Biblical People: Mandelbaum Studies in Judaica

By Raymond Apple

This is a book of short essays on interesting people, events and themes in the Hebrew scriptures. An earlier book by the same author is New Testament People – A Rabbi’s Notes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665592512

Raymond Apple

Raymond Apple is an Australian Rabbi who now lives in Jerusalem. For many years he was spiritual leader of The Great Synagogue, Sydney, and played a leading role in Australian public life.

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© 2021 Raymond Apple. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  09/14/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9252-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-9251-2 (e)

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CONTENTS

Also By Raymond Apple

Introduction

Abbreviations And Technical Terms

BIBLICAL PEOPLE

1—Elijah: The Hero Symbol

2—Jonah And The Pearl Poet

3—Jephthah—The Extra Chapter

4—Solomon’s Pen Names

5—Solomon And The Freemasons1

6—Kohelet And The Female Factor

PSALMS

7—Psalm 147 And Nieto’s Sermon

8—The Waters Of Babylon—Psalm 137

9—Kimhi And Christianity

10—Doxologies In The Psalms

11—Psalm 145—The Missing Verse

BIBLICAL THEMES

12—Maimonides And The Bible

13—Doubling Of Names In The Bible

14—The Mixed Multitude

15—Two Faiths Divided By A Common Bible

16—The Triennial Cycle—The English Chapter

17—Translators And Traitors

18—Jeremiah’s Prayer For The Government

INTRODUCTION

Jews do not agree with everything Mohammed said and taught, but they have always been impressed and flattered by his statement that they are the People of the Book. They saw it as recognition of their constant endeavour to read and ponder the Bible day and night. Rabbis in particular made learning and teaching the Book their major priority. At times they were caught up in other tasks, and their Torah study suffered. This was my own experience too, in a long career as a community rabbi. Eventually I retired from office and had time to immerse myself in Torah to a degree that was not always possible before, reading, learning, teaching and writing about Torah. Hence a stream of articles contributed to learned journals, as well as other essays which until now have largely remained unpublished. I know of no other religion that has a festival dedicated to its Holy Book, but that is what Jews have in Simhat Torah. For me, every day has (Barukh HaShem) become a Simhat Torah.

The more engaged I am in Torah, the more I see it as the voice of the Lord. Yes, I sometimes find difficulties in the text, but I don’t necessarily see my task as proposing the answers but recognising the questions. Yes, there are nontraditional interpretations that are sometimes quite radical and hack at the shoots (BT Hag. 14b). These interpretations claim to be based on linguistic and historical evidence, though the evidence can be disputed and some of its proponents are biased against Judaism or even against religion as a whole. Judaism cannot object to people asking questions; what it objects to is the claim that the critics have all the answers. Through the tradition of Midrash, it searches for the message of the text. Its approach is not arrogant and aggressive but loving and patient, knowing that the Divine giver of the Torah works at His own pace and reveals His secrets when and how He chooses. The believer is told by Psalm 27:14, Wait for the Lord.

Hopefully, those who read this book will discover themselves by my side, not boasting that they have the answers but humbly, honestly, and honorably joining the procession of lovers of the Bible that wends its way (Isaiah 28:13) ze’er sham, ze’er sham: here a little, there a little. Amidst the often divergent biblical interpretations we will together consider why rabbinic tradition went in a particular direction.

It is customary for authors to thank those who taught them. I am happy to do likewise, but it is not only my teachers whom I thank but my students – and my grandchildren, who phone me on Fridays for Torah messages for the Shabbat table.

This book is a renewal of the series of Mandelbaum Studies in Judaica sponsored by Mandelbaum House at Sydney University and edited by Alan Crown, Lucy Davey and myself. I am grateful that the Mandelbaum Trust has now made it possible to recommence the series.

In A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories the characters sometimes take a Thinking Walk. Borrowing the idea, I invite readers to share my Thinking Walk through some biblical subjects.

RAYMOND APPLE

Jerusalem, 2021

ABBREVIATIONS AND

TECHNICAL TERMS

BIBLICAL

PEOPLE

1

ELIJAH: THE HERO SYMBOL

ELIJAH THE PROPHET IS ONE of the great personalities of the Bible. He is more than an ancient historical figure. In Jewish thinking, he is still alive; he never died in the normal sense, but like Enoch (Gen. 5:24), einennu – he was not, i.e. he was no longer there. He was taken by a whirlwind to heaven (II Kings 2:2). He survives and can come and go, though there are rabbinic opinions that deny that a mortal man can ascend to heaven and come down to earth again (BT Suk. 5).

Elijah has many roles, some already spelt out in the Bible. His leading role is in messianism, the most distinctive concept of Jewish history.¹ His task is to be a precursor who will appear before the great and awesome day of the Lord (Mal. 3:23). The herald role (Isa. 52:7) is part of the messianic doctrine which postulates both a Messiah (originally God Himself but later a scion of the Davidic dynasty), and a herald who will prepare the world for the Messiah’s advent (Mal. 3:1, 23). Exemplars of the herald doctrine range widely from John the Baptist, harbinger of Jesus² (Matt. 17:10–13; Luke 1:11–17; John 1:19–23), to Nathan of Gaza,³ harbinger of Shabbatai Zvi. Yalkut Shim’oni (on Isa. 52:14) says that Elijah will come three days before the Messiah. The role of Elijah is elaborated in postbiblical literature, theology, and folklore, in the Tanakh, the NT and the Koran. He figures in both leading messianic theories - the naturalistic and the supernaturalistic - and in logic and legend.⁴

In time of persecution, Elijah is the defender and champion of the Jewish people. He is present at every cusp and crisis, especially at the end of Sabbath, when people are about to re-enter the harsh weekday world. He is there when a baby boy is circumcised. He accompanies the child throughout life. His presence is a source of comfort in time of suffering and embodied in many legends.

More rationally, Elijah has an intellectual role, which is an aspect of caring for the Jewish people. Difficult questions are left for his attention; the sages say, "Teyku [leave it] for Elijah!" Teyku, literally let it stand, is mentioned more than three hundred times in the Talmud.⁵ The NT also uses it (Matt. 17:10–13). Rabbinic sources compare Moses to Elijah, to Elijah’s advantage: Moses is dead, but Elijah lives and finds solutions. A midrashic example is the Passover cup of Elijah. Because of the quandary caused by Exodus 6 with its five promises of redemption, the Seder night usage is to drink only four cups of wine, leaving Elijah to work out when redemption is to be given recognition by the drinking of the fifth cup.⁶

As Elijah moves out of the Bible and into postbiblical history, his character seems to change. He transitions from bellicose accuser to constant defender. At first, he accuses the Jewish people of neglecting the practice of circumcision,⁷ then he softens and becomes a baby’s guardian and protector. He rebukes Israel, but he loves them. When Israel calls, he comes to their aid, hence the plea in the Grace after Meals, Send us Elijah the prophet with good tidings of salvation and consolation. He stands firm when the nations harm Israel. When enemies pour out their four cups of evil (Isa. 51:17), he counters with four cups of redemption. When enemies allege that Jews consume Christian blood, he rejects the slander and defends the victims.⁸

This essay looks at the original, biblical Elijah, a stern, angry character, who is a J’accuse (I accuse) figure. One accusation is hurled at the people of Israel: How long will you waver between two opinions? (I Kings 18:21). Another is shouted at King Ahab: Have you both slain and stolen? (I Kings 21:19). It is an age of arrant defiance of God. People and king are drawn towards a new form of idolatry, the king because of his wife and the people because of the king. The prophet is antagonistic to both but arraigns the people largely on grounds of theology and the king mostly on grounds of morality. Elijah is the most powerful prophet of Israel. He is stronger than Jonah, more confrontationist than the rhetorical prophets, and a master of sarcasm. Isidore Epstein writes, The relentless struggle which the Jewish people … were called upon, from their earliest days, to wage against idolatry was not only because it was a false religion, but also because it was a false morality.⁹

BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS: THE FIGHT

AGAINST FALSE THEOLOGY

There is a series of Elijah stories in chapters 17–19 and 21 of the First Book of Kings. All involve the conflict between prophets and rulers, with the prophet objecting to governmental policies promoted as the will of Baal. Elijah likes neither the policies nor the idolatry. Ahab and Elijah are often at loggerheads, but so are Elijah and the people. On one front, the prophet denounces the Phoenician culture promoted by Ahab and Jezebel; on the other, he gets the people to stand up and speak up against Baal and for Y-H-V-H (I Kings 18:21).

Superficially, the two opinions challenge is directed at the people and the slain and stolen challenge at the king. But where is the king on the first occasion? He’s there in spirit if not in person. Where are the people on the second? Likewise, not arraigned but involved. Both parties hover between God and Baal, between wrongdoing and righteousness, unable to resist idolatrous influences. Ahab has added Baal to his pantheon, and many of the people have followed. Even a severe drought cannot persuade them to turn away from false religion and false morality.

Elijah would have preferred a decisive, lasting victory over the idolatrous culture of Baal, but at the very least he had to stop the ambivalence. If Baal was God, at least it would be a sign of decisiveness despite its theological error; if God was God, they would have an authentic deity and the drought would end. There is irony in Elijah’s mocking words: Shout louder! After all, he is a god. He may be in conversation, he may be detained, he may be on a journey, he may be asleep (I Kings 18:27). In the end, Baal is discredited and the people vote for God, an early mark of democracy.

The king and queen are challenged by the people’s act of independent thinking, but it depends on what is meant by the people. Was there a real insurrection? Knowing that Ahab is judged harshly by history as wicked, we could surmise that the masses found the courage to defy him. But we are puzzled at his apparent cordiality towards Elijah and the rebels,