Dedicated to the yahrtzeit of Dov's grandfather my father on Monday
My Musing:
The midrash seems to give us a red herring today. This selection is from the older “yelamdeinu” series. The midrash begins with a seemingly very tangential inquiry about reciting the sh’ma prayer while traveling, segueing from the opening verse quoted by the midrash from the parsha, that Avram had to get up and go from his birthplace. But the midrash quickly corrects its course and uses the tangent to broach another idea that Abraham observed all the mitzvoth even though they were not commanded yet. The midrash travels from there to the idea that Abraham was unique in his devotion to God. But what does this really have to do with getting up and traveling from his country to Israel.
He was so devoted that this midrash assigns the observance of even rabbinic commandments such as the Eiruv Tavshilin to him. The midrash closes with an advertisement for religious Zionist aliyah.
The midrash seems to give us a red herring today. This selection is from the older “yelamdeinu” series. The midrash begins with a seemingly very tangential inquiry about reciting the sh’ma prayer while traveling, segueing from the opening verse quoted by the midrash from the parsha, that Avram had to get up and go from his birthplace. But the midrash quickly corrects its course and uses the tangent to broach another idea that Abraham observed all the mitzvoth even though they were not commanded yet. The midrash travels from there to the idea that Abraham was unique in his devotion to God. But what does this really have to do with getting up and traveling from his country to Israel.
He was so devoted that this midrash assigns the observance of even rabbinic commandments such as the Eiruv Tavshilin to him. The midrash closes with an advertisement for religious Zionist aliyah.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת לך לך סימן א
(בראשית יב:א ) "וַיֹּאמֶר יְדֹוָד אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ"
Go (walk) from your land….
Our rabbis will teach us:
Should an Israelite take upon himself the yoke of Heaven while he is walking? Rabbi Idi and Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Yosi in the name of Rav Shnuel said: It is forbidden to accept upon himself the yoke of heaven while walking. Rather he should stand in one spot, focus his heart to heaven, with fear and awe, trepidation and intensity, with the determination to concentrate on the One Name and recite the first line of the Sh’ma, followed by the ‘Blessed be the honor of His Reign forever’ formula. When he is finished with this opening to the Sh’ma, he may continue the first paragraph in whatever position he desires.
Our rabbis will teach us:
Should an Israelite take upon himself the yoke of Heaven while he is walking? Rabbi Idi and Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Yosi in the name of Rav Shnuel said: It is forbidden to accept upon himself the yoke of heaven while walking. Rather he should stand in one spot, focus his heart to heaven, with fear and awe, trepidation and intensity, with the determination to concentrate on the One Name and recite the first line of the Sh’ma, followed by the ‘Blessed be the honor of His Reign forever’ formula. When he is finished with this opening to the Sh’ma, he may continue the first paragraph in whatever position he desires.
ילמדנו רבינו:
אדם מישראל, מהו שיקבל עליו מלכות שמים כשהוא מהלך?
רב אידי ורב הונא בשם רבי יהודה ורבי יוסי בשם ר' שמואל אמרו: אסור לקבל עליו מלכות שמים כשהוא מהלך, אלא יעמוד במקום אחד, ויכוין לבו לשמים, באימה וביראה, ברתת ובזיעה, ביחוד השם, ויקרא (דברים ו:ד) "שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקֵינוּ יְדֹוָד אֶחָד" כל אחד ואחד בכוונת הלב. ואחר כך "ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד".
וכשמתחיל (דברים ו:ה ) " וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְדֹוָד אֱלקֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ" רצה מהלך, רצה עומד, רצה יושב, שכך כתיב (דברים ו:ז )"וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ" .
The midrash now looks to Abraham as the model for one who meticulously fulfilled the commandments and was called by the prophet Isaiah, the beloved of God.
אתה מוצא כל המדקדק על המצות שכרו מרובה. שכן מצינו באברהם שדקדק על המצות לפיכך נקרא אוהבו של הקדוש ברוך הוא שנאמר (ישעיהו מא:ח) " וְאַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתִּיךָ זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי"
The midrash now relates that Abraham’s observance of the commandments extended to even rabbinic declarations such as the Eiruv Tavshilin, the ritual “mixing” of foods on the advent of a holiday where the next day will be the Shabbat and one will need to prepare for the Shabbat on the holy day.
אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן אפילו עירובי תבשילין שמר בביתו של אברהם אבינו, שנאמר (בראשית כו:ה) " עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי"
The midrash continues with an exegetic statement challenging the source text for the above teaching. The verse talks about Abraham following the teachings [Torotai (plural)] of God. The midrash answers that there is only one Torah. The midrash solves the problem by explaining the word Torotai refers to the many commandments and their minutiae.
וכי תורות הרבה?!
והרי כבר נאמר(שמות יב:מט) "תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם"
וכתיב (במדבר טו:טז) "תּוֹרָה אַחַת וּמִשְׁפָּט אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לָכֶם וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם"
אלא "וְתוֹרֹתָי" אלו דקדוקי מצות שדקדק אברהם.
Having established Abraham’s fidelity to God and his fealty to the fulfillment of the intricacies of the commandments, the midrash now assigns a “thought” to God. Abraham needs to be in a land which nurtures observance and study. You cannot but help be influenced by your neighbors. Abraham is told to leave the land inhabited by idolaters and go to the land that God will show him.
אמר ליה הקדוש ברוך הוא אתה מדקדק במצותי ואתה יושב עם עובדי כוכבים ומזלות, צא מביניהן- "לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו'.
What a push for religious aliyah:-)
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה