אַקְדָּמוּת מִלִּין וְשָׁרָיוּת שׁוּתָא,
אַוְלָא שָׁקֵלְנָא הַרְמָן וּרְשׁוּתָא:
זַכָּאִין כִּי שְׁמַעְתּוּן שְׁבַח דָּא שִׁירָתָא,
קְבִיעִין כֵּן תֶּהֱווֹן בְּהַנְהוּ חֲבוּרָתָא:
וְתִזְכּוּן דִּי תֵיתְבוּן בְּעֵלָּא דָרָתָא,
אֲרֵי תְצִיתוּן לְמִלּוֹי דְנָפְקִין בְּהַדְרָתָא:
Before reciting the Ten Commandments,
I first ask permission and approval.
You upright, having heard this hymn of praise,
May you be in that blissful company!
You will merit to sit in the first row,
If you will obey God’s majestic words.
(א) בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃ (ב) וַיִּסְע֣וּ מֵרְפִידִ֗ים וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נֶ֥גֶד הָהָֽר:
(1) On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. (2) Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain.
(י) ויחן שם ישראל. כל מקום שהוא אומר ויסעו ויחנו, נוסעים במחלוקת וחונים במחלוקת, אבל כאן השוו כולם לב אחד, לכך נאמ' ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר.
(10) (Exodus 19:2) "And Israel encamped there": Elsewhere it is written "and they journeyed," "and they encamped" — they journeyed in quarrel and encamped in quarrel. Here, they were of one heart — wherefore it is written "and (it) encamped."
ויחן שם ישראל. כאיש אחד בלב אחד, אבל שאר כל החניות בתרעומות ובמחלוקת (מכילתא שם):
AND THERE ISRAEL ENCAMPED as one man and with one mind — but all their other encampments were made in a murmuring spirit and in a spirit of dissension (Mekhilta)
וענין ג' הוא בחינת ייעוד חכמים בהתחברות בלב שלם ותמים לא שיהיו בד בבד שעליהם אמר הכתוב (ידמיה נ) חרב אל הבדים (בדכות ס''ג.), אלא יתועדו יחד ויחדדו זה לזה ויסבירו פנים זה לזה, וכנגד זה אמר ויחן שם ישראל לשון יחיד שנעשו כולן יחד כאיש אחד, והן עתה הם ראוים לקבלת התורה:
(the third thing is) the teaching of the wise coming together with each other, and connecting with a full and whole friendship (heart). Not to be separated from each other, as for that the Talmud teaches us based on the words of Jeremiah, that it's like a sword on those who are [studying] alone. But, we need to come together, grow from each other [from the differences], and treat each other nicely. That is why the Torah uses a singular word, because all the Israelites became like one person - and now they were ready to receive to Torah.
(free translation by Abby Stein)
וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ.
(27) And The Divine created humanity in Their image, in the image of of the Divine was humanity created.
“Often, when people begin conversations and they want to say ‘Our community does Judaism like this,’ and others say, ‘Ours does it like that. Ours is different,’ and I want to say, ‘No. Tamid Echad / Always and forever one.’
This oneness goes through history and it goes through Klal Yisroel / all the God wrestlers with whom we feel we share. [It goes through our connection to other religions too,] and the commonality also extends beyond human beings: We share with the birds, we share with the mammals, [with] the chimpanzees (who [have been shown to be able to] learn how to speak to each other in American Sign Language and then pass it on to the next generation). And when I watch the geese and the little goslings down at the lake, they also connect me with the oneness of it all.”
- Reb Zalman schachter-shalomi, “Renewal is not Judaism-lite“, 1998
לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי, ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש אחת, מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא. וכל המקיים נפש אחת, מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא.
That is why the the first person was created alone, to teach you that one who destroys one soul the Torah ascribes them blame as if they destroyed an entire world. And anyone who sustains one soul, the Torah ascribes the, credit as if he sustained an entire world.
Notably, the version of this text that appears in modern-day editions of the Bavli includes the word “מישראל “which gives a very different meaning of the text.
From Rav Aryeh Cohen: “This a difference between Palestinian and Babylonian manuscripts (of the Mishnah). The Kaufman, Parma, and Lowe manuscripts of the mishnah which represent the Palestinian tradition do not have מישראל while the Babylonian manuscripts which are represented by the mishnahs found in manuscripts of the Bavli (e.g. Florence or Yad Harav Herzog) have מישראל.) “
I’ve felt a bit this past week that this manuscript discrepancy is an extremely on-the-nose metaphor. I’ve been horrified to see some Jewish people I know mourning Hamas’ attacks while seeming completely unphased about Israeli air strikes on Gaza and the blockade. That’s not to mention the politicians on the far-right who have made calls to “flatten Gaza.” It’s hard to fathom that some people are walking around with the version of reality that mourns the death of one nation’s children but celebrates the death of another.
- R. Lara Haft Yom-Tov, October 2023
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ.
Q'uran, 5:32:
Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.
וְאֵין הוֹרְגִין אִשָּׁה וְלֹא קָטָן.
Neither women or children should be killed.
כְּשֶׁצָּרִין עַל עִיר לְתָפְשָׂהּ. אֵין מַקִּיפִין אוֹתָהּ מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹתֶיהָ אֶלָּא מִשָּׁלֹשׁ רוּחוֹתֶיהָ. וּמַנִּיחִין מָקוֹם לַבּוֹרֵחַ וּלְכָל מִי שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לְהִמָּלֵט עַל נַפְשׁוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לא, ז) "וַיִּצְבְּאוּ עַל מִדְיָן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת משֶׁה". מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁבְּכָךְ צִוָּהוּ:
When a siege is placed around a city to conquer it, it should not be surrounded on all four sides, only on three. A place should be left for the inhabitants to flee and for all those who desire, to escape with their lives, as it is written Numbers 31:7: 'And they besieged Midian as God commanded Moses.' According to tradition, He commanded them to array the siege as described.
אֵין קוֹצְצִין אִילָנֵי מַאֲכָל שֶׁחוּץ לַמְּדִינָה וְאֵין מוֹנְעִין מֵהֶם אַמַּת הַמַּיִם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּיבְשׁוּ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כ, יט) "לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ". וְכָל הַקּוֹצֵץ לוֹקֶה.
We should not cut down fruit trees outside a city nor prevent an irrigation ditch from bringing water to them so that they dry up, as Deuteronomy 20:19 states: 'Do not destroy its trees.' Anyone who cuts down such a tree should be lashed.
(ב) שֹׁרֶשׁ הַמִּצְוָה יָדוּעַ, שֶׁהוּא כְּדֵי לְלַמֵּד נַפְשֵׁנוּ לֶאֱהֹב הַטּוֹב וְהַתּוֹעֶלֶת וּלְהִדָּבֵק בּוֹ, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ תִּדְבַּק בָּנוּ הַטּוֹבָה, וְנַרְחִיק מִכָּל דָּבָר רַע וּמִכָּל דְּבַר הַשְׁחָתָה. וְזֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ הַחֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה, אוֹהֲבִים שָׁלוֹם וּשְׂמֵחִים בְּטוּב הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבִים אוֹתָן לַתּוֹרָה, וְלֹא יְאַבְּדוּ אֲפִלּוּ גַּרְגֵּר שֶׁל חַרְדָּל בָּעוֹלָם, וְיֵצַר עֲלֵיהֶם בְּכָל אֲבַדּוֹן וְהַשְׁחָתָה שֶׁיִּרְאוּ, וְאִם יוּכְלוּ לְהַצִּיל יַצִּילוּ כָּל דָּבָר מֵהַשְׁחִית בְּכָל כֹּחָם. וְלֹא כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים אֲחֵיהֶם שֶׁל מַזִּיקִים, שְׂמֵחִים בְּהַשְׁחָתַת עוֹלָם, וְהֵמָּה מַשְׁחִיתִים אֶת עַצְמָם, בְּמִדָּה שֶׁאָדָם מוֹדֵד בָּהּ מוֹדְדִין לוֹ. כְּלוֹמַר, בָּהּ הוּא נִדְבָּק לְעוֹלָם, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי יז, ה) שָׂמֵחַ לְאֵיד לֹא יִנָּקֶה. וְהֶחָפֵץ בַּטּוֹב וְשָׂמֵחַ בּוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ בְּטוֹב תָּלִין לְעוֹלָם, זֶה יָדוּעַ וּמְפֻרְסָם.
(2) The root of this commandment is well-known — it is in order to teach our souls to love good and benefit and to cling to it. And through this, good clings to us and we will distance [ourselves] from all bad and destructive things. And this is the way of the pious and people of [proper] action — they love peace and are happy for the good of the creatures and bring them close to Torah, and they do not destroy even a grain of mustard in the world. And they are distressed by all loss and destruction that they see; and if they can prevent it, they will prevent any destruction with all of their strength. But not so are the wicked — the brothers of the destructive spirits. They rejoice in the destruction of the world, and they destroy themselves — [since] in the way that a person measures, so is he measured; which is to say that he clings to it forever, as the matter that is written (Proverbs 17:5), “the one who rejoices in calamity, will not be cleared (of evil).” And the one who desires the good and rejoices in it, “his soul will dwell in the good” forever. This is known and famous.
(ה) שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (ו) בְּסֹדָם֙ אַל־תָּבֹ֣א נַפְשִׁ֔י בִּקְהָלָ֖ם אַל־תֵּחַ֣ד כְּבֹדִ֑י כִּ֤י בְאַפָּם֙ הָ֣רְגוּ אִ֔ישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם עִקְּרוּ־שֽׁוֹר׃
(5) Simeon and Levi are a pair; Their weapons are tools of lawlessness.
(6) Let not my person be included in their council, Let not my being be counted in their assembly.
(ז) אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
(7) Cursed be their anger so fierce, And their wrath so relentless. I will divide them in Jacob, Scatter them in Israel.
ויעקב אמר להם בכאן כי הביאוהו בסכנה. שנאמר: עכרתם אותי להבאישני. ושם: ארר אפם. כי עשו חמס לאנשי העיר, שאמרו להם במעמדו וישבנו אתכם והיינו לעם אחד, והם היו בוחרים בהם ובעטו בדבורם. ואולי ישובו אל ה' והרגו אותם חנם, כי לא הרעו להם כלל. וזהו שאמר כלי חמס מכרותיהם (בראשית מ״ט:ה׳).
Jacob told them here that they had placed him in danger, as it is said, You have troubled me, to make me odious, and there, [i.e., at the time he blessed the other children], he cursed the wrath of Simeon and Levi for they had done violence to the men of the city whom they had told in his presence, And we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. They would have chosen to believe in G-d and trust their word, and perhaps they might have indeed returned to G-d and thus Simeon and Levi killed them without cause for the people had done them no evil at all. It is this which Jacob said, Weapons of violence are their kinship.
(6) “This is the word of Hashem to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, said Source of Hosts.
זקיני הרבי ר' אלימלך מליז'נסק
אַדְּרַבָּא, תֵּן בְּלִבֵּנוּ שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כָּל אֶחָד מַעֲלַת חֲבֵרֵינוּ וְלא חֶסְרוֹנָם, וְשֶׁנְּדַבֵּר כָּל אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר וְהָרָצוּי לְפָנֶיךָ, וְאַל יַעֲלֶה שׁוּם שִׂנְאָה מֵאֶחָד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ חָלִילָה.
וּתְחַזֵּק הִתְקַשְּׁרוּתֵנוּ בְּאַהֲבָה אֵלֶיךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לְפָנֶיךָ. שֶׁיְּהֵא הַכֹּל נַחַת רוּחַ אֵלֶיךָ, וְזֶה עִקַּר כַּוָּנָתֵנוּ.
אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717-1787)
On the contrary, place in our hearts the ability to see only the good in our friends and not their shortcomings!
May we speak to each other in a way that is straight and desirable in Your eyes. May there be no hatred between friends, Heaven forbid.
Strengthen our ties and our bond to You with love, as it is revealed and known to You that we strive to give You only satisfaction and pleasure.
Amen, may it be your will!
Noor Hindi
Fuck Your Lecture on Craft, My People Are Dying
Colonizers write about flowers.
I tell you about children throwing rocks at Israeli tanks
seconds before becoming daisies.
I want to be like those poets who care about the moon.
Palestinians don’t see the moon from jail cells and prisons.
It’s so beautiful, the moon.
They’re so beautiful, the flowers.
I pick flowers for my dead father when I’m sad.
He watches Al Jazeera all day.
I wish Jessica would stop texting me Happy Ramadan.
I know I’m American because when I walk into a room something dies.
Metaphors about death are for poets who think ghosts care about sound.
When I die, I promise to haunt you forever.
One day, I’ll write about the flowers like we own them.
מְקוֹר הַחַיִּים:
הַצֵל נָא אֶת כָּל אַרְצֶךָ בֵּין הַיַרְדֵּן לַיָּם מִשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים. כָּל הָיּוֹשְׁבִים וְהָעוֹבְרִים בָּהּ, תַּחַת כָּל שִׁלְטוֹן, תַּצִילֵם נָּא מִשִּׂנְאָה בַּחוּץ וּמְשִּׂנְאָה בִּפְנִים. וְנָתַתָּ שָׁלוֹם וְשֶׁפַע בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ, שַׁלְוָה לִמְגִנֶיהָ, וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם לְכָל יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ. שִׂים שָׁלוֹם, טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה, צֶדֶק, וְחֵירוּת לְכָל תּוֹשְׁבֶיהָ, וְתִקְוָה טוֹבָה לְכָל עַמֶיהָ, וּלְכָל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל.
יְהִי רָצוֹן, שֶׁתְּבַטֵּל מִלְחָמוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים מִן הָעוֹלָם, וְתַמְשִׁיךְ שָׁלוֹם גָּדוֹל וְנִפְלָא בָּעוֹלָם. וִיקֻיַּם בָּנוּ הַכָּתוּב: לֹא־יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל־גּוֹי חֶרֶב, וְלֹא־יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה. יַכִּירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל הָאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ, אֲשֶׁר לֹא בָּאנוּ לְזֶה הָעוֹלָם בִּשְׁבִיל רִיב וּמַחֲלֹקֶת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְלֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שִׂנְאָה, וְקִנְאָה, וְקִנְטוּר, וּשְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. אַדְּרַבָּה, בָּאנוּ לְזֶה הָעוֹלָם בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כָּל אֶחָד מַעֲלַת כָּל חַי וְלֹא חֶסְרוֹנָם, וּלְתַקֵּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם בְּאַהֲבָה לְכָל חַי, וּרְדִיפַת הַצֶּדֶק הַמַבִיאֵנוּ לִידֵי שָׁלוֹם.
עוֹשָׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמֶיהָ, הִיא תַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם, עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל כָּל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְעַל כָּל יוֺשְׁבֵי תֵבֶל.
וְנֹאמַר: אָמֵן.
Source of Life:
Rescue all of your lands, from the Jordan River to the Sea, from bloodshed. All who reside and sojourn there, under every government, save them from hate from within and hatred from without. Grant peace and abundance in all the land, and secure calm to her defenders, lasting joy to all her inhabitants. Establish peace, goodness, blessing, justice, and liberation to all who sit within her, and real hope to all her peoples, and to all the world’s inhabitants.
May it be the Universal will, that we see the day when war and bloodshed cease from the world, when a great and wondrous peace will embrace the whole world. May we swiftly and in our generation see the fulfillment of our ancient wish: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Rather, let all who live on Earth recognize and know the truth in its truest sense, that we did not come into this world for fighting and controversy, nor for hatred, envy, provocation or bloodshed. The opposite is true: We came into this world to see the positive qualities of every living being and not their defects, and to improve the whole world with love to everyone, and pursuit of justice that will bring us into the embrace of peace.
And let us say: Let it be. Amen.
May 2024 by Abby Stein. Based on prayers found on neohasid.org, prayer for peace from Reb Nachmen of Breslov, the Prayer Before Prayers from my grandfather Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk, and personal contemporary additions.