Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

In the news from Israel this past week, we read about the latest attempt of the Haredi political parties to redefine the Law of Return in such a way, so that the Chief Rabbi would have the ultimate say as to whom the Israeli government would accept as a citizen.

This change is, of course, unprecedented and threatens to divide the Diaspora Jewish community from the community of Israel. In addition, it also threatens to undermine numerous rulings of the Israeli Supreme Court that protect the right of any Jew to return to his homeland; in effect, the proposed law essentially creates a new kind of Inquisition, where those who do not believe like the Orthodox, will be severely punished.

As I reflected upon this issue, I found myself reading a famous passage against the law of self-mutilation.

“You are children of the Lord your God. You shall not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads because of the dead. ^For you are a people consecrated to the Lord your God: the Lord your God chose you from among all other peoples on earth to be His treasured people” (Deut. 14:1-2).

The ancient Canaanites, believed that lacerating the human body in the name of its deities reflected the worshipers supreme willingness to give one’s body and even soul to the sacred cult (cf. 1 Kgs 18:28). Since the famous passage of Isaac’s binding, the Torah stresses that God does not actually demand or even desire human beings to sacrifice their bodies to God. Rather, the essence of sacrifice is more of a spiritual surrender of one’s soul to the Giver of all life. Hence, sacrifice and religious devotion is best expressed by honoring life-not destroying or mutilating it-even if it is done in the Name of God. If anything, the act of self-mutilation-even when done in the Name of God-is a sign of madness and is not considered devotion, according to the Torah.

According to the ancient rabbinic commentary known as the Sifre, the early sages deconstruct the verse’s more literal meaning. In one Talmudic passage, the Sages explain that the phrase “lo titgodadu” can mean both, “do not gash yourselves”, and do not bundle yourselves together - in different groups.”

In other words, the Torah is warning us against the sin of factionalism. Given what our ancestors witnessed in the last days of the Temple, it is obvious why they believed that factionalism can only lead to destruction. In fact, one could argue that the absence of unity is in a literal, moral, psychological, sociological sense-a self inflicted wound.

With this interpretation, the Talmudic passage now makes ample sense. Indeed, Maimonides deduces several practical laws on this same theme:

“In the generality this warning encompasses that there not be two religious courts in one city, one following this custom and the other acting according to another custom, since this causes great disputes, as it is written: “Do not bundle together” - do not make different groupings. This commandment also includes a prohibition against there being two courts which follow different customs in a single city, since this can cause great strife. Due to assonance of these two Hebrew roots (one may say in a midrashic sense) the prohibition against gashing ourselves may mean: “Do not separate into various different groupings.

According to the ancient rabbinic commentary known as the Sifre, the early sages deconstruct the verse’s more literal meaning. In one Talmudic passage, the Sages explain that the phrase “lo titgodadu” can mean both, “do not gash yourselves”, and do not bundle yourselves together - in different groups.”

It is my hope that Jews across the world-regardless of their religious affiliation-will come together and tell the Haredi parties-We will not let you inflict a wound upon the Jewish nation. If we allow this resolution to be accepted with impunity, then the Jewish people will have damaged themselves in a manner that the enemies of our people could never achieve.

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Notes:

[1] BT Yebamot 13b.

[2] Maimonides, MT, The Laws of Idolatry 12:14.