Parshat Tzav Command: On Being Obligated Upon the 100th Anniversary of the Bat Mitzvah March 19th, 1922

ByDianne Cohler-Esses

Romemu: Open Book, Open Up

But the greatest desire of all Is to be in the dream of another

To feel a light pull, like reins, To feel a heavy pull, like chains.

Yehuda Amichai

Judith Kaplan, at age twelve, became the first American to celebrate a Bat Mitzvah on March 18, 1922. Judith was the oldest daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism. Believing that girls should have the same religious opportunities as their brothers, Rabbi Kaplan arranged for his daughter to read Torah on a Shabbat morning at his synagogue, the Society for the Advancement of Judaism.

From the Jewish Women's Archives https://jwa.org/thisweek/mar/18/1922/judith-kaplan

חגיגה ב׳ א:א׳

הַכֹּל חַיָּיבִין בִּרְאִיָּיה, חוּץ מֵחֵרֵשׁ שׁוֹטֶה וְקָטָן, וְטוּמְטוּם וְאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס, וְנָשִׁים, וַעֲבָדִים שֶׁאֵינָם מְשׁוּחְרָרִים, הַחִיגֵּר וְהַסּוֹמֵא, וְהַחוֹלֶה וְהַזָּקֵן, וּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲלוֹת בְּרַגְלָיו.

Chagigah 2a:1

MISHNA: All are obligated on the three pilgrim Festivals in the mitzva of appearance, i.e., to appear in the Temple as well as to sacrifice an offering, except for a deaf-mute, an imbecile, and a minor; and a tumtum, and a hermaphrodite, and women, and slaves who are not emancipated; and the lame, and the blind, and the sick, and the old, and one who is unable to ascend to Jerusalem on his own legs.

ויקרא ו׳:א׳-ב׳

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) צַ֤ו אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הָעֹלָ֑ה הִ֣וא הָעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹקְדָ֨הֿ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ כׇּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וְאֵ֥שׁ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ תּ֥וּקַד בּֽוֹ׃

Leviticus 6:1-2

(1) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Command Aaron and his sons thus: This is the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar is kept going on it.

שמות י״ט:י״ז-י״ט

(יז) וַיּוֹצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הָעָ֛ם לִקְרַ֥את הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּתַחְתִּ֥ית הָהָֽר׃ (יח) וְהַ֤ר סִינַי֙ עָשַׁ֣ן כֻּלּ֔וֹ מִ֠פְּנֵ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרַ֥ד עָלָ֛יו יְהֹוָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַיַּ֤עַל עֲשָׁנוֹ֙ כְּעֶ֣שֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁ֔ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כׇּל־הָהָ֖ר מְאֹֽד׃ (יט) וַיְהִי֙ ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר הוֹלֵ֖ךְ וְחָזֵ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד מֹשֶׁ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יַעֲנֶ֥נּוּ בְקֽוֹל׃

Exodus 19:17-19

(17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. (18) Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for יהוה had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. (19) The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder.

שמות כ״ד:ז׳-ח׳

(ז) וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃ (ח) וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וַיִּזְרֹ֖ק עַל־הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֤ה דַֽם־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרַ֤ת יְהֹוָה֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם עַ֥ל כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

Exodus 24:7-8

(7) Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that יהוה has spoken we will faithfully do!” (8) Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that יהוה now makes with you concerning all these commands.”

אסתר ט׳:כ״ב-כ״ט

(כב) כַּיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־נָ֨חוּ בָהֶ֤ם הַיְּהוּדִים֙ מֵאֹ֣יְבֵיהֶ֔ם וְהַחֹ֗דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נֶהְפַּ֨ךְ לָהֶ֤ם מִיָּגוֹן֙ לְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמֵאֵ֖בֶל לְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת אוֹתָ֗ם יְמֵי֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה וְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּמִשְׁלֹ֤חַ מָנוֹת֙ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֔הוּ וּמַתָּנ֖וֹת לָֽאֶבְיֹנִֽים׃ (כג) וְקִבֵּל֙ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵ֖לּוּ לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־כָּתַ֥ב מׇרְדֳּכַ֖י אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ (כד) כִּי֩ הָמָ֨ן בֶּֽן־הַמְּדָ֜תָא הָֽאֲגָגִ֗י צֹרֵר֙ כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים חָשַׁ֥ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים לְאַבְּדָ֑ם וְהִפִּ֥ל פּוּר֙ ה֣וּא הַגּוֹרָ֔ל לְהֻמָּ֖ם וּֽלְאַבְּדָֽם׃ (כה) וּבְבֹאָהּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֒לֶךְ֒ אָמַ֣ר עִם־הַסֵּ֔פֶר יָשׁ֞וּב מַחֲשַׁבְתּ֧וֹ הָרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׁ֥ב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִ֖ים עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְתָל֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו עַל־הָעֵֽץ׃ (כו) עַל־כֵּ֡ן קָֽרְאוּ֩ לַיָּמִ֨ים הָאֵ֤לֶּה פוּרִים֙ עַל־שֵׁ֣ם הַפּ֔וּר עַל־כֵּ֕ן עַל־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הָאִגֶּ֣רֶת הַזֹּ֑את וּמָֽה־רָא֣וּ עַל־כָּ֔כָה וּמָ֥ה הִגִּ֖יעַ אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ (כז) קִיְּמ֣וּ (וקבל) [וְקִבְּל֣וּ] הַיְּהוּדִים֩ ׀ עֲלֵיהֶ֨ם ׀ וְעַל־זַרְעָ֜ם וְעַ֨ל כׇּל־הַנִּלְוִ֤ים עֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲב֔וֹר לִהְי֣וֹת עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֣ת שְׁנֵ֤י הַיָּמִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה כִּכְתָבָ֖ם וְכִזְמַנָּ֑ם בְּכׇל־שָׁנָ֖ה וְשָׁנָֽה׃ (כח) וְהַיָּמִ֣ים הָ֠אֵ֠לֶּה נִזְכָּרִ֨ים וְנַעֲשִׂ֜ים בְּכׇל־דּ֣וֹר וָד֗וֹר מִשְׁפָּחָה֙ וּמִשְׁפָּחָ֔ה מְדִינָ֥ה וּמְדִינָ֖ה וְעִ֣יר וָעִ֑יר וִימֵ֞י הַפּוּרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה לֹ֤א יַֽעַבְרוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְזִכְרָ֖ם לֹא־יָס֥וּף מִזַּרְעָֽם׃ {ס} (כט) וַ֠תִּכְתֹּ֠ב אֶסְתֵּ֨ר הַמַּלְכָּ֧ה בַת־אֲבִיחַ֛יִל וּמׇרְדֳּכַ֥י הַיְּהוּדִ֖י אֶת־כׇּל־תֹּ֑קֶף לְקַיֵּ֗ם אֵ֣ת אִגֶּ֧רֶת הַפֻּרִ֛ים הַזֹּ֖את הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃

Esther 9:22-29

(22) the same days on which the Jews enjoyed relief from their foes and the same month which had been transformed for them from one of grief and mourning to one of festive joy. They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor. (23) The Jews accordingly assumed as an obligation that which they had begun to practice and which Mordecai prescribed for them. (24) For Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the foe of all the Jews, had plotted to destroy the Jews, and had cast pur—that is, the lot—with intent to crush and exterminate them. (25) But when [Esther] came before the king, he commanded: “With the promulgation of this decree,^-b let the evil plot, which he devised against the Jews, recoil on his own head!” So they impaled him and his sons on the stake. (26) For that reason these days were named Purim, after pur.
In view, then, of all the instructions in the said letter and of what they had experienced in that matter and what had befallen them, (27) the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselves and their descendants, and all who might join them, to observe these two days in the manner prescribed and at the proper time each year. (28) Consequently, these days are recalled and observed in every generation: by every family, every province, and every city. And these days of Purim shall never cease among the Jews, and the memory of them shall never perish among their descendants. (29) Then Queen Esther daughter of Abihail wrote a second letter of Purim for the purpose of confirming with full authority the aforementioned one of Mordecai the Jew.

שבת פח. 16-24

(שמות יט, יז) ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר א"ר אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקב"ה עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם א"ר אחא בר יעקב מכאן מודעא רבה לאורייתא אמר רבא אעפ"כ הדור קבלוה בימי אחשורוש דכתיב (אסתר ט, כז) קימו וקבלו היהודים קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר

Shabbat 88a:5

"And they stood at the bottom of the mountain (Exodus 19:17)-" Rabbi Avdimi the son of Chama the son of Chasa said, "This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, held the mountain over them like a barrel and said, 'If you accept the Torah, it is good. And if not, here shall be your graves.'" Rav Acha Bar Yaakov said, "From here there is a great claim against the Torah!" Rav said, "Even so, they accepted it again [willingly] in the days of Ahasuerus, as it is written, (Esther 9:27) 'They upheld and accepted' - they upheld what they already accepted."

קידושין ל״א א:י״א

וְאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא וּמָה מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצֻוֶּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה כָּךְ מְצֻוֶּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה דְּאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא גָּדוֹל מְצֻוֶּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה מִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצֻוֶּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה

Kiddushin 31a:11

And Rabbi Ḥanina says: And if this is related about one who is not commanded by the Torah to honor his father, as Dama was a gentile, and nevertheless when he performs the mitzva he is given this great reward, all the more so is one rewarded who is commanded to fulfill a mitzva and performs it. As Rabbi Ḥanina says: Greater is one who is commanded to do a mitzva and performs it than one who is not commanded to do a mitzva and performs it.

It is critical to emphasize that the journey the Israelites take — from one building project to another — transforms them from slaves of an earthly ruler to servants of a Heavenly One. Freedom, as imagined by the book of Exodus, is decidedly not about casting off the burdens of service altogether. In fact, it says a great deal about our secularized society and its often-im- poverished conceptions of freedom, that while we often cite the demand that Pharaoh “let my people go!” we omit the telos of that call, “that they may serve Me.” Perhaps we should make the point differently: The Torah is passionately concerned with a journey from slavery to free- dom, but it imagines freedom in ways that are different from (one is tempted to say antithetical to) the ways freedom is commonly spoken of in contemporary terms, in capitalist, consumer- ist America. Doing whatever I want whenever I want, is arguably not freedom at all, but en- slavement to impulse. The depths of freedom are discovered not in self-assertion but in rare moments of authentic self-transcendence. Authentic freedom, Jewish theology insists, is found in service to something (and Someone)

greater than oneself.2

Shai Held, Sh'ma, A Journal of Jewish Ideas, September 2013

From ‘Avdut’ to ‘Avodah’:

Between Slavery and Service

SAHAI HELD https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/sept/SEPT13_shma_r1_lr.pdf

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)

Bob Dylan

Emmanuel Levinas, "Transcendence and Height," Basic Philosophical Writings (Bloomington: Indiana University Press), p. 17.

The epiphany of the Absolutely Other is a face by which the Other Challenges and commands me through his nakedness, through his destitution. He challenges me from his humility and from his height…The absolutely Other is the human Other. And the putting into question of the Same by the Other is a summons to respond…Hence, to be I signifies not being able to escape this responsibility.

במדבר רבה י״ז:ו׳

וְלֹא תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם (במדבר טו, לט), הַלֵּב וְהָעֵינַיִם הֵם סַרְסוּרִין לַגּוּף, שֶׁהֵם מְזַנִּין אֶת הַגּוּף. (במדבר טו, מ): לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָי, מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד מֻשְׁלָךְ לְתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם, הוֹשִׁיט הַקַּבַּרְנִיט אֶת הַחֶבֶל וְאָמַר לוֹ תְּפֹס חֶבֶל זֶה בְּיָדְךָ וְאַל תַּנִּיחֵהוּ, שֶׁאִם תַּנִּיחֵהוּ אֵין לְךָ חַיִּים. אַף כָּךְ אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם מְדֻבָּקִין בַּמִּצְוֹת (דברים ד, ד): וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְכֶם הַיּוֹם. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (משלי ד, יג): הַחֲזֵק בַּמּוּסָר אַל תֶּרֶף נִצְּרֶהָ כִּי הִיא חַיֶּיךָ. (במדבר טו, מ): וִהְיִיתֶם קְדשִׁים, בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים אֶת הַמִּצְווֹת אַתֶּם מְקֻדָּשִׁים וְאֵימַתְכֶם מֻטֶּלֶת עַל הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, פְּרַשְׁתֶּם מִן הַמִּצְווֹת נַעֲשֵׂיתֶם מְחֻלָּלִים. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי יֵצֶר הָרָע אַתֶּם פּוֹרְשִׁים מִן הַמִּצְווֹת, לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא אֲנִי עוֹקְרוֹ מִכֶּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לו, כז): וְאֶת רוּחִי אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וגו'.

Bamidbar Rabbah 17:6

(6) EXCERPT......(B-Midbar 15;40) "So that you will remember and do all my mitzvot." This is comparable to one who was thrown into the sea. The captain extended a rope to him and said: 'Catch this rope in your hand and don't let it go, for if you let it go, you will have no life.' Even so, the Holy One (blessed be He) said to Israel: The whole time that you cleave to the mitzvot - (Dvarim 4:4) "And you who cleave to Ha-shem your God, you are all living today." And similarly it says (Mishlei 4:13): "Hold tight to tradition/musar, don't let it alone, keep it safe, for it is your life."...

מאור עינים, בהעלותך א׳

וידבר ה׳ אל משה לאמר וגו׳ בהעלותך את הנרות אל מול פני המנורה יאירו שבעת הנרות ויעש כן אהרן וגו׳, פירש רש״י להגיד שבחו של אהרן שלא שינה. אמרו רז״ל שכר מצוה מצוה, רצה לומר שהשם יתברך נתן לנו המצות כדי להדבק על ידיהם בהשם יתברך, וזהו שכר מצוה הוא מצוה, לשון צוותא, דהיינו שנדבק על ידי בהשם יתברך ואין לך שכר גדול מזה.

Me'or Einayim, Beha'alotcha 1

The rabbis of the Talmud said "the reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah," that is to say, that God gave us commandments so that we might thereby cleave to God. Thus, the reward for a mitzvah is mitzvah, that is, tzavta (joining together), for, by means [of performing a mitzvah] one cleaves with God, and there is no greater reward than that...

Chernobyl Rabbi,

ליקוטי הלכות, אורח חיים, הלכות נטילת ידים שחרית ד׳:י״א

(א) וְזֶה לְשׁוֹן מִצְוָה שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן הִתְחַבְּרוּת, מִלְּשׁוֹן צַוְתָא וְחִבּוּר, (יט) כִּי עַל-יְדֵי כָּל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה מִמִּצְוֹת הַתּוֹרָה מְצַוְּתִין וּמְקַשְּׁרִין וּמְחַבְּרִין אוֹר הַזְּרִיחָה שֶׁל הרשימו אֶל כְּלֵי הַמֹּחִין, שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה מְקֻשָּׁרִין בּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ...

Likutei Halakhot, Orach Chaim, Laws of Morning Hand Washing 4:11

The term “Mitzvah” can connote “relationship” as in - “Tzavta” and connection. Because through each Mitzvah of the Torah, one connects, ties and forms bonds between the “light of the divine glow” to the “consciousness”, in this way one becomes tied to G-d...

הִגִיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה טוֹב

וּמָה אֱלהִים מְבַקֵֹש מִמְךָ.

נַנִיחַ לַמֻפְלָא בּהֵיכלוֹ.

דַי לוֹמַר

הִגִיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה טוֹב.

אַתָּה חַיָב להִתְפּנּוֹת

וּמַה פֵּרוּש חַיָב?

חַיָב.

הִנֵּה פֹּה לִימִינְךָ אָדָם

עוֹדֶנּוּ נַעַר.

יֵֹש לוֹ גַם קְֹשָיִים ֹשֶל פַּרְנָסָה,

גַּם ֹשֶל זֶהוּת.

בַּלַיְלָה הוּא נֶחְנָק

מֵחֲרָדָה, לֹא מִתְעוּקָה נְֹשִימָתִית.

כַּמָּה הֵם מִתְעַנִים בַּצֹּרֶךְ לִידִידוּת

קְצָת מְחֻיֶבֶת,

הַנְּעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בַּפָּנִים הַחֲמוּרוֹת.

וְגַם רָזִים כָּל כּךְ,

אִלוּ אֲנִי אִמָּם

הִייתִי בְּלִי סָפֵק אִֹשָּה קוֹדֶרֶת.

מַה יֶש לוֹמַר

הַכֹּל צְמֵאִים לְאַהֲבָה

וְזֶה עִנְיָן מַֹשְפִּיל

וְזֶה גַם רֶגַע ֹשֶל חֻלְֹשָה.

אַךְ יֵֹש לִי הֶעָזָה לוֹמַר

כֻּלָּם צְמֵאִים לְאַהֲבָה,

וּמִי ֹשֶלֹא יִמְזֹג כּוֹס מַיִם לַצָּמֵא

סופו ֹשֶיְּעַלַע רַק את הָרֹק אֲֹשֶר בְּפִיו

עַד סוֹף יָמָיו.

And Sympathy is All We Need, My Friend

He has told you, O man, what is good

And what God asks of you.

Let us leave the Wondrous One in His Palace.

It is enough to say

He has told you, O man, what is good.

You must make room.

And what is the meaning of must?
Must.

See here, to your right, is a man

Still a boy.

He has difficulties with making a livelihood

And also with his identity.

At night, he chokes – from fear, not from respiratory constriction.

How they suffer, these young men with their pale faces,

From the need for friendship that is just a little committed.

And they’re so thin too.

If I were their mother I would undoubtedly be a gloomy woman.

What is there to say?
Everything is thirsty for love.

It is a humbling matter

And also a moment of weakness.

Everyone is thirsty for love.

And I have the audacity to say

Whoever will not pour a cup of water for the thirsty

Will end up swallowing only the saliva

In his own mouth

Until the end of his days.

Dahlia Ravikovitch

מיכה ו׳:ח׳

(ח) הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יְהֹוָ֞ה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}

Micah 6:8

(8) “He has told you, O man, what is good,
And what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice
And to love goodness,
And to walk modestly with your God;^-c