Leaving the pagan culture behind(shlissel challah). A lesson from this weeks parsha.
Why is there no major holiday for celebrating the entering the land of Israel?
None of our holidays are a celebration of the jews entering the land of Israel. Isn't a major part of our religion based on the fulfillment of God's promise to Avraham that his descendants will inherit the land of Israel? Yet, no celebration when the promise becomes a reality. No celebration/holiday even the second time we entered the land with Nehemiah...?
We have three holidays that are connected to the different seasons and major historical events of the Jewish people
Pesach- ripening of the wheat. The redemption from Egypt/slavery
Sukkot-gathering of the wheat into the house. Dwelling in huts in the desert or remembering the cloud that protected us.
Shavuot-harvesting of wheat. The rabbinical connection to the giving of the torah
None of these involve the entering or conquering the land of Israel!
It's interesting to note that the founder of our religion, Abraham, is first introduced to us via a command from God, to go into exile. He is told to leave his family and culture and become a nomad. Rav Soloveitchik describes the jewish nation as an extension of Abraham. Just like Abraham discovered God in exile and spread the philosophy of monotheism,so too his descendants would do the same.
It is when we are in exile that the jewish people have truly flourished.
Any reader of tnach will realize that the short time that the Jewish people were rulers in their own land, was in fact, when they were at their lowest spiritual and cultural point. Just think of pilegesh b'givah, the worshiping of idols, the break away of the ten tribes from Judah, the evil kings and the list goes on. The jewish history in the land of Israel was very far from glorious or anything we as a nation, should be proud of.
It is in fact, in the desert, that the jews flourished religiously and received the Torah(The travelling mishkan represents God being found in the desert.) It was during the beginning of the destruction of our second temple and at the beginning of our current exile, that the mishna and talmud was organized and written down. Post destruction, the greatest thinkers from the geonim to the rishonim, contributed to the treasure of torah and jewish philosophy, that we possess today. Never in history, have so many jews studied and practiced the torah, like in our current exile.
R' Meir Simcha Hakohen discusses in his classic work, Meshech Chochma, how the jews need to travel in exile, in order for innovation in jewish thought to take place. When the jews spend too much time in one place, our torah innovation becomes stagnant. That's why God constantly keeps us on the move in exile and chases us from one country to the next. It is during these tumultuous times that out greatest religious creativity takes place. The different cultures that we are exposed to, open us up to different ways of thinking and even looking at ourselves. Of course the influence is not always positive, as we can see the influence of paganism in our thinking and practices, even till this day(such as tehillim mantras and this weeks shlissel challah).
It's also interesting to note how the greatest leaders/prophets of the jewish people always found God in the desert/wilderness/exile. From Abraham, Jacob(who represents the jewish people in exile),Moses, David etc. (I always wondered if chazal created the story of King Solomon going into exile,with his fight with the king of demons; as an allegory that would sync with the greatest leaders and prophets who also became great in exile)
Tying this all together to this weeks parsha, where it discusses the process of the high priest/Aaron entering the holy of holies. There is a major preparation of purification and sacrifices that allow Aaron to enter the holiest place of the Jewish people. As a representative and extension of the Jewish people, this process is involved in complete forgiveness for the sins of the nation. It is during this spiritual climax, that the strange service of sending a goat into exile takes place. The Rabbis have had a real challenge explaining what really seems like a pagan ritual. Perhaps this ritual is placed at this climatic moment of service by entering the holy of holies, to remind us that it's not necessarily where we think that God is found, that we truly find him. It is actually in the desert, which represents the exile of our culture and ideas, that both creativity and a connection to God can really begin to take place
Have a great shlissel free shabbat! :)
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