Talmud Circle 3: December 6, 2015.... (in which Peretz reconciles Hannah's "Sato" ruse)

After a delayed start with setting up, we got down to work, without a break...and before we knew it, we looked up and it was 12:15 and we got the hook from administration to clear the room for the next event. That seems like a good sign, yes?

What engrossed us so?

Preliminaries

Peretz commented on the paragraph structure of the Steinsaltz edition. Steinsaltz helps us decode the architecture of the commentary. It helps us to decode it and identify transitionary moves. [And we are grateful] For example, if we look at the page of Berakhot 31a, page 61 in the Vilna edition (in Hebrew at the end of the book) we see that pages 204-207 are derived from a single page--without paragraph breaks in the Vilna edition.

The Steinsaltz allows us to read just the English, with or without his fills, to compare the Hebrew and English side by side, if we are able, or to go hard-core and read the Vilna edition in its original form in the back of the book, if we are really able.

We compared reading the six "I might have thought" Tosefta, as spelled out and elaborated by Steinsaltz, and then reading just the bolded language, translated from the Vilna ed [at p. 207 (top)]. This illustrates the poetic, rhythmic meter of the original, which was conducive to memorization and oral transmission. For example, take the first six Tosefta:

I might have that one could pray throughout the entire day; it has already been articulated by Daniel, "And three times..."

I might have thought that this began when he came to exile; it was stated: "as he had done before." 

I might have that one may pray any direction he wishes; the verse states: "facing Jerusalem."

I might have that one may include all at one time; it has already been articulated by David, as it is written: "Evening and morning and noon." (Psalms 55:18)  

I might have that one may make his voice heard in his Amida prayer; it has already been articulated by Hannah, as it is stated: "and her voice could not be heard." (1 Samuel: 1:13) 

I might have that one should request his own needs first, and afterwards recite prayers; it has already been articulated by Solomon; It is stated: "To hear the song and the prayer (1 Kings 8:28) song is prayer; prayer is request, does not speak matters of request after emet vyaotziv but after the Amidah prayer even the equivalent of the order of the confession of Yom Kippur recite.

The language is elegantly compact.

Tosefta: refers to "another gathered material." It is additional halakhic or aggadic material not included in the Mishna of Judah Hanassi (b. ~135 CE - d. 217 CE), but created and gathered in the same general community, and shortly after the Mishna. Tosefta follows the order of Mishna. It is also gathered in a separate volume (about three times larger than the Mishna).  Tosefta begin to appear right after acceptance of Judah Hanassi's Mishna. [There are also "Tosefta" that appear after Rashi's (b. 1040-d. 1105, Troyes France) commentaries]

Mishna was redacted after the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135 CE), perhaps in Zippori, in the Galilee. Zippori was "the Corte Madera" of Judea in the 2nd century. The town assumed enormous importance as a centre of Jewish learning. Rabbi Judah Hanassi and a host of rabbis, students and Jewish academies settled there in the second Century. During this time the city rapidly expanded and might have numbered about 12,000 people. The city was named after the Hebrew word for bird, 'zippor', because birds seemed to soar above its position on top of a hill. Also, birds flew over Zippori on their migratory route. [See CNN Report: "on the superhighway of bird migratory routes"]  King Herod liked the strategic position of Zippori and made it his capital when he was governor of Galilee in the beginning of his career.

Zippori

Zippori Residence mosaic

Zippori Synagogue floor

Tosefta goes deeper than Mishna. It looks for independent access to God through prayer--without intermediaries, in both the public and private spheres.

Aside 1: By the time Hanassi redacted the Mishna many Greeks and other non-Jews lived in Judea and the Galilee, and Jews were a minority. Rabbi Hanassi sought to provide access to the tradition to the Jewish people, who were now dispersed. The rabbis were supported in Zippori because the community recognized the communal value of the work being done.

Aside 2: Philip Alexander (in this BBC 4 "In Our Time" podcast) points out that by the edict of Caracalla in 212,  Roman citizenship was conferred on all free citizens within the empire.  During the last five years of his life, Rabbi Hanassi, therefore, along with the other rabbis working on the Mishna project were Roman citizens. It is interesting to note that at the same time that Judah Hanassi was working on the Mishna there was a similar early codification effort of Roman law under way at the School of Beirut.  [This BBC program on the Talmud is good, and I recommend the podcast series in general]

Aside 3: The first book (of many) written by Moses Maimonedes (b. 1135-d. 1204) was a commentary on the Mishna.  He meant his book to be a guide. It established his credentials.

Aside 4: The Babylonian Talmud was closed as the economy in the Sassinian Empire declined and the Yeshiva culture in Babylon dried up along with it. See Ellis Rifkin: The Shaping of Jewish History: a Radical new Interpretation, which provides a concise history of the Jewish people through the lens of economics.

Aside 5: The Babylonian Talmud contains lots of practical tort laws, laws regarding the ownership of property, laws regarding cattle and damages. There are comprehensive treatises regarding our dealing with others; with minutia like what do we do when a satrap (Persian official) enters the synagogue--do we rise, or keep sitting? Answer: we coordinate our rising with some part of the liturgy that would also cause us to rise.

Aside 6: Where to place the menorah? Traditional rule is near the front gate, so all can see it. By Rashi--and the crusades--the rule is modified that the menorah can be safely lit in the kitchen.  [An exception for safety in an age of dangerous pogroms] One of the articulations of the dream of Zionism early on was to have our own land so we can put the menorah back out in front of the house once again.

Aside 7: A hazzan (or Chazzan) came up in the tradition as "musicians." Professional cantorial role is more recent. Chazzanut  is a composer.  A Cantor has musical skills.

Aside 8: The purpose of the rabbis in writing the Talmud is not for it to rule the synagogue. Talmud is part of it. The goal is to create something attractive so the community wants to stay together. In this sense, the text recreates the Jewish people in the post-temple period.

A Close Reading of Berakhot 31a, 31b (pp. 207-209):

The Tsofeta at the top of p. 207 starts with a reference to the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel was the "best-seller" for all of the 1st century. Its six stories and four dream sequences were known to all. "It is the first great work of apocalyptic writing" [New Oxford annotated Bible]

Daniel is a problematic text for Judaism. It contains reference to "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." There is the immediate expectancy of a savior--thus, Roman citizenship notwithstanding--it was popular during the Roman occupation. There is reference to the "hoary old man" and the "Son-of-man." [The rabbis claim the term "son-of-man" is a claim to divinity] Jesus speaks a lot about the book of Daniel.  So for all these reasons, Daniel is the last book you would study in a Yeshiva, even as it might be the first book you study in a seminary.  Yet none of this reduced its popularity. Here it is in the Tosefta: "additional halakhot were derived from Daniel's prayer."

Note that the rabbis here incorporate a broad spectrum of bibilical sources. They are building the foundation for the written tradition.

From Daniel's prayer we derive that we pray three times a day, kneeling, and facing Jerusalem.

From Psalms we learn that the three prayers are distributed: evening, and morning, and noon.

From 1 Samuel we learn that the Amida prayer is spoken in the heart only, although we enunciate with our lips.

From 1 Kings we learn the structure of the Amidah: we give praise--then make our personal request--and then give thanks.

There is a reference to confessions, as in the Viduy (end of life) prayers: when we confess, the Hebrew word is closer to "miss" than to "sin" as we might understand it in a Christian reference. Rav Hammauna added that from Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel we also learn that one must focus one's heart in prayer. The daily Viduy is said "as if it were the last day of your life."  It demands intentionality. Soberness--both literally and metaphorically.

Intentionality of prayer is more important than command of words or the prayer book.

Aside 9:  Hannah is, of course, pre-Davidic. She is on the lowest rung of the social ladder. Her story, barrenness, is a common story of heartbreak. She has everyday troubles. She is imprisoned without children in a multi-wives household. Yet, she is able to approach God directly.

The rabbis in Talmud set up a systems of permissions for access to God.  Even though the temple has been destroyed, Talmud creates on-ramps to the highway of communication with God--another way outside the temple offering system.

Ruth White raised the issue of prayer with a minyan. The Wiki entry for minyan contains the following:

It was the firm belief of the sages that wherever ten Israelites are assembled, either for worship or for the study of the Law, the Divine Presence dwells among them. ...[S]tress is put upon the merits and sacredness of the minyan of ten.  [Maimonides and] the author of the Shulkhan Arukh, have ... made the daily attendance at public worship, morning and evening, to be conducted in a quorum of ten. There is a disagreement between the medieval commentators on whether prayer with a minyan is preferable or obligatory. Rashi is of the view that an individual is obligated to pray with a minyan, while Nahmanides holds that only if ten adult males are present are they obliged to recite their prayer together, but an individual is not required to seek out a minyan. 

Lorraine Harris raised the question, does God answer prayer?  We observed that Hannah's prayer was indeed answered. But was it correlation or causation? For Eli (the priest) or Elkanah (her husband) it's hard to tell. They don't know the nature of Hannah's prayer. Hannah's prayer was silent.  It's hard to say whether any change in fortune is the result of prayer, or not.

1 Samuel seems clear: there was divine intervention in the birth of Samuel. Same was true for Sarah and Abraham and Isaac.  However, the rabbis were aware that (1) prayers often/usually are not answered [for hundreds of years they inserted the prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem into the liturgy knowing it was not happening], and (2) they knew there was an epistemological problem: not only did Elkanah and Eli have no way of knowing the content of Hannah's prayer, or its efficacy--neither could Hannah know if it was her prayer, or something else! She petitioned God for a male child, and Eli blessed her--but how can Hannah know if the pregnancy was due to God's intervention?  Noone narrates our stories in Talmud--how could we know?

Aside 10: Temple priests did not have a spoken role.

A joke: a Jewish mother takes her son to the beach. Suddenly a big wave grabs the boy and sweeps him out to sea. The mother is shocked. She can't believe her eyes; she's always so careful. It can't be! What will her husband say? How could she be so careless!  Then she gets angry.  "God!" she says. "I've kept all your commandments: I keep a kosher kitchen. My husband prays every evening, morning, and noon. We go to Shul. After all we've done for you... how can you do this to me?" And suddenly another big wave delivers her son back to her.  The mother is so relieved. She looks up. "He had a hat ...!"

Correlation or causation? How can the mother know? How can any of us know? Prayers are like that. And the rabbis knew it.

So the rabbis also drew more simple lessons from Hannah.  Rabbi Elazar noted the importance of correcting another who is unseemly in conduct or matter; and if accused in error, you must point this out.

Aside 11: God-Torah-Israel (Heschel):

Judaism is a complex structure. It can be characterized exclusively neither as a theological doctrine nor as a way of living according to the Law nor as a community. A religious Jew is a person committed to God, to his concern and teaching (Torah), who lives as part of a covenant community (Israel).

Judaism revolves around three sacred entities: God, Torah, Israel. The Jew never stands alone before God; the Torah and Israel are always with him.

God as an isolated concept may be exceedingly hidden, vague, and general. In Jewish experience the relation between God and man is established as a concrete and genuine situation in finding an answer to the questions: What are the acts and moments in which God becomes manifest to man? What are the acts and moments in which man becomes attached to God? To the Jew, the Torah is the answer. ... [It] is not only the adherence to particular doctrines and observances but primarily the living in the spiritual order of the Jewish people, the living in the Jews of the past and with the Jews of the present. Not only is it a certain quality in the souls of the individuals but it is primarily involvement and participation in the covenant and community of Israel. .... 

A. Torah  

The Torah, the comprehensive name for the revealed teachings of Judaism, has been an object of love and adoration. ... [T]he Torah has a concrete as well as a spiritual reality; it not only exists as a book in human possession; it also exists in heaven as well as on earth. Indeed, the Hebrew term for revelation is literally "Torah from heaven." ....

The world was created on approval. Unless the Torah was accepted at Sinai, the cosmos would have to be returned to chaos. There could be a cosmos only with the Torah. The absence of the Torah would imply the absence of the universe. With Torah comes the divine blessing of an ordered creation. Without it, there is danger of a return to the abyss of cosmic confusion. The Torah is the ground of all beings. The creatures of heaven and earth cannot exist without it. [citing Babylonian Talmud:  Avoda Zarah, 3b; and Sanhedrin 99b].... 

B. God 

[And....] One must always live in the awe of God (Deuteronomy 6:13). .... One should be in awe of God while in the sanctuary. One's awe should be directed to God, not to the sanctuary."  ... 

The Torah is not to be understood in its own terms. Love of the Torah and awe of God are interrelated. Acts of loving-kindness and study of Torah must go together....

The Torah does not stand alone. It stands with God and with man. Love of Torah links awe of God with the individual performance of deeds of loving- kindness toward one's fellow men. The Torah is the knot wherein God and man are interlaced. However, he who accepts God's existence without accepting the authority of the Torah deviates from Judaism..... 

C. Israel 

Israel is the wick, the Torah the thread, and God's presence (Shekinah) is the fire. [Citing Tikunai Zohar, 421, 60b] ... 

These are three entities, each of which is connected to the other: God, the Torah, and Israel. "God and Israel, when together, are called one, but not when' parted."57 Similarly, "when a man separates himself from the Torah, he separates himself from God." [Citing Zohar, Vayikra 21a]... 

You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God (Isaiah 43:12). Rabbi Simon ben Yohai (second century) took the sentence to mean: If you are my witnesses, I am God; if you cease to be my witnesses, I am not God.76 This is a bold expression of the interdependence of God and Israel, a thought that occurs in various degrees of clarity in the history of Jewish theology. This particular statement maintains: If there are no witnesses, there is no God to be met. There is a mystery, an enigma, a darkness past finding out. For God to be present there have to be witnesses. [citing Seder Elija Rabba, ch. 21] The essence of Judaism is the awareness of the reciprocity of God and man, of man's togetherness with Him who abides in eternal otherness. For the task of living is His and ours, and so is the responsibility. We have rights, not only obligations; our ultimate commitment is our ultimate privilege..... 

God is now in need of man, because He freely made him a partner in his enterprise, "a partner in the work of creation." "From the first day of creation the Holy One, blessed be He, longed to enter into partnership with the terrestrial world" to dwell with his creatures within the terrestrial world.80 Expounding the verse in Genesis 17:1, the Midrash remarked: "In the view of Rabbi Johanan we need His honor; in the view of Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish He needs our honor." [Citing Genesis Rabba, ch. 30] ....

Jewish existence is not only the adherence to particular doctrines and observances but primarily the living in the spiritual order of the Jewish people, the living in the Jews of the past and with the Jews of the present. It is not only a certain quality in the souls of the individuals; it is primarily involvement and participation in the covenant and community of Israel. ....  Our share in holiness we acquire by living within the community. What we do as individuals may be a trivial episode; what we attain as Israel causes us to grow into the infinite.

Rabbi Elazar noted that one who prays drunk is undertaking a "useless activity." The Steinsaltz translators rendered this as "idol worship," but the more accurate rendering, said Rabbi Peretz, is "useless activity."  This implies, I suppose that praying drunk is allowed--just don't expect it to be efficacious. But then... since our sober prayers are often not efficacious either [and, as noted, how can we ever know?] .... what the heck. As Leonard Cohen sang: "Like a drunk in midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free!" [By the way, have you read Bernard Avishai's great piece in the New Yorker "Leonard Cohen's Montreal?"]

Yet in 1 Samuel, there did seem to be some rebuke in Eli's comment: "How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you." 1 Samuel 1:14. And Hannah was defensive about it. Id. 1:17.  It seems likely that Rabbi Elazar did not intend "useless activity," but something more morally loaded. Perhaps that is why the translators went with "idol worship," even if this is not a perfect word choice.

Aside 12: Hannah referred to God as "the Lord of Hosts." Rabbi Elazar notes "this is a first." The root word here suggests "spheres", the "Lord of the spheres," "the Lord of all the expanding spheres."  The word  "hosts" means multitudes:  multitude of spheres.

Aside 13: The word melech (angel) meant emanations between us and God that we can perceive. There was no connotation of "wingy-things." However in that problematic, but popular book, Daniel, they are wingy-things. In Ezekiel too.

The parable of the poor person asking for bread of the king at a banquet: "give me a piece of bread," and "from this entire feast... is it so difficult in your eyes to give me a single slice of bread?" The rabbis here allude to a petitioning prayer as pushy..., not a passive request.

The Sato fantasy [See p. 209, or the last blogpost, for the play by play]: the rabbis here fully realize that this is an absurd thought experiment. Elazar's opinion is that if Hannah conceives in response to her prayer, even if we knew the content of her prayer--which we cannot know--we cannot know if we are looking at mere correlation or causation. ["As it is taught in a baraita that the tanna'im disputed the interpretation"] Why did they dispute it? Because we cannot know. And if we could, as Rabbi Akiva said, "all barren women will go and seclude themselves with men"... and practice this Sato ruse on God... and that's pretty silly. According to Rabbi Akiva's explanation, say the rabbis (third para. from bottom, p. 209) "The Torah spoke in the language of men, meaning ... nothing may be derived from it." In other words, the rabbis are working hard to downplay the miraculous; they are working to avoid attributing a hoped for response to prayer (a correlation) to the miraculous.

The rabbis were cautious about creating systematic miracles.

So what does this tell us about prayer: we should have deep introspection without an expectation of reward.  For prayer to be truly holy it must be made non-utilitarian.

When we say Kodesh in public prayer (e.g. "may all those in need of healing be healed") the requests are always non-specific.

Rabbi Yosei, at bottom of p. 209, notes that Hannah attests to her status as God's servant in her prayer. Her attitude is the opposite of the cocky, impudent, poor person barging into the king's feast.

We left off at the bottom of p. 209.

Talmud Circle 2: November 1, 2015

Hannah's despair, Ilja Repin (1844-1930)

Some Definitional Terms--Sources:

Tannaim:  Tanna is an Aramaic word related to Hebrew "Shana", meaning to "repeat" or "recite." The Tannaim, thus, were those who repeated and recited the Torah and passed it down through the generations.

The Mishnah:  The first major book of Rabbinic literature, or redaction of the oral law. Mishnah is organized by six subject matters (Seeds-Agriculture;  Times--Sabbath & Holidays; Women--marriage & divorce; Damages--Civil & Criminal law; Holy Things--Ritual & Temple; and Rituals--rituals of purification) The authoritative collection of Mishnah is by rabbi Judah HaNasi. [Note: "Blessings" are included in Seeds].

Barita: Tannatic teachings that were not included in Mishnah.

Talmud: First layer of Talmud is Mishna; but not every Mishna is in the Talmud--only the ones Rabbis talked about or felt important.  Talmud is the Gemara as it comments on Mishna--but not every Mishna.  Talmud follows the flow of the Mishna.  Same organization. Also includes  some Midrash. 

Amora: Means "speaker:" refers to the rabbis in the fourth/fifth centuries who spoke about the Torah and the Mishna.

Midrash: Comments organized by Torah portion.  Also contained in a separate collection. The Madrash Rabba. Some Midrash is also included in Talmud. 

Check out the interactive Map of Torah Centers in Mishna and Talmudic Times

Brief Review: 

Torah portion is Samuel 1 about Elkanah and his two wives--Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah was childless and petitions the Lord with prayer. We're at Shiloh, North Central Israel, before Israel's three kings [Saul-David-Solomon]. 

The Tabernacle at Shiloh?/NW Encyclopedia

Key transitional times. Israelites in the hills were late bronze age people. There is evidence the Philistines on the coast were an early iron age people. Some people interpret the David and Goliath story as a contest between these bronze age and iron age powers: David overcame the iron age power with guile and cleverness. But he also stole their ironworkers. 

The traditional offering to God is the sacrifice. The family would go to Shiloh every year to bring their offering. "On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to [his family]." Samuel 1:4.  

Traditional prayer: the fire consumes the flesh; part of the offering goes up to the heavens as ash and heat rise; represents earth/wind/fire. It's a recycling of life: form is lost along with the illusion that you once owned form.  As the portion is consumed it turns into matter, heat, and air. The sacrifice is a transformation of the offering. [It's mindfulness; no wonder many Jews have been drawn to Eastern religions that practice mindfulness] [Christ as the "Lamb of God"] 

You don't need language or a building to practice sacrifice. But you did need to be in Israel. The law of sacrifice is only binding in the land of Israel [because that's what Torah says] The sacrificial cult cannot be exported; you can't conquer other lands in its name. The religion as practiced was local--even though God was conceived as universal. The Lord of Hosts. After destruction of the Temple, there was a transfer from the land to Torah: we are bound to Torah as we were bound to the land.

Asides:

Aside 1: Cliff Detz thinks Israelites were not yet monotheistic when Hannah prayed at Shiloh. Peretz pointed out that the story of Hannah takes place pre-Judaism.

Aside 2: Peretz referred to Abraham Joshua Heschel's work and his conception of Judaism as a religion of time. His Sabbath: Its Meaning for modern Man (1951) "is a work on the nature and celebration of Shabbat( and) is rooted in the thesis that Judaism is a religion of time, not space, and that the Sabbath symbolizes the sanctification of time."

Aside 3: Hasidism, Zionism, and Reform Judaism all have the same birth date. They all responded to a crisis in Judaism; it's practice had become dull and formulaic. Uninspiring. Jews had a hard time getting a minion together in Germany. 

Aside 4:  Zionism said "if we just till the land, isn't that enough?" They felt it was enough to just be on the land. Connected with Martin Buber's Hebrew Humanism. Martin Buber (1878-1965).  From the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: 

Martin Buber, ~1900(?)

Buber was recruited by … Herzl to edit the main paper of the Zionist party, Die Welt. He soon found a more congenial home in the “democratic faction” of “cultural Zionists” led by Chaim Weizmann, then living in Zurich. …[H]e never ceased to write and speak about what he understood to be the distinctive Jewish brand of nationalism. …He … search(ed) for psychologically sound foundations on which to heal the rift between modern realpolitik and a distinctively Jewish theological-political tradition. Very much in keeping with the nineteenth-century Protestant yearning for a Christian foundation of the nation-state, Buber sought a healing source in the integrating powers of religious experience. …[H]e … began publishing the journal Der Jude, which served as an open forum of exchange on any issues related to cultural and political Zionism. In 1921 Buber attended the Zionist Congress in Carlsbad as a delegate of the socialist Hashomer Hatzair (“the young guard”). In the debates that followed the first anti-Zionist riots in Palestine, Buber joined the Brit Shalom, which argued for peaceful means of resistance. During the Arab revolt of 1936–39, when the British government imposed quotas on immigration to Palestine, Buber argued for demographic parity rather than trying to achieve a Jewish majority. Finally, in the wake of the Biltmore Conference, Buber (as a member of Ihud) argued for a bi-national rather than a Jewish state in Palestine. At any of these stages Buber harbored no illusion about the chances of his political views to sway the majority but he believed that it was important to articulate the moral truth as one saw it. Needless to say, this politics of authenticity made him few friends among the members of the Zionist establishment.

At the theoretical core of the Zionism advanced by Buber was a conception of Jewish identity being neither a religious nor a national form, but a unique hybrid. ... Buber rejected any state-form for the Jewish people in Palestine. .... Buber embraced Zionism as the self-expression of a particular Jewish collective that could be realized only in its own land, on its soil, and in its language. The modern state, its means and symbols, however, were not genuinely connected to this vision of a Jewish renaissance. While in the writings of the early war years, Buber had characterized the Jews as an oriental type in perpetual motion, in his later writings the Jews represent no type at all. Neither nation nor creed, they uncannily combine what he called national and spiritual elements. 

In his letter to Ghandi, Buber insisted on the spatial orientation of Jewish existence and defended the Zionist cause against the critic who saw in it only a form of colonialism. For Buber, space was a necessary but insufficient material condition for the creation of culture based on dialogue. A Gesamtkunstwerk in its own right, the Zionist project was to epitomize the life of dialogue by drawing the two resident nations of Palestine into a perfectible common space free from mutual domination.

A Buber anecdote: "an aged pious man, Rabbi Susya, became fearful as death drew near. His friends chided him, 'What! Are you afraid that you'll be reproached that you weren't Moses?' 'No,' the rabbi replied, 'that I was not Susya.'"

Aside 5:  O.K., I read the Judith Hauptman article on women and prayer. I confess, I scanned this and did not try to follow all her minutia--because, frankly, I don't need to be convinced that women are equal to men, including in the ability/obligation to pray.  The article doesn't mention Hannah or Samuel 1.  So what's all that about?  I also listened to the Dov Hartman video.  She's quite the gal; she does speak about Hannah and tells us what Peretz said. 

Aside 6: There are (of course) folks advocating for rebuilding of Third Temple NOW. And, of course, there is textual support for this.  E.g. two of the seven blessings of the wedding ceremony--Sheva Berakhot-- talk about the ingathering in Jerusalem and "let there soon be heard the sounds of joy"; soon as in tomorrow.  People skip stuff they don't like in the blessings; but people read that stuff and take it seriously--so we need to engage with it to fight the good fight. 

Aside 7: When the temple was built, the priests tried to stamp out the ritual practice at the sacrificial mounts throughout the land. Priests wanted to control the sacrifice centered on the Temple. Crowds who arrived in Jerusalem from other places needed to change money into local currency.  Currencies proliferated.  Money changers set up tables outside the temple. They charged 4-8% premium on the exchange.  Among other things, there was a thriving market in selling of sacrificial animals. 

Aside 8: There is a thin line between offering and magic. Offering needs to be brought for the "right" reasons. 

Aside 9:  Cohen means "servant of the place."  The Cohens were the custodians of the temple. They were not allowed to leave the building. Not a power group; but a burdened and restricted group. 

Aside 10: Jaffa was the early location of the Jewish poets.  Herzel  built his Yeshiva in Jaffa. He had no interest in Jerusalem. 

Aside 11: At engagement party tradition is to break a plate. Symbolism is that although we exported Judaism into diaspora, it is unstable, impermanent, uncertain. 

Back to Hannah at Shiloh: 

Traditional prayer was not doing it for Hannah. Year after year, Hannah did not become pregnant. "Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat [of the sacrificial offering]."  Samuel 1:7 And then Hannah made a revolutionary move: Hannah went to the priest (Eli) alone and prayed silently, petitioning God directly without priestly intervention, and without a sacrificial offering being involved. 1:10. She's been "pouring out her soul before the Lord" (1:15) and Eli blessed her.  And her prayers were answered. 

This pre-temple period was full of religious variety: there was much more than just Pharasees, Saducees, and Essenes.  

Recital of Shema (morning & evening) is linked to when priests would consume their Truma (tithe). The Shema replaced the sacrificial offering in post-temple times. This was a major move from the concrete to the symbolic.

Talmud:  Berakhot 30b, 31a

So how do we pray?

First Mishna: One may only stand and begin to pray from an approach of gravity and with submission--some have prepared for an hour beforehand--in way not to be distracted by high (kings) or low (snakes). 

Halakhah: How many ways to walk, how many ways to go do we learn from this Talmudic portion?  

Prophetic religion was critical of the rote nature of sacrifice. Sacrifice as method. Prayer must be more mindful. Method of sacrifice vs. mindfulness of prayer.  

Hannah's approach to God is different from the method of sacrifice in that her prayer is heartfelt.  

Must enter the temple with awe. There is a focus on imminence. [There is no word in Hebrew for "prayer" as such. The word "Bevahkasha" is used and it means to request.  "Haleot" is used and it means praises. "Brachot" is used and it implies a radical centeredness]

Here is my paraphrase of the Gemara found on pp. 203-209): 

They say from Hannah we derive a requirement to approach prayer with gravity.

Hannah was also bitter, but bitterness is rejected. Rabbi Yosei says the key is to approach "reverently," citing David in Psalms. Nope, says Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: we should approach in "trembling of holiness;" one must enter into prayer from an atmosphere of "gravity engendered by sanctity."  

No, that's not quite it either, says the Gemara. We note that Rav Yehuda would adorn himself to pray, suggesting,  perhaps "it's in the beauty." 

But Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said "Serve the Lord in fear and rejoice in trembling."  Rav Adda bar Mattana said this means there must not be unbridled joy. "Where there is rejoicing, there should be trembling," he said. Abaye is rebuked for being excessively joyful.  And Abaye said: "but I'm wearing philacteries! As long as I wear them, they ensure that the fear of God is upon me."  O.K. then. 

Yes, sorrow is appropriate, but not excessive joy, agreed Rabbi Zeira. "In all sorrow there is profit," he says.  "But I'm wearing phylacteries!" says Rabbi Yirmeya. 

A story:

Rabbi Ravina thought people were excessively joyous at his son's wedding, so he smashed a cup worth four hundred zuz (~$750/with silver at $15 per ounce). Rabbi Rav Ashi, at his son's wedding, did Rabbi Ravina one better and smashed "a cup of extremely valuable white glass." And the wedding guests "became sad." 

And, when the sages suggested the master sing a song at his son's wedding?  Well, he said, a tad overreacting perhaps: "Woe unto us, for we shall die! Where is Torah and mitzvah to protect us?"  

Rabbi Yohanan, another serious fellow, said "One is forbidden to fill his mouth with mirth in this world as long as we are in exile!"  Are we in exile still?

Halakhah:

It is not appropriate to pray when halakhah is in doubt "as preoccupation with the halakhic ruling will distract us from prayer."  But what is an example of conclusive halakhah?   

I know one, said  Abaye: "Rabbi Zeira had a halakhah--the daughters of Israel were stringent with themselves; to the extent that they saw even a drop of blood corresponding to mustards seed, they sat seven days clean for it!" [This exceeded the requirements of Torah] "I have one too," said Rava, referring to the exemption from tithing a portion of grain fed to animals if it has not been threshed and piled. Or, consider the prohibition on making beneficial use of the blood of a sacrificial animal! 

O.K., said the sages. "That settles that; we'll pray with an atmosphere of gravity!"  It's a conclusive halakhah. 

So.... on topic of proper preparation for prayer: Sages taught we may not stand to pray from an atmosphere of sorrow, laziness, laughter, conversation, frivolity, or purposelessness. One should approach prayer from an atmosphere of "joy of mitzvah." [Just make sure it's not excessive joy!] 

When we talk of halakah we should also take leave of one another in the same frame of mind as we approach prayer. We should conclude our talks with words of praise and consolation. [Because, heaven knows, we do get contentious!] 

As Mari taught: we should take leave of another in a way they will think well of us and the new halakhah they learned. You know, like that time Rav Kahana and Rav Shimi bar Ashi went to the palm grove of Babylon and Shimi bar Ashi taught that the palm trees of Babylon date back to Adam. Or that time when the student Rav Mordekhai accompanied his master Rav Shimi bar Ashi all the way to Keifei; or was it Be Dura?

 But back to prayer:

In the Tosefta (supplement to the Mishna) the sages taught that one who prays must focus his heart toward Heaven. If God directs your heart, his ears will listen. And in a baraita it says Rabbi Akiva would shorten his prayer with the congregation, so as not to be an encumbrance on them, but when he prayed alone his enthusiasm was so great that he'd go on, and on, and on, and would unwittingly move from one corner to another. 

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said: "we should always pray in a house with windows" because, after all, Daniel had open windows in his attic where he prayed three times a day upon his knees--and these windows faced Jerusalem.  And did you hear that?  Three times, Daniel prayed. So it is halakhah.  And not just in Babylonian exile did he do that, but he did it before. And did he face Jerusalem?  It's not coincidence; its halakhah. And David said "morning, noon, and night I pray aloud and He hears my voice." If it's good enough for David, it's good enough for us... it's halakhah. The Amidah (the central prayer in every worship service) we recite without making our voices heard; because Hannah...its halakhah. And the order of prayer is praise, then petition, then thanks; that's how Solomon blessed the temple... it's halakhah. 

After the Amidah prayer there is no limit. We may recite the equivalent of the order of the confession on Yom Kippur... it's allowed. It's true: the Amora of Rav Hiyya bar Ashi agrees--if you have additional requests after completing the Amidah, knock yourself out. 

How many halakhot can be derived from the prayer of Hanna? wondered Rav Hammuna. Well... focus your heart, enunciate the words, not only contemplate them in the heart, but we must recite silently. And we must not be drunk. In fact we must remove the wine from ourselves. It's halakhah. 

And continuing with Berakhot, 31b:

And Rabbi Elazar said "if you see someone praying in an unseemly way, reprimand him or her. Go set them straight. It's a mitzvah."

What about Eli falsely accusing Hannah of being drunk? Well, there is a dispute.  Rabbi Hanina says it means the divine spirit did not rest upon Eli in his judgment. In other words, it's a mistake; it happens.  On the other hand Rabbi Elazar says this is the foundation for the halkhah that one who is wrongfully suspected of something must come forward and inform the one who wrongfully suspects, and clear himself or herself of suspicion.  We have a duty not to sulk in silence. 

Rabbi Elazar also concluded that praying drunk is like idol worship. Don't do it. [Say what?Yeah, there is a note; don't ask]  But if you're wrong in your accusation, you had better appease the one you accused falsely, and bless him or her... it's halakhah.  [After all you've greatly annoyed the falsely accused]

Then there's a parable.  Whoa, or as Eli might have said, we're not at Shiloh anymore Sherlock:

Rabbi Elazar says, "did you hear that? Hannah called God 'The Lord of Hosts!' Nobody does that."  Moreover, Hannah taunts the Lord: "Is it so difficult for you to grant me one son?" she says. 

The Gemara says this is like a street person crashing the king's feast and standing at the door saying to guests: "give me a peace of bread." When he's ignored he pushes his way up to the king and says: ""is it so difficult for you to spare me a single peace of bread, huh?" Hmmm.

Well, the Gemara here rather misrepresents Samuel 1.  There is nothing in Samuel 1 that would suggest the petulant attitude that the rabbis attribute to Hannah here. It's not at all clear, in fact, that the rabbis had their Samuel 1 handy.  Hannah pours out her soul before God and gets straight to the point: "She prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said 'O'Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy maidservant...[I will consecrate my son to you]" Samuel 1:10-11. There is nothing here about "give me!" or "You owe it to me" as the rabbis suggests. Nothing petulant at all, in fact.

But the Talmud story goes on:

What was Hannah threatening? I will go and seclude myself with a man, so my husband suspects adultery, and they will have to give me the Sato. [Sato is a trial by ordeal involving public humiliation, and drinking of water contaminated with a scroll that contains the woman's denial of adultery--ending in her belly swelling and her thighs falling away if she's guilty, or (if she's innocent) a priestly declaration of "never mind you can go back to your husband now." As if she'd want to] And because it will be a ruse in Hannah's case, and she did not commit adultery, God will have to let her pass the trial by ordeal. And she will bear children because Torah says if you pass this trial by ordeal "you shall conceive." 

Well, the rabbis who thought up that particular fantasy had spent a bit too much time in the library and away from their women.  Really!

I think I will stop here and let Peretz clear this story up for us on December 6.

Happy reading to all,

Roland Nikles

Talmud Circle 1

Book is Koren Talmud Bavli, Vol. 1 Berakhot. 

First Samuel

Starts with origin story of Samuel—Hannah’s prayer to the Lord to overcome infertility.

Samuel 1 & 2 Notes From Oxford Annotated

PREVIEW

First Samuel and Second Samuel were originally a single work narrating the beginning of the monarchy and the reigns of its first two kings, Saul and David. [Note: although David’s is an epic story, there is no “Book of David”] They were divided into two books in the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint), and were named after Samuel, who plays a prominent role in the first half of the work, and were even attributed to his authorship. The name is not entirely appropriate, however, since Samuel dies before 1 Samuel ends ( 25.1 ).

First Samuel has three sections built around its principal characters, Samuel (chs 1–7), Saul (chs 8–15), and David (chs 16–31). Samuel is a transitional figure—the last of the judges and the prophet who anoints Saul and then announces his rejection by the Lord and anoints David in his place. 

[Peretz: the people beg Samuel to find them a king. Samuel thinks it’s a bad idea; kings are a bad idea. They grab everything and misbehave. But the people won’t hear it. So Samuel appoints Saul—who turns out to be a disaster. This is followed by David, who is a big success politically—messy personal life, not a paragon of virtue. David turns out to manifest all the bad traits that Samuel predicted kings would have]

Saul is a tragic figure—plucked from obscurity and thrust into a position of power for which he ultimately proves unfit. David is the focal figure of 1 Samuel, for whom both Samuel and Saul pave the way. Like Saul, he is presented as humble and without personal ambition for kingship. However, while Saul was initially the divinely designated ruler, in the end he fell out of divine favor and “the Lord was with David”—a major theme in the book.

Most scholars view 1–2 Samuel as part of a larger original composition called the Deuteronomistic History, which encompasses the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel, and 1–2 Kings and relates Israel's history from the conquest under Joshua to the end of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (see pp. 310–11 hb ). The Deuteronomistic History is a theological history; it evaluates Israel's past according to the principles of the book of Deuteronomy, with which it begins. It stresses such matters as obedience to the law and God's choice of Jerusalem as the central place of worship for Israel and of David and his descendants as its kings.

The Deuteronomistic History was composed by one or more nameless “Deuteronomists,” probably in the exile, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 bce, though some scholars date its initial edition to the reign of King Josiah in the late seventh century. The Deuteronomist(s) edited various traditions into a single, running historical account. They occasionally inserted speeches or commentary in their own distinctive Deuteronomistic style into the narrative. Examples of Deuteronomistic style in 1 Samuel are 8.8 (the Exodus), 8.12 (the people crying out), and 12.14–15 (the review of Israel's history and the command to “heed the voice of the Lord”).

First and Second Samuel are a literary masterpiece, but they may also contain genuine history. While they were written hundreds of years after the events they describe, they seem to contain older source material. Some scholars have suggested that an old “Ark Narrative” underlies 4.1–7.1 , that a cycle of stories about Saul and his reign is behind chs 8–15, and that chs 16–31 are based on a “History of David's Rise.” These documents are theoretical reconstructions, and the exact nature of the sources used by the Deuteronomistic remains uncertain.

The central character of the Deuteronomistic History is David. The Deuteronomistic(s) explained the long duration of the Davidic dynasty theologically as the result of a divine promise to David himself (see 2 Sam 7 ). David may also have been viewed as the model for the restoration of the monarchy after the crisis of the exile. The pro‐Davidic tone of 1 Samuel is evident. While Saul falters at every step, David can do no wrong. God abandons Saul but is constantly with David. At some stage in its development the section dealing with David's rise seems to have been designed as an “apology” or defense of David and his kingship. The charge that David usurped the throne to which he had no hereditary right and did so through multiple assassinations is subtly and effectively addressed in 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel. The reader, who may draw closer to actual history by asking whether Saul was really as bad and David as innocent as their portraits in 1 Samuel indicate, is aided in answering such questions by materials presented in the Deuteronomistic History.

***

The story of the birth of Samuel is set during the settlement period. Post Joshua. Clan family groups. Religious practice is centered around the three great agricultural festivals: Pesach, Shavuot, Sukhot.  It consists of burnt offerings that are consumed communally with the priests (Cohens) and the family. Eli the priest “sat upon a seat by the gate post of the temple of the Lord.” But there is no temple. The priests, Eli and his sons, are at Shilo and preside over a slightly elevated mound with a wall around it to mark it and to hold the animals offered as offerings for slaughter by the priests. There were lots of these throughout ancient pre-kingdom Israel. Women and children are in attendance. Offerings are made during the three festivals, and as needed. Everyone celebrates together. A meal is shared. There are alcoholic beverages. 

Practice is centered on the earth, land and women. The Cohanim were not a privileged class; to the contrary, they were a burdened class with restrictions. E.g. they could only receive offerings, they could not own land and livestock; they were restricted in whom they could marry, what they could do. No special benefits were conferred on them. 

Song of Solomon is full of Canaanite religion. 

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy are focused on obedience—rule following. So the first text children are exposed to in Yeshivas is Leviticus.  “Eat this, don’t eat that.” By contrast, Genesis is theology. It may have been drafted later. In other words, although the story of Sarah predates the Jewish conquest of Canaan, the story of Hanna may have been on the bookshelf first!  [Compare: the infertility story of Sarah and the infertility story of Hanna. Sarah speaks directly to God; Hanna petitions God and is assisted (?) by Eli the priest who also puts in a good word. Both stories center around God’s promise (to make the people fruitful if they kept the law), the promise not working for Sarah and Hannah, and God honoring his promise after appeal]

There are other parallels between the birth of Samuel story and the Abraham/Sarah story. The phrase “and they rose up in the morning early” is prominent here with Elkanah and Hanna rising up early, worshipping before the Lord, and procreating; just as Abraham and Isaac “rose up early” on the awful day when the Lord tested Abraham’s faith.  Similarly, in the Abraham story, Hagar and Ishmael taunt Sarah for her barrenness, just as Pennina “provoked (Hanna) bitterly, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.” 

Arc of the story: “Give us a king,” say the people to Samuel. He counsels them against it. “You don’t want a king because they will abuse their power.” People ignore the advice. So Samuel finds Saul—who turns out to be a terrible king. This leads to King David, who is wildly successful: conquers territory, gets wealthy, brings prestige, power, and statehood. Kingdom is founded. 

But soon things go badly. There is strife between the tribes, there is conquest by outside forces, expulsion. 

“Machud” means sovereignty. “Melech” means sovereign. It’s what the Egyptians also called their sovereigns.  [The term “Pharaoh” was derogatory name used by Israelites to refer to the Egyptian melechs] 

Peretz: Saul is a disaster, but David is a great success, but does all the bad things that Samuel predicted a king would do. People get the government they want. 

By the time of the writing of the Babylonian Talmud, women were relegated to the background. This introduces a tension in the literature because women are front and center in the early writings. 

Prayer.  In Samuel 1, Hanna was “in bitterness of soul, and she prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly.” Samuel 1:10.  This is the first mention of prayer to God.  She promises if the Lord gives her a male child she will “give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” [Nazarite vow?] 

Question: is Samuel 1 an innovation with respect to prayer, or are prayer and petition (“asking for free stuff”) part of the tradition from the beginning? 

What is the nature of Hannah’s prayer? How does she approach the Lord?  Hanna both opens herself up with all her vulnerability (with “bitterness in her soul” and with tears) and she manages to ask for a very specific thing—a son. She “pours out her soul” before the Lord. 1:15.  She moves her mouth but no sound comes out. 1: 13. She makes promises (to consecrate her son) and asks for favor in return (a male child).  She has both grief and a complaint. 1:16

The Talmud portion addresses the manner in which Hanna approaches God and what that means. 

Roland Nikles