The Image of Biblical Figures (Part III) By Rabbi Shai Finkelstein

so we spoke about the fact that according to rler the idea that even when the Torah used the war that describes that describes sins it really does not mean exactly what it says and why for example he brought one of the one he brought one of the he's going to bring few of them but uh but for example when uh we spoke about this one was was one of the most famous ones is that when um in the Torah it says that that says to Moshe and because you didn't believe in me and we have 10 interpretations of what exactly was the and it seems to be it's very simple it says but theal had to to try to understand it with 10 different reasons and the brings all of them and says none of them is correct and then I'm going to what to add my own okay so it just shows that understood that whenever the Torah says something it's not exactly what it means even though we said exactly the opposite okay but that's what we said last week so we don't need to repeat it again so he wants to say another example he wants to bring another example so it says with the story withan you remember aan aan is with yosua it's here there's no page but this one over one over yeah the second page in ressler's article um fourth line yes good you remember yes basically took an oath that after they conquer no one should take anything from the spoil right and then there is one guy his name is aan and he took right however when the way the Torah describe it is is which means everyone and also the description itself is very detailed took from the spoil from the from the thing that was ex not excommunicated whatever was should not touch it what is g stole what ises lied and they put it also in their little napsack okay you did something terrible all Israel all Israel it's a so says rler if you would not know exactly how this action [Music] was he says that what that if we would not know the story and I would just give you this sentence you would tell me what everybody sined or at least the majority right let's say 30% maybe 20% but not 1% if only one person took it how can you what blame the entire Jewish people so now he's going to explain to us how come that truly all is had a part in that now before we go there that in my opinion it's wor than it's worsen the situation because I will tell you because yua took a on behalf of what of K therefore it's like but they didn't really do anything but it's just like the collective blame according to of he is going to suggest a different thing he says no is has a part in that sin how it says was a reflection of the weakness that the Jewish people had regarding that spoil no says if the people were so committed and dedicated to this and to what yosua said they will create an atmosphere that not even one Jew would think what to steal and to take it and that's what the tanak says is obviously only a took but all the other people because of their lack of full conviction and commitment to this they allowed him to do it so basically who is he blaming everybody and that's the explanation of what the Torah States now would you call it a for am Israel no you will call it only for aan aan was the one to take it right he was the one to violate the okay now what do you think about it basically every murder that we have in society every theft every rape every sin every transgression every crime it's because of what everyone here what do you think do you want to take that responsibility I don't know I look I am already have responsibility as a ra he says okay so that's I already have one why do I need another one that's and also I'll take you in just a second with all due respect with all du respect even let's say I understand that societies create some kind of expectations right if you live in a society ofed you are expected to do if you live in a society that everyone wears a shle you also what wear a Shadle if everyone wear a baseball hat you will wear a baseball head probably because people don't want to be what different but when you look live alone religion when you look at any society every society has exceptions this is true there is a tremendous influence but it's not going to be everyone you can grow up being raised by wonderful family and so society and theil and then you can be you can be a thief you can be a murderer you can be an adulterer you can be whatever so to say that what that it's because of what we were not really that committed to it I I'm not sure that I accept it unless come on educate me no means that what that we have responsibility for each other which which seems to be that if I see you doing something wrong I need to what to reprimand you to rebuke you to try to help you TOA yes we have a a spiritual connection yes if that Jew murdered he created aam in what you call but it doesn't mean that I am to be blame that's what R says that I don't particularly want to accept I accept AR obviously this is one of the fundamentals of Judaism but to tell me that I should be also blamed because what he did yes that I accept a because I'm not a Cohen so I don't really care and B because the Coen represents all of am Isel and he should be the teacher so that's what I said as a rabbi I understand my responsibility for this community Okay so so but this is a leader I according to rer every joeo every ruven and Miriam and Shimon and Dina because of the par okay so they are responsible or they affected this guy to make it easier for him to do whatever he did yes the what yes to some extent to some extent which means if I didn't set the bar high enough there is some kind of a blame now do I want to take the blame not you because I look I will tell you that um you you ask a good question so I need to to address it for a second do we have the other side of the coin you look at me like if you want to blame me for your problems can I atone for your problems as well should we create a little booth right there right right that's that's the that's the other side of the coin for sure if you blame me I can also be the one to save you right we obviously we don't think it's going to work it's your job so what does it mean that I'm responsible so look all those statements might be that were influenced by the time and the community and the expectations and whatever it is oh it was also to put on on the shoulders of the leaders think you know it's not only an honor it's also a responsibility so I I don't know exactly how it works meaning if you made the decision from your own free will not to put on fing this morning how is it have anything to do with me I didn't tell you you know that I put F every day I spoke about F I talked about it in in in whatever it is you know what yesterday I spoke to you about fing but you decided today not to put them you know how important is that to me how is your decision it's because of what that I have any part in your decision so that's what raeser says how much of it we can accept or not it's objective take whatever you want yes that's exactly what I said yeah which means if that it was his free choice not to put on fing despite what I told him so now what his free choice is going to be tainted because of what I said or not he has a free choice and I think double Jewish concept was to create so much Social pressure that people would would do what they're supposed to do and not do what almost to the extent that you almost made it impossible to prove that anybody did anything wrong like if you think of said you have to have two witnesses who had to warn you in advance so by the time so we the whole idea of crime crime sin whatever was almost in denial we didn't want it we wanted to have a society which was so strong that it would happen that's for sure that was the ideal to create such a society but we know for example that uh here you go okay let's take two sins in the Torah the blasphemer the blasphemer the guy who curs God so now you're going to blame mosu for not setting the bar high enough okay we we have people make SS not because of that but at least what the Torah says it's not because of that yes one more Z can so part of is also before you see someone does something it's not only after yes part of it isban also theban was bought by everyone so there is a part of the entire TI and also again theen is an exception I can understand an exception but not that everyone okay so okay I think you got it I hear what he say say it's interesting but it's obviously also challenging okay one more and then I need to check that I'm not blocking anyone and I'll come back I really feel bad I took someone's parking space and we don't live in Memphis so we don't have too many parking spaces here no no I I just took a parking space of someone from that apartment yeah yeah so if they're not at home I don't think they care but if they come home and with bags from a grocery store and they want their parking space the what that's also that's also true who else came here with a car okay yeah yeah no no look since I came back from Memphis I was degraded in Memphis I had two parking spaces next to my office two here I always walk I don't have I I don't bring the car but from here I need to drive somewhere so uh okay S I think I gave you too much information you don't need it so he brings another example what's going on in says to Moshe your people were corrupt right but only 3,000 people were killed by m and basically so it's only 3,000 form 600 600,000 Men 2 million people so anyone here in good in math 3,000 out of let's say two millions he says okay it's a half percent a tenth of a tenth which means what 100 that's what he wants to claim so he blames everyone but he wants to claim that also all the people also had a little bit of a sin with but with I can agree with him you know why unlike a aan my assumption is he went at night and he took something and he put in his vessel was not in the middle of the night was in front of everyone therefore I can assume that I can come with an expectation to the people and tell them what why didn't you know something if you want to really ask a questions about Aaron aen okay but leave leave alone Aon aen okay we will give him like a family discount but what we will do is to take a look at the people all the people see it and they don't say anything so obviously I can come with what with the tinina so that's different than aan aan many of the Jews did not even know that he took it here was pretty public so he [Music] says the what 3,000 yeah 3,000 yeah that's what he wants to claim I have no idea where he's taking it from okay no idea that you know the Arab the people who joined the Jewish people and they really didn't convert and mosha was the one to insist to take them so he wants to claim that they were only these 3,000 people that were killed now the problem with him you know what I'm just going to say it you understand that I have challenges here we know that when hasem says to MOS what is the most famous statement in the tal regard regarding it my people and not your people and then you see Moshe is saying to hasem your people and say no your people your people your people okay so at the end of the day Moses is looking at including everyone and there are no numbers of 3,000 5,000 2,000 so how does he know that we are talking about 3,000 and not only that according to mosha Renu he referred to them as what as God's people also so now why does he bring that example in order to show EXA again the what the guilt by association and that when the Torah highlight a scene it's not necessarily with what the first impression you receive mean if you don't know anything about the golden C and I will tell you the only and the question is okay how many people committed the sin ofel 1 3,000 everyone 80% what would you say everybody oh 80% right but you're not going to say one you're not going to say only 3,000 you will say every one says so that's the point of okay before we go to the next one just give me a second just give me yeah okay okay I'm just going to see the car ask the question yes right all right no no but he says that this is the the question was how does he know that the AR equal 3,000 so his his logic is only the people people who were really involved with and they really made it as an who are they obviously not the good Jews it's only the so that's that's how he made the logic which I can hear but there is no proof to it okay no no there is logic op no no it's not an opinion it's Logic the logic is who from among the Jews look that's the way he comes that's where he comes from no Jew would really what will be an idol worshipper who can be the idol worshippers only the the Torah says that 3,000 people died one + 1 equals to three yes no one questions okay I did not see does not mean does not exist okay so now what is not like it means what never in their life they really committed mamash what a full sin and they never really got a full punishment I don't know how you explain but having been in the desert for 40 years was Cruise it was fun trip knowing that you're going to die and every year dig for yourself a little grave and then tab you get out you don't get out that that was not a punishment okay oh now we are going to get if until now it was fun now it's going to be even moreb right here okay which means there is a list of almost all the biblical figures that committed some kind of a sin and that thear says to you if you think if you say that they committed a sin you are wrong okay so how do you explain that how do you explain that okay now before we even go there um you know what okay let's read what he says I'm not going to put words in him per so he's giving an interpretation basically says what does it mean to not that you are obviously they committed some kind of a sin but based on what on their Madre not on yours so now he will need to explain it right okay our sages our righteous sages that glued themselves to the truth of Tor from more than anyone else they were able to penetrate the truth of of the actions the understanding the deep understanding of every action only they can interpret for us or explain to us and to expose to us the true Expressions that are mentioned in the Torah they are opening for us the Gate of understanding of the ideas in the T including what the so how is he going to explain it now take a look that's what the says which means now let's start from from The Narrative itself what do we know about what's happened with ruv how what's the PUK okay until now every time that it says a with B everyone understands that what we are talking about real physical relationships okay so the simple simple simple understanding of the PUK itself let's say I'm not religious I'm not I'm just reading a PUK I need to look at that as a problem okay however the says he was basically requesting the the insult of his mother what does that mean he he basically set it up in a way that Yakov will be I guess confused and instead of going to baah he will go to Leah now what's going on here so let's talk a little bit about the drama obviously the children understood that yakob has favorites starting with Rael and look you can't blame yov too much he loved Rael he worked for her really at the end 14 years not seven he was cheated he was deceived he didn't like CL not only because she was not as beautiful as just I guess he didn't like her so much and by the way it's a very very very s commentary when you read the names of the children last week saw my Affliction Hashem listen to my voice levie maybe maybe my my husband will go with me to dinner tonight Le yud now I'm going to thank God for the children not for my husband and then okay yes and and there is that this this desire that he will look at him here this is this is tough so the children obviously can see what's going on so ra and and according to our kazal yov really preferred to be with Rael so that was his tent and we know it from Lavan from last week and then what do we have so after Rael Dies ruen who is the first born says okay now Yakov to be with my mom my mom is the lady the other two are M servants and instead jakov goes to whom to to Ra's made now I will say I didn't see too much discussion about it but it is a bit strange even yob understood that what that LE is more important than b how do I know that children more children from this para this next this Shabbat when he meets he puts the maid servants and their children then and her children then Y and his mom but first the M servants why would you go with B I don't want to say that too much because I didn't see that but I'm not sure that yob ever forgave Leah for what she she did Leah not Rael the switching with Rael I don't think that Yakov ever forgave Leah for what she did now you will say what do you want from her she was pushed by her father Rael gave her the code okay what do you want there is no such a thing that you don't have a free choice there is there is no free choice it was her choice to be there now it's harsh it's very harsh but at the same time it's really almost unedible to understand how come that after Rael dies he does not go with Le and also by the way after they are buried they are buried Rael and Le buried ra and yov and are buried together Rael buried somewhere else and Leah produced not only more children she produced the main tribes I don't understand exactly how it walked between Leah and and yov and I will just say one thing one more thing is that also one PUK from last week's para that every time every year that I read it I was like ma when Rael asked Le to give her a little bit from the flowers that that Ren brought what does she say to Rael not only that you take my husband you want to take also this D this flow take your husband lady he was mine I I don't know I understand that LE is upset I understand that Leah is frustrated I understand that Leah is disappointed but to say that to Rael and then Rael says Ah okay okay you can hire him for the night when you read last week's para I don't know it was quiet and CH I guess everyone was in the story it's really it's an incredible story with so much and so many things that you just cannot understand some people say if that's how the mothers you know talk and the fathers what do you want from the brothers you know yes it's very comforting if you know it's coming but while you are here it didn't Comfort Leah when you know when she felt can you imagine a woman a wife says so yes some of them no no no not less favored than ra you know what you can say the word means because if you start playing with the words you understand that every time you can say oh it doesn't mean exact what it says okay let's go back so it [Music] says we'll bring the big book okay [Music] okay so what does says he says we know that is before he became Amel he was under no the laws of for them to be with an it's not what we will called here but rather it's why it's because you are taking someone else's I'm sorry for the women in the crowd property okay you are taking her his property because they don't really have what we will called an affair what they have it says that's what says to that's what says to in the creation of with his friends wife but it doesn't come from lotin AF meaning the connection between between them their marriage creates what not kushin like in our religion but rather what a commitment and if they become one but the other guy cannot take this one why because it's under the category of so then he says which means when he basically confused the beds so yov will go to Leah instead of to ba he basically stole from from yob but because it was Ren and because according to his madga it was like sleeping with him so he didn't really sleep with her he just what he stole from his father okay I don't think I need to tell you what I think about it okay but I also have responsibility to try to understand what the gar is mean the fact that we don't one interpretation does not mean that now we understand it meaning let's say I reject him and I say you know what I don't think so it says it meant what M slept with her okay which is not P that concept is not that P okay but let's leave that let's say that I would say that I'm going to the most extreme and means okay first what are the very good so the first question is if I say that he really slept with hair I will need to explain how come that Yakov did not kick him out from the family for being a a a stone on the bracelet being part of arm if he slept with jakob's wife I don't care that she's a mid servant she's his wife how come ruen can be there very so therefore I need to what to decrease to dilute the sin right but let's say no I insist that he did so I have a pro first problem B the second problem is withal says that if you say to so you are mistaken so I'm totally mistaken so according to rer he found what he found a solution even according Tola so just not he stole from his father and even if we don't say that he stole from his father with all du respect he went to his father's bedroom and decided for his father who to be with which is what between and really dealing with things that are none of your business still we can have a question why is he still what in the family so my point is whatever we're going to say we're going to probably deal with somewhat of the same issues just little diluted meaning if you didn't really sleep with her just sto so no maybe that's okay I would like to suggest a different reading you can and I'm telling you that right now you can totally disagree with me and I'll be fine with it believe me I would like to suggest that when the the says is that if you say if you look at ruen only through the prism of of this one then you are mistaken meaning he did commit a sin and that sin might be from the Spectrum from only confus the beds move the beds to sleep with her okay all the Spectrum but I'm asking you don't look at him only through this sin look at him also through what the ch that he did what kind of chuva so for example who is the one who tried to really save Rael save ysep rael's son ruven how do I know and why Ren you can look at someone and say okay the scene defines you and that's it this is the beauty of Yakov Yakov didn't kick him out a because he had this dream he understood he needs all the 12 of them he needs to keep all of them but also he understood that yes he made a mistake whatever the mistake was but I am not going to look at ruen only through the prism of this which is a tremendous educational lesson for us and also tremendous admiration to yakob not only that he does not reject him he doesn't say a word to ruven until when until before he dies now and when you look at something you see something very interesting part of what ruen did or why he did it it was he felt that he needs to what to defend his mother his mother is insulted again after Rael this beauty girl is gone now it's my turn and even that she doesn't get so ruen is really upset for her and I guess Leah you know lost any conversations with Jakob they don't really have too much of a connection so ruen felt as a he needs to to set things straight jakov perhaps understood it the problem with ruen that he was what it was impetuous if I'm not mistaken that the world this is the world and you can see it many times in ruven's life one with this one second time is when ah when took Shimon and he comes to yob and says you know what if I don't bring him beamin back Kill My Two children that's my grandchildren like why do you think I will agree to that right that when you look at that it's childish but obviously ruen didn't want to kill his children he just wanted to say what I'm taking so much responsibility and I'm so sure about myself that what that you can you know kill my own children so that's the second time that Ren was Al he was impetuous so when he's impetuous it's also to some extent I don't want to say justify but it it it's lowering the it's enriching our understanding that what he did was not because he was in love with bah it's not in order to what to uh insult his father it was because he he felt he needs to do something but he didn't have enough strength to and S self discipline to think for a second and then not that he was childish not being childish impetuous does not mean that you are childish it means that what that you don't have enough self-restraint you know many adults like that right they are not children and it's not a childish component it just sometimes but by the way sometimes that's the right Mida sometimes that's the right thing to do to be impetuous give me an example Pinas very good give me another one someone from the mid so that's hard whatever did you hear about kushim ban who is kushim Ban he's the son of Dan right so his name is kushim and according to the mid this is fascinating when they bring Yakov to be buried so ASA comes along and says he's not going to be buried here it's mine so give me the deed bring me the deed that yob also needs to be buried here so they start complaining start negotiating and Kim was um he was deaf he didn't hear so naali went back to MIT because he was he was fast so he started running to MIT to bring the deed and kushim sees his grandfather lying there on the ground and his uncle okay has Tinus he says what's going on here my grandfather needs to be buried I I don't know what this Uncle says because I can't hear so he took the sword chop off his head and Jakob was buried so sometimes you do need it but you cannot be a king and being impetuous you cannot be a leader and be an impetuous person so therefore the was sha impetuous to some extent yes he was more he succumb more to the pressure the pressure don't forget when Shmo says to him wait for the the seventh day he waits until the morning the people are pressuring him seventh day right in the morning instead of what waiting for sh and also after Amal that was part of the issues there it was not so much impetuous he didn't know who he was because says to him you can be very humble and you can think about yourself to be very small but you are the head of the tribes you are the king you need to think like a king not being corrupt as a king but be a king be a leader they are expecting you to do so so that was more of of shaul's problem part of it was because of his great humility he was to SM to some extent okay so yes what are very physical yeah take a story from our that's what says exactly because you cannot think you shouldn't I'm going to be very angry with you you shouldn't think that even it shouldn't even cross your mind what else can I say that Ren slept with her ah so ra says because his madrea he really just stole some kind of stealing but in his madrea it's like sleeping with her that's his basis now you can argue with that obviously that's what I'm trying to show you but I look the thing is don't forget what we spoke about two weeks ago raest this is the time of what after the this is the time that you need to what to strengthen a b you need to think about the education of the little children one of the major mistakes that we do with elementary school kids is that we teach themit you know what says you teach them it's the most boring thing no there is nothing complicated think what we do to our children I don't know what to do how to change it but what do we do to our children you start talking to them about what there is Adam and Eve and they were naked they six years old right and then there is a serpent who can talk and he says to the woman you know you can eat from that tree and you will be like God this is beautiful story right and then we talk about a very functioning family this brother wanted to kill this brother and this brother deceived him and took the blessings pretending to be someone else and you know who pushed him his mother and then we give him two puppets right jakov and ASA and they are fighting and this is beautiful my little child you are saying such a beautiful d right and then we teach them that the stones fought right they fought with each other M this Stone against the other Rock and it's Rolling Stones right and they are all trying to want two and yov gather them together and then when they read the PUK they exactly think that what that that's exactly what happened now I understand I also have children we like stories and we try to teach them but sometimes we cause a damage to them while they are young which is very difficult to what to undone to undo very difficult to teach midashim to children to teach midashim to adults it's a problem even more so to what to Children yes and we will need to finish with that right right but even is or is and or andov that everyone like to teach there are no explanations so okay because 120 is and we need to clean up that's what he said at the beginning yeah now and he wants and he wants to do it in a way that it's substantiated with M yeah okay that's it for today because we have Min and we need to clear out so next week will continue