|
The Torah cites three instances of similar things which are beautiful and appealing to the senses but are abhorrent to God for they are spiritually blemished. The first is an asherah, which is used to beautify palaces, but nonetheless is abhorrent if used in a holy place because it is customarily used for idolatrous services...
Sforno
|
One of the most famous verses in the Torah Tzedek, tzedek tirdof - Justice, justice, you shall pursue- (see 5763, 5761) is followed by the verse we have highlighted in this week's column: You shall not set up a sacred post. Verse 22 continues with stone pillars, (which God also hates) and because Abraham and Jacob build stone altars, Rashi explains, "Although it was pleasing to God in the days of our ancestors, God hates it now because the Canaanites made it a pagan ordinance." This raises an interesting question. Does this mean if the rest of the world adopts a Jewish ritual or form of worship, it becomes less attractive for Jews? Anyways, back to our pillars, a row of this kind of stone columns, a sort of 'seat' for the deity (think: Stonehedge), has been found at Tel Gezer in Israel.
Literally the text says, You shall not plant an asherah (a pagan, sacred tree); Robert Alter renders it as a cultic pole. The text continues with the Hebrew word 'etz' that can refer to both tree and wood, so it is not clear whether these poles were simply trees, carved trees or actual pillars (think: native totem poles). In the Bible, the term 'asherah' refers to both sacred posts and the goddess Asherah. Perhaps the name of the goddess became associated with the wooden pillars that were dedicated to the goddess Asherah. In any case, she was the Canaanite/Ugaritic deity of fertility and the wife of Baal/El. Ancient inscriptions possibly support (scholars here disagree) her being a consort of YHVH as well (although the prophets railed against precisely this idolatry). She was represented by a tree, and evidence of her popularity is found in the numerous small, clay figurines excavated at archaelogical sites all throughout Israel. Although not stated explicitly, the inference is, you shall not plant any kind of tree and worship it. Rashi's grandson, the RaSHBaM, fears that if trees are at sacred sites, we will be drawn into worshipping them like pagans. But Rashi takes the text at face value: even planting them is forbidden.
The medieval commentators may have it backwards, though. It is not that the ancient Israelites might plant trees at Jewish holy sites, and then be 'tempted' to worship other gods in pagan fashion; it is more likely that would have wanted to worship (possibly even the biblical God: YHVH) at already existing holy Canaanite sites with its sacred pillars/trees. Notwithstanding the Deuteronomy prohibition, trees often marked sacred sites in ancient Israel, and were used for divination and soothsaying. Note that Abraham in fact planted a tree and then worshipped God (Gen. 21:33) reflecting perhaps an earlier form of worship. (Commentators make the same point as Rashi's comment above re: stone pillars: before, it was OK, but now God doesn't like it). Other ancient sources (Josephus and the Apocrypha) mention oaks that served as sites for idol worship. Oaks make up most of Israel's natural forests. The Hebrew root of Alon that signifies strong and sturdy (aleph-lamed) is also 'El' the name of God. The other tree associated with sacred oracles is the terebinth, (the terebinths of Mamre, Gen. 13:8, 18:1) or Elah, (note again the 'El' component in the Hebrew). I'd always wondered, what is a 'terebinth'? It turns out the terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus) is an impressive tree in the pistachio tree family. They have a tall trunk, large branches and dense foliage and are among the largest, oldest and most widespread forest trees in Israel. There are many sites in Israel where one can encounter one of these imposing giants. (There is one specimen in Tel Dan that is about 1000 years old. Hopefully we'll get to see it on our Israel Naturally tour in March. For more information on the tour, click here).
In contrast to the prohibition of planting sacred trees, we also read (albeit in a different context) the other famous oft-quoted verse in this week's parasha to not cut down fruit trees in warfare either: (Deut. 20:19). This prooftext for 'bal tashkhit', the prohibition against wasting natural resources (discussed previously: 5762, 5760) is the banner of the Jewish environmental movement. Judaism has a deep respect for nature, and sees nature as God's handiwork. Sforno admits: the asherah is certainly beautiful (in a palace). It is just inappropriate because it is used for idolatry. According to the Torah, God is the creator of the natural world (and this is but one reason we should take good care of it). At the same time, the Torah makes a clear distinction between God and nature that is often blurred by many of us who see the Divine in the wonder of nature's diversity and beauty. How often I've heard the comment of feeling close to the Divine at the Grand Canyon or on a mountaintop or deep in a secluded forest. But while we might feel God in nature, God is not nature.
Judaism is replete with tree imagery. God spoke first to Moses from a bush, the Torah itself is likened to a 'tree of life.' But the injunction to not plant a tree near the altar or a place of worship is to ensure that observers (and participants) not confuse our worship of God with the worship of nature. Rashi explains that this prohibition is directed to planting a tree on the Temple Mount specifically. (I am surprised by this, since Solomon's Temple is described with botanical images of cedars and palm). It is not nature itself that is somehow unwelcome, but the sacralization of nature that is often found in pantheism (that all of nature and the universe itself are worthy of religious reverence). This is not unlike monism (not to be confused with monotheism), where God is simply the totality of nature or the universe as a whole (i.e. not that God is one, but that everything is one), a view that Spinoza held (and was excommunicated for!) and was admired by scientists like Einstein.
Lessons for Today
Nature is for many of us an opening to sense the awe and majesty of creation. And Jewish tradition commands us to respect and guard the environment and natural resources. But Judaism doesn't worship nature. The 19th century orthodox rabbi Yoseph Caro, warns of the danger:
Even though in truth it were better for us to strive to know God through the wonders of nature, in any event, were the weakness of our understanding not enough, whoever depended solely on this route, is in danger of stumbling, and falling into the trap of denying the belief in a Creation at all, and other true beliefs; ... as we wrote in a previous work for Jewish children: "the words of the Living God are more trustworthy than the testimony of earth and heaven."
Although the study of Torah can deepen our appreciation of the natural world, meditating on the natural world may not always bring us to a deeper understanding of Torah or of the Creator.
Shabbat Shalom
|
