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Monday, August 24, 2015

Parashat Ki Tetze 5775 Another Brick in the Wall


Echoes of Eden
Rabbi Ari Kahn
Parashat Ki Tetze 5775
Another Brick in the Wall

Over the past few chapters we have noted a gradual shift in the topics Moshe addresses as he imparts his final lessons to the Jewish People. From an extensive polemic against idolatry, the focus shifts to the building of the Temple, and then moves on to other national institutions such as the establishment and mandate of courts, the monarchy and prophets. To a large extent, this weeks parashah narrows the lens, moving to commandments of a more interpersonal or individual nature. Though Moshe touches upon many commandments, one particular topic is mentioned numerous times: marriage.[1] Although much of the discussion revolves around what might be called unconventional relationships -- the wife taken as a captive of war, polygamy and preference of one wife above the other, and more -- there is one brief mention of love, marriage and happiness.

When a man takes a new bride, he shall not enter military service or be assigned to any associated duty. He must remain free for his family for one year, and rejoice with his bride. (Dvarim 24:5)

The Sefer HaHinuch, an early (anonymous) book of Mitzvot, notes that the concept of marriage is a stark, polar opposite to sexual promiscuity (that is mentioned earlier in this parashah Dvarim 23:18). The selection of one special person, as described poetically by Adam[2] in the Garden of Eden, is the ideal:

A man shall therefore leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Bereishit 2:24)

One man, one woman; this a relationship of exclusivity.

In a sense, the nature of marriage mirrors the relationship outlined earlier in Dvarim regarding the Beit Hamikdash. We are told to serve God in one chosen, special place:

Do away with all the places where the nations whom you are driving out worship their gods, [whether they are] on the high mountains, on the hills, or under any luxuriant treeYou may not worship the Almighty God in such a manner. This you may do only on the site that the Almighty God will choose from among all your tribes, as a place established in His name. It is there that you shall go to seek His presence. (Devarim 12:2-5)

While the idolaters worshiped under every tree and upon every hill and high place, the Jews were commanded to worship God exclusively in one centralized place  - a place later identified as Jerusalem. We might say that the difference between the Jewish approach to worship and the idolatrous approach is the difference between a one night stand and a marriage, between promiscuity and the union of two people joined in holiness. Idolatry, particularly regarding the element of immediate gratification, is spiritual promiscuity.

When a bride and groom rejoice in one another, their happiness stems in no small part from the joy of exclusivity, from the knowledge that their chosen partner is the only person with whom they will share the holiness of marriage and sexual intimacy. This is happiness born of holiness. In this context, the Talmud teaches us that not only is it incumbent upon the husband to bring joy and happiness to his spouse, but all those who attend the wedding are commanded to bring happiness to the new couple. In fact, the Talmud (Talmud Bavli Brachot 6b) goes so far as to say that whoever successfully brings joy to the bride and groom, is considered to have rebuilt one of the ruins of Jerusalem.

As we know, the ruin of Jerusalem is the Temple itself, a building dedicated to the exclusive relationship between God and His People. When the people  cheated on God, as was the case during the First Temple era, or simply took their relationship with Him for granted, as was the case during the Second Temple era, the Temple was destroyed. On the personal scale, marriage, with its essential component of exclusivity, serves as a metaphor for the relationship between man and God; in essence, it is a microcosm of that relationship. When a husband and wife find joy in this holiness of marriage, they build not only their own interpersonal relationship, but also the community as a whole, as well as the relationship between man and God. They become partners in the rebuilding of the Temple.

Every Jewish home is holy. In a sense, every Jewish home is a microcosm of the Holy Temple. Therefore, every happy Jewish home serves as a step to the complete rebuilding of Jerusalem.

For a more in-depth analysis see:




[1] This essay is dedicated to the marriage of our son Yosef Dov, to Shoval Cohen.
[2] There are those who claim this declaration was an “editorial” statement made by God.

Echoes of Eden

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Essays and Audio on Parashat Ki Tetze


Essays and Audio on Parashat Ki Tetze 5775


Essays:
Echoes of Eden Project  -
Another Brick in the Wall

Abuse

Of Love and Hatred

Dysfunctional Relationships

To Be As One

Going to War

Amalek: A Question of Race?

Audio:

When a Millstone is NOT a Millstone - (Suspected sexual symbolism in the parasha)

Consequences


Pretty Woman

Parshat Ki Tetzi / Captive Wives Rebellious Sons and Palace Intrigue

When great soldiers go to war

YETZER HARA

Repentance

Thorns and Thistles


Remembering and Understanding the war against Amalek


Sunday, August 16, 2015

Parashat Shoftim 5775 - Democracy, Theocracy and Monarchy

Echoes of Eden
Rabbi Ari Kahn
Parashat Shoftim 5775
Democracy, Theocracy and Monarchy

Running any enterprise, whether it is a home, a business, or a country, is complex. As in so many other aspects of life, a delicate balance must be struck between competing considerations.

In Parashat Shoftim, the Israelites time in the desert nears its end, and a new reality awaits them on the other side of the Jordan River. As they begin the next phase of their life as a nation in their homeland, Israel will face the dilemma of competing considerations, and much of Parashat Shoftim is taken up with issues that must be resolved in order for the new commonwealth to thrive.

In the desert, Moshe is the supreme leader. In a certain sense, he has the authority and status of king, despite what seems an almost conscious avoidance of the trappings of monarchy on his part. He is also the supreme religious leader. As it is clear that Moshe will not be crossing the Jordan with them, a new tension arises: How will their new country be governed? What is to be the form of authority? Will their nation-state be a monarchy or a theocracy? Which of the roles filled by Moshe will take precedence, and how will the polity be structured?

The concept of kingship is introduced in this Parashah, but, surprisingly, not as a command but as a possibility. It appears that the king described in the Torah is appointed, if not elected, by the people: Should they choose to appoint a monarch, he is to be invested with substantial, but not absolute, authority and power.
        
On the other hand, this same Parashah introduces the court system, which has both judicial and legislative powers. This system of courts is deemed the final arbiter in all instances of interpersonal conflict or religious issues. Whenever a clarification of law or a decision regarding its application is required, we are instructed to turn to the courts, and not to the king, for a decision. (Dvarim 17:8-13) The court of which the Torah speaks is what we might call a religious court, and it stands as a counter-balance to the monarchy.

The era of the one man show, in which Moshe stood at the top of both the political and the judicial/religious systems, would now come to an end. Instead, two competing arms of government would be established: a democratically appointed monarch, and a legal system based on the principle of majority.

Let us consider this first institution, the seemingly oxymoronic democratically selected monarch. A careful reading of Maimonides Law of Kings is instructive:
                              
Once a king is anointed, he and his descendants are granted the monarchy for eternity, for the monarchy is passed down by inheritance, as Devarim 17:20 states: 'Thus, the king and his descendants will prolong their reign in the midst of Israel.'This applies if the knowledge and the fear of God of the son is equivalent to that of his ancestors. If his fear of God is equivalent to theirs but not his knowledge, he should be granted his father's position and given instruction. However, under no circumstance should a person who lacks fear of God be appointed to any position in Israel, even though he possesses much knowledge. (Laws of Kings 1:7)

Surprising as this may seem, despite the creation of a monarchy which is passed down from generation to generation through a chosen family line, the chain of inheritance is not guaranteed. A determination must be made that the heir to the throne is in fact a worthy successor. The question is, who decides? Who determines whether the king is fit, and whether or not his descendants are worthy?  Apparently, this power is in the hands of the people (perhaps through the agency of their representatives on the Great Court, the Sanhedrin HaGadol). The process through which this power is exercised creates the contours of a unique type of democracy.

The power of the monarch is subject to even more stringent limits from another quarter: Aside from the role of the people in choosing to appoint a king and approving the chain of inheritance of the monarchy, the king is subject to the laws of the Torah as they are interpreted and applied by the Great Court. The judicial-legislative arm of government stands above the monarchy; the political arm of government is secondary to the theological arm of government. We may say, then, that the system of governance prescribed in Parashat Shoftim is a democratically conceived monarchy ruled by theocracy. Modern Western sensibilities might cringe at this sort of hybrid, and we might imagine the impossible tension that this system would create. However, the force intended to ameliorate this tension is part and parcel of the mandate of the king:

When [the king] is established on his royal throne, he must write a copy of this Torah [which] must always be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life. He will then learn to be in awe of God his Lord, and carefully keep every word of this Torah and these rules. (Devarim 17:18,19)

With one elegant stroke, the Torah establishes the dialectic, the mechanism that will maintain the delicate balance: The king, despite his power and authority, must remain in a constant state of attentiveness to the Torah and its laws. He must never forget the true nature of the mandate with which he has been entrusted, and must remain mindful of the true source of his authority - and its limits. Keeping the Torah close to his heart and mind at all times will help him stay in touch, stay grounded, and remain accountable to those below him, parallel with him, and, most particularly, to the One above.  

The ideal Jewish polity described in this Parashah is based on a system of checks and balances: a judicial system comprised of the wisest and most honest religious leaders, combined with a king selected by the people, all of whom are bound by the Torah, the immutable word of God. While this combination does not guarantee success, its very structure reminds us where our priorities should lie. In fact, we may say that the system of governance described in Parashat Shoftim is, in and of itself, a brief mission statement for the Jewish nation-state.


For a more in-depth analysis see:


 Echoes of Eden

Parashat Shoftim - Essays and Audio


Parashat Shoftim - Essays and Audio

***New Essay***     The Echoes of Eden Project
Democracy, Theocracy and Monarchy
Essays:
The Vagabond

Trees Are People Too (?)

Whither Truth?

From Left to Right

Justice, Justice

Audio –

Kings and Judges

Between Blood and Blood

Parshat Shoftim / Pursuit of Truth

Parshat Shoftim / Compromise

Pragmatism

Baal Tashchit
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/747875/Rabbi_Ari_Kahn/Baal_Taschit