Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Who’s the Torah for?
Here’s a midrash that has a lot to say about this question. The midrash is prompted by something unusual in this pasuk in our parashah.
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי
אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם
אֲנִי יהוה׃
You shall keep My laws and My rules,
which a person shall do and live through them.
I am God.
The first line in the pasuk is addressed to people (“You shall keep…”). But the second line is talking about a person (“which a person shall do…”)! Why does the Torah make this switch? What can we learn from the way the Torah talks about הָאָדָם (ha-adam, a person)?
הָיָה ר' יִרְמְיָה אוֹמֵר, מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר אֲפִילּוּ גּוֹי וְעוֹשֶׂה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם."
וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הָאָדָם ה' אֱלֹקִים" (שמואל ב ז:יט). "תּוֹרַת הַכֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל" לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא "תּוֹרַת הָאָדָם."
וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים..."(ישעיהו כו:ב): "וְיָבֹא כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל" לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא "וְיָבֹא גוֹי צַדִּיק שֹׁמֵר אֱמֻנִים."
...וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "הֵטִיבָה ה'..." (תהלים קכה:ד): "לַכֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל" לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא "הֵטִיבָה ה' לַטּוֹבִים."
הָא אֲפִילּוּ גּוֹי וְעוֹשֶׂה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל.
R. Yirmiyah used to say: How do we know that someone from any nation who observes the Torah is like a kohen gadol (high priest)? The Torah teaches: “which a person shall do and live through them.”
It also says elsewhere in Tanakh, “This is the Torah (law) for a person, Lord God” (Shmuel Bet 7:19). It doesn’t say “the Torah for kohanim (priests), Levi’im (members of the tribe of Levi), and Yisrael.” It just says “the Torah for a person.”
It also says elsewhere “Open the gates…” (Yeshayahu 26:2). It doesn’t say, “so that kohanim, Levi’im, and Yisrael can enter.” It actually says, “so that a righteous nation, that keeps the faith, can enter.”
…It also says elsewhere that “God is good…” (Tehillim 125:4). It doesn’t say, “to kohanim, Levi’im, and Yisrael.” It actually says, “God is good to all those who are good.”
This shows that someone from any nation who observes the Torah is like a kohen gadol.
This midrash compares the pasuk in our parashah, about ha-adam, to many other pesukim in Tanakh. According to the midrash, all these pesukim share one important message: Torah is open to people from every background. All people have value and dignity and can serve God, and can be loved and rewarded by God.
Why is it important to emphasize that Torah is for everyone, not just Jewish people? How might that change our behaviors or attitudes?
- The pasuk from Yeshayahu talks about people who are שֹׁמֵר אֱמֻנִים (shomer emunim, keepers of the faith). What does it mean to have faith, or to keep faith? How do you understand this?
- In our parashah, the kohen gadol seems really important. We hear many details about the jobs he does that no one else can do. How can you balance the details of our parashah with the message of this midrash?
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