Variations on a Theme: Jewish Wisdom for Trump's America

For R’ Simone said in the name of R’ Yehoshua ben Levi: Why were they called the Men of the “Great” Assembly? Because they restored the greatness of God to its original state. How so? R’ Pinchas said: Moses instituted the formula for prayer, namely the phrase "the great, powerful, and awesome God." However, Jeremiah, who witnessed the destruction of the Temple, said in his prayer only: the great and powerful God, and he did not say “awesome.” Having seen the Destruction, why did he say “powerful”? Jeremiah reasoned: Him it is befitting to call “powerful,” for He sees the destruction of His House and He remains silent! And if so, why did [Jeremiah] not say “awesome”? For [God] is truly recognized as being “awesome” only through the Temple, as it is stated: [You are] awesome, O God, from Your Sanctuaries (Psalms 68:36). Since His Sanctuary lay in ruins, God could no longer be perceived as “awesome.” Conversely, Daniel, who lived through the Babylonian exile, said in his prayer: the great and awesome God, and he did not say “powerful” Why did he not say “powerful”? Daniel reasoned: [God’s] children are delivered into shackles, i.e. they are enslaved by foreign nations, so where is His power? And if so, why did [Daniel] say “awesome”? He reasoned: Him it is befitting to call “awesome,” because of the awesome miracles that He performed for us in the fiery oven. But once the Men of the Great Assembly arose, they restored the greatness of God to its original state, and they recited in prayer the full complement of praises instituted by Moses: the great, powerful and awesome God. Does one who is merely flesh and blood have the ability to place a limit on these matters, i.e. the praises of God? How could Jeremiah and Daniel refrain from saying the full complement of praises that appear in the Torah? R’ Yitzchak ben Elazar said: The prophets know that their God is a God of truth, and therefore they do not offer vain flattery to Him. [Translation with Artscroll’s gloss]

Because Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why were they called the Men of the "Great" Assembly? Because they returned God's greatness to its original state. Moses came and said "the Great, Awesome and Mighty God" (Deut. 10:17). Jeremiah came and said: strangers are dancing in God's Temple, where is God's awesomeness? He did not say "Awesome." Daniel came and said: strangers are enslaving God's children, where is God's might? He did not say "Mighty." They came and said: Nonsense! It is precisely this that marks God as mighty, that God conquers God's own (evil) inclination and is gracious and compassionate to the wicked. And this is what marks God as awesome, that if it were not for the fear of God, how could one nation exist among the other nations?

How did the Rabbis act this way, uprooting a decree that Moses made? Rabbi Eleazar said: Since they knew that God was truthful, they did not lie to/about God.

It was taught: On that day R. Eliezer answered all the answers on earth and they did not accept it from him. He said, “If the law is like me, the carob tree will prove it”; the carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred Amah, some say four hundred Amah. They said: “We do not bring proof from a carob tree.”... He went and said “If the law is like me the water channel will prove it”; the water channel flowed in reverse direction. They said: “We do not bring proof from a water channel.” He went and said “If the law is as I say the walls of the House of Study will prove it”; the walls of the House of Study inclined to fall. R. Yehoshua protested at them, saying to them “If scholars defeat each other in the law, how does it better you?” They did not fall because of the honor of R.Yehoshua and they did not straighten, because of the honor of R. Eliezer, and they still incline and stand.... [R. Eliezer] went and said, “If the law is like me, from Heaven they will prove it”; a heavenly voice came out and said, “What have you with R. Eliezer, who the law is like him in every place?” R. Yehoshua stood on his feet and said “[The Torah] is not in heaven,” (Deuteronomy 30:12). What does "[The Torah] is not in heaven" mean? R. Yirmiyah said: “That the Torah was already given at Sinai, we do not pay attention to a heavenly voice, since You already wrote at Sinai in the Torah, “After the majority to incline,” (Exodus 23:2). R. Natan met the prophet Elijah and said to him, “What did the Holy One Blessed be He do in that hour?” He said to him: “He smiled and said, “My sons have defeated Me, My sons have defeated Me.” They said: On that day they burned all the pure things R. Eliezer had declared pure; they voted upon him and excommunicated him. They asked “Who will go and inform him?” R. Akiva said, “I will go, lest an improper person inform him and all the earth will be destroyed.” What did R. Akiva do? He dressed in black and sat before him at a distance of four Amot. R. Eliezer said: “Akiva, what is today from all days?” He said, “My master, it appears to me your friends distanced themselves from you.” R. Eliezer too tore his clothes, removed his shoes and sat on the ground his eyes flowed tears. The earth was stricken, a third in olives, a third in wheat, a third in barley. Some say: even dough in a woman’s hand spoiled.... It was taught: Great was that day that every place R. Eliezer put his eyes was burned.... And even R. Gamliel was on a ship; a wave stood upon him to drown him. He said: It appears to me this is only because of R.Eliezer b. Hyrkanos. He stood on his feet and said, “Master of the world, it is revealed and known before You that not for my honor I did nor for the honor of my father’s house but for Your honor that controversies not multiply in Israel.” The sea rested from its anger. Ima Shalom, wife of R. Eliezer, was R. Gamliel’s sister; from then she did not allow R. Eliezer to fall on his face in prayer. One day the New Moon became miscalculated for her between a twenty-nine or thirty day month. Some say: a poor man came and stood at the gate, she brought out bread to him. She found R. Eliezer fallen in prayer and said, “Get up, you have killed my brother.” Meanwhile a ram’s horn blast went out from R. Gamliel’s house [to announce] that he died. [R. Eliezer] asked, “How did you know?” She said, “So I have received a tradition from the house of my father’s father: “All gates are closed but the gates of deception.”

Rav Kahana said: if he [a rebellious elder] says 'I have a tradition' and they [the Sanhedrin] say 'we have a tradition' - he is not killed. If he says 'this is how I see it' and they say 'this is how we see it' - he is not killed. All the more so if he says 'I have a tradition' and they say 'this is how we see it.' He is not killed unless he says 'this is how I see it' and they say 'we have a tradition.' Know that they did not kill Akavya ben Mehalal'el. Rabbi Eleazar said: even if he says 'I have a tradition' and they say 'this is how we see it' - he is killed, so that disputes should not multiply in Israel. And if you want to ask: why did they not [then] kill Akavya ben Mehalal'el? Because he did not give a rule for practical guidance.

It was taught: [if he said] 'this is how I teach it, and how my community teaches it, and this is how I learned it and how my community learned it' is this is same as him saying 'I have a tradition' and them saying 'this is how we see it'? No, [rather it is similar to] him saying 'this is how I see it' and them saying 'we have a tradition.'

Come and Hear: Rabbi Yoshaya said: I was told three things from Zeira [who was of] the Men of Jerusalem: a husband who recants his suspicion [of an adulterous wife] - it is recanted; parents who wish to recant their accusation of a stubborn and rebellious son - they can recant; a rebellious elder that a court wants to recant [his guilty verdict] - they can recant. When I came to my community in the South, they agreed with me on two, [but] on [the matter of] the rebellious elder they did not agree, so that disputes should not multiply in Israel.

Our Rabbis taught: Our Rabbis taught: Once most of [the month of] Adar had passed and no rain had fallen. They sent to Choni the Circle-Maker, "Pray and the rain will fall." He prayed, and it didn't rain. He compassed a circle and stood in the middle of it in the way that Habakuk the prophet did, as it says (Habakuk 2:1) "I will stand upon my watch, And set me upon the tower etc." He said before Him "Master of the Universe, your children turn their faces towards me, for I am like a householder before you. I swear by your great name that I will not move from here until you have mercy on your children!" The rain began to drip. His students said to him "Rabbi, we look to you so we don't die! It seems to us that the rain is only falling to release you from your oath." He said "I did not ask for this, but for rain to irrigate the cisterns, the fields, and the caves!" It fell in torrents such that every drop could fill the mouth of a barrel, and the sages measured that no drop was less than a log. His students said to him "Rabbi, we look to you so we don't die! It seems to us that the rain is only falling to destroy the world." He said before Him "I did not ask for this, but for rains of grace, blessing, and abundance." It fell as he decreed until the whole nation went up to the Temple Mount on account of the rains...Said Rabbi Yochanan, "All the days of that righteous one, he was troubled about this verse (Psalme 126:1), 'A Song of Ascents: With the Lord's return of the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers.' He said, 'Is there someone who can fall asleep for seventy years in a dream?' One day, he was walking on the road and saw a certain man that was planting a carob tree. He said to him, 'How many years until this [tree] will be laden [with fruit]?' He said to him, 'Until seventy years.' He said to him, 'Is it obvious to you that you will live [another] seventy years?' He said to him, 'That man found the world with carob trees. In the same way as my fathers planted for me, I will also plant for my children.' He sat and wrapped bread (ate his meal). Sleep came to him and he fell asleep. A boulder encircled him and he was shielded from the eye [of others] and he fell asleep for seventy years. When he got up, he saw a certain man that was plucking [the fruits of the carob tree]. He said to him, 'Are you the one that planted it?' He said to him, 'I am the son of his son.' He said to him, 'It is understood from this that I fell asleep for seventy years.' He saw that his donkey had given birth to several generations. He went to his home and he said to them, Is the son of Choni the Circle-maker alive? They said to him, 'His son is not, but the son of his son is.' He said to them, 'I am Choni the Circle-maker.' They did not believe him. He went to the study hall and he heard the rabbis who were saying. 'Our discussions are as clear as in the years of Choni the Circle-maker. Since when he would come to the study hall, he would answer all the questions that the rabbis had.' He said to them, 'I am he.' They did not believe him and they did not give him the respect that was appropriate. His feelings were upset and he prayed for mercy and died."