State ceremony or national alliance event

Parashat Hashavua – Parashat Re’eh- and the war of the 'Iron Swords' 5784

Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald

Dedicated in memory of Moshe and Eliad Ohayon HY’D who fell in the heroic battle in Ofakim on Simchat Torah, marking the 11 months bereavement period.

Dedicated to the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.

The controversy over the state ceremony marking one year of the war is in full swing. Is there a place for a ceremony when the war is not over and unfortunately there are casualties every week? Is there a need for a state ceremony when the families and communities hold ceremonies themselves? And if a ceremony does take place - will it be held on behalf of an elected government, or by the president who represents a national consensus? And as far as the content, talks about memories - heroism – hope. What about the value of national unity? And finally, the question of the character: Will it be a public ceremony (speeches, stories, audio-visual show in front of a passive audience) or a traditional state memorial, accompanied by active salute to the heroes and the fallen, gatherings of unity and dialogue, and events of identification with the abductees and their families?

Parashat Re'eh opens with a commandment regarding the covenant of the people of Israel with G-d, on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, in preparation for entering the land.

רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה. אֶת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֺת ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם. וְהַקְּלָלָה אִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ... וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹקיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ וְנָתַתָּה אֶת הַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִזִים וְאֶת הַקְּלָלָה עַל הַר עֵיבָל... כִּי אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן לָבֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֹתָהּ וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ. וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כׇּל הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם.

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse. The blessing, if you shall listen to the commandments of Hashem your G-d, which I command you this day, and the curse, if you shall not listen to the commandments of Hashem your G-d… It shall happen, when Hashem your G-d shall bring you into the land where you go to possess it, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal… For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Hashem your G-d gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell there. You shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this day”. (Devarim 11:26-32).

The Torah is precise in its language. The commandment was for the entire nation of Israel, in singular present language, this is how the nation of Israel will stand: as a collective, as a united nation, as one man - in front of its national destiny.

The Torah specified in Parashat Ki Tavo (Devarim 27) what are those Mitzvot and transgressions that will bring the blessings and curses. There is one Mitzvah “between a person and G-d” and the rest are "between man and his fellow". Mitzvot constitute a moral social infrastructure for maintaining a healthy Jewish society, based on Jewish faith and identity.   

This is a typical Jewish model with a special character. It is not a solemn ceremony, with visual ritual mannerisms, where the public is a passive spectator, but a constituent and empowering joint active status. Those present are active partners and assume a commitment from then on. On this occasion, the nation is blessed with special blessings they will merit to receive if they keep their commitment to keep G-d's commandments and what might happen if G-d forbid, they do not keep their commitment.

In the book of Joshua (chapter 8) it is briefly described how the event took place by Joshua when they entered the land. Joshua was the national leader of the entire nation, over all its tribes.

It is not for nothing that this is the format, character and content of the occasion.

Sages in the Jerusalem Talmud had different opinions regarding the time when this event was supposed to take place:

על דעתיה דרבי יהודה מאה ועשרים מיל הלכו באותו היום. על דעתיה דרבי אלעזר לא זזו ממקומן.

“In the opinion of Rebbi Yehuda, they walked 120 mil on that day *1. In the opinion of Rebbi Eleazar, they did not move at all”. (Jerusalem Talmud Sotah 7:3)

In Rebbi Yehuda's opinion the covenant was established on the day they entered the land of Israel, on that day they miraculously walked from the Gilgal to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and back. In Rabbi Eleazar's opinion the covenant took place at the crossing of the Jordan, on two 'bumps' called Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.

Both opinions agree that the special occasion happened even before the war for the land even started. Hence, this unifying event was meant to forge an alliance and empower the people for the great challenge of the war on the land. To enter the war from the foundations of the unique strength of the people of Israel: consciousness of destiny, inner strength of faith, unity, mutual responsibility and social resilience, and inner moral purity. This is the format for conclusion and victory.

In contrast, R. Ishmael's opinion:

דְּרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָמַר כָּל־בִּיאוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ בַתּוֹרָה לְאַחַר אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֶה שָׁנָה נֶאֶמְרוּ שֶׁבַע שֶׁכִּיבְּשׁוּ וְשֶׁבַע שֶׁחִילְּקוּ.

“…since Rebbi Ishmael said, any “coming” *2 mentioned in the Torah means after 14 years, seven of their conquest, seven of the distribution” (Jerusalem Talmud Challah 2:1)

That is, the event of the alliance was at the end of the 14-year war of conquest of the land and the division into tribal estates, when the people of Israel entered a new period of state routine. Hence, this state status expresses the infrastructure and foundations for the existence of a kingdom for the Israeli nation in the Land of Israel, and for the fulfillment of its unique national mission, which is different from all nations. There is an important emphasis in it: the future and destiny of the nation will depend on its spiritual condition and its social and moral strength, no less than it depends on its security condition.

*1 The distance from Jericho to Sichem is estimated at 60 mil (in the Babli, 36a, and one Tosefta source, “more than 60 mil”). In R. Jehudah’s opinion they crossed the Jordan, put up the stones, walked to Sichem, completed the ceremony, and walked back, all in one day. This contradicts Jos. 8:30–35.

*2 Any commandment introduced with the remark: “When you come to the Land.”