[Par-reg] Likrat Shabbat Chazon

Fri Aug 12 08:58:42 EDT 2005

*************************************************************
        THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
		In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
	Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
*************************************************************

           A 'NEDER' [VOW] IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
             & the Haftara for Shabbat Chazon

	I noticed a news item this week that continues to
bother me, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you, this
Shabbat before Tisha be-Av - at this most difficult time in
our history. 
The link to the full story I refer to can be found at this
link: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=87214  

	The article titled: 'Conditional Mass Vow: No
Expulsion, Lots of Good Deeds' - quotes 'promotional
literature' encouraging 'tens of thousands' to take upon
themselves the following commitment:
"If G-d comes to our aid and to the aid of all Israel, and
preserves us during these times of tribulation as the sword of
destruction and expulsion is lifted against us, and saves us
and gives us the areas of our Land and inheritance in Gush
Katif and northern Shomron, with their communities and
residents - men, women and children ...
Then, we, men, women and youth, commit without a vow to
dedicate part of our time on behalf of the Land of Israel and
the Nation of Israel according to the Torah of Israel
once/twice/three times a month for the course of a year."
Among the recommended activities are those on behalf of
national social justice according to the spirit and vision of
the Torah and the prophets.... educational and Torah
activities; face-to-face activities with other Jews for the
purpose of bringing them closer to G-d, Judaism and the Land
of Israel; and kindness to the sick, elderly and others.
"And thus we will thank, praise and sanctify G-d for His
salvation," the organizers conclude.

    At first glance, this sounded like a wonderful initiative,
but when I read the "nusach" carefully, it appeared to me as a
terrible misunderstanding of a key theme in the Bible, as
articulated by the rebuke of great prophets such as Yeshayahu
and Yirmiyahu.
    Maybe I misunderstood this vow, but it sounds to me like:
IF God helps us keep our land...
THEN we will dedicate ourselves to doing social justice...

  	While in fact, all the prophets say exactly the
opposite, i.e. 
IF we, the nation of Israel, keep social justice ["tzedek
u-misphat"]
THEN - God will help us keep the land of Israel
[and if we don't, we may lose the land He gave us; until we
learn our lesson, and are ready to return]

	As you read this week's Haftara from Yeshayahu chapter
one, you'll see how obvious this point is.  Note especially
1:16-27, note also 1:10-15 in light of Breishit 18:17-22.
[See also our TSC shiur on Parshat Vayera, and some additional
sources, see Yeshayahu 5:1-10, 10:1-5,11:1-5.   Yirmiyahu
7:1-7, 9:22-23, 22:1-5, 23:5-6,  and Zecharya 7:8-14, 8:16-19;
just to quote a few of hundreds more.]

GOD'S CONDITIONAL PROMISE
	Surely, God promised the Land of Israel to our
forefathers in Sefer Breishit with "brit Avot" - but God also
qualified that promise at "brit Sinai" - repeating over and
over again that we keep this land ONLY if we remain worthy,
but should we not follow His mitzvot - we would suffer
calamity, and possibly lose the land.
    In fact, we clearly make this statement in our daily
kriyat shema - see Devarim 11:16-17.  See also Shmot
23:20-222, Vayikra 18:24-30, 26:3-37, Bamidbar 14:21-23,  and
Devarim 6:1-3, 8:7-20, 11:22-23, 28:1-68, 29:22-27, 32:19-22
etc.
	If you review these sources, you'll see how this
emerges as one of the primary themes of the Bible - that even
though our destiny with the land is eternal, how we fare on
that land (as a nation) becomes a direct function of our deeds
(as a nation).  This theme also makes sense, as God's promise
of the Land to Avraham Avinu was towards the goal of
establishing a model nation that would properly represent Him
(see Devarim 4:5-8).  As all of the prophets reiterate, should
Am Yisrael do a poor job of representing God, He will
ultimately take the land away from them, until they are ready
again.  [See the sources noted above.]
	Accordingly, someone who believes in God, will blame
himself when calamity befalls the nation. 
	Someone who believes in himself, will blame others.

YAAKOV AVINU'S 'CONDITIONAL VOW'
	The article quoted above, also notes a precedent for
'making a vow in times of peril' from Yaakov Avinu, quoting
Midrash Rabbah - that Jacob's vow set the stage for Jews
throughout the generations to make similar vows, as the ruling
cited in Shulchan Arukh, "During times of tribulation, it is
permitted to vow."
	True, Yaakov Avinu's vow 'sets the stage' - but pay
careful attention to what Yaakov's vow was all about.  Recall
how God appeared unto Yaakov at Bet-El - at the very same site
where Avraham had built a "mizbeiach" - and 'made a name for
God' ["kriya be-shem Hashem, see Breishit 12:8 and Ramban].
	At that time, Yaakov would have loved to continue in
the footsteps of his father and grandfather - to make a Name
for God in the Land of Israel, but due to his predicament he
was unable - for he was a fugitive, running away from Esau and
the land.  After God assures Yaakov that He will oversee his
safe return, Yaakov vows that IF (or when) God fulfills that
promise [that he return home to the land' - THEN he will build
a House for God, and dedicate his life to that goal. [See
Breishit 28:10-22 and our TSC shiur on Parshat Vayetze - where
we explained that vow in detail.]
	But note how different Yaakov's vow was - than the vow
suggested to be made in the above article.  Yaakov vows to do
something that HE CANNOT DO at the present time, because of
his current predicament.  Should God help him overcome that
predicament, and bring him back safely to the land, that will
allow him to do what he wanted to do all along - i.e. to work
for God and build Him a Bet-Elokim.  However, any mitzvah that
Yaakov could keep as a fugitive, he continues to keep - it is
only the mitzvot that he cannot keep because he is a fugitive,
that he promises to keep should/when God brings him safely
home.
	Similarly, when Bnei Yisrael are attacked in the
desert by the King of Arad, they make a vow - that should God
help them win that battle - they will dedicate its booty of
those Canaanite cities to God.  [See Bamidbar 21:1-3.]  Note
again, the vow is only something that they cannot do now, but
can only do should God help them win that battle. 
	But to vow to perform mitzvot that can be kept even if
we  [chas ve-shalom] lose Gush Katif, ON THE CONDITION that
God helps us keep Gush Katif - - in my humble opinion seems
antithetical to Yaakov's vow, and to what Chumash is all about
- especially in relation to the mtizvot of "tzedek u-mishpat"!

AN 'UNCONDITIONAL VOW'  & PRAYER
	I may have misunderstood the article, but I surely
hope that everyone would agree that our commitment to perform
acts of "tzedek u-mishpat" - to the best of our abilities -
should be totally UNCONDITIONAL, no matter what decision God
reaches in regard to Gush Katif. 
	Instead, I'd suggest that we pray to God that for the
sake of our unconditional commitment to keeping His mitzvot -
especially those of social justice, that He have mercy upon
His people and create some political 'miracle' whereby we can
remain in Gush Katif.  But should that miracle not happen - we
must remain no less committed to our Torah values.  
    Let us vow to unconditionally strive to keep [and balance]
all Torah values - to become a nation worthy of God's
Providence so that He allow us to grow and prosper in the
'Land of Israel' - through 'true righteousness', and not
'self-righteousness'.

					sh'nizke l'geulah
v'yeshuah,
					menachem

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