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From the Particular to the Universal: The Architecture of the Jewish Calendar

Pesach is particular to the Jewish people. Shibud Mitzrayim , culminating in Yetzias Mitzrayim, created a nation set apart with a monotheistic Deity and calling. The Jewish calendar itself begins with the Exodus, because this was when Jewish history truly got underway. It culminates in a special set of laws given to the Jewish people at Mattan Torah, which Chazal associate with Shavuos. Once our national identity has been established and fortified, we turn outward. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are universal holidays . They are set to the universal calendar. The Mishnah speaks of kol bo'ei olam, and malchiyos, zichronos, and shofaros consistently reference all of mankind. Yom Kippur incorporates the story of Yonah, which is a story about a gentile nation.  Sukkos too incorporates the seventy bulls, which Chazal understand as corresponding to the seventy nations . The underlying idea seems to be that first we need to delimit and forge a strong national identity and mission, lest we ...
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Faith in Heaven, Doubt on Earth

The Midrash imagines a dialogue between Moshe and God that goes as follows: "דָּבָר אַחֵר, הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ, לָמָּה נִגְזַר עָלָיו מִיתָה בָּזֶה הַלָּשׁוֹן הֵן, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְאֶחָד שֶׁכִּבֵּד אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהֵבִיא לוֹ דּוֹרוֹן, חֶרֶב חַדָּה. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַתִּיזוּ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ בָּהּ. אָמַר לוֹ אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ, אֲדוֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּמֶּה שֶׁכִּבַּדְתִּיךָ בָּהּ אַתְּ מַתִּיז אֶת רֹאשִׁי. כָּךְ אָמַר משֶׁה, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בְּהֵן קִלַסְתִּיךָ, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב (דברים י, יד): הֵן לַה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וגו', וּבְהֵן אַתָּה גּוֹזֵר עָלַי מִיתָה. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שָׁכֵן רָע רוֹאֶה אֶת הַנִּכְנָסוֹת וְאֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה אֶת הַיּוֹצְאוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ אִי אַתָּה זָכוּר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁשְּׁלַחְתִּיךָ לִגְאֹל אוֹתָן מִמִּצְרַיִם וְאָמַרְתָּ לִי (שמות ד, א): הֵן לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ לִי, הֱוֵי הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ.  Another matter, “behold [hen], your days are approaching” – why was death decreed upon him with this exp...
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Esther Eternal

The Megillas Esther that is used for the mitzvah of Megillah reading must conform with the laws governing Sifrei Torah used for Torah readings in many respects.  ( R"T enlarges the scope; Rambam does not ) E.g., - שירטוט    - אשורית, ספר ודיו - requires three stitches of sinew What is it about Esther that sets it apart in this regard? Megillas Esther and Purim are eternal, like the Torah: לְאוֹת עוֹלָם לֹא יִכָּרֵת אֵלּוּ יְמֵי פוּרִים רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר: אַף מְגִילַּת אֶסְתֵּר וַהֲלָכוֹת אֵינָן עֲתִידֵין לִיבָּטֵל. נְאֱמַר כָּאן: קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלֹא יָסָף, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן: וְזִכְרָם לֹא יָסוּף מִזַּרְעָם. הֲלָכוֹת – הֲלִיכוֹת עוֹלָם לוֹ. It is also  ניתנה להידרש , like the Torah What gives? They are similar to the Torah in that they constitute the willing acceptance thereof and thus enable the Torah to finally be binding   {שמות י״ט:י״ז} וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר אָמַר רַב אַבְדִּימִי בַּר חָמָא בַּר חַסָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּפָה הַ...
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Zachor: A Perilous Animus

From the Tannaim onward, commentators have struggled to account for Mordechai's seemingly bewildering refusal to show Haman the basic courtesy of bowing to him, especially in light of the effect that it had of endangering the Jews.  Among the many suggestions put forth the Midrash & Talmud assert that Haman was venerated as a god or that he wore an idol on his body, with even as staunch a pashtan as ibn Ezra adopting such an approach, with A"Z subject to the rule of יהרג ועל יעבור.  The Targumim (Rishon & Sheini) posit either personal or national pride (respectively).  (There are other approaches as well.) The former suffer from there being no indication in the text of a foreign deity and the latter from Mordechai's apparent misplaced pride and otherwise.  I'd like to suggest the following: In Rabbinic tradition Haman is said to be descended from Amalek and Mordechai from Shaul, who spared Agag.  Esther is framed as another such epic showdown.  That...
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Rambam’s Shofar: A Call to the Heart, Not to the Heavens

Rambam writes (e.g.,  Sefer Hamitzvos , Mishneh Torah ) that the mitzvah of shofar lies in hearing it—not in sounding it.  That's to say that men don't have an obligation to blow the shofar individually (which would only be fulfilled via שומע כתוקע if one is listening to another sound it*) but rather simply to listen to the sound of the shofar (with the caveat that it is blown by someone similarly obligated as well as both the blower and hearer intentionally thinking about connecting with the other).  The bracha recited prior to mitzvas shofar is formulated in Mishneh Torah to reflect that conceptualization with the nusach לשמוע—not לתקוע.  Of course there's also Rambam's famous lesson on introspection that the Shofar alludes to which too is about what we hear (and internalize)—not what we project to others (also referenced  in the Guide to the Perplexed )**.  Halachic rationale aside perhaps this is (also) Rambam following his philosophical beliefs....
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The Liminal Moment between Prayers

The Gemara (B Berachos 30b) raises the question of how long one must pause between back-to-back prayers in order to compose oneself.  It records a dispute: כַּמָּה יִשְׁהֶה בֵּין תְּפִלָּה לִתְפִלָּה? רַב הוּנָא וְרַב חִסְדָּא, חַד אָמַר כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחוֹנֵן דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו, וְחַד אָמַר כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחוֹלֵל דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו. How long should one wait between one prayer and another?” Rav Huna and Rav Chisda [disagree]: — One said: “Long enough for his mind to become softened (תתחונן) upon him.” — And one said: “Long enough for his mind to become stirred (תתחולל) upon him. The Gemara continues that each opinion is grounded in a verse describing prayer: מַאן דְּאָמַר כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחוֹנֵן דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו, דִּכְתִיב: ״וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה׳ ״ (דברים ג׳:כ״ג), וּמַאן דְּאָמַר כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְחוֹלֵל דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְחַל מֹשֶׁה״ (שמות ל״ב:י״א). The one who said: ‘[He must wait] until his mind becomes softened,’ it is as it is written: ‘And I pleaded with the Lord’ (Deuteron...
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Rosh Hashanah: The New Year that belongs to Everyone

The uniquely Jewish year doesn't start in Tishrei but rather in Nissan which is the month of the Exodus—הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחׇדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה (Shemos 12:2).  Tishrei is the seventh month of the Jewish covenantal calendar year and yet we celebrate the New Year on its first day—not Nissan's.  What gives? Rosh Hashanah isn't linked to the Exodus—the seminal moment in the creation of the Jewish nation—anywhere in Tanach. The Mishnah (RH 1:2) pegs the first day of Tishrei as the day upon which all humans are judged for the year—בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה כָּל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם עוֹבְרִין לְפָנָיו כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן. Human judgement and accountability aren't particular to the Jews, it is a species-wide event encompassing all of humanity.  Cue the Deluge and Sodom; Nineveh is exhibit A for the concept and power of Teshuvah.  The annual agricultural cycle commences and concludes in Tishrei.  The opinion adopted by the Rosh Hashanah liturgy is ...
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