Friday, December 12, 2014

Covenant = Partnership

The following source sheet was prepared for adults in the MASA Family Learning Program at Temple Shaaray Tefila, Manhattan.
[PDF version]


Opening Thoughts
“Whatever was created in the first six days of creation needs further preparation.”
-Genesis Rabbah 11:6 (c. 500 CE, Land of Israel)

“To be both created and yet creator is the heart of Jewish religious consciousness.”
–Leo Baeck (1873-1956, Germany)

“There is only one way to define Jewish religion: Life is a partnership of God and humankind.”
-Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972, Poland and USA)


Covenants with Noah and with Abraham
“God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: ‘Be fertile and increase and fill the earth. … Every creature of the earth shall be yours to eat, and also the green grasses. You must not, however, eat flesh with its lifeblood in it. …  Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. … I hereby establish my covenant with you and your offspring to come: never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’”
-Genesis 9:1-11

“God spoke to Abram, saying: ‘This is My covenant with you: You shall be the father of a multitude of nations. And you shall no longer be called Abram, but Abraham shall be your name. … I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding. I will be their God. … Every male among you shall be circumcised. … Thus shall my covenant be marked on your flesh as an everlasting pact.’”
-Genesis 17:3-13


Who was more righteous?
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”
-Genesis 6:9

“The Eternal said to Abram: ‘Walk in my ways [lit: ‘before me’] and be blameless.”
-Genesis 17:1
  


Noah was blameless “in his generation”
Some of our rabbis interpret this to Noah’s credit. How much more righteous would Noah have been had he lived in a righteous generation! Others interpret it to Noah’s discredit. Noah was righteous in comparison to his generation, but had he lived in Abraham’s generation he would have been considered as naught.
-Rashi (1040-1105, France)


Abraham responded to Distress
When God told Abraham what God that God was planning to punish the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, “Abraham stepped forward and said: ‘Will You sweep away the innocent along with the righteous?’” (Gen. 18:23). Whereas when God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, because the earth is filled with lawlessness” (Gen. 6:13), Noah remained silent and did not intercede.
-The Zohar (13th century, Spain)


Revisiting the question of who was more righteous
Rabbi Yehudah said: It may be compared to a king who had two sons, an older and a younger one. The king said to the younger one, “Walk with me,” and to the older one, “Walk before me.”

Rabbi Nehemiah said: Noah may be compared to the king’s friend who was walking in the mud. The king looked and saw him and said: “Before you sink into the mud, walk with me.” Thus God said to Noah: “Before you drown in the flood of wickedness, build for yourself an ark.”

Abraham may be compared to a king’s friend who saw the king walking through a dark alleyway. When he saw the king, he began to shine a light for him through the window. When the king looked up and saw him, he said to him: “Before you give me light through the window, come and walk in front of me and give me light there.” Thus God said to Abraham: “Before, you gave me light in Mesopotamia; now, come before me and give me light in the land of Israel.”

-Genesis Rabbah 30:10

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