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July 24, 2007
Present Tense: Temple Destruction
We remember the destruction of the two holy Temples. We fast, we mourn, we read Eichah, The Book of Lamentations:
Alas — she sits in solitude. The city that was great with people has become like a widow. The greatest among nations, the princess among provinces has become a tributary.— 1:1
The connection Jews feel to the Temples is profound: it is a feeling that exists outside the normal boundaries of time and space. When a Jew sits and learns Talmud, learns the laws of sacrifice in the Temple, he speaks in the present tense. He is in that moment, of that moment, within every single detail.
In fact, all learning is done in the present tense. For instance, we will quote the Maharal of Prague 1512-1609, author of the Gur Aryeh, and then engage him in dialog with Rav Yaakov ben Asher 1270-1340, author of the Baal Ha-Turim; it is magical, seamless, as if both men are speaking one to the other — and to us — in the same room, at the very same moment. When engaged in the study of Torah, we never use the past tense; the words of the Sages, their ideas and Torah are eternal. That they lived and died in different generations, in different lands, is merely a dry technical physical matter. They are forever engaged in lively, passionate and holy debate.
Step into any Yeshiva grade school and you will hear children in New York, Jerusalem, Hong Kong, Paris — everywhere Torah Jews reside — you will hear tiny voices say these two words:
“Rashi says.”
Rav Shlomo ben Yitzchok, known by his acronym RASHI. The greatest of all Torah commentators. Born in Troyes, France 1040, died 1105. Rashi's ancestry goes back to King David. Rashi's commentary on the Torah is so extraordinary that almost every edition of the Torah that is printed comes with Rashi's commentary. It is concise and clear. Here is a man who does not waste a single letter. Rashi's commentary on the Talmud opens what might have become a sealed book. It is said that no one would be able to navigate the sea of the Talmud without Rashi's guiding exegesis. I have never seen any edition of the Talmud that does not include Rashi's commentary.
The greatness of Rashi is this: we begin to study Torah when we are children and Rashi is our guide. When we are older in middle school, Rashi continues to illuminate our path, as we grow old Rashi grows with us, his greatness is undimmed, his commentaries urgently deepen our comprehension of Torah, and Talmud.
We query Rashi in the present tense, he dutifully answers our questions; it's as if this winemaker/scholar is our personal chavrusha, a living breathing study partner; indeed, we engage in critical Torah thought through a trick of physics: willfully erasing the distances of time and space. Rashi may have died, but his lomdus, his learning is eternal.
When you labor in the vineyards of Torah, death does not have the final word.
My good friend Rabbi Berel Wein has produced a wonderful animated film about the life and times of Rashi. It was written by my high school buddy Jesse Cogan and directed by Ashley Lazarus, another close friend. This is an excellent introduction to Rashi's life and work — for all age groups. You can read about it and order the DVD directly from Rabbi Wein's website.
Shameless plug: I wrote the film about The Rambam, Maimonides for Rabbi Wein's Destiny Foundation. I'm extremely proud of this work. Naturally, I caught heck from some people because I dared dramatize The Rambam courting his second wife Jamila with some pretty cute dialog. Gee willikers, you should see some of the hate mail I receive. Oh well, I'm used to it. You can order the DVD here and judge for yourselves if I'm a heretic or not.
Preview: I just finished writing the screenplay for Baal Shem Tov for Rabbi Wein's Destiny Foundation. Can't wait to see the mail I get once that script is produced and released.
Anywhooo.
I speak of the importance of the present tense because the Muslims in Jerusalem are intent on denying and destroying this precious connection Jews have with the site of our Temples.
The Temple Mount is being barbarically looted by the Muslim authorities.
Seraphic Friend Yehudit Weiss, of Kesher, covers this shameful Orwellian rewriting of Jewish history and the ongoing destruction of Jewish artifacts by Muslims on the Temple Mount, Judaism's most holy site.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at July 24, 2007 09:56 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Thanks especially for this one.
Posted by: Jeremiah at July 24, 2007 11:12 PM
Jeremiah:
And written with you very much in mind:)
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 24, 2007 11:41 PM
Baruch Hashem I have been through the yeshiva system, seminary & am in college now...but I am not sure how often I stop and think about this concept, we do speak in present tense because it makes the great tzaddikim and commentaries alive to us...so thank you for that insight! It will truly enhance my learning in the future.
Posted by: nl at July 25, 2007 01:19 AM
Ni:
We who have been through the yeshiva system take much for granted. Sometimes it's valuable to step back and appreciate the simple grammar that drives our hours in Beis Midrash. Thanks so much for writing. Hope you had a meaningful fast.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 25, 2007 08:56 AM
Your comment reminds me of a joke.
A few generations ago, young European Rabbinical student was intrigued by an invitation to become the Rav in a small town that promised that "Rashi, Rambam and Tosfos" were buried there.
Upon arriving in the town, he was greeted by the Shamash who showed him around. First he was shown a dillapidated Shul with holes in the roof and a foul, mildewy smell. When the student asked to see the Bais Medrash, he was informed that the disappointing Shul doubled as the Bais Medrash. Given that no one was learning there, the young recruit was discouraged.
But still, he remembered why he came to this out-of-the-way little town, it was the grave of illustrious Gedolim buried here. So he turns to the Shamash and asks to see the graveyard.
The two head to the cemetery and the young Rabbi is disappointed to see that it, too, was in a terrible state of disrepair with crumbling headstones and weeds overgrowing everything. Desperate to salvage something from his trip the candidate - not believing that the town could fail to respect the Gedolim buried there by maintaining the graves with a proper amount of care - went from grave to grave looking for the names of some gedolim. But there weren't any Gedolim buried in the cemetery.
Furious at the deceit, he turned to the Shamash, "Why did you fool me? Why did you lie about the Gedolim?"
With a sad smile the Shamash replied, "In the famous Yeshivos you hear the Bochurim say 'Rashi says this, Tosfos says that, The Rambam poskens ..' The Gedolim live. Here, in our poor small town, alas, they are dead and buried."
On a different note, I remember that after the Rambam book/movie Rabbi Wein planned to do one on R' Shmuel Hanagid. But when I saw the R' Shmuel Hanagid book recently it was produced by Mahrwood Press (that collaborated with Rabbi Wein on the Rambam) but there was no mention of Rabbi Wein. Was there a disagreement? Did I miss something?
I remember a Rav I know (who is also a historian) saying that after the Rambam's brother died he went into a depression for months (if not years.) I don't suppose that would have gone over too well either.
When the Rashi movie opened in Baltimore I had the opportunity to ask him what percentage of Ashkenazi Jewry is descended from Rashi. He put the number at 80%. I've asked others and think that that's low.
Posted by: soccer dad at July 25, 2007 09:35 AM
Soccer Dad:
That's a good joke; never heard it before.
I have nothing to say about the book.
Regarding the Rambam movie. My script goes into great depth over Rambam's depression for it is based on Rambam's own letters. There was no hate mail regarding this sequence. No, the hate mail I get, and some nasty phone calls, revolve exclusively around a short sequence where the Rambam meets and talks with Jamila, his second wife. It is fiction and people object because there is no source. It humanizes Rambam, and Jamila; brings them together as a couple. This is intolerable to the Taliban wing of the Jewish people.
I might have to go into hiding when the Baal Shem Tov movie is released.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 25, 2007 12:45 PM
I saw the Wikipedia article on T'shah B'av. I thought about sending you my condolences, as a Gentile, but I wasn't sure that was the right response or what the ettiquette would be.
The Temple Mount has been much fought over by folks who seem to think that whoever owns the Mount owns G-d, if you know what I mean. Talk about massively missing the point.
Posted by: Kent at July 26, 2007 08:42 AM
Kent:
Etiquette doe not require condolences, but it';s a very sweet idea, thanks so much.
The Temple Mount is a symbol. Symbols are massively important—especially in the Middleast. People die for symbols all the time.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 26, 2007 10:21 AM