפי טבעו של אדם ורגשו, ואם הרגש יהיה מעט סולד מזביחת
בע"ח, לא מפני שכבר בא הזמן של ההכרה השלמה של המוסר המתיחש לבע"ח
להעשות, כ"א מפני הצפיה הגנוזה בטבע נפשו של אדם, אע"פ שלא יצאה אל
הפועל, שזהו שורש לשאיפות רבות, שהם באות להגלות יותר מערך הזמן והתקופה, אין בזה
רע, כ"א עוד יחזק בנפש רושם של דעת, שחובת הכרת טובת ד', והודעת גודל ערך
כבודו, היא צריכה להתגבר באופן נעלה כזה, עד שתכריע את כל הכחות האנושיות המתנגרות
לה אליה. ואפילו המעולה שבכחות, רגש הלב הנוטה לשאיפת הצדק, גם הוא ראוי להיות
עולה כליל על יסוד הכרת אמתת כבוד ד' וטובו, מפני שהכרת דעת ד' וכבודו היא עמוד
יסודי לשכלול המעלה האנושית היותר רמה, שכדאי להרבות במחירה, ודבר נעלה מאד הוא
שירשם באדם רגש חזק, שיותר ממה שיוכלו תכונותיו הטבעיות לשאת בציורם, ראויה
שתהיה עומדת אצלו ערך הכרת כבור שם ד', המרומם על כל ברכה ותהלה. אמנם בהגיע תור
האנושות לצעדים היותר רמים, בהרפא כליל המח? של הנפילה המוסרית, שגרמה את הצורך של
שימת איבה בין הגזעים, כמקום שהיתה ראויה להתכונן דרך סלולה, של יחש אהבה ואחוה,
בין האדם לכל החי אז מברכת הטבע, מיתרון המוסר וטוב ההנהגה, ויותר מכל, מעונג
החכמה, משמחת הצרק והמישרים התמידית מאור רעת ד' והתענג על טובו, ימלא האדם אמץ
וחיל, ער לאין צורך לשימוש אכילת בשר מצד העמרת חוזק כחות גופו. ותכונת המוסר
תתרומם כ"כ עד כדי הערת הצד החיובי של משפט הבע"ח ביחשו של האדם אליהם, על
העת ההיא שהיא ראש פסגת הגעת הקולתורה הטהורה, אמרו חז"ל דברם הגרול, שהוא
גדול ומפליא "כל הקרבנות בטלין לע"ל" (תנחומא אמור יט) והכתוב אומר
על קץ החזון "וערבה לד' מנחת יהודה וירושלים" מלאכי ג הבליט מנחה מן הצמחים, במקום הקרבנות, ורמוזה ג"כ
בתורה "ונפש" גבי מנחה בניגוד הזבחים שכתוב בהם "אדם", להורות
על סבת החסרון, כלומר "האדם" המסופר במעשי בראשית בירידתו ונפילתו,
הצריך להקמה משפלותו המוסרית, ויחד צד צפון הפרוץ ומיוחס כמפורסם באומה ומקובל לצד
הרעה וחסרון ההשלמה, לחשובי הקרבנות, להורות שחסרון ההשלמה הכללית הוא הוא מן
המקום האמתי לתכלית הקרבנות כדי להשלים למען מלאת את החסר, והגביל "לרצונכם
תזבחהו" ויקרא יט שיהיה
אפשר וראוי לומר רוצה אני.
Therefore this is not
a fitting standard for humanity in general as long as (humanity) remains in its
(state of moral) baseness, except insofar as it does not overtax the capacity
which it is possible for the force of human morality, in its weakened state, to
sustain. There is no doubt that if the prohibition of the killing of animals
was made known as a religious and moral pronouncement issuing from the
untainted sensibility of divine justice, whose nature it is to radiate out to
all creatures and to instill the recognition that the holiness of God's gifts
suffses all living beings, and all humanity - (if this prohibition were in
force) while at the same time the general moral condition were still impaired,
and the spirit of impurity had not yet passed from the world,
there is no doubt that
this circumstance would result in many impediments (to spiritual progress).
When the animal-like craving to eat meat would become overpowering, it would
then make no distinction made between the flesh of human beings and the flesh
of animals, since in any case the (eating of the) life (nefesh) of the animal
(as well as of the human being) is proscribed as a prohibition and a violation
of law, and the killing and sacrificing of human beings in order to eat their
flesh would become a widespread phenomenon. The eating of human flesh would
become so natural that, once the wide gap between human beings and animals, in
terms of the relative value of their lives, has been breached, there would no
longer be any trace of (lit: "any way to find") the natural
abhorrence (to this practice), which humanity in its improved state possesses
at the present time.
12.
The age of pure
morality and peace When humanity arrives at its goal of happiness and complete
freedom, when it reaches that high peak of wholeness which is the pure
knowledge of God and the sanctification of life fulfilled according to its
nature, then the age of "the prompting of the intellect" will arrive,
like a structure built on the foundation of "the prompting of the
Torah," which is prior for the whole of humanity. Then human beings will
recognize their relationship with all the animals, who are their companions in
creation, and how they should properly be able, from the standpoint of pure
morality, to combine the standard of mercy with the standard ofjustice37 in
particular relation to (the animals), and they will no longer be in need of
extenuating concessions, like the concessions (referred to in the Talmud by the
phrase:) "The Torah speaks only of the evil inclination;"39 rather,
they will walk the path of absolute good.40 "I will make a covenant for
them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creepi.ng
things of the ground; I will also banish bow, sword, and war from the land.
32. The
elevation of animal life in the future to come
And according to the
worthiness of their heightened rank in the course of this development, resulting
from the general spiritual elevation which influences the emotions and the
senses with the effect of sharpening and clarifying them, here the true form
will emerge, "And the cattle and the asses that till the soil shall
partake of salted fodder that has been winnowed with shovel and fan.
For their sense of
taste will develop in proportion to the uplifting of their souls, in a delicate
manner that corresponds to the measure of (development of) the other aspects of
their souls.
And in "a still,
small voice" does the wisdom of Israel speak through the Kabbalah:
"The level which animal life will attain in the future will be like the
present standpoint of the speaker (i.e. humanity) because of the ascent of the
worlds.
And this is the glory
of the picture portrayed for us by the prophets regarding the enlightened
condition of (even) the predatory animals:
The cow and the bear
shall graze,
Their young shall lie
down together;
And the lion, like the
ox, shall eat straw.
A babe shall play over
a viper's hole,
And an infant pass its
hand over an adder's den.
In all of My sacred
mount
None shall hurt or
destroy
For the earth shall be
filled with the knowledge of God
As the waters cover
the sea.
רמב"ם הלכות פרה אדומה פרק ג הלכה ד
ותשע פרות אדומות נעשו משנצטוו במצוה זו עד שחרב הבית
בשנייה, ראשונה עשה משה רבינו, שנייה עשה עזרא, ושבע מעזרא עד חורבן הבית, והעשירית
יעשה המלך המשיח מהרה יגלה אכי"ר.
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