My Musing
Often, the Midrash Tanhuma addresses a spiritual threat to the Jewish people. It was a threat that has been repeated through the centuries - assimilation. While I have not found the popularity of the Tanhuma among the rabbinic luminaries of Medieval Andalus (Spain), the threat posed by not being on the winning team was as prominent in the time of Rabbi Yehudah Halevi in Spain as it was in Ashkenaz (central Europe). Similar in purpose to Rabbi Halevi’s approach in the introduction to the Kuzari, the Midrash here seeks to delineate the difference between the heritage of the Jews and the heritage of the “nations of the world”. In the case of Bilaam, Prophecy was not the unique purvey of the Jewish people, but the gentiles did not use it ethically. This message was essential- despite being the underdog, the Jews were still correct and there was a lot to gain by staying faithful to the Jewish faith. I believe that this is part of what made the Tanhuma so popular among the Medieval rabbinate.
Often, the Midrash Tanhuma addresses a spiritual threat to the Jewish people. It was a threat that has been repeated through the centuries - assimilation. While I have not found the popularity of the Tanhuma among the rabbinic luminaries of Medieval Andalus (Spain), the threat posed by not being on the winning team was as prominent in the time of Rabbi Yehudah Halevi in Spain as it was in Ashkenaz (central Europe). Similar in purpose to Rabbi Halevi’s approach in the introduction to the Kuzari, the Midrash here seeks to delineate the difference between the heritage of the Jews and the heritage of the “nations of the world”. In the case of Bilaam, Prophecy was not the unique purvey of the Jewish people, but the gentiles did not use it ethically. This message was essential- despite being the underdog, the Jews were still correct and there was a lot to gain by staying faithful to the Jewish faith. I believe that this is part of what made the Tanhuma so popular among the Medieval rabbinate.
מדרש תנחומא )ורשא( פרשת בלק סימן א
(במדבר פרק כב:ב)"וַיַּרְא בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאֱמֹרִי"
"וַיַּרְא בָּלָק" זה שאמר הכתוב (דברים לב:ד) "הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא"
The midrash takes an interesting approach in applying the “tziduk hadin”- the acceptance of the judgment of God. The verse from Dvarim explains that all of God’s ways are perfect. The end of the verse declares God to be fair and just. This is applied by the Midrash to the story of Bilaam.
כי לא הניח הקדוש ברוך הוא לעכו"ם[=עובדי כוכבים ומזלות] פתחון פה לבא לומר שאתה רחקתנו ולא נתת לנו כמו שנתת לישראל בעולם.
The Midrash declares that God did not give the idolaters an opportunity to argue or complain that they were not given the chance to be as close to God as He gave the Israelites.
מה עשה הקדוש ברוך הוא?
כשם שהעמיד מלכים חכמים ונביאים לישראל כך העמיד לעכו"ם, ונבדקו מלכיהם ונביאיהם וחכמיהם של ישראל עם מלכיהם ונביאיהם וחכמיהם של העכו"ם:
The Midrash demonstrates that God gave the idolaters the same opportunities as the Israelites. Just as the Israelites were given kings, sages and prophets, similarly these were given to the idolaters. The midrash will continue with a few examples and show the difference between the Israelite model and the gentile model.
העמיד שלמה מלך על כל הארץ,
וכן עשה לנבוכדנצר (ירמיהו כז:ו) "וְעַתָּה אָנֹכִי נָתַתִּי אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בְּיַד נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל עַבְדִּי וְגַם אֶת חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לוֹ לְעָבְדוֹ".
זה בנה בית המקדש ואמר כמה רננות ותחנונים,
וזה החריבו וחרף וגדף ואמר (ישעיהו יד:יד) "אֶעֱלֶה עַל בָּמֳתֵי עָב אֶדַּמֶּה לְעֶלְיוֹן"
The Israelites were given Solomon as king over all the land with supreme power, similarly Nebuchadnezzar was made king over all the lands and the proof text states that in addition to the land, God gave Nebuchadnezzar the animals as well. But what did each do with their power- Solomon built the Temple and praised God and composed other petitions, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it and blasphemed God.
נתן לדוד עושר לקח הבית לשמו
נתן להמן עושר לקח אומה שלמה לטבחה.
God gave David great wealth and David desired to build a House for God. God gave Haman (from the Purim story) great wealth and he wanted to destroy a nation.
וכל גדולה שנטלו ישראל את מוצא שנטלו עכו"ם כיוצא בה.
העמיד משה לישראל שהיה מדבר עמו כל זמן שירצה,
העמיד להם בלעם מדבר עמו כל זמן שירצה.
And all the greatness that God gave to the Israelites He gave to the gentiles. He gave the Israelites Moses who could speak with God at will; similarly He gave the gentiles, Bilaam who also could speak with God at will.
ראה מה בין נביאי ישראל לנביאי עכו"ם:
נביאי ישראל מזהירין את האומות על העבירות, וכן הוא אומר (ירמיהו א:ה) " בְּטֶרֶם <אצורך> אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ וּבְטֶרֶם תֵּצֵא מֵרֶחֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּיךָ נָבִיא לַגּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ"
ונביאים שהעמיד מן האומות נותנים פרצה לאבד את הבריות מן העולם הבא.
But note the difference between the prophets of the Israelites and the gentiles. Israelite prophets prophecy to the whole world, including warning gentiles of impending Divine retribution, but the gentile prophets try to remove the possibility of Olam Habah, the world to come. [Note the shift in terminology from עכו"ם to אומות העולם]
ולא עוד אלא כל הנביאים היו במדת רחמים על ישראל ועל אומות העולם.
שכן ישעיה אומר (ישעיה טז: יא) "עַל כֵּן מֵעַי לְמוֹאָב כַּכִּנּוֹר יֶהֱמוּ וְקִרְבִּי לְקִיר חָרֶשׂ"
וכן יחזקאל אומר (יחזקאל כז:ב) " וְאַתָּה בֶן אָדָם שָׂא עַל צֹר קִינָה "
ונביאי אומות העולם היו במדת אכזריות שזה עמד לעקור אומה שלמה חנם על לא דבר.
Additionally, the midrash continues, the prophets (of Israel) were given to the world as a manifestation of God’s mercies, but the prophets of the gentiles were determined to uproot an entire nation for no reason.
לכך נכתבה פרשת בלעם להודיע למה סלק הקדוש ברוך הוא רוח הקדש מאומות העולם שזה עמד מהם וראה מה עשה.
Therefore the story of Bilaam was written to make it clear that God gave the gentiles a chance and after Bilaam abused the power of prophecy, God took away the prophecy and the ability to come close to Him.
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה