Pemikiran Yahudi Ulangan 4:35: Akeidat Yitzchak, Derashot HaRan, Duties & Olat Reiyah

In Leviticus 12,2, we read "A woman who is impregnated and gives birth to a male child etc." The male symbolises perfection, wholeness and spirituality, whereas the female symbolises imperfection. A woman who gives birth to a male, (to the spiritual) requires less purification than her counterpart who gives birth to the female (physical). During the first seven years, a child has no meaningful mental understanding of morality, therefore it is in a complete state of impurity. The following thirty three years are to be devoted to remedying this situation. At forty, when mature, atonement is made for previous immaturity. Those who give birth to the female, that which symbolises the physical, are impure till the onset of puberty (14 years) They need to devote the remainder of their lives (sixty six years) to remedying that state. They even have to atone for their imperfection at death, (80 years) since only then can they hope to achieve the innocence possessed when they entered the world. We have seen how the introduction of our Parshah, dealing with the need to purify oneself after certain abnormal body functions have occurred, is divided into two basic groups. 1) the avoidable; 2) the unavoidable. There are sub-categories under heading number one, introduced by the symbolism of the birth of a female child. The first sub-category is skin disease. It can be viewed as a derivative of giving birth to a female child. Such a disease is certainly an aberration of natural processes, an imbalace of body fluids resulting in four different possible blemishes. These reflect different degrees of such imbalances. Our sages tell us that tzora-at is due to four different kinds of sins, so that the four categories of skin disease listed represent each of those sins. Each respective discolouration reflects the abnormal quantity of one of the four basic elements man is made of. Arrogance is due to a disproportionate amount of air. The burn marks are due to a disproportionate amount of fire, heat. An example of arrogance is Na-aman the Syrian general (Kings II chapter 5) and his king ben Hadad, of whom many examples of haughty behaviour vis a vis king Achav are related. No doubt, "like master like servant." Na-man's own cure came only after he had humbled himself. Had Na-aman immediately acceeded to the advice of the prophet Elisha, we would have remained in doubt about both the cause of his affliction and the reason why he had been cured. As it is, the prophet Jeremiah makes it plain that the affliction was due to haughtiness, and that the cure was due to humility. We have here a perfect example of midah keneged midah, the principle of the crime fitting the punishment in reverse, i.e. rehabilitation being demonstrated by removal of the affliction caused by the sin. At that point, the instrument effecting the cure became of secondary importance. (he could now have been cured by immersion in other waters also) Tzora-at is also due to the evil tongue. This is symbolised as due to an imbalance in the water component of the four elements in man's composition. Flowing water is associated with a certain amount of sound, noise. It is also influenced by the moon's position. Since the moon is a passive force, it is symbolic of woman rather than man. (sun) Therefore, we find Miriam being struck with tzora-at for something she said, and not Aaron, who had only listened in silence. (Numbers chapter 12) Tzora-at is also due to spreading lies about someone. We will discuss this in greater detail in the next chapter. Tzoara-at can also be due to excessive greed, desire, due to an imbalance in the earth, i.e dust component in man's composition, the fourth of the raw materials he is made of. Creed for matter without specific objective, is apt to become insatiable, brings in its wake a lack of satisfaction even with the things we do have. Gechazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha, was of that category. Since he coveted what Na-aman possessed, he not only received Na-aman's money but also his tzora-at, the latter's former affliction. Our sages say that he who steals from the public purse, community property, will be struck with tzora-at. Anger can also be an indirect cause of tzora-at. Cain was given an ot, sign. According to one opinion, this sign was a form of tzora-at. When our sages say in Vayikra Rabbah 17, that there are ten causes that can result in a person being afflicted with tzora-at, these are merely derivatives of the four main causes corresponding to the four materials man is made of, and which therefore are subject to an imbalance of their proper ratios.

What does cause me wonder, however, is the Torah's explicit prohibition of witchcraft, a prohibition included in this parshah, viz. (Exodus 23:23): "and do not practice their deeds." There is no doubt that witchcraft is founded in truth, though the Rambam writes in the aforementioned chapter that it is a vain matter, containing no truth. This is contrary to the view expressed by our sages of blessed memory in many places. To cite one instance (Chullin 7b): "A certain woman tried to get some soil from beneath the feet of R. Chanina [in order to kill him through an incantation pronounced over the soil]. He said to her: 'Go and take it; it is written (Deuteronomy 4:35): "There is none else beside Him."'" The Gemara goes on to ask: "But did R. Yochanan not say: 'Why are they [practices of witchcraft] called keshafim? Because they deny the heavenly retinue…'!" And the answer is given: "R. Chanina is different, for he possessed great merit." It is quite clear from this that the sages regarded witchcraft and its effects as real and not as just imagined. According to what we have written, then, witchcraft should be permitted in respect to the predisposition of the recipient (it being obviously a vain thing in respect to the activation of an agent in the heavenly host). Why, then, did the Torah forbid it?

The greatest of the benefits that the Creator has bestowed upon man and the strongest proof of His existence is the Torah that was delivered to Moses, His prophet, peace be upon him, and the manifestation of [supernatural] signs by him - changes in the normal natural phenomena, and exhibition of awe-inspiring miracles to bring faith in the Creator, blessed be He, and in His prophet; as it is said (Shemot 14:31) "And Israel saw the great work which the L-ord wrought upon the Egyptians, and the people: feared the L-ord, and they believed in the L-ord and in Moses, His servant. (Deut. 4:35-36) "Unto you it was shown, that you may know that the L-ord, He is G-d; there is none else beside Him. Out of Heaven He made you to hear His voice, that He might instruct you; and upon earth He made you to see His great fire; and you did hear His words out of the midst of the fire."