<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html><head><title>[Aspaqlaria] Shema
Yisrael</title><link rel="stylesheet"
href="https://www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/themes/my_hueman/style.css"
type="text/css" media="screen" /><meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body>Aspaqlaria has posted a new
item, '<a href="https://www.aishdas.org/asp/shema-yisrael-2">Shema
Yisrael</a>'<br>
<br>
<font size=+1><br>
<div class="pf-content">
<p>The following is a post I wrote for the Judaism Reclaimed Facebook page, a
space that in general discusses <a href="https://amzn.to/39Lysb4"
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Judaism Reclaimed:
Philosophy and Theology in the Torah, by R’ Shmuel Phillips</a> (Mosaica
2019). The opening <em>in italics</em> is an introduction by R’
Phillips. And the paragraph <span style="font-family: verdana, geneva,
sans-serif;">in sans-serif font</span> was in my original submission, but
removed from the post when edited for length.</p>
<p>Subtitles also added by Rabbi Phillips. (I am not sure I would talk about
placing community “before” belief in unity as much as community
being the <strong>purpose</strong></p>
<p>The Vilna Gaon writes that this is what King David means when declares,
“כִּי לַה׳ הַמְּלוּכָה וּמֹשֵׁל
בַּגּוֹיִם – for Hashem has the Monarchy, and he Rules over the
nations.” (Tehillim 20:29) Yes, Hashem rules over all the nations. The
monotheists, the polytheists, and those who deny His existence alike. But what
Hashem deserves is our acceptance of Him, to turn a Ruler into a King. Which
is what Zechariah means when he speaks of the messianic age as one in which
“וְהָיָ֧ה ה׳ לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ
– and Hashem will be <em>Melekh</em> over the whole earth” (Zechariah
14:9), or in Aleinu when we speak of the need “לְתַקֵּן \
לְתַכֵּן עולָם בְּמַלְכוּת שַׁקַּי – to
perfect / establish the world by G-d’s <em>Malkhus</em>.” Yes, Hashem
Rules now; but not all of humanity is with his plan. That is the messianic
ideal we are working toward.</p>
<p>Also, the titles were added by Rabbi Phillips. I think the second one
missed the point. So I changed it here from “<strong>PLACING COMMUNITY
BEFORE BELIEF IN UNITY</strong>” to what you see below.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>
<p><strong>THE SHEMA: INDIVIDUALS’ INTELLECTUAL BELIEF OR BUILDING COMMUNAL
VALUES?</strong></p>
<p><em>With Judaism Reclaimed’s strong Maimonidean focus, one area of
discomfort that I have with my book is its concentration on the (intellectual)
relationship between man and God at the expense of the interpersonal aspects
of Judaism. I am honoured that R’ Micha Berger, a frequent commenter and
participant in this group’s discussions, has agreed to contribute a post to
help rebalance the focus.</em></p>
<p><em>R’ Micha is perfectly placed for this task having authored Widen Your
Tent – a book dedicated to highlighting the centrality of morality and being
a ‘good person’ within Jewish thought (</em><a
href="https://www.amazon.com/Widen-Your-Tent-Thoughts-Integrity/dp/1946351555"><em>https://www.amazon.com/Widen-Your-Tent-Thoughts-Integrity/dp/1946351555</em></a><em>).</em></p>
<p><em>Today’s Torah reading contained the Shema – possibly the most
famous sentence in Jewish literature. Rambam’s opening chapter of Mishneh
Torah draws upon “God is One” as a source for core principles of Jewish
theology such as God’s unity, incorporeality and indivisibility. This verse
is cited almost exclusively in the context of theology, and statements of
belief regarding the nature of God. In this post, however, R’ Micha will
argue that such an approach – like Rambam’s citation – skips the first
two crucial words “Shema Yisrael” which, properly understood, provide a
whole new layer of meaning to this famous teaching.</em></p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img
src="https://i2.wp.com/www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/nxfs44906661.jpg"
alt="Minyan Saying Shema" class="wp-image-6367"
srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/nxfs44906661.jpg?w=650&ssl=1
650w,
https://i2.wp.com/www.aishdas.org/asp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/nxfs44906661.jpg?resize=420%2C158&ssl=1
420w" sizes="(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" data-recalc-dims="1" /></figure>
<p><strong>SHEMA YISRAEL: PLACING COMMUNITY AS THE PURPOSE AND EXPRESSION OF
BELIEF IN UNITY</strong></p>
<p>When most people are asked to think of the most fundamental verse in
Judaism, they would probably cite the first one most of us are taught.
“שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, ה׳ אֱלקֵינוּ, ה׳ אֶחָד
– Listen Israel: Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One.” (Devarim 6:4)</p>
<p>We talk a lot about what One means in this context. That G-d is Absolute,
Indivisible, Unique. That the various ways we perceive G-d, the Divine
Compassion seen in the events the Torah uses the tetragrammaton to highlight
and the Justice seen in those told with the name Elokim, the Immanent G-d and
the Transcendent Deity, the Cause of all existence and the King of Kings
Lawgiver, they all only differ in perception. G-d is one.</p>
<p>Less often emphasized, though, is the beginning of the verse. Judaism’s
doxology isn’t “<em>Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad</em>.” It begins
“<em>Shema Yisrael</em> – Listen, Israel.” Judaism is not about the
believer who believes alone.</p>
<p>When Ruth declares her intent to convert, she opens, “Your nation is my
nation,” and only then, “and your G-d is my G-d.” (Ruth 1:16) Being of
the community is itself an essential of the Jewish Faith, and joining Israel
is part of being a believer.</p>
<p>Which is why the Rambam in his discussion of who is beyond the pale – the
various forms of heresy, someone who causes others who sin, someone who turns
over a fellow Jew to hostile authorities or criminals, and among them,
“<em>haporeish midarkei tzibur</em> – one who separates themselves from
the ways of the community” has no portion in the World to Come. (Hilchos
Teshuvah 3:11) Similarly, we condemn the Wicked Son of the Haggadah either in
part or entirely for his referring to the seder as “what is this work for
you”. The Haggadah highlights that he says “for you”, but not including
himself. “And since he removed himself from the congregation, he denied a
fundamental” of our faith. The wicked son isn’t condemned for denying
“Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One”, but for his not engaging in
“<em>Shema Yisrael</em>.”</p>
<p>The next words in Shema obligate “and you shall love Hashem Your
G-d…” After establishing the unity of the perceptions of Hashem and
Elokim, we are called upon to relate to G-d emotionally. But what does it mean
to love G-d?</p>
<p>Many people, when they think of love, think of two people who can’t say
apart, who look into each other’s eyes. But that’s not the only way to
love, certainly not the easiest way to love Someone as Unique as G-d, and
perhaps not even the deepest kind of love. Antoine de Saint-Exupery has the
title character of The Little Prince say, <em>“</em>Love does not consist in
gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same
direction.”The love of an Avraham and Sarah, who are described as working
together teaching monotheism and morality, working together to “make
souls” in Charan. (Bereishis Rabba 39:14, quoted by Rashi on Bereishis
12:5)</p>
<p>In <em>halachah</em>, the role of reciting this paragraph of Shema is
<em>kabbalas ol Malchus Shamayim </em>– accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of
[the One in] heaven.</p>
<p>But what does that mean? Isn’t Hashem ruling over me whether I state the
fact or not? What is added by accepting the yoke of His Rule?</p>
<p>A <em>melech</em>, a king, isn’t the same thing as a <em>moshel</em>, a
ruler. A king is a kind of ruler, but a <em>melech </em>has one more element.
There is a Rabbinic aphorism, “there is no king without a nation.” A king
or queen isn’t anyone who rules, it’s someone who rules with the
acclimation of the people. A <em>melech </em>conforms to a social contract;
the people support the king, and the king protects and provides for the
prosperity and happiness of the people. A <em>moshel</em> who rules without
this symbiotic relationship with the ones ruled will necessarily occasionally
be at odds with them. And so, even a benevolent dictator may at times be
forced to impose his will on those ruled.</p>
<p>We say Shema to turn G-d from <em>Moshel</em> to being our
<em>Melekh</em>.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;">The Vilna Gaon
writes that this idea of what it means to make Hashem our King is what King
David means when declares, “כִּי לַה׳ הַמְּלוּכָה
וּמֹשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם – for Hashem has the Monarchy, and he
Rules over the nations.” (Tehillim 20:29) Yes, Hashem rules over all the
nations. The monotheists, the polytheists, and those who deny His existence
alike. But what Hashem deserves is our acceptance of Him, to turn a Ruler into
a King. Which is what Zechariah means when he speaks of the messianic age as
one in which “וְהָיָ֧ה ה׳ לְמֶ֖לֶךְ
עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ – and Hashem will be <em>Melekh</em> over
the whole earth” (Zechariah 14:9), or in Aleinu when we speak of the need
“לְתַקֵּן \ לְתַכֵּן עולָם בְּמַלְכוּת
שַׁקַּי – to perfect / establish the world by G-d’s
<em>Malkhus</em>.” Yes, Hashem Rules now; but not all of humanity is with
his plan. That is the messianic ideal we are working toward.</span></p>
<p>As a benevolent ruler, Hashem runs the universe in a manner to further the
success of His subjects. But as <em>Melekh</em>, He invites us to join the
partnership, to work with Him toward that end. We speak of an “<em>ol
Malkhus</em>”, Kingship as a yoke, because like a yoke it’s a means of
harnessing myself in a way to be more productive.</p>
<p>And this is why Shema has to begin with our joining with others. Judaism is
not about having a one-on-one relationship with G-d, “to people gazing at
each other”, but to work within the context of a community under a Melekh
toward making the world a better place for everyone.</p>
<p><em>Shema</em> calls on us to love the <em>Melekh</em> by furthering His
Work.</p>
</div><br>
</font><br>
<br>
You may view the latest post at<br>
<a
href="https://www.aishdas.org/asp/shema-yisrael-2">https://www.aishdas.org/asp/shema-yisrael-2</a><br>
<br>
You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are
posted.<br>
Best regards,<br>
micha<br>
micha@aishdas.org</body></html>