Y I T R O

We Americans are peculiar, chosen people, 
the Israel of our times; 
we bear the ark of the liberties of the world. 
Herman Melville

A Devar Torah usually focuses in microscopic detail on the implications of a single paragraph, or a single sentence. This is a marvelous practice for the real Torah scholar and those privileged to hear. But today, we will be using binoculars -- and scan the Torah for the civic and governmental lessons it teaches of the all but inexplicable birth in ancient times of the unique nation of Israel, south of Lebanon, north of Egypt and slightly to the left of the Jordan River. Let’s compare and contrast those civilizations which formed, on the one hand, naturally over time, and the nation of Israel, which was created suddenly from an unorganized, unformed population of captive people, who were plucked from the depths of Egypt to become a proud and free nation, under the hand of G-d. It was engendered abruptly and “unnaturally” out of chaos. How?

In ancient times all Nation-states were established incrementally over many generations. That’s the normal way -- they did NOT petition the United Nations. Their histories are the record of bloody conflict between rival sovereigns, of the suppression of revolts, involving much cruelty, suffering and destruction. The “successful” states accomplished this through charismatic leadership, allegiance to a King or geographical advantages over long periods of time. Empires have arisen in Egypt, Persia, Rome and Central America. Each had its own peculiar style of government, social organization and ethics, indigenous artistic expression and false gods. None of these persists today.

This history may be termed the “natural” method by which nation-states arise.

In contrast, the crystallizing event in the creation of the ancient Nation of Israel occurred unexpectedly, suddenly and almost without effort by the populace. The event was the direct initiative and strong protection of G-d Himself. Never before or since has a people received such Divine favor as our bloody birth in Egypt and subsequent delivery through the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds). The more private, but no less extraordinary events focused at mount Sinai, as re-told in today’s partia, permit us to look forward and backward at the milestones of nationhood which preceded, and followed, this earthshaking event. It was almost a divine “stunt,” not “natural.” To the extent that the “bringing forth” of Israel did not follow the “natural ,” historical method, we must credit the offices of Divine intervention. According to the Torah, our ancestors did little more than kill a lamb, smear his blood on their door and have a roast prior to leaving Egypt.

Let us look at six of the basic physical, social and cultural conditions which must be met, logically, for the establishment or maintenance of a nation-state.

These include:

	A]   LAND:	There must be a suitable territory, hopefully bounded by
			defensible borders

	B]   INHABITANTS:	The population  must be appropriate to the size of
			        the potential area and living in it



	C]   LEADERSHIP:	Allegiance must be pledged to a recognized
 				authority, 3 customarily a “strong man” or king, who provides:
		1)	a method of defense against foreign foes		
		2)	the administration of justice to maintain domestic order and
 			peace

	D]   SOCIAL/ETHICAL UNITY:	The people must share a vision, basic
 		cultural expressions and identification, including
		1)	a viable code of ethics
		2)	a common language (oral and/or written)
		3) 	customs of birth, marriage, and death
		4)	a system of trade and a currency	
		5)	a distinctive dress and distinguishing arts
		6)	a common cuisine
		Ear7)	symbolic unity (a singular name, flag, or anthem)

	E]   HISTORY:	There must be sufficient time to allow self consciousness
 			and self  identity to develop

	F]   RELIGION:	A common cosmology and morals, including religious
 			obligations and practices, must be shared

The first five of these necessary preconditions for constituting a state, namely; Land, Inhabitants, Leadership, Social/Ethical Unity and History,is precisely what our ancient enslaved ancestors, suffering under the yoke of bondage at the start of Exodus (c. 1250 BCE), did NOT possess. But we did share the rudiments of our RELIGION and our affliction was seen and our cries were heard. For the children of G-d, this was sufficient. 4

It was G-d’s direct involvement with the Hebrews, through Moses, His forgiveness and lovingkindness towards us in spite of our unfaithfulness and murmuring and His protection of us in times of threat and crises that off-set these fatal deficiencies and set us, and our inception, apart from all other nations. There is no doubt that G-d awarded us “Most Favored Nation” status. Or that we thank G-d for our lives, which are committed to His power, or for our souls that are intrusted to Him, for His Miracles that are with us every day, and for His wonders and factors in every season -- evening, morning, and afternoon” [p 427].

What are the conditions necessary for the establishment of a nation-state?

A]      LAND:       There must be a suitable territory, hopefully bounded by defensible borders.

Ordinarily, preliterate people simply “find themselves” dwelling on a tract of land, without making a formal legal claim. This “natural” course of events did not apply to the Hebrews. A pledge of land was promised to Abraham (c. 1900 BCE -- Genesis XVII: 8), in the words, “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession....” This is the fertile territory between Wadi el Arish on the south-west, the Euphrates River on the north. It is hilly, fertile and reasonably defensible. As generous as such a grant was, however, Abraham could not take full possession of it. He merely had the one son, Ishmael, at the time. 1900 He was hardly the father of a multitude of children, much less of a multitude of nations. He inhabited his land, but he had no people.

B]      INHABITANTS:      The population must be:
          1) appropriate to the size of the potential area

Early native tribes live sparsely as hunter-gatherers until agricultural progress permits villages, towns and cities to flourish. Growth continues commensurate with food production. In time, the situation reversed itself for the descendants of Abraham. After enjoying 700 years (till 1230 BCE) of “benign neglect” among a highly successful materialistic culture, Abraham’s fruitful descendants had multiplied indeed! We numbered 1.6 million, enough to assert our historic claim.

But although our numbers had grown, our spiritual condition had declined. We were captives in a cynical land. Many had acculturated and circumcision was rare. “Pharaoh knew not Joseph.” Our mummering, sorrows and groans were apparently unheard and unheeded. And, we were now displaced from our land!

B]       INHABITANTS:       The population must be:
           2) living in the potential area

We were far from the Promised Land -- 200 sandy miles away, displaced. The concept of “displaced natives” is an oxymoron. Here, the Hebrews’ situation was an improbable, unnatural, special case. We could walk to Canaan, if we could leave. We could leave, if we weren’t captive. We could revolt, if we had a leader. We could find a leader, if we had rights. [Right. And if my Grandmother had wheels, she’d be a trolley-car.] Even if we left the Nile valley who would let us in? Surely a band of disorganized refugees would be sent back, under a kind of “Fugitive Slave Law.” [Such was on the books in Babylon since the days of Hammurabi, c. 1775 BCE Revoked by the Commandments, see Deuteronomy XXIII: 16. Even Joseph had to request from Pharaoh sanctuary for his family when they arrived.] In the ancient world the very idea of escape could hardly arise. There was no concept of “inalienable” or “natural rights.” If G-d had only taken us out of Egypt, it would have been enough! 6

Never in human history had a captive people escaped. This may be hard to comprehend today. We imagine a political dissident who defects one day and flies to the United States, or Argentina the next day. He’s free! But even in our time, the Soviets made it impossible for their citizens to leave. And who can forget the suffering endured little more than 40 years ago, when our sisters and brothers, fleeing Europe, were turned back from so many “civilized” countries. How much more difficult must “escape” have been in the ancient Middle East?

G-d gave us title to the land: the question was, how could we claim it? No other people has even faced such a strange, unnatural dilemma. Where would we find our champion?

C]       LEADERSHIP:      Allegiance must be pledged to a recognized authority, customarily a “strong man” or king, who provides:
           1) a method of defense against foreign foes

The history of the rise of traditional nation-states is synonymous with the rise of their kings, sovereigns and emperors. But here, the Hebrews encountered a major problem. How could a leader be found or discovered among a captive people? There was no Agency for the Care and Training of Unemployed Leaders in Goshen. That’s what captivity is all about. No Hebrew would be permitted leadership skills while remaining among his fellows. So Moses was first removed -- miraculously “drawn out” by G-d -- from his own family to live in Pharaoh’s royal household. There he learned the facts of court life. Next he was summoned by G-d to “draw out” our people, up from servitude, to Zion. [Moses, not a military man, was “a prophet who perceived His vision clearly.” He possessed strength of vision -- if not of arms.]

Our people resisted the “natural” impulse to pledge personal allegiance to Moses. Apparently he never asked for it and it was never offered. How odd. Would our ancestors have been successful if they had followed a military leader, if one had arisen? Armed revolt is always risky and the people were mainly contented. [Revolt is less appealing when the revolutionaries are living “in the belly of the beast.” The Macabees retreated to the hillside.] After all, we had homes and food and many of us had assimilated.

As we read in the Torah, the Master of the Universe took the Israelites out from bondage with a mighty hand. But the people themselves, subdued and long used to following orders, were remarkably passive during the episode of the plagues. Not the usual way to assert independence! If G-d had given us only Moses, it would have been enough!

After the miraculous , effortless elimination of the Egyptian army, other vandals appeared. Taking the refugees for an easy mark, Amalek attacked in Rephidim (Exodus XVII: 8). How could this untrained multitude arm and defend itself? Moses directed Joshua to take to the field, and, with Aaron and Hur at his side, dominated the course of the battle. In ancient times, victory in battle was doubly sweet. No only do you vanquish your foes, but you demonstrate that your nation’s god is the master. The pattern was now established: our G-d would help us when we helped ourselves. Joshua was made Chief of Staff of the Army and Aaron became High Priest.

C]       LEADERSHIP:      Allegiance must be developed to a recognized authority, customarily a “strong man” or king, who provides:
           2) the administration of justice to maintain domestic order and peace.

Governments normally develop slowly, and the young ones are almost universally despotic. When the expatriates reached Midian, a domestic weakness was recognized. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, questioned Moses’ practice (common at the time for leaders in the East) of personally rendering judgments warning, “Thou will surely wear away” (Exodus XVIII:18) He recommended Moses to organize and sub-divide the 1.6 million emigrants hierarchically (into thousands, hundreds, fifties tens) and teach them the statutes and the laws.

This democratic system for the administration of justice relieved Moses of much repetitive work. More significantly, its clearly confirmed trust in the common people, teaching that these newly freed men must study and understand the laws for themselves. Thus began the world’s premier experiment in moral education. Hebrew society became a veritable learning machine, people studying hav-rut-ah to hav-rut-ah and face-to-face. From ancient Israel onward, the peoples of the world came into the possession of the sovereign rights that we now take for granted. [Dr. J. H. Hertz]. Power to the People! Unlike the practice in all other cultures, Moses the leader was never nominated for King, and his place of burial never found.

For it was NOT just another conventional commonwealth being formed, but, rather, the long awaited House of Israel “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” And unlike nations all the world over, the authentic ruler would NOT be any living man -- neither King, nor Pharaoh, nor Emperor; NOT Abraham, Moses or even Solomon, but the Lord Himself, the Mighty Everlasting Father, the King of Peace. The can be no King without a kingdom, and no subjects without a King; but the King of Israel has no semblance of a body. 8

D]       SOCIAL UNITY:

	The people must share a vision, basic cultural
expressions and identification, including:  

			1)	a viable code of ethics
			2)	a common language (oral and/or written)
			3) 	customs of birth, marriage, and death
			4)	a system of trade and a currency	
			5)	a distinctive dress and distinguishing arts
			6)	a common cuisine
			7)	symbolic unity (a singular name, flag, or anthem)

And this membership is celebrated when we join a new congregation.

In the third month after leaving Egypt, the children of Israel encamped in the wilderness before mount Sinai. What happened there, at that time, was our most unifying episode. It melded the tribes into one mighty community -- an achieve- ment that takes epochs for “natural” assemblies. The lowliest person achieved the understanding of a scholar. No one can question that these miraculous events are fundamentally and primarily of an exalted spiritual, moral and religious nature.

However, they served parallel purposes. They are proof (if that were still needed) of G-d’s existence. His giving of His Ten Commandments not only supplied us with our first written code as a single entity but allowed us the awesome privilege of witnessing His Holy Manifestation, to be remembered for all time. The thunders and lightening and the sound of the horn exceeding loud (Exodus XIX: 16) recalls Creation itself. G-d came down upon mount Sinai and spoke the Pentateuch, the words of the Ten Commandments. If G-d had only given us the Ten Command- ments, it would have been enough!

The Pentateuch became a corner stone for our ancestors, a sign of our connection with G-d. It sets out our relationship to Him and guides individual and family behavior and morals. It is a paradigm of poetry and became our most powerful symbol before the world. Not a tomb, not a great wall, not a coliseum. Along with the discovery of Monotheism, the promulgation of the Sabbath, and the emphasis on free-will and personal rights, these words “written in stone” are one of our principal gifts to the world. 9

E]       HISTORY:       Mankind needs adequate time for deep and lasting habits to become permanent.. You must be going at a sufficient speed before “cruise control” can kick in. Mount Sinai is G-d’s attempt to kick-start the creation of a nation. It was begun, but not finished at once, not even in forty days. Here He offers Himself, the Master of Creation, as Lord and King, as our true, great leader, asking us to remember and observe. And this is done through commandments no other Code of Law attempts: Laws which prescribe the Covenant between man and G-d, and between man and man. Violations of many of these laws can’t be detected by man, such as covetness.

Unfortunately, however, this founding generation of the Exodus, like many of us today, were not quite ready to grasp whole-heartedly our responsibilities. Additional time was granted. During the next forty years, many customs developed. These included the observance of various festivals, the first military census (utilizing a half-shekel piece), rules for the preparation of pure food and an amazing architectural design for the Tabernacle. And, unlike the native customs of other nations, many of these laws cannot be understood. These new customs were not acquired in a day, nor without grumbling. [Even when we complained about the repetitive diet in the desert, we were answered -- with “free home delivery” -- quail. Evidently we were NOT “to the manna born.’]

Many religious activities inaugurated at Sinai also serve to reinforce cultural unity, such as wearing tzitzis, (Numbers XV:37), laying phylacteries, hanging mezuzahs, as well as common prayer and songs. Practices surrounding birth, marriage and conversion. also promoted a growing national consensus. Prescriptions against graven images (Exodus XX: 4) and the prohibition of elaborate burial rites helped sever our ancestors from many Egyptian customs. These common customs were needed quickly to establish -- however “unnaturally” -- the necessary community.

F]      RELIGION:      A common cosmology and morals, including religious obligations and practices, must be shared Just as there is no human society without cultural expression, so there is none without its religion. In other early civilizations the gods were thought to reside in observable aspects of nature: such as the earth, or a river, or fire or the sky. Only the Hebrews were given to recognize that G-d is transcendental, yet approachable, still concerned with mankind.

Once the cool categories of land, its inhabitants, our leadership, social customs and history have been presented, our religious life has -- marvelously -- already been described as well. The history of creation -- our Creation as a people, is contained in the Torah.. Our story is unique: ours are the only Laws which are recognized to have been given by the Creator of the Universe to a people -- for all people. No other people has made that claim, can make that claim or will make that claim in the future.

POSTSCRIPT

When we review the unique, “unnatural” emergence of the Jewish people, one sees the shilouette of a simple, yet amazing picture. After G-d created the world, and endowed mankind with free will, he must have waited patiently, century after century, seeking a compassionate people, walking in His ways. He saw Noah and He saw Abraham but he also saw much that did not please Him.

So it seems He stopped expecting that such a people would ever arise “naturally,” and decided to create what he wanted, by His own hand. He let the children of Abraham flourish temporarily in the highly materialistic culture of Egypt, but they were now cut off from Canaan. This necessitated the Plagues, the Exodus and the giving of the Commandments, to establish a charitable, unified community of people most creatively, following one Law. A goal with which we are still struggling.

The scholar Hillel’s well-known condensation of these Laws bears repeating, “Whatever is hateful unto thee, do it NOT unto thy fellow: this is the whole Torah: the rest is explanation.”