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NUMBERS — 15:15 one

NUM155 The principle philosophical and legal differences between American democracy and Judaism are thus viewing one's fundamental identity as an independent individual against being an organic part of a group, the idea of voluntary association and disassociation with any group versus integral membership within an organic community with no possibility of leaving, and the resulted status of one's duty to care for others in the group. These differences make it difficult for American Jews to integrate the two parts of their identity. As I discuss in the chapters that follow, the tensions American Jews feel often manifest themselves in many issues in social ethics, with American ideology pulling in one direction and Judaism pulling in another. The opposition, though, should not be exaggerated. In a number of ways, American Jews’ Jewish and American identities converge and reinforce each other. These factors explain the high degree of comfort Jews feel in America. On a practical level, Jews have fared much better politically and economically under American democracy than they have under the stratified societies of the Middle Ages and under most of the dictatorships of past or present. Jews in America have been legally protected from infringement in the free exercise of their religion, and they have enjoyed unprecedented political, cultural, and economic opportunities. The open, pluralistic view of community inherent in American ideology, while markedly different from most other societies’ view of community and, indeed, from Judaism’s own view, has provided a welcoming and nurturing context for Jews. Assimilation and intermarriage are real contemporary concerns for American Jews, but they are further proof of America's sincerity in creating an open society free from religious discrimination. Theoretical affinities also link the Jewish and American visions of community. Although Judaism places strong emphasis on the solidarity of the community, it has gone a long way to protect individuals and minorities. Rabbinic Judaism respects the rights of non-Jews to live as such, as long as they obey the seven laws given, according to tradition, to the descendants of Noah. (Compare T. Avodah Zarah 8:4, B. Sanhedrin 56a, Seder Olam chap. 5, Genesis Rabbah 16:6, 34:8, Canticles Rabbah 1:16, and M.T. Laws of Kings 9:1 For a throughout description and discussion of this doctrine, see Novak (1983) The Image of the Non-Jew in Judaism: An Historical and Constructive Study of the Noahide Laws. New York: Edward Mellon Press). In many passages, the Bible boldly proclaims equality in law between Jew and alien; For instance, “There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time throughout the ages. You and the stranger shall be alike before the Lord; the same ritual and the same rule shall apply to you and to the stranger who resides among you.” (Numbers 15:15-16) Although the attitude of Jews toward non-Jews varied according to the specific conditions of their interaction, and although there were exceptions to the general principle of equal treatment, the Rabbis applied the principle not only in the ritual context in which it appears most often in the Bible but to broad areas of civil legislation as well. (B. Gittin 5:8-9, 61a; B. Bava Metzi’a 70b; B. Bava Batra 113a). Furthermore, Judaism does not missionize, except by example. (B. Yevamot 47a-b; J. Kiddushin 4:1 (65b); M.T. Laws of Forbidden Intercourse 13:14-145; S. A. Yoreh De’ah 268:2. Compare Encyclopedia Judaica, s.v. “proselytes.” That Jews were to be an example to other nations, see, for example, Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:10, 42:1-4; 49:6; Genesis Rabbah 43:7; and Leviticus Rabbah 6:5.) It even reserves a place for righteous gentiles in the World to Come. T. Sanhedrin 13:2, B. Bava Batra 10b, and M.T. Laws of Repentance 3:5. According to Samuel, on the Day of Judgment there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; J. Rosh Hashanah 1:3 (57a). In all these ways, Jewish law and theology protect the rights of individuals and minorities and parallel in many ways the protections offered by American law and ideology. Jewish law also protects the rights of individual Jews and of minorities within the Jewish community. As I will discuss in some detail in Chapter Six, treatment of the poor in Jewish law and in actual practice has historically been truly remarkable in its level of service and humanity, and that continues to our own day. (See, for example, Deuteronomy 24:10-22; Compare also Exodus 22:21-26; 23:6, Leviticus 25:25-55; and Deuteronomy 15:7-11.) Jews are enjoined from tormenting the handicapped by, for example, insulting the death or placing a stumbling block in front of the blind, and, with the exception of a few functions that specific handicaps make it impossible to perform, the handicapped are treated in Jewish law like everyone else. (Leviticus 19:14)

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NUMBERS — 15:20 challah

NUM159 Separate challah from dough. Man cannot survive without food, and for the majority of the world the staple food is bread. Accordingly, Hashem gives us a mitzvah to perform with bread dough, so that the bread is blessed and our souls gain merit. He gives us the opportunity to fulfill this mitzvah every time that we bake [in sufficient quantity], and through the mitzvah, our bread is nourishment for both the body and the soul. An additional reason for the mitzvah: so that the Kohanim, who are constantly occupied in serving Hashem performing the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash, shall live and have nourishment without effort, from our gifts of dough to them.

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NUMBERS — 15:30 cut off

NUM161 The things that inhibit repentance are exceedingly numerous. I have mentioned most of them already, earlier in this gate. Persisting and delaying. To these should be added deciding on sin, i.e., persisting in it and delaying its renunciation. As long as this continues, there cannot be any repentance. There is an old saying: “No sin is small, if one persists in it. No sin is great, if one seeks forgiveness for it.” This is because one who persists indicates contempt for the word of God, takes lightly His command and prohibition, and [scornfully] invites upon himself His punishment. Of such a person it was said, “But the person who acts defiantly... that person shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has shown contempt for God's word (Bemidbar 15: 30-31). Furthermore, if one persists in a sin, even if only a small one, it grows larger and larger as one persists in it. On the other hand, a great sin--if one asks forgiveness for it and renounces it for fear of God--grows smaller and smaller and is diminished, until it is erased from the book of his demerits, and he is cleared through repentance. Consider silk thread: how strong it becomes when folded over many times! And yet you know that its origin is the weakest of things--the secretion of a worm. On the other hand, consider how a ship’s thick cable, when used over a long period of time, gradually wears out, until it finally snaps and becomes the weakest of all [materials]. The same is true of small or great sins. [They grow large] if one persists in them, or [small] if one seeks forgiveness for them. For this reason, Scripture compares them to ropes, as it says: “Woe to those who draw iniquity with tenuous strings, [who draw] sin as with wagon ropes” (Yeshayahu 5:18). There is an old saying: “Do not focus on the triviality of what you have done but on the exaltedness of the One you have sinned against. Do not rejoice that people are unaware of the evil within you; rather, grieve because the Creator is aware of what you conceal, sees your hidden thoughts and outward practices, and remembers them better than you do. For you forget, but He does not forget; you fail to see, but He does not fail to see.” As it says, “Look, it is recorded before Me” (ibid. 65:6); “The sin of Yehudah is recorded” (Yirmeyahu 17:1).

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NUMBERS — 15:30 high hand

NUM162 The prophetic belief that God searches the heart resulted in the recognition of a distinction between "secret errors" and "presumptuous sins" (Ps. 19:13f.) or sins committed "with a high hand" (this verse); individual responsibility is stressed in numbers 16:20-22). The Priestly Code limited the atoning efficacy of the sin and guilt offerings to offenses committed unconsciously and without deliberation.

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NUMBERS — 15:31 disparaged

NUM164 (Continued from [[DEUT1250]] Deuteronomy 23:14 excrement GATES 217-9) One is certainly admonished not to utter Hashem's Name with unclean hands, and if one's hands touch some thing that he finds repulsive he should wash them, similar to what the pasuk says (Tehillim 26:6), "I will wash my hands in purity." If while traveling on the road one is uncertain whether the way is clean, he should not utter Hashem's Name, nor speak words of Torah. [Chayei Adam (3:6, Nismas Adam 2) suggests that Rabbeinu Yonah holds the prohibition of Torah thoughts in an unclean plays with being only Rabbinic. Thus, where it is uncertain whether the way is clean, one can be lenient and permit Torah and prayer thoughts, but not speech (Sha'arei Teshuvah Hashalem).] If there is some unclean object behind him, such as excrement, the carcass of an animal, or foul water [Water in which flax was soaked, which is extremely malodorous (Ran, Nedarim 80b)], he must distance himself four amos [An amah is one cubit, approximately 21.25 inches, or 54 cm; thus, four amos is around seven feet], from where the smell has ceased; in front of him, [he must distance himself] until his eyes cannot see it. Vigilance in this is among the ways of being God-fearing, as the pasuk says (Malachi 3:16), "For those who fear Hashem and contemplate His Name." [I.e., those who contemplate whether their current place permits them to mention Hashem's Name before doing so, are God-fearing (Zeh Hasha'ar).] Our Sages, z"l, said concerning this (Berachos 24b), "'For he has disparaged Hashem's word' [this verse] -- this is a reference to one who speaks words of Torah in putrid passageways." Our stages, z"l, have further said (Koheles Rabbah 1:7), "The reason why 'He gives wisdom to the wise' (Daniel 2:21) is because the wise honor the Torah and engage it in holiness; were it to be given to fools, they would speak words of Torah in putrid passageways.

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