{"id":47470,"date":"2019-01-14T00:14:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-13T22:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=47470"},"modified":"2022-08-07T10:13:36","modified_gmt":"2022-08-07T07:13:36","slug":"the-lifeline-of-torah-then-and-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-lifeline-of-torah-then-and-now\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lifeline Of Torah \u2013 Then And Now"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At the beginning of our chapter, Moses instructs the Israelite people: \u201cwhen you come into the Land of your settlements which God is giving you, that they should make various offerings to God (Num. 15:1-31). Following the story of a man punished for gathering sticks on Shabbat (15:32-36) \u2013 and to help prevent such transgressions in the future — our Chapter concludes with the Mitzvah of Tzitzit (\u201cfringes\u201d): \u201cThe Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue (ptil tekhelet) to the fringe at each corner\u2026look at it and recall all the commandments of the Lord and observe them\u2026\u201d (15:37-39, summarized in Deut. 22:12). <\/span><\/p>\n

The Midrash (Tanhuma Buber, Shelah 31 and parallels) subtly ties the \u201ccord of blue\u201d \u00a0in the Tzitzit to another sort of \u201ccord\u201d that may also assist in the performance of the commandments in general. This is done by relating a parable [mashal] about a man who has been thrown into the water. The captain of the boat casts him a rope, saying: Grab this rope and hold on for dear life, for if you let it go, you are lost. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to Israel: As long as you hold fast to the Mitzvot, then, \u201cAll of you who hold fast to the Lord, Your God, are alive today\u201d (Deuteronomy 4:4). <\/span><\/p>\n

In ancient times, seafaring, even on the Mediterranean, was fraught with danger (see Daniel Sperber, Nautica Talmudica, 1986, pp. 94-106). Even today, boats above a certain size and ships are generally required by law to have at the ready rescue equipment, such as life rings or lifebuoys attached to lifelines, much like the lifeline cast to the man thrown overboard in our parable. <\/span><\/p>\n

The concluding application (nimshal) of our parable, beginning \u201cSo too does the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel\u2026\u201d suggests the following application to our present situation. In our day, many of those drawn to a life of halakhic observance may do so because of a feeling of \u201chaving been thrown overboard\u201d from the storm-tossed \u201cship\u201d on the turbulent \u201csea\u201d of their previous lifestyle. And it is the \u201clifeline\u201d of the Torah, thrown to them by the \u201cCaptain of the Universe\u201d, that may serve to save them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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