The Hebrew Scriptures are not readily or easily understood by native English speakers, we post a weekly addition to regular Torah commentary. "Cutting to the Root" is intended to promote an understanding of the complexity of the Hebrew language and thereby gain a richer and deeper understanding of the Scriptures. It is our goal that these notes will teach tolerance and understanding.Please visit our web site at www.shefaisrael.com

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Parashat Noah - the Haftara

Parashat Noah – The Haftara
Isaiah 54:1 – 55:5
Reading date: 1st November 2008 – 3rd Cheshvan 5769



Our Highlighted Haftara Text


"Ho, all who are thirsty, Come for water,Even if you have no money;Come, buy food and eat:Buy food without money,Wine and milk without cost.Why do you spend money for what is not bread,Your earnings for what does not satisfy?Give heed to Me, And you shall eat choice foodAnd enjoy the richest viands.Incline you ear and come to Me;Hearken, and you shall be revived.And I will make with you an everlasting covenant,The enduring loyalty promised to David." Isaiah 55:1-3

This week we read the familiar story of Noah and the flood. The Haftara taken from Isaiah, (54:1-55:5) includes an explicit reference to Noah: "For this to me is like the days of Noah: As I swore that the waters of Noah nevermore would flood the earth, so I swear that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you." The story of Noah illustrates that YHVH cannot stay angry forever. After the flood YHVH promised (in fact, made a covenant) to never again flood the world (I guess recent tsunamis and hurricane disasters excepted). Just like YHVH made a covenant with Noah and his descendants, YHVH would restore Israel to Zion. The word 'brit' (covenant) and the expression 'lo... od' (not again) and the root 'tzedek' also appear in both the Torah and Haftara.



Sections from this week's haftara portion are also read on Shabbat Re'eh and Shabbat Ki Tetze.This week's parasha of Noah could well be titled: ‘Breishit, The Sequel’. In many ways, it is the story of Re-Creation. Last week the Torah opened with the world covered in water, and this week, water destroys the world and YHVH starts over. After the flood, as the water recedes, the earth emerges from the water, with echoes of Creation as described in last week's parasha. Even Noah is like a second 'Adam' as all of humanity can be traced to Noah, and Noah is blessed (with a blessing that is usually more associated with Adam): 'to be fruitful and multiply' (Gen. 9:7). But Noah, while parallel to Adam, takes our relationship with YHVH up one level. Noah is the first person that enters into a covenant with YHVH. YHVH sets the rainbow in the sky as a sign of this covenant (Gen. 9:12-13). (Upon seeing a rainbow, the traditional blessing is: "who remembers the covenant [with Noah] is faithful to it and keeps promises"). Noah is still passive; although he builds the ark, we never hear Noah speak. Further, no expectations nor demands are put on Noah for his part of the covenant. Next week, Abraham, will continue this trend with a mutual (ie. two sided) covenant with YHVH, reflecting an even stronger relationship with YHVH. (This concept of covenant is stressed in the Haftara and the relationship between YHVH and Zion is even described as a (healed) marriage, with the husband (YHVH)Needless to say, the motif of water is pretty central to this week's portion. And the Haftara reading continues with the first five verses of chapter 55, where Isaiah compares water and food to YHVH's spiritual teaching.



The Talmud in fact uses this verse from Isaiah as the 'prooftext': Water means nothing but Torah, as it says: "Ho, everyone that thirsts, come for water (Isaiah 55:1)." Baba Kama 82a. Isaiah may have been familiar with the imagery, used by the earlier prophet Amos: “A time is coming, declares Adonai my God, when I will send a famine upon the land; Not a hunger for bread or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Adonai”. (8:11)


Water is a common metaphor for Torah, and the midrash in Song of Songs has a long list of qualities of water that are analogous to Torah. Still, we find it surprising that the Rabbis chose to include this image of Torah as water for the week we read of the flood! Most of the examples they give in Shir HaShirim Rabbah favorably compare the Torah to water. However, they allow that, "Just as someone who does not know how to swim is drowned in water, so is Torah - if one doesn't know how to 'swim' one can drown in it" (Shir HaShirim Rabbah I:19).


There is a profound spiritual message in this. Water, like its opposite, fire, can be a source of life and blessing, or a force of destruction and devastation. The point is that water, like the rest of nature, has no moral value and is neither 'good' nor 'bad.' By comparing Torah to water we are cautioned that while Torah can be a source of wisdom and great spirituality, even it can be misused to be harmful. The Rabbis even compare Torah to a 'drug' (making a pun on the Hebrew word ‘sum’: which spelled one way means 'placed' and spelled another means 'drugs.' Used improperly, even the Torah can be poisonous (Taanit 7a). Everything in life has potential for good and for bad.Like water, events don't have intrinsic meaning; they have the meaning we assign them. This is true of personal tragedy, for example. We've all heard of a family or an individual who has suffered a terrible loss. Sometimes they are poisoned by it, and become depressed or bitter, while other times, the same tragedy has propelled them into becoming the greatest mitzvah and doers of good works. One of humanity’s greatest abilities is not to find meaning in random events, but to make meaning from them. Life can be likened to being dealt with a hand of cards. Some people are dealt a royal flush, or a full house, or a simple pair of twos. We don't have a choice of what we're dealt in life, but we can choose how to play with the hand we're given.


Shabbat Shalom.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Parashat Breishit - the Haftara

Parashat Breishit – The Haftara
Isaiah 42:5 – 32:10
Reading date: 25th October 2008 – 26th Tishrei 5769


THE HAFTARA
Unlike the weekly Torah portion, the Haftara is generally shorter (1-2 chapters long) taken from the Prophets, the second section of the Bible. This section (Nevi'im) includes both the historical books (sometimes referred to as the Early Prophets) Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, as well as the more famous 'literary prophets' Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. There are also twelve 'minor' prophets (minor here does not refer to their importance, but rather the quantity of their preserved writings- usually only a few chapters. The minor prophets were all written on one scroll). Some suggest that the institution of the reading from the prophets comes from the dark ages when the public reading of the Torah was prohibited. Others propose that it was introduced to challenge the Samaritans who claimed that only the Torah was divine, but not the other books. (Surprisingly, the oldest reference is not in Jewish sources, but in the book of Acts, when it is related that Paul spoke to the congregation "after the reading from the Torah and the Prophets").

Our Highlighted Haftara text
“Long enough have I held my peace;I have kept still and held myself back;now, I cry out like a woman in labor;I pant and I gasp”.Isaiah 42:14

“What kind of relationship do we want to have with YHVH in the coming year”?
Each week, in addition to the Torah portion, we will be looking at the Haftara portions, and seeing what connections and insight we can find.

This week we begin the Torah cycle again starting with Gen. 1:1, and the Torah opens with the description of the creation of the cosmos and of humanity. The Haftara taken from Isaiah, (42:5-43:11) begins: "Thus says the Eternal YHVH, the One who created heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and all that grows in it, who gives breath to its people and spiritual to all who walk on it." The connection is clear. In both passages, YHVH is the Creator of heaven and earth. YHVH is further described as the creator and maker of Israel (43:1). The Haftara also uses images of light and darkness to describe liberation from exile.

Our highlighted verse describes YHVH as a woman in labor. K.I.Parr suggests that the prophet transforms the image of the exaggerated breaths of a birthing mother (think Lamaze) into the forceful breath of YHVH that 'hovers over the water' and that is breathed into humans.
Scholars identify this 'deutero-Isaiah' (from chapters 40 on) as a different author from the Isaiah ben Amotz identified in Isaiah 1:1. The 'Second Isaiah' preached in Babylonia in the sixth century BCE and brought a message of consolation to Israelites who had been captured and exiled.

In the ancient world, since women gave birth, the female element was often associated with creation. (The waters of creation can be imagined as the world's amniotic fluid.) However, in our Parasha YHVH is not described as a birthing mother. The Haftara, describing YHVH's special, covenantal relationship to Israel, pictures YHVH as ready to battle Israel's enemies. But juxtaposed to verse 13, "The Eternal goes out like a warrior..." Isaiah uses a surprising image. YHVH is described as a woman in labor! This use of female imagery is quite distinctive to Isaiah. Women were (and, in some settings, still) excluded from full participation in religious cultic life. Mayer Gruber suggests that this and the typically prophetic description of YHVH as husband and Israel as wife may have contributed to women's feeling of marginalization and their attraction to cults where femaleness existed as a positive and Divine value. He writes, "Perhaps, as a result of this realization, our prophet deliberately made use of both masculine and feminine similes for YHVH."

With the tunes and liturgy of the High Holy Days still reverberating in our ears, YHVH is pictured as father and king: ‘Avinu, Malkeinu’. Various attempts have been made to make this image less male, though I don't find Our Mother, Our Queen a particularly effective solution. Some ‘mahzorim’ (prayerbooks) leave the Hebrew ‘Avinu, Malkeinu’ un-translated and simply written in English letters.

But the High Holy Day liturgy is full of metaphors besides father and king. One of my favorite passages that is sung quite joyously is: ‘Ki Anu Amecha v'ata Malkeinu’.
For we are Your People and You are our God; We are Your children and You are our Father. We are Your servants, and You are our Sovereign.

Even with gender neutral translation, the images remain all pretty hierarchical. The prayer continues with language that would have resonated for the ancient Israelite farmer: For we are your sheep and You are our Shepherd, we are Your vineyard and You are our keeper, we are Your treasure and You are our kin. These images of YHVH as shepherd and vineyard keeper feel closer and warmer, even though we are still passive.

Shabbat Shalom.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Parashat Vezot Habracha

Parasha: Vezot Habracha – Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12
Haftara: Joshua 1:1 - 18
Reading Date: 21th October 2008 – 22th Tishrei 5769


V'zot Ha'bracha is a classic example of a Parasha that almost everyone knows by heart, but almost no one understands. That's because it is read numerous times, but its words are very difficult to translate. This week we try to 'break ice' by undertaking a basic analysis of the Parasha’s structure and theme.
Before we begin our study of what the "brachot" [blessings] are all about, let's begin with the two obvious problems that one encounters when studying their order. First of all, one tribe (Shimon) appears to be missing, i.e. his tribe is not even mentioned within Moses’ blessings. Secondly, the order of these blessings (tribe by tribe) proceeds in what appears to be a rather random sequence.

To better appreciate these two problems, the following table lists the tribes according to their order in V'zot Ha'bracha. To accentuate the apparent lack of sequence in this list, next to each "shevet" [tribe] is noted their respective matriarch and relative position according to birth.



* Note that the tribe of Shimon is missing!

Carefully study this list. Although the tribes are not listed according to age or common matriarch, they do clearly divide between the children of Jacob's wives (Rachel & Leah) and those of the maidservants (Bilhah & Zilpah). Within these two groups, however, there seems to be little logic in the progression.
For example, although it's pretty clear why Reuven is first, as he is the oldest, why does Moses skip to Judah? Likewise, why does Benjamin precede his older brother Joseph, and why do the children of Rachel 'interrupt' Moses’ blessings to the children of Leah?
Finally, why does Zevulun precede Yissachar, why does Gad precede Dan, and why do the children of Bilhah 'interrupt' the children of Zilpah?
Even in Parashat Bamidbar, where we find the tribes listed in various orders as they prepare to organize the camp around the Mishkan, we find no list that is even slightly similar to the order of the blessings in ‘vezot ha'bracha’. In summary, although the list is clearly not altogether random, it doesn't appear to follow any definite order, either. In the following study, we attempt to identify the underlying rationale behind the sequence of Moses’ presentation. To that end, we must first consider the nature and purpose of these blessings.

Vezot Ha'bracha is not the first time in Torah where we find that each tribe receives a blessing. Recall that back in Parshat Vayechi, Jacob blesses each tribe before his death. Unlike Moses, however, Jacob addresses his children in almost exact age order: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Judah, Zevulun & Yissachar [note slight deviation], Dan (first born of Bilhah), Gad (first born of Zilpah), Asher, and Naftali. [The only problem, of course, is that Zevulun precedes his older brother Yissachar (for an explanation, see Seforno Br. 49:13, based on Midrash Tanchuma Vayechi 11.). Although Gad & Asher precede Naftali, they may very well have been born first, depending on how one understands Genesis 30:5-10.]
The reason why Jacob blesses his children in 'age order' is quite simple. Jacob (prior to his death) blesses each son according to his individual potential, as exhibited and manifest throughout each respective son's life. Therefore, whereas these blessings relate to personal destiny, it is only reasonable that they follow (more or less) the order of the sons' births. Moses, by contrast, is not the 'dying father' of twelve sons. He is rather the 'departing leader' of twelve tribes to whom he has given the Torah and who are about to conquer and occupy the Land of Israel. As we would expect, his blessings accurately reflect the setting and circumstances in which they are administered. As we will see, each blessing relates in one form or another to either:
* the forthcoming military conquest of the land, * the nature of the specific "nachala" (territory apportioned to that tribe), or* a leadership function charged upon that tribe.
We will first demonstrate that this is indeed the case, and then we will be able to answer our original questions concerning the order of the tribes' presentation.

THE 'GIST' OF THE BLESSINGS
First, let's quickly review the gist of each blessing. Notice that almost every blessing relates to either the defining characteristic of its tribe's "nachala" or the tribe's role in the imminent conquest of the land.

REUVEN
"Let Reuven live and not die, and let his numbers be counted." (33:6)
Rashi explains that this blessing addresses Moses' concern that Reuven may not receive any "nachala" at all! Considering that Jacob basically cursed Reuven instead of blessing him (on account of his sin with Bilhah), Reuven may have lost his right to a "nachala," just as he forfeited his claim to the "bechora" (birthright). Additionally, the tribe of Reuven had already 'set up camp' OUTSIDE the biblical borders of Eretz Canaan (in Transjordan), another reason to doubt whether Reuven would taken its place as an 'official' tribe of Israel. As Rashi explains, Moses’ blessing counters this fear and reassures Reuven that he will remain 'alive,' an integral part of the "nachala" of the Nation of Israel.Chizkuni, however, offers a 'military' explanation for Reuven's blessing. Since the tribe of Reuven had promised to fight as the "chalutz" [the front line attack force - see Numbers 32:20-32] in the conquest of the Land of Israel, Moses confers upon them a special blessing for protection in battle. He prays on their behalf that their 'number' ["mispar"] - population - should remain the same after battle as it was beforehand. [This approach also appears in the commentary of Rabbenu Yosef Bechor Shor.]

JUDAH
"Hear YHVH the [battle] cry of Judah and help him lead his people. Make his hands strong for him, and help him against his enemies." (33:7)
[See Rashi/Ibn Ezra]Clearly, the blessing to Judah relates to his military leadership, as Moses foresees that the soldiers of the tribe of Judah will be particularly enthusiastic and diligent in the conquest of their portion in the Land (see Joshua 14 Judges 1).

LEVI
"[After a short reference to Aaron, the tribal leader and Cohen Gadol]... They shall teach Your laws to Jacob and Your instructions to Israel; they shall offer KTORET – incense ... and whole- offerings [OLOT] on the MIZBAYACH. YHVH should bless his CHAYIL - forces and favor his undertakings. Help him smite the loins of those who rise against him, and don't allow his enemies to succeed." (33:8-11)
The focal point of Levi's blessing is his responsibility to provide spiritual leadership, to teach YHVH’s laws and officiate in His Temple. Interestingly, however, even this function is presented in 'military' jargon ["chayalo" in 33:11]. [Note also 33:9, an apparent reference to the sons of Levi's preparedness to prosecute and execute those who sinned at Chet Ha'egel – the golden calf (see Rashi 33:9 and Exodus 32:26-29). Indeed, their conduct at that point was of a "military" nature.]
Whereas all other tribes earned a "nachala," a specific, designated portion of land, the tribe of Levi was scattered among the various tribes in order to serve as teachers throughout the country (note Deuteronomy 18:1-2, "Hashem hu nachlatam"!). Understandably, then, their blessing relates to their leadership role, rather than their allocated portion in the land.

BENJAMIN
"Beloved to YHVH, He shall allow His SHCHINA to dwell securely within him. He constantly protects [surrounds] him, as He rests between his shoulders." (33:12)
This blessing focuses on the special quality of Binyamin's "nachala," its designation to house the Bet Ha'Mikdash – Temple - in Jerusalem.

JOSEPH [Ephraim & Menashe]
"God's blessing is given to his land, with the bounty of dew from heaven... with the bounty of the earth in its fullness... His 'horns' are like those of a wild ox, with them he gores other nations... these are the 'tens of thousands' of Ephraim and these are the 'thousands' of Menashe." (see 33:13-17)
The precise translation of this blessing is somewhat elusive, but it clearly speaks of the bountiful nature of the "nachala" apportioned to Joseph. It appears that Joseph will bear the responsibility of forming the backbone of Israel's agrarian economy (as was Joseph’s job in Egypt). The final verse alludes to Joseph’s military competence that will grant him victory over enemy nations. Specifically, Rashi understands the final verse as a reference to the leadership of Joshua - a descendant of Ephraim - who led the Children of Israel in their conquest of Eretz Canaan.

ZEVULUN & YISSACHAR
"Rejoice Zevulun as you go out [to war; compare with Exodus 27:17] and Yissachar in your tents. [Their prosperity will catalyze] a call to other nations to ascend YHVH's mountain where they will offer proper sacrifices, for they draw from the riches of the sea and from the hidden hoards of the sand." (33:18)
The opening sentence may refer to Zevulun's military prowess, but the conclusion of the verse clearly relates to the importance of his "nachala." His territory was situated along the sea [the coast from Caesarea to the Acco/Haifa bay area], thus forming Israel's gateway to foreign trade and, consequently, economic relations with other nations. Moshe anticipates that these business alliances will lead to the recognition on the part of those nations of the God of Israel - the primary long-term goal of the Nation of Israel (see Deuteronomy 4:5-8).
The "nachala" of Yissachar, too, facilitates international trade (and influence), as it lies in the Jezreel valley, at the heart of the VIA MARIS - the ancient trade route connecting Egypt with Mesopotamia. The Rashbam (Genesis 49:14) understands the "tents" of Yissachar as a reference to this tribe's involvement in agriculture, while Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor (here) associates Yissachar's tents with the cattle industry. All this, too, relates directly to Yissachar's portion: the fertile soil of the Jezreel valley renders it an ideal location for both agriculture and livestock breeding.

GAD
"Blessed be He who enlarges [the "nachala" of] Gad. He is poised like a lion to tear off arm and scalp [i.e. military strength]. He chose for himself the best ['nachala']..." (33:20-21)
[The rest of the verse is very difficult, but most likely refers to his nachala as the chosen spot for Moshe's burial site - see Rashi.]Once again, Moshe's blessing focuses on the unique nature of the given tribe's "nachala", Gads initiative to widen his inheritance in Transjordan, as well as their military capabilities.

DAN
"Dan is like a lion's whelp that leaps from the Bashan." (33:22)
Dan's blessing obviously relates to their military might and the location of their "nachala" - at the western slopes of the Golan Heights [Bashan is the biblical name for the Golan - see Deuteronomy 3:8-10], today the area of Tel Dan and Kiryat Shmona in the Chula valley of the Upper Galilee. Anyone who has been on a tour to the Golan, and visited the old Syrian bunkers that overlooked the Chula valley and the area of Tel Dan and Kiryat Shemona, can easily understand how the phrase "yezanek min ha'Bashan" – to throttle from the Bashan, describes the nachala of Dan.
Even though Deuteronomy 4:43 indicates that the Golan region itself was included in Menashe's nachala, not Dan's, the Targum here explains, our verse means that Dan lived near the Bashan, and the land in his region was watered by the streams flowing down from the Bashan. Note as well that Ibn Ezra (and others) explain Moses' blessing as having nothing to do with Dan's actual portion, rather the tribe's military strength. He interprets "yezanek min habashan" as modifying the lion to whom Dan is compared, rather than the tribe of Dan itself.]
Additionally, Rashi explains the lion metaphor as a reference to Dan's location on the border, standing guard against enemy intrusion. [Very prophetic!]

NAFTALI
"Naftali should be satiated [for his "nachala"] is full of YHVH's blessing, to the west and south (of his brother Dan) he shall/must conquer his land."
Again, Moses' blessing relates to the agricultural potential of this "nachala" and the conquest of that portion. Naftali's nachala is situated in the fertile and beautiful region of the Upper Galilee, to the west and south of Tel Dan (including Tzfat & Mount Meron).

ASHER
"May Asher be the most blessed of sons, may he be the favorite of his brothers and may he dip his foot in oil. Iron and copper are your door-bolts, and your security should last for all your days." (33:24)
These verses require further explanation, but what is clear is that they relate to two unique characteristics of Asher's "nachala": its abundance of olive trees (and hence olive oil) and its location on Israel's northern border. [See Ramban's interpretation, that Asher's portion guards the country's northern border (and thus serves as an "iron lock" securing the country).

SUMMARY
As we review all these blessings, it becomes clear that they all focus on the nature of each "nachala" and the conquest of the land. In fact, almost all the commentators, especially Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni, and Seforno (in addition to Rashi and Ramban), relate to this aspect of the "nachalot" throughout their interpretation of these verses.Hence we conclude that Moses, aware of the military capabilities of each tribe and the anticipated geographic division of the land, blesses each tribe to encourage them to achieve their fullest potential in the forthcoming conquest of Eretz Canaan.Based on this understanding of the basic purpose behind these blessings, we can return to our original question and make some sense out of the seemingly random order of their presentation.

'INHERIT' ORDER
As you have probably guessed by now, since the blessings focus on the "nachalot," it stands to reason that the division of the Land of Israel among the tribes serves as the basis of the sequence of presentation in this parasha. Let's see how it works. Moses begins his blessings with Reuven. He does so not because Reuven is the oldest, but because he is the first tribe to take his "nachala," as recorded in Numbers Ch.32 (see also Deuteronomy 3:16-19).Next, we would expect to find Gad, who joined Reuven in their request to take their "nachala" in Transjordan. However, there is one important, 'overriding' rule in the blessings - that the tribes from Jacob’s wives (Leah & Rachel) take precedence over the tribes from the maidservants (Bilhah & Zilpah).[This principle explains why Gad later precedes Dan, even though Dan is older (and the head of a "machaneh"!). Gad is blessed first because he took his "nachala" first.]This also helps clarify the content of Reuven's blessing. Moses must emphasize that EVEN THOUGH Reuven's "nachala" lies outside the borders of Eretz Canaan, they retain their status as an 'official' tribe as explained earlier.

JUDAH FIRST
Once we skip Gad, Reuven is followed by Judah - the first of the tribes to successfully conquer his portion of land, as detailed both in Sefer Yehoshua (chapters 14->15) and in Sefer Shoftim (1:1-15). This also explains why Yehuda's blessing focuses on his military power.

A 'SOLUTION' FOR SHIMON
Once Moses begins with Judah's portion, the most southern region of Eretz Canaan, he now works his way 'up north,' through Benjamin to Ephraim and Menashe. As we will show, this principle will explain the order of the remaining blessing.
First of all, this explains why Benjamin precedes Joseph, for his nachala is located north of Judah, but south of Ephraim. This also may provide us with a clue as to why there is no blessing for Shimon. Considering that Shimon's "nachala" is later included within the borders of Judah (see Joshua 19:1 & 19:9!), one could conclude that Shimon basically never received their own nachala (a fulfillment of Yaakov's 'blessing' to Shimon in Genesis 48:5-7).
Furthermore, in the aftermath of "chet bnot moav" – the sin of the sons of Moab - their numbers were severely reduced (see Numbers 26:14, compare 1:23!), hence we can conclude that their army may not have played a major role in the conquest of the land as well.[Note Rashi on 33:7 (towards the end), where he quotes a Midrash Tehilim that the blessing to Shimon is actually 'included' within the blessing to Judah: "shma YHVH" contains the first letters of Shimon's name, "shin.mem.ayin." In fact, the same wording is used when Shimon is first named by his mother: "ki SHAMA HASHEM ki snuah anochi" (see Genesis 29:33!).]

Hag Sameach

Shabbat - Hol haMoed Sukkot

Shabbat Chol haMoed Sukkot
Reading Date: 18th October 2008 – 19th Tishrei 5769


On Shabbat Chol HaMoed (both Sukkot and Pesach) we deviate from the normal Torah reading cycle and read a portion from the Book of Shemot - Exodus. This section (33:12-34:26) contains a variety of different topics, several of which are quintessential principles of our faith. YHVH reveals His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy amidst the backdrop of Moshe's request that YHVH bring His presence closer. In this portion, we also receive the commandment not to cook a goat in its mother's milk, (the verse from which the laws of Kashrut are derived.) One might ask why the Attributes are placed at this point in the Torah and also why we read them during Chol HaMoed of Sukkot and Pesach.

In essence, the text of these Thirteen Attributes is a call to arouse YHVH's compassion for His chosen nation, the Children of Israel. It is these qualities of mercy that prevented YHVH from destroying all of the Children of Israel after the incident of the Golden Calf. Appropriately, they are revealed to Moshe during his second ascent of Mount Sinai so that from that point onward, he would have the key to preventing a national disaster similar to the great sin committed just a short time ago. This cry beseeching YHVH's forgiveness is an important element of the prayer during the Yamim Noraim - High Holy Days.

At this time of judgment and renewal at the onset of the new year, we must remember that we are constantly dependent on YHVH's mercy and His interaction in the world. It is so easy to forget that Chol HaMoed, like the Yamim Tovim serving as its bookends, is also a time permeated with holiness. Without YHVH's mercy, we would not even have the opportunity to engage in our everyday activities. This Chol HaMoed Torah reading and these Thirteen Attributes of Mercy come to remind us that we are constantly at YHVH's disposal and that we must continually strive to improve ourselves so that we may always merit His mercy.