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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- B'HAR
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
In addition to Judaism, there are other well known world religions which claim to be monotheistic. In truth, these other religions share with Judaism the actuality that the originator of monotheism to the world was in fact, Avraham Avinu.
Now, prior to Matan Torah (giving of the Torah) at Sinai, there are two occurrences in the Torah, of Torah being taught en masse from the time of Avraham. Concerning Avraham’s relocation to Eretz Canaan, the Torah tells us:
“And Avram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the souls whom they made in Charan; and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan; and to the land of Canaan they came.” (B’raishis 12:5)
Regarding these ‘souls whom they had made,’ Rashi citing the Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 14-11 learns:
“This implies that Avraham and Sarah were both of them full of good deeds; as is inferred from the text, ‘And the souls that they made in Charan,’ which teaches that Avraham converted the men and Sarah converted the women.”
Additionally, from the severe pains of the pregnancy of Rivka, we see:
“And the children struggled together inside her; and she said, ‘If it be so, why am I thus?’ And she went to inquire of HaShem.” (B’raishis 25:22)
The Midrash B’raishis Rabbah 63-6, also cited by Rashi, posed the following:
“And she went to inquire of HaShem…. Were there then synagogues and houses of study in those days? Surely she went only to the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever! Hence, this teaches you that to visit a Sage is like visiting the Divine Presence.”
And so, we see that hundreds of years prior to Matan Torah, the Torah was being studied en masse. Yet, the Torah traces the transmission of itself only through the generations of Avraham Avinu stemming off at Yitzchak. What happened to the ‘souls’ made by Avraham and Sarah in Charan, of whom we never hear again? Additionally, what happened to the Talmidim (disciples) of the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, from whom as well, we never hear again?
Perhaps, a way of responding to these questions is that it is possible that even though the Torah may not have been transmitted through the souls made in Charan and through the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, monotheism was nevertheless, transmitted through them. That is to say, those who had direct contact with Avraham Avinu, were the proliferators of monotheism throughout the world. It was certainly the influence of Avraham Avinu upon the souls made in Charan, upon the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, and even upon his son by Hagar who was Yishmael, that led to the eventual so called other monotheistic religions. Only through Yitzchak however, the direct son of Avraham by Sarah, did the Torah channel itself throughout the generations.
But, why was the Torah not transmitted through the souls made in Charan, or through the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, or through Yishmael? The response to this query lies in this week’s Sidra, which introduces the laws of Sh’mita (Sabbatical year):
“And HaShem spoke to Moshe at Har (Mount) Sinai, saying.” (Vayikra 25:1)
The Toras Kohanim, cited by Rashi poses:
“What is the relationship between Sh’mita and Har Sinai? Were not all the Mitzvos stated at Har Sinai? (In answer) Rather, just as Sh’mita, with all its particulars and specifications, was stated at Sinai, so were all the (other Mitzvos) stated with their particulars and specifications at Sinai.”
In his text Darash Moshe, the incomparable Torah luminary Rav Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986) of blessed memory, made two very extremely interesting comparisons:
1. The acceptance of Mitzvos by the seed of Avraham Avinu, before and after Matan Torah (giving of the Torah).
In addition to having been commanded the Sheva Mitzvos B’nai Noach (seven Noahide commandments) prior to Matan Torah, the children of Avraham were also commanded such Mitzvos as procreation, Bris Mila (circumcision), Gid HaNasheh (prohibition of consuming the sciatic nerve of livestock), and others.
2. The acceptance of the Sheva Mitzvos B’nai Noach by the other nations of the world, before and after Matan Torah.
Now, Rav Moshe taught that the primary reason for later generations of Avraham’s children to have the obligation of these pre Matan Torah Mitzvos, is that they were eventually commanded at Sinai. And, the primary reason that later generations of the other nations have the obligation of the Sheva Mitzvos B’nai Noach, is that being part of the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah, these seven as well, were eventually commanded at Sinai. Concerning the other nations after Matan Torah, the Rambam (1135-1204) of blessed memory, wrote the following in Hilchos M’lachim 8-11:
“Each one who accepts the Sheva Mitzvos, and is heedful to accomplish them, is considered to be of the Chasidei Umos Ha’Olam (the righteous of the nations of the world). And, he has a share in Olam HaBa’ah (world to come). This is (on the condition) that he accepts them because HaKadosh Baruch Hu has commanded them in the Torah, and because they were made known to us through Moshe Rabbeinu- the B’nai Noach having already been commanded them (these seven Mitzvos prior to Matan Torah). However, if they are kept as a result of logic (not because of HaShem’s command), such a person would not be considered a convert living among us, and would not be of the Chasidei Umos Ha’Olam, or of their scholars.”
While Mitzvos certainly have within them the concepts of logic and rational, taught Rav Moshe, the primary reason for their fulfillment is that they were commanded by HaShem, and not simply, because Mitzvos may make logical sense. And, herein lies the difference between the way the souls made in Charan, the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, and Yishmael accepted the Sheva Mitzvos, and between the way that the primary seed of Avraham accepted their Mitzvos prior to Matan Torah.
Rav Moshe went on to say that the souls made in Charan, the disciples of the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, and Yishmael who lived prior to Matan Torah, accepted the Mitzvos which they were commanded, solely through logic and reason. Yes, it was unethical to murder, steal, and commit adultery. Yes, it was brutally cruel to literally chop pieces off of live animals for consumption. Yes, courts of law had to be established for the sake of society, and so on.
However, the children of Avraham Avinu, prior to Matan Torah, elucidated Rav Moshe, did not primarily accept all their Mitzvos which they were given solely through logic and reason, as did the souls made in Charan, the disciples of the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever, and Yishmael. Instead, they accepted their Mitzvos first and foremost because they were given by HaShem, understanding that the full reasoning for Mitzvos could never be known to man.
Unlike the seed of Avraham however, the souls made in Charan, the disciples of Shem and Ever (and there were many of them taught Rav Moshe), and Yishmael who accepted Mitzvos through logic and reason alone, begat subsequent generations, who also applied logic and reason to create dispensations for not keeping these Mitzvos any longer. And so, succeeding generations did not follow their ancestors’ accomplishment of Mitzvos. And, this is why, instructed Rav Moshe, only the children of Avraham possess the Torah.
But, what exactly is the connection of the acceptance of Mitzvos only because they were issued by HaShem to this week’s Sidra, which commences with Sh’mita? Rav Moshe explained that the Mitzvah of Sh’mita cannot be understood by the other nations of the world. For, it is completely unheard of to forego a full year of planting, and equally unheard of not to eat the natural (unplanted by man) growth of fields.
However, when it comes to the children of Avraham, the prime reason for keeping Sh’mita and the other Mitzvos is not a matter of logic and rational alone, but instead, a matter of them having been commanded by HaShem at Sinai, the location of which, the Passuk (verse) stresses. That is what is meant by:
“Rather, just as Sh’mita, with all its particulars and specifications, was stated at Sinai, so were all the (other Mitzvos) stated with their particulars and specifications at Sinai.”
While there may be a great amount of detail and particulars given in the Torah concerning any Mitzvah, we accept that Mitzvah only because HaShem commanded it of us at Sinai, and not through logical judgment.
As the Mitzvah of Sh’mita defies logic and reason, so too do all the other Mitzvos that were commanded atop Sinai, go beyond logic and reason, concluded Rav Moshe. And, it is only the descendents of Avraham Avinu, among the so called monotheistic religions of the world, who maintain this distinction of acceptance solely through the command of HaShem, and who are the exclusive possessors of Torah.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.
