Introduction
After concluding the post 'Building the
Beis Hamikdash' by questioning whether we really want it to be rebuilt, I
thought that it was necessary to try to explain part of what it is that we are
missing and the negative effect that it has on our spiritual lives. The
relevance of the title of this post to this will soon become clear.
My basis in this article is the Rambam’s
explanation of the purpose of worship through sacrifice. His firm view is that
prayer is a higher form of service, but at the time that the Torah was given it
was not realistic to expect the Jewish people to desist from the worldwide
norm. He explains that to do this would be akin to commanding people nowadays
to cease verbal prayer and to serve Hashem by thought alone.[1]
The target achieved through these
mitzvos is the erasing of any remnants of idolatry and the strengthening of the
foundation of Judaism- the existence and oneness of G‑d.[2] While
the method of worship is important, its direction is crucial.
The Rambam himself makes it clear
that he is well aware that this explanation is not easy to swallow. Our sense
of justice makes it hard to accept that we are commanded complex laws merely to
subvert something more severe. However, the Rambam argues that human nature
means that this kind of instruction is unavoidable.
The Ramban disagrees strongly,
his main argument being that the Torah would not describe the effect of these
sacrifices as a ריח ניחוח (the translation ‘pleasing
aroma’ hardly does the phrase justice) if they are inherently undesirable.[3] He
prefers a mystical explanation which is (at least at the moment) beyond my
capabilities to understand, let alone to explain.[4]
I believe that the resolution to
the claim of the Ramban against the Rambam is relatively simple. The act itself
of bringing sacrifices on the altar is indeed far from a utopian goal. But the
term ריח ניחוח is still extremely relevant with regards
the effect of channelling all worship to the Omnipresent, Omniscient and
Omnipotent G-d.[5] Although
this idea may be taken for granted by some, it has never been a given for all.
Difficulties in biblical times
It is hard to know much about the
common philosophical beliefs during the time of the Tanach with certainty (the
same applies to Chazal). We can theorise about why the nevi’im concentrated
almost entirely on actions, feelings and intentions, but the answer is not
clear. What we do know is that the command to centralise all religious worship
in one place was a challenge that the Jewish people were rarely able to rise
to.
In fact prior to the
establishment of the Mishkan in the desert, and while the Mishkan was in
Gilgal, Nov and Givon many sacrifices could be brought anywhere.[6] After
this became forbidden for all time after the building of the Beis Hamikdash, it
was extremely difficult for people to change their habits.[7] A key
part to the rebellion of Yeravam ben Nevat and the splitting of the kingdom was
the reestablishment of places of worship in Bet-El and Dan.[8]
This practice spread rapidly to
the kingdom of Yehuda, and even during the reign of most of the righteous kings
we are told that the people continued to sacrifice on bamot (private altars).[9] The
only ones who had any success at stopping this were Chizkiyahu and Yoshiyahu.[10]
In the period of the rishonim
Most of the fundamental
principles of faith only started to be documented at length by the rishonim.
Major differences of opinion evolved over a number of issues, and this even
lead to the burning of the writings of the Rambam at the behest of some of his
contemporaries.
One principle which has
definitely become accepted by all of mainstream Judaism (and as far as I am
aware also by most of those outside the mainstream) is the Rambam’s third
principle, that G-d has no physical form. But this was not always the clear
consensus.
One of the outspoken critics of
the Rambam was R’ Moshe Taku, who advocated literal interpretations both of the
entire Tanach and of all aggadic teachings.[11] This
led him to attack this principle strongly. It seems that this was not a lone
view, as the Ramban felt it necessary to defend the third principle of the
Rambam in a letter to the rabbis of France.[12]
Some have claimed that even R’
Moshe Taku did not genuinely believe in a corporeal god. They explain that his
view was that the imagery used by the Torah is the maximum that the human mind
can understand about G-d, and any attempt to go beyond this literal reading
will only cause harm.[13]
The Rambam certainly did not
agree even with this watered-down interpretation of the words of R’ Moshe Taku,
maintaining that even the less intelligent are capable of understanding that
Hashem cannot have a physical form.[14]
However, he does agree to the idea that sometimes man needs something physical
in order to grasp spirituality, as we have seen with the Beis Hamikdash and sacrifices.
From the Ba’al Shem Tov until today
The lack of physical worship
invariably leads people to search elsewhere to fill the hole. The Ba’al Shem
Tov and the Chasidim were the ones who first recognised the human emotional
need in the ‘modern’ Jewish world, and the rest learned from them.[15]
Those who know me will know that one thing it is hard to accuse me of is any
kind of affiliation to Chasidus, but “the wise is one who learns from every
person”.[16] The
challenge of our generation is to channel these emotions appropriately.
The real question is how we can
find the best alternative to the sacrifices until they are restored. Chazal
already told us one way to model the ideal when far from the Beis Hamikdash-
wherever we are we daven facing Eretz Yisrael, Yerushalayim, Har Habayis and
the Kodesh Hakodashim.[17] The
Kuzari felt that this was critical enough to be used as a proof against other
religions.[18]
Although Jews everywhere still
keep this halacha, in recent times there has been a development which I believe
goes against its entire purpose. Without the Beis Hamikdash, people in their
masses have started to look for alternative places to look to for inspiration.
Perhaps due to lack of satisfaction from life and the living, the focus has
moved to the physical remnants of the dead.
If someone who knew nothing about
Judaism was told only that there is a mitzvah of making a pilgrimage three
times a year, they could be forgiven for thinking that we were referring to the
annual trips to Uman, Meron and Lizensk.[19] What
once was a practice of a small number has become increasingly mainstream. And
only a tiny minority of those who take part have done any real analysis as to
whether this is what Hashem wants from us.
At the moment most of these
people still remember to direct their prayers to Hashem and not (chas v’shalom)
to the dead. But if nothing is done about it, we
could easily end up with a situation similar to the times of Noach.[20]
From what we have written already
it should be clear that we cannot solve this problem merely by speaking against
it. We need to provide an alternative to the emotional high people describe
experiencing on these trips. In my mind, the only way to provide a kosher
alternative is to focus on the real spiritual centre of the world, the Beis
Hamikdash.
The ideal would be to create the
same kind of atmosphere experience elsewhere on Har Habayis, by getting similar
number. But at the moment we are a long way off this, and most of the Jewish
People are not yet ready to return to our holiest site. The pragmatic thing to
do is to at least fight to switch the focus to the closest place of worship
that we have to Har Habayis- the Kotel.[21]
There is already a popular
practice to come to the Kotel during Chol Hamoed (Pesach and Sukos), with an
estimated 50,000 attending. Thousands also walk on Shavuos morning, with more
who are not able to walk coming after Yom Tov. If we can build these events to further
resemble the mitzvah of aliya l’regel (coming to the Beis Hamikdash for the
foot-festivals), it would be a great demonstration of our belief in one G-d who
we direct all our prayers to. And eventually this can dwarf what happens
elsewhere at other times.
[1] The
clear implication is that purifying ones thoughts is the highest form of
service.
[2] All
in Moreh Nevuchim 3:22, at greater length.
[3]
Vayikra 1:9. The other difficulties he raises with the Rambam’s explanation are
resolved straightforwardly by the Ritva in Sefer Hazikaron.
[4] He
also quotes a simpler explanation, that in order to atone for thought, speech
and action it was necessary to have a mitzvah that incorporated all these
aspects. However this is clearly not a full explanation, as he himself says
that this ‘draws the heart’.
[5] The
Ritva points out that the Ramban seems to have missed this positive aspect of
the mitzvah according to the Rambam.
[6] See Megila
9b-10a
[7] I am
not aware of any evidence whether the prohibition of bringing sacrifices
outside of the Mishkan in the desert or in Shilo was adhered to or not.
[8] See Melachim
1, perek 12.
[9] Ibid.
15:14, 22:44; Melachim 2 12:4, 14:4, 15:4, 15:35.
[10]
Melachim 2, 18:4 and 23. It should be noted that even though Yoshiyahu brought
all service at bamot to an end, Chazal
tell us in Eicha Rabba 1:18 that he was unaware of the more serious problem of
secret idolatry. The idolatry common in those times followed naturally from the
decentralisation of worship.
[11] Remnants
of his sefer Ktav Tamim were once available on the internet, but I couldn’t
find it now.
[12] The letter
is printed in Kitvei HaRamban (Mosad HaRav Kook) vol. 1 and deals with many
claims against the Rambam. The relevant section is on pages 345-7.
[14] Moreh
Nevuchim 1:35
[15] Virtually
every Lithuanian yeshiva has incorporated some kind of activities aimed at the
emotions. Some yeshivos organise trips, some don’t but the students do it of
their own accord. Virtually every rav in a yeshiva has to act as a counsellor
for the many issues in the lives of his students (this existed in the past, but
on a smaller scale). But perhaps more significantly, there has been a huge
increase in the amount of teaching aimed at emotions. While previously even
those who taught mussar (ethics/Jewish outlook/character building) did so with
a mostly intellectual basis, unfortunately this area is now often dominated by
melodrama and clichés.
[16] Avos 4:1
[17] Berachos
30a
[18] Ma’amar 4,
paragraph 13
[19] Over 25,000 travel to Uman
for Rosh Hashana, hundreds of thousands to Meron on Lag b’Omer, and thousands
to Lizensk for the Yahrtzeit of R’ Elimelech.
[20] See the Rambam’s
description in the first perek of Avoda Zara.
[21]
Although ironically, the Kotel is one of the few places where most people do
not daven facing Har Habayis, mistakenly thinking that the Kotel itself is the
centre of kedusha (it is not even a wall of the sanctified section of Har
Habayis)! The correct thing to do is to turn roughly 45 degrees anti-clockwise,
facing the Kodesh Hakodashim (see this
diagram).
