A Most Holy
Refrain
R. Yaakov
Bieler
Parashat
Kedoshim, 5766
Chapter 19 of Parshat Kedoshim
contains a particularly inordinate number of verses listing various individual
Commandments,[1]
each concluding with the words “Ani HaShem” (I am God) or “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem” (I am God, your Lord):
VaYikra 19:3
An individual should fear his
mother and father, and My Shabbatot he should observe “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”.
Ibid.
19:4
Do not turn unto the false gods
and do not make for yourself molten gods, “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”.
Ibid.
19:10
You shall not glean your vineyard
nor shall you gather the single grapes of your vineyard. You will leave them for
the poor and the stranger “Ani HaShem Elokeichem”.
Ibid.
19:12
Do not swear by My Name falsely,
for then you would be profaning the Name of your God, “Ani
HaShem”.
Ibid.
19:14
Do not curse a deaf individual,
and before a blind person do not place a stumbling block, and you will fear from
before your God, “Ani HaShem”.
Ibid.
19:16
Do not go as a tale bearer among
your people; do not stand idly by when your friend’s blood is being spilled,
“Ani HaShem”.
Ibid.
19:18
You shall not take revenge and you
will not hold a grudge the children of your nation, and you will love your
friend as yourself, “Ani HaShem”.
Ibid.
19:25
And in the fifth year you will eat
its fruit in order to add to you your harvest, “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”.
Ibid.
19:28
You shall not make any cuttings in
your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you, “Ani
HaShem”.
Ibid.
19:30
And My Shabbatot you shall
observe, and my
Ibid.
19:31
You shall not turn to mediums or
wizards, nor seek to be defiled by them, “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”.
Ibid.
19:32
You will stand before the hoary
head (a person with white hair, i.e., elderly), and honor the face of the old
man, and you will fear your God, “Ani HaShem”.
Ibid.
19:34
But the stranger that dwells with you shall be as one born among you, and
you shall love him as yourself, because you were sojourners in the
Ibid.
19:36
Just balances, just weights, a
just Epha and a just Hin, shall you have, “Ani HaShem Elokeichem” Who
Brought you out of the
The concentration of verses ending
with a form of this particular phrase within a single chapter of VaYikra
suggests that in addition to each of these topics individually being enhanced in
terms of its importance and religious significance by a direct reference to God
as the source of the topic,[2]
that there is some common theme that links them all together. R. David Tzvi
Hoffmann (Sefer VaYikra, Vol. 2, Mosad HaRav Kook, Yerushalayim, 5714, pp.
26-27) suggests an approach by which the verses in question can be organized
into a cohesive whole.[3]
These 15 statements[4]
are divided into three groups: The first consists of three verses (19:2-4),[5]
the second of five verses (19:9-18),[6],[7]
and the third seven verses (
Between each group, a section is
inserted that does not end in “Ani HaShem”. Between the first and second groups
the laws of “Pigul”[9]
and “Notar”[10]
are inserted (19:5-8), and between the second and third groups the laws of
“Kilaim”[11]
and “Shifcha Charufa”[12]
are inserted (
The division into three groups can
be explained as follows: The first group (19:2-4) with the three-word ending
“Ani HaShem Elokeichem” constitutes the introduction, followed by a formulation
of statutes that themselves are divided into two groups:
The first group (19:9-18)
include Commandments between man and man, “Mishpatim” (rational laws that
comprise a social contract) and which reach a climax with the exalted
Commandment (
The second group (appearing
within the framework of
According to the reason that is
given for these (latter) Commandments (19:33-36), i.e., that God Acted
compassionately towards Israel with respect to the Exodus from Egypt (19:34),
these laws take on the status of “Chukim” (lit. statutes; laws that are
not rational, but rather “Decrees of the King”), behaviors that God Demands from
His People, as a result of His having Freed them from a house of bondage.
Therefore at the beginning of this second group (
R. Hoffmann therefore contends
that the repetition of “Ani HaShem” both divides the list of Commandments in
VaYikra 19 and simultaneously connects them with one another. They are divided
in terms of the different finite actions that we have to perform in order to
fulfill them, but they are also of a piece in the sense that the basic reason
why we are obligated to comply with all of them is the same, i.e., because God
Ordered the Jewish people to do these things. Particularly with regard to the
Commandments that are “Bein Adam LeChaveiro” (between man and man), when Mitzvot
appear to be no more than logical and socially utilitarian, there is always a
significant danger that an individual will come to think that he is above the
law, that one or more specific Divine Directives do not apply to him since he
takes issue with the perceived rationale underlying the Commandments. Therefore,
according to R. Hoffmann, repeating the phrase “Ani HaShem” after all types of
Mitzvot serves the purpose to stress what one should be thinking during the
course of a Commandment’s fulfillment. In the same manner that one approaches
“Chukim” (lit. statutes; generally Commandments between man and God), i.e., with
faith and trust in the Lawgiver, so too must one carry out the “Mishpatim” (laws
between man and man) without calling them and their rationales into question.
Yet, while R. Hoffmann’s point is
well-taken, whether he has adequately accounted for the occurrences of the
phrase “Ani HaShem” is questionable. Why does the phrase appear in some
instances after a single verse, while in others, only after 2 or 3? Why do
certain Mitzvot have the phrase attached to them, while others do not? Is it
merely a literary matter in the sense that “Ani HaShem” had to be scattered
throughout VaYikra 19 in almost random fashion to make R. Hoffmann’s point?
While the rule (e.g., Brachot 31b) “Dibra Tora K’Lashon Bnai Adam” (the Tora
speaks in the language of people, i.e., literary conventions could be the basis
for the usage of certain terminology or repetitions of words), nevertheless, a
more comprehensive explanation that accounted for when and when not the phrase
is appropriate would have been welcome.
An earlier approach that similarly
does not attempt to group together the Commandments in light of the usage of
“Ani HaShem”, but nevertheless offers an evocative perspective for understanding
the phrase’s implications each time it is used, particularly in light of VaYikra
19, is found in the commentary of Rabbeinu Bachya on VaYikra
19:4:
After each of three consecutive
verses (19:2-4) (the phrase) “Ani HaShem Elokeichem” appears. Similarly
regarding the Commandments of the stranger (
Although one could still wonder,
based upon Rabbeinu Bachya’s explanation, why this phrase is attached to some
Mitzvot and not others, as well as why there is such a heavy concentration of
such verses in Parshat Kedoshim, Rabbeinu Bachya’s overarching principle—that
unless a person actively pursues the opportunity to fulfill Commandments, he is
imperfect and perhaps even heretical—is an important one, and has a number of
practical implications. Not all Tora that is studied is necessarily “Le’Ma’aseh”
(for practical enactment). Would Rabbeinu Bachya then claim that to study the
Orders[14]
of “Kodshim” (dealing with the Temple Service and Sacrifices) or “Taharot”
(dealing with ritual purity and impurity) is inappropriate since the vast
majority of the contents of these cannot be carried out today in the absence of
the Temple and the impossibility of gaining purity from ritual defilement by
means of a dead human body due to the impossibility of preparing the “Para
Aduma” (the red heifer, whose ashes are needed for mixing in water and
sprinkling the mixture upon the person who has been made impure via contact with
a dead human)? Furthermore, should Kohanim study only material that pertains to
them, just as Yisraelim should not attempt to understand the responsibilities of
a Kohen? Must men and women only study material that is gender specific in order
that the maximum of what is learned can be personally applied? Would Rabbeinu
Bachya then support those who although not in need of baby birds or birds eggs,
nevertheless scour the forest for a nest so that they can “fulfill” this
Commandment rather than just studying it? And what about Talmud study that is
not focused upon identifying and carrying out the “Halacha LeMa’aseh” (the
practical Halachic application)? Perhaps, if we take the liberty of speaking on
behalf of this commentator, Rabbeinu Bachya would suggest some sort of balance
between practical and theoretical, in order that the scope of Tora study does
not become overly narrow were it to confine itself exclusively to practical
scenarios, and yet can also bring the student to an understanding of the
theological and philosophical underpinnings of his tradition and religion.
Shabbat Shalom and may we merit,
by means of our lovingly and carefully fulfilling the Mitzvot of the Tora because HaShem
had Commanded us to do so, and thereby serving as the living manifestations of
the testimony that “Ani HaShem”.
[1] This essay will focus upon the
concentration of verses in Parshat Kedoshim which specify particular
Commandments incumbent upon all of Israel, in contrast to verses
that either deal with Commandments
in general,
e.g., VaYikra 18:4 You shall do My Laws, and
you will observe My Statutes to go in them, “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”;
Ibid. 18:5 And you
will observe My Statutes, and My Laws that a person does them and lives through
them, Ani HaShem”;
Ibid. 18:30 And you will observe My
Statutes, that you commit not any of these abominable actions, which were
practiced before you, and that you not defile yourselves in them, “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”;
Ibid.
Ibid. 20:7 And you
will sanctify yourselves and you will be holy because “Ani HaShem Elokeichem”;
Ibid. 24:22 You shall have one
manner of law, the same for the stranger as one of your own country, because
“Ani HaShem Elokeichem”;
Ibid. 25:55 For to Me are the
children of
behaviors required specifically of
Kohanim,
e.g., Ibid. 21:12 Neither
shall he go out of the Sanctuary, nor profane the Sanctuary of His God, for the
crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him, “Ani HaShem”;
Ibid. 22:2
Speak to Aharon and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy
things of the children of
Ibid. 22:3
Say to them: Whomever he be of all your seed throughout all the
generations who approaches the holy things which the children of Isarel hallow
to the Lord, having his ritual uncleanness upon him, the soul shall be cut off
from My Presence, “Ani HaShem”;
or Commandments that are singularly
listed, independent of any concentrated group of other
Commandments,
e.g., Ibid. 18:6 None person
shall approach to any that is near of kin to him to uncover his nakedness,
“Ani HaShem”;
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid. 25:17 You shall not defraud
one another, but you shall fear your God, for Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”;
Ibid. 26:1 You shall
make no idols nor shall you erect a carved idol, or a pillar nor shall you
install a figured stone in your land to bow down upon it, because Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”.
With respect to verses that
encompass all Commandments, it is not remarkable that they should conclude with
HaShem Identifying Himself as the Origin of these Mitzvot. Despite their
apparent diversity, i.e., Statutes, Laws, Commemorations, Testimonies, etc.,
they all emanate from a single source and a Single Will. As for Commandments
that apply to Kohanim in particular, HaShem clearly States that His Intent is
that (BaMidbar 30:45) “…they (the members of the tribe of Levi) shall be to Me”.
While no human being can become one with HaShem, to the extent that He has
Designated the Kohanim for His special Service, and they therefore are required
to act in a more holy manner than the rest of the Jews, Commandments that apply
to them understandably contain an extra dimension of sanctity, indicated by the
phrase “Ani HaShem”. Finally, when an isolated Commandment appearing in some
other section of the Tora ends with the phrase in question, the words can be
interpreted in a manner similar to the interpretations offered by the Biblical
commentators with regard to the concentration of verses in Parshat Kedoshim;
nevertheless, the 14 instances within a 37 verse span is striking and draws
attention to itself. Why does the Tora engage in creating this “mantra” for the
individual Commandments appearing in this Parsha?
[2] Examples of interpretations of the phrase when
looking at a particular verse in its own right, as opposed of trying to link
together all of the verses in which “Ani HaShem” appears,
include:
a) RaMBaN, Rabbeinu Bachya on 19:2 If
we are holy we have the possibility of clinging to HaShem, becoming one with
Him.
b) RaShI on 19:3 The authority of a
parent comes from HaShem and therefore a parent cannot order a child to
transgress against the Tora.
c) Ibn Ezra on 19:3 Emulate Me by
resting on Shabbat.
d) Ibn Ezra on 19:4 I am the only God
for you and therefore do not follow other gods.
e) RaShI on
f) RaShI on 19:14 Even if an
individual can mislead others,
HaShem Knows what his intention is when he does an action that could be
looked upon either positively or negatively.
g) Ibn Ezra on
[3] R. S.R. Hirsch (The Pentateuch,
VaYikra 2, p. 500) also groups the verses in question, but in a far more
perfunctory and, in my opinion, less insightful manner:
The verses in this chapter are
quite clearly divided into groups by the concluding words: “Ani HaShem
Elokeichem”, in v. 2, 3, 4, 10, 25, 31, 34, and 36, of which groups 11-25 and
26-31 are subdivided by certain sentences being made into separate paragraphs by
the concluding words: “Ani HaShem”.
Three fundamental sentences form
the basic pillars of our rendering ourselves holy. They deal with: a) parents
and Shabbat (v.3); b) the purity of our conception of God (v. 4); c) the purity
of and the social results of our relationship to God (v.
5-10).
Aside from personal preference, R.
Hirsch does not indicate any sort of textual cue why these verses and concepts
are more important than the others, particularly in light of so many verses
concluding with “Ani HaShem”.
[4] R. Hoffmann includes the
introductory verse of Parshat Kedoshim—VaYikra 19:2 “Speak to the entire
congregation of Israel and say to them: Be holy ‘Ki Kadosh Ani HaShem
Elokeichem’—with the verses that follow since the last three words constitute
one of the two forms of closing shared by the other 14. I would not include it
not only because it discusses Mitzvot in general or an overall approach to
religion (see the first category of verses that I exclude in fn. 1) but also
because syntactically 19:2 should be read, “Ki Kadosh Ani (because I am Holy),
the Lord your God”, i.e., the first person pronoun “Ani” is the subject of the
previous adjectival phrase “Ki Kadosh”, and therefore separated from “HaShem
Elokeichem”, in contrast the other manifestations of “Ani HaShem Elokeichem” in
VaYikra 19.
(“*” indicates that the phrase “Ani
HaShem” or “Ani HaShem Elokeichem” appears at the end of the
verse.)
[5] *19:2 The Commandment to be
holy.
*19:3 Fearing parents, observing
Shabbat.
*19:4 Do not worship idols or
manufacture molten gods.
* These Commandments restate
the primary themes found among the first 5 of the Ten Commandments (Shemot
20:2-12; Devarim 5:6-16), i.e., believing in and respecting God/refraining from
idol worship; observing Shabbat; honoring parents.
[6] *19:9-10 Leave corners of fields for
the poor; allow for gleaning of fields and vineyards by the
poor.
*19:12 Do not swear falsely by God’s
Name; do not desecrate HaShem’s Name.
*19:14 Do not curse the deaf; do not put
stumbling block in front of the blind.
*19:16 Do not be a tale bearer; do not
stand idly by when another is endangered.
*19:18 Do not take revenge or bear a
grudge; love your neighbor as yourself.
* These Commandments all deal
with interpersonal relationships. One can see how the phrase “Ani HaShem” marks
a transition from one category of interpersonal Mitzva to another. While they
all fit under a general rubric, each is a specific manifestation of a singular
aspect of this area of Tora observance:
9-10 Extending
compassion to the poor
11-12 Improper utilization of
speech.
13-14 Taking advantage of the weak
and disabled.
15-16 When in a position of power or
potential assistance, do the right and just thing.
17-18 Promote love and avoid hatred
between people.
[7] Within this second section
(19:9-18), the occurrence of “Ani HaShem” is quite symmetrical, with each two
verses being completed by the phrase. Such an orderly pattern is not repeated in
the third section (
[8] *19:23-25 Laws pertaining to when
one can begin to benefit from the fruit of newly planted fruit trees.
*19:28 Do not mutilate yourself as part
of mourning; do not create tattoos.
*19:30 Observe Shabbat; show respect for
the Sanctuary.
*19:31 Do not engage in
necromancy.
*19:32 Give honor to the
elderly.
*19:33-34 Treat strangers in your land
respectfully.
*19:35-36 Be righteous in judgment and
in all weights and measures.
* Most of these Commandments deal
with means by which an individual shows his fealty to God.
23-25 Self-control and deference to the
rules imposed by HaShem, as in all Kashrut issues (see VaYikra
26-28 Prohibitions against cultish,
magical behavior.
29-30 Respect holiness of time, place and human
beings.
31
Avoiding a particular form of idolatry.
However, 32-36 appear to revert to
the types of Commandments found in 19:9-18, listed in fn. 4 above. It is this
apparent inconsistency which serves as the basis for R. Hoffmann’s
comment.
[9] “Pigul” is a sacrifice that is
rendered unfit due to the Kohen who offered it thinking incorrect thoughts
regarding what sort of sacrifice it is, where it is to be sacrificed, for how
long it is to be eaten, etc.
[10] A sacrifice’s permitted meat is
rendered “Notar” (left over) when the designated time for its consumption
passes. At that point, the meat can only be burned, and should someone eat it,
he would be punished by “Karet” (ritual excision).
[11] The term “Kilayim” is applied to
forbidden mixtures, e.g., linen and wool, a donkey bred with a horse resulting
in a mule, grapes crossed with wheat, etc.
[12] The case of the “engaged female
servant” is explained in the Oral Tradition to be dealing with a non-Jewish
woman slave who was owned in partnership by two masters, one of whom has freed
her, while the other has not. Consequently she is in “marital limbo” since she
can marry neither a male servant since she is partially free, nor a male freeman
because she is partially enslaved. In the event that someone would try to take
advantage of her by rationalizing that since she is not free to marry anyone,
therefore she may be desperate and open to improper behavior. The Tora in these
verses indicates the consequences in store for the perpetrator of such untoward
activity.
[13] Yeshayahu Leibowitz (Seven Years of
Discourses on the Weekly Tora Reading, Keter, Israel, 2000, p. 534) states the
following regarding Rabbeinu Bachya’s concept and the source in Avoda Zora 17b
which he cites as a proof text:
…The intent of the Talmudic passage
is that if a person engages in Tora study from a purely theoretical perspective,
e.g., he studies Tora and his entire religious universe is a matter of absorbing
cognitively the material contained therein, one could say that the knowledge
provided by the Tora and the acquisition of information is more important than
this individual’s faith, and therefore he is as one without a
God.
Such an individual is contrasted to
someone “who has a God” if his religious awareness obligates him to concretize
something in his life in a practical manner. Therefore with regard to all of
those practical Mitzvot that are delineated within this Parsha, e.g., the fear
of parents, observing of Shabbat, the prohibition against idolatry, avoiding
engaging in tale bearing and so many other similar Commandments, in as much as a
Jew actually fulfills them in reality, then for each of these can be said, “Ani
HaShem” or “Ani HaShem Elokeichem”…
[14] The Mishna is divided into six
“Orders”, the other four being: “Zeraim” (lit. seeds; agricultural matters);
“Moed” (lit. appointed time; holidays); “Nashim” (lit. women; matters of
marriage, divorce, etc.); “Nezikin” (lit. damages; monetary matters).