Parashat Shmini, Leviticus 9:1-11:47

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If We are Out of Control, then We Cannot be Free

Study with Baruch Sienna

The last of the matzah balls have been eaten, the haggadot have been returned to their shelves, and the matzah crumbs have been swept up. This morning we enjoyed a fluffy, freshly baked, very chametz-y croissant! Another Passover has come and gone. We return to our regularly scheduled program of Torah readings after last week's holiday interruption, so this week, we read Parashat Shemini. It includes the list of prohibited and permitted animals, the backbone of the laws of Kashrut. Over the last several years, different divrei Torah have tackled this topic: 5763, 5764, and eco-kashrut in 5765).

Last week at our Seders we recited the ancient words, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt..", and "In every generation each person must see themselves as if they themselves had left Egypt..." But the Rabbis like us to think of Mitzrayim (Egypt) not as the physical, geographical location, but an inner condition. What are our narrow straits that prevent us from being free? We usually think of external forces. But at our first Seder, Rabbi Shalom Schachter asked a wonderful question that pointed me in new direction in thinking about Pharaoh. He asked, "What is the root of the word 'Pharaoh', and where else do we see it?"

What do we know about 'Pharaoh'? The Pharaoh of the Passover story is not named, and is a generic title, like king. Some scholars identify Ramses II with the Pharaoh of the Exodus though this is disputed. In Egyptian, Pharaoh actually means 'great house.' (Using 'house' to represent the pharaoh is a great example of a literary device known as metonymy (yes- two y's), like news reports that begin, 'Today, the White House announced...' or saying 'the British crown', when we mean the monarchy). In Ancient Egypt Pharaoh was thought to be a god. Although Pharaoh must have imagined himself in control withstanding the plagues, we see that he is unable to change. By refusing to change or to give in, his actions destroy Egypt. Is this what it means to not be 'slaves to Pharaoh'?

An additional clue to the meaning of 'pharaoh' is found in this week's portion, in the brief and tragic episode of the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron's sons (discussed previously; see Shmini 5762). The unusual circumstances of Nadav and Avihu's death at a time of sanctification and consecration made mourning inappropriate for Aaron. They were not to show the traditional signs of mourning: in addition to not tearing their clothes (the custom of keri'ah), Moses tells Aaron and his sons to "not let their heads be dishevelled: rasheikhem al tiphra'u". The verb has the same root phey | reish | ayin as Pharaoh. Various translations for the word tiphra'u include (note these are Christian Bible translations):

Don't show your sorrow by messing up your hair (Contemporary English Version)

Do not let your hair become unkempt (New International Version)

Do not show grief by leaving your hair uncombed (New Living Translation)

Do not uncover your heads (King James Version)

The JPS translation has: "Do not bare your heads"; Alter suggests, "Your heads you shall not dishevel." A good rule of thumb is when translations don't agree, pay attention! Although the exact meaning is not agreed upon, it has something to do with unruly hair! (At our seder, one of my sons joked that the word is connected to the 'afro' -- or in this case, the 'jew-fro').

We even use the expression 'to let one's hair down' to mean to 'loosen up' or to have loose morals. The word is found in the parasha of the Nazir (Naso) to describe the baring of the head of the woman accused of adultery (Num. 5:18). If having loose hair is a symbol of loose morality, then it makes sense that her hair is let down. The root pey | reish | ayin, is similarly used to describe the Israelites at the Golden Calf. Like the adulterous woman, the Israelites' unfaithfulness is described with the same root: "When Moses saw that the people were out of control- since Aaron had let them get out of control (ki phra'oh Aaron) Ex. 32:25. Note that they must drink the bitter water (with the ground molten calf) like the adulterous woman. Rashbam, Rashi's grandson, suggests that here, the word means, "removed from the commandments of the Creator." As a prooftext, he brings a verse from Proverbs: "You spurned all my advice" (1:25) where spurned is the same tiphra'u as above. (The word appears a second time in Proverbs with the same sense: "Heed discipline and become wise; do not spurn it (8:33). According to RaDaK (Rabbi David Kimhi) it means, 'going the wrong way.'

I could stop here, having made a convincing case that Pharaoh is about the internal slavery when 'going the wrong way.' But thanks to the Bible on CD ROM and computer searches, when I did the search for the Hebrew root, I found one more example. Surprisingly, we see the same root used to describe the Nazirite who dedicates himself to God, and must leave his hair untrimmed (the original Jewish rasta?). While we think of the Nazir as holy - the Rabbis were uncomfortable with the Nazir's religious enthusiasm / extremism (see two years ago). Judaism has plenty of restrictions, so who would want to add to them!? Is the Nazir an individual who has trouble controlling their impulses and therefore imposes limits on their behaviour above and beyond what is required? This thesis is supported by the fact that the Nazir avoids all wine products. Wine is dangerous for someone who has problems controlling their impulses. It is as if the Nazir wears his/her hair long as a visual symbol / reminder that they have difficulty with issues around control.

There are many explanations for the rules of Kashrut, from Jewish identity to conscious eating. Although commonly thought to promote health, most scholars and rabbinic authorities reject the idea of "Torah as health manual". Indeed, many unhealthy foods are not mentioned, and it is possible (and probably too frequent) to observe the rules of kashrut fastidiously and still eat an unhealthy diet high in meat, saturated fats, salt and sugar. But it certainly can be argued that one idea of Kashrut is to control our appetites. The rules of Kashrut ask us whether we are controlling food, or whether food is controlling us? Are we slaves to food issues? After the week of Passover's heightened food restrictions, we all are more sensitive to what foods we avoided, and what we can now eat.

When at our Seders we recited, "We were slaves to Pharaoh," we can also imagine our inner Pharaohs, those internal sources of enslavement. Being a slave to Pharaoh means being 'out of control.' Whether our Pharaohs are external or internal we must guard against being out of control. If we are not in control of ourselves, then we cannot be free.

Shabbat Shalom

BDS