Ma’amad Har Sinai -Standing at Sinai in the desert and what’s between conservatism and Judaism
The Parasha in our everyday life - Naso- Shavuot - 5782
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Rosh Yeshivat Hesder 'Meir Harel' Modi'in
About a week ago, the "Israeli Conservatism Conference" took place in Jerusalem. In recent years 'Conservatism' has entered the internal national discourse. It has become trendy among right-wing and religious intellectuals. They quote its thinkers. The conservative outlook, born overseas in the United States and Europe, is the result of Anglo-American culture. It was imported into Israel after a number of changes and adjustments were made. Apparently, what accelerates the naturalization of this concept, here and now, is the need of the traditional right-wing public for an intellectual response to face the great influence of progressive leftist ideas, which have taken over the cultural and political discourse in the Western world and country. They hope that the concepts and ideas of the 'conservatism' will provide an effective solution to the challenge. There is no denying this need. And it is possible that the conservative discourse will have some effect for the better, in front of the progressive trend, but it is necessary to have some reservations. How many of its speakers in Israel were quick to characterize the State of Israel as a 'conservative state' and even the Torah and Judaism as 'conservative' (see the 'Israeli Conservatism' website), really?
Examining these assumptions requires an expansion that is not possible at this stage. We will try to raise only a few points related to this week's Torah portion and the upcoming Shavuot.
Parashat Naso is a continuation of Parashat Bamidbar, and of the census that took place in the Sinai Desert in the month of Iyar in the second year of the Exodus from Egypt (Bamidbar 1:1). The census also included the organization of the Camp, the encampment layout of the Tribes, and the order of wandering in their journeys.
In Parashat Naso, the Torah continues the census of the Levites. The Torah emphasizes that the commandment for their censing was in the Sinai desert:
וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃ פְּקֹד֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י לְבֵ֥ית אֲבֹתָ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם כׇּל־זָכָ֛ר מִבֶּן־חֹ֥דֶשׁ וָמַ֖עְלָה תִּפְקְדֵֽם׃
“Hashem spoke to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: Record the descendants of Levi by ancestral house and by clan; record every male among them from the age of one month up”. (Bamidbar 3:14-15)
The Netziv *1, points to a connection between the Levite census and the place – the Sinai desert:
דבא ללמד שהמקום גרם לזה הצווי. שכך היה כבוד השכינה ההולכת לפני ישראל כמלך לפני חילו במלחמה. ויש לו גדוד שומרי ראשו ביחוד. כך היו הלוים
"It comes to teach us that the place caused this commandment. The Divine Presence goes before Israel as a King before his army in war. And he has a battalion of bodyguards in particular. This is how the Levites were" (Haamek Davar on Bamidbar 3:14).
The "Israel encampment" is not an ordinary encampment, and is in no way similar to a nomadic camp in the desert. It is a camp inspired by the Divine Presence! It sets under its guidance. While encamping, '’The Divine Presence” is located in the center of the 'Israel Camping'; it is the beating heart that shapes the identity and unique meaning of the entire camp for all the tribes. And during the journey, it goes ahead and leads the way and guides in a special direction. The Levites are its 'guards of honor'.
This is an important statement regarding the presence of the Divine, the Holiness and the Torah, and its effect on reality. It is not just an addition to what already exists, their presence changes the existing substantially. The Torah from heaven, which we received in the giving of the Torah at Sinai, is a unique phenomenon. It is not a religion! It is a 'Torah of life'! For the individual and for the nation. It has holiness and the Divine Presence that shapes reality in a different way. This has changed reality.
There is no denying the external resemblance between "conservatism" and Judaism. Nor can it be denied that progressiveness is the antithesis of Judaism. 'Conservatism' like Judaism treats tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and has been preserved for many generations with respect and appreciation. It understands that preserving tradition over the years shows its truth and needs. The same is true of the status of the family and national framework, and the need for their existence. It, too, is confronted with the revolutionary subversive tendency to change and dismantle existing, ancient frameworks, and to present them as having lost their power, in order to convert them into new frameworks. Even if there seems to be a theoretical logic behind the desire for the proposed change. And raises a question mark whether it will stand the test of reality and justify the expectations placed on it.
Judaism, however, seeks to preserve its tradition not only because it has stood the test of time, but because of the eternal divine truth embodied in it. Which never changes. It is customary to say every day:
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁזֹּאת הַתּוֹרָה לֺא תְהֵא מֻחְלֶֽפֶת וְלֺא תְהֵא תוֹרָה אַחֶֽרֶת מֵאֵת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ
“I believe with complete faith that this Torah will not be exchanged and that no additional Torah will be given by the Creator, blessed is His Name”. (Siddur- Thirteen Principles)
On the other hand, Judaism also advocates the idea of repentance, continued study, and redemption, which sees the existing situation as a disadvantage that requires completion and correction! Therefore, sometimes in order to move forward and repair, it is necessary to dismantle the existing situation to shape an augmented reality. By ‘preserving' the existing situation, it fixes in place the shortcomings that prevent progress! (Perhaps this is why Jews led all the great world revolutions!)
And another point to finish. At Mount Sinai, we received a double Torah. Written and oral. These twin components are necessary for its completeness. The written Torah is the general direction, the framework, which never changes. And the Oral Torah applies the Torah in the changing reality of life and its upheavals.
דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים כַּדָּרְבֹנוֹת וּכְמַשְׂמְרוֹת נְטוּעִים בַּעֲלֵי אֲסֻפּוֹת נִתְּנוּ מֵרוֹעֶה אֶחָד״, לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה לְדָרְבָן? לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה דָּרְבָן זֶה מְכַוֵּין אֶת הַפָּרָה לִתְלָמֶיהָ לְהוֹצִיא חַיִּים לְעוֹלָם — אַף דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מְכַוְּונִין אֶת לוֹמְדֵיהֶן מִדַּרְכֵי מִיתָה לְדַרְכֵי חַיִּים. אִי מָה דָּרְבָן זֶה מִטַּלְטֵל — אַף דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִטַּלְטְלִין, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״מַשְׂמְרוֹת״. אִי מָה מַסְמֵר זֶה חָסֵר וְלֹא יָתֵר — אַף דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חֲסֵירִין וְלֹא יְתֵירִין, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״נְטוּעִים״, מָה נְטִיעָה זוֹ פָּרָה וְרָבָה — אַף דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה פָּרִין וְרָבִין.
"It is written: “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11). Why are matters of Torah compared to a goad? To tell you that just as this goad directs the cow to her furrow to bring forth sustenance for life to the world, so too the words of Torah direct those who study them from the paths of death to the paths of life. The Gemara asks: If so, derive the following from that same analogy: Just as this goad is movable and not rigid, so too matters of Torah are movable in accordance with circumstance and are not permanent. Therefore, the verse states: “Nails,” which are permanent. The Gemara further asks: If so, one can explain as follows: Just as this nail is diminished in size and does not expand, as it wastes away over time, so too matters of Torah are gradually diminished and do not expand. Therefore, the verse states: “Well fastened [netuim].” Just as this plant [neti’a] flourishes and multiplies, so too matters of Torah flourish and multiply”. (Chagigah 3b)
The oral Torah has the nature of 'planting': it flourishes and multiplies, and therefore, it should not be written so it can continue flourishing:
דְּבָרִים שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה אִי אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לְאוֹמְרָן בִּכְתָב
"They mean to teach: Matters that were written you may not express them orally [al peh], and matters that were taught orally you may not express them in writing”. (Gittin 60b)
*1- Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, also known as Reb Hirsch Leib Berlin, and commonly known by the acronym Netziv.