Ki Thetzeh: disappointment

This is a jarring parsha.  How should one deal with the consequences of an action that does not work out? gifts  that are Pandora's boxes hidden in Trojan horses?

We begin with the vanquished woman, the prize of conquest.She has been taken for her erotic appeal. She is subject to a formula that forces the subjugator to reconsider this relationship. She is severely stripped of her adornments, including her hair. Her feelings of loyalty to her ,now conquered, people are put on display.  His embrace is not welcomed by her;  he has acquired the pleasure of violent conquest, not love, not a lasting delight. 

The parsha ends with the instruction to wipe out Amalek because of the memory of their sneak attack. We cannot avoid looking at the symmetry.  How would we feel if we were captured by Amalek?  Does not the captured woman have these same feelings? 

Even a loveless union produces children and those children have claims that transcend the regrets of their parents. The double portion of the firstborn is not cancelled by remorse.  It is ironic that (almost) all of the transcendent heroes are not firstborn: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Judah, David: all usurpers. My mother told me: "You must create your own yichus (pedigree)."

Actually, there is a way to eliminate this troublesome firstborn child of the captive: declare him a סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמֹרֶ֔ה,  deviant and rebellious.  ( I wonder if there a relationship between sorer and lo thothuru despite the spelling) This leads to a sanctioned filicide (child killing).  The talmud presents rules for this procedure that make it essentially impossible, a threat that could not actually be carried out. 

This parsha seems dystopic. People lose things, animals are overburdened, there is rape, poverty, hanging corpses.  And there are actions to be taken to optimize the situation.  Lost objects must be returned or kept until claimed; If you see an overburdened beast, you must help rearrange the load to the benefit of both the beast and the master; food must be left for the poor at the time of the harvest.  The corrections, the tikun, does not fully correct the issue, but the effort must be expended to ameliorate the situation. 

The"bad mixture" runs through the parsha: grapes and grain, ox and donkey, wool and linen - all forbidden combinations.  They just don't go together. They are in the chapter that details the laws of divorce. 

Actually, the laws of divorce are separated from the list of prohibited combinations by the directive to put fringes on garments. Rashi quotes the Talmud (Yevomoth 4a) to tell us that, om the basis of this juxtaposition, the shatnez ( wool and linen) prohibition can be overridden  to fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzith (fringes). The next verse opens the section on divorce. 

The  talmud ( Menochoth 44a) relates a story of a man who went to consort with the queen of prostitutes, the most beautiful woman in the world, and both of them were reformed from degradation and brought to love by an explanation of tzitzith. He explained that the tzitzith are a reminder of Gd's judgement for the present and for the future.    The relationship between tztitzit and erotic decisions has always been before my eyes.  When I take off my tzitzit, I consider what I am doing - in the eyes of Gd.The permissibly of the otherwise forbidden combination adds to the impact of tzithzith.   It is a reminder to consider the worlds of  consequence that devolve from my actions. 

Ammonium nitrate gives life as a fertilizer.  It is also explosive. 

Shoftim: Law enforcement

Shoftim: Law enforcement

Law enforcement ( the police?) permeates the parsha. It starts with the commandment to appoint judges and enforcers שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙.  Who is the appointer?  presumably , the reader. This implies a  democratic process of election, a meritocracy - at least as it is perceived by the electors. 

The judges are instructed to show no prejudice. There is a specific prohibition on bias based upon appearance לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים, a concept that is strongly emphasized today.  Its mention in the ancient text attests to the chronicity  of the problem of caste. 

Only by pursuing righteousness can a claim to authority be substantiated.   צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ The societies that abandon the meek  in their laws are disavowed  by history.  

The law that is to be enforced is what Moshe has recorded, based upon his communications with Gd.  Moshe recognized that time would necessitate interpretation of the law. He established a system for the Cohanim (priests) and judges to (re)interpret the law and demanded that their decisions be followed. וּבָאתָ֗ אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְאֶל־הַשֹּׁפֵ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֙ וְהִגִּ֣ידוּ לְךָ֔ אֵ֖ת דְּבַ֥ר הַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֣ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹרֽוּךָ׃ The rule of law surpasses the letter of the law. 

Grudging permission is give to the establishment of a parallel system of legislation: the king.  Like the judges and constabulary , the king is elected  אָשִׂ֤ימָה עָלַי֙ מֶ֔לֶךְ you decide, “I will set a king over me,( although it is not specified by whom). The requirements include a limitation of  greed and a familiarity  with the law. 

A third system of rule is defined in the parsha: the navi, usually translated as "prophet".  This person is not elected.  She is chosen by Gd to arise among the people.  The claim  of this special conduit of information is dangerous.  It can be faked, it can be hacked.  The navi carries a special set of difficult, often obscure messages.  Generally , their power comes only in their message. 

In time, the king and the prophets  lost their positions with exile.  Exile meant that the laws of a foreign kings and peoples required attention. Under that circumstance, the law evolved into a debate based upon scriptural references and logic.  Today's daf yomi ( talmud page  of the day) [Eruvin 13] includes key insights into the process of legal interpretation.  It tells of how the fundamental differences between the  Shamai party and the Hillel party were resolved. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים נֶחְלְקוּ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל, הַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ. Rabbi Abba said that Shmuel said: For three years Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed. These said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion, and these said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion. 

The arguments of each group were incontrovertible There was no way a human could decide.  The talmud tells us that a heavenly voice declared the validity of both sides, but  that the law follows the opinion of the House of Hillel. יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱ  חַיִּים הֵן, וַהֲלָכָה כְּבֵית הִלֵּל. Ultimately, a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: Both these and those are the words of the living Gd. However, the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel.

More importantly, it tells us why. וְכִי מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים, מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכוּ בֵּית הִלֵּל לִקְבּוֹעַ הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתָן? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנּוֹחִין וַעֲלוּבִין הָיוּ, וְשׁוֹנִין דִּבְרֵיהֶן וְדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁמַּקְדִּימִין דִּבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי לְדִבְרֵיהֶן.The Gemara asks: Since both these and those are the words of the living God, why were Beit Hillel privileged to have the halakha established in accordance with their opinion? The reason is that they were agreeable and forbearing, showing restraint when affronted, and when they taught the halakha they would teach both their own statements and the statements of Beit Shammai. Moreover, when they formulated their teachings and cited a dispute, they prioritized the statements of Beit Shammai to their own statements, in deference to Beit Shammai. It was the respect for the other side, for the opinion that they disagreed with, that validated the opinion of Hillelites. 

The parsha ends with the ritual of the beheaded calf. The ritual involved identifying the city closest to an unsolved murder and the elders of that city seeking expiation through the rite.  The clear implication is these elders have some responsibility for the murder, even though they cannot even identify the perpetrator. Their responsibility was for the societal conditions that make murders possible.  

Lives matter

Re'eh: seeing and imagining

 Re'eh: seeing and imagining

The parsha asks us to visualize ( re'eh) a blessing  that is a reward for obedience to the commandments. Much of the parsha deals with economic inequality.  It is an invitation to see how inequitable the world is. 

The sacrificial rite repeatedly emphasizes the inclusion of the widow, the orphan, the Levite. It instructs the Israelite performing these  acts of  allegiance to include those who are excluded from the economic system. The tithe supports these same, disadvantaged people. The prosperous  are instructed to lend to the poor.  Employment contracts are limited to six years and include a severance package.  Only large animals may be slaughtered for meat, and sacrificial flesh may only be eaten for a limited time, forcing sharing of the food. 

There are the disturbing  contradictory passages: (15;4) אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן there shall be no needy among you

and (15;11) כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land

I do not want to resolve the contradiction by emphasizing the "among you,"  On can live in a neighborhood where the poor are  banned, hence not visible (re'eh).  This solution is an efes, a zero. 

The subsequent verses state that the absence of the poor is predicated on adhering to the commandments. The commandments demand helping with the poor with loans, fair employment and support.  Fulfillment of these statutes would minimize the number of poor people. 

I think that he word  evyon   is related to the word for stone, even. ( Hebrew has strong letters that are full consonants and weaker letters, like yad and vav that are really vowels and thus, subject to omission.  Omitting these letters from Evyon yields even - stone) There is an aspect of poverty that is stone-like:  A degradation of worth, not meriting  consideration, a fungible existence.  These are the people stepped over ( or stepped on). 

I contrast this with another word for the poor: ani.  This is a word that conveys the idea of begging.  A merchant is sometimes called a canaani ( as in Aisheth  Chayil), perhaps because he entreats the purchaser.  There are circumstances when people beg although they are not degraded; and there are certainly  people in great need who do not beg.  Both should be in our field of vision. 

The word dal (which appears as part of the word yechdal in the second sentence)  also means poor.  Its fundamental meaning is lacking.  It is the objective aspect of poverty. 

In many parts of the world, starvation is limited to behaviors that seem volitional (although they are usually driven by psychiatric disease).  Anyone who is starving and asks  (begs) for food will be fed.  In this sense, perhaps, in those places, there are no needy.  The Utopian statement: there shall be no needy among you is fulfilled. But that does not seem sufficient.  There is still lack  (dal) and disrespect for the less fortunate and, perhaps worst of all, a failure to see the needs of the needy. 

If we do not look at the stones,  we will trip on them.  If we want to see (re'eh)  the  blessing, we must look at the problems and act accordingly. 

Aikev: the heel of agency

What kind of partnership is this? In exchange for love and obedience, Gd offers to provide food, clothing, land and general success.  Although these things had previously come by dint of miracle, they will now look more normal.  We will have to behave like muggles. No more manna, no more life long, never-wear-out clothing, no more direct communication from heaven. The parsha is directing us to recognize the miracles of everyday life. It tells us that when a person is successful, it is a Divine gift. 

The parsha starts with the word eikev.  This word first appears as the target of the serpent, that has been debased to  a snake, in the  Tree of Knowledge drama.  The children of the woman: 

 ה֚וּא יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב׃  They shall strike at your head, And you shall strike at their heel. 

There is sense that the object of defense, the part used to crush the head of the snake is also the target for its attack. 

The work next appears after the akeidah, the binding of Isaac ( Genesis 22;18)

וְהִתְבָּרֲכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּקֹלִֽי׃

All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command.”

Now the word eikev  is used as a verb, translated as "because." That is is the sense in which it is used in the parsha.  How does  the heel become the cause? It is in the nature of a step.  The heel is the first , tentative part of the step.  It is an exploration and it is reversible. (Some folk dances are elaborations of the reversibility of the placement of the heel.) Perhaps this inquiring nature of the heel is part of the reason that it is the target for the serpent, the titilator of curiosity. Advancing the (tentative) heel toward The Good is enough to merit the reward of blessing . 

The third time  (

Genesis 25:26) the word appears is as the basis for the name of the ancestor of our uniqueness: Jacob

וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֞ן יָצָ֣א אָחִ֗יו וְיָד֤וֹ אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ בַּעֲקֵ֣ב עֵשָׂ֔ו וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יַעֲקֹ֑ב

Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob.

The scene evokes the eternal competition between the brothers and the nations that they spawned.  The brothers are born in struggle.  Jacob ( desperately)  holds onto the last piece of Esau, and if the relationship continues this way, Esau will crush the head of Jacob - or will Jacob come to poison Esau and cause  his downfall?

Eikev is intrinsic to the character of Jacob and his descendants.  It is curiosity and tenacity .  It invites us to analyze more closely the nature of the world: causes, effects, targets and defenses.   It is how we relate to Gd. 

A song to the Creator of a place for the Heel of Cause

I recognize Your Role

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role

I recognize Your Role for creating the world

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for creating the world with a big bang

I recognize Your Role for providing clean water 

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for  the variety of ways it comes into being

    the distillation of water from the seas into clouds

    the purification of soil  through selective absorption of plants

I recognize Your Role for creating  light

 I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role  for the ability to see

I recognize Your Role for creating  darkness

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role  for the ability to not see

I recognize Your Role For creating variety

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for the random

    its predictability in the aggregate

    its unpredictability in the individual

I recognize Your Role for  spawning biological diversity 

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for creating DNA 

    for error prone replication 

    for the corrective machinery

    for the errors that emerge and generate diversity 

        the substrate of evolution

   I recognize Your Role in the (merciless) selective pressure

  I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role  for the haven of the niche

I recognize Your Role in the weather 

I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for the Butterfly in the Canary Islands

     that generates the hurricane anon

I recognize Your Role for creating  heaven

  I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for views from space

    that made heaven more distant

        as it should be

I recognize Your Role for creating  the atmosphere

  I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for breath 

I recognize Your Role feeding the hungry

  I recognize  the Kindness of Your Role for hunger 

    so that food can be appreciated