CONTENTS
PROLOGUE: The Creation of Unity. Putting Humpty Dumpty together again
EXODUS: THE QUEST FOR FREEDOM. A Short Introduction
CHAPTER 1 (Shemot, Exodus 1:1-6:1): Moses, his African Wife & Conversion to Judaism
CHAPTER 2 (Va’eira, 6:2-9:35): Gandhi, the Lancastrians & the Exodus of the Egyptians
CHAPTER 3 (Bo, 10:1-13:16): And so the National Story Begins…
CHAPTER 4 (Beshallach, 13:17-17:16): Exterminating Doubt
CHAPTER 5 (Yitro, 18:1-20:23): A Kingdom of Followers
CHAPTER 6 (Mishpatim, 21:1-24:18): The Original “Judicial Coup”
CHAPTER 7 (Terumah, 25:1-27:19): Land of the Free, Home of the Brave
CHAPTER 8 (Tetzaveh, 27:20-30:10): Love Peace and Pursue it
CHAPTER 9 (Ki Tisa, 30:11-34:35): Holding out for a Leader
CHAPTER 10 (Vayakhel-Pekudei, 35:1 - 40:38): Exodus Denied: The Rejection of Freedom
CONCLUSION: Why have I written commentaries on Exodus?
EPILOGUE: A Tribute to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
CHAPTER 8: Tetzaveh
Love Peace and Pursue it
This parashah is famous for Moses’ name not being explicitly mentioned. It concerns itself with Aaron, the brother of Moses, and his role as the High Priest. In his honour and in praise of his values, I will dedicate this week’s d’var.
When one thinks of Aaron, the following quote from Pirkei Avot 1:12 comes to mind:
Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace.
In respect of this dictum, many inspirational commentaries have been made.
a. How did Aaron himself pursue peace? (Bartenura)
In terms of peace between neighbours, Bartenura says:
When he would see two people quarreling, he would go to each one of them without the knowledge of his fellow and say to him, “Behold how your fellow is regretting and afflicting himself that he sinned against you; and he told me that I should come to you so that you will forgive him." And as a result of this, when they bumped into each other, they would kiss each other.
b. Bringing peace through doing.
Rabbeinu Yonah emphasises that when it comes to peace, we must be doers like the students of Aaron, not virtue signallers like those in the Twittersphere. WE must make the effort to bring peace to the world personally:
(Hillel) means to say that he loves truth and peace in his heart and pursues it with the actions of his hands. As there are people that love it in their hearts that don't trouble themselves to bring peace to the world and don't walk in the paths of peace. But those that do actions and bring peace between a man and his friend and love to do this work - as it is stated (Psalms 34:15), "seek peace and pursue it" - those are from the students of Aaron, who would act like this.
c. Bringing peace through dialogue.
Best of all is this passage from Rebbe Nachman (appropriately enough from Ukraine). In Likutey Etzot, Shalom 4, the Rebbe tells us how we can bring about peace through sincere dialogue.
To the extent that there is peace in the world, humanity can come to serve God with one accord. People can engage in dialogue, considering together the purpose for which the world was created and seeing through its illusions. They can discuss the truth with one another – that ultimately nothing will remain but the preparations they make for the World to Come. For “At the time of a man’s passing from this world, nothing accompanies him – not silver or gold or precious gems or pearls, just Torah and good deeds alone” (Pirkei Avot 6:9).
By realizing this, each one will cast away his false gods of silver and turn to the Creator, His Torah and Divine service, and thereby come to truth.
When there is no peace, however, or when there is actual strife, people cannot get together to discuss the purpose of life. Even on occasion when they do meet and converse, their words are not heard due to the climate of jealousy, spite and disdain. Aggression and the desire to win arguments cannot bear the truth (My emphasis). The main reason why most people are far from God is strife, which has become widespread in the world as a result of our sins1.
d. How can we be like the disciples of Aaron?
To the legendary thoughts on peace set out above, I now add a few of my own. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks called his Opus Magnus - a years-long series of Torah commentaries - Covanent and Conversation. As Jews, we are all part of the Covanent of Sinai. Therefore we are all obliged to contribute to the millenia-long, trans-generational conversation. The debates of the Talmud have not ended. And this is my entry.
Listen/Hear Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one/oneness/unity.
Regarding Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, I set out the following logical progression:
Unity/Oneness is God.
Humanity is in the reflection of God.
Unity/oneness among man is created through dialogue and actively hearing the alternative perspective. [As Rabbi Nachman said, peace comes when people “engage in dialogue, considering together the purpose for which the world was created and seeing through its illusions. They can discuss the truth with one another”.]
Ergo dialogue is the means to create the reflection of God on Earth.
Deuteronomy continues, set out ennumerated for emphasis, and with explanatory commentary in brackets:
Love the Lord your God (=Oneness=Divine Unity=unity on Earth through open dialogue=peace) with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words (love of oneness, unity, peace = love of God), which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart. You are to:
a) teach them diligently to your children;
b) speak of them when you sit in your house;
c) (speak of them) when you walk by the way;
d) (speak of them) when you lie down;
e) (speak of them) when you rise up.
Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Love unity, dialogue and peace. Speak of it everywhere. At home, in the town and at all times of day. Write about it everywhere possible. And protect the value of words for without words dialogue is impossible.
You may believe that I talk incessantly about the sanctity of properly used language and its fruits of dialogue, peace and unity, but according to the Shema/the Torah, I don't talk about it nearly enough. I am religiously obligated to never stop talking about it and to never stop writing about it. And all readers are obliged to begin the dialogue with others today also.
The Torah is a holy book for Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and Baha’i. And hopefully the above message is an inspiration for other peoples far and wide. You too can spread the message of dialogue by promoting this message, sharing this book and using words with sincerity and precision.
e. Peace in a post-October 7th world
In comparing the personalities and leadership styles of Moses and Aaron, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks comments thus:
Moses was a man of law, Aaron of mediation …. Moses was a man of truth, Aaron of peace. Moses sought justice, Aaron sought conflict resolution.
A few months back, I created a poll. I posed a simple dilemma: Justice, truth or peace? They are all important values, but if you were forced to choose between them, which would you prioritise over all the others? As a disciple of Aaron, I voted “peace”. Few others joined me. Truth - the virtue par excellence of Moses - was the winner by some distance. And the debate in the comments pitted supporters of truth against supporters of justice. Peace lost. As peace always loses.
There has been much discussion since the events of October 7th on the “root causes” of the Middle Eastern conflict. Media outlets have been busy contextualising and historians have been busy outlining the key events. Was the key date 1967? Or 1948? Or the British Mandate from 1917? Or the Egyptian war of 1831? Or the First Crusade? Or the Mongolian invasion? Just joking about the last three. According to Western media, history started in 1948.
In this search to find the key year - the key event - a tragic error has been being made. And not just because history is complex and events have multiple causes. By looking into the past, people have become trapped by it. An event from 30 or 60 or 500 years ago has been made to justify current actions and to perpetuate the suffering. The search to find the root cause has become the root cause.
No-one is commanded by the past. No-one is forced to repeat past mistakes or replay past tragedies. No dead man is responsible for our actions today. Only we are responsible. No spirit is calling us from above to do evil. We call ourselves to do evil. WE are the root cause of everything we do. To say that I commit rape or murder or kidnapping because I am a victim of cadavers is to rob myself of agency and responsibility. We are all adults. And either we choose good or we choose evil. And we must face the consequences of our decisions.
Are Hamas rockets hardening the hearts of Israelis? Only if they let their hearts be hardened. Will the Israeli ground invasion become the recruiting sergeant for Iranian proxies? Only if they choose to be recruited.
When I asked my readers to choose between justice, truth and peace, I was subtly asking them to choose between the past and future. Justice is about rectifying past errors. Truth tells us to honestly confront past events. But peace is saying that I don’t give a damn about the past. I don’t give a damn about dead people. I just care about our children, our children’s children and our children’s children’s children.
The Palestinians constantly speak about achieving justice as a prerequisite to peace. Israelis and Jews - if my polls results are any indication - ask us to agree upon what is true history. And this, my friends, IS the root cause of the continuing conflict. The ideal world may stand upon justice and truth. But where we can’t agree upon the past - when people insist upon seeing every event through their narrative and their perspective and their conception of the just - the search for perfect justice and truth will destroy the future. Being right is killing us all.
I make a plea from my heart. To Palestinians. To Israelis. To students. To journalists. To historians. Stop trying to be the font of justice. Stop trying to be right. Think just of the future and choose peace. Because if you don’t and he doesn’t and she doesn’t, you are all guilty. The ongoing conflict is your responsibility alone.
May we all pursue peace like Aaron this week, this month and from this moment forth.
