The way we divide the Torah-readings nowadays, parashat Naso always falls out adjacent to Shavuot, the festival upon which we celebrate the Giving of the Torah, and upon which we read the Ten Commandments.<\/p>\n
Thus it is that the following Midrash is especially appropriate for the Naso\/Shavuot period (thus, yes, I should have posted it several weeks ago, but I was busy then and it’s still interesting now), combining as it does the ritual-of-the-suspected-adulteress and the Ten Commandments. Reference: Midrash Tanchuma (ed. Buber), parashat Naso (4).<\/p>\n
| Our Sages said in the name of R. Hanina, father of R. Aha: The adulterer and adulteress violate all ten commandments of the Decalogue.<\/td>\n | \u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d5 \u05e8\u05d1\u05d5\u05ea\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d1\u05e9\u05dd \u05e8’ \u05d7\u05e0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d0 \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc \u05e8’ \u05d0\u05d7\u05d0 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05d5\u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e4\u05ea \u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05dc \u05e2\u05e9\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| They said to him: “Nine of them, we understand. But the Sabbath??! How?<\/td>\n | \u05d0\u05de\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d4\u05dd \u05e2\u05dc \u05ea\u05e9\u05e2\u05d4 \u05d0\u05e0\u05d5 \u05de\u05d5\u05d3\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d0\u05dc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d4\u05e9\u05d1\u05ea \u05db\u05d9\u05e6\u05d3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| I AM THE LORD THY GOD. Whenever anyone commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, it is as if he has denied God, as it is written, they denied God, saying, it is not (H)he<\/i><\/td>\n | \u05e2\u05dc \u05d0\u05e0\u05db\u05d9, \u05e9\u05db\u05dc \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05d0\u05e9\u05ea \u05d7\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5 \u05db\u05d0\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5 \u05db\u05d5\u05e4\u05e8 \u05d1\u05d4\u05e7\u05d1”\u05d4, \u05e9\u05e0\u05d0\u05de\u05e8 \u05db\u05d7\u05e9\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d4’ \u05d5\u05d9\u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 (\u05d9\u05e8\u05de\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d4 \u05d9\u05d1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| THERE SHALL NOT BE ANY OTHER GODS BEFORE THEE. In this commandment, it says: The Lord thy God is a jealous God<\/i>, and the parasha of the Sota mentions the husband’s jealousy twice? Why twice? Once for himself, and once for God. As it is written: For it is a minhath qena’oth, a meal-offering of jealousies<\/i> [plural], two jealousies.<\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d4\u05d9\u05d4, \u05e9\u05db\u05ea\u05d5\u05d1 \u05d1\u05d5 \u05db\u05d9 [\u05d0\u05e0\u05db\u05d9] \u05d4’ \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05da \u05d0\u05dc \u05e7\u05e0\u05d0 (\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4 \u05d7), \u05d5\u05e9\u05e0\u05d9 \u05e4\u05e2\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05de\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d1\u05e1\u05d5\u05d8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05e2\u05dc\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e8\u05d5\u05d7 \u05e7\u05e0\u05d0\u05d4 \u05d5\u05e7\u05e0\u05d0 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d0\u05e9\u05ea\u05d5 (\u05d1\u05de\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8 \u05d4 \u05d9\u05d3), \u05d5\u05dc\u05de\u05d4 \u05e9\u05e0\u05d9 \u05e4\u05e2\u05de\u05d9\u05dd, \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05de\u05e7\u05e0\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d4\u05e7\u05d1”\u05d4 \u05d5\u05dc\u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4, \u05e9\u05e0\u05d0\u05de\u05e8 \u05db\u05d9 \u05de\u05e0\u05d7\u05ea \u05e7\u05e0\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 (\u05e9\u05dd \u05e9\u05dd \/\u05d1\u05de\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8 \u05d4’\/ \u05d8\u05d5), \u05e9\u05d4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05e9\u05ea\u05d9 \u05e7\u05e0\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN. For the adulterer commits his act, then falsely swears that he has not done it.<\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05e9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05ea [\u05e9\u05dd] \u05d4’ \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05da, \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05d5\u05e0\u05e9\u05d1\u05e2 \u05e2\u05dc \u05e9\u05d5\u05d0 \u05e9\u05dc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05e9\u05d4.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| \nHONOR THY FATHER. For the adulterer impregnates the Sota, and she gives birth, and she tells her husband that it is his child; the embryo grows [into a child, and the child into an adult], who honors the Sota’s husband, thinking this to be the father, and expresses dishonor to the adulterer when seeing him in the street, thinking this not to be the father.<\/td>\n | \u05db\u05d1\u05d3 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05da, \u05e9\u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05e2\u05dd \u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d8\u05d4 \u05de\u05ea\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea \u05de\u05de\u05e0\u05d5, \u05d5\u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05e8\u05ea \u05dc\u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05de\u05de\u05da \u05d0\u05e0\u05d9 \u05de\u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea, \u05d5\u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8 \u05d2\u05d3\u05d5\u05dc, \u05d5\u05de\u05db\u05d1\u05d3 \u05dc\u05e4\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4, \u05e1\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5, \u05d5\u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8 \u05d1\u05e9\u05d5\u05e7 \u05d5\u05de\u05d1\u05d6\u05d4 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3, \u05e9\u05e1\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e9\u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| THOU SHALT NOT KILL. For the adulterer enters the house on the understanding that if caught, he will either kill or be killed.<\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05e8\u05e6\u05d7, \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05e0\u05db\u05e0\u05e1 \u05e2\u05dc \u05de\u05e0\u05ea \u05e9\u05d0\u05dd \u05e0\u05ea\u05e4\u05e1 \u05d0\u05d5 \u05d9\u05d4\u05e8\u05d5\u05d2 \u05d0\u05d5 \u05d9\u05d4\u05e8\u05d2.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| \nTHOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. Well, this one is obvious.\n <\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05e0\u05d0\u05e3, \u05d5\u05d5\u05d3\u05d0\u05d9 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| \nTHOU SHALT NOT STEAL. For he steals his neighbor’s vagina, as it is written: Stolen waters are sweet<\/i>…\n <\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05d2\u05e0\u05d5\u05d1, \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05d2\u05d5\u05e0\u05d1 \u05de\u05e7\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d7\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5, \u05d5\u05db\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05e8 \u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d2\u05e0\u05d5\u05d1\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05de\u05ea\u05e7\u05d5 \u05d5\u05d2\u05d5’ (\u05de\u05e9\u05dc\u05d9 \u05d8 \u05d9\u05d6).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS. For the Sota lies to her husband, saying: I am pregnant from you.<\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05e2\u05e0\u05d4 \u05d1\u05e8\u05e2\u05da, \u05e9\u05de\u05e2\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4 \u05e2\u05d3\u05d5\u05ea \u05e9\u05e7\u05e8 [\u05dc\u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4] \u05d5\u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05e8\u05ea \u05de\u05de\u05da \u05d0\u05e0\u05d9 \u05de\u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| \nTHOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE. For anyone who commits adultery covets all that belongs to his neighbor. How so? He impregnates the Sota, and leaves, and she gives birth. Her husband thinks that this is his son. When he is about to die, he writes a will, and leaves everything to the “son”, who thus inherits everything, not realizing that he is not the son. Since the adulterer’s act has led to all this, we see that he has coveted all that belongs to his neighbor.\n <\/td>\n | \u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05d7\u05de\u05d5\u05d3 \u05d1\u05d9\u05ea \u05e8\u05e2\u05da \u05d5\u05dc\u05d0 \u05ea\u05d7\u05de\u05d5\u05d3 \u05d0\u05e9\u05ea \u05e8\u05e2\u05da, \u05e9\u05db\u05dc \u05de\u05d9 \u05e9\u05d7\u05d5\u05de\u05d3 \u05d0\u05e9\u05ea \u05d7\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5 \u05d5\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05e2\u05de\u05d4, \u05d7\u05d5\u05de\u05d3 \u05db\u05dc \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d7\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5, \u05db\u05d9\u05e6\u05d3 \u05db\u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05e2\u05de\u05d4 \u05d5\u05d4\u05d5\u05dc\u05da \u05dc\u05d5, \u05d5\u05d4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d5\u05dc\u05d3\u05ea \u05de\u05de\u05e0\u05d5, \u05e1\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d1\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05de\u05de\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d0, \u05db\u05e9\u05d1\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05e4\u05d8\u05e8 \u05de\u05df \u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd, \u05e1\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e9\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea\u05d5 \u05d4\u05d1\u05df \u05e9\u05dc\u05d5, \u05d5\u05db\u05d5\u05ea\u05d1 \u05dc\u05d5 \u05d3\u05d9\u05d9\u05ea\u05d9\u05e7\u05d9 \u05de\u05db\u05dc \u05e0\u05db\u05e1\u05d9\u05d5, \u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05e8\u05d9\u05e9\u05d5 \u05db\u05dc \u05de\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d5, \u05d5\u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d9\u05d5\u05d3\u05e2 \u05e9\u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d1\u05e0\u05d5, \u05e0\u05de\u05e6\u05d0 \u05e9\u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05d7\u05d5\u05de\u05d3 \u05db\u05dc \u05de\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d7\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| So, R. Hanina, we understand nine. But the Sabbath?! How does the adulterer violate that?!!<\/td>\n | \u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e8’ \u05d7\u05e0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d0 \u05d4\u05e8\u05d9 \u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05e0\u05d5 \u05ea\u05e9\u05e2\u05d4, [\u05d6\u05db\u05d5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d9\u05d5\u05dd] \u05d4\u05e9\u05d1\u05ea \u05db\u05d9\u05e6\u05d3 \u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8 \u05e2\u05dc\u05d9\u05d5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| He said to them: Sometimes, a common Israelite commits adultery with a priestess, the wife of a priest. She gets pregnant from him, and everyone thinks that the child is the son of the priest, and thus a priest himself. So he goes and serves in the Temple, and sets up firewood and burns it on the Sabbath, and thus violates the Sabbath. [A priest may do this on the Sabbath as part of the Temple work. A non-priest may not.]<\/td>\n | \u05d0\u05de\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d4\u05dd \u05d0\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d0\u05d5\u05de\u05e8 \u05dc\u05db\u05dd \u05e4\u05e2\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05db\u05d4\u05df \u05e9\u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d5 \u05d0\u05e9\u05d4 \u05db\u05d4\u05e0\u05ea, \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3 \u05d1\u05d0 \u05e2\u05dc\u05d9\u05d4, \u05d5\u05d4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d5\u05dc\u05d3\u05ea \u05de\u05de\u05e0\u05d5, \u05e1\u05d1\u05d5\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d5 \u05e9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05d1\u05e0\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc \u05db\u05d4\u05df, \u05d5\u05e2\u05d5\u05de\u05d3 \u05d4\u05ea\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05e7 \u05d5\u05de\u05e9\u05de\u05e9 \u05d1\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea \u05d4\u05de\u05e7\u05d3\u05e9, \u05d5\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8\u05da \u05e2\u05e6\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05de\u05e2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d1\u05e9\u05d1\u05ea, \u05d5\u05e0\u05de\u05e6\u05d0 \u05de\u05d7\u05dc\u05dc \u05d4\u05e9\u05d1\u05ea<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| \n Thus, the adulterer and the adulteress violate all ten commandments of the Decalogue.<\/td>\n | \u05d4\u05e8\u05d9 \u05e2\u05e9\u05e8\u05ea \u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05e9\u05d4\u05e1\u05d5\u05d8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05d5\u05d1\u05e8\u05ea \u05e2\u05dd \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05d0\u05e3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n (Translation courtesy Gabriel Wasserman.)<\/p>\n So this is interesting as a text, but it’s the more interesting for the meta-message, I think. What’s it saying? That everything is connected. Sometimes the connections are obvious. Sometimes they’re not obvious. But, because halakhot are all interconnected, messing with one thing is going to have an impact on other, apparently unrelated, things.<\/p>\n Yes, you might say that the example above is so unlikely as to be preposterous, and it’s true that in general we don’t stretch ourselves to accommodate rampantly unlikely possibilities. But that’s not the point. <\/p>\n The point is not that you should not commit adultery lest your offspring come to serve erroneously in the Temple (not that I am endorsing adultery, you understand); the point is that everything in the halakhic system has the power to affect everything else. More about that shortly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The way we divide the Torah-readings nowadays, parashat Naso always falls out adjacent to Shavuot, the festival upon which we celebrate the Giving of the Torah, and upon which we read the Ten Commandments. Thus it is that the following Midrash is especially appropriate for the Naso\/Shavuot period (thus, yes, I should have posted it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-talmud-and-halakha"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":311,"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289\/revisions\/311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasoferet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} |