TAZRIA: How to improve your quality of life?

This Shabbat, we will read the section of the Tora called Tazria. One of the most discussed topics in this section is a disease or medical condition (neg’a) known as tzara’at, generally associated with leprosy. Once diagnosed with this disease, the individual was isolated and quarantined until their cure. The Sages learned from the case of Miriam, Moses’ sister, who contracted tzara’at, that there is undoubtedly a relationship between tzara’at and speaking ill of others, known as Lashon Hara, i.e., talking badly about others. Those who engage in the addiction of gossip and destructive speech must be “isolated” so that their behavior does not “spread” and their example does not become “normalized” in Jewish society.

I present a brief reflection on one way to avoid Lashon Hara, according to Pirqe Abot’s teachings.

“And judge every person favorably.” – “Yehoshua ben Perachyah used to say: Make yourself a mentor, acquire a friend, and judge every person favorably.”

Judging others favorably is a commandment of the Tora. Where does this commandment appear? The book of Leviticus 19:15 says: “You shall judge your neighbor with righteousness.” The Sages explained this important precept as follows:

There are three categories of people: the righteous person (tsadiq), the wicked person (resha’im), and the average person. The virtuous person has an impeccable record of good deeds. These individuals, who are more like angels than humans, are not the majority. They will be between 1% and 5% of the total. On the other hand, we have the actual wicked people, the resha’im, those selfish individuals with bad intentions, and a record that condemns them. I estimate that this is also a maximum of 5% of the total population (the book “The Sociopath Next Door” claims that sociopaths are 4% of the population). And then we have the ordinary people: all of us, who generally have noble intentions and do good things but also have flaws – sometimes we behave altruistically and sometimes selfishly. People with average morality make up 90% of the population.

The Tora says:

To the righteous person, you must judge them with indulgence. Even if you feel they did not act well or poorly, or when you perceive a suspicious situation but do not have all the evidence, do not condemn them in your heart. Judge them generously and positively, and give them the benefit of the doubt.
To the wicked person, who already has a record of deliberately acting with evil, you cannot give the benefit of the doubt until they repent because their behavior can affect you. It would help if you were suspicious of an evil person, even when it seems they want to do something noble (we will talk more about this later).
And what about the average person? Most of our friends, family, acquaintances, etc.? The Tora indicates that the average person should be judged as a “righteous person” and given the benefit of the doubt unless you have clear first-hand evidence. In other words, this commandment, “You shall judge your neighbor with righteousness,” should be read more or less as follows: “You shall judge your neighbor (the average person) just as you judge the righteous person (the tsadiq).” Thus, according to the Tora, we must give the benefit of the doubt to most people!

Judging others in this way brings enormous benefits for society and individuals in material, spiritual, and emotional terms.

Firstly, “with the same measure that you measure, it will be measured to you.” In other words, how do we want to be judged by God after 120 years? Do we expect Him to judge us severely or indulgently? Surely, we want the Supreme Judge always to find an extenuating circumstance, a justification for our mistakes… The Sages explain that God will judge us with the same measure we use to judge others. If we learn to judge others with the benefit of the doubt, that’s how he will judge us.

Not only will God judge us as we judge others, but remember that our behaviors and attitudes toward others are typically reflected and imitated by the people around us. Therefore, if you want other people to judge you indulgently and not rush to condemn you before having all the information at hand, learn to judge others with the benefit of the doubt. When you give others the benefit of the doubt, you also receive it from others.

Finally, judging with the benefit of the doubt is the best antidote to avoid Lashon Hara. When we speak badly of others, it’s because we think negatively of those people. Often, we hear a destructive comment about another individual, we believe it (or find it juicy or convenient for us ) and then repeat it, even though we may not have evidence or know the complete story and all versions of the story.

If we learn this great commandment of giving others the benefit of the doubt in our hearts, we will be much more careful not to listen, not to believe, and especially not to repeat negative comments about others. This way, we will avoid Lashon Hara, and our quality of life will improve immensely.

Why Four Cups?

DRINKING LIKE KINGS

The Sages of the Mishna said that during the Pesah Seder, “we must see ourselves (act, behave, perform) as if we had just left Egypt.” This means that on the Seder night, we must “act” as people who, in opposition to slaves, live as free and prosperous citizens (bene chorin).

For this performance to be as authentic as possible, firstly, we sit leaning on the left, which was how royalty nobles and aristocrats would sit at that time (see here). Secondly, we drink FOUR cups of wine in one meal. This amount of wine was not standard in a family of moderate means, not even on festive occasions. But it was expected at a banquet of the aristocracy, where wine was served several times: 1. Before dinner –at the reception–, 2. Then, as an appetizer. 3. During dinner, and 4. After dinner as a dessert. The Seder mirrors a festive banquet of noble citizens. We must bear in mind that for us Jews, during 2,000 years of exile, wealth and prosperity was not the rule but the exception. For most people, it was not easy to afford four glasses of wine per guest (this is why the Mishna specifies that public food funds could be used to provide the poor with four glasses of wine per person). And still, we do this so that during the night of the Seder, we “feel the freedom by displaying prosperity,” what Maimonides and the Sages call: The way of the free people “דרך חרות.”

THE FOUR BLESSINGS OF THE SEDER

There is another practical reason for the four cups. During the week, it is customary to drink less wine. Generally, wine and meat are reserved for celebrations, especially for Shabbat and Holidays (Yom Tob). In these occasions, wine usually accompanies the recitation of the prayers and blessings we recite to celebrate these happy moments. On Shabbat, for example, a glass of wine accompanies the recitation of the Qiddush and Birkat haMazon (that is, the blessing after eating a full meal with bread). And we do the same on other festive occasions. For example, we have two glasses of wine at a wedding ceremony: one for the Birkat Irusin and another for the Sheba Berakhot (seven blessings of the bride and groom). Likewise, in a Berit Mila (circumcision), we recite the berakha over a glass of wine.

Wine is associated with joy and celebration.

We celebrate the four steps of the process of redemption from Egypt. When HaShem promised to deliver the Jews from Egyptian slavery, the Tora used four terms to describe our redemption (Exodus 6:6-8): a) “I shall take you out…” b) “I shall rescue you…” c) “I shall redeem you…” d) “I shall take you…”

WHY IS THIS NIGHT DIFFERENT?

There are similarities and differences between the Seder and other regular celebrations.

1. Unlike the Qiddush that we recite on Shabbat or other celebrations where only one person is required to taste the wine, ALL adult participants must drink the four cups at the Pesah Seder.

2. The four cups are assigned to different parts of the Seder, particularly the parts of the Haggada associated with celebration.

1. FIRS CUP: Qiddush.

2. SECOND CUP: Birkat haGeula (blessing of gratitude for our redemption) , at the end of the Haggadah, before dinner (ga-al-Israel). This is a special blessing for Pesach, in which we thank HaShem for having delivered us from Egypt.

3. THIRD CUP: After Birkat HaMazon, the blessing of gratitude after eating a full meal

4. FOURTH CUP: At the time of the Hallel, the recitation of the Psalms of praise to HaShem for having rescued us from Egypt.

Wine Before a Meal

The Gemara in Berakhot (pereq shishi) explains that wine can have an aperitif effect and that a person feels more hungry after he drinks (tuba garir). “… every restaurant knows that if you get a drink first, you’re going to eat more,” says Robert Considine, one of the authors of a study on obesity at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Considine and his colleagues found that alcohol motivates a particular area of the brain —the hypothalamus— that makes you focus on food aromas, compared to other odors. The hypothalamus produces hormones that help govern various body functions, including hunger, and directs the brain “to pay more attention to food after consuming a drink”.

SUMMARY OF PARASHAT TSAV

First, the Tora prescribes the daily removal of ashes from the altar. This was the first commandment of the service in the Temple. The Tora then repeats the laws of offerings described in last week’s reading, adding several important details. It also explains the priestly offering, presented by the High Priest twice daily in the Temple service. Then the text goes to the laws of an offering for an involuntary sin or ‘chatat’ and the sacrifice for deliberate transgression or ‘asham’. Incidentally, the Tora discusses the absorption by a vessel of sacrificial meats cooked in it and the possibility of purifying these vessels from any vestiges that it had absorbed, a concept that is very pertinent in the laws of kashrut. This section concludes with a discussion of the “gifts” to which the priests were entitled to receive from the different sacrifices. The Tora then discusses the offering of gratitude or, in Hebrew, ‘qorban toda’, presented by an individual who survived a dangerous situation. Next, we learn about various reasons for the invalidation of a sacrifice, such as an impurity or distraction or wrong thinking on the part of the priest performing the service. We are then commanded not to consume blood or any of the fats or tallows offered on the altar. The section concludes with the portions of meat given to the priest in the peace offering or ‘shelamim’.

With this, the Tora concludes the laws of sacrifices.

Then we read about the initiation of the priests or ‘Cohanim’ and the inauguration of the Tabernacle. In the presence of all the Jews, Moses dresses Aaron and his sons in the priestly garments and anoints them, along with the Tabernacle and its utensils, with the sacred anointing oil. The priestly initiation continues with Moses sacrificing a bull and a ram, which are ‘ola, fully consumed offerings. Moses sacrifices a second ram, and its fats are burned on the altar, along with some loaves. Completing the initiation process for the priests, Moses anoints them with the sacred oil and some of the altar’s blood. Moses instructs the priests on consuming the sacrificial meats and tells them that this process will be repeated for six days. During this seven-day inauguration, they are not to leave the confines of the Tabernacle.

TSAV: No To Religious Hypocrisy

נפש כי תחטא ומעלה מעל בה ’וכחש בעמיתו בפקדון או בתשומת יד או בגזל או עשק את עמיתו

והיה כי יחטא ואשם והשיב את הגזלה אשר גזל או את העשק אשר עשק

And HaShem spoke to Moses, saying: “When someone sins and commits a mistake by deceiving his neighbor in matters of theft or extortion, he must return what he took by stealing or what he obtained by extortion, and [only] then will he bring to the priest his atonement offering for HaShem.”

Leviticus 5:22-25

SACRIFICE AND REPENTANCE
This week’s Parashah describes the qorbanot, the sacrifices, and offerings presented in the Mishkan or Tabernacle, serving various functions. Some were part of the daily service in the Temple of Jerusalem, others were offered during festivals, and some qorbanot were individual offerings to thank God or as atonement for a committed transgression. Let’s examine an example from this last category. The Torah describes the asham gezelot, a sacrifice brought when someone had stolen, repented, and confessed their fault. In this case, the sacrifice was the “last” step in their atonement, the manner in which their fault was ultimately rectified. There are two essential points about this qorban that teach us about the moral stature of the Jewish people and our Tora.

ALL VARIETIES OF THEFT
First, the Tora describes various forms of theft. Beyond direct theft, the biblical text discusses, for instance, the case of someone who finds something that doesn’t belong to them, an object that can’t be identified as to whom it belongs, such as a coin or bill found on the street. There’s no way to know to whom it belongs because bills don’t have names, addresses, or identifying marks that can be used to find their owner. However, there are objects that one can determine to whom they belong, like a wallet. Suppose I see a wallet, a cell phone, or any identifiable object, and instead of trying to find and return it to its owner. In that case, I keep it for myself; the Tora considers it “theft.” A second example is osheq, which is oppressing a person financially. The Gemara cites a particular case as the most common example of this type of oppression. The Sages describe it with the Hebrew words “LEKH VASHOB, LEKH VASHOB,” meaning “go (now) and come back (tomorrow).” This happens; for instance, when I owe money to someone, that person comes to collect their money, and even though I have the money to pay them, I tell them, “Go and come back another day.” This action also required an expiatory sacrifice because it is classified by the Torah as “theft,” since I retained money that doesn’t belong to me, even temporarily, and “stole” time from my creditor.

SACRIFICE: THE LAST ACT
The Torah also clarifies that the qorban or sacrifice should be offered only after what was stolen has been restored. Thus, the Tora asserts that the qorban, a religious act, cannot replace an act of justice, such as restitution. Just as on Yom Kippur, I cannot pretend that God forgives my faults towards my neighbor unless I first obtain their forgiveness. In this case, I must settle accounts with the victim of my crime, and only then am I entitled to seek my religious expiation. The Midrash Tanhuma explicitly formulates this idea in the words of David haMelekh, in Tehilim, Psalm 24. There, the King of Israel asks: מי יעלה בהר ה’ “Who deserves to ascend the mountain of HaShem and stand in His holy place?” Essentially, asking who deserves God’s attention and closeness. The immediate answer is נקי כפיים, “a person whose hands are clean” of theft or robbery, adds the Midrash (Tanchuma, Parashah 1). God does not accept sacrifices or appeals from the corrupt who have not yet made restitution for what they took from others or have not taken responsibility for their mistakes or transgressions.

Our Parasha, Tehilim, and the Midrash deliver the same message: a resounding “NO” to religious hypocrisy, which was not uncommon among other peoples and religions.

PURIM: Alcohol vs. Chesed

DRINKING IN MODERATION

An important mitsva that we celebrate on the day of Purim is the mishte, the celebratory meal of Purim. Today, Tuesday, March 7th, in the mid-afternoon, we will participate in a festive meal or se’udat Purim. At this banquet, we sing, rejoice, and convey our gratitude to Hashem for saving us from Haman’s decree. It is customary to serve wine at this banquet (MT Megilla 2:15) and thus “toast” for our salvation. Consuming a little more alcohol than usual is OK, but we still must drink in moderation. Thus, the Rosh (1250-1320) wrote in his book “Orchot Hayim,” “[Although alcohol is served during the Purim banquet], we should not get drunk because getting drunk is a serious prohibition. In reality, there is no greater transgression since drunkenness leads a person to act promiscuously and could even cause a person [involuntarily] to kill another person (I’m thinking of fatal car accidents that are sometimes the result of drunkenness. Y.B) or commit other [serious] similar transgressions.”

DR. MAIMONIDES EXPLAINS DRUNKNESS

Maimonides (1135-1204) clarifies that the measure of the consumption of alcohol on Purim is וירדם בשכרות “until one feels drowsy from the effects of alcohol.” Alcohol in moderation, makes one feel numb and tipsy, as it is a muscle relaxant with sedative effects. Maimonides clarifies in a different context that drinking alcohol in excess, as a way to stimulate drunkenness, is inappropriate behavior, and its effects can cause the most serious sin in Judaism: “Hilul Hashem” (desecration of the name of God). In Mishne Tora De’ot 5: 2, he writes, “Kol hamishtaker…getting drunk is a sin and is deplorable and makes a person lose his wisdom. And if [a Torah scholar] gets drunk in front of other people (‘am ha’arets), he has desecrated the name of God (חלל את השם).”

HAPPINESS AS A RESULT OF CHESED

We, the Jewish people, should feel that we are the most privileged people in the world for having been chosen by Hashem and for having the opportunity to be closer to Him by studying His Tora and doing His will. On Purim, we also celebrate that Hashem, fulfilling His promise that He will never let the Jewish people disappear, delivered us from great danger. Our happiness must come from this awareness, not from alcohol. But what if we are not yet on that spiritual/intellectual level and need some external stimulus to be happier? What can we do to stimulate our joy on Purim? Maimonides explains that one’s happiness increases when we do something for others or share what we have with those who have less. In MT Megila 2:17, he clarifies how we can become happier on Purim: “There is no greater and more sincere happiness than making the needy, the orphans, the widows, and the foreigners happy. [Because] the person who helps other people feels the happiness of imitating the actions of Hashem [middame bashekhina] as it is written, “because Hashem…revives the spirit of the poor and the heart of the oppressed” (Yesha’ayahu 57:15).

WARNING

Purim should not be used as an excuse to drink excessively, declares Rabbi Weinreb, a leader of orthodoxy in the United States. “These days, in which many of our young people are prone to experimenting with drugs or alcohol, we must warn against the dangers of alcohol abuse, especially on Purim… We are not commanded to get drunk and lose our heads; rather, we are asked to be happy in a way that increases our gratitude and love to HaShem, in gratitude for the miracles He performed for all of us.”

PURIM: E pluribus unum (Out of Many, One!)

The 13th of Adar of the year 474BCE, in the twelfth year of Xerxes, King Achashverosh’s reign, was likely the most crucial day in Jewish history. On that day, Haman’s decree was supposed to be carried out. The royal edict indicated that “whoever killed a Jew throughout the Persian Empire would not be prosecuted for a crime and could keep the victim’s possessions”. The imperial police would not intervene. The law enforcers would allow “free zones” for these crimes to occur without their interference. Thanks to this legal impunity and to the irresistible economic incentive for the executors, this decree would have meant the end of the Jewish people.

But providentially, and thanks to the audacious actions of Queen Ester, the collective extermination sentence was avoided. King Achashverosh, this time urged by Mordechai and Esther, signed a second decree. This decree could not cancel the previous one because the King’s edicts could not be suspended, reversed, or modified according to Persian Empire laws. The second decree, thus, allowed Jews to carry weapons, counterattack and defend themselves. With no legal consequences if they killed someone in the process. The police and the Persian army would stay out of the conflict.

The question was: how did events unfold when that day arrived? How did we defend ourselves? Our enemies were likely more numerous than us and probably better armed. How did we manage to counterattack? The Megillah clearly states נקהלו ועמוד על נפשם “They gathered together and stood up for their lives.” All Jews throughout the Persian Empire united and collaborated to fight against the enemy. We realized that although we were not stronger, we were more organized than the enemy, and thus we were able to defeat them.

Imagine a town in Turkey with 1,000 Jews and a few kilometers away, a village on the Syrian border with only 10 Jews, who would have been an easy target for the anti-Semitic enemies. Normally, there was no collaboration between the two Jewish communities. But on Purim, we decided to unite נקהלו and defend each other: the community in Turkey sent a delegation of 100 armed Jews to defend their 10 brothers in the Syrian town. We realized that if we united and helped each other, we could defeat the anti-Semitic enemy, and that’s what happened. Jewish communities worldwide mobilized and sent protection, food, and resources to other communities that were not as strong. Hence the emphasis of the Megillah on the word “ve’niqhalu,” the Jews acted united as a ‘qahal,’ that is, as a community.

That’s why on the day of Purim, all the mitsvot we do are around the idea of “niqhalu.” We give money to the poor, reminding us that we helped and collaborated with Jews with fewer resources. On the other hand, we exchange gifts with other Jews, perhaps representing gratitude to our Jewish brothers for having helped us in the past and indicating that when we are in dire straits, we can always rely on each other.

Inspired by the Dibre Tora of my children in today’s Family Chat

SUMMARY OF VAYIQRA

QORBAN ‘OLA

HaShem calls Moses from the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and instructs him on the laws of the sacrifice (qorban) called “Ola”. This sacrifice is completely incinerated by fire, and its meat cannot be consumed. The Tora discusses the laws of domestic animals – cows, sheep, or goats – that can be sacrificed for this offering. God instructs Moses on the laws of birds that can be sacrificed for the Ola offering. The text continues with the description of three types of voluntary offerings of vegetable products: unleavened flour, baked bread, and an offering of a fried paste. These offerings also contained olive oil and a special type of incense. The Tora then describes the last type of voluntary food offering, the fried food offering, and the barley offering – the Omer – which takes place on the second day of Pesach. The text also indicates that salt should be added to animal sacrifices or other offerings as a symbol of our eternal covenant with Him. The Tora prohibits including leaven or honey in the offerings.

SHELAMIM

Then the “peace offering,” or “shelamim,” is described. This sacrifice could be offered from cows, sheep, or goats. Most of this sacrifice was consumed by those who offered it and their family or friends. But some of the animal fats were consumed on the altar. The priests, Cohanim, also received a portion of the meat from this sacrifice. The Tora prohibits consuming the blood and fat of the animals that were sacrificed, and even those that were eaten normally outside of the Temple.

CHATAT

The text describes the “sin offering,” or chatat, which was offered when an individual was guilty of inadvertently transgressing a commandment. Special sacrifices of chatat are also required if the High Priest had sinned or if the Sanhedrin (the Supreme Court of Justice of the Jewish people) had issued a verdict that resulted in an error and caused the population to sin. The case of a political leader (nasi) who had sinned is described as well. The last type of chatat is the one that a common person who had sinned should offer. The variable offering (qorban ole veyored), a variant of the offering for an inadvertent sin, is also described. This sacrifice was offered with animals, birds, or flour, depending on what each individual could afford: a person of means brought a sheep or a goat; a person with fewer resources brought two birds, and an individual with very limited brought a portion of flour.

ASHAM

The last sacrifice discussed in this section of the Tora is the “guilt offering,” or “asham.” The three categories of this sacrifice are discussed: 1) the offering brought by one who has wrongly appropriated something that belongs to the Temple (me’ilah or sacrilege) 2) the asham offering brought by one who has falsely sworn regarding a sum of money owed to another person, clarifying that this sacrifice does not exempt the debtor from settling their debt – and adding a fine – with their creditor. 3) the asham offering brought by a person who believes, but is not entirely sure, that they have transgressed a Tora prohibition.

The Collection of the Half Sheqel

In the time of the Bet haMiqdash, the Temple of Jerusalem, daily communal sacrifices (qorbanot) were offered on behalf of all the Jewish people. This national representation was not just theoretical . It was expressed in a very practical way: Every year in the month of Adar a special tax was collected, machatzit hasheqel or “half a sheqel”. The half sheqel was a flat tax, same amount for poor and rich, a coin of approximately 10 grams of silver. And since everyone gave the same amount, the collection of the sheqalim (plural of sheqel) also served as an annual census. The money collected in this communal fund was used to purchase the animals for the qorbanot, and in this way every one had an equal share in the offering of the sacrifices.

The daily communal sacrifices and the sacrifices of the different musafim (Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, holidays) were purchased from the money of the sheqalim. The half sheqel was collected during the month of Adar, because the Temple’s fiscal year started in the following month: Nissan.

The money collected from the sheqalim was also used for the maintenance and the general expenses of the Temple. In other words, the communal finances depended on a system of donations combined with a fixed flat tax (a sort of annual membership fee) that was collected on the month of Adar.

To remember the collection of the sheqalim 1. We read perashat sheqalim Shabbat before Rosh Hodesh Adar and 2. We give a fixed a flat donation, as a symbolic act, to remind us of the mahatzit hasheqel. We called this ZEKHER LEMAHATSIT HASHEQEL . The value of the Half Sheqel is estimated in 9.6 grams of silver. In today’s market approximately 8.00 U.S. dollars. The money could be given to any good charity project or institution of Jewish Education like Yeshibot. In many communities, it is customary to give the ZEKHER LEMAHATSIT HASHEQEL donation during the fast of Esther.

This is an actual half sheqel silver coin from the time of the Second Temple (approximately, year 50-60 of the common era.

On the left side one can read in ancient Hebrew fonts: sheqel Israel and on the right side Yerushalaim haqedosha ( Jerusalem, the Holy)

SHABBAT SHEQALIM

The religious evolution of President Javier Milei

“The transition to Judaism by President [Milei] signifies an incomprehensible step backward. It is reasonable for a Jew to become a Christian, not the other way around. … Talmudic Judaism has aspired to dominate the world: a secular and distorted realization of the vocation promised to Abraham and his offspring. … With all due respect, it is likely that, just as [Milei] did not understand Christianity, he may not grasp Judaism either. … I offer to discuss religious matters with the president. An intelligent person like him could understand the doctrinal universe of Catholicism and reconsider his inclination toward Judaism. Excerpts from the article ‘Presidential Apostasy’ by Hector Aguer, former archbishop of La Plata, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA. See the full article here (https://infovaticana.com/blogs/cigona/importante-articulo-del-arzobispo-emerito-aguer/)

UNINTENTIONAL ANTI-SEMITISM A few days ago, in one of the many chat groups I participate in, I read an article written by the former archbishop of La Plata, Héctor Aguer. The emeritus archbishop refers there to the ‘incomprehensible’ religious transition of the Argentine president, Javier Milei, from Catholicism, the religion of his childhood, to Judaism. My chat friends pointed out this article as yet another example of anti-Semitism in the media. I refuse to label it as such. To be clear: there is no doubt that the archbishop is not fond of Judaism. There is no doubt that he repeats anti-Semitic nonsense, such as the Talmud aspiring for Jews to dominate the world, but beyond these absurdities, Aguer focuses on the abandonment of the theological doctrines of his faith and the inexplicable presidential ‘regression’ toward Judaism. The number one principle of Christianity—its raison d’être—is that the church came to replace Judaism. That the Torah—which Milei admires—has already expired. The church literally proclaimed itself as ‘the new Israel’ and created an update of the Torah: the New Testament, which practically cancels the Old Testament, invalidating all its rules and commandments. The plan worked. Except for one small detail: the Jews, the supposedly replaced, did NOT disappear from the map! They resisted conversion, even under the threat of death. The church, for its part, did everything possible to make this happen: they demonized, humiliated, exiled, and persecuted them. Converting a Jew was not just another exercise in universal proselytism. Converting a stubborn Jew meant for the church a desperate act of legitimizing its most basic dogmas. Because as long as practical, uncanceled, and relevant Judaism existed, the legitimacy of its replacement—the church—was in doubt. And that’s why President Milei’s Jewish inclination is a terrible theological nightmare for Aguer. And his ‘doctrinal’ resentment toward Judaism is somehow indistinguishable from an unconscious anti-Semitic feeling. MILEI AND THE TORAH The former archbishop expresses a ‘mea culpa’ and views with eyes of failure that the president of his country is considering ‘regressing’ to ancient Judaism. For the archbishop, Milei simply slipped through their fingers! It wasn’t on the Argentine church’s radar because, as he explicitly writes, they didn’t think he would win the presidential election! Milei’s case was a colossal marketing error, according to Aguer, and to correct it, he kindly offers to talk to Milei to open his eyes and teach the president that Judaism has passed, or in doctrinal terms: it is obsolete. What surprises and hurts me the most is that it never occurs to Aguer that Milei might have discovered that the Torah is relevant, not only for his private spiritual life but also to inspire and guide his public service vocation. LAW, ORDER, AND PUBLIC SERVICE What could Javier Milei have found in the Torah that fascinated him? I will guess. Perhaps Milei is inspired that the Torah attributes the universal flood—the destruction of humanity—to the corruption of the most powerful: the ‘political caste’ that the Argentine president criticizes so much. Perhaps Milei discovered in the biblical story of the flood the Noachide laws—universal—that for the first time in history defend the fetus’s right to life (Gen 9:6). And besides promoting monotheism, they demand supreme respect for justice, strict honesty (kedé perutá), rejection of sexual immorality, and animal rights (eber min hajai), a point that seems to be very important in Milei’s private life. Perhaps Milei is passionate about the biblical story of the young Moses who one day opened his eyes, observed the slavery of his people, and decided to leave the comfort of the palace to begin an implacable crusade against Pharaoh’s corruption. Perhaps Milei identifies with the adult Moses, the leader who first formulated ‘the ideas of freedom,’ who led his people toward their independence, taught the world by his example the obligation to be transparent in public fund management (see here), and transmitted to his people a Divine constitution with 613 articles that are the basis of universal law and order, to this day. This Torah of Moses, which for Aguer ‘expired,’ contains precepts that promote the free market, demand unrestricted respect for private property, and—less known—establish a model of social justice based on personal solidarity (tsedaká, terumot, and ma’asrot) without state intermediation! All very relevant to the Argentina that Milei dreams of. Perhaps Milei found inspiration in the story of King Solomon, another Old Testament hero. The young king turned down the Divine offer of riches and honors and asked the God of Israel for wisdom to guide his people. To which Milei, in the best Talmudic style, comments: ‘Wisdom to distinguish between good and evil, courage to choose the good, and temperance to persist on that path,’ even though the whole world may be against it. Is it not possible that in the obsolete Torah of Moses, Milei has found an inexhaustible source of wisdom that not only inspires him personally but also politically; something that is not abundant in the New Testament, which completely delegates public administration to the Caesar of the moment? Is Archbishop Aguer sure he wants to talk to President Milei and dissuade him from his inclination toward Judaism? Maybe he will discover that it is not Milei who is not seeing…

Rabbi Yosef Bitton