Torah and Secular Learning

B’haalot’cha

Num. 8:1 - 12:16

 

Précis: The parasha begins with a description of the making of the seven-branched menorah. The parasha returns to narrative with a recounting of a second Passover celebration (required because some of the Israelites had been ritually impure when the first anniversary of Passover was celebrated).  The march of the People through the wilderness of Sinai begins, led by the Ark. The people murmur, this time about a lack of meat. God provides, but the People are struck with a plague. Even Miriam and Aaron seem to have complaints about Moses regarding the “Cushite woman.”

 

Num. 8:1-3 “And Adonai spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron, and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.’ Aaron did so….”

The seven branched menorah has become the symbol of the Jewish People. Its story reaches back to ancient times, when it served as the light for the Temple, kindled every day. It later signified the defeat of the Jewish People by the Romans, evidenced by its appearance on the triumphal Arch of Titus. And it became the symbol of the reconstituted State of Israel, appearing on its seal.

            Isaac Luria taught that six branches of the Menorah represented the six “academic disciplines” recognized at his time (theology, canon law, medicine, arts, humanities, and science) and that the seventh branch was Torah, which in turn illuminates all secular knowledge.

            He informs us that Torah and secular learning are not rivals. As is stated in Etz Hayyim, each can illuminate the other. Today, there are some (particularly among the most Orthodox parts of Judaism) who reject this confluence. To my mind, they have something to learn from Pope Leo’s recent encyclical regarding artificial intelligence. Scientific (secular) achievements cannot ignore moral dictates, and those steeped in religious learning cannot ignore the secular world. Those who are most concerned with religious/moral understanding have the great responsibility of informing the secular world about the need to implement moral guardrails in secular achievements.

 

The Harmony of Shalom

 Naso

Num. 4:21-7:89

 

Précis: The parasha (the longest of the weekly readings) opens with a continuation of the listing of the Levitical families and their duties regarding the transportation of holy vessels. This is followed by a brief commandment concerning restitution for wrongs. The parasha then turns to a mysterious procedure for testing a wife’s fidelity (the Sotah) when questioned by her jealous husband. Next, we have a discussion of the laws of Nazarites, and the recitation of the “Priestly Benediction.” The parasha concludes with the presentation of identical gifts by each tribe for the dedication of the Altar.

 

Num. 6:22-26 “And Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, “This is how you will bless the children of Israel; say to them: ‘May Adonai bless you and watch over you.  May Adonai make His face shine to you and be gracious to you. May Adonai raise His face to you and give you peace.”’

This week, I turn again to Rabbi Sacks, as he expounds on the meaning of “shalom” (Rabbi Sacks Legacy, 6/11/24).

The parasha contains one of the oldest prayers in the world still in continuous use: the priestly blessings. It is followed by (with inexplicable repetitiousness) the account of the gifts brought by the princes of each tribe at the dedication of the Tabernacle, repeated no less than twelve times, since each prince brought an identical offering. Why does the Torah spend so much time describing an event that could have been stated far more briefly by naming the princes and then simply telling us generically that each brought the same described gifts?

Sacks suggests that the answer for the repetition lies in the last words immediately preceding the princely gifts: the priestly blessing, ending in shalom, peace. “Shalom” does not mean merely the absence of war or strife. It means completeness, harmony, and perfection. This is a concept of peace heavily dependent on the vision of Genesis, in which God brings order out of chaos, creating a world in which each object and life form has its place. Peace exists where each element in the system is valued as a vital part of the whole and where there is no discord between them.

The parasha, explicating the laws of the Sotah and the Nazir, displays an underlying need for restoring harmony among people, which in turn enables “shalom.” Finding such harmony in today’s world, whether in the Middle East or here in America, at present seems out of reach. We need to remember that every Jewish prayer service ends with a prayer for peace. Seeking peace is our role in Creation and is our role in the continuation of Revelation.