V
Valke2
Guest
I’m going to attempt to discuss a complicated topic (for me). This is in response to a question about sacrifices and Judaism that was asked in another thread. ALl this information can be found in A.J. Heschel’s book “Heavenly Torah As Refracted Through the Generations.”
Without the Tabernacle, there can be no sacrifices. R. Ishmael believed that the main purpose of sacrifices were to ward off idolatry. He understood the command to build the Tabernacle to have been given after the Israelites created the golden calf. He postdates the building of the Tabernacle in this way because of the conviction that this command did not enter the divine mind until after Israel sinned.
The golden calf incident made it clear that the people were prone to idolatry. So God then commanded them to build a Tabernacle and to bring sacrifical animals to the priests.
However, the command to build the Tabernacle comes before the golden calf sin in the Torah. But Rabbi Juddah ben Shalom said: “There is no exact chronologial order in the Torah.” In support of this, he quotes Proverbs 5:6: “Her course turns this way and that, and what does she care?”.
The idea that there is no reliable chronological order is also a useful argument when nonjews say that since Israel sinned, God irrevocably rejected them. Rabbi Ishmael would say that just as a King who loved his wife, fought with her and was then reconciled with her, so did the Holy and Blessed One love Israel, bring them to Sinai, give them the Torah, and call them royalty. And after 40 days we made a calf. At that moment, the gentiles said: “God will never take them back.” But when Moses stoodand prayed on behalf of Israel, and God said to him, 'I pardon, as you have asked. Moreover, My presence will dwell with them, in their midst, so that all will know that I have pardoned."
Rabbi Akiva, a contemporary of Ishmael’s, would not have agreed. He taught that the entire Torah was given at one time at Sinai. That Moses received all the commandments in one fell swoop, including those regarding the Tabernacle and sacrifices.
(cont.)
Without the Tabernacle, there can be no sacrifices. R. Ishmael believed that the main purpose of sacrifices were to ward off idolatry. He understood the command to build the Tabernacle to have been given after the Israelites created the golden calf. He postdates the building of the Tabernacle in this way because of the conviction that this command did not enter the divine mind until after Israel sinned.
The golden calf incident made it clear that the people were prone to idolatry. So God then commanded them to build a Tabernacle and to bring sacrifical animals to the priests.
However, the command to build the Tabernacle comes before the golden calf sin in the Torah. But Rabbi Juddah ben Shalom said: “There is no exact chronologial order in the Torah.” In support of this, he quotes Proverbs 5:6: “Her course turns this way and that, and what does she care?”.
The idea that there is no reliable chronological order is also a useful argument when nonjews say that since Israel sinned, God irrevocably rejected them. Rabbi Ishmael would say that just as a King who loved his wife, fought with her and was then reconciled with her, so did the Holy and Blessed One love Israel, bring them to Sinai, give them the Torah, and call them royalty. And after 40 days we made a calf. At that moment, the gentiles said: “God will never take them back.” But when Moses stoodand prayed on behalf of Israel, and God said to him, 'I pardon, as you have asked. Moreover, My presence will dwell with them, in their midst, so that all will know that I have pardoned."
Rabbi Akiva, a contemporary of Ishmael’s, would not have agreed. He taught that the entire Torah was given at one time at Sinai. That Moses received all the commandments in one fell swoop, including those regarding the Tabernacle and sacrifices.
(cont.)
