When the pulse of his life stops, the human body –carrier of the soul– must be treated with the utmost respect and honor. The way to take care of the human body in the last moments of life, and immediately after, has been detailed by our religious tradition.

1. During agony, it is forbidden to move the body, to close the eyes of the patient or do anything that might accelerate death. It is also forbidden to speak any matter related to death or burial in the presence of the person nearing death, even if the patient is or seems to be unconscious. It is likewise forbidden to begin or even talk about any arrangements for the funeral or burial before his or her passing away.

2. At the very last moments of life, no men present should leave the room by any means, except those who could become physically or emotionally disturbed. Our tradition considers this moment as one of utmost solemnity. It is therefore a sign of respect for life to remain next to the person that will soon pass to the next world.

3. If the agonizing person is conscious, he or she needs to pronounce the Shema Israel and if possible the Viduy. This last prayer is the confession and repentance from any wrongdoings that he or she could have done in life, towards God and towards other fellowmen. If the dying person is unable to say these prayers by himself, another person can read aloud with him or on his behalf.

4. In Jewish tradition, the moment of death is determined by the interruption of the voluntary respiratory activity. In recent times most Rabbinic authorities identify death with this state: irreversible clinical death. When the cerebral cortex is not anymore in control of the voluntary respiratory activity.

5. In cases where the patient is in a state of clinical death, a competent rabbinic authority should be consulted for any type of procedure. A rabbinical authority should be also consulted for matters related to DNR signing, administration of medicines or treatments that could accelerate death like morphine drip, in cases of terminal illness, etc.

6. In the Jewish tradition, the body should be buried in its entirety, and in the best possible preserved condition. Therefore, autopsy is not usually allowed. One must notify the medical and legal authorities about this religious norm, so to avoid this proceeding. Should there be any complications, please consult a competent rabbinic authority.

7. The eyes and the mouth of the deceased should be closed by his children, relatives or friends who are present at the last moments. Also the face of the deceased should be covered with a bed sheet.

8. The body should not be moved until it is transferred for the burial, except for a matter of honor or respect, for example, to straighten it if it’s in a position or a place which not be appropriate.

9. During the time prior to the funeral, people’s behavior must be at par with the circumstances. One must not mention any form of criticism about the deceased. It is only proper to speak about the virtues of the deceased or the arrangements for the funeral.

10. One should notify to the Chebra Kadisha (community institution that makes all arrangements for the cemetery) to make arrangements for the funeral. It is also important that from the moment of death until the burial the body be watched over. If possible, a shomer (guard) should be requested from the Chebra Kadisha or the community assistance to have someone with the body until the burial.. This custom was established by the rabbis to protect the integrity of the body. In ancient times they were afraid it could get desecrated by rodents, animals, etc.

WHAT DID THE NAZIS DO DURING THEIR LAST DAYS IN POWER?
One of the most shocking movies I have seen is called “The Last Days” by Steven Spielberg, a documentary where five survivors talk about the extermination of Hungarian Jews during the Shoah. In May 1944 the deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz began. In just eight weeks, more than 420,000 Jews were deported and killed. The figures and the speed at which this massacre was carried out is absolutely incomprehensible. On a typical day, there were three or four trains, with between 3,000 and 4,000 people on each train. Every day about 12,000 Jews arrived at the death camps. Winston Churchill said of the Hungarian Jews that they suffered “… probably the greatest and most horrible crime ever committed in the entire history of the world …”. Why is the movie called “The Last Days”? At the beginning of the documentary, an historian explains that Hitler wanted to carry out the extermination of the Jewish population of Hungary despite knowing the high probability that Germany would be defeated at that stage of the war; and instead of deploying more troops to reinforce the fronts where they were losing, in their last days in power the genocide of Jews was the priority for the Nazis.

ONLY IN YOUR DREAMS…
We Jews have been praying for peace since the beginning of time. Living in peace is our greatest aspiration. The Tora mentions “peace” as the ultimate goal of priestly blessing (Birkat Kohanim). “Bless us with peace” is the content of the final blessing of the most important prayer, the Amida. Our highest aspiration for messianic times is not “world domination” or “mass conversion” as it happens in other religions. The greatest miracle to which we aspire is to live in peace with neighboring nations, those that always saw Israel as a valuable prey to be destroyed. Maimonides explains that this is the meaning of the famous prophecy of the prophet Yesha’ayahu 11: 6: וגר זאב עם כבש ונמר עם גדי ירבץ. “The wolf will live [in peace] with the lamb; and the leopard and the goat will graze together …”. This means that the predators (= the nations that seek to destroy Israel) and the prey (= Israel) will live in peace. But peace with our predators / enemies always seemed like an unrealizable utopia. An imaginary ideal beyond our dreams.

YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE AIR..
And yet now, miraculously, peace is here.
What is happening between Israel and the Arab countries is one of the greatest wonders of our time. We should be calling each other on the phone throughout the day in endless amazement and not talking about anything other than the new peace treaties between Israel and the Arab world. We should write it in the sky, with a flotilla of airplanes, and with a big exclamation mark saying “The peace for which we have prayed so much for centuries is finally here!!!” It seems to me that we, the privileged protagonists of this miracle, do not realize the scope of what is unfolding before our eyes. In perhaps one of the most profound insights that capture the complexity of human psychology our rabbis stated that “en ba’al hanes makor benisó,” our minds are not capable to appreciate miracles as they happen.” Perhaps because miracles, unattainable by nature, are processed with our imagination. But if they finally happen, then we process them with our logic, as part of an achievable reality, and not as a miracle.

PRESIDENT TRUMP
What President Donald Trump is doing is absolutely incredible, miraculous. I love reading history, and the history of our people is my great passion. And I can say with great confidence that there has never been a non-Jewish political leader who has done as much for the Jewish people as Donald J. Trump has done for Israel. When I remember the long list of things he did for Israel, I can’t stop thinking about the blessing we recite on Purim, after reading Megilat Esther: HARAB ET RIBENU in which we thank God for “fighting our fight; confronting our enemies and exacting justice with all those who seek to destroy us. ” Donald Trump has done exactly that: Like no one else in the past, he has defended the Jewish people at the United Nations; he has condemned the infamous international anti-Semitic groups masquerading as human rights defenders; he defunded those organizations that encourage terror against Israel such as UNRWA; he imposed economic sanctions to Iran who seeks our destruction; he unmasked the Palestinian leaders agenda, showing that they do not wish peace but conflict; etc, , etc. And he has forged real peace treaties with countries that were historically hostile towards Israel. And now, this past Friday, with Sudan.

SUDAN
Peace with Sudan is truly atypical. Why? Because the Emirates or Bahrain, although they did not maintain open diplomatic relations, they were never at war against Israel. Sudan, however 1. participated in the first war against Israel, in 1948, sending 6 divisions of its army to fight against our incipient Jewish state. 2. In 1967 the declaration of the “League of Arab Nations” with the 3 famous NOS: “NO negotiations, NO recognition and NO peace with Israel”, was signed in Khartum, the capital of Sudan. In 2106 Sudan was one of Israel’s most dangerous enemies. Sudan assisted Iran and helped smuggling weapons and terrorist to Gaza.

THE LAST DAYS OF TRUMP
According to the latest polls, it is possible that President Donald Trump will lose the presidential election. Personally, I don’t believe it (or I don’t want to believe it…). But either way, you have to accept the possibility that these might be “the last days” of Donald Trump as US president. And in recent days, when Trump has so many open fronts and so many enemies that rise against him, his diplomatic efforts toward finding partners for peace with Israel did not stop. He continues focused on getting more countries to sign peace with the Jewish State: Saudi Arabia, Oman, Morocco They are on a waiting list for peace.
This past Friday while I was reading about the new prospects of peace with Sudan and I was seeing the latest electoral polls, this sad idea came to mind: that these could be “the last days” of the best friend the State of Israel ever had since its inception. And I was moved to tears because the idea of the “the last days” brought to my memory the documentary and could not avoid the mental comparison between the two most radical extremes that can be conceived …
To better appreciate what President Trump is doing, I could not forget what President Obama did literally, in his last days as US president: he sent billions of dollars in cash to Israel’s worst enemy, Iran, the only nation that openly declared its intention to wipe Israel off the map. Or when in an unprecedented move, literally in his last days, he made sure that the United States would not veto a UN resolution that cynically accused Israel of being the “occupying power” in Jerusalem.

TRUMP AND CYRUS
The Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, concludes with the famous declaration of another great benefactor of Israel: Cyrus (Koresh), the first Persian emperor, who in the year 538 BCE supported the return of the Jews to Israel and helped financing the construction of the Second Bet haMiqdash in Yerushalayim. There the pasuq says: HASHEM HE’IR ET RUACH KORESH MELEKH PARAS “” HaShem, God, awakened / mobilized the spirit of Koresh, King of Persia … “. I have no doubt that as with Koresh, it is the Creator who animates the spirit of this great President. And that we should be infinitely grateful to Him for living these incredibly beautiful (messianic?) moments that anticipate “unprecedented” times of peace and prosperity for our beloved Medinat Israel.

PASSION FOR STUDYING Today marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Obadia Yosef z”l, who died at the age of 93. Rabbi Obadia was not only the most illustrious Chief Rabbi of Israel (Rishon LeTsion) in modern times, but also the Rabbi who led the Sephardim in Israel and the diaspora to their original customs and traditions. Rabbi Obadia Yosef’s passion was the study of the Tora, in particular, the legal aspects of Judaism (halakhot). Jewish jurisprudence is a very complex discipline and one needs to read and remember many, many books, some encyclopedic in size, to become a master in this field. Rabbi Yosef was endowed with a prodigious memory that allowed him to quote thousands of rabbinical opinions and rulings by heart. But his exceptional mental talents would not have been enough without his uninterrupted dedication to Tora study. I remember his son, Rabbi Ya’aqob Yosef z”l, with whom I studied for 2 years in Yerushalayim, who told us that his own passion for studying Tora began when he saw his father gently rocking the cradle of one of his little brothers with one hand, while holding and reading a Tora book with the other.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD TEACHER

From a very young age, Rabbi Obadia Yosef displayed the two most important signs of a great Tora luminary: a passion for Torah study and an exceptional memory. But that was not enough in the 1930s in Israel. In those days of financial depression, the world’s economic situation was chaotic and Israel (in those days“Palestine”) was obviously no exception. The family could not afford to have a child outside the job market… For a time, young Obadia Yosef was allowed to study at the most prestigious Sephardic Yeshiba, Porat Yosef, in the Old City of Jerusalem. But soon after, he was forced to quit his studies and work in his father’s shop in “shekhunat habukharim” in Jerusalem. Porat Yosef was led by a great rabbi born in Aleppo, Syria, Ribbi Ezra Attie z ”l (1887-1970) who besides being a very pious man and one of the greatest Tora scholars of his generation also had the ability to identify the intellectual potential and leadership qualities in his students. During the short time that Rabbi Yosef studied at Porat Yosef, Rabbi Attie identified his charisma, bright mind, and positive character. And when he found out that the young Obadia had to leave his studies to go to work, he became very sad. But he didn’t give up and did the unexpected. Rabbi Attie approached Rabbi Yosef’s father and begged him to let the boy return to the Yeshiba. He told his father: “If you need help in the store, I will stay here and work for you for free. Keeping me away from Tora study matters less than keeping your son away”. Rabbi Yosef’s father couldn’t say no. And realizing his son’s potential as a great Tora scholar, he allowed him to return to his studies. This was probably the most important turning point in Rabbi Yosef’s life.

RETURNING THE CROWN TO ITS ORIGIN

What characterized Rabbi Yosef as the leader of Sephardic Jews was his courage to reclaim the halakhic Sephardic voices of the past as binding in the present. It was not an easy task, considering that at that time he had to openly challenge other rabbinic leaders who also claimed to represent the authentic Sephardic approach. Rabbi Obadia’s main contribution was the restoration of Rabbi Yosef Caro (1488-1575) and his Shulkhan ‘arukh as the highest authority for Sephardic Jews in Israel. “Quibalnu Horaot Maran“, historically Sepharadic Jews agreed to follow the rulings of Rabbi Yosef Caro and to do no less and no more than what is stated in his books.

BEN ISH HAI or SHULCHAN ARUKH?

Uniting the Sephardic Jews of Israel around Shulchan Arukh was one of the main goals —and achievements— of Rabbi Obadia Yosef z”l. Sephardic Jews came to Israel from many countries (Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Iran, etc.) and brought with them multiple local customs, and in many cases, these practices were stricter than what Jewish law requires. Pesach is a good example of these additional restrictions. Jews in Spanish Morocco, for example, used to cover the dining room table with seven tablecloths. Nobody dared to buy sugar or common oil for Passover. And many were using only cleaning products that were certified Kosher for Pesach, etc. Notably, the first book published by Rabbi Obadia Yosef was Jazon Obadia, a book on the laws of Pesach, which when first published in the 1950s was revolutionary. Because Rabbi Yosef directed his readers to renounce additional restrictions (dictated in Ben Ish Hay, or other local rabbinic authorities ) that in his opinion were not applicable in Israel, where Rabbi Yosef Caro was the ultimate authority. Something very similar happened with many laws of Nidda (family purity), Shabbat or Kashrut, just to mention a few examples. I remember once having a private meeting with Rabbi Yosef and I asked him about the Halakhic practical scope of the Ari haQadosh rules and he told me unambiguously that they are applicable “only in the field of liturgy (Tefila) or as a matter of private practice”, for everything else we should strictly follow Shulchan Arukh.

SEPHARADIM OR ASHKENAZIM?

 Another reason why many Sephardic had abandoned their millennial traditions was that the Jewish educational system at the time — Jewish schools and especially Rabbinical Academies – was predominantly Ashkenazi, and the Sephardic halachic tradition was literally in danger of extinction. In the 1950s Rabbi Obadia was criticized by many rabbis, Ashkenazim and Sepharadim, who rejected his halachic authority. Part of his vision was to facilitate the practice of Judaism, something he saw as a very necessary principle for our modern days. In the 1960s and 1970s, his views were considered by many Rabbis as too “liberal”. Decades passed until his voice became the highest and undisputed authority in Sephardic communities in Israel and around the world.

Rabbi Yosef Bitton

“And God created man in His image …. male and female He created them” Genesis 1:27

 The first thing we should notice in this verse is that the differentiation between male and female was not mentioned in the creation of animals. Obviously, this does not mean that God did not create animals with two different sexes, but that for some reason, only in the Creation of man and woman the Tora “mentions” the male and female condition. Why? 

CONSCIENCE and DISCIPLINE
The definition of the human being as male or female, does not appear in this pasuq as a secondary element but virtually as an ontological condition. HaShem created human being in His image, this differentiates them from animals. HaShem created then man and woman, this distinguishes them from each other. Only humans, unlike other living beings, have “consciousness” of their own sexuality and gender. And because humans are aware of their sexuality, only human beings are able to govern their sexuality.

MALE BRAIN vs FEMALE BRAIN
Unlike animals, human male and female are not only distinguished by their sexual and physical differences but also by profound psychological differences. Men and women are different in the way they think; the way they process emotions and express feelings; their body language and being wired for empathy or systems. These examples, and many, many more, are not related necessarily to hormones, and are not found in the animal kingdom. This explanation is consistent with what we saw in the first part of the pasuq, the “image of God in Man”. “Image” does not indicate a physical resemblance between man and God. This Divine resemblance refers to the human soul; thought; freedom of choice, etc. We could also assume then that in our text the distinction between male and female goes beyond the physical or the sexual realm. While in the creation of animals (Fifth and Sixth Days) the Hebrew word מין (species) is used seven times, hinting that haShem created a vast variety of animal species, our pasuq asserts that in the creation of humans HaShem designed “only two species”: 1. Man and 2. Woman.

HOW MANY RACES WERE CREATED?
We should also notice and appreciate what the Tora does NOT say. The myths of creation written by ancient pagan civilizations, refer mainly to the creation of humans from a national aspect. Pagan gods create more than one human race: in the Mesopotamian old myths, for example, the main gods create the locals (Sumerians, for example) who are always superior, and then other gods create the rest of the world, who are usually slaves or inferior. In the Tora, when HaShem creates humanity, it does not say that He created the Jews and the rest of the world. Or whites and blacks or slaves and slave-masters; or the people of the light and the people of darkness, as it appears in virtually all the pagan myths of creation. The Tora, the only book of Divine authorship, tells us that HaShem created only one human race. But divided into two species.

COMPLETION
Another important element to notice in this verse is that when the Tora refers to ADAM (ויברא א’ את האדם) it does so with the definite article “the” (הַ) to emphasize that the text it is not referring to “Adam”, the man, but to “ADAM”, the human being. This pasuq says then that God created the human being as male and female. The Rabbis explained this point stating that a man or a woman by themselves, are considered only half of a human being. The “word” ADAM (as opposed to the “name” Adam) means: man + woman (that is why in Hebrew “human being” BEN ADAM means: son of a man and a woman). Unlike other religions, Judaism does not see voluntary celibacy as a religious ideal or virtue, quite the opposite: it is considered a serious transgression. For the Tora, mind and body completion is only achieved when a man and a woman unite, i.e., get married.

We will begin to analyze today the text that deals with the creation of the first human beings. Genesis 1:27 “And God created man in His image … male and female He created them.”

There are two concepts that define in this pasuq (verse) the fundamental characteristics of the human being.

1. To have been created “in the image” of God.

2. To have been created as male and female

Let’s start with the first point. There is a rich variety of interpretations as to what “the image of God” means (צלם אלוקים). However, despite the diversity of opinions, there are two points that almost all rabbinic interpretations accept.

(a). צלם אלוקים  Is not a physical image or likeness, since God has no body or materiality.  The Divine image points to a spiritual and/or intellectual element that makes a human being similar to God.

(b). The Creation of man in this verse is narrated in the context of the creation of other living creatures. The “Divine image” in man appears in opposition to the absence of that image in animals. It is as if the text is saying: “Unlike animals,  human beings were created in the image of God. ”

Let us see the different interpretations of צלם אלוקים  which can be seen as complementary.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN: For Rashi, the Divine image in man should be understood as the seal of the Creator in man (דיוקן יוצרו). In other words, when we see the human body and especially human intelligence, we see a reflection of the Creator. A human being bears an invisible seal that says:  “Made by Divine Design”, which reveals its Creator.

IMMORTALITY: For Eben Ezra the Divine image refers to the human soul, which unlike all other earthly creations, is immortal.

FREE WILL: For Maimonides and other rabbis like the Meshekh Hokhma, the Divine image is the supernatural intellectual capacity of the human being and the possibility to think linguistically. “Thinking” allows man, among other things, to be aware of himself and to conceive the existence of God. Unlike humans, animals do not think. Animals perceive images, stimuli or sensations associated mainly with survival and procreation, and react. Not being aware of themselves and not able to understand linguistically what happens to them, animals lack the power to control their reactions. A human being, thanks to his or her super-natural rational ability, while exposed to similar external stimuli, can create a space between the stimulus and the response to this stimulus. This space is what we call “free will,” and it is only possible thanks to man’s ability to “think”.

The paradox of man’s creation, its place between the natural and the Divine, was analyzed by the Hakhamim of the Midrash. On the one hand, they said, man has been created with the same elements of other inferior beings (tahtonim). That is, body, instincts and drives, all earthly and worldly. On the other hand,  human beings were endowed by the Creator with a “higher” element (min ha’eliyonim), something “Divine” that allows him to react in an elevated way, and to control those “inferior” impulses.

Sexuality is a good illustration of this scenario. When a man does not exercise control over his appetites and let himself to be driven by them; when man does not create a space for the intervention of his super-natural power, free will,  between the stimulus and the reaction to the stimulus, he forgoes his soul and becomes another element of the animal kingdom.   Note that unlike other religions, Judaism does not see as an ideal to renounce sexuality or the satisfaction of other drives. The Tora teaches man to educate his impulses. This education is known in the Tora as Qedusha, a very important Hebrew word that is often translated as “holiness.”  Qedusha becomes manifest when the Divine image in man is the dominant force.

In the case of sexuality, for example, when we have the Tora as our guidance to determine when, how and to what extent we satisfy our earthly impulses, the life-generating act ceases to be a natural act of biology and becomes an act of Divine Creation.

(To be continued…)

ויברא אלוקים את-האדם בצלמו, בצלם אלוקים ברא אותו, זכר ונקבה, ברא אותם

“And God created the human being in His image. In the image of God he created him/it. Male and female He created them. ” Genesis 1:27

Yesterday we explained the first part of this verse, “the image of God” in human beings. Today we will continue with the second part of this verse, where the Tora narrates the creation of man and woman. Before analyzing the most relevant part of this pasuq, the masculine and feminine identity, we will see two points.

ANDROGYNY? How were Adam and Hava (Eve) created? In one and the same act of Creation or in two separate acts of Creation? This question arises because there is an apparent contradiction between Genesis chapter 1 and Genesis chapter 2. In chapter 1, it seems that it is a single act. This led the Rabbis of the Midrash to suppose that Adam and Eve were initially created as an androgynous being, man and woman simultaneously, until the Creator separated them according to their sexes, as it says in chapter 2.

However, the most famous Biblical commentator, Rashi (1040-1105) mentions this Midrash, but immediately clarifies that the literal meaning of the text peshat is different. That Midrash, according to Rashi, should not be taken as the literal interpretation of the text. The literal reading is that in chapter 1, the Tora  describes “when” man and woman were created, in the Sixth Day, and in chapter 2 the Tora describes “how” they were created. Namely, what was the order of the creation of man and woman, the state of Adam before the creation of Hava, whether or not they were created from the same source, etc.

POLYGAMY.  I would like to pay attention now, as one should do when reading the Tora, to what the text does NOT say. The Creator could have created the first man with several women. After all, polygamy was not the exception in many civilizations of antiquity, but the rule. We see, however, that the Tora indicates in this way that HaShem conceived man and woman in a monogamous relationship: one man and one woman.

Polygamy is mentioned in the Torah and the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). But hardly as the ideal situation, and mainly as the exception. In the case of Abraham, for example, Abraham takes a second wife Hagar, because Sara could not have children.

In Biblical times, polygamy was accepted in the Jewish people as a rule only in the case of the Monarchs (albeit in a limited way, וֹלֹא יְרֶּבֶּה לֹו נָשִׁים, Debarim 17:17). Kings had to make sure that their offspring were as numerous as possible, and thus ensure the continuity of their dynasty. Infant mortality was more common in the past and it was also expected that rival peoples or enemies would try to kill the king’s sons.

In the rabbinical period, polygamy was not commonly practiced beyond cases related to fertility; the death of the husband before having children (levirate) or other special situations.

Around the year 1000 of the common era Rabbi Gershon Meor haGola (960 -1040) from Metz, France, near Germany, established a HEREM, excommunication, for those who practiced polygamy. From that time, polygamy was definitively excluded among Ashkenazi Jews. Sephardic Jews —who lived predominantly among Muslims, and for whom polygamy is common to this day—were not technically subject to the law established by Rabenu Gershon. However, in virtually all Sephardic communities the Ketuba, marriage contract,  included  a clause prohibiting the husband from marrying a second wife without the consent of the first. This made the practice of polygamy practically fall into disuse, also between Sephardic,  and thus it was only allowed in exceptional cases  (infertility, illness, etc.).

In summary, we see that for the Tora the Divine ideal is monogamy, one woman for one man. Polygamy, although allowed, was the exception.

The Tora shows that the Creator divided humanity into two genders: male and female.  We can also see that in the Tora the differences between man and woman are expressed not only in terms of sexuality. Man and woman are “company” and “emotional complement.”  For this to be possible, for a man and a woman to need each other, to be attracted to each other and to complement each other, man and woman were designed by the Creator DELIBERATELY as two distinct entities: in two separate acts of creation and from two different sources.

INTRODUCTION: The topic “Sexuality and Judaism” is delicate and complex. It is usually reserved for private discussions. Before marrying, every Jewish observant person, male or female, studies an intense course on Jewish sexual education (Taharat haMishpaha), to understand and internalize the strong connection between sexuality and qedusha. “Qedusha”, the word the Tora and the Rabbis use systematically when referring to sexual behavior, is achieved by our constant effort to get closer to God, and reaches its highest level when we “imitate” God as life-giving creatures.  Those private conversations are the natural framework for the teaching and discussion of these issues.

What leads me to write the present reflections, outside of that traditional framework, is that at present time, many of us are being influenced about this delicate subject, voluntarily or mostly subliminally, by what is seen and heard in the media and even in the street. Moreover, many issues related to sexuality have nowadays become a matter of politics. Some times, they are part of a larger discussion between opposing philosophical visions: one that affirms the existence of God and sees Man as a creature endowed with the power to make moral decisions, vs. another vision that sees human beings as evolved members of the animal kingdom, where attention to one’s primary instincts becomes more important or more noble than one’s duty to mastering these instincts and drives. 

Since the subject is so broad, I will dedicate to this a few days or perhaps weeks.

I would like to invite the readers to contribute with their questions and comments (write your emails to: rabbibitton@yahoo.com)

Let us start today, literally, from the beginning.

The first time the Tora refers to sexuality is in relation to animals, and exclusively in reference to reproduction.  After the creation of the first animals, on the Fifth Day of Creation, the Tora says: (Genesis 1:22):

“And God blessed them [the animals] saying: ’Be fruitful and multiply,  fill the water in the seas, and the birds, increase on the earth’. ‘”

From this brief text, what it says, how it says it and what it does not say, we learn the first elements of the Tora’s view on sexuality.

REPRODUCTION vs. MORTALITY:

Unlike any other physiological function, such as breathing or blood circulation, the Tora highlights the reproductive function when it refers to the first creation of living creatures. Although the Tora has not yet mentioned “death”, the blessing of reproduction seems to hint that living beings, as individuals, will be subject to mortality.  This blessing expresses, however, that as a species, living creatures will continue to survive. Reproduction reminds us in one aspect, i.e., perpetuation, of some previous creative acts. (a) When HaShem creates the transition between day and night, according to Seforno, the Creator established the rotation of the earth on its axis, that is, the mechanism that “perpetuates” this transition. (b) On the Second Day of Creation, HaShem divides the waters. According to Rabbi Moshe Hefets, it was at that time that HaShem established the mechanism of evaporation> precipitation (= rain), which guarantees the “perpetual” production of freshwater. Likewise, in this verse, animal sexual reproduction is presented as the mechanism that the Creator is establishing for the “perpetuation” of living beings.

WHAT TYPE OF BLESSING?

This blessing that HaShem grants to animals, therefore, should not be understood as a regular formal blessings. Usually, a blessing expresses a desire: “May HaShem bless you” means more or less: “I wish that HaShem will heal you, or facilitate your success, etc.”

Sometimes, when the blessing comes directly from haShem, the blessing comprises a command. It is as if HaShem is saying to us, “This is what I command you to do, for YOUR OWN GOOD”( that is how HaShem’s order is expressed as a blessing).” In our text, when God blesses the animals,  HaShem is not wishing them to reproduce, nor is He ordering them to reproduce. HaShem is establishing the blessing of sexual reproduction as part of animal’s biology. It is a blessing mainly in the sense that it defeats mortality.

The blessing to animals, though expressed in the imperative, is completely different from the blessing that HaShem bestows on Adam and Hava (Eve), when referring to sexual reproduction (as we shall see in greater depth BH tomorrow.) In our text, HaShem does not  address or orders animals to reproduce. This is clearly seen in the use of the Hebrew word “lemor” which means “saying” (as opposed to “saying to them”, which is used when HaShem blesses Adam and Eve). Why doesn’t HaShem order animals to reproduce? Because an order, a mitsva, can only be given to a being who can obey or disobey, accept or reject it. Animals have no control over their sexuality or sexual behavior.  Humans do.

To be continued

By rabbanit Coty Bitton

One of the most beautiful memories of my childhood in Melilla, Spain, is that of the weddings celebration. All weddings were held in our Synagogue, “Or Zarua”, the Synagogue of Don Yamín Benarroch. I clearly remember that after the Chuppah the couple would descended and the bride circled around the Teba (the place from where the Tora is read) and all the guests looked at her with admiration as she passed close to them, and everyone celebrated her new married life.

Simchat Torah was also celebrated in a similar way in Melilla. For each of the Hakafot a single member of the community held the Torah and circled the Teba, while the rest of the congregants singed songs in Hebrew and Ladino in honor of the Tora, from their seats, looking at the Tora with admiration and affection and kissing it from afar.

As you can see, our celebration of Simchat Torah, particularly the dancing, was a little different from the Hasidic dancing we have today. And although not everyone danced with the Torah the Simchat Torah of my childhood was very joyful.

This year we have many restrictions due to COVID. And these new guidelines seem to take some of the happiness out of this special day. In many Synagogues it has already been established that this year we will not be able to dance with the Torah. And only one person is allowed to hold the Tora while everyone remains in their seats …

But, wasn’t this how Simchat Torah was celebrated in Melilla?

I think it is imperative that we put our feelings in order and not allow our happiness to be diminished at all during this Simchat Tora.

First of all, we have to be proud to have rabbinical and community leaders who prioritize what is most important! “Ushmartem Meod Lenafshotekhem”! Our Torah holds that the preservation of life is the highest value. And taking care of our health and safety is a beautiful way “to honor the Tora” and its commandments.

We also have to be very happy that this year we will have the opportunity to do a little more introspection, and understand that dancing with the Torah is not “the cause” of our happiness, but one of many ways to express our joy. The true “cause” of our joy is ASHER BACHAR BANU MIKOL HAAMIM VENTAN LANU ET TORATO that the Creator “chose us among all peoples and gave us His Torah ”. We are happy to belong to the nation of Israel. We are happy that HaShem has given us the Tora that guides our lives with the correct values.

At Simchat Tora we also celebrate the conclusion of the annual Tora reading cycle and the beginning of a new cycle. And even if we don’t dance with the Tora, we are happy to have the opportunity to start the new year by reading the same text but with a new look, and with our eyes full of curiosity. We are happy to live in times when we are free to study and observe the Tora. And that our children have access to Jewish schools and incredible teachers. Tora study is more accessible today than ever for all ages and levels. It is just “a click or a Zoom” away from us.

This year, in many Synagogues congregants will be invited to take a Chumash (a printed Tora book or Pentateuch), and hold it against your chest, while the Sefer Tora circles around us like the bride in a wedding ceremony. As we embrace our Tora book, we shuld resolve to be more ambitious in its study, and we should feel a desire to reach a deeper level of understanding and observance of Tora.

Even if we don’t dance to the Sefer Tora, let us express our gratitude to God and ask Him to inspire us to learn and share with our friends and family the beautiful life lessons that our Tora contains.

May we have the happiest Simchat Tora of our lives!

Coty bitton