Emor - Individuality Within a Framework

(1) And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent (Exod. 26:7). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say: “Wherein hast thou loved us?” (Mal. 1:2). Malachi uttered this verse in rebuking Israel. He said to them: Will a man rob God? Yet ye rob Me (ibid. 3:8). And they replied: Wherein have we robbed thee? (ibid.). Our sages declared: Malachi rebuked his generation, but they replied to him: Wherein have we robbed Thee?

(2) What is the meaning of Wherein have we robbed Thee? R. Levi stated: It is an Arabic expression. Whenever an Arab argues with his neighbor and says to him, “What are you stealing from me?” the other responds, “What are you stealing from me?” Hence, in response to Wherein have we robbed Thee, He replied: You robbed Me of the tithe and the offering that you failed to bring Me from your own tithes and offerings, as is proper. And then He said to them: I have loved you. And they retorted: Wherein hast Thou loved us? Whereupon He answered: Was not Esau Jacob’s brother, yet He loved only Jacob. He permitted him to eat in this world and to inherit the world-to-come.

(3) Normally, if a man has twins, and one is firstborn, the other is considered just another child. Who receives two portions? The firstborn. However Esau was the firstborn, as it is said: And the first came forth ruddy (Gen. 25:25), and was entitled to a double portion, but I did not do that. Instead, Jacob received two portions. That is why, when Esau said to Jacob: Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee (ibid. 33:12), Esau was saying to him: “Let us go together.” Jacob replied: Take your possessions and go forth, as it is said: Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servants, and I will journey on gently according to the pace of the cattle that are before me, and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my Lord, unto Seir (ibid., v. 14).

(4) R. Jacob BeRabbi said: I have searched the entire Scripture and have found no statement that Jacob went to Seir. When did he go there? After he departed for the hereafter, as it is said: And a savior shall come up on Mount Zion (Obad. 21); Therefore, And he loved Jacob suggests that though he associates with Esau and partakes of the pleasures of this world, in the world-to-come, He spreadeth abroad his wings, beareth them upon his pinions … the Lord alone did lead him (Deut. 32:11–12). And so, Solomon said: Let them be thine own, and not strangers’ with thee (Prov. 5:17).

(5) I have loved you (Mal. 1:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: See how much I love you. The distance of the earth to the firmament is a distance of five hundred years’ journey, and the distance from the first firmament to the second firmament is also a distance of five hundred years’ journey, and the distance from each firmament to the next is another five hundred years’ journey, making the total distance through the universe a seven thousand years’ journey. And the step of the beasts is a distance of five hundred and fifteen years’ journey, and there is no need to estimate the distance above the hoofs of the beasts to the heavenly throne! And the Throne is above them all.

(6) Yet see how much I love you that I leave all of this because of my love for you to tell you: And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent (Exod. 26:7). Make for Me curtains of goats’ hair that I may come to dwell among you.

(7) For a tent (ibid.). I made clouds that sheltered you like a tent, as it is written: He spread a cloud for a screen (Ps. 105:39). And you shall also make the screen for the door of the tent (Exod. 39:39).

(8) R. Joshua the son of Levi declared: If the nations had known how important the Tabernacle and the Sanctuary were to them, they would have encircled them with tents and forts to protect them. Even before the Tabernacle was erected, the word of God had gone forth into the homes of the idolatrous people and caused them to become panic-stricken. Whence do we know this? It is written: For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and lived? (Deut. 5:23). You hearkened to His voice and have survived, but the idolatrous people, on hearing (His voice), became panic-stricken within their tents and perished.

(9) You must not say that the Sanctuary alone was precious to them, for the Temple was also precious. How do we know this? Solomon indicated it in his prayer: Moreover concerning the stranger that is not of Thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for Thy name’s sake—for they shall hear of Thy great name, and of Thy mighty hand, and of Thine outstretched arm—when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and that they may know that Thy name is called upon this house which I have built (I Kings 8:41–43). However, when an Israelite prays before You in this Temple, Grant him all that his heart seeks, for You alone know what is in the heart of every man (ibid., v. 39). But if he should ask for children, and You know that they will provoke You to anger, do not give them to him. Similarly, if he desires property, and You know that in the future he will rebel against You because of it, do not give it to him, but for the non-Jew: Do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for, that all the people of the earth may know, etc. Israel, however, is aware of Thy name and Thy glory, and You can foresee at the beginning what will finally happen, for You are God, and whatever You desire, You can do.

(10) Do not say that the Temple alone was important to them (the peoples of the world), for Israel is also important to them. Were it not for Israel, the rain would never descend and the sun would never shine. It is on their account that the Holy One, blessed be He, causes the sun to shine in this world. In the future the idolatrous nations will recognize that the Holy One, blessed be He, is attached to Israel, and they, too, will come to cleave to Israel, as it is said: We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you (Zech. 8:23).

(11) R. Samuel the son of Nahman said: Prior to the erection of the Temple, the world rested on a foundation of two pillars, but after it was built the world became firmly established and He stood in His dwelling place. How do we know this? (That is what the Holy One, blessed be He, told Gad the prophet when He said: Go and tell My servant David: “Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build for Me a house for Me to dwell in?” [II Sam. 7:5]. However, following that it is written: Nevertheless, Thou shalt not build the house, but thy son that shalt come out of thy loins, he shall build the house for My name [I Kings 8:19]. But if you should build it, then, as it is said:) I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant it, that they may dwell in their own place (II Sam. 7:10). “I will plant them” is not written in this verse, but rather plant it, indicating that the world would then be firmly established.

(12) Before the Temple was established the world rested on a foundation of two pillars, but after the Temple was erected, the world became firmly established. You should not assert that the Temple alone made the world secure, for the Sanctuary was also vitally important to the nations of the world. Why was that? Prior to the erection of the Temple, the idolatrous nations, upon hearing the voice of the Lord, became panic-stricken within their tents. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore, said to Moses: Make Me a Sanctuary, that I may speak with thee in it. Furthermore, I am anxious to dwell among My children. When the ministering angels heard that, they began to cry out: Master of the Universe, why do you leave the heavenly spheres in order to descend to the lower spheres? O Lord, our God, how glorious is Thy name in all the earth! Whose majesty is rehearsed above the heavens (Ps. 8:2). Such is Your glory that You should remain in heaven. Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Be assured, I am doing what you told Me. Habakkuk said: God cometh from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covereth the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise (Hab. 3:3).

(13) At first, His glory extended over the heavens, but later the earth was full of His praise. David said to them: He mocks you, for His praise extends over the earth, as it is said: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven (Ps. 148:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, continued: Why do you wonder about this? Observe how very much I love the earthly beings that I shall descend and dwell behind a curtain of goats’ hair for their sake. As it is said: Thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair (Exod. 26:7).

(14) R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this matter. R. Judah was of the opinion that the animal from which they made the curtain was a large, pure animal that roamed the desert. R. Nehemiah maintained that it was a miraculous event. It was created for that particular moment, and then it disappeared. You may know that this is so from the scriptural verse: And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair, and the length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits (ibid., v. 8). How else could one possibly obtain a curtain thirty cubits in length (other than from a miraculous creation)? From this you learn that it must have been as R. Nehemiah stated. However, you must not be of the opinion that the curtains alone came from a miraculous event, for the cedar beams did likewise. Where did the cedar beams come from? Jacob our patriarch planted them at the time he descended to Egypt. He told his children: My sons, ultimately you will be redeemed from this place, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to you: “You will be redeemed,” so that you may build a Sanctuary for Him. Therefore, go plant cedar trees now so that when He commands you to erect a Sanctuary for Him, beams of cedar will be available. Forthwith they arose and planted as he had commanded them to do.

(15) Our sages of blessed memory said: And the middle bar in the midst of the boards (ibid., v. 28). They went down to Egypt with Jacob our patriarch, for it was difficult for them to bolt the boards from end to end. Furthermore, these cedars intoned a song before the Lord. Whence do we know that they sang a song? Because it is written: Then shall all the trees of the world sing for joy before the Lord (Ps. 96:12). The word then is employed in reference to a song, as is said: Then sang Moses (Exod. 15:1). When did that occur? At the time the Sanctuary was erected from them. The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses concerning the Tabernacle: And thou shalt make the boards for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up (ibid. 26:15). “Thou shalt make boards” is not written here, but rather Thou shalt make the boards standing, that is, they should use those boards that their fathers had previously prepared for them. The word standing refers to the boards that were already in existence.

(16) R. Samuel the son of Nahman held: There are twenty-four varieties of cedar, but only seven were selected, as it is said: I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane tree, and the larch together (Isa. 41:19). The cypress refers to the fir tree; the plane tree to the maple; the larch to the boxwood tree. It was called te’ashur (“larch”) because it was the most fortunate (me’ushar) of all cedars. From among them all only the acacia tree was selected, as it is said: The Tabernacle of acacia-wood. Why did He call them shittim (“acacia”)? He did so in order to offset what would ultimately transpire at Shittim (i.e., Israel’s sin), as it is said: And Israel abode in Shittim (Num. 25:1). You must not believe that only the Tabernacle made by Moses was constructed with acacia-wood. Indeed, every ark that the people of Israel constructs must have boards of acacia-wood in it.

(17) Another explanation. They sinned at Shittim, they were smitten at Shittim, and they were healed by means of Shittim. They sinned at Shittim; as it is said: And Israel abode in Shittim (Num. 25:4); they were smitten at Shittim, as it is said: And those that died by the plague (ibid., v. 9); and they were healed by means of Shittim, as it is said: Boards of acacia (shittim) wood. You find that they did not leave that place until Phinehas arose and turned away His wrath, as it is said: Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of Israel (ibid., v. 11). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: In the world-to-come I will heal at Shittim, as it is said: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim (Joel 4:18).