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REWARD AND JEWISH

PUNISHMENT THOUGHT

A SYMPOSIUM

IN

To celebrate the Bar Mitzvah year oj Dor le Dor, its Editorial Board decided to come directly bejore the public with a symposium, chooslng as its topic:

"Reward and Punishment in Jewish Thought". Organized and chaired by ARabbi

Joshua Adler, the newly added Managing Edilor, this openjorum was held on

January 27 at the Jewish Center in Jerusalem with the participation oj Rabbi Shlomo Riskin previously spiritualleader oj the Lincoln Cenler Synagogue and

presently Rabbi oj Ejrata where he established a higly successjul Yeshivah High

School. Rabbi Chaim Pearl and Dr. Gabriel Sivan, both members oj lhe

Editorial Board, served as respondents.

Theodicy, God's moral rule ofthe Universe, is an integral part of Judaism and

is a concept that wends its way throughout the entire range of the Bible, later the

Talmud, up to this day. But parallel to it is the day-to-day common experience

that seems to deny such rule. This problem is not new and was raised already by

Abraham who, aware that God is Judge of the entire earth (land), could chal­

lenge Him at the intended destruction of Sodom; Will He then not do justice,

destroying together the righteous with the wicked? So did Moses when he

queried: One man has sinned and You WilI sweep away the entire people?

Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Habakkuk agonized about the same question: Why does the

way of the wicked prosper? And this is the same question that has troubled Judaism to modern times when the Holocaust, probably the worst disaster visited on the Jewish people, could raise questions with regard to God's moral rule ofthe

Universe. Rabbi Riskin, aware of the many answers given in response to this problem,

focused on the Book of Job, the classical Book on Theodicy. To understand this

Book, however, one has to begin with another essential assumption of the Bible, i.e. the exalted role of man given the task of partnership with God in perfecting

A SYMPOSIUM 212

this world. For the world is not perfect but perfectible. There are many islands of

-chaos and evil. Man, no mere puppet manipu1ated by the Almighty, faces an eter

. nal challenge

The fau1t in the answers given by the three friends of Job, narnely that there is

. good cause for his suffering, lies in that they did not grasp this basic assumption

-Turning to chapter 40 of the Book of Job, Rabbi Riskin gave it a novel in : terpretation

God speaking from the Whirlwind is not a mere moral vindication of Job who

had demanded it, nor is it, in Rabbi Riskin's interpretation, an ironic jibe at Job for him to take the reigns of the moral world into his hands. It is declarative, a

: challenge to Job, the man in partnership with God

... Will you deny Juslice ? so Ihal you may be in Ihe righl

Deck yourse/f wilh majesty and dignity Scaller abroad your mighly wrath

and as you see each proud sinner--- abase himl

ng him lowl iזand as you look at each arrogant one--- b ... and Iread down the wicked in his place

Then 1 100 will render you homage 1 When your righl hand will have brought you viclory

In essence, what Job is told could have been told to many people when the

, Holocaust was in progress. What was done to help prevent it? Where was Man

the German, the Pole, the Ukrainian, and where was England or America to

stamp out the evil? Why blame God for the inhumanity of man to man? The irony can be found in the fITst two verses: will we deny God's justice in order that

? we be in the right

The greatness of the Book of Job is also in the /inal concluding part, which is

-an integral part of the entire book, not merely a pious addition or later interpola

tion. That Job is doubly rehabilitated, indicates that there is hope for man. Even after the Holocaust, man asserting himself as God's moral partner, is capable of

preventing another. In fact it is his active part which is the only way that can bring about the exaltation of God's Name and His Unity :'חיחיההחראבירסרהיה

אחדשרמי.אחד

* * *

213 REWARD AND PUNISHMENT

Dr. Chaim Pearl pointed out that two basic concepts underlie the known line in

which, of course, is based כרשעחירעלרשעכמפעלי,ניחוחםדלא'שגימל: the yigdal

: on Maimonides' eleventh Principle. This foUows two central beliefs

. 1. There is order in the world created by God

God is a just God .2פעליחמ'ם.הציר

The Bible is full of promises of reward for obedience and warnings of disaster for disobedience. The best examples of this are found in the second paragraph of

-chapters. This princi חיכחהthe "Shema" and in the twice recorded threats of the

ple is almost axiomatic throughout the biblical record. Two clear points may be

, noted in the biblical emphasis: Rewards are all of a material kind, e.g. rain, wine

. oil, corn etc.; and that much of it relates to the destiny of the nation as a whole

. However we cannot escape the ultimate problem which this teaching raises

-Does this reaUy happen? How often do the realities of life mock at the very no

n addition to authors of biblical books our sages also addressed themselves ן. tion

They had to face this question against ו'דjלייטיברשעלי,יער.צ: to the question

the painful background of Roman oppression. The first Holocaust Midrash was

expressed by Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. Commenting on the verse in Genesis

as if 'אל,instead of ,עלthe Rabbi reads 1 : 10האדמהמואל,ציעק'םאח',דמ',קיל

to translate: "The voice of your brother's blood cries out against Me from the . ground". For God could have prevented the murder had He wanted to

There have been, of course, many attempts at dealing with the agonizing

problem ofTheodicy. Thus Rabbi Yannai (Aboth 4,19) admits the impossibility

of comprehending it. The ways of God are a mystery :הצד'ק'םמשלייחלאבי'ני rא

השרע'םמ'סי"לא.יאף

Maimonides the great rationalist gives a philosophical refinement of the above

. when he suggests that it is impossible for us to know who is good and what is evil

Moreover, he took Rabbi Johanan's statement literally :בראשפחיח'םםפר'םגי

(רהיטי)ב'ביב"םשליאחדגסיר'ם,דצ'ק'םשלאחדגסיר'ם,שרע'םשלאחדהשבה.

having in himself some good and , 'ב'ביבEveryone should regard himseif as a some bad. He also adds a further point: the quality of a deed. Sometimes a simple deed can be so exalted that it is of greater value than numerous others, generaUy

-or popularly acoepted as good. In this way we can understand the rabbinic state

ment : )'דע(שנ'ם.בכמהעלומיקינהש 1'אחח,בשעהעילםקינה.שיGersonides, the 14th century thinker dares to limit God's power. He

A SYMPOSIUM 214

deliberately Iimits His exercise of power in order to allow man the fullest freedom

of action and to reap the results of his freedom. It is this self·limitation in favor of

man's partnership with Him, that comes closest to Rabbi Riskin's interpretation

of Job's 40th chapter.

The World 10 Come and Failh

A further and diITerent approach to the problem is seen when we examine the

shift of emphasis from this world to the World to Come. This happened no earlier

-than the Maccabean period, but after that the rabbis developed it into a consis

and אבכ'בדרtent theological position. A good example of this is the mitzvah of

In both cases the Bible promises the reward of long Iife for those who הק!.שליח

led the order lוobserve the commandment. On one occasion an obedient son fulf of his father to climb and bring down some fledglings. On his way down, after

fulfilling the command of his father and the commandment of the Torah of first

the obvious סtchasing away the mother bird, he fell down and was killed. In reply

question, the rabbis propound the theory--טיב,שכליבעילם-לךייטבלמע!

אריךשכליבעילם- '1'מ'אר'כזי.ילמע! They insist in another place--ל,כאעלמאבהאמציה.שכר

In other words, rewards לביא '1"לעחצ'יק'םשלשכזרשמח!.דע--And further

. for good deeds can only be expected in the World to Come

Tbe final answer in religious terms is that of faith. The believer who believes in

ering זter, sometimes most terribly. But he can bear his su זtGod, will also su

because he believes that the good God knows him and his paio, and that at the

end of the story, there will be final justification. Job is the perfect example. No ered so much. But Job is above all the זtman was so righteous, and no man su

man of faith, so he could exclaim tbe praise of Godמבורךה'שםיהיילקחהר'בחזה'

Such faith leads to courage. That is .א'חללי'קטלנ' !הand also his faith in Him spoken by the האמת !"יבריךwhy the rabbis prescribe that the benediction

! bereaved, is to be said standing

* * * Dr. Gabriel Sivan, the second respondent, proposed an original interpretation

of Deuteronomy 29 :28 (based on the intemal division of this verse according to the Masoretic accents), in support of his claim that while the Supreme Judge

-account of man's "hidden" and "revealed" iniquities (ha-nistarot ... ve מakeeps

215 REW ARD AND PUNISHMENT

ha-nig/ot), reward and punishment are also for human society to administer in

. accordance with Torah law the role of a persistent questioner, Dr. Sivan went on to מCasting himself i

-quote Prof. Andre Neher's thoughts on Divine justice "from the silence of the Bi

ble to the silence of Auschwitz" and the Prophet's anguished cry: "Why does the

way of the wicked prosper?" (Jer. 12:1). These Biblical citations might well be

linked with a rccent and much-publicized official welcome extended by Austria's

defense minister to former SS Major Walter Reder, a notorious war criminal

. guilty of mass murder, on his release from an Italian prison

We are entitled to ask two questions," said the respondent. "FirstIy, how can " one reconcile Divine .justice with the survival of bestial creatures such as Reder

and Mengele, when their countless victims lie mainly forgotten in anonymous

graves? And secondly, what kind of impact has the Nazi Holocaust made on 'the

conscience ofmankind' if an Austrian politician ofthe post-Hitler generation sees

"? fit to act as he has

Dr. Sivan recalled how, as a boy in wartime England, he had read and been

-impressed by The Russians Rep/y To Lady Gibb, a booklet compiled by the as

similated Soviet Jewish writer Ilya Ehrenburg. It contained eyewitness accounts

-of Nazi atrocities and statements by Jews rebutting a British aristocrat's glib cita

: tion of the verse: "Vengeance is Mine, and recompense ... " (Li nakam ve-shi/em

Deut. 32:35). Now, as then, retribution for crimes against humanity was not only

the Divine prerogative: "Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be ". done

In conclusion, this respondent maintained that "the mills of God" sometimes grind too slowly for His cO'partners in creation. It was an inherent part of Jewish

tradition to argue with God and to challenge Divine .justice. At Auschwitz and

after Auschwitz, Jews had every right to do so, and stock theological responses -more meaningful or relevant than Lady Gibb's quotation from the Pen סwere n

tateuch. Reward and Punishment was an issue that must be faced honestly and

by seeking ariswers (if not the סs and alS חcourageously, by daring to ask questio

answer) from Rabbinic commentators and teachers whose works may not always

. be found on the well·trodden paths of Torah study

FROM THE NUZI TABLETS BY LOUIS KATZOFF

In the northeastern area of present-day Iraq, near the oil fields of Kirkuk, at the

-foothills of southern Kurdistan, an ancient city by the name of Nuz'i was ex

cavated some fifty years ago by a team of archeologists under the joint auspices

of the American School of Oriental Research (of Jerusalem), Harvard University

and the University of Pennsylvania. Nuzi was part of the Hurrian Mitanni empire

who held sway for several centuries over the -חרר'סmentioned in the Bible as -

western side of the Mesopotamian fertile crescent. Thousands of tablets from

private and public archives were uncovered, which shed light on the lives and

the Hurrians - and are of special importance for biblical -חרר'סcustoms of the

studies, particularly of the patriarchal period. Much of the knowledge derived

from the tablets fits into the pattern and background of the general society in

-which our patriarch Abraham moved about, and is reflected in some of the nar

ratives which we have in the book of Genesis. 1 should like to point out three of

these as we find them in the Sidra ofלך.לך

SAY THATTHOU ART MY SISTER

A critical situation is shaping up for Abraham and Sarah as they approach

-the land of Egypt in their escape from the famine in their newly found land of Ca

naan. A frightening sense of insecurity settles upon Abraham: There was a

jamine in the /and, and A braham went down to Egypt to sojourn there, jor the

jamine was severe in the /and. As he went about to enter Egypt, he said to his

-w!fe Sarai, "/ am well aware that you are a beaut!ful woman. When the Egyp

. t!ans see _vou, they w!ll say, 'She is his w!fe,' and they will kill me, but letyou live

Say then that you are my sister, that it may go well with me because ojyou, and

.) 12:10-13 ay remain alive thanks to you" (Genesis חthat 1 I

Dor le·Dor and Vice·Chairman 0/ the World Jewish Bible ןDr. Louis Kalzo.ff is the Editor Q

the Execulive Commitee!or 0חס/ the Sociely as well as עורn התנ"ך·דיןthe חסHe serves ,'נ Societ

" He is the author o! "]ssues in Jewish Education בירשולים/ס 1לתג"העלומי,המרכזlhe estabJishment

". r the Family סןTorah " ןסand co-author

216

2]7 FROM THE NUZI TABLETS

? How shal] we explajn Abraham's recourse to a lie, clairning Sarab as a sister

-Of course, we may try to justify a lie, a white lie, if you will, under such stress

ful circumstances which could lead to loss of life. Furthermore, one can bring

in the fact that, indeed, Sarah was really his half sister, as he himself attests in a

later and similar situation, not in Egypt but in the land of Gerarאחיחיאמבהיגם

And moreover, she is indeed my -לאשהלייחהי-אמיבחלאאךהיאאביבח

sister, the daughter oj my jather - but not the daughter oj my mother - and so

.) 2 ]: 20 ( she became my wife

-It would be more difficult - impossible to give such a response in a com parable crisis - this time when Isaac declares Rebecca to be his sister, as we read

And Isaac dwelt היאאחיחיייאמר-לאשתיהמקיםאבשי.יישאלי: in a later chapter in Gerar. And the men oj the place asked him oj his wife - and he said: 'She is

sister, ' jor he jeared to say: My wife - lest Ihe men oj the place should kill יכm

.) 7 : 26 ( him jor Rebecca - because she was jair 10 look upon

Can tbe Nuzi tablets shed some ligbt on this puzzling behavior? A custom

refiected in the Nuzi tablets provides a legal background for the thrice-repeated

tale of a patriarch introducing his wife as a sister, twice with Abraham and once with Isaac. In the society of the Horites a wife en.joyed both greater protection

and a superior position when she had the .juridical status of a sister. In such a

case, two separate documents were drawn up: one ror marriage and the other ror . sistership

Apparently, both Sarah and Rebecca en.joyed this higher status - of a wife

and of an adopted sister. This status of wjfe-sister can be the legal basis for tbe

assertion of both Abraham and Isaac in tbe three instances of danger - which,

from the reading of tbe text, arouses no question of conscience.

WHAT CANST THOU GIVE ME

At the beginning of chapter ]5 we find God assuring Abraham a noble destiny.

And suddenly, Abrabam strikes out belligerently toward God - so unlike his

usual character. How shall we explain it?

Some time laler, the word oj the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying,

'Fear not, Abram, 1 am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.

LOUIS KATZOFF 218

But Abram said, '0 Lord God, what can you give me, seeing that 1 con­

tinue childless, and the one in charge o[ my household is Damesek

Eliezer!' Abram said [urther, 'Since You have granted me no oJJspring,

one o[ my household will be my heir. ' The word o[ the Lord came to him in

reply, 'That one shall not be your heir; none but your very own issue shall

be your heir,(Genesis 15:1-4).

Can the tablets of Nuzi have something to say in revealing the connection

between God's initial assurance and Ahraham's refiexive outcry?

In the Hurrian society there were two types of heirs; direct -i.e. natural born sons - and indirect, i.e. outsiders adopted by a man who had no sons. The

adopted son had to respect his parents by caring for their physical needs - and

by seeing that they received a proper burial. In return, he became the sole heir to

the family estate. Also, according to Hurrian law, the adopted son is the sole heir

unless a natural son is subsequently born. The latter - the natural son - then

becomes the principal heir and receives a double share. This then is the impor­

tance of God's response to Abraham: (v. 4) Your sleward will nOI be your heir;

none but your very son will be your heir.

HY HAND זHE MAID IS IN ז

We now come to the third final reference to the Nuzi tablets from ~the narrative

in the Sidra: Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyplian

maidservanl whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said 10 Abram, 'See, lhe

Lord has kepl me [rom bearing. Consorl wilh my maid; perhaps 1 shall

have a son lhrough her.' And Abram heeded Sarai's requesl. So Sarai, Abram's wife, look her maid, Hagar the Egyplian - a[ter Abram had dwelt in Ihe land o[ Canaan len years - and gave her to her husband

Abram as concubine (Genesis 16:1-3). What is the importance of the phrase, A nd A bram hearkened to Ihe voice o[

Sarai. At this stage of his life, Abraham appatently did not believe in polygamy,

as was the custom among others all about him. But, now, Satah urges and prevails upon him to take another wife - not with a full status of a mate - but

within the mores of the society - as a second wife.

But now we come to an upsetting situation. Hagar behaves haughtily towatd

219 FROM THE NUZI TABLETS

) 5 . her mistress, whereupon Sarah turns on her husband, declaring causticalJy: (v

My wrong be upon thee. 1 gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and when עלןיחמסי

The יביניךביניהישיפיט. she saw that she conceived, 1 was despised in her eyes

.' Lord judge between me and thee

, Abraharn's reply is more incomprehensible. Without an ounce of compassion

Behold thy maid is in 6 (בעיניךהטיבלהעשי-בדיךשפחתך.הנה . he tells Sarah: (v . th)' hand. Do to her that which is good in thine eyes

In a similar confrontation - in a later chapter - between the three - Abraham

reacts angri1y toward Sarah, as he stands up for Hagar's rights' - but here in

coolness and apathy, he lets Hagar go from the house. Can the Nuzi tablets be of

? some heJp here too

ln addition to the institution of adoption, the Hurrians a1so practiced the

custom of concubinage whereby the wife, if childless, had to provide her husband

-with a handmaid in order to bear children. Thus, Chapter 16 is in perfect confor

. mity with such customary law

The same custom is refiected once again in the time of Rachel, who, being

ithout child, presented her maid Bilhah to Jacob, for the purpose of bearing " . children

The Nuzi tablets go on to say that the wife continues to have the lega1 right

over the handmaid - though now a secondary wife - and over the child bom

. from this union as well

Abraham is actua1ly citing the customary law when he says: Your maid is in

. your hands. Deal with her as you think right

alher, as welJ as his attachment /0 Ishmae/ (17:J8).prompts ןAbraham's natural impuJse as a •

Hagar Qnd her son. What assuages Abraham is וcast oU םוhim:o reject angri/y Sarah's demand

your זסAbraham. 'Do not be dislressed over the /ad סGod said l וGod's inlercession: Bu

is through Isaac /hat offspring shall וbondwoman; Whalever Sarah telJs you. do as she says.!or i

.) 21:12 be continuedjor you' (Genesis

ISRAELITES AND ALIENS-V THE PERIOD OF PROSELYTIZING

BY MAX M. ROTHSCHILD

-In our brief survey ofthe relationship between Israelites and aIiens (cf. the arti

cles in Dor le Dor vol. IX no.4, vol.X no.2, vol.XI no.!, and vol.XI no.4) we have

arrived at an era in Jewish history which produced Biblical and Apocryphal works

, containing important material relating to this question, namely the books of Ruth

Esther, and Judith, the last one a part ofthe Apocrypha. It is quite significant that

precisely these books are among those about whose origins IittIe defmitive is

known. There are a great many divergent opinions among scholars as to the times

. when these books were written

These three short books show many similarities. AIl of them appear at a late

Biblical or post·Biblical stage. AIl ofthem have women as their main character and

one form or another, deal with מi, are also named after women. AIl three ofthem

the subject of the joining of aIiens to Judaism, or to the religion of the Hebrews in

. their time, even though this sub,ject is not the main feature

We must be mindful of the ancient prohibition of the Torab concerning the

relationship of Israelites and Ammonites. The old prohibition had been explained

. at an earlier period in such a fashion that it was aimed only at male Ammonites, i.e

forbidding the marriage between a male Ammonite and an Israelite woman. A

male Hebrew, however, was permitted to marry an Ammonite woman. By a

strange but unquestioned reasoning the Mosaic law was thus deprived of much of

-its stringency. In later Biblical times the prohibition ofthe Torab against intermar

riage with aliens still carried much weight. Was it then the Maccabean era, or the

s of .aו end of the Persian period which formed the background for these three t

great Jewish women? Was it perhaps the beginning of the Hellenistic epoch or a

-reaction to Ezra's strict decree against intermarriage with aIien women immediate

? Iy after the Return

Dr. Rothschild, pasl directQr o/lhe department 0/ regional activities o! lhe United Synagogue Qן

. erence. Dr זif A merica, served as secretary o!thejirst World Jewish Bible Society internationai co

. Rothschild is a member 01 the Editon'ai Board 0/ Dor le Dor

221 ISRAELlTES AND ALIENS

Certain facts appear to be indisputable. First of all, the Torah law of "Lo Yavo

Deut. 23 :4) was still in force. It must have been deeply ( עמינ''באלא" Ammoni

imbedded in people's minds because of the serious problem caused by the change

in social relationships, and brought about - as we saw in our earlier articles - by

, Exile and Retum. No Ammonite may come into the congregation, this law states

and yet we have numerous recorded marriages with Ammonites during that

; period. A male Hebrew, however, was perrnitted to marry an Ammonite woman

this means that a female Ammonite was admitted into the congregation (cf. Rashi's

· terse comment to the passage in Deuteronomy " ... a male Ammonite may not mar

· ry an Israelite woman"). Second, in alI the periods under consideration, we fmd in

stances of resistance to foreign oppression on the one hand, and on the other, there

were those many recorded cases of intermarriage with aliens. Third, the fact that

there is much ancient Mishnaic and Midrashic material dealing with "alien

women" would indicate that these problems did exist and that the people were in

. need of guidance

Let us take a look at one of the three works, the little book of Judith. One of its

· principal characters is Achior, the advisor to Holophemes. Achior was an Am

monite. It may be said that his "conversion" to Judaism, or more precisely, to the

faith of Judith, served as the ultimate rationale for the book, going against the

Biblical prohibition. This is especially significant when we realize that Judith is

described as a noble young widow who strictly adhered to the laws of the Torah

which she rigorously observed. A chaste and deeply committed woman, she would

. not hesitate to risk her honor and her life in order to save her people

Achior the Ammonite had been consulted by the war lord Holophemes who laid

siege to Bethulia, a small town north of Jerusalem, near the Biblical Dothan, which

, blocked the southward route to the capital. But despite Achior's warnings

· Holophernes attacked the Israelites who hadjust returned from the Babylonian ex

ile. The town was under such stress that its leaders had decided to surrender, when

. Judith saved it by secretly entering the enemy camp and enticing Holophernes

Achior who had been against the strategy of Holophernes later on joined the

Jewish faith: "And when Achior saw alI that the God of Israel had done, he

, believed firrnJy in God, and was circumcised, and joined the house of Israel

.) 14:10 remaining so to this day" (Judith

1t is interesting to see what non-Jewish interpreters ofthe book of Judith have to

MAX M. ROTHSCHILD 222

say: In general they constantly emphasize the valiant deed ofthe noble woman and

her faith in God which gave her the strength and courage to slay the evil

Holophernes. The subsequent conversion of Achior to the religion ofthe Hebrews

was never elaborated. Luther, for instance, denied the historic nature of the book

altogeher, and spoke of it in terms of moral instruction exclusively. The question

-might then rightfully be asked: did Luther's high opinion of the book of Judith in

clude a consideration of Achior's conversion to Judaism, or was it Iimited to the

? noble conduct of Judith

The story of Judith figures strongly in European religious art. Paintings from the

Middle Ages, the Renaissance, as well as from later periods, invariably show the

heroine with the severed head of Holophemes (cf. the famous paintings by

Rembrandt and Rubens, to name but a few). The heroism of Judith is also the main

motif of Handel's well··known oratorio. But, as far as is known to the present

writer, there exists no work of art which shows the conversion of Achior when he

. sees the head of Holophernes in the hands of Judith as the book itself describes it

That conversion, after all, is the culmination of the tale. Achior the Ammonite, who

had himself circumcised and ,joined the Jewish fold, had earlier spoken to

st rגHolophemes about the powerful God ofthe Jews. This Achior is actually the f

non-Jew whose name is mentioned in post-biblical Iiterature as a convert to

st whose conversion is described in detail, in full compliance rגJudaism, and the f

with the later provisions of the Halakhah dealing with conversions of aliens to

. Judaism

, There existed at one time a Jewish holiday, perhaps observed for two days

perhaps included in the festival of Chanuka, in honor of Judith. The little book of

Judith could then be considered as a support for this festival, connecting Achior's

. conversion to events of the Maccabean period

-To retum once more to the book of Esther which subsequently led to the es

, tablishment of the holiday of Purim, we have seen that it contains, among others

the story ofthose pagans who became "Judaizers" as a result ofthe Jewish victory

over Haman and his followers. In contrast to the detailed description of Achior's

conversion in the book of Judith, those "Mityahadim" ofthe book ofEsther are not

given an elaborate description. We shall never know whether their desire to join the

, lewish community was motivated by fear, was perhaps only something temporary

. and also whether it took place in conformity with halakhic rules

223 iSRAELITES AND ALlENS

The later Hasmonean era showed a strong awakening Or re-awakening of a

national spirit among the Jews of Eretz Yisrael, accompanied by a renewal of great

literary activity_ The book of Judith, written originally in Hebrew, and among the

oldest Apocrypha, may weU be a part of that renewal of literary activity_ As a

his!orical novel, it is fuU of anachronisms_ Its purpose is certainly not to serve as a

-chronicle, or historical treatise, bu! !o provide some moral teaching and inspira

. ion_ We must see the Achior episode in that light !

The link be!ween nation and religion helped to make the Jewish communi!y

-s!rong in the Diaspora, but on the other hand it did little to further any proselytiz

ing activities whatever these might have been. It is a fact that a convert to Judaism

, in that period became a member ofthe Jewish people. Conversion, as we have seen

was then never a merely "religious" act. The change of religion was at one and the

same time an ethnic change or, as we would say in present-day language, a political

act, a political change. As far as it is known, there was no single religious group in

the entire vast realm of the Ptolemies and later on the Roman Empire where this

was the case, i.e. where religion and peoplehood (ethnos) were one and the same. In

. the Jews were unique סס,this respect, t

We can now understand the suspicion with which foreign rulers such as the

-leaders of Rome, looked upon any suspected Jewish missionary activity. This fac

tor has to be taken into consideration when we look at the so-caUed anti-Jewish

measures so frequently promulgated by the Romans. What they feared was the

numerical growth and hence the potential military strength of the Jewish people

through a possible infiux of aliens, and not merely a larger body of worshipers of a

. peculiar deity

Regardiess ofthe date we prefer for the origin ofthe book of Judith - and there

are, as we said, quite a number of anachronisms in it - the little book was in any

event regarded as important enough to have a great number of Midrashim woven

. around it. Some of these Midrashim became deeply ingrained in Jewish lore

We can indeed sense in Judith some feelings of hostility towards a king caUed

Nebuchadnezzar", and we assume today that this king was actuaUy Artaxerxes "

Ochus whose name, along with several others, was changed by the author of the

book in order to protect himself. In fact, there are those who think that Achior

never was a real person, but ... that he is the author of our little book! Could it be

tha! his is a symbolic name whose meaning, namely "brother oflight" was arrived

MAX M. ROTHSCHILD 224

Regardless ofthe answer to this ככ?-at by the change of only one consonant (n

. qucstion, he appears as a total convert to Judaism

Onc may then summarize the main ideas of the book of Judith as follows: It

wants to demonstrate that there is a way for the alien, the heathen, to .join God's

rd, ifhe is willing to shed his pagan beliefs, and סLpcople, ifhe but shows fear ofthe

if hc undergoes circumcision. This message may also have been directed at the

Jcws themselves who were shown the dedication and the heroism of a noble Jewish

woman, as well as the miracles of God which led to the conversion of a highly

. placed pagan

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WAS FATHER ISAAC A CO­CONSPIRATOR?

BY A. JOSEPH HECKELMAN

Prime among somewhat embarrasing Biblical stories is that of the youthful

Jacob impersonating his slightly older brother in order to deceive their blind

f ather, Isaac, so that he, J acob, acquire the richer blessing - the one appropriale

. 10 the first-born

By way of mitigation it has been pointed out that the deception was instigated

by mother Rebekah for ultimately unselfish reasons, after Esau had sold the

birthright anyway for a pittance. Yet whatever mitigation we attempt, the basic

. discomfort remains

-It is the purpose of this paper through reexamination of the text itself, to ex

-plore the possibility that, far from being deceived, Isaac was a fully involved par

-ticipant in the necessary exercise of apparently deceiving himself: A co

~ conspirator

-t quite mak סthe unfortunate Esau. He keeps trying and n חסl..et us first focus

or Ihe ןing the grade with his parents. Genesis 25:28: "And Isaac loved Esau

ood he placed in his moulh; and Rebekah loved Jacob." That is, Jacob is ןhunled

loved continually and unconditionally by his mother whereas Isaac must find an

external reason for his conditionallove of the older twin. When it comes lirne for

the blessing, a special framework must be constructed in order that Isaac's soul

.) 27:2-4 will be able to bless Esau (Genesis

my dealh is probably ןסAnd he (Isaac) said 'I have become old; Ihe day

10 ar dislanl.- Now lake your lools - your quiver and bow - go oul ןnol

ood - Ihen cook me an especia//y lasty ןIhe (dislanl) jield and hunl me ) Ihe kind thal 1 /ike and bring il 10 me so IhalI eal il - (a11 of this ןס/ mea

. ore 1 die ןin order Ihal my soul be ab/e 10 bless you be

Jewish זןסman served as A4junct Pro!esso וWhile in the American pulpit. Dr. Joseph Hecke

Kehillat Shalva (Sqfed). the Ga/ilee's jirst ןסord. He is rabbi fוHistory at the University 0/ Har

yle) Congregalion. His ieclunng here inc/udes Haifa UniversJIY. Tel Hai וM'soratl (Conservalive-s

, Co//ege and Everyman's University

225

A. JOSEPH HECKELMAN 226

-Earlier (26:34) Esau had tried to walk precise1y in his father's footsteps by mar

rying at the same age (40 years) as his father did when he married Rebekah

, ort זt25 :20). This was a sincere but rather c1umsy and thorough1y misguided e (

mistaking empty form (identical chrono10gica1 age) for content. This did not

work: The two wives that Esau took were a source of bitterness of spirit to both

.) 26:35 ( Isaac and Rebekah

Esau kept trying - he is such a good· hearted c10d. But as we have seen, he

erentiate between external form זt1acks e1ementary sense. He simp1y cannot di

and internal content. This spiritual blindness makes him unfit to be the bearer of

the reve1ation initiated via his grandfather Abraharn. Ear1ier (25 :29-34), Esau

-despised Ihe birlhrighl in selling it to Jacob for a pot of 1entils, being especially at

tracted by the 1entils' red co10r. The actual giving of the B1essing by Isaac to the

. proper son is the comp1etion of this act

Yet Esau does not give up. Even much 1ater, after the traumatic drama of the

B1essing, he tries again. (Genesis 28:9) And Esau wenl 10 (his unc1e) Ishmae/ and

he look Maha/al, daughler o/Ishmae/ (who was) Ihe son 0/ Abraham - she who

-was Ihe sisler 0/ Nevayol - in addilion 10 his olher wives 10 be his wife. Not un

expected1y, this re-focus on the external was equally unsuccesful. And so

sometime after Jacob's fieeing north, Esau too 1eaves the parental hearth, trave1-

ing east and somewhat north to establish himse1f on the far side of the Jordan

. River Let us summarize the story ofthe B1essing-via-deception as it is conventionally

understood. Mother Rebekah overhears Isaac sending Esau out to the fie1d to

hunt food for a meal which wil1 produce the appropriate b1essing. She persuades

the re1uctant Jacob to impersonate his brother immediate1y and thus receive the

b1essing which rightfully should go to Esau. As insurance against the deception

-being discovered, Jacob puts on Esau's clothing; in addition a goat serves a dou

ble purpose: 1) Its meat will prepare Isaac to bless, via his stomach; 2) Its skin on

. Jacob's hands will duplicate Esau's hairiness, rather than Jacob's smoothness

Tbese preparations go forward very quickly and Jacob presents himself to old

Isaac. Isaac does comment on the speed with which the food has been

prepared but does not investigate. Similarly he notes the contrast between voice

and skin, 27:22 And Jacob approached Isaac his/alher, and he/ell him; and he

said Ihe voice is Ihe voice 0/ Jacob whereas Ihe hands are Ihe hands 0/ Esau. He

ISAAC A CO·CONSPIRATORך 227

accepts the evidence of the hands rather than the voice, proceeds to eat and to

. drink wine and continues with the blessing. Jacob, blessed, leaves. Esau enters

Isaac now learns of the deception, is quite upset - but asserts that (regardless of

-the blessing applied to Jacob remains his. Esau is furious, cries כhow obtained . and, in turn, is also blessed by Isaac

. The above summarizes the story as it is conventionally understood

Perhaps there is a level of subconscious Jewish masochism, since the above is

-the way in which the story has been told and retold from generation to genera

, tion; although it refiects most negatively on Jacob, who is later renarned !srael

. and more than anyone else in all history is the archetype of the Jewish people

How easy to misunderstand this as a model for cheating in business and in

human relationships generally! We stoically make a virtue of necessity, saying

-the Bible teUs it as it is; we don't want to conceal the truth from ourselves "

what we want to do is know the truth and transcend it. Just as Jewish fathers do

not re-enact the binding of Isaac, so Jacob's negative morality is surely relegated

". to the distant past

Fortunately there is a better way out: A careful reading of the text and a

serious consideration of what Isaac does and does not do points to something very different: to Isaac's cooperating in an act of theatre which was necessary in

order for Jacob to assume the role of 'bearer of the message of Abraham'. A

similar problem of the unsuitability of the first born had occurred a generation

Y his father's mantle, his older brother חearlier. There in order for Isaac to ca

ut of the סwas driven totally כIshmael, (together with Ishmael's mother, Hagar

; household and out of the region. Here Esau is not to be physically driven out

rather, Jacob will become Esau (and, in the event, he will physically leave.כ

Preparatory to the Blessing Isaac deliberately sent Esau far away, in order to

. clear the way for Jacob A number of factors, considered seriously. very much undermine the deception

: theory

The voice is the voice 0/ Jacob, yet the hands are the hands 0/ Esau. If כן

-there were genuine doubt, would not any reasonable person do one of the follow

ing (or both:כ

Be guided by the voice rather than the hand? (We might also ask ourselves כa -to what extent raw goat skin worn over a hand - a sort of insulating glove

228 A. JOSEPH HECKELMAN

really could have duplicated the feel of a human hand, however hairy.) b) Ought not Isaac to have said, "Call your brother in, and we will see who is

who; he is a 'dweller of tents' - he must be nearby". Yet Isaac deliberately

refrains from this obvious step. 2) .In addition, surely the Patriarch Isaac had the gift of prophecy and ought

to have had no difficulty with the true identity of the person before him regardless

of external evidence. 3) The blessing itself (27:28-29) has two elements; fruitfulness of the earth

and sovereignty. While the second could apply to anyone, the first is appropriate

only for a farmer, not a hunter (27:28): And God will give you oj the dew oj

Heaven and the jat oj the Earth and a multitude oj grain and wine. And it is

Jacob, not Esau, who was the farmer!

4) Then, the blessing Isaac gives Esau (which he gives him only after Esau

weeps) somehow is very particularly suited to Esau alone. (27:40) And you will

/ive by your sword ... It appears that this blessing had been knowing/y saved jor

Esau.

5) Finally, as Jacob is about to leave the ancestral home to go far north

(28:1): And [saac ca//ed Jacob and b/essed him. This is a voluntary additional

blessing by Isaac on his own initiative shortly after the alleged deception. Surely

this is absolutely inconsistent with Isaac's having been foully deceived by Jacob!1

What then was really happening?

It appears to this writer that the problem of succession is crystal clear to Isaac:

Just as his own older brother Ishmael had been the wrong person to bear

Abraham's religious messag,e to the next generation, so Jacob's older brother Esau was similarly the wrong person - but the identical solution was impossible. It is not that Abraham was made of sterner stuff than Isaac, being tough enough

to drive one son out of the house and coming within a hair's breadth of executing

the other - rather, it was that Isbmael had been born to a different mother who was also socially far inferior. This made it practical to drive physically mother

and son out of thc house and out of the area. But Jacob and Esau were born of

the same mother and father and born close to the same instant. Here, a difTerent solution would have to be found.

That Esau had deliberately rejected the birthright as of less value than a pot of

lentils very probably made it psychologically less difficult for Isaac. Nevertheless

229 ? OR זCONSPIRA ~ lSAAC A CO

the step that had to be taken was for Jacob to become Esau. The essence of the

name, Esau, literally emphasizes his hairiness. Therefore to become Esau, Jacob

had to become totally hairy: He put on Esau's own clothing and also clothed

: with raw, hairy goatskin those parts ofhimselfthat projected from Esau's cloak

Genesis 27: 15-16). Having done this and having put before Isaac a meal of goat (

ce between חmeat (does one wish to argue that Isaac was unable to tell the differe

goat meat and that of other game?) there follows a carefully crafted, virtually :) 27:19-22 ( ritualized, dialogue

'And he came 10 his jalher and said 'My jather' and he (!saac) said '

, Hineni, who are you my son?' And Jacob said 10 hisjalher '! am Esau '

our eldesl. ! have done as you spoke 10 me; come 110W, sil and eal oj my ')

saac said 10 his son וhunled jood in order Ihal your soul bless me. A I1d

Whal is Ihal you have hurried 10 jind my son?" And he said "For Ihe "

Lord your God caused il 10 happen jor me", And !saac said 10 Jacob

Come close and 1 willjeel you my son 10 verify whelher you are my son "

Esau or nol", And Jacob approached !saac hisjalher and hejell him and

he said "The voice is Ihe voice oj Jacob yel lhe hands are Ihe hands oj

". Esau

Without excessive stretching, the above dialogue may be understood as

Jacob's affirming that he had become Esau, the first born, by clothing himself in

Esau's cloak and the hairy goat skin; that Isaac, whose vision was dim, wanted

-reassurance that the person before him - who clearly was Jacob by ltis voice

-was performing the ritual, theatrical act properly. Is it not the voice which pro

? jects the inner essence - the soul - of the person

-There remain two difficulties: Verse 23 and verse 33, Verse 23 is normally un

saac) did nol recognize him, because his hands were like Ihe (וderstood And he , hands oj his brolher Esau, hairy, and he b/essed him

However it is also possible to understand verse 23 as conveying: And he Isaac) did not recognize him as the original Jacob, since he had made his hands (

qualitatively as the hands of Esau his brother, hairy; and so he was able to bless

. him as the first bom

t begins, And !saac Irembled a greal ו, Verse 33 presents a greater difficulty tremb/ing, exceeding/y greal, and said, "Who is he Ihal hunled game and

A. JOSEPH HECKELMAN 230

ore you came?" I suggest that the basic cause ןbe ווbrought it to me and 1 ate it a

of Isaac's trembling was not direct fear of Esau - rather, that the drama, which

until now had been a planned ritual, at this point reached the climax: And this

-very much evokes the climactic moment on Mount Moriah when Isaac had in ef

fect received his father's blessing instead of the executioner's knife. The key word

with which Abraham accepted that terrible test - a test that was even more

traumatic for Isaac than for Abraham - was hineni (Genesis 22:1). The identical

word had been echoed by Esau (27:1) when Isaac instructed him to go far away

and hunt game. The word appeared again in the dialogue between Abraham and

; Isaac as they - alone except for each other - made their way up Mount Moriah

and it appears in the dialogue between Isaac and Jacob alone, preparing for this

-blessing (27:18). So heavy was that moment between Isaac and Jacob-become

. Esau, that it is not clear whether Isaac asserts hinenito Jacob, or Jacob to Isaac

ur preferred reading as noted above, is that this is Isaac's affirmation of his role ס

, in the drama. The extent to which those two verses - one in the blessing story

and one in the Akedah story - are identical, is most striking

ather" and he said ןalher "My 22:7ן) And !saac said 10 Abraham his ( " hineni my sס nיי ...

ather" and he said ןather and he said "My 27:18ן) And he came 10 his ( ." Ihineni '

:" How does each verse close? In the Akedah narrative, afier "hineni, my son

or a ןamb וAnd he said, 'Here are lhe jire and the branches, but where is the

burnt o./Jering? "in the Blessing narrative, ... and he said "hineni '; who are you

my son?" Isaac had almost died then on Mount Moriah. Now as an old man full

of years, he is indeed going to die soon. It is likely that he very much did not want to infiict on his sons anything like the trauma that had marked the afflfmation of

his assumption of the mantle. Yet the echo of that earlier trauma forces itself on

him. The Fear is re·evoked. It is apparently possible to delay the trembling during

the planned ritual exercise with Jacob/Esau. But with the real Esau actually

before him, the trembling bursts forth. Isaac is in an emotionally most difficult

at the moment of setting the stage' for inevitable יconfrontation with one son

-ongoing conflict between the two brothers - his twjn sons - and their descen

dants - for alI time. Surely this plus the evocation of the terror on Mount Moriah

made it a moment for very great trembling. Yet for all that, Isaac does not shirk

231 ? SAAC A CO-CONSPIRATOR ז

1 " ... his responsibility; verse 33 ends with Isaac's straigh(-forwardly asserting

." blessed him and indeed he will remain biessed

After all, (his is not pagan my(hology in which stealing, whe(her it is admired

or condemned, becomes a va1id explana(ion for various natural phenomena. This

is the Torah, the sacred book of Jewish morali(y. In the Torah, s(ea1ing is not

only unequivocally condemned, but the thief is ordered to pay back the value of

what has been s(olen several times over. If Esau's cry that Jacob had rea1ly

s(olen the Blessing were objectively true, i( is inconceivable tha( he would have

-gotten away unpunished. True, there is a midrash that suggests balancing decep

tion on Jacob's wedding night. But to have been tricked in(o getting an additiona1

wife, who becomes mother to half the tribes of Israel, is hardly punishment. Nor

-can Jacob's later gifts to Esau of part of his property be seen as serious repara

( tion by the standards of the Torah. And, on closer examina(ion, we find tha

stolen". True, Isaac explains to ~ t " סת," Esau's actual terminology is "acquired

-Esau "Your brother came with deception ... " but what else could one say to sim

ple Esau? And what better word than "deception" could one use to describe

? heater and costume (

easier and מA. We have dea1t with the tota1ity of the (ext exactly as it is

sOlnewhat more dangerous approach would have been to open the possibility

-that the hand of an editor or editorial commi((ee had much later added the dif

( ficul( phrases in the course of tidying up the story. However, since we do no

claim omniscience, we would not feel on firm ground deciding to erase .jus( those

phrases that have caused us a bit of difficulty. Thus, without any tampering with

-the text, we have established the likelihood tha( Isaac was a fully aware co

conspirator in the theatrical ri(ual that permitted the prime Blessing, and the

. mantie, to pass to Jacob

-f one looks at thejramework of the Blessing s(ory, !saac's knowledgable par !

ticipation becomes even more clear. The Blessing story proper begins with

chapter 27. Immediately bejore this, the last (wo verses of chap(er 26 relate

Esau's marrying two locaI Hittite women. The text comments only tha( these

were a bitterness of spirit to his parents. 00 reflection, their significance is much

grea(er: this act in Isaac's eyes must absolutely disqualify Esau from carrying the

mantle. After aIl, Isaac himself had been absolutely prohibited from marrying

-any 10caI woman. Part of the process of his quaIifying to carry Abraham's man

A. JOSEPH HECKELMAN 232

t1e to the next ger,eration depended upon Isaac's wife coming from outside the

. 1and of Canaan - as it happened, from Abraham's own fami1y in the far north

Thus, be[ore the drama of the B1essingn it is made abso1ute1y c1ear to Isaac that

-Abraham's B1essing may on1y be conveyed to his younger son - just as a genera

. tion ear1ier it cou1d only be conveyed to Abraham's younger son: Isaac himse1f

Then, well a[ler the staged drama of the B1essing, Isaac quite knowingly and

deliberate1y calls Jacob, gives him his own additional B1essing (28:1), tells him to

find himse1f a wife from among his mother's family and adds (verse 4), May He

-give you Ihe B/essing o[ Abraham, 10 you and 10 your generalion[o//owing, 10 in

-heril Ihe /and o[ your dwe//ing which God gave 10 Abraham . Thus, in perspec

-tive, in addition to Esau's questionable character traits, we see that he had ab

so1ute1y disqualified himse1f by his taking 10ca1 wives. Then, the comp1ex drama

of the B1essing is staged as a bridge in order that Isaac may final1y, open1y pass

. Abraham's mant1e on to Jacob

The writer recognizes that reasoned persuasion to a new conclusion is less than

totally convincing in its own terms. 1t is, therefore, a p1easure to point out that

this same conc1usion was drawn some 1800 years ago by Rabbi Yochanan, and

endorsed about a millenium 1ater by the Zohar. Referring to 27:27, And he came

c/ose and he kissed him and he sme//ed Ihe sme// o[ his c/olhing and he B/essed

is like Ihal o[ a field which Ihe Lord חhim and he said "See Ihe odour o[ my so

has Blessed", Rabbi Yochanan comments: 'There is nothing whose smell is as

unp1easant as the enve10ping sme11 of goats, yet the text says, 'He smelled the

smell ofhis c10thing and he b1essed him"? But the moment that Jacob our Father

entered c10se to his father there entered with him the (aura of the) Garden of

Eden, for thus it says to you: 'See the odour of my son is 1ike that of a fie1d which

-the Lord has Blessed"*. Please note that in the Blessing story this takes place im

mediate1y before Isaac proceeds with the actual B1essing itse1f. Thus, although

-Rabbi Yochanan and the Zohar 1eave open the question of Isaac being a co

conspirator from the beginning, they apparent1y are total1y convinced that he

. very well knew exactly whom he was blessing

1t is sometimes argued that neverthe1ess Jacob must have been guilty of some

• Lit:"1 do not know the precise date of my death".

• Midrash Rabah, 8ereshit Rabah (Hebrew), Yavneh, Tel Aviv, 1956 - vol. 3, p. 56.

233 ISAAC A CO-CONSPIRATOR?

genuine deception since he had such a difficult life: his life was so difficult that in

his brief conversation with Pharaoh late in his life he essentially complains (at the

age of 130) that his years were few and bitter. While granting that Jacob's life

was difficult, it is in place to point out that neither Abraharn or Isaac had a very

easy life. The akedah was only the most difficult of Abraharn's ten trials; and

self on the point of dying at the relatively iוn Isaac's life was such that he feels h

young age of 100 when the Blessing Drarna takes place: Yet he is destined to live

: another 30 years. It may be that what is revealed is Jacob's greater sensitivity

AIthough the Blessing drama was absolutely necessary in order for him to fulfill

God's purpose - still he was deeply uncomfortable over his part. So much so

that even the semblance of being engaged in deception continued to disturb him

for the rest of his life. Thus, on his journey back from Padan Ararn, as he

-iוn prepares both to meet his brother and to re-enter the land now promised to h

. he must spend the night wrestling with what is essentially his brother's spirit

Torah drama is at least as demanding as Greek tragedy. The reward for doing

the necessary is in no way sugar-candy. It may well be a mix, including ongoing

. bitterness and pain

A final thought on Rebekah's role. Since the nature of the Blessing drarna is

the rebirth of Jacob as Esau - a re·arrangement, as it were, of which twin

emerged first - surely it is most appropriate that the mother play a real role in

. propelling Jacob into the action, so that he now is first on the stage

In stating that "mirmah" (deception) is "hokmah" (wisdom), perhaps Rashi

. and Onkelos were hinting at 80me of the above

The remaining loose end i8 that of Jacob's name change: Ifthe Blessing drarna

was indeed a re-birth, should not Jacob's narne have been changed then? Of

course. And Jacob's narne was changed, functionally - to Esau (1 am Esau your

8010 , eldest - 27:19).Perhapsit is not excessively far-fetched to see Jacob's long

. trek to Padan-Aram as being somewhat in the pattern of the lone hunter, Esau

The next narne change takes place 20 years later, in the course of Jacob's

return journey. It is on the bank of the river whose narne is made of three of the

letters of Jacob's name: the river Yabok. Note the Hebrew spelling of the river

e is so close to his own aוI\ It is here, at the river whose n .')בק)ע and of Jacob יבק,

old narne, that Jacob begins to take his own new narne. How? By demanding of the figure he struggles with all night: a blessing. We earlier identified this figure as

234 A. JOSEPH HECKELMAN

the spirit of Esau. Thus, Jacob really needs Esau's acceptance - his blessing - to

grow beyond the level of the earlier Blessing drama in which Esau had felt

cheated and in need of revenge. Now, Jacob no longer assumes Esau's identity,

but proceeds towards a new identity.

However, although the new name seems to be bestowed at the river, the Torah

text does not use it even once until J acob has returned to Bet· El, the house of El, where he had had his first dream - opening to God - an experience that included

blessing - and to which place he had been told he must return to mark the end of

that journey's development.

The Blessing drama, then, concludes more than 20 years after its beginning.

It's conclusion is the retum to Bet El, with the Torah text certifying the conclu­

sion by thenceforth regularly using the new name, Israel (YSREL - prince and

warrior who reaches toward God) along with the original name, J acob (Y' AKOV

- follower). Only then does the functioning of the new name complete the rebirth

of the Blessing drama.

REMEMBER BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES WITH ONE GIFT OF

4 ISSUES OF DOR LE DOR! .. .. .. .. ENROLL THE MEMBERS OF YOUR BIBLE STUDY GROUP .. .. .. ..

SON OR DAUGHTER GOING OFF TO COLLEGE?

KEEP YOUR COLLEGE SON OR DAUGHTER IN TOUCH WITH

OUR BIBLICAL HBRITAGE

INCISED STONE FRAGMENT "KORBAN"

FROM SOUTHERN WALL OF TEMPLE MOUNT

BY NOAH J. COHEN

f anyone find a vesseJ," states the Mishnah, and on it be written 'korban' I "זי

­' sacred) -- R. Judah says, 'if it is made of "heres" (earthenware) it is "huJJin (

(profane), 2 and whatever is in it is korban; but if it is of "matekhet" (metaJ), it is '

korban" and what is therein is hullin.' They said to him, 'it is not the way of the "

people to put what is "hullin" into what is "korban." "3 Apparently, vessels made

-of various types of materiaJ and marked "korban" were utiJized during the Tem

pJe period; consequentJy, the sages feJt compeJJed to advise the peopJe that aJJ

ot considered sacred, that their sanctity was contingent upon the תvesseJs were

. substance empJoyed in the manufacture of those vesseJs

ce Oiving or inanimate) which has been consecrated to God or to the rif1 ו. Any offering or sac

-duwed with 5anc חTcmple. "Korbao" as used here indicates that the vessel 80 InarktXJ 1188 been e

", the Temple service. Cf. Nedarim 1:2 where "korban מtity and dedicated to tbe TempJe for use i

• t utilized סתactua] living sacrifice. Such vessels. when מlike\vise. implies an offering apart from a

the "Lishkat ha-Kelim," the Chamber ofUtensils (Shekalim 4:6 ff, 5:6 and מiwere probably stored

.) 4 : 3 Tanlld

d not "the way ofthe מa2. Vesse!s made of earthenware were considered improper and ofTensive

people to hallow them" (Bartinoro on Ma'aser Sheni 4:10); however, from this passage we learn

that they were nevertheless being fashioned, and in all probablity were utilized. Thus, the Mishnah

old lamp formed of earthenware should not be used מa, cites the admonition by R. Judah_ Similarly

-on the Sabbath because of "muktseh mahmat mi'us," because of its inherent repulsiveness (Shab

. 7 note סbat 448); See als

Ma'aser Sheni 4:10, While the sages agreed with R, Judah that the contents 3ם nו ay ofמ

earthenware vessel are holy, they, nevertheless, maintained that in the case of vessels which were

.) made of meta1 both the vessels and their contents are "korban" (sacred

Orthodox Synagogues of Grealer ןסIhe CounciJ ןסormerly Presidenl ן• r. Noah J. Cohen ע

10 schoJarly journals. Since coming on Aliyah, in זWashington, has been ajrequent contributo

or archae%gicai excaval;ons ןsu!tant 197ח[, he has been wilh TelAviv University and serves as cO

_ on Talmudic and general Rabbinic sources

NOAH J. COHEN 236

For approxjmately two thousand years, until its excavation by !sraeli

-archaeologists, a polished Herodian stone fragment bearing the Hebrew inscrip

tion "korban" lay in the heaps of debris and earth on the paved Herodian street

along the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount'; and now this spectacular fmd

has been uncovered, an artifact which bears directly on the Mishnaic passage

cited above: if anyone find a vessel and on it be written 'korban'." However, to

• students of the Biblc, this find can still be of further significance for beneath th

korban" inscription, clearly visible, can be seen two incised representations of "

inverted birds (PI.!)': a symbolic depiction, perhaps, of the type of sacrifices

er זtwhich the impoverished "yoledet," which she that beareth a chiid had to o

: 12:7-8 before the Lord as prescribed in Leviticus

emaie. A nd if her ןor her that beareth, whether a maie or a ןThis is the iaw

or a iamb, then she shaii take two turtiedoves or two ןmeans suj]ice not

-or a sin ןor a burnt-oJ!ering, and the other ןyoung pigeons', the one

or her, and she shaii be ןoJ!ering6; and the priest shaii make atonement

. ciean

Pebruary 1968 were מi4. Excavations south and southwest of the Temple Mount which began

conducted on beha1f of the Israel Exploration Society and the Department of Archaeology of the

Hebrew University, Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. B. Mazar, assisted by M. Ben·Dov and

. of approximately thirty personnel זtJ. Aviram and a permanent sta

5. As indicated a1so in l..eviticus 5:7. The dove has been compared to, and has become a symbol

for Israel (Berakhot 53b; Shabbat 130a). possibly because of its gentle nature, for it never returns

an attack. Of possible interest may be the fol)owing Talmudic passage: "R. Abbahu said: 'A man

should aJways strive to be rather of the persecuted than of the persecutors as there are none among

the birds more persecuted than doves and pigeons, and yet Scripture made them aJone, among

birds. eligible for the a1tar.' .. (Bava Karnma 93a). Just Jike the sacrificial birds. R. Abbahu asserts

• that the offerer should desire to be ofthe persecuted rather than ofthose that persecute. To Profes

sors B. Mazar of the Hebrew University. excavator of the "Korban" fragment, and Edith Porada

of Columbia University, I am indebted for the suggestion that, to the ancients, inverted birds

· denoted that they were slaughtered for sacrificia1 purposes. Prof. Porada, moreover, ca1led myat

· tention to the relief of the Egyptian princess Kawit 11 th Dynasty wherein slaughtered bird offer

ings Iying on their backs can be clearly seen (PI. 11); thus supporting the thought as discussed

herein that the korban vessel may have been a container which was set aside for use by the

. yoledet" after childbirth "

6. Cf. B. Mazar: "The Mountain of the Lord" (New York, 1975), pp. 108-9. For the mother to

237 STONE FRAGMENT "KORBAN"

Admittedly, the Mishnaic passage cited above has little, if anything, to do with

, the "yoledet" in Leviticus 12:7-8 and certainly makes no reference to her

nevertheless, the stone fragment, with its "korban" inscription and engraved

representations of birds, strongly suggests that it could have been part of a vessel

in which either turtledoves or pigeons were brought as sacrifices by the mother

after childbirth in accordance with the Mosaic Code. Moreover, the fact that the

" fragment was composed of Herodian stone and polished rather than of "heres

may provide additional significance to this speculation, for while "heres" was

-the other hand, generally carries the same clas מס, considered "hullin," stone

sification as wood and metal. Therefore, .just as vessels made of wood and metal

can be "korban", 80 a1so can vessels which were manufactured of stone. 7 Thus, it

)' bring a bumt·offering (korban olah) is understandable, for as the term olah ('that which ascends

· jes, the ofTering rises to heaven, 50 too does the mother symbolically express her w:ish to as ןimp

to חcend herself and compieteiy submit to the will of God; it symbolizes, further, her rededicatio

God after a period of ahstention from the Sanctuary. In what way, however, did she sin? Why

must she bring a sin·offering? According to R. Simeon ben Yohai, she was a sinner in confinement

in tha1 when in travail she swore not to unite again and have relations with her husband and then

• Others, as R. Hosha'ya 20 •.(דן . broke her oath (Keritot 26a; Niddah 31b; Shavu'ot 8a; Gen. R

teach that her sacrifice was not for the expiation of her sin, for she had already accomplished this

. 1hrough her labor pains, but rather to make it possible for her to partake of consecrated food

Consecrated food will continue to be disallowed to her until she brings her sin-offering, and until

then she will remain unclean as a resuJt of her confinement. (Nega'im 14:4; Keritot 26a; Yevamot

74b). On the forty·first day after having given birth to a male infant or on the eighty-first day after

. having given birth to a fema1e child, the mother presents her offerings to the Temple

7. During late Second Temple period stone vesseJs were popular because of the fact that they

were considered pure and not susceptibJe of defilement (Kelim 10:1; Parah 3:2). Yitshak Alfasi

-RIF) on Pesahim Perek Sheni, p. 16b, states in reference 10 scouring vessels for Passover that ves (

scls of wood, metal, stone and marble which were used during 1he year come under the same rule

, and must be cleansed for Passover. More specifically, R. Nissim, commenting on thc RIF above

under that of ס!states that "vessels of stone come under the same law as vessels of mctal and n

f a heathen "ז, heres (earthenware)." Authority for this concept can be found in 'Avodah Zarah 74b

, covered a stone winepress with pitch, it may be scoured and is then clean ... if it was of earthenware

even though he peeJed off the pitch, it is prohibited." Of speciaJ significancc may be the fact that

many, perhaps most, of the artifacts of the Herodian period which were excavated in the Upper

City opposite the Templ(' Mount where tbe priests lived, were purposely made of stone and not of

thc usual heres (earthenware). During the late Second TempJe period, stone vesseJs were popuJar

. since they were not susceptible of deftlement

NOAH J. COHEN 238

would appear appropriate that a receptacle of stone would be utilized in order to

'. contain and transport the bird-ofTerings to the altar

-As related in the Mishna, Petahya served as the ofIicer-in-charge of the "kin

-nin" (sacrificial birds; nests; bird-ofTerings),9 and it was he, as chief officer, ac

cording to Maimonides 10 with whom an agreement could be made in order to

moreover, was the one who fixed the price יprocure them. The officer-in·charge

) for the ofTerings. Upon delivery of the required funds to the (trcasurer of the

Sanctuary, the officer (in charge of the birds) would then transmit the turtledoves

, or the two young pigeons to the person who was obliged to have them sacrificed

-and upon completion of this transaction, the ofIicer- in-charge would then com

plete his accounting with the treasurer and· receive his payment. Every thirty

, des further states, a new rate would be established. Should וri days, Maimo .

however, the "kinnin" become cheaper (than the fixed price) then Petahya, as

chief officer, would be obligated to supply them in accordance with the lower

cost; if, conversely, they became more expensive, he would be required to furnish 11 . them at the fixed price

8. Nothing is known from the sources on the method of transporting thc bird-offerings to the

altar. Perhaps an analogy can be made from the manner in which the first fruits were brought to

. the Temple. "Wealthy Jews," the Mishnah relates, "brought their 'bikkurim,' their first fruits (cf

wicker מbaskets overlaid with silver and gold, while the poor brought them i מOeut. 26:1 fi) i

baskets of peeled willow- branches." and the "pigeons that were hung upon the baskets were

" c bore in their hands they delivered to the priests ןsacrificed as burnt offerings, and what the peop

2:5)with נim ןBikkurim 3: 1· 8); in addition to the stone korban of two sundials ('Eduyyot 3:8; Ke (

invcrted menorah incised on the back of one. These time pieces were required for use at the מa

. Tcmple as the offerings and prayers were schedu!ed to be held at specificd periods during the day

. 9. Shekalim 5:1; Menahot 65a

. 7:9 10. M. Maimonides (RAMBAM), Mishnah Torah, Sefer 'Avodah, Hilkhot Kele ha-Mikdash

According to the Talmud (Pesahim 90b; Eruvin 32a; Shekalim 6:5) it would appear that tbe

e. She could simply drop the ןyoledet was not required to bring her offerings personally to the Temp

required money into the Shofar (collection chest) which was marked "kinnin" and assume that

u1d have the birds sacrificed on that self·samc day. However, the entire procedure as סPetahya w

. indicated in both the TaImud and Maimonides remains in part unclear

Mishnaic times prior to this rulc, unscrupulous מi, 11. Cf. Maimonides, note 10; Apparently

deaJers would ask exorbitant prices for the sacrificial birds. At one time their cost had risen to a

den denar (equal to 25 silver denars) and it was feared that these women -- who were already ןgo

d eat of the consecrated food bcfore fulfilling their sacrificial obligations ןimpoverished -- wou

239 STONE FRAGMENT "KORBAN"

, ally, in receipt of their sacrificial birds, the new mothers would carry them מiF

vessels of the type excavated at the Southern מipresumably braced together and

Wall of the Temple Mount, as discussed herein, to the Court of Women, beyond

). which females were not allowed. This court, which was of great size (222 sq. ft

contained four gates, one of which was the magnificent and imposing Nikanor

, Gate12 which led to the Court of Israel. And at the Nikanor Gate a priest

perhaps Petahya 13 or one of his subordinates, coiiected the birds from the

women, slaughtered them 14 and then removed their feathers prior to offering

them upon the aitar. And so it was at "the Eastern Gate," as the Mishnah

records, "over against the entrance of the Nikanor Gate that they purified the

' women after childbirth." l

. Were it not for the intervention of R. Simeon b .)1 :ך Keritot חסBartinoro and Tiferet Yisra'eJ (

iel, this problem rnight not have been solved. "By this Temple," he said, "1 will not rest this ןGama

-that vcry day, the Mishnah in חסnight before (a pair of pigeons) are (sold at a silver) denar." And

, S, (the price of a pair of) pigeons stood at two quarters (of a silver denar), and each bird טforms

,) 7 : 1 cr of a silver denar (Keritot aזt y a qu ומסtherefore, cost

12. For the miraculous delivery of these beautiful gates and how thcy wcre brought by sea from

. 2:4 oma ץAlexandrin, Egypt, to the port of Jaffa see Yoma 388 and Tosefta

13. Whether Petahya was a priest is questionabJe. Shekalim 5:1 and Menahot 65a indicate that

ahot 64b states that he was Mordekhai "of the days of מMe מסhe was Mordekhai, and Rashi

he could not have been a priest, as Mordekhai came from חAhasuerus." If this were the case the

the tr:ibe of Benjamin. Some identify him with Mordekhai Bilshan (Ezra 2.2; Neh. 7:7; Menahot

, tifies Mordekhai Bilshan as Mordekhai ha-Yehudi מEzra 2:2) ide (65חסa) and Ibn Ezra

. presumably the kinsman of Esther, of the tribe of Ben_jamin

on-priest) iearned in the laws of shehitah (slaughtering) can slaughter 14ח. Anyone (pr:iest or

animals, but only a priest can slaughter fowl, and this must bc accomplishcd by "melikah," i_e. by

-pinching off the head of the bird (Lev. 1: 14- 15). In the case of the woman who was required to br

ing both a burnt offering and a sin-offering, the sin-offering must be sacrificed first in accordance

Lev. 12:7-8 the burnt-offering is mentioned before the sin-offering מwith Lev. 5:7 although i

b .justifies this rule on the basis that rcconciliation between God and the ךZevahim 89b)_ Zevahim (

sinner must first be 8ttained before God would accept tbe latter's gift, the burnt-offering. "Why

does it come," asks the Talmud, "before the bumt-ofl'ering? Because it is like an intercessor who

". the intercessor has appeased (him), the gift follows חenters (to appease the king): whe

. 5 : 1 15. Sotah

AH J. COHEN סN 240

Deve!oped view 0/

"Korban" inscription

wilh inVerled birds

Fragmenl 01 leg 0/

stone vessel bearing

inscriplion "Korban"

Wilh ;nverled b;rds

-em," Jer., J 969. Reproduced by per וa יבFrorn: B. Mazar - "Excaval;OnS in lhe O/d Cily 01 Jeru (

) miss;on 01 the aUlhor

Relie/ 01 Egyplian Princess Kawil, 111h Dynasly.sacri{icial S/aughler 01 FowJ, Lowest Regisler.

(Reproduct!d from: Walther Woif - Die KunSI Aegyptens, Stuttgarl, 1957)

A congregalion or Bible sludy group may wish 10 honor one 0/ ils

members by sponsoring a special issue 0/ Dor le Dor. We shall be happy

10 dedicale such an issue 10 Ihe honoree. Please wrile 10 Ihe EdilOr, Dor

L-_________________ k __ D_o_~~fi_o_r~fi_ur_l_he_r_d_e_l_a.'_·~_. ________________ .-J

THE HE8REW ELEMENT IN EVERY­DAY ENGLISH SOME AFTERTHOUGHTS

BY GABRIEL SIVAN

No short series of talks or articles can possibly do justice to the vast subject

or (Vol. XI, No.3 - Vol. XII, No. 2), and 1 am grateful ·סor le סthat 1 tackled in

1984 to the readers whose enlightening observations were published in the Spring

. issue. That correspondence now prompts the following supplementary notes

1 , If, as previously, a light·hearted tone can be detected here occasionally

, would attribute this to the abiding influence of two lamented senior colleagues

both ז"ל,and Rabbi Professor Louis 1. Rabinowitz ז"לProfessor CeciI Roth

eachers and friends of mine, who had a keen sense of humor and were fond of !

· Biblical puns.] In any case, as the Mishnah points ou!, our Hebrew Bible is an in

exhaustible mine of information: "Turn it this way, !urn it that way, everything is

.) 5.25 in it" (Avot

MORE BIBLICAL PHRASES AND PROVERBIAL EXPRESSIONS

Just to show how my earlier survey merely skimmed the surface of this topic

and how many more telling examples can be ci!ed, here are three instructive se­

quences based on elements derived from the Tanakh.

New recruits in many an army unit are awakened at the crack of dawn by the

sergeant's cry of "Rise and shine!" (Isa. 60:1). When the enemy's lates! position

needs to be pinpointed, scouts are dispatched on a reconnaissance mission "to

1. Oxford's onetime Reader in Jewish Studies would ma]ntain a straight face and quote Proverbs

15:1 when cautioning pupils that "8 soft answer turneth away Roth".

The Bible and Civi/izalion and co-author 0/ Judaism A-Z. is a ןסDr. Gabriel Sivan, aUlhor

ed 10 Israel in 1967, was וmember ojthe EdiloriaI Board 0/ Dor le·Dor. Born jn Eng/and. he emigra

0/ education with the זQne 0/ the editors 0/ the Encyclopaedia Judajca, and later served as directo

rican Zionist Federation. He is currently div;sional editor 01 World Literaturejor the new ןSouth A

. language lsrae/ Encyclopaedia in Jerusalem ~ Hebrelv

---------------

GABRIEL SIVAN 242

spy out the land" (Num. 13:16). After a merciless bombardment, however, when

the commander is "at his last gasp" (2 Macc. 7 :9), it takes "one man in a 28) to rally his forces and shatter the enemy "with the edge : ך. thousand" (Eccles

.) 24 : 21 . of the sword" (Num A politician whose reputation hitherto was "whiter than snow" (Ps. 51 :7) may

. suddenly fmd himself "in the wilderness" (Num. 1 :1), facing "lean years" (Gen

" 41 :27), because of some ill-considered action which is "a stain on his honor

-Ben Sira 33 :22). Political opponents will then crow, "How are the mighty fal (

. len!" (2 Sam. 1 :25), mocking the other side's adherent as "a broken reed" (Isa

36:6; cf. 2 Kings 18:21). In such a case he may feel that "every man's hand is

against birn" (Gen. 16:12), but he would be well advised to cease "halting

. between two opinions" (1 Kings 18:21) and to "set his house in order" (Isa

38:1). For once reparation has been made, the time may be near when "the sun

.) 20 : 3 . of righteousness shall arise with healing in its wings" (Mal

" As for the man who exploits the less fortunate, "grinding the faces of the poor

Isa. 3:15) and ignoring the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12) ofconscience, he (

is merely "wise in his own conceit" (Prov. 26:12). The few charitable acts that he

demonstratively performs are "a drop in a bucket" (Isa. 40:15), since he chooses

.) 13:1 to forget that "one cannot touch pitch without being defiled" (8en Sira

.) 28 : 19 That, after all, is "the root of the matter" (Job

PROPER NAMES OF HISTORICAL AND LITERARY SIGNIFICANCE

My third survey was a necessarily brief treatment of Biblical proper names in

English and other European languages. Often enough, as the correspondence

published indicates, even Jews (and Israelis) are unaware of a given name's Biblical origin.' How many people, nowadays, have any idea that Elisheva is the

source of "Mona Lisa," tbe popular designation for Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of "La Gioconda," or that a village in Galilee (Magdala) lent its name to the pop­

ular French song, Madelon?

Let us now consider just a few of the famous men and wornen who have borne less familiar 8iblical Hebrew names: Abel Tasman, the Dutch seaman and ex-

for ך;is well taken (regarding Adlal 2,ח. The point made by ooe reader, Toviah Shahar of Londo

. 27:29 . accuracy's sake, however, readers should note that the correct source is 1 Chron

243 HEBREW ELEMENTS IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH

, plorer; Adam Mickiewicz, the Polish nationa! poet; Baruch (Benedict) Spinoza

; the Dutch philosopher; Caieb Cushing, the American lawyer and diplomat

Enoch Powell, the British conservative politician; Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, the

German dramatist; Warren Gamaiiei Harding, the 29th U.S. President; Heber

Jedediah Grant, the American Mormon leader; Hephzibah Menuhin, Yehudi's

, pianist sister; Sir lsaiah Berlin, the British philosopher; Jenny (Johanna) Lind

the "Swedish Nightingale", Jethra Tull, the British farming pioneer; Manuei de

Falla, the Spanish composer; Mariene Dietrich, the German·born singer and

-actress; Nahum Tate, the English dramatist and poet laureate; Phineas T. Bar

;" um, whose travelling circus gained renown as "The Greatest Show on Earth ת

-Tabias Smollett, the English novelist; and iZachary Taylor, the 12th U.S. Presi !. d.n

Among those deserving a place among the many hundreds of celebrated

figures who bore well known given names of Biblica! origin would be Edna

Ferber, the American writer; lsaac Babel, the Russian author and .journa1ist; Sir

Joshua Reynolds, the English painter; Jean Jacques Rousseau, the Swiss-bom

philosopher; Miguel de Cervantes, the Spanish novelist; and two great French

'. actresses, Mlle. Rachel (Elisa Felix) and Sarah Bernhardt The strongly rooted Biblica! tradition in, North America obviously accounts

for the appellations of the frontiersman Daniel Boone and the outlaw Jesse

-J ames, but we shouJd not overlook three soldierly heroes of the Revolution

-Ethan Allen, lsrael Putnam and Nathanael Greene - as well as the pioneer ex

ihu Yale was וan M. Pike. E וplorersElisha Kane, lsaac lsrael Hayes and Zebu

the Anglo-American merchant in whose honor the New Haven university was

named, and it is perhaps worth noting that two eminent American lexicographers

were Yale's president, Naah Porter, and Naah Webster, the architect ofWebster's

Dictionary. By a similar coincidence, in England, both Josiah Wedgwood and a father, so and grandson named Jasiah Spode became famous as designers and

. manufacturers of fme pottery Readers will, of course, be aware that a significant proportion of the world's

literature has been devoted to personalities and issues stemming from the

3. To this roster we might add Gabriel Daniei Fahrenheit. the German physicist whose name has

become a household word.

GABRIEL SIVAN 244

Tanakh.' Though of lesser importance, the use (often symbolically) of Biblical

-names in non··Scripturalliterary works is also deserving of attention. Two exam

. ples will suffice Herman Melville's novel, Moby-Dick (1851), based on the author's knowledge

and experience of whaling, is a great adventure story that has been called "the

world's greatest sea novel." The narrator, Ishmael, describes Captain Ahab's

mad and tragic pursuit ofthe monstrous white whale, Moby-Dick; two other sea

gure in this tale of man's struggle against fate and evil are named וfcaptains who

Bildad and Peleg, while one of the ships involved is the Rachel. Such Biblically

. inspired symbolism is a powerful ingredient in Melville's masterpiece

in giת It was to make amends for the controversial, anti-Semitic portrayal of Fa

. gure of Mr וfOliver Twist (1837·39) that Charles Dickens later included the

, Riah, "the gentle Jew," in Our Mutual Friend (1865). Uriah Heep is, of course

the scheming enemy of the hero in Dickens' famous novel, David Copperjield

1850). The Barnaby of Barnaby Rudge (1841), which deals with the "No (

Popery" Riots of 1780 instigated by Lord George Gordon (who subsequentIy

embraced Judaism), is a name derived from the Hebrew Bar-navi, "son of the 5 ". prophet

SOME PARTING CURIOSITIES

Jeroboam and Jehu were ruJers of Israel, and Rehoboam ruled Judah, after the

Division of the Kingdom. Their names have entered the English language in a

most curious way. Thus, Jeroboam - "a mighty man of valor" (1 Kings 11 :28)

- has inspired the designation for a wine bottIe of 8 - 12 tirnes the normal size,

perhaps because his excesses "made Israel to sin" (1 Kings 14:16). Another over­size container for ,liquor is similarly known as a rehoboam. Elsewhere, the Bible

records Jehu's organization of a revolt against the house of Ahab, which

culminated in the massacre of Jezebel and her farnily. Since he drove "furiously"

, World Literature" (The Bih/e and Civi/izalion מBiblica] Themes and Echoes i " 4מס. My chapter

, 1973) runs to 100 pages but cannot claim to have exhausted the subject. At the time of writing

-Professor Sol Liptzin's new book, BibJica/ Themes in Wor/d Literature, was scheduled for publica

. New York מition

. 4:36 S. Christian sources, however, give various interpretations to the Levite Barnabas of Acts

245 N EVERYDAY ENGLISH יHEBREW ELEMENTS

oody mission (2 Kings 9:20), any fast driver of a coach or cab וete his b וto comp . is sometimes called a jehu

The name Joachim derives from Jehoiakim or Jehoiachin, the father and son

-34 : 23 onian conquest (2 Kings וed over Judah before the Baby וast ru וwho

, 24:15). Two eminent Frenchmen who bore this name were the Renaissance poet

ry commander, Marshal Joachim וeon's great cava וay, and Napo ווJoachim du Be

icated in Hitler's "Final וy enough, the Nazi Foreign minister imp וMurat. Ironical

ution" and hanged as a war criminal after the Nuremberg Trials was Joachim וSo von Ribbentrop. Even a cursory glance at recent history indicates, however, that

ical וt no compunction over retaining their Bib וmany notorious anti· Semites fe

, the American Fascist poet and traitor וHebrew given names: one need only recal

. s וEzra Pound, and the Nazi propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbe

e וe and the truths enshrined in it, as weU as Judaism, the Jewish peop וur Bib ס

aughts in this and every future וe ons וhosti וwill survive al ו,and the State of Israe

y require no sourc. quotations to justify that וe· Dor sure וage. Readers of Dor

. ief וfirm be

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THE BEE IN THE BIBLE AND MIDRASH

BY S.P. TOPEROFF

This is Ihe Ihird arl/c/e on Ihe A .• ima/ Kingdom in Jewish Thoughl,

Ihe previous Iwo (THE ASS, THE ANT) appearing in Vol XIII:l,

and XIII:3

The Bee in Hebrew 'Deborah' was a popular female narne in the days of Ihe

.) 35:8 patriarchs, thus the nurse of Rebekah was called Deborah (Genesis

Farnous in Jewish history was Deborah, one of the seven prophetesses whom

God raised in lsrael; she judged lsrael under the palm-tree of Deborah between

.) 4 Rarnah and Beth·El (Judges Chapter

The word Deborah is probably derived from the rool 'daber' 10 speak and may

. refer 10 the constant humming noise of the Bee

The Bee is mentioned often in Tanakh but it is questionable if bee-culture

originated with our people. ln Deut. 1 :44 the wild bee is compared to a hostile

army; this is understandable when we realise that the average swarm of bees is

-about 30,000; compare Psalm 118:12 'They compass me about like bees' - be

. ing surrounded on all sides by 1arge numbers of bees

18 we have a possible reference 10 enticing the bee into a hive. The ך:In lsaiah

overt reference to bees is found in Judges 14:8 where a swarm ofbees is found in

the body of a dead lion. Normally bees would not approach a dead carcass for -they shun anything that has a bad odour but here the sweltering heat of the sum

mer dried up the body of the lion and attracted Ihe bees 10 nest there; Herodolus

. records how bees and honeycombs were found in a skull

-As far as organisational ski1l and ability are concerned, bees have been com

. Rabbi S.P. Toperoff, RabbiEmeritus o!the United Hebrew Congregation ojNewcasl/e upon Tyne

. Eng/and. now resides jn lsrae/. He is lhe author 0/ Elernai Ljfe, Echad mi Yodea and Lev Avot

in Jewish חזHe is currently engaged in preparing a vo/ume 10 be entilled: The AnimaJ Kingdo

. Thought

247 THE BEE IN THE BIBLE AND MIDRASH

pared to ants and it is interesting to remember that whilst ants are called a peo­

ple, (Proverbs 30:25) here bee,s are designated an 'edah' a congregation. The

BDB interprets this word to mean 'properly, a company assembled together or

acting concertedly'. This seems to describe the work of the bees. It is worthy of

note that the Septuagint on Proverbs 6:8 supplies us with the added information

that the qualities ascribed to the bees are also found in the ants. Both 'people' and 'congregation' are honourable titles and convey similar interpretation. The bees

are not only called a congregation, indeed, they also serve the congregation or

community, for they have been responsible for sweetening the palates of the

world community with their honey. Until the 18th century honey was the basic source for sweetening.

-Canaan is described as a land 'flowing with milk and honey', a Biblical expres

sion often found in Tanakh and it suggests that large quantities of honey were

collected from wild bees making their homes in rocks and hollow trees. Compare

Psalm 81: I 7: and with honey out 0/ the rock would 1 satis/y thee. One writer

Keil) remarks that milk and honey are products of a land rich in grass and (

flowers. It seems that both articles were abundantly produced in Canaan even

. 14:26 when it was in a state of devastation; see Judges 14:8 and I Samuel ; ey 'devash' occurs no less than 48 times in Tanakh מThe Hebrew word for ho

sometimes the word denotes fertility and abundance. It is also used in a figurative

sense as in Psalm 19:1 I where the ordinances of the Lord are described as

24:14 sweeter than honey and the honeycomb'; in Genesis 43:11 and Ezekiel '

. there is a reference to honey being exported

In the Talmudic period Apiculture was a recognised industry and honey was

considered a very precious commodity; it was a sixtieth as sweet as the Biblical

manna (Berachot 5 7b) and to children manna had the taste of honey (Y oma 75b). A large number of preparations included honey and we have both a beverage and a food consisting of honey. The former was called 'nomelim' (Shab­bat 139b) and thc latter 'rihata' (Berachot 37b). Honey was also used for medicinal purposes (Berachot 44b, Shabbat 46b and 154a and Bava Metzia 38a).

Many people today follow this Talmudic example for health re':sons. The

Mishnah deals with rendering bees impotent by giving them mustard leaves (Bava Bathra 80a) and according to one writer 'this proves that the Jews in

248 s. P. TOPEROFF

Babylonia were skiUed in Apiculture' (Newman 'Agricultural Iife of Jews in

.) 134 . Babylonia' p

In one respect honey was strictly forbidden to be used, namely in the sacrificial

rites as formulated in Leviticus 2:11: You shall make no leaven nor any honey smoke as an o.fJering made by jire unlo Ihe Lord. Commenting on this verse

Maimorndes observes that idolaters chose sweet things for their sacrifices which

they seasoned with honey. Our law therefore, forbade us to ofTer leaven or

honey: 'Guide For The Perplexed' p. 360 Friedlander's edition. This view of

oborated by the following data: the lncas of Peru ofTered up חMaimonides is cO

honey as a sacrifice to the sun, the Babylonians built their temples on ground

consecrated by honey and Kama the Hindoo god of Love used a bow, the strings

. of which were made of bees

In Jewish tradition hnney is used on the Eve of Rosh Hashannah, the New

Year, when we dip apple in honey to symbolise the sweetness of the approaching

. year

A very beautiful and fascinating custom was obtained in the 12th and 13th

centuries among a number of communities in France, Germany and England. On

Shavuot which commemorates the giving of the Torah on Sinai, the Jewish child

-at the age of three was escorted to the Synagogue to receive his flTst Hebrew les

son. He was placed in a position of honour on the Bimah and at the conclusion of

the Service, a slate (with some ofthe Hebrew letters ofthe a1phabet written on it

the previous day) is brought to the child. Each letter is smeared over with honey

-and as soon as the child repeats after the Rabbi the narne of the letter, he is a1

-lowed to Iick the honey covering the letter. What an unforgettable lesson! Nor

mally learning the Hebrew a1phabet can be a duU and insipid exercise but

through this custom the child was introduced to the Torah which became literally

. as sweet as honey f the child is naturally attracted to sweet things, Jewish history has furnished ן

us with many examples of outstanding personalities who have been inspired by

Torah - true Judaism to see design wonder, purpose and sweetness in God's

creation. One such distinguished figure is the Jewish mediaeval philosopher

Joseph Albo who was enchanted by the ways and habits of the bees and made a

profound and extensive study of them as we learn from the following passage

: which is replete with the sweet wisdom and abounding love of Divine Providence

THE BEE IN THE BIBLE AND MIDRASH 249

'Tbe bee would not so far as the nature of its own substance is concerned, have

the intelligence to build the waxen cells containing the honey in the form of a hex­

agon, but it owes this intelligence to G'. The advantage of the hexagonal form is

that it is similar to the circle which is the natural form but this is superior to the

circle because in the figure of a hexagon a body that is made up of adjacent hex­

ngons has the vacant space between them all fIlled and there is no empty space

left, whereas, ifthe ceUs were circular in the shape of a cylinder and placed in.jux­

taposition there would remain a vacant space between them that would be

wasted! (Ikkarim Vol.l p.40).

Even more descriptive and informative is the foUowing remarkable passage:

'The bee would find the nectar useless if she could not transport it; therefore

she possesses a sac in which to carry the nectar to the hive. But nectar is a light

substance which evaporates and cannot be stored, therefore, the bee possesses a

tiny factory in her body which produces an enzyme which is injected into the

nectar and causes it to congeal into honey. However, honey must be properly

stored to endure and the bee needs some place to keep her young ones, so she

therefore possesses another tiny laboratory which produces wax. But animals

relish honey and against their depredations the beehive would not be safe,

therefore the bee is equipped with a flaming sword to repel invaders and so

another little laboratory produces an irritating poison which the bee injects with

its sting into the body of its enemy. However, if the bee was armed wilh such a

weapon, it would become a menace 10 the world. Therefore its sting is barbed

and cannot be withdrawn and the bee is thereby eviscerated; it stings but once

and faUs dead; only the Queen Bee, which must repeatedly use its sting to kill 0!T the unneeded bees, possesses an unbarbed sting' (Rejoice 0 Youth, A. MiUer p.

16). Finally a halachic ruling: Tbe bee as an insect is forbidden to be eaten but tbe

honey it produces is kosher because the honey originates in the flowers and the

bee is no more tban a synthetizing agent. Compare Bechoroth 6a, HuUin 63a,

Yoreh Deah 81 :1.

PROVERBIAL SAYINGS

As tbe bee gathers for its owner so Israelites accumulate merits and good

deeds for the glory of their Father in Heaven.

TOPEROFF .}י"י . S 250

Away from the hive the bee pines and dies, similarly when man is isolated from

society or shares insufficiently in its activities, he su!Ters from solitary confme­

ment and mental troubles appear ..

To obtain a livelihood from a man is often compared to obtaining honey from

a bee and is accompanied by a sting.

While honey lies in every f!ower, it takes a bee to get the honey out.

Men say to the bee, neither of your honey, nor of your sting.

The Law is compared to honey; as honey is sweet so are the words ofthe Law

(Psalm 19:11). But as in honey there is wax, lest one should suppose that it is so

with the Law, it is also compared with milk; as milk is pure, so is the Law. But as

milk is tasteless, therefore the Law is compared to milk and honey combined, for

as these two together are good for the body so with the Law, as it says il shall be

heqllh 10 your body and healing 10 your jlesh (Proverbs 3 :8). Commenting on the

verse in the Song of Songs (4:11) your /ips 0 my bride, drop as Ihe honey jrom

the comb; honey and milk are under your tongue, R. Jose ben Hanina said: He

who speaks words of Torah in public, if his words are not as pleasant to his

hearers as honey from the comb, he had better not speak at all. The Rabbis say:

He who speaks words of Torah in public, if his words are not as pleasant to his

hearers as honey and milk mixed together, he had better not speak at all. A book on the transmigration of souls declares that the proud man after death

will become a bee. The reason is as follows - an arrogant man is always boasting

and saying: 1 arn a writer, 1 am a scholar etc. '1 arn' in Yiddish is 'Ich bin' and bee

in Yiddish is 'bin'.

The Besht quoting Psalm 19:11 said that the words of the Torah are more

desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. He commented further that gold is unsatisfying as no person is ever content with the amount of gold he possesses;

honey is exceedingly sweet but it is unpleasant to the sated person. The Torah,

however, is both satisfying and pleasant.

NOAH AND THE ARK REEXAMINED Z זBY CHAIM ABRAMOWI

With the exception of the actual story of creation, all the historical tales of the

-Bible are rooted in human awareness. As those stories all happened within the ex

perience of mankind they were passed on by word of mouth and probably known

tllroughout the inhabited world. Those who had mastered the art of reading and

. writing commited some of those stories to writing, each as he remembered them

The biblical version is authentic and authoritative to us because it is included in

. our Torah. An outstanding example of the above is the story of Noah

With the story of Noah the Bible takes us out of the Era of Creation, the

, period that began with the emergence of life on earth, to the Era of Civilization

the period of successful continuity of life and development. That Noah was the

-link between these two eras is evident by the fact that his lifespan was antedilu

vian (950 years), while that ofhis children shrank to six hundred and kept rapidly

diminishing. The transition from the one era to another was marked, as were

almost alI transitional periods since, by a violent upheavel. The Era of Creation

ended with a cataclysmic event of such a destructive nature that it left its imprint

. on the memory of its few survivors, and on that of their children, for generations

numbers, they tried to learn to live מiIn the course of time, as mankind increased

together, but were overzealous in their efTorts. As seen in the story of the tower of

Babel' they tried to do it by crowding together in a small area. It was only

through divine intervention that they separated and spread out in order to inhabit

. the world

, Eventually as they regrouped into separate families and tribes, and nations

its own way the story of the catac1ysm, and the מieach "remembered" and retold

reason for it. To believers in polytheism, to whom gods were so many individual

supermen", subject to the whims and foibles of ordinary human beings, it was "

obvious that the gods had human reasons for bringing the flood. They formed

. 9 ,· 1:1 ] 1. Genesis

interesing ana1ysis of tbe Gilgamesh Epic and the story of Noah see Cassuto "From 2מ. For a

eiform Literature by 1. Rapaport in תBihlical and CU מThe Flood Story i סNoah to Abraham", Als

. 95 . Dor Le Dor Vol 12 00.2 p

Chaim Abramowitz servedas Educat(onal DireClor ojTemple Hille/ in Valley Stream.N. Y.Hecame

. r סon Aliyah in 1973. He is Assislanl Editor oj Dor /e D

CHAIM ABRAMOWITZ 252

men out of clay to do their work for them. When the people they formed became

too boisterous and disturbed their rest and sleep, they should be destroyed. At a

ne god leaked information to ס. secret council the gods decided to flood the world

her favorite human and instructed him to build a very large boat so that he and

his family and crew plus his live stock would be saved. The gods were chagrined

, but felt better after Utnapishtim otfered them a sacrifice. To believers in one God

devoid of human emotions and attributes, but is a11 powerful and just, saw in the

cataclysm divine retribution for the sins of mankind. Mankind must be destroyed

, but will be given another chance through the one family worth saving. However

instead of keeping his decision a secret He told Noah about the reason for the

. coming flood and gave him enough time to warn his neighbors

נחחרלדרחאלה

-This is the story of Noah". Noah was a man of his generation. He was sub "

ject to the hardships and temptations of his time, but unlike his neighbors, he was

-he com ינררמעצבויממעלנרינחמנר,רה"'. was true to his name נח. not self centered

forted and helped his neighbors. Up to his generation man had learned to live

with himself, his god, and the world around him. He had worked hard to tame the

-earth and make it bring forth fruits and vegetables and he had s\lcceeded in tam

ing some of the animals and domesticating them for his own use '. However, he

had not learned to live with his fellow man. Cain and Abel, according to the

Midrash,' divided the world between themselves. Cain, the farmer, took the earth

and Abel, the shepherd, took the animals, with the understanding that they would

1 divide the products evenly. At the fU"st crisis, Cain said, "The earth is mine and

wi11 not share it with you. Take your animals and get otf my earth". That trait of

Cain, the trait of extreme selfishness, of unwillingness to share with others, let us

'Cainism", passed on to his descendants. Tbe idea of "what is mine is ~ cal} it

mine" deteriorated into "what 1 would like to have is also mine". The Torah hints

They were the אליחם.בניat this by preceding the flood story with that of the

-the daughters of the common peo אדם,מבנרחthe men of might who took גיבר'ים,

3. See my comment on Names in Vo] 10 no.3 p.190. Abel, the shepherd a1ready domesticated sheep.

4. Breshit Rabba 22.

253 THE ARK REEXAMINED

whenever and whomsoever (hey chose, moraIs, decency and בחרןאשר,מכ"לpIe

'. consideration no(withs(anding

bu( Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, no( as an act of חזמצא,ונח

He " חיה.תמיס." Noah was a righteous man " צדיקאיש,נחfavoritism, but because

with his compatriots", His neighbors, however, brought " ברודותיו" was perfect

he (ime ( בשרכל,קץ.( abou( (heir inevi(abIe destruction through their misconduc

had arrived". But the righteous Noah and his " לפניבא"ror (heir inevi(abIe end

famiIy, and aII Iife, shouId be given a second chance. At first gIance, the

a חיבהprocedure ror doing so seems simple enough. God toId Noah to buiId a

rectanguIar box, or ark, three hundred cubits long (500 feet) by fifty cubits wide

15 83:33)by thirty cubi(s high (50 ft.). The ark should be three stories high (about (

f(. each s(orey) wherein he, his sons, their wives, one pair (male and femaIe) of

-each kind of animaI and bird, pIus seven pairs of (he pure animaIs, and a suf

ficien( suppIy of food, wouId find refuge during (he coming l100d which wiII

, enguIf aU Iiving beings on ear(h. However, when one anaIyses the factuaI detaiIs

one is conrron(ed wi(h some serious doub(s ahout their feasability. There appears

-matter how strange or ex סto be a tremendous gap between what is possible, n

traordinary (he even(, and what is absoIu(eIy impossibIe, even wi(h divine or

miracuIous in(erven(ion. It is physicaIIy impossibIe (0 house all the animaIs, some

83.33 as Iarge as (he eIephan(, or (he rhinoceros to fit on a 1100r space 500 by

.'( fee(, even if we disregard (he need for freedom of movemen

means a window or a precious s(one is imma(eriaI. Neither couId צהרWhether

( i( give enough Iigh( or air to iIIumina(e or to aera(e aII (hree s(ories. The ark mus

ha,'e been dark and sufToca(ing and impossibIe (0 Iive in for an en(ire year. It is

difficu!( (0 foIlow Rabbi Meyer's statemen( that "(here was one s(one hung in (he

middIe of the ark (ha( illuminated i( Iike (he sun" since there were 1100rs be(ween

each s(orey. Rabbi Yudan was probabIy cIoser (0 the (ruth when he said that if

he were there he would break the ark and getט ut without waiting for permission .ך

. 4 · 6:1 5. Genesis

s dismissai ofthe problem that "whoever raises this and similar" problems is unaware 6י. Cassuto

of the poetic beauty and high moral standards of the story, begs thc question: Js this beautiful story

intended to be a figment ofthe author's imagination or did he belicve it to be factually true? lfit is

. the latter, then the story must be factually possibIe

. 59 7. Yalkut Shimoni

CHAIM ABRAMOWITZ 254

· The ark was eleven cubits (18.33) in the water.6 The weight ofthe ark and its en

· tire cargo weighed 33,000 tons, according to its water displacement. Even ac

cording to the most conservative estimate the weight of the animals alone would

. exceed that , t is inconceivable that the writer of the story whether he was divinely inspired ו

-or divinely dictated to, was unaware of the above, as well as some other incon

sistencies. The fact that he and his readers were unaware of obstacles, meant that

their understanding of some of the words and phraseology was difTerent from

shall try to re-examine the story by paying close attention to the text and ו. ours

. takc into consideration modern science, natural laws, and other conditions

pointed out in a·previous article', God does nothing for man, which man וAs

can do for himself. God could have f100ded the world and left the area around

Noah dry for his family and for the animals, but since Noah had the capability of

saving himself, there was no need to alter the laws of nature. He was given

-specific instructions about building the ark becayse, lacking sea-going ex

perience, he could not possibly think of it himself. The ark was not needed for

navigation but for staying af10at until the waters receded; it was therefore f1at

and rectangular, unlike a boat that comes to a point in front for cutting through

the water. If, according to our sages, it took him one hundred years to build the

ark, then his children were small when he began, and he needed outside help. His

neighbors probably helped him, but when he told them the re.son, they m.y have

laughed at the old man10 just .s the sons·in·law of Lot laughed when they were 11 . told that Sodom would be destroyed

Among the instructions there is the ill·understood verseיאללת'בהתעשהצהר

A light you shall m.ke to the Ark and you shall fmish it to a cubit " תכלנה,אמא

the time צהרים-,תםםתis associated with the word צהרupwards". The word

when the light of the sun is brightest. Some take it to mean • window since •חליז

-window is mentioned later. The window was closed and as glass was not in -

vented until a long time later, it had to be opaque. Some of our sages realized it

the matter. This would mean that the 8חס. See Rashi to vs. 8:4 for the mathematical argument

. entrance door was completely submerged during most of the time

. Le Dor" Vol. 10 no.4 pp.234-S 9ז. "Do

. 10. Sanhedrin 108b

. 19:14 esis 11מ. Ge

255 THE ARK REEXAMINED

and came up with the idea of a precious s(one. But a diamond only reflects light

-and is useless in the dark, and if this precious stone were something extra

ordinary which God created for this purpose, then the verse would read: "1 will

you wilI make". The second half of the verse is .just as " חעשהmake" instead of

difficult. Does the "it" refer to theצהר or to the?ח'בה The feminine endingחכלנה

ur commentators difTer on whether two side walIs ס. would indicate the latter

sloped upwards to a cubit from each other at the top or whether the four walIs

sloped upwards like a pyramid. Neither of the two sound reasonable since it

would reduce usable space within the ark considerably .. In my opinion it means

that the walls which would be nailed on to a wooden frame fifty feet high would

finish it to a cubit from the -מלמעלהחכלנהאמאואל. erminate 20 inches short (

top. This would provide a twenty inch opening all around immediately under the

There was no danger of it raining in (מכסה).roof - here calIed a covering

because there is no mention of wind in the description of the flood. This wide

opening alI around near the top of the ark provided light and fresh air through the

-connccting stairways to all three floors. However, because it was too high, a win . dow had to be built for easy access to the outside when necessary

God told Noah to take two of each kind of animal, male and female, into the

ark. As our Sages have rightly expressed it in their own picturesque way: God

. with you". Noah demurred (חכ'א)said to Noah: "Two of each you shall take

Am 1 hunter that 1 should capture all those animals?" God then assured him " -will come of their own accord. There are two other expres כיאו'that two of each

-ac " למיניהם,sions that deserve our attention. In addition to the customary

cording to their kind", we also find,למשפחותיהם " of their families", andאיש

man and wife", in addition to male and female. Another division, strange " ואשתו

ot pure". Each of these terms "טהירלאחpure" and " טהירat this point, is between is notjust a stylistic variation in nomenclature. They are clues to the problem of

. overcrowding

Creation began at a central point, presumably in or near to what is the lraq of

today, the traditional site of the Garden of Eden. From there they spread out in

everwidening radius, evolving into difTerent species, each species becoming a מa

family of difTerent kinds. In our own day, for instance, the cat, lion, tiger and

12. lbn Ezra, Targum Onkelos.

CHAIM ABRAMOWITZ 256

other מd fox to a מe family (Felis); tbe dog, wolf, .jackel a מg to o מleopard belo

ce מd ox to a third (Bos), etc!' Si מfamily (Canedae); and the cow, goat, sheep, a

only about sixteen centuries elapsed since creation, neither man nor animal could

each מds have developed i מor could too many ki מeld afו dered too far מhave wa

d מly two of each family a מto take o למשפתרתך,family group. The Torah stresses

ow that מafter the f1ood. We also k מagai מt would begi מary developme מevolutio

the מe female, as we find i מo מg some species a male requires more tha מamo

". relative numbers of males to females in the gift Jacob sent to his brother Esau

like a man and his wife. These -ראשתרא'ש-e מIn the ark they were one to o

to preserve life after the בשרכללהח'רתs served the double purpose of מlimitatio

umber of occupants in the ark to a size מd at the same time to limit the תf100d a

. that would be comfortable and liveable

a מThis, in turn created other problems. The life span among insects is less tha

year, and the gestation periods among some animals may be ,everal times during

the year, and one had to be certaiמ thatמ either of the pair in the ark was barre.מ

d decrease by death מot be tolerated, a תumbers could ממcrease i מce an i מSi

of the "family", death and procreation had to be מihilatio מthe a מwould mea

-ur Sages said that sexual activity was for ס. suspended during the year in the ark

d their clue in the phraseology that when God told Noah to מbidden. They fou

enter the ark, He said "you and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives", men

separate and women separate. When they left He said, "you and your wife, your 15 . sons and their wives". Con.jugal life could now begin again

AII a'ntediluvian life was herbivorous, and Noah had no idea that meat would

which we translate as "pure" and by טהרbe permitted after the f1ood. Therefore

which we designate those animals which we may eat or sacrifice to God, could

not have meant the same to Noah. To him and his generation, animals may have

-been grouped into those that were tamed, domesticated and therefore useful

lt is reasonable that, for טהר.לאand tbose that were wild and useless טהר,

pairs of the useful animals should be preserved while מpragmatic reasons, seve

-only one pair of the others would suffice. The traditional l6 reason that the ad

13. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

14. Genesis 32: 15·16.

15. Yalkut Shimoni 9b.

16. See Rashi to Genesis 7:2.

257 THE ARK REEXAMINED

-ditionaJ pure animaJs were for sacrificiaJ purposes does not explain why pairs

. maJe and femaJe - were needed

We see that the answers to aII the questions were provided in the method of

. narration and depended on our proper understanding of the terminology

refers to the originaJ pre·evolutionary farnilies. There was no למשפחותיהס

means Iimiting the waJls to 20 inches תבלנואמהאלproblem of congestion, and if

and air, then (צהר)below the roof, leaving a 20 inch opening aJl around for light

there was neither darkness nor sufTocation. Noah did everything that was

, humanly possible for him to do. He built the ark, assembled and stored the food

fcd and cared for the animaJs, etc. Tbere were only five details which necessitated

. divine assistance. The instructions and waming had to come from God

He created the instinct in certain animaJs and birds to gravitate toward the ark

and suspended death and procreation until they left the ark. And lastly, though

-Noah waterproofed the entire ark inside and out, he could not waterproofthe out

t was God בעדודי!."סגרside of the entrance door. The Bible refers to it by saying

who waterproofed the outside of that door. Each of the above is within the range

of possibility and none of them conilict with our understanding of naturaJ or

BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN THE POETICAL WORKS OF CH. N. BIALIK

BY LEILA BRONNER

Bialik was among those creative personalities, unique in the annals of literary

history who, when he appeared, set his starnp upon the life and spiritual creativity

of his age. His style and symbols are drawn from a literary tradition which spans

the whole corpus of Hebrew literature, commencing with the Biblical period, the

Talmud, the Aggadah, Rabbinic and medieval works to the latest literary creation

written by his contemporaries. The concordance to the poetry of Bialik published

by Shoshan and Segal shows that ofthe 5,637 words he used in his poetry, 79,8% is

the language ofthe Bible, 15,4% is the language ofthe Talmud and Midrash, 1,8% is

Medieval language, 2,2% is Modern Hebrew and less than 0,08% are original

words created by Bialik. I

The poet's manner of choosing and arranging words is usually described as con·

stituting his style. But when one asks on what grounds certain words are chosen,

ordered and arranged, one is raising the whole problem of form, for style in the

larger sense is essentiaUy form. A reading of Bialik's poems indicates that he most

frequently employed Biblical vocabulary, words, phrases, metaphors, making his

style predominantly Biblical with Talmudic, medieval and modern overtones.

More significantly, he constantly aUudes to the context wherein these words occur

in the Bible and either alters or challenges, reverses or inverts their meaning, dis­

rupting the traditional intent, giving his poetry a variety oftone, colour and feeling.

Bialik's vast knowledge enabled him not on\y to reproduce old phrases in

pastiche fashion, but to forge a new idiom from the Biblical and other traditional

sources which were able to meet the literary needs of a modern literature. He freed

modern Hebrew poetry from the bonds of the Haskalah pastiche and rhetoric, yet

I Shoshan E., SegaJ Y., Konkordanzyah /e-Shiral Bia[ik (1960)

lhe ןLeila L. Bronner (D. Litt.), AssQc;ale Pro!essor. Department 0/ Hebrew studies, Un;versity o

\'atersand. Johannesburg, is well known as an academic author and leclurer. She has pub/jshed ~ Wit

various universities 11וIallY books and papers on Biblical and hislorical subjects and has lectured a

. la_v audiences on Biblical and hislorical themes in America and lsrael סוand

259 BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN BIALIK

his literary style remained essentially Biblical. He employed the linguistic sym·

bolism, prophetic allegories and parallelism from Biblical sources, but sparked

them with new life and new meaning. He mastered the vast Hebrew sources from

within, enabling him to create his phrasing in the image of Biblical diction. His

language was rooted in the past, yet speaking to the needs of the present.

NOT A PROPHET

Bialik is not a prophet, as the critics of his generation often claimed. He often

employed the prophetic diatribe to put his point across, particularly in his poems of

wrath. Bialik's dominant theme, the crisis offaith, which confronted him and his

generation as it broke with the sheltered and confmed medieval Jewish religious

culture ofits childhood and desperately tried to hold on to aJewish way oflife and

. thought in the new secularised world in which it found itself, is also anti prophetic

The prophet, a god··intoxicated being, was a person whose faith rarely faltered. He

might occasionally question God's .justice, but it is but a fleeting mood to be

· replaced by the belief in His ability, power and wisdom to establish justice ultimate

Iy. "Prophecy is the expression ofthe world's soul, poetry gives expression to the

". individual's 80ul

Though Bialik employs the elevated Biblical style type of language, aIludes to

Biblical symbolism and imagery, the context within which he operates negates

rather than supports any prophetic tendency within his writings. Though his poems

are fdled with fervent hopes, memories and ideals, content is always subordinate to

acsthetic criteria. This is already a very anti··prophetic tendency. The prophet never

. believed in art for art's sake, but oruy truth for God's sake

The poem "On the Slaughter", illustrates Bialik's extensive use of Biblical

t manifests Biblical influences in structurc, style and thought which adds ן. sourccs

t is written in synthetic ן. depth to a mere straightforward reading of the poem thought but each expresses an extension of מiot parallel חparallelism; the lines are

the thought. Every stanza is identical in metre and rhyme, forming a structure . vhose confines the emotion presses and storms \

. Heavens, demand mercy for me "

f there is a God in you ן

, And if to the God there is a path in you

. have not found it, Then you pray on my behalf ןFor

LEILA BRONNER 260

As for me, my heart is dead

And there is no prayer left on my lips

And the hand has already weakened

And there is no longer hope

How long, unti1 when, how long?"

This poem was written after the Kishinev Progroms (1903) decrying the lack of

justicc in a cruel and inditferent world.

IN THE CITY OF SLAUGHTER

Bialik wrote a long poem, "In the City ofSlaughter", on the same occasion. The

long pocm contains a searing denunciation ofthe people's passivity and meek sub­

mission to the massacre, while the short poem reproaches the enemy and even God

for remaining silent when human atrocities of the cruellest dimensions were

perpctrated against innocent people. Bialik claims that even God wants His people

to rise up and assault His throne. This theme of storming the heavenly throne is fre­

quently found in Bialik's poetry. Both poems use Biblicallanguage and aIlude to

Biblical ideas, but often reversing their meaning. The shorter poem questions the

very existence of God or ,justice in the world, demanding that Heavens exercise im­

mediate justice, and if not, destroy the world. The long poem decries the passivity

and cowardliness of the people who aIlowed themselves to be slaughtered like

sheep and never rose up to defend their dear and near ones.

The poem opens with an address to the Heavens, which is reminiscent of

Deuteronomy 32: 1 'Give ear, 0 ye heavens and 1 will speak'. Whereas the

Biblical poem caIls the Heavens to bear witness to God's strength, power and

justice, Bialik negates the existence of these qualities both in Heaven and in God.

The Deuteronomic poem exclaims (32:36):

The Lord will judge His people

or His servants when He sees ןAnd repent Himse{f

that their power is gone

Bialik combined the last phrase ofthe above quotation with another from the Book

of Ruth which states: There is hope (Ruth 1 :12); reversing the one and accepting

the other he wrote: "And the hand has already weakened, and there is no longer hope".

261 BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN BIALIK

The God of the Bible is invincible and powerful. The Bible described Him as

proclaiming: 1 will make My arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour

j7esh. With blood ofthe slain and the captivesfrom the long haired heads ofthe

.) 42 · 32 . enemy (Deut

In the poem the poet doubts the power of God as he clearly enunciated "In the

City of Slaughter," stating He is weakened and impoverished, bowing before the

, 74:10 , 3:2 ] , 6:4 rst stanza ends with quotations from Psaims וfexecutor. The

which contain the phrase how long, until when, how long. The poem bears the

stamp of the Psalms not only in diction but in subject matter as well. AII these

Psalms describe man's suffering injustice and questioning - why do the righteous

-suffer while the wicked prosper. The Psaimist cries until when will the wicked re

joice? 0 God will youforget meforever? Biaiik questions how long God will delay

: executing justice

rd God, to whom vengeance belongeth סLo , o Lord to whom vengeance belongeth, show Thyself

, Lift up Thyself, Thou judge of the earth

. Render a punishment to the proud

He demands in the words of the Psaimist, If there be .justice, let it appear im­

mediately Of never. The next stanza is an ironic and tragic paraphrase of the Biblical you have a

strong arm. Bialik changes it to "you have an arm with an axe to kill."

The image of the Heavenly throne (of justice) being lessened forever, is also

taken from Psalm 89:45. The Psaim in generai deals with the two attributes of

God, mercy and faithfulness, which were abundantly demonstrated in the past in

His relation to His people, and in particular in the promise to David, that his throne

would endure forever. Then comes the second section and its dark description of

the nations suffering and the overthrow of the throne by the victorious enemy. The

poet in Psalm 89 :45 complains: Thou cast his throne down to the earth. Bialik

threatens to do this to justice. This tone of defiance and rebellion arising from deep

despair is found in "The City of Slaughter" where God calls them to shatter His

throne:

st against me וfLet them raise a

and demand (recompense) for their sharne

LEILA BRONNER 262

The shame of all the generations from the

beginning to the end,

Let them shatter the heavens,

and my throne with their fist.

A similar idea appears in the long poem "The Dead of the Desert" where he

describes the peoples rebellion:

Suddenly He will arise,

He will kick his creator and

will remove the glory from his throne.

On the Slaughter" are ironically, continuously, to ~ The allusions in the poem '

Psalms that call for God to execute judgement and establishjustice and avenge the

. blood innocently spilt

he has י" f there is .justice let it appear now "ז: In the third stanza, when he cried also a veiled attack on the prophetic promises of redemption in the future. He finds

no comfort in the pictures of a new world orderin the distant end oftime. He wants

. justice now or never The poem is also stamped by the style of the Gideon narrative in Judges 6. The

-statement. "Go forth in thy treachery", is paralleled by God's command to Gi

.) 6:14 deon: Go jorth in thy strength and }'OU sha// de/iver Israe/(Judges

Bialik compares the Czarist oppression ofhis generation to that ofthe Midianite

-oppression in Gideon's age. Gideon also doubted whether God was with them ask

? ing the angcl: Ij the Lord is with us why have a// these vicissitudes beja//en us

OW Ihe Lord has חWhere are the miracles which our jathers narrated to us? For .) 6:13 jorsaken us and given us into the hands oj Midian.(Judges

The phrases in the poem "Ifthere is in you a God, ifthere isjustice", and "if after my destruction" continuously recall Gideon's words: Jjyou wi// de/iver Israe/. The

critic Strauss correctly claims that Bialik created the poem specifically from

Psalmic and Gideonic sources.2

It should be mentioned that the cry, "Live in your blood and be innocent" is

based on Ezekiel's 16:6. Ezekiel uses the phrase Live in thy b/ood in a positive life

2 Slrauss A.Z., B'darka}' Ha-Si{rut, p. 110

263 BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN BIALIK

affirming sense; Bialik curses the murderers and ironically commands them to live

by their bloody deeds and yet consider themselves innocent. In a world where the

O תhcavens are silent, where there is, as the Aramaic saying goes, "00 law, and

judge", c\'en murderers can go free. He concludes the poem with a piercing cry

stating that even the satan has not yet devised a suitable revenge for the murder of

. innocent babes Using a Talmudic phrase with a slight alteration instead of"let the law pierce the

mountain" (Yebamot 90 a), a phrase which means that law must reign supreme, he

ironically claims that blood, murder rules supreme. A world with such standards

where might, oot right, reigns cannot be allowed to exist, and its foundations, again

". a Biblical phrase, "wiU melt away and rot together with its inhabitants

Unlike Biblical man who never doubted God's existence, yet ofien vehemently

, the world such as Abraham, Jeremiah מireproached Him for the lack of justice

ik comes near to the brink of utter disillusionment and וJob and Habakuk, Bia

-u וdespair. The tone of defiance thai pervades the poem with its constant Biblical al

sions indicates that Bialik too ultimately beJieved that God existed, otherwise why

? rage and rant against Him

For as the critic Rivkind wrote in his paper "The God of Bialik": "The God of

, s before him; at times nestles up to him וis Bialik's God "" at times he grove וsrae !

even rebels against him, but his rebellion does not endure "" nor is the mention of

-r is it because Bia1ik in יסת... God with him a mere euphemism, a question ofform

Hebrew poetry, the manner of the prophet מiitiated the so called prophetic style

who, of course, always speaks in tbe name of God. It is ratber because with Bialik

, the God of Israel is the God of eternity, the absolute infinite, the cause of all causes

and the source of aU being ."נ

ALONE

The poem "Alone" is likewise strongly intluenced by Psalms and D~uteronomy

32. It likewise carries the imprint ofmany other Biblical sources as Kings, Isaiah,

Jeremiah and Lamentations. The poem opens with synonymous parallelism draw­

ing on a verse in Isaiah 57: 13, The wind sha// carry themall away.

Bialik begins the poem with a reference to the wind carrying away all the vain

3 Rivkind I., Eloka.v Bialik (The God 01 BialikJ in 'Yin Hackoray, Berlin }928.

LEILA BRONNER 264

idols the people have collected and worshipped. Bialik is referring to the new spirit,

thc enlightment movement, that was the new idol of his day, and was captivating

thc youth with its offer of a novel and exciting way oflife. They believed that a new

song was enriching their lives. The phrase "sing unto him a new song" is found in . 33:3 Psalms

The phrase is likewise found in post Biblical sources, in the daily liturgy where it

rcfcrs to redemption from Egypt, from an old way oflife to a new way oflife. The

theme of this poem, the struggle between the old and the new, between faith and

secularism, appears in many of his literary חdoubt, between Judaism and wester

creations. In Bialik's poems the image of a forlorn and desolate House ofStudy, the

former bulwark ofthe Jewish spirit and culture, is the victim ofthe disintegration of

Jewish life he and his generation were experiencing. The tragedy of the poet is that

more and more youths are forsaking the House ofStudy and he imagines himself

left almost alone in this pristine fortress with the God whom he designates

. Shecinah", the mystical appellation for the Godhead "

. Thc title "Alonc" is taken from the Biblical narrative about the prophet Elijah

· Aftcr a lifetime of service to bring the people back to worship ofthe Lord, a dis

: mayed and disappointed prophet cried

l have beel1 jealous 0/ the Lord 0/ Hosts,

f'or the children 0/ Israel have /orsaken thy covenant

And l COfne. even I am only lf!!t alone. (1 Kings 19:10)

At the contest with the prophets of Baal he cried: 1, only 1 alone, remain a

.) 18:22 prophet unto the Lord (1 Kings

Thc poet identifies his struggle to resist the temptations of the new world with

Elijah's stand against the false prophets ofhis day. But he, like Elijah, is doomed to

two other places חe" occurs i חd is unablc to achieve his goal. The word "a}o ןail al [

in thc Biblc, Daniel 10:7 and isaiah 49:21 ff., and both sources inf1uenced Bialik's

. pocm

In lsaiah, Mother Zion is described as welcoming her returning children. She

alone. The וfrecords the long period of time whcn she was bereft of them: I was le

prophet promises that the children will return from the Babylonian captivity in

me. Bialik con.jures זO strait!o סsuch grcat numbers that they will cry: The p/ace is t

up these images by repeating the word "alone". The term "alone" in Daniel, implies

265 N BIALIK זBIBLICAL MOTIFS

that he alone saw a vision ofwhat would happen in the end ofdays, Bialik implies

that he the poet is alone in experiencing the ultimate tragedy that is overtaking this

. people za of the poem that describes the young fledgling מaThe las( two lines in the st

." sheltering under the wings of the "Shecinah

And 1 a young fledgling was completely forgotten from

. the heart of all under the wings of the Shecinah

91:4 4 urce of language and imagery from Psalm סtakes its s

He shall cover thee with his pinions and under his

. wings shall thou take shelter

This image of shelter under God's wings is found in Psalm. 6I:S

, 1 lI'il/ dwell in Ihy lenl jorever

. uge in lhe cover oj lhy wings selah ןe1 Ivill lake r

s to convey חimagery from the works of Jeremiah and Lamentatio חסBialik draws

:" his fecling of "a!oneness

1 sal aione because oj thy hand (Jeremiah 15:17).

The book of Jeremiah describes the prophet as hated, harrassed and hounded, and

this moved him to cry.

SHECINAH

The poet identifies with the prophet and fears that his continued devotion to the

Shecinah" is the cause of this complete isolation and loneliness. Tbe dramatic "

image of the broken wing implies that his safety is in danger as was that of

. Jeremiah

s God's comrnand to Abraham to זThe reference to "her 80n, her only one" recaJ

, and sacrifice him. The poet begins to fear that he, unlike ]saac חtake his only sO

will actually be sacrificed on the altar of a dying culture. Though he wishes to share

,) 5 1 : 91 ( the Sorrow of the "Shecinah" echoing Psalms, 1 am wilh her in her sorrow

'/ 4 This inlage or shclter under God's wing occurs outside of Psalms in the Book of Ruth 2; J 2 c

; 63:8 ; 57:12 ; 17:8 ; 31:13 s ןDcut. 32:11: PsaJn

266 LEILA BRONNER

he nevertheless longs for the "window". This image symbolises his desire for es~

c ape from the narrow confines of his environment 10 the new light that flows with

enchanting glamour, beckoning him to fly afler its sparks.

Bialik continuously uses the term "Shecinah" for God in this poem. It is the

mysticaI name for describing the Divine presence. It is not found in this form in the

Bible. Why did BiaIik choose a post·BiblicaI designation for the deity in a poem

where Biblical style and terminology dominates? Tbe term "Shecinah" which

literally means "dweUing" or "resting" is rich in symbolism. In Kabbalistic sources

it represents the female aspect ofthe deity, the personification ofGod's love for His

people. In the Talmud the "Shecinah" was described as going into exile with her

children to guard and protect them, to sutTer with them to lament their home·

lessness, and await their redemption. Tbe presence of the word "Shecinah"

conjures up the image ofloneliness and isolation which the poet wishes to convey.

The poem ends on a sad indecisive note, he neither decides to go nor to stay.

In another poem, "Before the Bookcase", he returns to this theme of escape and

achieves it. He symbolises his mood by depicting a flickering candle going out

completely. In the Bible the candle represents the sou1 of man (Proverbs 20:27).

Bialik uses it to describe his loss of faith and escape from the demands of the

"Shecinah" .

Suddenly the window burst open,

Everything Ivent dim (i.e. the light went out)

A nd 1, a young jledgling was cast into the power 0/ the night and Its darkness.

SYMBOLS OF LIGHT AND FIRE

Bialik developed a set of symbols in his poetry. Light symbolised everything good.

Fire was the divine symbol in the Bible. The spark offire which appears in many of

his poems in various forms, a twinkling star, candle, the burning coal, or torch,

symbolises the true ideaI for which he was searching. The light flickers in most of

his poems, giving expression to his doubt, but in "Before the Bookcase" it actuaUy

goes out.

Light for instance is a leading motive in Bialik's poems. This too is inspired by

Biblical sources, too numerous to quote for shortness of space. The first act of

267 BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN BIALIK

crcation was a bringing forth oflight and all through the Bible it is used as a symbol

for God, and thus for everything good and desirable. The Psalmists are constantly

pleading to God that He give them light, or turn His lighted face upon them to

brighten their path of life. The Blessing of the Priests called upon God to cast His

light upon His people. In his poem, "1 Have Not Won Light from Freedom's Courses" he depicts his

poetical muse as sparks hewn from a rock. Though the title of the poem is

Talmudic, coming from Baba Karna 116a, the theme, language and imagery is

Biblical. The image ofhis poetic inspiration being a flarne and a spark hewn out of a

: 29 · 23 s Jeremiah עrock by a hammer, reca

ls not my ,vork like as a jire, says the Lord,

And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.

The poem "May 1 be One of You", the humble of the world is again a Biblical

theme. The greatest attribute of Moses, the prince of the prophets is that:

Now the man Moses was very humble above al/ the men

,vhich ,vere upon thejace oj the earth (Numbers 12·3).

A study of BiaIik's poeticaI works would reveal a host of further instances of

contrast to his precursors of the מi, BibIical influences. The achievement of Bialik

HaskaIaII movement, is that he not only reproduced the features of the Ianguage of

· one definite period - the Bible, but also used a free mixture of eIements from dif

ferent Ievels of the Hebrew language and literature. The basis for his Ianguage is

BibIicaI, but to it he added words, idioms and grammatical forms from Talmudic

Biblica] מmedievaI and modern sources both for concepts that were missing i

· Iiterature, as for instance the idea of Shecinah and for purpose of styIistic and con

notative variation. Bialik, though using Biblical expressions, gave thern new and

often sarcastic meanings. While Bialik's style remained strongly Biblical, he laid

the foundations for the "synthetic" Hebrew style which dominates modern

. Hebrew writing un!iI today

Ch. XI-XII ISAIAH סדA GUIDE

BY CHAIM PEARL

/ 0 selec/ed chapters ןסhis is fina/ inslallment 0/ Rabbi Pear!'s interpretation ז

r סJsaiah. The commenls on lhe previous chapters can be read in ear[ier issues 0/ D . e-Dor /

CHAPTER XI

to תe of the most famous in the book. The prophet projects his gaze i תThis is o

the future and rhapsodises about the ideal or utopian situation of perfeci-;'ace

. and Israel's restoration. Both concepts are part of the same messianic vision

First, in verses 1 - 5 the prophet describes the qualities and the character of

the ideal ruler.

1. In spite of the destruction caused by Assyria, the line of Jewish leadership

. will continue Jesse. The Davidic dynasty will be saved. Jesse was the ןסthe stock ןסOut

. father of David -2. He will be blessed with three outstanding qualities: intellectual wisdom, ad

. ministrative ability and spiritual strength

, 3. The reign of absolute justice. In ancient Israel, as among other peoples too

. the king was .judge his eyes ... ears. He will not judge on the basis of outward ןסAjter the sight

. appearance or second hand reports

his mouth. Impartiality and the 4ןס. A nd he shal/ smite the iand with the rod

objective administration of justice willlead him to speak out and rebuke the high

. and the low

. Chaim Pearl. rabbi emeritus o! the Synagogue Adarh Israel oj Rivardale. New York ז.Rabbi D

y lhe spiritual /eader o! lhe Birmingham Hebrew Congregation, Eng/and. He is the וwas jormer

. Jerusa/em מks on Judaica. He now lives i boס authur oj several acc/aimed

269 ISAIAH סA GUIDE T

5. The girdle oj his loins. A metaphor for active strength.

The girdle oj his reins. The thoughts which guide him.

* * * 6-9. An ideal picture of universal peace which will be extended even to the

. animal world so that no living creature will hurt another

, 6. In this verse the prophetic imagery brings together the wild beasts of prey .

the domestic animals, and the human race which is symbolised by the innocent

. child

7. And Ihe lion shall eal slraw like Ihe ox. The ravenous beasts of the ;ungle

will no longer feed on the flesh of their prey, but will be nourished and satisfied

. with a meal of straw 8. A nd Ihe suckling child shall play on Ihe hole oj Ihe asp (Genesis 3: 15). Tbe

mutual enmity of the serpent and man shall be ended, and even the defenceless

. babe will be safe playing with a poisonous snake

n all my holy mounlain. Strictly, the Temple mount, or even a term for 9 .ן

, Jerusalem, the holy city. But the phrase is rather a metaphor for the whole earth

. as the following clause shows

* * * 10-16. The prophet continues his description of the perfect world, and declares

that there will be three elements anteceding the era of universal peace. 1. The

restoration of the royal House of David. 2. The ingathering of the scattered

Jewish exiles into their ancestral homeland. 3. The unity of the people.

10. The rool oj Jesse. A descendant of the royal House of David.

A n ensign oj Ihe people. A rallying and central reference point for all nations

who want to identify themselves with God's promise for Israel.

His resting place. His dwelling and status.

11. The second lime. Tbe first was the Exodus of Israel from Egyptian slavery at the time of Moses.

Pathros. Cush. Elam. AII the places mentioned in this verse were places

where the Jews had been exiled in Assyria, Babylon or Egypt. 12. He will sel up an ensign jor Ihe nalions. God will signal the big powers to

let the exiles return to their land.

/

CHAIM PEARL 270

13. The envy oj Ephraim. The animosity of the ten northern tribes towards

Judah.

14. They that harass Judah. Better, "They that disturb Judah, by their envy of

Ephraim."

They shall j1y down upon the shoulder oj the Philistines. The Mediterranean

coast land was the ancient centre of Philistine occupation.

The children oj the east. The Arabian desert.

Edom ... Moab .. .Ammon ... The inveterate enemy of Israel will now live under the discipline of the returned and revived people of Israel.

15-16. Just as the Children oflsrael were enabled to cross the waters ofthe Red

Sea on their Exodus from Egypt, so too at the time of the second redemption the

people will be led dry shod over the waters of Assyria and Egypt. 15. The longue oj the Egyplian Sea. The gulf of Suez.

The River. Euphrates, in Babylonia.

Inlo seven slreams. So that the people will cross easily. "Seven" is a sym­bolic figure here standing for "many".

NOTEWORTHY PASS,\GES TO COMMIT TO MEMORY

,.

The entire chapter is noteworthy and contains inspiring messages. The student

will undoubtedly fmd his own special and favourite phrases which he will want to

memorise. We have, for purposes of sirnplification, merely suggested two. The

. first gives a vivid picture of the tranquil world where even animallife is in peace

n a similar theme of peace, relates to the absence of human conflict ס, The second

. as a result of the acceptance by the world of God's law and teaching

v . 6בםנהגקטןינער'חד'יימר'איכם'רעוגל'רבץגד'עםינמרכבשעםזאביגר

And Ihe wo!fshall dwell wilh the lamb, and the leopard shalllie down with the

kid. And the caif and the young lion and the jatling together; and a little child

. shall lead them

v . 7מכסיםליסכמ'סהיאתעדההארץמלאכ'קדש'הרבכל'שח'חילוא'רעילא

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My ho/y mountain; jor the earth shall be . jull oj the knowledge oj the Lord, as the waters cover the sea

271 A GUIDE TO ISAIAH

CHAPTER XII

This short chapter forms the conclusion ofthe first part of our book. It is made

up of excerpts of hymn's in which the worshipper praises God for His deliverance

of the people, and the restoration of Zion.

1. In Ihal day. i.e., the day of deliverance.

2-3. These two verses are part ofthe text ofthe Havdalah ceremony, recited at

the termination ofthe Sabbath. As the Jew anticipated the problems ofthe work­

ing week, he became comforted by his faith in the God of his salvation.

2. The Lord is my slrenglh and song. A quotation from the Song of Moses, Ex­

odus, 25, 2.

PASSAGES WORTH MEMORISING

The following passages are given here because they are part of the Havdalah,

as noted above. The second text has been set to music and has become a popular

dance song, particular1y in modern Zionist youth groups.

The term "salvation" in verse 2 is frequently used. Although it is a theological

term with varied meanings, it can be simply understood here as a synonym for

"saving strength".

In verse 3, the "weUs of salvation" are particularly appropriate since water is

the life essence of the Middle East and the well is therefore the source of life. The

metaphor is of course the faith of the Jew which will revive him individuaUy and

nationaUy.

2 .אפדחולאאגטח'שועת'אלהכה

. Behold, God is my salvalion; I will lrusl and nol be q[raid

5 .ה'שעוהממע'כ'גששוימ'םושאגתם

. Therefore Wilh joy shall ye draw waler Oul of lhe wells of salvalion

קבעתורתךעשה

TRIENNIAL BIBLE READING CALENDAR

1985 UNE-JUL Y נ תשמ"התמוז

Th 20 א

F 16-18 Numbers קm 21 כ

IlI בח 14-12:22 : Haftarah: 1 Samuelll :שמואלהפטוהK ,ככדי-י"ב,'ייא ג 22

S 1-2 1 Chronicles א-כאהימיםדברי ד 23

M 3-4 1 Chronicles היפיםדבירK ב-ד ה 24

T 5-6 1 Chronicles היטיםדבירK ה-י 25

W 7-8 1 Chronicles היטיםדבירK ז-ח 26

Th 9-10 1 Chronicles ח 27 '-טאהיפיםדברי

F 19-22:1 Numbers חקח ט 28

IlI כח 1-33 : 11 Haftarah: Judges :י"א,שרסטיסהפטהרK לג- 29

S 11-12 1 Chronicles יא-יבאהיטיםדברי יא 30

July

M 13 1 Chronicles היטיםרבירK יג יכ 1

T 14 1 Chronicles דיאהיסיסדביר יג 2

W 15 1 Chronicles טיאהיטיםרביר 3 ,. Th 16 1 Chronicles טזאהיפיםדביר טי 4

F 22:2-25:9 Numbers כלק רס 5

שכח 6-6:8 : 5 Haftarah: Micah :ר-, ,'הטיכההפטרה, n 6 ,. S 1 1ך Chronicles דיאהיטיםרביר יח 7

M 18 I Chronicles חיאהיטיסדביר יט 8

T 19 1 Chronicles יסאהיטיםדכייר כ 9

W 20 1 Chronicles כאהיימיםרביד כא 10

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F 25:10-30:1 Numbers פינחס כג 12

שכח 18:46-19:21 Haftarah: 1 K.ings :כאםו·'ייט,י"ח,אמלכיסהפטהר כד 13

S 22 1 Chronicles כבאהיטיסרברי כה 14

M 23 1 Chronicles כגאהיטיםדביר כי 15

T 24-25 I Chronicles דכ-כהאהימיםרביר כז 16

W 26-27 1 Chronicles כי-כזאהימיםדכיר כח 17

Th 28 1 Chronicles הימיםרב"יM כח כט 18

TRIENNIAL BIBLE READING CALENDAR 273

1985 JULY-AUGUST תשמ"חאבמנחם

F 36 ~ 30:2 Numhers ומסעימטית א 19

שבח 2:23 • 1 : 1 Hafiarah: Jeremiah :גבא-בי,אי,ירמיההפטרה ב 20

S 29 Chronicles ז כםאהימיסרברי ב 21

M 1 Chronicles זז אבהימיסדביר ד 22

T 2 II Chronic]es בכהימיסיכיר ח 23

W 2 • 1 Lamentations א·באיכה 24

Th 4 · 3 Lamentations ב-דאיכה 25

F 22 : 3 ~ 1 Deuteronomy דבירם ח 26

שבח 1:1-27 Haftarah: Isaiah :א-כזאי,ישעיההפטרה ט 27

S 5 Lamentations האיכהבאכתעשה 28

M 3 Chronicles זז בכהיוכיסרכרי 'א 29

T 4 Chronicles זז דבהיוכיסדברי 'ב 30

W 5 Chronicles זז הכהימיסדברי 'ב 31

August

Th 6 Chronicles זז וכהימיסדברי ."

F 7:11 · 3:23 Deuteronomy !ואחחכ טו 2

שבח 40:1-26 Haftarah: Isaiah :א-כומי,ישעיההפטרה טו 3

S 7 Chronicles זז זכהימיסדברי 4 l'

M 8 Chronicles זז חכהימיסרברי 'ח 5

T 9 Chronicles זז סכהימיסדביר 'ט 6

W 10 Chronicles זן יבהימיסיכיד ב 7

Th 11 Chronicles זI יאגהימיסרביד כא 8

F 25 : 11 · 12 : 7 Deuteronomy עקכ כב 9

שבח 49:14-51:3 Haftarah: Isaiah :גוי-נ"א, ,ט'"מישעיההפטרה כב 10

S 12 Chronicies זן יבכהיוכיסרכרי כד 11

M 13 Chronicies זז יגבהימיסדביר כח 12

T 14 Chronicies זז ויכהיטיסדבךי כו 13

W 15 Chronicles זז טןכהיטיסדביד כו 14

Th 16 Chronicles זז טזכהימיסיביר כח 15

F 16 · 26 : 11 Deuteronomy ראה כט 16

שבח 66 saiah ז: Hafiarah :שיעיההפטרהD ''' 17 ל

274 TRIENNIAL BIBLE RE,ADING CALENDAR

1985 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER תשמ"חאליל

S 17 11 Chronicles יזכהימיםדבף 18 K

M 18 es ןII Chronic חיכהים"םרביו כ 19

T 19 11 Chronicles יסבהיפיםדברי ג 20

W 20 I Chronicles ז כבהיפיסדגיר ד 21

Th 21 II Chronicles כאכהיפיםדכרי ה 22

F 16:18-21:9 Deuteronomy שפיטם 23

שכח 14 : 12-52 : 51 Hafiarah: Isaiah :דייב-כ"ב,ב"א,שיעיההפטרה 24

S 22 es ןII Chronic נבבהימםיירכיר ח 25

M 23 Chronicles זI גככיהמיםרביר ט 26

T 24 II Chroruclcs דכבהיפיםדביר 27

W Chronicles 2S זl בהכהיפיםדכיו 28 ' K

Th 26 I Chronicles ז כיבהיטיםרביר 'כ 29

F 10-25 : 21 Deuteronomy ב't תצא 'ג 30

שכח 54:1-10 Hafiarah: Isaiah :31 '-אנ",זעשיהיהפטרה " September

S 27 II Chronicles כזכיהמיםדביר טי

M 28 I Chronicles ו כחבהיפיםדברי טי 2

T 29 es ןI Chronic ז בטביהטיםדביר 3 !'

W 30 Chroniclcs וI לגהיטיםדביר rזי 4

Th 31 II Chronicles לאבהימםידכיו סיי 5

F 26-29:8 Deuteronomy ניבחא כ 6

שכח 60:1-22 Haftarah: Isaiah ;עזס"יההפטהרD ,' א-כב כא 7

S 32 lI Chronicles לבביהמיםרביר ככ 8

M 33 11 Chronicles לגביהמיםרביר גכ 9

T 34 II Chronicles לרבהיפיםרבדי כד 10

W 35 I Chronicles ו להבהימיםדביר ון כה

Th 36 I Chronicles ז לןבהימיםרביר כי 12

F 29:9-30 Deuteronomy בציבם כי 13

שכח 10-63:9 : 61 Hafiarah: Isaiah :ט .ג"ס-'ס"א.ישעיההפטרה כח 14

S השבהראשערב סכ 15

A 1WELVE·YEAR INDEX

Numbersא throughח Iמן

) 4 I, Number וxFrom FaU 1972 (Vo1ume I, Number 1) .. ·through Summer 1984 (Vo1ume

Arranged by Chaim Abramowitz

OUTUNE

dex by Authors תI

Index according to Theme and Title

Part 1

PartII

Themes in the BibJe Biblical Persona1ities Source Material Study Guides The Bible in Literature Books of the Bibje Book Reviews Israel and Zion

ciety Activities ו&World Jewish Bible l..etters to the Editor

sts of Bib1e Study Groups ע

list of Patrons Tributes In Memoriam Editorials

nt [rom gזa The 'peciai tweive-year (1972·1984) composite index wa' made possible th1'ough a the P.EF. [sraeJ Endowmenl Fund, Sidney Musher, president, and Philip Goodman, the Israe/i

. representative

276 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

PARTI

Index According [0 Authors

Abramowitz, Chaim

Bible Translations and Mistranslations VII I 111978 • F 44 the Door 1חסbe Hand VII 2 1979 Winter 62

Balaam the Magician VIII F.ll1979 31 The Trials of Abr.ham [ VII 3 1980 Spring 127

the Language of Man תI IX 3 1981 Spring 139 1 reation: Part ~ Story of X 111981 • F 3

P3ft2 X 3 1982 Spring 187 Part 3: Tbe G.rden of Eden X 4 1982 Summer 234 Part 4: Cain and Abel [ XI F.ll1983 15

TWQ Righteous Men [[ X 4 1984 Summer 211

Abramski, Shmuel

1 the Bible-Part תJerusaiem i 3 1973 Spring 13 2 Part 4 1973 Summer 6 3 Part [[ 2 1973 Winter 20 4 Part [[ 4 1974 Summer 6 5 Pdrt [ I [ 2 1974 Winter 31 6 Part [[ 1 3 1975 Spring 27

Asher, Norman

Jacob Mourns for His Son IX 4 1981 Summer 191 Moses and the Spies [[ X 3 1984 Spring 196

Aviezer, Nathan

Esther's Plan to Save the Jews XI 3 1983 Spring 153

AVishur, Yitzchak t urgicaJ or Ethical Psalm עPsalm XV· A V 3 1976 Spring 124

Bakon, Shimon

Jacob's Return to Canaan N 3 1975 Spring 121 Saul and the Witch of Endor V F.ll1976 16 Doctrine of Reward V 2 197.6 Winter 75 Joab, Captain of the Host V 4 1977 Summer 159 Ecological Motifs in the Bible [ V 1 F.ll1977 7

· Absalom's Revolt VI 3 1978 Spring 118 Music in the Bible [ V 4 1978 Summer 161 The Babylonian Captivity [[ V 3 1979 Spring 108

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 277

1 Prophecy-- A Phenomenological Approach: Part VII 4 1979 Surnmer 160

2 Part VIII 1 FalII979 21

Part3 II וv 2 1979 Winter 76 ? Why Did Samuel InitiaJJy Reject Monarchy VIII 4 1980 Summer 171

EJijah IX 1 Fall1980 22 Balaam- An Unauthentic Prophet IX 2 1980 Winter 89

1 Jacob, Man of Destiny: Part X 1 Fall1981 10

2 Part X 2 1981 Winter 106 Mesopotamia and Israel XI 1 FaU1982 23 Egypt and Jsrael XI 2 1982 Winter 111

Samuel and Saul: The Prophetic Dimension XI 4 1983 Summer 223

Witnesses סAt the Mouth of TW וXI 3 1984 Spring 141

The Enigma of E1ihu I וX 4 1984 Summer 217

BartaJ, Arye The Prophet and the King וווV 3 1980 Winter 111

Bazak, Yaacov Psalm 23: A Pattern Poem XI 2 1982 Winter 71

Begin, Menachem The Prophet Samuel & King Sau1 XI 4 1983 Summer 202

David ת,Ben Gurio s תectio חBook Review: Biblical Re 1972 FaU 29

The Book of Joshua nI 2 1974 Winter 2 By Way of Reply .... - 111 2 1974 Winter 15

t Hatanach in Jerusalem & 111 2 1974 Winter 29

Ben· Yosef, Arye Book Review: The Encyclopedia Biblica

19 · 1950 ,. Vol. 1·8 Jerusalem, Bialik Inst ( XII 2 1983 Winter 130

Berg, Edmond Love Thy Neighbor Af; Thyself IX 2 1980 Winter 104 Dukhan-- Its Meaning IX 4 1981 Summer 195 lustice to Esau XII 4 1984 Summer 229

Blumenthal, Elchanan to a New Kohelet Commentary חIntroductio IX Fal11980 46

Bronner, Leah cial Cult Among Egyptians but not וfSacri

? Babylonian Exiles- Why IX 2 1980 Winter 61 King and Commoner- Proverbs & Near East X 4 1982 Summer 210 Gynomorphic Imagery in Exilic Isaiah I וX 2 1983 Winter 71

278 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

. Cherchevsky, J s: In the Image of God חRef1ectio ווX 3 1984 Spring 181

nitz, Jacob C1וi

The Prophets-- Nationalist or Universalist וYII 4 1980 Summer 206

. Cohen, Jeffrey M

Spies, Princes and Korach's Rebellion X 4 1982 Summer 220 The Striking of the Rock XII 3 1984 Spring 152

Derby, Josiah

Purim and Halle1 XI 2 1982 Winter 104 Eban, Abba

Cyrus in the Perspective of Bible and History ו 3 1973 Spring 1 Heart of Israe1··· City of Man 11 3 1974 Spring 5

Reuben ח,Efro Micah's Ideals, Stevenson's Guide IV 2 1975 Wintcr 79

1 Military Intelligence in the Bible: Part Y 4 1977 Summer 183 2 Part וY 4 1978 Summer 191 3 Part IX 4 1981 Summer 183 4 Part וX Falll982 44

EicWer. Myron 6 · 5 Samue1 וThe Plague in X 3 1982 Spring 157

Feliks, Jehuda ) 3 rees (11 Kings זDo Not Destroy the Fruit 2 1972 Winter 9

) 14 Said the Thist1e to the Cedar (11 Kings 2 1972 Winter 12

Felton, Jacob eth· A Reinterpretation ןKohe Y Fa111976 29

Finkel, Asher

The Book of Daniel וX 3 1983 Spring 181

Finkelstein, Chaim His 86th Birthday מסn סA Guide to Ben Guri ו Winter 42ן 972 2

Greetings to Ben Gurion ו 2 1972 Winter 29

Fredman, Norman Themes in the Book of Esther Y 3 1977 Spring 111 Esther Hamalka and Mordecai Hayehudi וY 3 1978 Spring 116 The Divine Name El-Shaddai: He Who Created Families IX 2 1980 Winter 72 Jonah and Nineveh·· The Tragedy of Jonah XII 1983 Fall 4

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 279

Garsiel, Moshe David and Batsheba: Part I Y I Fall1976 24

2 Part Y 2 1976 Winter 85

3 Part Y 3 1977 Spring 134

. Gertel, Elliot B Adam's Rib YII 2 1978 Winter 75

Gevaryahu, Haim Back to the Bible 1972 FaU 12

) 10 : 8 ( lsaiah מian וPGod's 2 1972 Winter 25 Prophetic Solution for Near Eastern People

) 34 : 19 Isaiah ( 2 1972 Winter 27 1 the History of Torah Reading: Part חסurces S:1972 2 כ Winter 15 2 Part 3 1973 Spring 18 3 Part 4 1973 Summer 31 4 Part 11 2 1973 Wjnter 39 5 Part 11 4 1974 Summer 21

1 : 57 Meaning of Mikhtam in Psalms " 2 1973 Winter 9 ? Who Was the Teacher in Biblical Days I1 4 1974 Summer 14

) 10 : 21 A Perfect Wife (Proverbs 11 4 1974 Summer 17 lt Not Abhor an Egyptian luו Thou S 111 I Fall1974 6

Reminiscences About Ben Gurion I1I 2 1974 Winter 25 Ezra, The Scribe YI 2 1977 Winter 87

Holy Cities in the I.and of Ephraim YII 4 1979 Summer 187 Tribute to Louis Katzoff X 1 FaUI981 1 The Universalism ofthe Book of Jonah X Fall1981 20

Glatt, David Hezekiah and Josiah: A Comparison YIII 4 1980 Summer 201

Glucksman, Yitzchak Fourth International Bible Contest for Adults IX 4 1981 Summer 208 For the Sake of My Name XI 3 1983 Spring 169

Goldfarb, Solomon Book Review: Commentary on Song of Songs by

Eliezer Levinger 4 1973 Summer 42 Tribute to Shazar: Man of Many Crowns 11 1 Fall1973 41 AJ1ab·· A Poor Character 11 4 1974 Summer 46 Was Simon Not Included in Moses' BJessing N 2 1975 Winter 51 Sex and Violence in the Bible N 3 1976 Spring 125 Jacob's Love for Rachel N 4 1976 Summer 153

280 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

Greenwald. Ittamar The Aspaklaria of Prophetic Vision 4 1973 Summer 27

Gur, Aryeh The Bible Exhibit וו 3 1974 Spring 42

. Halpern, Harold D Torah Dialogues: Genesis Vll 2 1978 Winter 80

Genesis וvו 3 1979 Spring 140 Genesis I וV 4 1979 Sumrner 198 Exodus וVll 1 Fall1979 44 Exodus וווV 2 1979 Winter 94 l..eviticus וvוו 3 1980 Spring 140 l..eviticus ll וv 4 1980 Sununer 210 Leviticus IX 1 Fall1980 44 Numhers IX 2 1980 Winter 100 Numbers IX 3 1981 Spring 150 Numhers IX 4 1981 Summer 206 Numhers X Fal11981 28

omy תDeutero X 2 1981 Winter 124 omy חDeutero X 3 1982 Spring 165

Deuteronomy X 4 982 וSUmmer 256 Deuteronomy XI Fall1982 35

omy חDeutero וX 2 1982 Winter 102

Halpern, Joseph Bible Readers' Union and Bible Society Fall1972 15 Book Review: Sabbath Chapters of the Talmud

by Rabbi Eliezer Epstein 4 1973 Summer 40 Looks 3t the Bible חBook Review: Ben Gurio

Rapaport ו.. by Dr וו 3 1974 Spring 38 Book Review: A Time for l.oving

by Herbert Tare וו 3 1974 Spring 46

Book Review: Torah for the Family by Katwff & lipis V 4 1977 Summer 208

Scripture: The Latter Prophets חסBook Review; Talks by Benjamin Zvielle וvוו 2 1979 Winter 101

Book Review: The Seven Days of the Beginning by Eli Munk IX 4 1981 Summer 211 ok Review: The Gilgamesh Epic & the Biblical Story סB

Rapaport ו.. by Dr X 4 982 ] Summer 262 Book Review: The Hebrew Word Shem

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 281

by Dr_I_ Rapaport XI 2 1982 nter וW 131 1 Enuma Elish and Genesis XII Fal11983 55

Halpern. Sarah the Bible מTragedy i IX 1 Fa111980 3

Absalom's Story-- Drama and Tragedy XI 1 1982 FaU 1 Saul's Kingship-- Tragedy of a Leader XI 4 1983 Summer 210

Heckelman, Joseph Abraham and Atlantis XI 3 1983 Sprillg 189 Excess Hidden Root of Evil XII 4 1984 Summer 237

Heller, Israel ? 1.o5t Tribes מThe Te 111 4 1975 Summer 4

Hoffnung, Arthur

the Bible מi חRedemptio X 4 1982 Summer 229

Kahaner, Joseph MetaphofS of the Vine and the Olive Tree 11 3 1974 Spring 5 · 1

. Kamsler, Harold M

Tbe Biblical Mind N 3 1976 Spring 107

Blood Covenant in the Bible VI 2 1977 Winter 94

Katzoff, Adina Samuel and Sau1-- Psychological Dimension XI 4 1983 Summer 217

uis םl, Katzoff Tbe Cathexis of Israel in Egypt V 3 1977 Spring 128 Wbo is Afraid of Edom V 4 1977 Summer 178

The Jerusalem Streets Abraham Walked VI 1 1977 Fall 35חסBook Review: Archeology and the Bible

by G. Cornfeld VII Fa111978 43 What's in a Name IX 3 1981 Spring 148 Ki Yetzer Lev Haadarn Rah Minurav X 1 1981 FaU 32

the Bible תiS1avery X 4 1982 Summer 204 What is Teruah XII 1983 FaU

. Kohn, Joshua S Let Everything Praise the Lord I1 4 1974 Summer 11 The Origin of the Synagogue VIII 1979 FaU 27

Kravitz, Nathaniel The Tree of Knowledge 01" Good and Evil II Fa111973 6

i.apides, Pincus Ayin Hamikra I וו 3 1975 Spring 45

282 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

. Lehrman, S.M Joel and His Mesaage II I Fall1973 22 Sparks From the Psalms II 3 1974 Spring 10 Obligatory War and Voluntary War III Falll974 30

y of the Heart זCPsalm 130: A III 4 1975 Summer 15 The Book of Proverbs: Everyman's Guide to the

Higher Ufe IV 2 1975 Winter 71

Levine, Etan Physical Characteristics of a Torah Scroll II וv 2 1979 Winter 86 Evolving Symbolism of the Burning Bush VIII 4 1980 Summer 185 Development of Biblical Prayer IX 4 1981 Summer 172

Torah Study and Peace of Mind וX I Falll982 53 The living Testament of Jacob Israel I וx Fall1983 30

el Iר. Levine, M. Hers Biblical Protest Against Violation of Women VIII 4 980 ] Summer 194 The Trial of Jeremiah XII Falll983 36 The Last of the Maccabees XII 2 1983 Winter 112

Levy, Raphael

s: William Blake and Biblical Imagery חReflectio XII 4 1984 Summer 260

Lewittes, Mendel Israel תProphet, King and Priest i 111 4 1975 Summer 9

A Nation Without a State IV 1 Fall1975 17 From Sinai to Mt. Moriah XI 2 1982 Winter 96

801 , Uptzin .King Saul in World Uterature 2 1972 Winter 1 Elijah in Yiddish Uterature 3 1973 Spring 7 The Contrite Heart 11 2 1973 Winter 5 Job and Faust 11 4 1974 Sumrner In the Days of Job III 1974 Fal1 21 Psalms of Zion 111 4 1975 SUmmer Noble Jonathan V 1 Fall1976 2 Rehabilitation of lillith V 2 1976 Winter bb

Ruth and Medea V 4 1977 Summer 151 Cain, The Anti·Establishment Hero VI Fall1977 27 Jabotinsky's Samson VI 2 1977 Winter 74 Jepthah's literary Vogue VI 3 1978 Spring 126 Death of Moses VI 4 1978 SUmmer 180 Literary lmpact of Jonah VII 1 Fall1978 9

dy Asenath lנi I וv 2 1978 Winter 51

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 283

Be1shazzars Fo11y ווV 3 9 19ד Spring 119

Solomon and the Queen of Shcba ווV 4 1979 Summer 2 דן

Shulamit Unallegorized וווV I 9 דFalll9 1

Naba1 and Abigai1 וvוו ד Winter 8 19ד 9 2

Princess Hagar וווV 3 1980 Spring 114

of Popular Democracy חThe Biblical Traditio וvוו 4 1980 Summer 161

s Humiliation יחSoloffio IX 1 1980 Fa11 11

Abishag the Shunamite IX 2 1980 Winter 8 ד

Rahab of Jericho IX 3 1981 Spring 111

SclUller on Moses IX 4 1981 Summer 9 1ד

Thc Tower of BabeJ X 1981 Fa11 35 The l..ove of David and Michal X 2 1981 Winter 96

Iדד The Judgement of Solo X 3 1982 Springזo nח

The Cult of Mo10ch XJ 2 1982 Winter 82

Rebekah's Beguilement of Isaac ווX Fa111983 22

Book Review: lillith's Daughter וXJ 1983 Fa11 54

Book Review: In Light of Genesis ווX Fa111983 55 Thc Mark of Cain XII 3 1984 Spring 194

Uvneh, Eliezer ving סLThe Jewish Way of וו Spring 26 19ד 4 3

Lowenstein, David National and Eschatological Messianism וV 14ד Spring 19ד 8 3

Iגנ. ria, Ben Zioח

) 15 Kings ?(ווWhat Happened to Uzziah's Bones 2 2 19ד Winter 5

) 8:2 1'he Menorah (Numbers 3 3 19ד Spring 21 ) 66:14 saiah (וThe New Kote1 Discovery 3 3 19ד Spring 24

Thc Lachish Letters I 4 3 19ד SUmmer 23 Thc Vision of the Dry Bones II 3 דFalll9 10

Isracl and Edom וו Fall 25 19ד 3Ancient Israel מThc Suk i וו Winter 19ד 3 2

The Earthquake that Turned the Course of the War וו Winter 13 19ד 3 2

ne Down to his Bed of Spices סGMy Beloved has וו Spring 22 19ד 4 3Thc Burden of Job's Loneliness I ו 4 1974 Summer 4 The New Settlements of the Tribe of Dan III 4 דFa1119 10 King Hezekiah's Pesach in Jerusalem וII 3 5 19ד Spring 21 The Development of the Mezuzah V 6 דFa1119 6 The Siberian Exile VI 1 7 דFa1119 44 Jerusalem in the Days of Jeremiah וV Winter 81 19דד 2

284 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

1 The Western Wall: Part YI 3 1978 Spring 141 Part2 VI 4 1978 Summer 198

3 Part YJI 1 1978 FaU 35 4 Part YJI 2 1978 Winter 84

5 Part YII 3 1979 Spring 136 Part6 VII 4 1979 Summer 193

And A Fountain Shall Come Forth From the House of the Lord X 1 Fall1981 49

Amos, Prophet and Worldly Man X 3 1982 Spring 183 1 Was the Hasmonean State Secular: Part ווX 2 1983 Winter 104 2 Part ווX 3 1984 Spring 186

Lyn, Nechama Aggadah in Bible Study ווX 1983 Fall 39

Mantel, HJgo From Biblical Religion to Judaism וY 4 1978 Summer 173

Matenko, Percy Aqedath Yitzchak·· Therne io Yiddish Literature IV 1975 FaU

Menes, Abraham A New World and A New Man וX 4 1983 Summer 249

Minoff, Eli 32 The Golden Calf in Exodus וווY 4 1980 Summer 181

. Musleah, Fzekiel N s on Ta-amay Hamikra חObservatio ווX 2 1983 Winter 84

Neeman, Pinhas The Prophet and the K.ing IV 2 1975 Wioter 75

. Neher, Andre D The Motif of Job in Modern Jewish and World

Uterature וון 1974 FaU 15 Moses and the Burning Bush IV 4 1976 Summer 159

Speech and Silence io Prophecy VI 2 1977 Wioter 61

Pearl, Chaim 1 A Guide to Isaiah: Part וX 3 1983 Spring 159

Part2 וX 4 1983 Summer 234 Part3 I וx 1 1983 FaU 45

4,5 Pal"t ווX 2 1983 Winter 115 6 Part ווX 3 1984 Spring 173 7 Part ווX 4 1984 Summer 253

A COMPOSlTE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 285

Porten, Bezalel Restoration of a Holy Nation ווV 3 1979 ng iזSp 127

Pusin, Max ogical Insights in the life of Abraham ןSome Psycho ווY 2 1978 Winter 65

R.aab, Menahem of the New Moon חThe Computatio V 2 1976 Winter 56

, 1 Rabinowitz. Louis ) 40-50 111e Lesson of Ezekiel's Temple (Ezekiel I ו Falll973 13

The Makers of Israel X 2 1981 Winter 122 Moses-- The Tragedy of His Ufe XI 3 1983 Spring 141

Moses- The Inarticulate I וX 2 1983 Winter 121

. Radday, Yehuda T lsaiah and the Computer VIII Fa111979 37

Rand, Herbert tזloffioo's Cou סSJustice in X 3 1982 Spring 170

Twins in Transition XII 3 1984 Spring 166

. 1 , Rapaport e Hebrew Word Shem 11ו X 3 1982 Spring 144

The Flood Story in Bible and Cuneiform Uterature X11 2 1983 Winter 95

Aran ח,RO Three Charismatic Judges and Their Strategies V ו Fa111975 8

Rosner, Dov ony in 1 Samue18-15 ז! VI Falll977 17

. Rothschild, Max M A Note on "Watergate" in the Tenakh ון 2 1973 Winter 17

The Maccabees and the Transmission of the Torah Text N 2 1975 Winter 67

Midrash and Pesher N 3 1976 Spring 103

Monarchy and the Bible V 2 1976 Winter 51

Gilgal, Site of the First Passover VI 3 1978 Spring 137

1 A1iens and Israelites: Part IX 4 1981 Summer 196

2 Part X 2 1981 Winter 118

3 Part XI Fall1982 39

4 Part XI 4 1983 Summer 245 Routtenberg, Hyman

1 ces Relating to Prayer: Part זBiblical Sou 11 3 1974 Spring 32 2 Part I וI 4 1975 Summer 19 3 Part N 1 Fa111975 24 4 Part N 2 1975 Winter 81 5 Part N 3 1976 Spring 134

286 A COMPOSITE TWEL VE· YEAR INDEX

6 Part IV 4 1976 Summer 176 1 l.aws of Mourning: Biblical Sources: Part V Fa111976 35 2 Part V 2 1976 Winter 91

Part3 V 3 1977 Spring 138 4 Part V 4 1977 Summer 192

1 Laws of Sabbath: Biblical Sources: Part Vl Fall1977 41 2 Part VI 2 1977 Winter 99 3 Part VI 3 1978 Spring 153 4 Part Vl 4 1978 Summer 204 5 Part VII 1 Fall1978 41

Prophecy and Halacha VIII 2 1979 Winter 61

Changing Laws :וג 3 1981 Spring 120 1 l..aws of Marriage: Biblical Sources: Part XI 2 1982 Winter 123 2 Part XI 3 1983 Spring 194

Ruderman, Abraham Book Review: The Bible in Jewish Education

by J. Schoneve1d VI 2 1977 Winter 103 ok Review: The Torah-- A Modern Commentary סB I וx 4 1984 Summer 258

. Ruskin, Harry H Bible: The Concomitant of Human Growth 11 Fa111973

Schneider, Stanley Semitic Inf1uences and the Bible Text X 2 1981 Winter 90

Shalev, Yitzchak For All Generations תThe Book of Jonah: A Lesso VII Fall1978 21

Shapiro, Marta Berl The Hebrew Motifs of Judges 13-16 Relevant to

1 Agonistes: Part חJohn Milton's Samso IV 2 1975 Winter 56 2 Part IV 3 1976 Spring 113 3 Part IV 4 1978 Summer 160

Moby Dick and the Wisdom of Solomon V 4 1977 Summer 170

Shazar, Zalman The Book of Jonah Fa111972 4 Ayeca וII 3 1975 Spring 2 The Direction and Purpose of Time 111 3 1975 Spring 7 Neshama Yetayra זוז 3 1975 Spring 9

The Secret of the Returning Exiles 111 3 1975 Spring 10 At the Rivers of Babylon 111 3 1975 Spring 13 Elijah-- The Unique Prophet ווו 3 1975 Spring 16

ווו )'~?(תהל·םקאם'סלאלסר 3 1975 Spring 18

A IPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR ~ CO INDEX 287

The Bible of My Youthful Days III 3 1975 Spring 19 Jonah- Transition From Seer to Prophet VII Fall1978

. Shrager, Miriam Y Hammurabi and Biblical Law VII 2 1978 Winter 89 Ref1ections: A Biblical Reverie XII 3 1984 Spring 184

. Silverman, lawrence M ? Vas Ionathan Guilty \ VII 4 1979 Summer 153

The Tom Robe VIII 3 1980 Spring 136

Silverman, Sam Job חסSpeculations X 2 1981 Winter 128

Sivan, Gabriei Pharaoh Now Has Only One Option VII 4 1979 Summer 202 Bible Misinterpretation: Supplementary Note VIII I Fall1979 49 The Antwerp Polyglot Bible X 2 1981 Winter 74 Book Review: Tbe Exile of the Word וX 3 1983 Spring 199 The Hebrew Element in Everyday English

1,2 Part XI 3 1983 Spring 176 3,4 Part וX 4 1983 Summer 240 5,6 Part XII 1 1983 FaU 49

8 _ 7 Part XII 2 1983 Winter 123

chcn, Mordecai כ&

Abstracts of Beth Mikra XI 4 1983 Summer 261 Abstracts of Beth Mikra XII 3 1984 Spring 178

Soviv, Aaron Reverence: For God and For the Locd XI Fall1982 15

essing ןTbe Confirmation of Noah's B IX 3 1981 Spring 144

. Thomson. C.LF a IV 2 1975 Winter 63יln Pן 24

Uffenheimer, Benyamin Some Features of Modern Jewish Bible Research

1 Part 4 1973 Summer Part2 ין 1 Fall1973 17 Part3 II 2 1973 Winter 25

Amos and Hosea: Two Directions in Jsrael's Prophecy V 3 1977 Spring 101

Waldman. Nahum Thc Sin of AmaJek in Bible and Midrash וX 2 1982 Winter 77

288 A COMPOSITE TWELVE·YEAR INDEX

Weigart, Maz.al God's Reply to Job I וו Fall1974 21

. West, Stuart A The Habiru and the Hebrews ווV 3 1979 Spring 101 Nuzi Tablets II וV Fall1979 12 The Rape of Dina and the Conquest of Shechem VIII 3 1980 Spring 144

Moses: Man of Indecisio IX 1980 Fall 33ת36 Mystery of Genesis IX 4 1981 Summer 161

Tbe Original Palestinians X 4 1982 Summer 243

Judah and Tamar XII 4 1984 Summer 246

. Wise, Aaron M Darshanim Project VIII Fall1979 52

n, Herman סK ~ hlman סW in ·Biblical Times ~ Building VI Fall1977

. Elliot R ח,Wolfso

ubt in the Phi1osophy גכ!The Diaiectic of Faith and of Socrates and the P:iety of Job VIII 4 1980 Surnmer 197

. Wolowelsky, Joel B

dom: Biblical Cootrast סSמHospitality i V 2 1976 Winter 94 Testing God: A Midrash on the Akeda וI וV 2 1979 Winter 98

s: Adam's Conquest חRef1ectio XII 3 1984 Spring 182

Kalman ח,Yaro the Near East חIsrael and i מSymbols of Nature i IX 3 1981 Spring 132

PARTII

Index According to Theme and Title

THEMES IN THE BIBLE

Aicha: Poem by Zalman Shazar 1I1 3 1975 Spring 2 Neshama Yefayra: Poem by Zalman Shazar 111 3 1975 Spring 7 A Kapital Tehilim: Poem by Zalman Shazar 111 3 1975 Spring 18

uis Katzoff סL: v uזa Ki Yetzer Lev Haadam Rah Min X 1981 Fa1l 32 Abraham and At!antis: Joseph Heckelman XJ 3 1983 Spring 189 Absalom's Revolt: Shimon Bakon וV 3 1978 Spring 118 Adam's Conquest. Reflections: Joel Wo!owelsky Xl1 3 1984 Spring 182 Adam's Rib VII 2 978 ] Winter 75

A COMPOS[TE TWELVE· YEAR [NDEX 289

Prophecy: B. Uffenheimer V מAmos and Hosea- Directions i 3 1977 Spring 101 Aggadah in Bib1e Study XII 1982 Fa11 39 And a Fountain Shall Come Forth: Ben Zion Luria X 1981 Fall 49 Antwerp Polyg10t Bible: Gabriel Sivan X 2 1981 Winter 74

paklaria of Prophetic Vision: Ittamar Greenwald & ו 4 1973 Summer 27 At tlle Mouth of Two Witnesses: Shimon Bakon וXI 3 1984 Spring 141 A1 tl.e Rivers of Babylon ווו 3 1975 Spring 13 ·

Bakon תBabylonian Captivity: Shimo ווV 3 1979 Spring 108 Back to the Bible: Haim Gavaryahu ו 1972 Fall 12 Balaam the Magician: Chaim Abramowitz וווV 1979 Fall 31

Israel מBible Names i 1972 Fall 26 Bible of My Youthful Days: Zalman Sbazar וll 3 1975 Spring 19 The Biblical Mind: Harold Kamsler N 3 1976 Spring 107

: A Biblical Protest Against the Violation of Wornen M. Hershei Levine וווV 4 1980 Summer 86

Biblical Religious Witnesses 1 1972 Fall 19 A Biblical Reverie- Reflections: Miriam Shrager ווX 3 1984 Spring 184 Biblical Tradition of Popular Democracy: Sol Uptzin וווV 4 1980 Summer 161

the Bible: Harold Kamsler מiBlood Covenant וV 2 1977 Winter 94 The Burden of Job's loneliness: Ben Zion Luria וו 4 1974 Summer 4

uis Katzoff סL: srael in Egypt וThe Cat hexis of V 3 1977 Spring 128 viv סSof Noah's Blessing: Aaron חThe Confirmatio IX 3 1981 Spring 144

The Contrite Heart: Sol liptzin I ו 2 1973 Winter 5 1 Cyrus in the Perspective of Bible and History: Abba Eban 3 1973 Spring

Commitment to Human Growth: Harry Ruskin II 1973 Fall 1 Direction and Purpose of Time: Zalman Shazar וll 3 1975 Spring 7 The Divine Name of EI-Shaddai: Norman Fredman IX 2 1980 Winter 72

Doctrine of Reward: Shimon 8ako V 2 1976 Winter 75ת

00 Not Destroy the Fruit Trees: Jehuda Feliks 2 1972 Winter 9 Dor and Generation 4 1973 Summer 38

: urse of the War סCThe Earthquake that Turned the Ben Zion wria II 2 1973 Winter 13

the Bible: SWmon Bakon מiEcological Motifs VI 1 1977 Fall 7 Esther's P1an to Save the Jews: Nathan Aviezer IX 3 1983 Spring 153 Fathers Have Eaten Sour Grapes 4 1973 Summer 36

: Bible and Cuneiform literature מiThe F100d Story Rapaport ו. X 2 1983 Winter 95וו

For the Sake of My Name: Yitzchak Glucksman וX 3 1983 Spring 169 From Biblical Religion to Judaism: Hugo Mantel VI 4 1978 Summer 173 From Mount Sinai to Mount Moriah: Mendel iewittes XI 2 1982 Winter 96

290 A COMPOSITE TWEL VE-YEAR INDEX

Israel: Haim Gevaryahu מGod's Plan i 2 1972 Winter 25

God's Reply to Job: Mazal Weigart 111 Fall1974 21

The Golden Calf: Eli Minoff VIII 4 1980 Summer 181

Exilic Isaiah: L. l..eah Bronner מGynomorphic lmagery i )(jI 2 1983 Winter 71

The Habiru and the Hehrews: Stuart West VII 3 1979 Spring 101

the Door: Chaim Abramowitz חסThe Hand VII 2 1979 Winter 62

The Hehrew Word Shem: 1. Rapaport X 3 1982 Spring 144

Hidden Root of Evil: Joseph Heckelman XII 4 1984 Summer 237

dom: Joel Wo}owelsky סSHospita1ity in V 2 1976 Winter 94

the Image of God- Ref1ections: J_ Cherchevsky מI )(jI 3 1984 Spring 181

In the l..anguage of Man: Chaim Abramowitz IX 3 1984 Spring 139

15: Dov Rosner ~ 1 Samue18 מ[rony i VI Fall1977 17

lsaiah and the Computer: Yehuda Radday VIII 1979 FaU 37

Jacob Mourns for his Son: Norman Asher IX 4 1981 Summer 191

loffion D. Goldfarb סS: Jacob's LDve for Rachel IV 4 1976 Summer 153

Jeremiah's Struggle With his Calling 1 4 1973 Summer 38

vneh עJewish Way of l.oving: Eliezer 11 3 1974 Spring 26 of the Host: Shimon Bakon תiJoab, Capta V 4 1977 Summer 159

Joel and His Message: S.M. l.ehrman 11 Fall1973 22 urt: Herhert Rand סJustice in Solomon's C X 3 1982 ng iזSp 170

ver in Jerusalern: Ben Zion Luria סKing Hezekiah's Pass 111 3 1975 Spring 21 : King and Commoner in Proverbs and Near East

Leah Bronner X 4 1982 Summer 210

The 1.esson of Ezekiel's Temple: I.L. Rabinowitz ון 1 1973 FaU 13 The living Testament of Jacob- lsrael: Etan Levine XII 1 1983 FaU 30 The Maccabees and the Transmission of the Text of the

Torah: Max Rothschild IV 2 1975 Winter 67 The Makers of lsrael: I.L Rabinowitz X 2 1981 Winter 122

ria גגIThe Menorah: Ben Zion 1 3 1973 Spring 21 Metaphors of the Vine and the Olive Tree: Joseph

Kahaner 11 3 1974 Spring 15 Midrash and Pesher: Max Rothschild IV 3 1976 Spring 103 Monarchy and the Bible: Max Rothschild V 2 1976 Winter 51 Moses and the Spies: Norman Asher וXI 3 1984 Spring 196 The Mystery of Genesis 36: Stuart West IX 4 1981 Summer 161

: My Beloved Has Gone Down to His Bed of Spices Ben Zion Luria 11 3 1974 Spring 22

A Nation Without a State: Mendel l..ewittes IV Fall1975 17

E TWELVE-YEAR INDEX חA COMPOS 291

National and '&chato}ogical Messianism: David

I..owenstein VI 3 1978 Spring 147

The lachish Letters: Ben Zion wria I 4 1973 Summer 23 g Praise the I..ord: Joshua S, Kohn hiת l.et Everyt n 4 1974 Summer II

Nuzi Tablets: Stuart West VIII I 1979 Fall 12

A Perfect Wife: Haim Gevaryahu n 4 1974 Summer 17

aoh Now Has Only One Option: Gabriel Sivan l'lוar VII 4 1979 Summer 202

llte P1ague in Samuel 5-6: Myron Eichler X 3 1982 Spring 157

Prophecy- A Phenomenological Approach: SlUmon Bakon VII 4 1979 Summer 160

The Prophet and the King: Arye Bartal VIII 3 1980 Spring III

' The Prophet and the King: Pinhas Neeman IV 2 1975 Winter 75

Prophetic Solution for Near Eastern People: Haim

Gevaryahu 2 1972 Winter 27

acob Chinitz VIII 1 :נhe Prophets: Nationalists or Universalists 4 1980 Summer 204

Purim and Hallel: Josiah Derby וX 2 1982 Winter 104

: nquest of Shechem סCTh. Rape of Dinah and the

Stua:rt West VIII 3 1980 Spring 144

Redemption in the Bible: Arthur Hoffnung X 4 1982 Summer 229

Restoration of a Holy Nation: 8ezalel Porten VII 3 1979 Spring 127

viv סSReverence for God and the I..ord: Aaron וX 1982 Fall 15

he Sacrificial Cult Among Egyptian But Not ך

Bab)'lonian Exiles- Why 1: Leah Bronner IX 2 1981 Winter 61

Sau1 and the Witch of Endor: SlUmon Bakon V 1976 Fall 16

The Sin of Ama1ek in Bib1e and Midrash: Nahum

Waldman XI 2 1982 Winter 77

: me Features of Modern Jewish Bible Research סS

B. Urfenheimer 4 1973 SUmmer

2 Part II 1973 Fall 17

3 Part 11 2 1973 Winter 25

Said the TlUstle to the Cedar: Jehuda Feliks 2 1972 Winter 12

Semitic Influences and the Bible Text: Stanley Schneider X 2 1981 Wint.r 90

Sex and Violence in the Bible: Solomon Goldfarb IV 3 1976 Spring 125

uis Katzoff סL; Slavery in the Bible X 4 1982 Summer 204

Job: Samuel Silverman חסSpecu1ations X 2 1981 Winter 128

Speech and Silence in Prophecy: Andre Neher VI 2 1977 Winter 61

rach's Rebellion: Jeffrey Cohen סKSpies, Princes and X 4 1982 Summer 220

292 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

Story of Creation: Chaim Abramowitz X 1981 Fall 3

eation: Chaim Abramowitz זCStory of X 3 1982 Spring 187

Story of Creation- The Garden of Eden: Chaim

Abramowitz X 4 1982 Summer 234

Story of Creation- Cain and Abel: Chaim Abramowitz וXI I 1983 Fall 15

The Striking of the Rock: Jeffrey Cohen וXJ 3 1984 Spring 152

The Ten 1..o5t Tribes: Israel Heller ווו 4 1975 Summer 4

Luria מסThe Siberian Exile: Ben Zi וV I 1977 Fall 44

: lsrael and in the Near East תThe Symbols of Nature i

Kalman Yaro IX 3 1981 Spring 132ת

the Akeda: Joel חסd· A Midrash סGTesting Wolowelsky וווV 2 1979 Winter 98

as Thyself: Edmund Berg IX זThou Shalt l..ove Thy Neighbo 2 1980 Winter 104

Thou Sh3.1t Not Abhor an Egyptian ווו Falll974 6 Torah Study and Peace of Mind: Etan Levine XJ I 1982 Fall 53 The Torn Robe: lawrence M. Silverman ווןV 3 1980 Spring 136 Tragedy in the Bible: Sarah Halpern IX 1 1980 Fall 3 The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: N. Kravitz 11 1973 Fall 6 The Trials of Jeremiah: Hershel Levine וX1 1 1983 Fall 36

Transition: Herbert Rand חTwins i ווX 3 1984 Spring 166 Luria מסTbe Vision of Dry 8ones: Ben Zi וו 1973 Fall 10

Was the Hasmonean State Secular 1: Ben Zion wria ווX 2 1983 Winter 104 Was the Hasmonean State Secular 1: Ben Zion Luria ווX 3 1984 Spring 186

: Was Jonathon Guilty l..awrence M. Silverman ווV 4 1979 Summer 153 Moses' Blessing: Solomon מWas Simon Not Included i

Goldfarb IV 2 1975 Winter 51

Watergate in the Tanach: Max M. Rothschild וו 2 1973 Winter 17

What Happened to Uzziah's Bones: Ben Zion wria ו 2 1972 Winter 5 What is in a Name: l.ouis Katzoff X ו 3 1981 Spring 148 Who is Afraid of Edom: Louis Katzoff V 4 1977 Summer 178 Who was the Teacher in Biblical Days: Haim Gevaryahu וו 4 1974 Summer 14

: Why Did Joseph l..et His Father Mourn For Him Norman Asher IX 4 1981 Summer 191

Why Did Samuellnitially Reject the Monarchy: Shimon Bakon וווV 4 1980 Summer 171

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 293

BIBUCAL PERSONAIlnES

nsights in the Ufe וAbraham: Some I'sychological of Abraham: Pusin ווV 2 1978 Winter 65

The"Trials of Abraham: Abramowitz וvוו 3 1980 Spring 127 Absalom's ,Story: Drama and Tragedy: Halpern וX Fall1982

or Character: Goldfarb סPAhab: A U 4 1974 Summer 46 Amos: Prophet and Worldly Man: Luria X 2 1982 Winter 183

Unauthentic Prophet: Bakon מA: Balaam IX 2 1980 Winter 89 Cyrus in the Perspective of Bible and History: Eban 3 1973 Spring David and Bat Sheba: Garsiel V 1 Fa111976 24

V 1 1976 Winter 85 V 3 1977 Summer 134

Elijah in Yiddish literature: liptzin I 3 1973 Spring 7 Elijah: Bakon IX 1 1980 Fall 22 Elijah the Unique Prophet: Shazar ווו 3 1975 Spring 6 ו

The Enigma of Elihu: Bakon וxו 4 1984 Summer 217 E'sther Hamalka and Mordecai Hayehudi: Fredman וV 3 1978 Spring 116 Esau: Justice to Esau: Berg ווX 4 1984 Summer 229 Ezra the Scribe: Gevaryahu וV 2 1977 Winter 87 Hezekiah and Josiah: A Comparison: Glatt וvn 4 1980 Summer 201

ria גנl: King Hezekiah's Pessach וון 3 1975 Spring 21 Jacob: Man of Destiny: Bakon X Falll981 10 Uving Testament of Jacob-Israel: Levine XII 1983 Fall 30 Job and Faust: Uptzin II 4 1974 Summer Job in literature: Neher ווו 1 Fall1974 15

het: Shazar ז>Jonah: Transition from Seer to Pro [[ V Fall1978

Jonah and Nineveh and Tragedy of Jonah: Fredman [[ X Fall1983 4 Judah and Tamar: A Scriptural Enigma: West [[ X 4 1984 Summer 246 Job: In Days of Job: liptzin 1 [[ 1974 Fall 21 Moses: Man of Indecision: West IX 1980 Fall 33 Moses and the Burning Bush: Neher N 4 1976 Summer 159 Moses and the Spies: Asher I וX 3 1984 Spring 196

: Moses the Inarticulate [[ X 2 1983 Winter 121 Moses: The Tragedy of rus Personallife: Rabinowitz XI 3 1983 Spring 141

Samuel: The Prophet Samuel and King Saul: Begin וX 4 1983 Summer 202 Samuel and Saul: The Prophetic Dimension: Bakon XI 4 1983 Summer 223

Samuel and Saul: A Psychological Dimension: Katzoff וX 4 1983 Summer 217

Saul: King Saul: liptzin 2 1972 Winter

294 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

Saul's Kingship: The Tragedy of a J..eader: Halpern Two Righteous Men: Isaiah and Hezekiah: Abramowitz Three Charismatic Judges and Their Strategies: Ron

SOURCE MATERIAL

Admonition and Comfort Biblical Sources Relating to Prayer: Routtenberg

Building in Biblical Times: Wohlman Changing Laws: Routtenberg

Computation ofthe New Moon: Raab Darshanim Project :Wise Development of Biblical Prayer: Levine

ia rגנl: Development of the Mezuzah Dukhan: lts Meaning: Berg Hammurabi and Biblicall.aw: Shrager I..aws of Marriage: Routtenberg

l.aws of Mourning: Routtenberg

Laws of Sabbath: Routtenberg

xl Xll N

ו

II ווו

N

N N

N Vו

IX V

ll וV

IX V

IX vn

Xו Xו

V

V

V

V

Vו

Vו

Vו

Vו

Vוו

4 4

3

3

4

2

3

4

1

3

2

4 1

4 2

2 3

2 3

4

ו

2

3

4

Sununer 1983 210 Summer 1984 211 Fall1975 8

1973 Spring 26

1974 Spring 32

1975 Summer 19 Fa111975 24

1975 Winter 81

1976 Spring 134

1976 Summer 176

Fal11977 1

1981 Spring 120

1976 Winter 56

Falll972 52

1981 Summer 172 Fa111976 6

1981 Summer 195 1978 Winter 89

1982 Winter 123

1983 Spring 194

Fal11976 35 1976 Winter 91 1977 Spring 138

1977 Summer 192 Fa111977 41

1977 Winter 99 1978 Spring 53 ו

1978 Summer 204

Fa111978 41

A COMPOS[TE TWELVE-YEAR [NDEX 295

telligence in the Bible: Efron תIMilitary V 4 1977 Summer 183 VI 4 1978 Summer 191 IX 4 1981 Summer 185

X Fall1982 44וMusical Instruments in the Bible: Bakon וV 4 1978 Sumrner 161 Obligatory WaI and Voluntary War: Lehrman ווו 1974 FaU 30

Taamey Hamikra: Musleah חסObservations ווX 2 1983 Winter 84 The Origin of the Synagogue: Kohn וווV 1979 FaU 27 Physical Characteristics of a Torah Scroll: Levine וווV 2 1979 ter תiW 86 Prophecy and Halacha: Routtenberg ווVI 2 1979 ter תiW 61

Prophet, King and Priest in Israel: Lewittes וII 4 975 ] Summer 9 Purim and Hallel: Derby וX 2 1982 Winter 104

Sources on the History of Torah Reading: Gevaryahu ו 2 1972 Winter 13

3 1973 Spring 18

I 4 1973 Summer 31

וו 2 1973 Winter 139

11 4 1974 Summer 21

Thou Shalt Not Hate an Egyptian Gevaryahu : וII 974 ] Fall 6

What is Torah: Katzoff XII 983 ] Fall

STUDY GUJDES

lsaiah חס: Quiz I 3 1973 29 Jercmiah and Ezekiel חס ו 4 1973 19

g תion F1y 11 2 1973 8 Family Circle: Katzoff and Upis

Noach. Vayyera, Toledot, Vayish!ach 1 1972 21 Vayyiqra. Zav, Shemini 2 1972 17 Book of Bamidbar I 3 1973 30 Book of Devarim 4 973 ] 10 Book of Bereshit וו 1 973 ] 31 Book of Shmot 11 2 973 ] 29 Book of Vayyiqra וו 3 974 ] 37 Book of Bamidbar ון 4 1974 24 Book of Bereshit וII 1 1974 35

Book of Shmot וו) 2 1974 36

296 A COMPOSlTE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

Book of Vayyiqra ווו 3 1975 37

Book of Bamidbar ווו 4 1975 23

ok of Bereshit סB N 1 1975 31

Book of Shmot N 2 1975 84

Book of Vayyiqra V ו 3 1976 137

Book of Bamidbar IV 4 1976 181 Torah Dialogues: Halpern

21 · 1 Genesis VII 2 1978 80 22-40 Genesis VII 3 1979 140 41-50 Genesis I וv 4 1979 198 1-20 Exodus VIII 1979 44 21-40 Exodus VIII 2 1979 94

13 · 1 Leviticus וווV 3 1980 140 24 · 14 Uviticus I ווV 4 1980 210 27 · 25 Leviticus IX 1 1980 44

1-12 Numbers IX 2 1980 100 22-25 ; 13-18 Numbers IX 3 1981 180

19-21 Numbers IX 4 1981 204 Bamidbar: Hukkot X 1981 28 Devarim X 2 1981 124 Devarim X 3 1982 165 Devarim X 4 1982 258 Devarim XI 1982 35 Devarim וX 2 1982 102

A Guide to Isaiah: Pearl

Introduction and Chapter One וX 3 1983 159 14 : Chapter One and Two XI 4 1983 234

Chapter Three ווX 1 1983 45 Chapter Four וXI 2 1983 115

173 1984 3 XII Chapter Six

253 1984 4 I וX Chapter Seven

YEAR ~ A COMPOSITE TWELVE INDEX 297

THE BIBLE IN UTERA TURE

Abishag the Shunamite: Iiptzin lX 2 1980 Winter 78 Belshazar's Folly: Uptzin YII 3 1979 Spring 119

Establishment Hero: Uptzin ~ Cain, The Anti YI Fall1977 27 The Cult of Moloch: Uptzin lX 2 1982 Winter 82 Death of Moses: Uptzin YI 4 1978 Summer 180

ubt in the Philosophy of סDThe Dialectic of Faith and Socrates and the Piety of Job: Wolfson YIII 4 1980 Summer 197

Elijah in Yiddish IJterature: Iiptzin I 3 1973 Spring 7 Evolving Symbolism in the Burning Bush: Levine YIII 4 1980 Summer 185 The Hebrew Element in Everyday English: Sivan XI 3 1983 Spring 176

Part2 XI 4 1983 Summer 240 3 Part XII Falll983 49 4 Part XII 2 1983 Winter 123

Judges 13·16 Relevant to John מThe Hebrew Motif i Milton's Samson Agonistes: Shapiro N 2 1975 Winter 56

2 Pa,'t N 3 1976 Spring 113

3 Part N 4 1976 Summer 160

In the Days of Job: Uptzin N 3 1976 Spring 113 2 Part IY 4 1976 Summer 160 3 Part III Fall1974 21

1 Samuel 8·15: Rosller מrony i [ YI Fall1977 17

sky·s Samson: Liptzin ןrabotiI . YI 2 1977 Winter 74

Jephtah's Uterary Yogue: Uptzin YI 3 1978 Spring 126

Job and Faust: liptzin 11 4 1974 Summer 1

rudgement of Solomon: Uptzin . X 3 1982 Spring 177 King Saul in World literature: Uptzin 2 1972 Winter 1 Lady Asenath: Uptzin VII 2 1978 Winter 51 Uterary Impact of Jonah: liptzin YII 1 Fall1978 9

ve of David and Michal: liptzin l..ם The X 2 1981 Winter 96 Micha's Ideals: Stevenson's Guide: Efron N 2 1975 Winter 79 Moby Dick and the Wisdom of Solomon: Shapiro V 4 1977 Summer 170

Modern World literature: Neher מiThe Motif of Job 111 1 Fall1974 15

Nabal and Abigail; liptzin VIII 2 1979 Winter 78 Noble Jonathan: Uptzin Y Fall1976 2

incess Hagar: Uptzin rיI VIII 3 1980 Spring 114 Rahab of Jericho: Uptzin lX 3 1981 Spring 111

298 MPOSITE סA C TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

Rebecca's Beguilement of lsaac: Uptzin XII Fall1983 22

Rehabilitation of lillith: liptzin V 2 1976 Winter 66

Ruth and Medea: Uptzin V 4 1977 Summer 156

Sacrifice of Isaac in Yiddish Literature: Matenko N 1 Fall1975

Moses: liptzin חסSchiller xו 4 1981 Summer 179

Shulamit Unal1egorized: Uptzin VIII Fall1979

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: liptzin VlI 4 1979 Summer 172

Solomon's Humiliation: liptzin xו Fa111980 11

The Tower of Babel: Uptzin X Falll981 35

William B1ake and Biblical Imagery: Levy X11 4 1984 Summer 260

800KS OF THE BmLE

s on Records or Cassettes תGenesis: Selectio 1 3 1973 Spring 43

Genesis 1: The Story of Creation: Abramow1tz X Fall1981 3 Abramowitz ח:Story of Creatio ~ e 2 :ןןן Genesis X 3 1982 Spring 187

Genesis 1·2: Adam's Rib: Gertel VlI 2 1978 Winter 75 Genesis 3: The C'.arden of Eden: Abramowitz X 4 Fall1982 234 Genesis 3: The Tree of Knowledge: Kravitz 11 Fall1973 6

Genesis 3: Concomitant of Human Growth: Ruskin U Fall1973 I Genesis 4: Cain and Abel: Abramowitz X11 Falll973 15

urav: Katzoff X תiGenesis 9:21: Ki Yetzer Lev Haadam Ra M Fall1981 32

: Genesis 12:1: Meaning of Moledet 1 I Fall1972 17

Genesis 19: Hospitality in Sodom: Wolowelsky V 2 1976 Winter 94 Genesis 30·31: Jacob's Love for Rachel: Goldfarb N 4 1976 Summer 153

13: Jacob's Return to Canaan: Bakon ~ Genesis 31 :1 N 3 1976 Spring 121 : nquest of Shechem סCGenesis 34: Rape of Dinah and

West VUI 3 1980 Spring 144 Genesis 36: The Mystery of Genesis 36: West xו 4 1981 Summer 161 Exodus 34: Moses and the Burning Bush: Neher N 4 1976 Summer 159 Leviticus 19:18: Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor: Berg xו 2 1980 Wmter 104 Numbers: Torah Dialogues: Haipern X Falll981 28

ria גנl: Numbers 8:2: The Menorah 1 3 1973 Spring 21 : Numbers 13:2: Spies, Princes and Korach's Rebellion

Cohen X 4 1982 Surnrner 220 hen סC: Numbers 20:1·13: The Striking of the Rock XII 3 1984 Spring 152

Numbers 22·24: Balaam the Magician: Abramowitz I יVl Fall1979 31

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 299

Deuteronomy: Torah Dialogues: Halpem X 2 1981 Winter 124 omy: Torah Dialogues: Halpern תDeutero X 3 1982 Spring 165

uteronomy: Torah Dialogues: Halpern eיI X 4 1982 Summer 258 Deuteronomy: Torah Dialogues: Halpern בX I Fall1982 35 Deuteronomy: Torah Dialogues: Halpern בX 2 1982 Winter 102 Deuteronomy 11 :16: Dorand Generation 4 1973 Summer 38 DeuteronoJny 17:14; 18:15: Kingand Prophet: Lewittes III 4 1975 Summer 9

' Moses מiDeuteronomy 33:8-11: Was Simon Not Included Blessing: Goldfarb IV 2 1975 Winter 51

I»Cuteronolny 34: Death of Moses: Uptzin VI 4 1978 Summer 180 Joshua: The Book of Joshua: Ben Gurion III 2 1974 Winter 2

Joshua: By Way of a Reply: Ben Gurion 111 2 1974 ter וiWi 15

Joshua 5: Gilgal, Site of the First Passover: Rothschild וV 3 1978 Spring 137

ria גנI: Joshua 19:40: New Dan Settlement 111 Fall1974 10

Judges 4-11: Three Charismatic Judges and their

Strategies: Ron IV Fall1975 8

I Samuel 5-6: The Plague: Eichler X 3 1982 Spring 154

I SamueI8_15: hony: Rosner וV 1977 Fall 17 1 Samue] J 2·16: Absalom's Revolt: Bakon וV 3 1978 Spring 118 1 Samuel14: Was Jonathan Guilty: Silverman I וv 4 1979 Summer 153 1 Samuell5: Saul and the Witch of Endor: Bakon V Fall1976 16 1 Samuell 5:26-28: The To[o Robe: Silverman II וv 3 1980 Spring 136 Il Samuel: Joab, Captain ofthe Host: Bakon V 4 1977 Summer 159

<:!. 1 Kings 3: Justice in King Solomon's Court·:-Ran /

X 3 1982 Spring 170 I Kings 26: Ahab, A Poor Character: Goldfarb II 4 1974 SUmmer 46 II Kings 3: Do Not Destroy the Fruit Trees: Feliks 2 1972 Winter 9 II Kings 14: Said the Thistle to the Cedar: Feliks I 2 1972 Winter 12 I1 Kings 15: What Happened to Uzziah's Bones: Luria I 2 1972 Winter 5 Ir.aiah: A Guide to Isaiah: Pearl וX 3 1983 Spring 159

" XI 4 1983 Summer 234 I וx Fall1983 45 I וx 2 1983 Winter 41 XI 3 1984 Spring 173ו XI 4 1984 Summer 253ו

lsaiah: Gynomorphic lmagery in Exilic Isaiah: Bronner I x1983 2 ,·ו Winter 71 Isaiah: lsaiah and the Computer: Radday VIII I Falll979 37 Isaiah 8:10: God's P1an in Isaiah: Gevaryahu 2 1972 Winter 25 lsaiah 19:34: Prophetic Solution for Near Eastern

PeopJe: Gevaryahu 2 1972 Winter 27 the Perspective of Bible and מIsaiah 45: Cyrus i

300 A COMPOSITE TWEL VE-YEAR INDEX

History: Eban ו 3 1973 Spring 1

saiah 48:9: For the Sake of My Name: Glucksman ו X 3 1983 Spring 169ו

Isaiah 66: 14: Tbe New Kotel Discovery: Luria 3 1973 Spring 24

Jeremiah 8:22: Jeremiah's Struggle with his Calling 4 1973 Summer 38

Jeremiah 26: The lachish Letters: Luria וו Fall1973 10

Jeremiah 26: The Trial of Jeremiah: Levine ווX Fall1983 45

Ezekiel1 :43: Prophetic Vision: Greenwald ו 4 1973 Summer 27

Ezekie111 : 16: Origin of the Synagogue ו 4 1973 Summer 33

EzekieI18:2: Fathers Have Eaten Sour Grapes 4 1973 Summer 36

Ezekie137: Tbe Vision of Dry Bones: Luria וו Fall1973 10

: of Ezekiel's Ternple חEzekiel40-48: Tbe !..esso Rabinowitz וו 1 1973 Fa11 13

Amos: Prophet and Worldly Man: Luria X 3 1982 Spring 183

onah: The Book of Jonah: Shazar נ 1972 Fa11 4

Jonah: A Lesson For AlI Generations: Shalev וvו 1978 Fa11 21

Jonah: The Universalism of Jonah: Gevaryahu X Falll981 20

Obadiah 1 :21: Israel and Edom: Luria וו Fa111973 25 JoeI1-3: Joel's Message: Lehrman וו 1 Fa111973 22 Zephaniah 1: 11: Suk in Ancient Jerusalem: Luria וו 2 1973 Winter 1 Psalms 15: Uturgical or Ethical: Avishar V 3 1976 Spring 124

Psalm 23: A Pattern Poem: Bazak וX 2 1982 Winter 71

Psalm 24: Thomson IV 2 1975 Winter 63

Psalm 15: Iiturgical or Ethical: Avishar V 3 1976 Spring 124 Psa1m 23: A Pattern Poem: Bazak וX 2 1982 Winter 71 Psa1m 24: Thomson IV 2 1975 Winter 63 Psalm 51: The Contrite Heart n 2 1973 Winter 5 Psalm 57: 1: The Meaning of Michtam: Gevaryahu וו 2 1973 Winter 9

: Psalm 60: The Earthquake that Turned the Course of War Luria וו 2 1973 Winter 13

Psalms 110: Poem in Yiddish: Shazar ווו 3 1975 Spring 18 Psalm 119: Sparks from the Psalms: Lehrman וו 3 1974 Spring 10

: Psalm 128: Metaphors of the Vine and Olive_Tree Kahaner וו 3 1974 Spring 15

Psalm 130: A Cry From the Heart: Lehrman ווו 4 1975 Summer 15 Psalm 149: The Makers of Israel: Rabinowitz X 2 1981 Winter 122 Psalm 150: Praise the Lord: l.iptzin וו 4 1974 Summer 11 Psalm 150: Psalms of Zion: l.iptzin ווו 4 1975 Summer 1 Psalm 150:6: l..et Everytrung Praise the Lord: Kohn וו 4 1974 Summer II Proverbs: Everyman's Guide to a Perfect Iife: Lehrman IV 2 1975 Winter 71

וו Proverbs 20:11: The Teacher: Gevaryahןן 4 1974 Summer 14

A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX 301

Proverbs 21 :10: A Perfect Wife: Gevaryahu II 4 1974 Summer 17 l..amentations 4:21·22: Who is Mraid of Edom: Katzoff V 4 1977 Summer 178 Ecclesiastes: Koheleth: A Reinterpretation: Felton V 1 Fall1976 29

Silverman :ן> JO חסJob: Speculations X 2 1981 Winter 128 Job 19: Job's l..oneliness: Luria II 4 1974 Summer 4 Job 32: The Enigma of Elihu: Bakon XII 4 1984 Summer 217 Job 38:4: God's Reply: Weigart III 1 1974 FaU 21

ther: Themes in the Book of Esther: Fredman & V 3 1977 Spring 111

Esther: Esther Hamalka and Mordecai Hayehudi: Fredman וV 3 1978 Spring 116 Esther: Esthec's Plan to Save the Jews: Aviezer XI 3 1983 Spring 153 Song of Songs: Jewish Way of Loving: Livneh וו 3 1974 Spring 26 Song of Songs 4:3: My Beloved Has Gone Down to Her

Bed of Spices: Luria II 3 1974 Spring 22 Song of Songs 5:4: The Hand on the Door: Abramowitz VII 2 1978 Winter 62

Daniel: Its Significance and Meaning: Finkel XI 3 1983 Spring 181

Nehemiah 3:26: Watergate: Rothschild 11 2 1973 Winter 17

EWS וvOOK RE ע

iBiblirol Re!lect Fall1972 29ס ns:David Ben GurioחBen Gurion Looks at the Bible

rev. by J. Halpern 3 1973 Spring 39

Selections From Genesis on Records or Cassettes 3 1973 Spring 46

o! the Talmud: B. Elizur eזs Sabbatl' Chapt rev. by J. Halpern 4 1973 Summer 40

Song o! Songs: Eliezer l..evinger rev. by S.D. Goldfarb 4 1973 Summer 42

ving: Herbert Tarr סLA Time !or rev. by S.D. Goldf.rb 11 3 1974 Spring 46

4yin Lamikra: Mazal Weigart . rev. by P. l.apides I וו 3 1975 Spring 45

In the Footprints o! Moses: Moshe Perlman rev. by J. Halpern V 111976 • F 38

In the Footprints o!the Prophets: Moshe Periman rev. by J. Halpern V Fall1976 40

Light and Rejoicing: W. Simpson rev. by J. Halpern V 4 1977 Summer 198

302 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

Eclwd Mi Yodea: S.P. Toperoff rev. by J. Halpern V 4 1977 Summer 199

Mechkarim B'Kokelet uv'Mishlei: M. Eleyoenai ria גגlrev. by Ben Zion VI Fall1977 44

11Ie Bible in Jewish EduCJltion: J. Schoneveldt

rev. by A. Ruderman VI 2 1977 Winter 103

Torah for the Family: Upis and Katzoff rev. by J. I-Ialpern VI 4 1978 SUmmer 208

Archeology ofthe Bible: Book by Book: G. Cornfeld rev. by 1. Katzoff V11 Fall1978 43

Talks on Scripture: Vol. 2 The Latter Prophets Benjamin Zvieli, rev. by J. Halpern ווןV 2 1979 Winter 101

The Seven Days o! the Beginning: Eli Munk rev. by J. llalpern IX 4 1981 Summer 203

11Ie GUgamesh Epic and the Biblical Flood Story

Rapaport, rev. by J. llalpern ו.. Rabbi Dr X 4 1982 Summer 262 riginal Meaning 11סIe Hebrew Word Shem and Its

Rapaport, rev. by J.llalpern ו.. Rabbi Dr וX 2 1982 Winter 131 11Ie Exile of the Word: From the Silence of the Bible

to the Silence o[ Auschwitz: Andre Neher rev. by G. Sivan וX 3 1983 Spring 199

Rapaport ו.: ne סEnuma Elish and Genesis Chapter rev. by J. Halpern ווX Fa111983 55

In Lighto!Genesis: Pamela White Hadas rev. by SoI Uptzin ווX Fa111983 55

Contemporary מn i igiס Lilith's Daughters: Women and Rel Fiction: Barbara Hill Rigney

lliptzin סSrev. by xn Fall1983 55 1-8 . 11Ie Encyclopedia Biblica, vol

rev. by Arye Ben-Yosef וXJ 2 1983 Winter 130 11Ie Mark of Cain: Ruth M.11inkoff

lliptzin סSrev. by ווX 3 1984 Spring 194 The Torah: A Modem Commentary: W. Gunther Plaut

rev. by Abraham Ruderman ווX 4 1984 Summer 258

--

303 A COMPOSITE TWELVE-YEAR INDEX

ISRAEL AND Zאסן

189 1983 Spring 3 XI braham 8ndAtlantis: Heckelman \יJ

196 1981 Summer 4 IX Iliens and Jsr.etites: Rothschi1d '. 118 1981 Winter 2 X Part2 39 Fall1982 XI Part3 245 1983 Summer 4 XI 4 Part 137 1978 Spring 3 VI Gilgal: Site ofthe First Passover: Rothschild 5 1974 Spring 3 U Heart of Jsr.e1: City of Man: Eban 25 1973 Fa11 1 II Israel and Edom: Luria 111 1982 Winter 2 XI ypt and Jsr.e1: Bakon ~

187 1979 Summer 4 VII Ho1y Cities in the Land of Ephraim: Gev.ryahu 13 1973 Spring 3 I Jerusalem in the Bible: Abramsk.i ; 6 1973 Summer 4 I Part2 20 1973 Winter 2 II 3 Part 6 1974 Summer 4 U Part4 31 1974 Winter 2 5וון Part 27 1975 Spring 3 6ש Part 81 1977 Winter 2 וV rerusalem in the Days of Jeremiah: Luria : 35 Fal11977 וVKatzoff חס:Ierusalem Streets Abraham Walked : 112 1983 Winter 2 וX The last of the Maccabees: l..evine ' 23 Falll982 XI Mesopotamia and Israel: Bakon 24 1973 Spring 3 ria l.וג. : Thc New Kotel Discovery

10 1974 Winter וווThe New Settlernents ofthe Tribe of Dan: Luria

249 1983 Summer 4 וX A New World and a New Man: Menes 243 1982 Summer 4 X The Original Palestinians: West 1 1975 Surnmer 4 וU Psalms of Zion: liptzin 10 1975 Spring 3 I וI tung Exiles: Shazar 1זRetu 13 1975 Spring 3 וU JRivers of Babylon: Shazar

1973 Winter 2 ווria l.גI : Ancient Israel מThe Suk i 141 1978 Spring 3 VI ria .גגl: The Western Wall 198 1978 Summer 4 וV 2 Part 35 111978 • F 1 VII 3 Part 84 1978 Winter 2 ווV Part4 136 1979 Spring 3 ווV 5 Part 193 1979 Summer 4 ווV 6 Part 104 1983 Winter 2 ווX Was the Hasmonean State Secular: wria

186 1984 Spring 3 XII

304 A COMPOSITE TWELVE·YEAR INDEX

ETY ACTIVITIES וBLE SOC וSH B וWORLD JEW

Bar Mitzvah Ceremony at the Kotel וV 4 1978 Summer 213

Bar Mitzvah at the Tomb of Rachel I וX 1 1983 FaU 48

II 2 1974 Winter 29ו Bet Hatanach in Jerusalem: Ben Gurioח

Halpern ח:Bible Readers Unio Fa111972 15

First International Bible Conference 3 1973 Spring 40 Bible Exhibit: Gur Aryeh Sadeh

Winners of Bible Quiz ון 1 Fall1973 45

Greeting n 2 1973 Winter 44 וו Reports WIZO and Bible Unioח 3 1974 Spring 43

Dor Le Dor I ו 4 1974 Summer 44 Fourth International Adu'lt Bible Contest IX 4 1981 Summer 208 Fifth International Adult Bible Contest X 2 1981 Winter 131 Suggestions for Future Contests: Ben Zion Luria xn 2 1983 Winter 60 Tenth Annual International Youth Bible Contest n 1 Fal11973 43 Eleventh ווו 2 1974 Winter 45

' Twelfth " N 1975 FaU 44 .. Thirteenth " V Fa111976 42 .. Fourteenth וV Fa111977 49

Fifteenth " וVI Fall1978 46 Sixteenth " I וvו Fall1979 50

" Seventeenth IX Fall1980 53 .. Eighteenth X Fall1981 59 .. Nineteenth XJ Fall1982 59 " Twentieth XII 1983 Fall 1 · 5

WJBS News: Israel and Argentina V 3 1977 Spring 140 Norristown New Jersey וV 1 1977 Fall 54 Connecticut--New York וV 2 1977 Winter 105 Hartford Connecticut---Jerusalem וV 3 1978 Spring 156 Chicago Illinois---F10rida וV 4 1978 Summer 210 World Jewish Bible Center in Jerusalem I וV 2 1978 Winter 96

305 INDEX A COMPOSITE TWELYE-YEAR

TOR וLETTERS TO THE ED

96 1975 nter וW2 N re: Ten Lost Tribes 45 Falll976 1 V re: Dav:id and Batsheba 96 1976 Winter 2 V re: Bible Readers Union 143 1977 Spring 3 V תre: Koheleth Reinterpretatio 201 1977 Summer 4 V re: Book Reviews 47 Fall1977 וVre: David and Batsheha 102 1977 Winter 2 וV n סre: Bible Readers Uni 99 1979 Wrnter 2 II וV re: Hamurabi and Biblical I.aws 155 1981 Spring 3 X וet ןKohe מO: re

203 1981 Summer 4 X וre: on the Torn Robe 62 Falll981 X re: Thou Shalt l..ove Thy Neighbor 191 1982 Spring 3 X re: Joseph and Jacob 191 1982 Spring 3 X תre: Story of Creatio 56 Falll982 וX re: Story of Creation 56 Falll982 וX tזSoloffion's Cou מre: Justice i 201 1983 Spring 3 וX re: M.ilitar)' Jntelligence 258 1983 Summer 4 וX rc: Korach's Rebellion 127 1983 Winter 2 I וX rc: Samuel and Saul 202 1984 Spring 3 XII Torah Dialogues נrC

262 984 ] Summer 4 XII rC: Isaiah

Summer 1981 213 4 IX BLE STUDY GROUPS וUST OF B

Spring 1982 194 3 X UST OF PATRONS

A COMPOSITE TWELVE·YEAR INDEX 306

TRlBUTESTO

David Ben Gurion 1974 Spring 3 II by Zalman Shazar

Yehezk.el Kaufman 31 1974 Spring 3 ווby CW Efraymson 33 1974 Spring 3 II by Menabem Haran

Zalman Sbazar 3 1975 Spring 3 וווby Gershon Scholem

Fall1976 v Solliptzin Fa111981 X Louis Katzoff

71 1981 Winter 2 X Haim Gevaryahu 141 1982 Spring 3 X ia rגגlBen Zion 201 1982 Summer 4 X Solliptzin

IN MEMORlAM

1,43 Fall1974 III Reuben Gevaryahu 102 1975 Winter 2 IV Jacob S. Gold 151 1976 Summer 4 IV Solomon D. Goldfarb 208 1977 Summer 4 V Solomon Zeitlin 208 1977 Summer 4 V Moshe Gutentag

David Ben Gurion 198 1977 Summer 4 v by President Katzir

ED1TORlALS

SUmmer 1979 151 Fa111980 1

4 1

l וv

IX

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211 A Symposium

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275

Vol. XIII. No . 4ב) fl(כ

REWARD AND PUNISHMENT IN JEWISH THOUGHT

S זABLE זFROM THE N UZI

ISRAELITES AND ALIENS

? OR זWAS FATHER ISAAC A CO·CONSPIRA

" INCISED STONE FRAGMENT " KORBAN

THE HEBREW ELEMENT IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH

THE BEE IN THE BIBLE AND MIDRASH

NOAH AND THE ARK REEXAMINED

BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN THE POETICAL WORKS

OF C I:-I. N. BIALIK

O ISAIAH, Ch. XI- XII זA GUIDE

RIENNIAL BIBLE READING CALENDAR ז

WEL VE· YEAR INDEX זA COMPOSITE

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