from the depths rosh hashanah i - wordpress.com · from the depths rosh hashanah i shanah tovah....

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RabbiJonathanCranerabbicrane@gmail.com

FromtheDepthsRoshHashanahI

ShanahTovah. Thismorningwebendourwayintothenewyear.Wecurve,twist,andtwirltimeatthistime.Weweavetogetherpastandfutureintothispresentmoment.ForisnotthisRoshHashanahthesameaslastyear’sRoshHashanah?Arewenotrecapitulating,repeating,redoingwhatwe’vealreadydone?Asifinaprofoundfitofdéjàvu,wefindourselvesthisRoshHashanahwrappedagainupincreation,revelationandredemption. Asiftimeitselfwereawreath,wegarlandourselveswithyetanotheryear,proclaimingRoshHashanahacrownthatissimultaneouslyancientandeternal,neverchanging,newjustasitalwayswas.Timewrapsinonitself. Andthenagain…

ThoughthisRoshHashanahmayseemlikeeverypreviousone,itisnot.Itisthestartofanewyear,5772,ayearthatheretoforehasneverbeen.5771hasnowconcluded.Weforgeaheadintoanotherchapter,andthisRoshHashanahisbuttheintroductoryparagraphofanewstory,ayear’sadventureawaitingtobewrittenandexperienced.Inthisversionofthings,timeisnotcircular;timeislinear.Itextendsbothbehindusandinfrontofus,shimmeringandhazyifwelookoutineitherdirectiontoofar.

Awreath.Anever‐expandingrod.

*** Whiletempting,IdonotwanttodwellonthesenotionsoftimeasmuchasIwanttogofishing.Comejoinme. Let’sstartatthebeginning.Well,notexactlyatthebeginningbutonthefifthday. “AndGodsaid,‘Letthewatersbringforthswarmsoflivingcreatures,andbirdsthatflyabovetheearthacrosstheexpanseofsky.”AndGodcreatedthehataninimhag’dolim,andallthelivingcreaturesofeverykindthatcreep,whichthewatersbroughtforthinswarms,andall

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thewingedbirdsofeverykind.AndGodsawthatthiswasgood.Godblessedthem,saying,‘Befertileandincrease,fillthewatersintheseas,andletthebirdsincreaseontheearth.’Andtherewaseveningandtherewasmorning,afifthday.”1 Whatarethesehataninimhag’dolim?Accordingtomosttranslations,hataninimhag’dolimaregreatseamonstersorhugewhales. Butnow,seriously,whataregreatseamonsters?Andwhichhugewhaleswouldhavebeencreatedatthebeginningofallthings?Andhavesuchmassivecreaturestrulyfulfilledtheblessingofprocreatingandfillingtheoceans? AccordingtooneoftheearliesttranslationsoftheBiblefromHebrewintoAramaic,thesehataninimhag’dolimwerenoneotherthanLeviathan.2Andeversincethen,mostofthegreatbiblicalcommentatorsoverthepasttwothousandyearsagreethatthesegreatseacreatureswereLeviathan.3 Ok.ButwhoorwhatisLeviathan? Beforeourfishyadventuretakesustoofarfromshoreintheoceanthatisrabbinicliterature,let’sexamineourlinguisticmoorings. Weshouldnotethathataninimcomesfromtheroottanan,whichmeanstoextendorstretchout,asintoexpandalongwaysorlength.Thisword,tanan,isfoundinmanyancientlanguagesandeverywhereitmeanslongorstretchedout,andmanylanguageslinkittothesea. AndLeviathancomesfromtherootlevi,thenameofJacob’sthirdson,which–aslevayah‐meansgarland,wreathorcrown,anditstemsfromtheideaofbendingandjoining.4 Soalreadythenamesforthesegreatseacreaturesdenotetwodramaticallydifferentphysiques.Theonesuggestsacreaturethatishugebecauseitislong,andtheothersuggestsacreaturethatishugebecauseittwistsbackuponitself. Itmakessense,then,forustobepreparedtoencounterbothkindsofseacreatures. Actually,letmecorrectmyself.Therearethreekindsofmassiveseacreaturesnotjusttwo.AccordingtotheprophetIsaiah,therearetwospeciesofLeviathan.Onekind,leviatannachashbariyach,wasa1Genesis1:20‐21.2TargumYonatan,Genesis1:21.3Rashi,Genesis1:21.SeealsoRashbam,Radak,Ramban–amongothers.4See,forexample,Proverbs1:9and4:9.

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leviathanbolt‐likeserpent.Theotherwasleviatannachash‘auklaton,aleviathantwisted‐likeserpent.Andunlikemosteveryoneelsewhoequatesleviathanswithtaninim,Isaiahthinkstheyaredistinctmassivebeasts.5AnditwasKingSolomonwhosaidthetananimlivedinthegreatdepthsoftheseas–asiftosuggestthattheLeviathancreaturesdidnotdwellinthedeep.6 TherabbisoftheTalmudtrytoreconcilethesecompetingtheoriesbyclaimingthatGodcreatedtheLeviathansonthefifthdaylikealltheotherfishesofthesea–thesamedaywhenthetaninimgedolimwerecreated.Andlikealltheothercreatures,GodcreatedamaleandafemaleLeviathan.7InsofarasbothspeciesofLeviathanandthetaninimareequallyoldandsimilarlymysteriouscreaturesofthesea,itisreasonabletothinkofthemasthesame.Butperhapsthistheorydoesn’tholdwater. Forexample,CarlLinnaeus,theSweedish18thCenturyzoologist,identifiedandclassifiedaparticularfishastheCepolaTænia,whichwasalsoknownastheBandfish.Thisfishisalengthy,eel‐likecreaturebutwithscales,adorsalfinrunningthelengthofitsback,aswellasaventralfinrunningits’belly’sfulllength.

5Isaiah27:4.6Psalms148:7.7B.BabaBatra74b.SeealsoTargumYonatan,Genesis1:21.

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TodaythisCepolaTæniamightbecalledtheOarFish,whichcangrowupto56feetlong.Suchfishfeedprimarilyonzooplankton,butalsoonsmallfish,jellyfishandsquid.

Leviathan,bycontrast,isunderstoodtobesolargethatittwists

uponitself,asshowninthis14thCenturyillustrationfromtheGoldenHaggadahofBarcelona.

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AndwhenLeviathanishungry,itblowsfirefromitsmouthand

hotairfromitsnostrilstomakethewatersofthedeepboil.Itthenconsumeseverythingthatdiedfromtheheat–fish,dolphin,whaleandcrustaceanalike.Whenthirsty,Leviathanwouldconsumesomuchwateritwouldcausemajorravinesintheocean.Overall,Leviathanissorepulsivethatitsstenchwouldsuffocateanywhodaredcomenear.8Hereitisdepictedinthis13thCenturyGermanbibleillustration,withthebehemotandziz–twoothermysticalcreaturesforgedinthefirstdaysofcreation.

8SeeB.BabaBatra75a.Onseethingthedeep,Job41:23.Onfireandhotair,Job41:19.

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AccordingtoJob,Leviathancouldnotbecapturedbyhook,cord

orbarb.Hewassobigthattolookuponhimsurelycrushedanyhopeofsurvivalonemayhavehad.9

ThisiswhatJobsays:“IwanttoemphasizeLeviathan’slimbsanditsenormousstrengthandgracefulform.Whocanstripoffitshideandwhocanpenetrateitsdoublelayerofarmor?Whocouldpryopenitsjaws?Foritsteethareterrible!Itsscalesarelikerowsofshieldstightlysealedtogether.Theyaresoclosetogetherthatnoaircangetbetweenthem.Eachscalestickstighttothenext.Theyinterlockandcannotbepenetrated….Arrowscannotmakeitflee.Stonesshotfromaslingarelikebitsofgrass.Clubsarelikeabladeofgrassanditlaughsattheswishofjavelins.Itsbellyiscoveredwithscalesassharpasglass.Itplowsupthegroundasitdragsthroughthemud.”10

ItwouldseemthatinJob’seyesLeviathanismoreadragonthanaseaserpent.ObviouslythisinspiredWilliamBlakeintheearly19th

9Job40:25‐41:26.10Job41:12‐17…28‐30.

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CenturyinthisdepictionofbothLeviathanandBehemot.

DespiteLeviathan’sterrifyingphysiqueandatrociousstench,the

rabbisoftheTalmudinsistitwasexceedinglyafraidofonefish,theweelittlestickleback–afishofamerethreeinches.11SorryBlake,Iknownodragonafraidofthestickleback.

11Thekilbit.B.Shabbat77b.

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Nevertheless,becauseLeviathanwassomassive,wereitableto

reproduce,itwouldhaveendangeredthewholeworld.Indeed,itwouldhavebeenastinkingmessiftheydid!Inordertoprotecttheworldfromsuchadisgustingthreat,GodimmediatelysetaboutcastratingthemaleLeviathans.12 Butwhataboutthefemales?Whyweretheyspared?

Well–theywerenot.Accordingtotherabbis,Godkilledthemandpreservedtheminsalttoserveatamealfortherighteousintheworldtocome.13

Why,youmightask,brinethefemaleandnotthemale?Because,saythegourmandrabbisofold,pickledfemalefisharetastierthanpickledmalefish.And,lestyouworryyouwon’tgetapieceofthistastymorsel,shouldanyofthisgiantpickledfemaleLeviathanthatGodwillservetotherighteousscholarsintheworldtocomebeleftover,itwillbesoldinthemarketsofJerusalem.14

Isn’titnicethatGodtheCreatorisnowGodtheCook–andacookexclusivelyfortherabbis,theonescreatingthesetheoriesinthefirstplace? LestyouthinkthatistheendofLeviathan,itistheendofherinnards.Butherskin,however,willbeusedbyGodtocreatetentsinwhichtherighteouswillbeshelteredwhiletheyconsumeherflesh.AndanyleftoverskinwillbestretchedacrossthewholeofJerusalemas

12B.BabaBatra74b.13B.BabaBatra74b.14B.BabaBatra75a.

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acanopy.Andthelightstreamingfromitwillilluminethewholeworld.15 Solet’snotkidourselves.Thebibleisnotamarinebiologybook.Itissomethingelse–somethingmoreprofoundthanmerebiology,which,don’tgetmewrong,isveryimportantandcomplex.Rather,thebibleisabookthatinmanyplacesspeaksinriddleswhileinotherplacesspeakscandidlyaboutthecuriositiesoflife.Itisabookthatusesmultiplevoicestoconveycomplexideas.Itisasourcethatshimmersthemoreyouexamineit. Atleastonthisissueofthetaninimhagedolimandtheleviathan,itcouldverywellbethattheBibledoesnotrefersomuchtogreatseacreaturesthatsmellbad,havenastybreath,orscalybellies.Rather,thesecreaturescouldbesymbolsofsomethingelse,metaphorsforsomethingwithwhichwecanreadilyidentify. Take,forexample,thehumaninterpretationgivenbyRabbiDavidAltschulerwho,in17thCenturyPrague,wrotethattheleviatannachashbariyach,theleviathanbolt‐likeserpentisactuallyametaphorforIshmael,becauseIshmaelspans(mavriach–thesamerootasbariyach)mostoftheinhabitedareasfromoneendoftheearthtoanother,justastheleviathanspanstheseafromoneendtoanother.Theleviatannachash‘auklaton,theleviathantwisted‐likeserpent,representsEdomorRome–whichiscrookedinitsdeeds,andliketheexcessivelymassiveleviathantwistingitselfinthesea,sotoodoesRomecontortitself.Andfinallythetaninimrepresenttheothergentilenationsthatdwellintheislandsofthesea.16 InRabbiAltshuler’sperspective,thetaninimandleviathansrepresentdifferentkindsofpeople.Theyarepeoplewhoarerelativelypredictablebecausetheirmoralsareclosetoours,justasIshmaelisAbraham’schildandIsaac’shalf‐brother.Theyarepeoplewhotwistandwrenchpowerforgreedypurposes,asRomemostassuredlydid.Andtheyarepeoplewhoareseeminglyinnocuousandisolateduntothemselvesintheseaofhumanity. Wecouldalsogiveamoretemporalinterpretationofthesecreatures.Thebolt‐likeleviathanislikethosepeoplewhohurriedlychaseafterthenextthingandabandonthepasttooquickly.Thetwistingleviathanislikethosepeoplewhoalwaysreturntotheir

15FoundinTheLegendsoftheJews.I:28.16MetzudatDavidtoIsaiah27:1.

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memoriesandcanneverescapethepast.Andthetaninimarethosepeoplewhoarecapturedonislandsoftime,neitheradventuringfurtherafieldnorabletoletthepasttrulybebygone.Suchtaninimwanderaroundthedepthsoftheiremotionalseas,wonderingwhensomeonewillpullthemtonewer,morebeautifulwatersandshores. Solet’sgetpersonal.Whichbeastareyou?Ifyouweretobeoneofthesegreatseamonsters,whichwouldyoube?WouldyoubethefamiliarneighborlikeIshmael?ThebrutishRoman?Ordoyoufancyyourselfblandandnameless?Or,perhapsyouaresomeonewhorushesawayfromthepast,evereagerforthenextmoment,neversatisfiedwhereyouarejustnow.Orwouldyoubethepersonwhocannotseethepresentmuchlessthefuturebecausethepastloomssolarge?Orperhapsyouaremoderatelycontentforthemomentyetyouwonderwhereyou’vebeenandwhereyoumightbegoing? Howeverweunderstandthesegreatseacreatures,wecanbesuretheyexist.Well,theyexistinsofaraswecontinuetospeakofthem.Andtheyexistinsofarastheycontinuetoinspireustowrestlewithtimeandritual,andwithcreation,revelationandredemption.Andifwewrestlewiththemenough,wewillfindourselvessimultaneouslyrevisitingfamiliargroundaswellasencounteringnewchallengesandexperiencingnewadventures.Andthroughalifetimeofsuchwrestling,wewilleventuallysensehowmuchlifeitselfisapickle,aparadoxicalpushforwardandatugbackward. ***

“AndGodsaid,‘Letthewatersbringforthswarmsoflivingcreatures,andbirdsthatflyabovetheearthacrosstheexpanseofsky.”AndGodcreatedthehataninimhag’dolim,andallthelivingcreaturesofeverykindthatcreep,whichthewatersbroughtforthinswarms,andallthewingedbirdsofeverykind.AndGodsawthatthiswasgood.17

Mayyourencounterswithsuchgreatseacreaturesthisyearenableyoutoproclaim,mightilyandproudly–likeGod–thatthoughitisoftenstrangetheworldisultimatelygood.

ShanahTovahU’Metukah.

17Genesis1:20‐21.

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