Difference between revisions of "Sinning with Quail/2"
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<category>Gluttony | <category>Gluttony | ||
− | <p>These commentators understand the intense gluttony of the nation as the sin in this narrative. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik writes that gluttony represents a pagan way of life, which stands in contradistinction to a Torah way of life<fn>Rabbi Soloveitchik contrasts this sin with that of the Golden Calf. The Sin of re Golden Calf was indeed a violation of a precept of idolatry but it did not represent the nation's lifestyle. The one-time ceremony or ritual of idolatry was only due to the nation's fear of Moshe's death. Here, however, the attitude of the people was a more egregious sin--one that conveyed a lifestyle in contradiction to the Torah.</fn> | + | <p>These commentators understand the intense gluttony of the nation as the sin in this narrative. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik writes that gluttony represents a pagan way of life, which stands in contradistinction to a Torah way of life.<fn>Rabbi Soloveitchik contrasts this sin with that of the Golden Calf. The Sin of re Golden Calf was indeed a violation of a precept of idolatry but it did not represent the nation's lifestyle. The one-time ceremony or ritual of idolatry was only due to the nation's fear of Moshe's death. Here, however, the attitude of the people was a more egregious sin--one that conveyed a lifestyle in contradiction to the Torah.</fn></p> |
<mekorot><multilink><a href="RambanBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:4</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorShemot16-4" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorShemot16-4" data-aht="source">Shemot 16:4</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorShemot16-13" data-aht="source">Shemot 16:13</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-5" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:5</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-8" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:8</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-9" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:9</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-10" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:10</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-21" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:21</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>,  <multilink><a href="RBachyaBemidbar11-5_2" data-aht="source">R. Bachya #2</a><a href="RBachyaBemidbar11-5_2" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:5</a><a href="R. Bachya b. Asher" data-aht="parshan">About R. Bachya b. Asher</a></multilink> , <multilink><a href="RYosefibnKaspiBemidbar11-7" data-aht="source">R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a><a href="RYosefibnKaspiBemidbar11-7" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:7</a><a href="R. Yosef ibn Kaspi" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RalbagBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Ralbag #1</a><a href="RalbagBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:4</a><a href="RalbagBemidbarToalot11" data-aht="source">Bemidbar Toalot 11</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershom</a></multilink>, <a href="https://torah.org/torah-portion/mikra-5774-behaaloscha/">Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik</a></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RambanBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Ramban</a><a href="RambanBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:4</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorShemot16-4" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorShemot16-4" data-aht="source">Shemot 16:4</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorShemot16-13" data-aht="source">Shemot 16:13</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-5" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:5</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-8" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:8</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-9" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:9</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-10" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:10</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBemidbar11-21" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:21</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink>,  <multilink><a href="RBachyaBemidbar11-5_2" data-aht="source">R. Bachya #2</a><a href="RBachyaBemidbar11-5_2" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:5</a><a href="R. Bachya b. Asher" data-aht="parshan">About R. Bachya b. Asher</a></multilink> , <multilink><a href="RYosefibnKaspiBemidbar11-7" data-aht="source">R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a><a href="RYosefibnKaspiBemidbar11-7" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:7</a><a href="R. Yosef ibn Kaspi" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RalbagBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Ralbag #1</a><a href="RalbagBemidbar11-4" data-aht="source">Bemidbar 11:4</a><a href="RalbagBemidbarToalot11" data-aht="source">Bemidbar Toalot 11</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershom</a></multilink>, <a href="https://torah.org/torah-portion/mikra-5774-behaaloscha/">Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik</a></mekorot> | ||
<point><b>Eating "בחנם"</b> – Ramban asserts that Egyptian taskmasters would have the Israelites catch fish for them in the Nile and would allow the slaves to take fish once in a while. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor argues that when the Nile would overflow, fish would remain on the soil and be left ownerless for anyone to take. For these commentators, חנם literally means "free of charge."</point> | <point><b>Eating "בחנם"</b> – Ramban asserts that Egyptian taskmasters would have the Israelites catch fish for them in the Nile and would allow the slaves to take fish once in a while. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor argues that when the Nile would overflow, fish would remain on the soil and be left ownerless for anyone to take. For these commentators, חנם literally means "free of charge."</point> |
Version as of 23:24, 16 June 2018
Sinning with Quail
Exegetical Approaches
Gluttony
These commentators understand the intense gluttony of the nation as the sin in this narrative. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik writes that gluttony represents a pagan way of life, which stands in contradistinction to a Torah way of life.1
Theological Issues
The Israelites' request for meat truly represented a much more severe theological issue they had with Hashem and his Torah.
Burden of Commandments
Desire for food and meat are actually masks for a want of freedom from restrictive commandments.
Testing Hashem's Abilities
Complaints about food and meat challenge Hashem's ability to provide food for the hungry nation. Such a lack of belief could be tantamount to idolatry and warrant an extreme punishment.
Alternatively, Abrabanel argues Shemot 16 was also a negative request. However, the nation had not known of the Manna yet and were thus never introduced to messages of the Manna, namely a full belief in Hashem's ability to provide. By Bemidbar 11, the nation was expected to have internalized those messages already. The failure to do so resulted in the punishment
Lack of Appreciation
The request for meat itself was not so problematic. Rather, the way in which the nation expressed their desire caused the punishment. The Israelites showed no appreciation for many miracles Hashem had done for them. Tehillim 78 could be read as a recounting of all the miracles Hashem had done for the people and yet they fail to appreciate them as they constantly ask for more.
For Freedom from Egypt
Hashem punished the Israelites for their lack of appreciation for their freedom from Egypt.
Denying the significance of יציאת מצרים perhaps violates one of the most fundamental beliefs of the Torah as expressed in the firsts of the Decalogue. "אנכי ה׳ אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים." Such a violation may warrant a severe punishment
For the Manna
The Israelites lack of appreciation for and degradation of the Manna warranted a severe punishment from Hashem.
R. Bahya writes the דגה was a disgusting type of fish. קשואים and אבטיחים were examples of bad fruits. These foods were available to the Israelites slaves for free.