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It says "This is the line of Aaron and Moses" even though Moses is usually mentioned first and is the one with whom the Torah tradition originates. But, while in monarchy and priesthood hereditary succession obtains, it does not in matters of prophecy. Even as Aaron could not bequeath his gifts to Moses, so Moses could not transmit his.
A.B. Ehrlich
Rabbi Plaut adds: [Ehrlich ends his comment with his customary hint: "He who understands will know what I mean." The implication is that each generation is on its own in this respect.]
quoted from The Torah: A Modern Commentary (ed. Plaut), UAHC Press
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This week we begin the book of Numbers, so-called because it begins with a census of the Israelites. The Hebrew title is usually written as Bamidbar, taken from the first common noun of the first verse, (although in the verse itself the word appears as B'midbar-Sinai, Wilderness of Sinai). Numbers is an eclectic mix of historical narrative, legal material (usually case law), ancient poetic fragments, and demographic details. Perhaps a good paraphrased name for the book would be: Wanderings. The book begins with a census and camping/marching instructions for the Israelites. Like in many other instances, in our parashah God gives instructions to Moses, and sometimes to Moses and Aaron together. When the Torah refers to Moses and Aaron, Moses always appears first. So it is surprising that here (3:1), it is Aaron that gets first billing. The text seems to be saying: Each person is an individual with unique qualities. Aaron is Aaron, Moses is Moses. The modern scholar Ehrlich, sees in this a hint that unlike some qualities that are passed on from generation to generation (including monarchy, for example), some attributes (like religious transcendence) cannot be transmitted genetically. My response to the often heard: "I feel Jewish," is that Judaism is not a feeling. But even if it was, one cannot pass on a feeling.
Just as Moses and Aaron could not share their gifts, Plaut sees in Ehrlich's comment a veiled suggestion that we, too, are 'on our own' and our generation cannot access the spiritual gifts of previous generations. It used to be that we could count on our grandparents and parents to be fountains of Jewish learning and models of Jewish behaviour. But for many of our generation, our parents are as bewildered as we are. Some of our parents don't know more than we do. We no longer can rely on absorbing Judaism simply through 'osmosis.' According to Ehrlich, we are spiritual orphans; like this week's parasha, we are wandering in the wilderness. So it is comforting to read Rashi on this same verse because he offers a strategy to overcome the fact that we don't naturally inherit our parents' or grandparents' Judaism or love of tradition. Rashi is bothered by the [seemingly] extraneous mention of Moses in the phrase 'This is the line of Aaron and Moses,' since only Aaron's children are named in the verse; there is no mention of Moses' descendants. Or the verse can be understood to mean that the sons listed were the sons of both Moses and Aaron- but surely this is still difficult since only Aaron was their biological father. Quoting Sanhedrin (19b), Rashi resolves this difficulty by suggesting that Moses is in fact considered to be a parent to Aaron's children because he taught them Torah.
For the Rabbis, there is no one more important than the individuals who transmit our tradition. In Baba Metzia they teach: "If a person goes looking for property lost by a parent and property lost by a teacher, the teacher's takes precedence over that of the parent's. Because even though the parent brought that person into the world, the teacher, who taught wisdom, brings that person into the World to Come."
Lessons for Today
We owe our parents our lives, and this is a debt that can never be repaid. But the teacher who changed our life, who inspired us, and helped us find meaning, also shares our eternal gratitude. Who are those teachers? In Pirkei Avot (6:3) we learn: A person who learns from another a single chapter, or a single law, or a single verse, or a single word, or a single letter- must treat them with honour. In fact, again from Pirkei Avot, is the maxim: "Who is wise? The one who learns from everyone." So everyone is a teacher; every moment is an opportunity for learning.
Perhaps my thoughts have turned to Torah study and the topic of teachers because Shavuot is around the corner (remember Kolel's amazing Tikkun Sunday night, Jun. 12), and coincides with the home stretch for most schools. Although I think Rashi's comment on our verse is a stretch, it is true that 'father' means more than to be the male parent, just like teacher can mean more than the individual at the blackboard in the front of a classroom. Are there people in your life who have 'parented' you (contributed to your growth and development)? Similarly, are you a 'parent' for others in your life. Take a moment to think of those individuals who have taught you Torah (in the largest sense of the word) and maybe write them a short note to thank them for the insights that they have shared with you.
Shabbat Shalom
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