Difference between revisions of "Revelation to the Elders at Sinai/2"
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<p>The elders were deserving of death either because they lacked the proper respect when granted the privilege of seeing Hashem, or for the very act of seeing itself.</p> | <p>The elders were deserving of death either because they lacked the proper respect when granted the privilege of seeing Hashem, or for the very act of seeing itself.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="VayikraRabbah20-10" data-aht="source">Vayikra Rabbah</a><a href="VayikraRabbah20-10" data-aht="source">20:10</a><a href="Vayikra Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Vayikra Rabbah</a></multilink>,<multilink><a href="PesiktaDeRavKahana26-9" data-aht="source"> Pesikta DeRav Kahana</a><a href="PesiktaDeRavKahana26-9" data-aht="source">26:9</a><a href="Pesikta DeRav Kahana" data-aht="parshan">About Pesikta DeRav Kahana</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TanchumaBehaalotekha16" data-aht="source">Tanchuma</a><a href="TanchumaBehaalotekha16" data-aht="source">Behaalotekha 16</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot24-9-11" data-aht="source">Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot24-9-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:9-11</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:1</a><a href="RashiShemot24-10-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:10-11</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>,</mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="VayikraRabbah20-10" data-aht="source">Vayikra Rabbah</a><a href="VayikraRabbah20-10" data-aht="source">20:10</a><a href="Vayikra Rabbah" data-aht="parshan">About Vayikra Rabbah</a></multilink>,<multilink><a href="PesiktaDeRavKahana26-9" data-aht="source"> Pesikta DeRav Kahana</a><a href="PesiktaDeRavKahana26-9" data-aht="source">26:9</a><a href="Pesikta DeRav Kahana" data-aht="parshan">About Pesikta DeRav Kahana</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TanchumaBehaalotekha16" data-aht="source">Tanchuma</a><a href="TanchumaBehaalotekha16" data-aht="source">Behaalotekha 16</a><a href="Tanchuma" data-aht="parshan">About the Tanchuma</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot24-9-11" data-aht="source">Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a><a href="TargumYerushalmiYonatanShemot24-9-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:9-11</a><a href="Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)" data-aht="parshan">About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:1</a><a href="RashiShemot24-10-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:10-11</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>,</mekorot> | ||
− | <point><b>"לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ"</b> – These sources understand the phrase to mean that Hashem did not send forth His hand to punish the elders, learning from this that they must have been deserving of death. They were granted a stay of execution only because Hashem did not want to ruin the happiness of the Giving of the Torah with the tragedy of their deaths.</point> | + | <point><b>"לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ"</b> – These sources understand the phrase to mean that Hashem did not send forth His hand to punish the elders,<fn>The phrase "שלח יד" often connotes sending forth one's hand specifically with intent  to harm.  see, for instance, Bereshit 22:12, Shemot 3:20, Shemot 9:15 and Shemuel I 22:17 and 24:6.</fn> learning from this that they must have been deserving of death. They were granted a stay of execution only because Hashem did not want to ruin the happiness of the Giving of the Torah with the tragedy of their deaths.</point> |
<point><b>"וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ"</b> – These sources divide regarding whether the eating and drinking of this verse is literal<fn>This is how Rashi appears to understand the verse.</fn> or metaphoric,<fn>See Vayikra Rabbah, Pesikta DeRav Kahana, and Tanchuma.</fn> but all agree that it signified that the people did not have proper respect for the encounter with God. They either approached the revelation from literal food and drink, or as if from food and drink, belittling the gravity of the experience and treating Hashem as a friend before whom you are comfortable eating rather than a king before whom you are not.</point> | <point><b>"וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ"</b> – These sources divide regarding whether the eating and drinking of this verse is literal<fn>This is how Rashi appears to understand the verse.</fn> or metaphoric,<fn>See Vayikra Rabbah, Pesikta DeRav Kahana, and Tanchuma.</fn> but all agree that it signified that the people did not have proper respect for the encounter with God. They either approached the revelation from literal food and drink, or as if from food and drink, belittling the gravity of the experience and treating Hashem as a friend before whom you are comfortable eating rather than a king before whom you are not.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>Seeing Hashem</b> – Rashi suggests that the elders saw Hashem directly and | + | <point><b>Seeing Hashem</b> – Rashi suggests that the elders saw Hashem directly and that this alone, regardless of their accompanying behavior, made them liable for death, as Hashem says, "לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי". </point> |
+ | <point><b>Who are "אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל"</b> – Rashi identifies this group withe Nadav and Avihu and the 70 elders of verse 10, suggesting that all the verses speak of but one group of people.</point> | ||
+ | <point><b>"וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" vs. "וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים"</b> – This approach does not differentiate between the terms, assuming that all the verses speak of but one vision.</point> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
<opinion>Flawed Perception | <opinion>Flawed Perception | ||
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</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
− | <category>Different levels | + | <category>Different levels |
<p>The verses differentiate between two groups, one of which attained prophecy and merited to comprehend the Divine at a fairly high level, while the other received only a very low level of or no prophecy at all.</p> | <p>The verses differentiate between two groups, one of which attained prophecy and merited to comprehend the Divine at a fairly high level, while the other received only a very low level of or no prophecy at all.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="AkeidatYitzchakShemotPeirush24" data-aht="source">Akeidat Yitzchak</a><a href="AkeidatYitzchakShemotPeirush24" data-aht="source">Shemot Peirush 24</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Arama</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:1</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TzerorHaMorShemot24-11" data-aht="source">R. Avraham Saba</a><a href="TzerorHaMorShemot24-11" data-aht="source">Tzeror HaMor Shemot 24:11</a><a href="R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="HaKetavVeHaKabbalahShemot24-11" data-aht="source">HaKetav VeHaKabbalah</a><a href="HaKetavVeHaKabbalahShemot11" data-aht="source">Shemot 11</a><a href="HaKetavVeHaKabbalahShemot24-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:11</a><a href="R. Yaakov Mecklenburg (HaKetav VeHaKabbalah)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="AkeidatYitzchakShemotPeirush24" data-aht="source">Akeidat Yitzchak</a><a href="AkeidatYitzchakShemotPeirush24" data-aht="source">Shemot Peirush 24</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Arama</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelShemot24-1" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:1</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="TzerorHaMorShemot24-11" data-aht="source">R. Avraham Saba</a><a href="TzerorHaMorShemot24-11" data-aht="source">Tzeror HaMor Shemot 24:11</a><a href="R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="HaKetavVeHaKabbalahShemot24-11" data-aht="source">HaKetav VeHaKabbalah</a><a href="HaKetavVeHaKabbalahShemot11" data-aht="source">Shemot 11</a><a href="HaKetavVeHaKabbalahShemot24-11" data-aht="source">Shemot 24:11</a><a href="R. Yaakov Mecklenburg (HaKetav VeHaKabbalah)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg</a></multilink></mekorot> |
Version as of 01:09, 17 February 2020
The Elders at Sinai
Exegetical Approaches
Meritorious
The elders encounter with Hashem at Sinai was a privilege that they deserved, in line with their merit and standing.
Sources:Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Ramban, Daat Zekeinim, R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, Ralbag #1, Seforno, Or HaChayyim
Blameworthy
Though they were granted a stay of punishment, the elders at Sinai were deserving of death. This position differs regarding why:
Inappropriate Seeing
The elders were deserving of death either because they lacked the proper respect when granted the privilege of seeing Hashem, or for the very act of seeing itself.
"לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ" – These sources understand the phrase to mean that Hashem did not send forth His hand to punish the elders,1 learning from this that they must have been deserving of death. They were granted a stay of execution only because Hashem did not want to ruin the happiness of the Giving of the Torah with the tragedy of their deaths.
"וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ" – These sources divide regarding whether the eating and drinking of this verse is literal2 or metaphoric,3 but all agree that it signified that the people did not have proper respect for the encounter with God. They either approached the revelation from literal food and drink, or as if from food and drink, belittling the gravity of the experience and treating Hashem as a friend before whom you are comfortable eating rather than a king before whom you are not.
Seeing Hashem – Rashi suggests that the elders saw Hashem directly and that this alone, regardless of their accompanying behavior, made them liable for death, as Hashem says, "לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי".
Who are "אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" – Rashi identifies this group withe Nadav and Avihu and the 70 elders of verse 10, suggesting that all the verses speak of but one group of people.
"וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" vs. "וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים" – This approach does not differentiate between the terms, assuming that all the verses speak of but one vision.
Flawed Perception
Due to insufficient preparation, the elders attained a flawed perception of God, deserving them death.
Sources:Rambam
Different levels
The verses differentiate between two groups, one of which attained prophecy and merited to comprehend the Divine at a fairly high level, while the other received only a very low level of or no prophecy at all.