Category Archives: Ibn Ezra

5773, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Jacob, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Vayishlach

Clean Prayer

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[First posted at The Times of Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/clean-prayer/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Vayishlach

Clean Prayer

“Cut your morning devotions into your personal grooming. You would not go out to work with a dirty face. Why start the day with the face of your soul unwashed?” -Robert A. Cook

Through fate and circumstance, I’ve had opportunity to observe many types of groups and religions at prayer in different parts of the world. Whether it was Christians in one of the resplendent churches of the city of Ouro Preto, Brazil, Muslims in the Blue Mosque of Istanbul or Buddhists in Bangkok, there are a number of common denominators to the act of prayer.

There is typically a seriousness, an awe, a somberness, in the realization that one is confronting a higher power. It is perhaps ironic then that in Judaism, especially in a number of Orthodox Jewish synagogues, these aspects may be lacking in communal prayer. One is more likely to find disinterest, boredom, chatting and a great rush to be done with it. It would appear as more of an obligation that one needs to discharge rather than an opportunity to reach God in a place, at a time and with a group that is particularly structured for such a purpose.

Perhaps it is the burden of having such meetings so frequently. Perhaps it is the regularity of it. The predictability. The liturgy. I don’t know. However, perhaps the worst offense is when someone rushes into the synagogue with dirty clothing.

After the fracas of Jacob’s children with the Canaanite city of Shechem, Jacob orders his camp to get rid of any idols, wash up and change their clothing. Ibn Ezra (on Genesis 35:2) adds that this is the source that when one goes to a fixed place to pray, he should do so with a clean body and garments.

May we always show the appropriate attitude when praying, inside and out.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To my friends and neighbors in synagogue. Let’s cut the chatter a bit.

5773, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Jacob, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Vayetze

Maternal Impressions

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[First posted on The Times of Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/maternal-impressions/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Vayetze

Maternal Impressions

“The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.” -Henry Ward Beecher

I recall, when we were expecting our first child, there was a popular trend of playing classical music for the embryo. The belief was that it somehow affected the unborn child, helped with its development and would make it smarter. My wife ignored the fad and listened to music she liked, which may explain why all of our children are such good dancers.

When our Patriarch Jacob wanted to affect the coloring of the livestock under his care, in order to increase the payout that his father-in-law/employer Laban was supposed to give him, Jacob strategically placed white sticks at the watering hole for the fertile animals to see.

Ibn Ezra (on Genesis 30:39) explains that what a mother sees during her pregnancy will have an affect on what the child will look like. Hence, by Jacob placing the white sticks in front of the animals, he was able to have an impact on how the new livestock turned out.

May we always gaze upon good, beautiful and healthy sights, which will hopefully have a positive affect on us and our children.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Thanksgiving,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the Iron Dome defense system. The sight of it knocking Hamas missiles out of the sky was beautiful to behold.

 

5773, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Jacob, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Toldot

Hunter’s Deception

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[First posted on The Times of Israel at: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/hunters-deception/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Toldot

Hunter’s Deception

To hunt skillfully, one must master deception. To lay a hidden trap, to conceal an ambush, to wait until the right moment to strike, all require subterfuge and the art of tricking ones victim into believing the situation is safe, secure, calm, when in fact it is imminently deadly.

The Bible, in introducing the sons of Isaac – Esau and Jacob, tells us that Esau was a hunter. Ibn Ezra (on Genesis 25:27) explains that it is coming to highlight Esau’s deceptive nature. For Esau it was easy to lie, to lure prey into his clutches, to disguise himself, to blend into the foliage when necessary. He had the capacity to attack at a moment’s notice, to kill his quarry. The Rabbis from the very outset deride such predatory characteristics.

As a contrast, Jacob is depicted as a mild, scholarly, tent-dwelling shepherd, not cut out for the hunt, for deception, for subterfuge. It is therefore the ultimate irony that Esau is tricked out of his ostensibly deserved blessing by his otherwise honest brother.

That sincere Jacob disguised himself, pretended to be Esau, lied to their father and thereby robbed the blessing from Esau the deceiver, could only have been utterly humiliating to a skilled hunter such as Esau.

Deceivers and hunters, watch out. The honest ones are the most dangerous.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To the Israeli leadership and security forces that hunted and killed one of the more damaging enemies of Israel. May they continue to do so.

5773, Abraham, Chayei Sara, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Parsha, Sarah, The Times of Israel

Ancestral Land

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[First posted on The Times of Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/ancestral-land/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Chayei Sarah

Ancestral Land

“Each blade of grass has its spot on earth whence it draws its life, its strength; and so is man rooted to the land from which he draws his faith together with his life.” -Joseph Conrad

Our Matriarch Sarah dies and Abraham spends a veritable fortune to buy a plot to bury his wife. The Torah goes into painstaking detail as to the negotiations, the back and forth, the language each party used and the final sale price (400 shekel, the equivalent back then to buying a high-rise apartment building in Hong Kong).

It is curious the amount of time the text spends on Abraham’s purchase of land in Israel, his determination to buy the land at all costs and his refusal to accept it as a gift. The Ibn Ezra (on Genesis 23:19) suggests an answer.

He offers that there is something special, something unique about the land of Israel. He explains that out of all of the land on the planet, out of all of the countries in the world, Israel is the best place to be buried. It is the ideal resting place for the dead.

He adds one other comment. It is also the best place for the living.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

In memory of my grandmother, Mrs. Zahava Rosenthal, who died last week in New York and was buried in her ancestral plot, in Haifa, Israel. Attached are links to the eulogy I gave (original Hebrew or English translation).

 

5773, Abraham, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Parsha, Sarah, The Times of Israel, Vayera

Glorious Modesty

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[First posted on The Times of Israel at: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/glorious-modesty/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Vayera

Glorious Modesty

“Modesty forbids what the law does not.” -Seneca

Our Matriarch Sarah is considered to have been one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived. Her beauty was so extraordinary, that even into her eighties monarchs sought to possess her. Her husband Abraham, fearful of being assassinated on account of his wife, by men that would covet her, came up with the subterfuge of pretending she was his sister. This did forestall any murderous intentions, but let the kings claim her with limited trouble.

God intervenes directly, protects Sarah from the paws of amorous rulers, and arranges for Sarah to be returned to Abraham untouched. Avimelech, the King of Grar (the second monarch, after Pharaoh of Egypt, to go through the frustration of claiming Sarah, only to have to give her back to Abraham), bestows a gift upon Sarah (“ksut einayim”), translated as “a covering for the eyes.” There are multiple interpretations of what this means.

The Ibn Ezra (to Genesis 20:27) explains that it was some unique type of headdress, which on one hand covered Sarah more, so that it would be harder for men to gaze upon her beauty, but on the other hand was a sign of prestige, signaling to others that she was a noble woman.

Ibn Ezra further theorizes that Avimelech’s extraordinary gift included something (it’s not clear to me if it’s an object, a protective force of slaves, a law and/or a press release) that allowed Sarah to drop the pretense of being Abraham’s sister, and made public the fact that they are married and that she is not to be pursued. Now, Abraham’s existence and presence as her husband would be Sarah’s defense against inappropriate interest in her.

I’ll refrain from any further wishes or comments, as the last time I wrote on this subject, I got some heated responses. Everyone draw their own conclusions.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To Shoshi Taragin and Gidon Kupietzky on their engagement. Mazal Tov to them and their families!

To Scientific American Magazine. They reported about a study that reinforces what Jewish law has implied for a very long time: Platonic relationships are mostly a one-sided phenomena.

5773, Abraham, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Lech Lecha, Parsha, The Times of Israel

The Source of Gravitas

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[First posted on The Times of Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-source-of-gravitas/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Lech Lecha

The Source of Gravitas

“If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.”-James A. Michener

Gravitas, Pietas, Dignitas and Virtus are the classic Roman virtues whose Latin names have survived to English and many other languages since. Both gravitas and dignitas underscore the fact that the more serious or successful a person becomes, the weightier they become (and I don’t mean pounds-wise, though there is certainly a literary connection).

Ibn Ezra (to Genesis 13:2) brings our attention to the antecedent to that concept from the Hebrew language and specifically from the story of Abraham.

“And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South. And Abram was very heavy in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Genesis 13:1-2

Ibn Ezra explains that to be weighed down with money, with livestock, etc. leads to honor. According to him, the term for honor (kavod in Hebrew) is derived from the word heavy (kaved). Likewise, the opposite of honor, disgrace (kalon) stems from the word light (kal).

So when someone calls another a lightweight, small fry, inconsequential, you now know that it stems from the Hebrew terms of light and disgraced. Likewise, heavy-hitters, big shots, heavy-duty (kaved) are all deserving of honor (kavod), because of their personal gravitas.

May we only be drawn by the gravitational pull of worthy heavyweights.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

On the birth of my newest niece, Chana, to Dr. Elisha and JJ Kahen.

To Tamara on her big birthday.

 

5773, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Noach, Parsha, The Times of Israel

The Blessing of Babel

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[First posted on The Times of Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-blessing-of-babel/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Noah

 The Blessing of Babel

 “There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free.” –Hubert Humphrey

After the cataclysm of The Flood, the descendants of Noah congregated in the plains of Shinar within the Fertile Crescent, and built a city. A city with a tower that reached for the heavens. It was meant to be a city for all mankind, where all of humanity could be united in peace and harmony in one place. God however, had other plans. He confused the languages of the idealistic builders which led to the dispersion of mankind across the face of the Earth. The structure became known as the Tower of Babel and it was never completed.

Most Rabbinic commentators view the effort of the Tower of Babel as one of hubris, of man reaching to compete with God, to supplant God. They view the dispersion as a punishment. Ibn Ezra has a different take.

Ibn Ezra (on Genesis 11:3) feels that there was no sin in the construction of the Tower and neither was there a punishment. Man in his youthful idealism sought to unite all people. To unite them around a physical structure that could be perceived by all. To keep the people concentrated in one place. Not to have divisions, or borders, or geographic differences, or national allegiances. They wished for a utopian unity of all people. There was no sin in these goals – they just weren’t what God planned for mankind – certainly not at that stage of history.

God wanted Man to cover the Earth, to reach for the peaks of Everest and the plains of the Serengeti, to spread and divide, to form tribal and national identities, to have unique sub-groupings of families and peoples, to diversify and differentiate. God did not want a world of people with the same language, thoughts, opinions and tastes. He wanted a pageant of ideas, a cacophony of voices, a symphony of traditions. The dispersion of the Tower of Babel was not a punishment. It was a blessing.

It has given us a world full of color, and sound, and discovery, and delight, in almost every corner of the globe. Imagine how much poorer we’d all be, if we were still congregated in some megalopolis, looking up at a tower in the plains of southern Iraq?

Thank God He kicked us out of there.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

To my brand new nephew, Azriel Zechariah Tocker, to his parents Ilan and Rachel, to his grandparents and to his four older brothers. Mazal Tov!

To his Honor, Judge Menachem Lieberman on his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel (Sgan Aluf) of the IDF. May he keep executing justice, strongly and fairly.

5773, Bereshit, Genesis, Ibn Ezra, Parsha, The Times of Israel, Torah U'mada

Searching for Eden

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[First posted at The Times of Israel: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/searching-for-eden/]

Ibn Ezra Genesis: Bereshit

Searching for Eden

“Where the apple reddens never pry — lest we lose our Edens, Eve and I.” -Robert Browning

Ever since Man’s banishment from the Garden of Eden, we have sought to rediscover the lost paradise. Scientists, scholars and archeologists have proposed a number of locations for the historic Eden, yet none have been able to confirm (how would they do so?) the ancient home of Adam and Eve.

One of the more popular suggestions places the Garden of Eden near modern-day Kuwait, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, the only easily identifiable rivers listed in the creation story. Others have placed it in Turkey between the headwaters of those two rivers.

One of my favorite suggestions is that Israel is the site of the Garden of Eden, based on satellite imaging of pre-flood riverbeds that emanate from the Great Rift we’re sitting on.

The Ibn Ezra however, provides an unusual clue as to where he thinks the Garden of Eden was situated. He states that it was on the equator, where days and nights are equivalent throughout the year. This corresponds exactly with one of the most abundant sites for ancient human fossils, Lake Turkana in Kenya, which is situated on the equator and has been termed by anthropologists “the cradle of humanity.”

However, perhaps more important then finding the ancient fossils of the Garden of Eden, would be to create our own living, existential paradise on earth.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ben-Tzion

Dedication

In memory of Dr. Irvin Kaplan of Baltimore, MD. A man that healed for over four decades in Baltimore and inspired all who knew him.