Preface

This book was made possible by Yair Davidiy.  His encouragement, persistence and sponsorship inspired me to burn the midnight oil.  This represents another of the many publications produced under the auspices of Brit-Am. The Talmud says that where there is love, there is room on the edge of a sword.  Where there is no love, even in a many-roomed mansion, there is too little room.  Here at Brit-Am, we are short on many things, but we are never short on love.  Judaism, represented by the Oral and Written Torah inspires   hope, joy, and optimism.  As the Talmud says, even as the sword is lying on your neck, you should never give up hope for heavenly mercy.  The Talmud also says where there is life, there is hope and where there is hope, there is cause for joy.  Therefore, when things get tough here at Brit-Am, we never give up or give in to discouragement, because we have a wellspring of hope to draw from.  In this spirit, I am reminded of a little song that my mother and father taught me. It could certainly serve as one our tunes here at Brit-Am! 
 
"You've go to accentuate the positive,
 e-li-mi-nate the negative.
 Latch onto the affirmative. 
Dont mess with mister-in-between.    
 
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum.
Bring gloom down to the minimum, have faith or pandemonium.
Liable to walk upon the scene. 
To illustrate this  last remark:
Jonah and the whale, Noah and the ark
What did they do?   Just when everything became so dark?
Man they  said, 
 
We'd  better accentuate the positive…"
 (Mercer  and Yarden Sung by Bing Crosby, Andrew Sisters etc)
 
We have high hopes, high in the sky, apple-pie hopes! But they weren't enough to plow through the obstacles that came up along the way to producing the various publications of Brit-Am.   We needed a lot of faith, and G-d knows  we had a lot to have faith in.  We believed in a covenantal faith community, we believed in each other, we believed in that love letter given by the one true G-d.
To briefly sum up we at Brit-Am believe:

For every drop off rain that falls,a flower grows.
We believe that somewhere in the darkest night a candle glowswaterandworks@gmail.com
We believe that for every one who goes astray [and especially the Ten Tribes]
Someone will come to show the way…
We at Brit-Am believe that above the storm, the smallest prayer will still be heard.
We believe that someone [G-d of course] in the great somewhere Every time we hear a new baby cry, or touch a leaf, or see the sky,
We believe, and then we know why
We believe.
(Written by Irving Graham, Al Stillman, etc)
   
The "Code of Jewish Law" (Orach Chaim 90-4)  instructs that ideally we should have 12 windows in every synagogue.  A verse from Song of Songs, says, that "Behold  one stands from behind a wall,  gazing  through the window, peeping through the lattice" (Shir HaShirim/Song of Solomon 2:9). As usual with all Jewish experience there are many reasons of profound and beautiful nature.   Among them the reason the law dictates 12 windows is that they correspond too the twelve tribes. We recognize diversity among people.  As the Talmud says, Just as people have different faces, so they have different ideas. Here, the law is implying that each kind of person can find his\her own personal window, as well as there personal opening to heaven.  All of the prayers though amplify one another, as they are concentrated and united under the one synagogue roof.  We at Brit-Am respect  and appreciate different opinions  and through our studies and research will continue to expand our knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

         In Psalm 19:2, King David proclaims The "heavens tell the story of Gods honour.  The firmament declares the work of his hands. "
            To understand this story referred to by King David is a large and complex project, yet our own history contains many examples of students and teachers taking up the endeavor. King Solomon used analogies, stories and parables to help clarify Torah for even the ordinary folk.  This occurred 500 years after the revelation at Har Sinai, and 2448 years after the creation of the first true man (Adom). Solomon in his prophesies opened up the truth and beauty of the torah to all.  The first book of Kings 5:4 describes this; He spoke 3000 parables.  King Solomon successfully created an accessible handle for the Torah that anyone could grasp onto.  Scriptures speak wisely of this endeavor, and King Solomon, the wisest of all men, served as a role model for generations to come. The proceeding prophets and sages worked hard to endear the Torah to each generation, to make it accessible through illustrations and teachings, so that all could find a handle   and hold it dear, and all could taste the sweetness of the Torah. The brilliant and pious Dr. Gerald Schroeder points out that in Moses summary in Deuteronomy 31, Moses our greatest of Rabbis, refers to the Torah as being on the level of a poem.  The overwhelming majority of scripture text however, is not written in a poetic style.  Moses could not have been referring then, to the form of the written text, but rather to the meaning and contents of the Torah.  When examined in this light one can indeed see some parallels with poetry.  Just as poems call to be understood above and beyond their literal text, and often contain hints in either the words or in the form itself  as to what these deeper meanings are, so Torah scripture is also multi-layered with words and forms woven into these layers.  Proverbs 25:11 teaches us that "A WORD FITLY SPOKEN IS LIKE APPLES OF GOLD IN A FILIGREE VESSEL OF SILVER."
The vessel of our Torah is the actual form; the  scrolls and texts, the black letters: black fire  on white fire (spaces between the words), the form of the letters and the crownlets upon them. All of these attributes carry meaning and together these attributes form the vessels.  The golden apples themselves however, are inside the vessel.  Here are found the explanations that make the commandments and ideals practical and applicable.  The understandings and interpretations of the text are crucial and beautiful. They are our beautiful golden apples. Continuing the subject of literal understandings as opposed to more learned deeper comprehension, Dr. Shroeder points out that if an untrained person came upon the notation of 10 to the power of three, he might assume it be equivalent to 103.  Just as someone who has some training and is acquainted with scientific notation, knows that the sum is 1000 and not 103, so one who has gained some knowledge and wisdom beyond acquaintance with the barest literal layer of scripture,  will be better able to understand the meaning of
G-ds word.

Dr. Schroeder provides further examples of misleading literal explanations, and also touches upon the concept of the apparent versus the actual.  The starlit sky can be misleading.  When we gaze up into the heavens it seems as though the celestial bodies occupy fixed unchanging locations.  In reality however, when acquainted with cosmological data, it becomes clear and understood that the stellar system is not fixed and steady but yet moving and expanding.  This gap between knowledge of the actual versus knowledge of the apparent, hold true in the Torah also.  The Torah contains a vast landscape of knowledge of which  only a small part is  obvious from the text. Perception of this G-d given deeper knowledge demands an interpretive understanding of its contents.  So crucial is this content along with the form, that the occurance of a single missing letter, or letter whose shape has changed,  invalidates the entire torah scroll.  That's right, the whole 304,805 letter long scroll, hand written by a pious Rabbi-scribe and passed on through the generations.  This adherence to continuity certainly says something about those who have been passing it on!
The Jews are not the only ones relying on the credibility of the Torah.  Other faiths, coming later, based their religion on Hebrew Scriptures.  How do the Bahai, Muslims, and Christians know that the Torah is correct, the one they had to use to build their faith in their respective religions?  The answer is clear.  They relied upon the Rabbi-scribes who have been communicating it from time immemorial.

"And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron" (Numbers 16:3).  Korach and his 250 followers led the first of many attacks against the spiritual Rabbinic leadership of the Hebrew people. God insists that for all questions of biblical interpretation, -civil, criminal, and ritual you must refer to the sages and judges of that particular time (Deut. 17:8-11).  Even the Koran in  a way recognized  the importance of the Oral Law  and  the necessity for Rabbinic explanation in understanding the Bible.  The Gospels also admit that the Rabbi-Scribes (Mat.23:2) sit in the seat of Moses. [All therefore whatever they bid you to observe, you should observe and do]. The Gospels never attacked the righteousness or interpretation of the Rabbis; it always accepted and assumed Rabbinic understanding and application of the Bible to be correct. Any discussions were usually held within the framework of Talmudic categories and principles. I could literally write a book on  this but for now Ill suffice with a few brief examples.  The Gospels (Matt 23:5) criticize men who show off their phylacteries and borders (fringes on corners of a garment).  Guess what?  The Talmud criticizes vanity and egocentricity in the performance of commandments.  The Talmud holds up as a supreme value to be humility and meekness.  In addition, why did the Gospels not say, What's wrong with you guys?  You're making up these weird things!   Because the Gospels do not  doubt the pre-existence of Sinaitic teachings that correctly convey the application of the commandments.  Usually, the only dispute was about the strictness of leniency of a certain practice but not about  its very authenticity.  We indeed have several competing schools of thought. Hillel versus Shammai are two schools of thought wherein Hillel tends to apply the Oral\Written Torah in a more liberal easy going fashion (for the world the way  it is) and Shammai tends to apply the Oral\Written Torah in a stricter way (for the way the world ought to be).
The term Pharisees as  referred to by the Gospels, is actually a generic word. Just as Mexicans, Canadians and "Yankee Doodle Dandies" are all American, but are not all the  same.  At the times of the Gospels there was a thriving Jewish cult called the Seddukim  or Sadducees.  They rejected totally the Oral Tradition and spoke many heresies against Judaism, often  deciding  laws in favor of their own financial interests. Their activities also contributed greatly to the corruption of the priesthood. A century before , they had sided with the Syrian-Greek Hellenists against the mainstream Jews and now they once again supported the new enemies of the Jews - the oppressive Roman regime. Thus, as explained above, many of the confrontations described in the Gospels were not against Orthodox Jews, but rather against self-serving Sadducees, an anti-Torah cult.   
    The Talmud discusses various aspects of the dispersion and scattering of the Tribes. The Talmud also points out that the ingathering of righteous converts was a function of the Jews scattered into exile after the destruction of the Temple.  Interestingly, Jewish contact with ancient civilizations brought about instances where non-Jewish documents refer to and quote aspects of the Oral Tradition, giving later generations further directional proof as to the existence and authenticity of the Oral Tradition.  From a startling 2500 years ago, centuries almost a millennium before the Mishna was written down (out of fear that the content of previously orally transmitted sources, would be lost) we find the Aramaic Ephantine Papyri of Yep in Egypt.  This document, meant as an explanation to Hellenists, contains many references to laws pertaining to Passover and marriage; laws which could not be deduced from written law alone, but were explained more fully by Oral Tradition. Another example can be found in the oldest Greek translation of the Five Books of Moses, the Septuagint.  Written in the third century BCE this translation also provides interpretations of the text, interpretations that are in harmony with and reflective of Oral Traditions. Another second century BCE historian, Demetrius, refers to the Oral Tradition. The level of understanding required that may be seen in the Oral Tradition is not apparent from the written text only; as with almost all of the Torahs laws, full understanding comes with elucidation from the Oral Law.

Another example from ancient archeological findings involves the laws surrounding ritual Purity which the Bible states can be achieved through water. Ritual baths, thousands of years old, are testimony to the use of Oral law which explains the Biblical precepts as referring to immersion into water.

The Second Century BCE Pseudo-Aristeas, goes into details of laws pertaining to Tefillin-Phylacteries (You should bind them as a sign upon your hand and they shall be frontlets between your eyes" Deut. 6:4).  Tzitzit (You shall have them as a fringe Num. 15:37), and Mezuza (You shall inscribe them upon the doorposts of your house Deut. 6:9).  This ancient text provided the essential details of these laws, taken from the Oral Tradition, without which correct understanding and implementation of the laws would be impossible.
To paraphrase my fellow student and colleague, Rabbi Dov Aaroni Fisch, in his book "Jews for Nothing", the following ideas are expressed: Many other people have tried to replace the Jewish people but they all lacked one vital instrument which could have helped them conceal their act of theological replacement.  Without the Oral Law they were poor imposters of Jews. They were ignorant of so much of the observance and beauty of the Bible.  With the translated Bible in hand, they thought that they could supplant us, but they were holding just one of the keys necessary to open the safe deposit box of the Bible. The Oral Torah protects the Jews from being victimized by theological larceny. It was the original defense against spiritual copy right infringement. What people live by the laws of the Bible as defined by the Oral Torah except for the Jews? 

Rabbi Akiva,  one of the great sages of the Oral Tradition, started studying at a later age.  Through  his diligence and devotion, he rose to be one of the luminaries of Torah.  He told his thousands of students, whatever I have attained and whatever you have attained is because of my wife. Despite the Roman edict against learning Torah, Rabbi Akiva learned it publicly.  When thrown into jail, he explained his actions with a parable; a fox once said to fish in the water swimming by and fleeing the nets of the fisherman,
"Come up and live with me, like your ancestors lived with my ancestors". 
The fish responded,
"Are you the fox who is supposed to be the smartest of animals? Youre an idiot.  If our lives are in danger even in the water which is the source of our life, how much more so would we be in trouble on dry land, where we certainly will die?" 
Rabbi Akiva said, "Likewise, if we are in trouble while learning Torah about which we are taught " that it is the life  and length of your days "(Deut. 30) then how much more so would we be in danger without the Torah." 

Later Rabbi Akiva suffered martyrdom. The Romans tore his flesh slowly with iron combs.  Despite this torture he was in a joyous state.  The executioner as well as the Rabbis students were flabbergasted and asked him to explain his euphoria. 
He answered, "All my life I have been concerned about a particular verse in the Torah.  In the Shema prayer we are taught to accept
G-d's sovereignty and the decrees that he demands of us.  We are to accept them 'with all of your soul', in other words even if doing so costs you your life.  All my life I have worried  wondering if  such an opportunity would come where I would be given the privilege to serve G-d to such a degree.  Now that this opportunity has indeed appeared, I would not want to miss it, but rather will do it with joy".
The Rabbi then repeated the first verse of Shema:
Hear O Israel, The L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is one, - voicing the last word with a lengthy sound, stretching it out until his soul left him.  A heavenly voice then called out,
"Happy are you Rabbi Akiva, for while your soul left you, you were proclaiming the oneness of G-d".
Rabbi Akiva is an example of one of the torch bearers off the Oral and Written Torah. This little book will examine the dynamic of that Odyssey.

In truth, the very nature of the orally transmitted Torah does not allow for its full recording. In the words of David, ‘I have seen an end to every endeavor, but Your commandment is exceedingly vast’ (Ps. 119). The totality of the Torahs message is immeasurable and beyond our ability to condense into a written form. The wisdom and truth it contains can never be expressed completely in writing. (Rabbi Dr. Nathan Cardoza, from his comprehensive introduction to the Written and Oral torah).

From Megilla 3a: “Rabbi Ika Avin said in the name of R. Hanaanel citing Rav: What is the meaning of ‘And they read in the book, in the Law of G-d, distinctly; they gave the sense, enabling them to understand the reading’; (Neh.8\8)? ‘They read in the book, in the law of G-d’ refers to the scriptures; ‘distinctly,’ to the Targum; ‘giving them the sense,’ to the verse-division; ‘enabling them to understand the reading,’ to the cantillation marks, and others say, to the Masora.”

Sefer Chasidim 302: “The ancients ordained special tunes for the Torah, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings, so that the Torah’s tune would not be used for reading the Prophets, and vice-versa. Of this it has been stated ‘You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, established by the ancients.’ Every tune must be used for the proper text, for all the Halachot concerning these melodies were transmitted too Moses at Mt. Sinai , as it is said, ‘They will exult aloud.” (From Torah, The Oral Tradition, by Noah Aminoah and Yosef Nitzan)

In Memory

It is my hope that in some way, this book will provide merit in the elevation of these holy souls. It is dedicated to the everlasting and beloved memory of some very special people.

Yitzchak ben Israel Lipa, my first teacher, beloved father I. Franklin Feld, activist, visionary and defender of the faith.

Rabbi Moshe Besdin, of Yeshiva University , one of the greatest educators of our time.

Rabbi Pinchas Pines, brilliant, kind, erudite, and my first teacher of Talmud.

Stanley M. Klein (1938-1998 and beyond) whose humour and wit, benevolence and powerful intellect inspired all those who came into contact with him. He died thinking of G-d, wrapped in his Tallit as the Swiss Air flight fell into the sea.

Elie Zeevi ben Avraham, who used his many talents to aid and strengthen his Jewish brethren in the land of Israel . Murdered by terrorists in Bet Hadassa Hevron.

Shmuel Mermelstein, Canadian student at Yeshiva University, who was a friend, and murdered by terrorists next to Elie Zeevi in Bet Hadassah, Hevron.

Rabbi Hillel Lieberman, extremely brave and pious, a victim of terrorism near the Tomb of Joseph Ha Tzaddik.

General Raphael Eitan, defender and lover of Israel , who tried hard to make a difference.

HaRav Dovid Lipschitz., a giant in mind and spirit, a torch bearer of our Torah, who despite his greatness was never removed, never remote, but always ready to reach down to us – myself and fellow students, to guide and to teach us.

HaRav HaGoan Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, also a torch-bearer in the golden chain of transmission. His penetrating wisdom and kindness permeated our world. He helped unite factions within our people, and always made us feel the unity of the Oral and Written Torah. I am indebted to him for the patience and understanding he showed regarding my periodic questions throughout the years.

May their merits and may their memory be a blessing upon all of us.

 

May you enjoy the following pages of the latest Brit Am publication. And may you do so with a happy song in your heart.

Avraham Feld

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A LOVING GLANCE AT YOU FROM ABOVE

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