{"id":56825,"date":"2019-06-04T16:36:20","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T13:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=56825"},"modified":"2022-12-27T10:56:35","modified_gmt":"2022-12-27T08:56:35","slug":"priestly-avarice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/priestly-avarice\/","title":{"rendered":"Priestly Avarice"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[884,661,631,457],"acf":{"old_id":"56825","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":36277,"related_cahpter":"234","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Outright perniciousness and (just) negligence persist in our day among leaders, religious and otherwise","content":"

The main story line of the book of I Samuel charts the people of Israel\u2019s journey from the anarchic political state of the Book of Judges where \u201cevery man did what was right in his eyes,\u201d to a centralized monarchy.<\/span><\/p>\n

But a subplot of the book traces the transition from the chaotic and corrupt religious reality at the end of Judges, exemplified by Micah\u2019s personal shrine at Dan that was hijacked by stronger political forces, towards a dedicated priesthood with higher standards of integrity.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rottenness of Israel\u2019s religious institutions was typified by the Hophni and Phineas, the sons of Eli, \u201cscoundrels\u201d who served as priests at Shiloh. Chapter 2 describes how Eli\u2019s sons abused their offices by stealing meat from people who brought sacrifices:<\/span><\/p>\n

When anyone brought a sacrifice, the priest\u2019s boy would come along with a three-pronged fork while the meat was boiling, and he would thrust it into the cauldron, or the kettle, or the great pot, or the small cooking-pot; and whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take away on it. (I Samuel 2:13-14.)<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to enriching themselves at the expense of worshippers, Eli\u2019s sons exploited their positions to \u201clie with the women who performed tasks at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,\u201d (I Samuel 2: 22)<\/span><\/p>\n

This sounds like a clear case of powerful men using their standing in a hierarchy to force themselves sexually on female subordinates. God is outraged at these sins and announces that as a consequences Eli and his descendants will be cut off forever from religious leadership in Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not all the rabbis of the Talmud however, agreed that Eli\u2019s sons were guilty of sexual sin with women in the sanctuary. Arguing against the plain meaning of the biblical verse, Rav said that Eli\u2019s sons did not sleep with the women. (Shabbat 55b) The Talmud explains that he read the word <\/span>yishkavun<\/span><\/em>, not as \u201cslept with\u201d but as \u201cdelayed”:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSince the sons of Eli delayed sacrificing the bird-offerings (of women who had given birth, a pair of doves brought as part of the purification process,) and this delay caused the women not to go to their husbands, the verse ascribes to Hophni and Phineas liability as if they had lain with them\u201d (Shabbat 55b).<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Rav, Eli\u2019s sons were guilty of negligence and carelessness in carrying out their priestly duties, which caused suffering to women who were returning to their husbands after giving birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we must affirm the plain meaning of the verse, We are all too aware of the perniciousness of leaders, including shamefully, religious leaders, sexually exploiting people they work with.<\/span><\/p>\n

But let us also understand Rav. He is pointing to a different problem: the mundane carelessness, negligence and entitlement of those who work in bureaucracies, including, tragically religious bureaucracies, that causes everyday pain, loss and suffering to those whom they are meant to serve. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":56830,"id":56830,"title":"isam2-sons-of-eli","filename":"isam2-sons-of-eli.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/isam2-sons-of-eli.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/priestly-avarice\/isam2-sons-of-eli\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"isam2-sons-of-eli","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":56825,"date":"2019-06-04 14:28:35","modified":"2019-06-04 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