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The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit
Midrash
The Kuzari
Shiur #12: The Unique
Essence of Israel (Part I) Rav
In this lecture, we will begin to deal with one of the central and
distinctive issues in R. Yehuda Halevi's thought – the unique essence of
Israel.
We saw in previous lectures that Rihal bases the obligation of an
individual or a nation to God on God's revelation to that individual or
nation.[1] This obligation stems from the certainty
achieved through public and miraculous revelation that cannot be denied and
whose truth cannot be questioned. Rihal concludes the parable of the Indian king
as follows: Certainly. For this
would remove my former doubt that the Indians have a king. I should also
acknowledge that a proof of his power and dominion has reached me. (I,
22)
Revelation, then, accomplishes two things. First, it removes all doubt
about the existence of God, and second, in the wake of the removal of this
doubt, it imposes on man an obligation toward God.
It turns out, then, that the only ones who are obligated to the God of
Avraham and His Torah are the people of Israel, for it was only to them that He
revealed Himself, and it was only among them that all doubt was removed and an
obligation was created: The Khazar king: If this
be so, then your belief is confined to yourselves? The Rabbi: Yes; but any
Gentile who joins us unconditionally shares our good fortune, without, however,
being quite equal to us. If the Law were binding on us only because God created
us, the white and the black man would be equal, since He created them all. But
the Law was given to us because He led us out of Egypt, and remained attached to
us, because we are the pick of mankind. (I, 26-27)
A religion that is based on the event of creation and draws its authority
to impose demands on man from it applies to all those who had participated in
this "event" – that is, all of mankind. Philosophy that rests on the existence
of a Prime Cause is a universal religion that is directed at all who emanated
from this Prime Cause. This is not true of Judaism; its commandments are based
not on the creation, but on the revelation, and thus it follows that only those
who took part in that revelation are obligated in those commandments.[2]
This understanding of obligation being based on the certainty of
revelation also finds expression in the Rabbi's words about the reward promised
in the World-to-Come. He notes that according to Judaism, the promised reward is
first and foremost in this world (whether a physical reward, "And I shall give
rain in your land," or a spiritual reward – closeness to God, prophecy, the
ability to perform miracles, etc.) and only secondarily in the World-to-Come.
This stands in contrast to the other religions, which promise reward exclusively
in the World-to-Come. Rihal illustrates the difference between these two
approaches by way of the parable of the convoy: The following parable
will illustrate this: One of a company of friends who sought solicitude in a
remote spot, once journeyed to India, and had honor and rank bestowed on him by
her king, who knew that he was one of these friends, and who had also known
their fathers, former comrades of his own. The king loaded him with presents for
his friends, gave him costly raiment for himself, and then dismissed him,
sending members of his own retinue to accompany him on his return journey. No
one knew that they belonged to the court, or that they traveled into the desert.
He had received commissions and treaties, and in return he had to swear fealty
to the king. Then he and his Indian escort returned to his companions, and
received a hearty welcome from them. They took pains to accommodate them and to
show them honor. They also built a castle and allowed them to dwell in it.
Henceforth they frequently sent ambassadors to India to wait upon the king,
which was now more easy of accomplishment, as the first messengers guided them
the shortest and straightest route. All knew that traveling in that country was
rendered easier by swearing allegiance to his king and respecting his
ambassadors. There was no occasion to inquire why this homage was necessary,
because it was patent that by this means he came into connection with the
monarch - a most pleasing circumstance. Now these companions are the Children of
Israel, the first traveler is Moshe, the later travelers are the prophets, while
the Indian messengers are the Shekhina and the angels. The precious
garments are the spiritual light which dwelt in the soul of Moshe on account of
his prophet-ship, while the visible light appeared on his countenance. The
presents are the two tables with the Ten Commandments. Those in possession of
other laws saw nothing of this, but were told: 'Continue in obedience to the
King of India as this company of friends, and you will after death become the
associates of the king, otherwise he will turn you away, and punish you after
death.' (I, 109)
The right to demand of man obligation to a system of laws is only given
to one who has demonstrated to man the reward for obeying those laws and the
punishment for their violation (in our case reward and punishment both in this
world and in the World-to-Come). Once again, the obligation is based on the
achievement of certainty and the removal of doubt. As we have seen, Rihal's
approach is unique in that it argues that the certainty of belief in the God of
Israel, as long as He has not revealed Himself to the other nations, rests
solely among the Jewish people.
The first conclusion to be drawn from this is that it is useless to try
to prove and convince others of the truth of Judaism, a goal towards which great
efforts were invested on the part of Jewish sages and thinkers, especially
during the Middle Ages. In this, according to Rihal, Judaism differs from the
other religions, which aspire to bring all of mankind under their wings (as we
saw in the previous lecture).
The second consequence relates to the possibility of a non-Jew adopting
Judaism. In the aforementioned passage, the Rabbi utters some cryptic words, "he
will share our good fortune, without, however, being quite equal to us." Later
in the book, however, he speaks more explicitly, as we shall see in the coming
lectures.[3]
Thus far I have explained the foundation for Israel's exclusive
obligation to the Torah, but I have not yet explained the basis for God's
revealing Himself only to Israel. The basis for this is alluded to in the
aforementioned words of the Rabbi: "Because we are the pick of mankind," and it
is spelled out at length later in the first book. But before we examine the
source of Israel's uniqueness, let us first relate to its
consequences.
After the Rabbi confirms the Khazar king's assessment that, according to
the Rabbi's model, Judaism directs itself exclusively toward Jews, and one who
joins them will not be equal to them, the Khazar kings becomes
angry: Jew, I see you quite
altered, and your words are poor after having been so pleasant. (I,
28)
The Rabbi, however, is not deterred, and he tries to anchor his words in
the hierarchical system that he erects – the hierarchy of mineral, plant,
animal, and man.
At first glance, man stands at the top of this ladder; the Rabbi,
however, wishes to climb up to an even higher level, one that is distinguished
from the previous one by way of an essential rather than a quantitative
distinction, just as the others are distinguished from those that came before
them. The Rabbi: If we find a
man who walks into the fire without hurt, or abstains from food for some time
without starving, on whose face a light shines which the eye cannot bear, who is
never ill, nor ages, until having reached his life's natural end, who dies
spontaneously just as a man retires to his couch to sleep on an appointed day
and hour, equipped with the knowledge of what is hidden as to past and future:
is such a degree not visibly distinguished from the ordinary human
degree? The Khazar king: This
is, indeed, the Divine and seraphic degree, if it exists at all. It belongs to
the province of the Divine influence, but not to that of the intellectual,
human, or natural world. The Rabbi: These are
some of the characteristics of the undoubted prophets through whom God made
Himself manifest, and who also made known that there is a God who guides them as
He wishes, according to their obedience or disobedience. He revealed to those
prophets that which was hidden, and taught them how the world was created. (I,
41-43)
It is only Moshe whom the Rabbi describes as having reached this
miraculous level, and this is because Moshe was the only person to fully realize
his potential. But this potential – this unique essence – is found in each and
every Jew; were this not the case, what is the point of this description as a
response to the Khazar king's reservations about putting the entire Jewish
people at a higher level than the rest of the nations of the world?[4]
What is the source of this uniqueness, and who received
it?
This question takes us back to a much earlier period, long before the
revelation at Mount Sinai, and even before Israel's emergence as a nation. Let
us join Rihal on this historical journey: Adam was perfection
itself, because no flaw could be found in a work of a wise and Almighty Creator,
wrought from a substance chosen by Him, and fashioned according to His own
design. There was no restraining influence because of the seed of the father or
the blood of the mother, no question of nutrition or education during the years
of childhood and growth; neither was there the influence of climate, water, or
soil to consider. For He created him in the form of an adolescent, perfect in
body and mind. The soul with which he was endowed was perfect; his intellect was
the loftiest which it is possible for a human being to possess, and beyond this
he was gifted with the Divine power of such high rank, that it brought him into
connection with beings Divine and spiritual, and enabled him, with slight
reflection, to comprehend the great truths without instruction. We call him
God's son, and we call all those who were like him also sons of God. (I,
95)
R. Yehuda Halevi teaches us many things in this passage. First, he
establishes that various components determine the essence of a
person: 1)
Heredity – "the seed of
the father or the blood of the mother." 2)
Education and raising -
"nutrition or education during the years of childhood and
growth." 3)
Climate and environment
– "the influence of climate, water, or soil." Second, a person is
comprised of several levels: 1)
The living
soul. 2)
The
intellect. 3)
The Divine influence
that is above the intellect. The first two were given
to all men inasmuch as they belong to the category of human beings. The third,
as we saw above, was not given to all men, but only to the pick of
mankind. Rihal asserts that Adam
was perfection itself. This assertion stems from the fact that there was no flaw
in him caused by one of the three factors that determine the essence of a
person. He was work of the Creator (1), he was formed as an adolescent, past the
age of childhood and growth (2), and he was placed in the Garden of Eden, the
most perfect place in the world (3). He was endowed with a perfect soul, the
loftiest possible intellect, and the Divine influence that is above the
intellect, the unique essence of man. All these provided him with the unique
potential "that brought him into connection with beings Divine and spiritual."[5] The next stage of the
unique essence of man was the period between Adam and
Yaakov: He left many children,
of whom the only one capable of taking his place was Hevel, because he alone was
like him. After he had been slain by Kayin through jealousy of this privilege,
it passed to his brother Shet, who also was like Adam, being [as it were] the
essence and seed of man, while the others were like shells. The essence of Shet,
then, passed to Enosh, and in this way the Divine influence was inherited by
isolated individuals down to Noach. They are compared to the heart; they
resembled Adam, and were styled sons of God. They were perfect outwardly and
inwardly, their lives, knowledge and ability being likewise faultless. Their
lives fix the chronology from Adam to Noach. (I, 95)
As was stated above, the genetic component is just one of the three
components that determine a person's essential character. It therefore often
happens that a person has many children, but the father's unique essence is only
passed on to some of them. This is what happened in the case of Hevel, Adam's
son; in his place, Shet merited receiving that unique essence, and from him it
was passed down until it reached Avraham. The parable that Rihal uses to
describe this understanding is the parable of a seed and a
shell.
It was not by chance that Rihal chose the parable of the seed and the
shell; it is not brought only to sharpen the difference between the essential
and the non-essential. It seems to me that a full understanding of this parable
will contribute to a more profound understanding of Rihal's approach.
A fruit is comprised of
three parts: the seed, the flesh, and the shell. The full realization of a fruit
finds expression in its flesh. Both the seed and the shell are of secondary
importance in relation to the flesh of the fruit, when it rests in the hand of
someone who wishes to eat it. The shell, however, is different than the seed.
The shell has no value – other than providing protection for the flesh of the
fruit – and once the flesh is eaten, the shell is discarded. The seed, however,
as opposed to the shell, plays an important role, inasmuch as the seed is what
allows for other fruit to grow as well. Even a fruit whose flesh is not perfect
can give rise through its seed to the growth of new fruit.[6]
So, too, Rihal distinguishes between three components in the passing down
of the unique essence of man: 1) The seed – this is
the potential for the unique essence found in the chosen
person. 2) The shell – this
refers to the sons who do not receive this potential, and whose historic role
both in their own time and for posterity is absolutely meaningless. The Torah
mentions these people, but they serve no purpose in the development of the
unique essence of man. 3) The flesh – referred
to by Rihal as the "perfect fruit" – is the realization of the potential ("Until
it produces perfect fruit, resembling the first fruit from which it was planted,
viz. Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef and his brethren. The seed further
produced Moshe, Aharon and Miryam").
The distinction between one who has the potential and one who realizes it
is the distinction between a fruit that contains a seed but is unripe and its
flesh is imperfect, and a ripe fruit whose flesh is perfect. This distinction is
important for understanding the following argument put forward by
Rihal: Their lives fix the
chronology from Adam to Noach, as well as from Noach to Avraham. There were
some, however, among them who did not come under Divine influence, as Terach,
but his son Avraham was the disciple of his grandfather Ever, and was born in
the lifetime of Noach. Thus the Divine spirit descended from the grandfather to
the grandchildren. Avraham represented the essence of Ever, being his disciple,
and for this reason he was called Ivri. Ever represented the essence of
Shem, the latter that of Noach. He inherited the temperate zone, the center and
principal part of which is Palestine, the land of prophecy. Yefet turned towards
north, and Cham towards south. The essence of Avraham passed over to Yitzchak,
to the exclusion of the other sons who were all removed from the land, the
special inheritance of Yitzchak. The prerogative of Yitzchak descended on
Yaakov, whilst Esav was sent from the land which belonged to Yaakov. (I,
95)
The Rabbi notes that the Divine influence did not adhere to Terach. Does
this mean that he did not bear the unique essence of man? The answer is
no.
Rihal's underlying assumption is that apart from the case of Adam, this
uniqueness cannot come into being other than by way of heredity.[7]
Neither education, nor motivation, nor study can provide man with this unique
essence. Therefore, Avraham could not have acquired it had it not been found, at
least in latent manner, in his father. Terach was an unripe fruit that carried
the seed. As opposed to the shell, Terach had an important role in history in
that he bore the unique essence that he had received from his father and passed
it down to his son, Avraham. This role is described later in the
passage: Many people do not
resemble their father, but take after their grandfathers. There cannot,
consequently, be any doubt that this nature and resemblance was hidden in the
father, although it did not become visible outwardly, as was the nature of Ever
in his children, until it reappeared in Avraham. (I, 95)
The final stage in the development of the unique essence of man was from
Yaakov on: The sons of the latter
were all worthy of the Divine influence, as well as of the country distinguished
by the Divine spirit. This is the first instance of the Divine influence
descending on a number of people, whereas it had previously only been vouchsafed
to isolated individuals. Then God tended them in Egypt, multiplied and
aggrandized them, as a tree with a sound root grows until it produces perfect
fruit, resembling the first fruit from which it was planted, viz. Avraham,
Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef and his brethren. The seed further produced Moshe,
Aharon and Miryam, Betzalel, Oholiav, and the chiefs of the tribes, the seventy
Elders, who were all endowed with the spirit of prophecy; then Yehoshua, Kaleb,
Chur, and many others. Then they became worthy of having the Divine light and
providence made visible to them. If disobedient men existed among them, they
were hated, but remained, without doubt, of the essence inasmuch as they were
part of it on account of their descent and nature, and begat children who were
of the same stamp. An ungodly man received consideration in proportion to the
minuteness of the essence with which he was endowed, for it reappeared in his
children and grandchildren according to the purity of their lineage. This is how
we regard Terach and others in whom the Divine influence was not visible,
though, to a certain extent, it underlay his natural disposition, so that he
begat a descendant filled with the essence, which was not the case with all the
posterity of Cham and Yefet. (I, 95)
The model of the seed and the shell came to an end with the birth of
Yaakov's children, the twelve tribes of Israel. From now on, they were all
"seeds." That is to say, they all carried the Divine influence in potential.
However, as in the case of the earlier "seeds," it was still possible that they
would include sinners who hate God; this is not because they lack the unique
potential, but because they estrange themselves from it. But they still carry it
for their children, in whom it might find expression: "An ungodly man received
consideration in proportion to the minuteness of the essence with which he was
endowed, for it reappeared in his children and grandchildren according to the
purity of their lineage."
The question that may be asked is how it is possible that the unique
essence should pass down now in perfect manner in all of Yaakov's descendants.
What happened to the other factors – education, climate and the like – which up
until now had sometimes prevented the unique essence from being transmitted from
father to son?
The answer that Rihal gives to this question is
providence.
This idea may be likened to a hothouse. A hothouse is meant to
artificially create the ideal conditions for growing a particular plant.[8]
God's providence over the people of Israel finds expression in the fact that
since the time of the birth of Yaakov's children, all of his descendants were
raised in hothouse conditions. In this hothouse, God oversees Israel just as a
person watches over a tree that he has planted. When the Jewish people dwell in
their land, they naturally have the ideal conditions for nurturing their unique
essence. When they live in the Diaspora, God oversees them and preserves the
special conditions so that genetics will do what it has to do and pass down the
unique essence from father to son in perfect manner, without exceptions or
disturbances.
From seed to seed the unique essence was passed down until a perfect
fruit was formed, which not only carried the unique essence like the seed, but
also succeeded in realizing that essence and giving it expression in the most
perfect manner – Moshe Rabbeinu.
When Moshe brought the unique essence to expression, he revealed its
highest level, as described by the Rabbi in his discussion of the hierarchy of
nature. Qualities that had been concealed among those who had carried the unique
essence from the days of Adam to Moshe became revealed in the person of Moshe.
From seed to seed, those qualities had waited for that ripe fruit that would
bring them to realization and illuminate the entire world with the light of the
unique essence that distinguishes the people of Israel. This essence is given to
all members of the Jewish People, from Moshe Rabbeinu to the lowest sinner, for
even though he sinned, he is still a member of Israel. (Translated by David
Strauss) [1] It is suggested that
the reader review lectures 6-7, which are directly related to the issue under
discussion in this lecture. [2] We saw in lecture 7
that the group considered to have taken part in the revelation at Mount Sinai
includes those who received the
tradition that began at Sinai and was passed down from father to son, for
hearing is like seeing (I, 25). [3] The objection can be
raised that Rihal's proofs regarding the truth of the revelation at Mount Sinai
are objective (its collective nature, the miracles, and the uninterrupted
tradition). What, then, is the difference between a Jew who hears from his
father about the historical continuity that goes back to the revelation at Sinai
and a non-Jew who hears about that continuity from his Jewish friend? If Rihal
maintains that hearing is like seeing, so that one who hears about that
irrefutable revelation is like one who was present for it, what is the
difference between the hearing of a Jew and the hearing of a non-Jew? (See
Silman, Bein Filosof Le-Navi, p. 243). Had Rihal understood the
obligation stemming from revelation as being based on the experience of
revelation and on the very fact that God decided to address Israel, we could
have suggested that God turned to the Jew and to his descendants and not to the
non-Jew, and therefore even hearing does not bring the non-Jew into the
revelation. Rihal, however, as we saw in the parable of the Indian king, bases
obligation on the removal of doubt that stems from a revelation of this type;
regarding the removal of doubt, what difference is there between a Jew and a
non-Jew? This matter requires further examination. [4] Rihal relates to the
hierarchy of nature in other places in the book as well: 1)
"You know that the
elements gradually evolved metals, plants, animals, man, finally the pure
essence of man. The whole evolution took place for the sake of this essence, in
order that the Divine influence should inhabit it. That essence, however, came
into existence for the sake of the highest essence, viz. the prophets and pious"
(II, 44). This fits in with our
passage, which enumerates metals, plants, animals, man, and the essence of man –
the fifth level. Here, the Rabbi even distinguishes between those who have this
essence of man and those who have the "highest essence," the prophets and the
pious who have succeeded to express and realize this
essence. [This distinction
between the essence – those who carry the potential – and the highest essence –
those who realize it – is found elsewhere in the book as well: "Was not Avraham
also, and after having been greatly exalted, brought into contact with the
Divine influence, and made the heart of this essence, removed from his country
to the place in which his perfection should become complete?" (II,
14)] 2)
"They are alluded to in
the verse: 'Let us make man in our image after our likeness' (Bereishit
1:26). The meaning is: I have displayed wisdom in arranging the creation in
the following order: elements, metals, animals which live in the water as well
as in the air, and those with fully developed senses and wonderful instincts.
Next to this class there is only one which approaches the Divine and celestial"
(IV, 3). Y. Silman, in his book,
Bein Filosof Le-Navi (p. 3) Another source
relating to the levels in nature, which appears in V, 20, will be discussed in
the next lecture. [5] It should be noted that
this is reminiscent of the philosopher's position at the beginning of the book:
"Every individual on earth has his completing causes; consequently an individual
with perfect causes becomes perfect, and another with imperfect causes remains
imperfect, as the negro who is able to receive nothing more than the human shape
and speech in its least developed form. The philosopher, however, who is
equipped with the highest capacity, receives through it the advantages of
disposition, intelligence, and active power, so that he wants nothing to make
him perfect. Now these perfections exist but in abstracto, and require
instruction and training to become practical, and in order that this capacity,
with all its completeness or deficiencies and endless grades, may become
visible" (I, I). The philosopher, as
well, mentions the causes that determine the nature of a person's soul and
intellect, over which the person has no control. These qualities, however, reach
him in potentia, but it falls upon him to realize
them. This approach bears a
clear deterministic character that catalogues humanity according to
predetermined levels. And it limits the expanse of choice to the realization of
the potential inherent in each individual. [6] I cannot say for
certain whether the fruit that Rihal had in mind was a fig or the like, which
matches our description, rather than a pomegranate or the like, which has only
seeds and a shell, the seeds being the part that is eaten. I do insist, however,
that when Rihal speaks of the seed, he is not talking only about eating it, but
also about planting it for new fruit, as is also clear from the continuation of
his words: "As a tree with a sound root grows until it produces perfect fruit,
resembling the first fruit from which it was
planted." [7] "All of them
represented the essence and purity of Adam on account of their intimacy with
God. Each of them had children only to be compared to them outwardly, but not
really like them, and, therefore, without direct union with the Divine
influence" (I, 47). [8] Rihal himself makes use
of the botanical fact that every plant has its own optimal growing conditions to
explain the unique qualities of Eretz Israel for the Jewish people (II,
10). I shall relate to this idea at length in the lecture on Eretz
Israel. |