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August 13, 1999/1 Elul 5759, Vol. 51, No.45
Preparation is everything
Torah study
RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN
Shoftim/Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9
In one sense, Israelis are divided into those who believe we are headed in the direction of redemption and those who decry talk of salvation as fanaticism.
Yet the arch-rationalist of Jewish philosophy, Moses Maimonides, concluded his magnum opus on Jewish law, "Mishneh Torah," with a declaration that "anyone who does not believe in him (the Messiah) or does not anxiously await his coming denies not only the teachings of the prophets, but also those of the Torah and Moses our teacher" (Laws of Kings, Chapter. 11).
What is most remarkable is how Maimonides formulated the necessity not only of believing, but also of anxiously expecting. Of course, exactly how one anticipates an event is largely an individual matter: One person might sit at the window facing Jerusalem, even if she's homebound in Pasaic; another may keep his passport current for when the day arrives; and a third may sign up for a tour of duty with the Israel Defense Forces. Tales of Hassidic masters abound with holy men whose suitcases are packed and waiting.
This week's portion of Shoftim suggests why it is necessary to incorporate the notion of waiting, yearning and hoping into a belief system. While the Bible explores the possibility of a king, that king bears only limited resemblance to neighboring kings: "(The king) shall not keep many horses ... and he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess" (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).
Still more importantly, our king will order this teaching recorded: "When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this teaching written for him on a scroll by the levitical priests" (Deuteronomy 17:18). Long before Plato, the Jewish model for the monarchy is the philosopher-king.
The portion continues: "Let (the Torah scroll) remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere ... God, to observe faithfully every word of this teaching as well as these laws" (Deuteronomy 17:19). We must conclude that despite the king's extraordinary responsibilities, the Bible insists that he read the Torah in conjunction with his assumption of the throne.
The Scripture implores capturing in writing the exalted feelings and anticipations, the lofty plans and preparations that characterize the period immediately prior to beginning a new stage of life or assuming an important position. This is all the more necessary because, as history so often demonstrates, one who assumes exalted status may soon descend into wanton greed and corruption. The apparent spark of divinity that fires an aspiring leader with the best of intentions may turn into a hunger for accumulating private wealth and indulging in sensuous pleasures.
Tyrannies have been carried out by a long "dishonor roll" of dictators whose initial aim was to revolutionize the injustices of their time, only to turn themselves into evil mimics of their former enemies on a scale beyond imagination. Witness, for instance, the mass murders carried out under Stalin's dictatorship, and the reign of terror of the French Revolution.
Why does Maimonides codify a law requiring us to look forward to the restoration of the kingdom of David? Because in certain ways, preparing for his coming is more significant than the actual arrival.
The festival of the giving of the Torah, is called Shavuot (weeks) because of the Israelites' anticipation of and preparation for the divine revelation at Sinai while they were in the desert. Once they received the Torah, they made little good use of it, turning instead just 40 days later to worship of the golden calf. If only we could maintain the bliss of the moments just before we stood under the nuptial canopy, and the idealism of the first moments in which we assume a position of stature.
As the king's most important task is to incorporate the ideals of his ascension to the throne into the entire period of his reign, perhaps our finest hours are those spent in anxious anticipation and preparation for the Messiah. Pre-Zionism, not post-Zionism, must guide our steps.
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the spiritual leader of the Jewish community in Efrat, Israel.
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