Torah Portion C ngregation Shaarey Zedek Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Controlling Our Instincts Elevates Our Position Jewish Parenting Center 4200 Walnut Lake Rd., WesfBloomfield ER C The human being, as a biological entity, naturally must eat and drink to survive. Thus, eating is the metaphor for the physical, material nature of mankind. The paradigm of sin is the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the "eating" of the forbidden fruit. Man's biological nature, the nature n this week's Torah portion, we that man has in common with the ani- have the famous selling of Joseph into slavery by his own mals, demands that he eats and drink. On the other hand, man as an intellec- brothers. tual being who is capable of the spiri- This sale, which ultimately brought tual dimension of acknowledging the the Jewish people to Egypt and slav- existence of, and cultivating a relation- ery, was actually not the brothers' ship with, the divine requires him to original intention. The verses describe control, discipline and subli- that at the outset, they had mate his biological, animal intended to murder Joseph needs. This is the tension but were dissuaded by that is the human condition, Reuben; instead they decided the continuing struggle to to leave him in a pit to die of achieve the proper balanc( exposure or starvation. that thc Torah prescribes ,,) Later in the Torah (Genesis lead a sanctified life. 42:21), we have a guilt-ridden The human being can description of the event; the become as an animal and brothers "... saw the suffering of his soul; when he pleaded RABBI ELIEZER negate his intellectual and spiritual dimension as did with us and we did not lis- COHEN the brothers of Joseph and ten." Here we are presented Special to The the worshippers of the gold- with the brothers of Joseph Jewish News en calf. Esau sold his plotting fratricide and, in birthright for the "food he fact, willingly (except for needed" and, as the Torah says Reuben and possibly Judah) carrying out their intention to cause the death (Genesis 25:34), "And he ate and drank and denigrated his birthright." of their brother and to lie to their Even at the moment of sublime fathers about the "disappearance." attainment, many fail to maintain The verses of the Torah describe their the spiritual high of God's revelation, behavior at the time of this monstrous like those who saw the vision and yet deed by saying simply (Genesis 37:25), "And they sat down to eat bread." They ate and drank. Only Moses could say (Deuteronomy have thrown their brother into a pit and 9:9,18), "I didn't eat bread or drink left him to suffer and die, and they sit water." For the rest of us, it is a continu- down and eat with his cries and pleas al challenge and struggle to sanctify and ringing in their ears. elevate our existence above the animalis- This motif of eating without regard tic. This may be the reason for the fasr to the seriousness and gravity of the situ- and physical abstinence of Yom ation appears several times in the Torah. as we attempt to elevate ourselves spiri- At the very moment of the descent of tually in our relationship with God and the nation into the depths of idolatry with the construction of the golden calf, our fellow man. ". .. for man does not live by bread the Torah tells us (Exodus 32:6), "... and alone, but rather by all that comes from the nation sat down to eat and to the mouth of the Lord does man live. drink." The nation that only days before (Deuteronomy 8:3) experienced the revelation at Mt. Sinai has at this juncture abrogated its covenant with the creator of all and at this very same moment simply sits down to eat and drink. What mitzvot in the Torah limit Similarly, the Torah describes an what we may eat and our sexual event of divine revelation to the elite of activity? What does sanctity the nation wherein they actually see mean and how can we achieve it? some kind of vision of God Himself; How can our behavior toward and yet, at this ultimate moment of our fellow man reflect sanctity? their perception of the divine, the Torah What could possibly could justify declares (Exodus 24:11), "And they are the behavior of Joseph's brothers? and drank." 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