Illustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
The rare word קֶרִי (keri) appears seven times in perek 26!
Here are two:
וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת עֲוֺנָם וְאֶת עֲוֺן אֲבֹתָם בְּמַעֲלָם אֲשֶׁר מָעֲלוּ בִי וְאַף אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ עִמִּי בְּקֶרִי׃
אַף אֲנִי אֵלֵךְ עִמָּם בְּקֶרִי…
They (Benei Yisrael) will admit that they and their ancestors did wrong, in that they wronged Me (God), and went with Me in keri.
And even I (God) will go with them in keri…
It’s clear that “keri” is something bad. But what exactly does it mean here?
1. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ עֲרַאי, בְּמִקְרֶה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לִפְרָקִים, כֵּן תֵּלְכוּ עֲרַאי בְּמִצְווֹת.
2. וּמְנַחֵם פֵּרֵשׁ לְשׁוֹן מְנִיעָה, וְכֵן "הֹקַר רַגְלְךָ" (משלי כה)... לְשׁוֹן קֹשִׁי, שֶׁמַּקְשִׁין לִבָּם לִמָּנַע מֵהִתְקָרֵב אֵלַי.
Our Rabbis said this word means “temporary” or בְּמִקְרֶה (be-mikreh, by chance). It’s something that happens only sometimes, meaning that Benei Yisrael will follow the mitzvot only sometimes.
Menahem explained that it’s an expression for “holding back,” like the word הֹקַר (hokar, hold back) in Mishlei 25:17... meaning stubbornness; Benei Yisrael will harden their hearts to stop themselves from getting close to God.
According to Rashi’s first explanation, “keri” means that Benei Yisrael act without full commitment to mitzvot. They’ll do mitzvot here and there, but mitzvot won’t be a permanent part of their lives.
- Why is it so important to do mitzvot regularly and with full commitment? How does that change the way we experience the mitzvot in our lives?
- How can that change the way we experience God in our lives?
Rashi also quotes Menahem ben Saruk (Spain, 1,100 years ago), who suggests that “keri” means preventing yourself from being close to God on purpose.
- Why might a person hold back from doing mitzvot or from connecting with God? How can being more open-minded or flexible prevent that from happening?
- What are things we might do that prevent us from feeling close to God? What are things we might do to feel closer?
- Can you find all seven appearances of “keri” in our perek? Which explanation of “keri” do you think fits best in each appearance? Could both interpretations be right?
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