the unpardon able sin - jewish theological seminary of america · jacob, who taken prison son,...

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A moment Heliodorus “overseer of Temple (rig forces (as to When they governed u years prece form a Gre Jewish city unrest—we rights, inclu their own la now also ru of the city. participation These acts However, t persecution Hanukkah r might make and agency To receive T t of religious Stele (left), recor f the sanctuaries”, ht), depicting He old in 2 Maccabee conquered Jeru under their own l ding the Maccab eek city (polis), A of Jerusalem. Af have no direct so ding control of th aws. The Temple led over the Jews The new city al n in civic festivals were fairly typi he Jews who live n and, as a con reveals the Seleu e us cautious ab . orah from JTS by e TORAH FROM J crisis, or of b rding the appointm and Raphael’s Th liodurus (possibly es 3). salem, the Seleu aws (i.e. the laws bean Revolt, som Antiocheia, which fter the events o ources on this), th he Temple and th e was handed ove s, who lost their c so mandated a s and a ruler-cult t ical Greek civic ed in Antiocheia nsequence, rebe ucid perspective o out accepting si email, visit www.jts JTS ureaucratic man ment of Olympio he Expulsion of He y the same man) a ucid kings allowed s of the Torah). e Jerusalemites h h existed inside a of 168 BCE (prob he Jewish commu he ability to admi er to Antiocheia. corporate status a series of cultic ge that worshipped A practices in the a-Jerusalem expe elled. This histo on the Maccabe mplistic narrative sa.edu/torah nagement? The odorus as regiona eliodorus from the attacked by divine d the Jews to be However, in the had petitioned to nd alongside the bably rebellion or unity lost its loca nister itself under . This Greek city and become serfs estures, including Antiochus. e Seleucid world. erienced them as orical context of an rebellion, and es of persecution Hanu Amon Branca many, World Dodge when t bat. Th of Tho Thoms famou penna Prior t Keroua three beside baseba Dodge comm didn’t In this unpard Canaa son, B brothe recogn himsel from J so, Jos e l e e e e o e r l r y s g . s f d n ukkah | Mike The Marc G Opera g baseball aficio a, who died at th infamous) for be .” In the final gam ers were leading the New York G he Dodgers calle omson’s bat and son sailed around s moment in sp nt! The Giants wi to that fateful pit ac, and Don Del consecutive All-S e Jackie Robinso all’s color barrier ers’ fans never f ent: “A guy com get pardoned.” week’s Torah po donable sin. We a an. Jacob sends h Benjamin—to Egy er Joseph, who is nize him. Joseph f. Instead, he acc Jacob’s house and seph seizes Sime www.jtsa. etz 5777 Unpardon Gary, Executive ating Officer, JT onados, the nam e age of 90 at th eing the pitcher w me of the 1951 Na 4-2 in the bottom iants’ power hitte d on Branca to sa over the green w d the bases, the orts broadcasting in the pennant!” tch—memorialize lillo—Branca was Star seasons for on on opening r. After 1951, he forgave him. De mmits murder a ortion, Miketz, we are deep into the his ten remaining s ypt where food ra s now second in h, however, know cuses them of spy d return with him eon as a hostage. .edu/torah nable Sin e Vice Chancello TS me of Ralph Bran he end of Novem who gave up the tional League ch m of the 9 th innin er, Bobby Thoms ave the game, but wall in left center Giants’ announc g history—shoute d in the writings an accomplished the Dodgers. A day in 1947 wh e never regained ecades later, Bra and he gets pard e also are confron e story of Joseph, sons—all except t ations are availab power only to P ws who they are ying and orders th m to Egypt. In ord . | מקץ תשע" זor and Chief nca is universally mber, was famous e “Shot Heard Ro ampionship, the B ng with two men son, came to the t his second pitch field for a home cer—in perhaps t ed, “The Giants of John Steinbe d baseball player. nd he deliberate en his teammat his baseball str nca made this p doned after 20 nted with the noti , and famine has the youngest and ble. They meet w Pharaoh, but they and yet does no hem to retrieve B der to insure that חנכהy known. s (or, for ound the Brooklyn on base plate to h flew off e run. As the most win the eck, Jack He had ely stood te broke ide, and poignant years. I on of an struck in d favorite with their y do not ot reveal Benjamin they do

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Page 1: The Unpardon able Sin - Jewish Theological Seminary of America · Jacob, who taken prison son, Benjam Benjamin re father, ‘You 42:37). To m up one’s ch willing to of Jephthah

A momentHeliodorus “overseer ofTemple (rigforces (as to When they governed uyears preceform a GreJewish city unrest—we rights, inclutheir own lanow also ruof the city. participationThese acts However, tpersecutionHanukkah rmight makeand agency

To receive T

t of religious Stele (left), recorf the sanctuaries”,ht), depicting He

old in 2 Maccabee

conquered Jeruunder their own lding the Maccab

eek city (polis), Aof Jerusalem. Afhave no direct soding control of thaws. The Templeled over the JewsThe new city al

n in civic festivalswere fairly typi

he Jews who liven and, as a conreveals the Seleue us cautious ab.

Torah from JTS by e

TORAH FROM J

crisis, or of brding the appointm and Raphael’s Thliodurus (possiblyes 3).

salem, the Seleuaws (i.e. the laws

bean Revolt, somAntiocheia, whichfter the events oources on this), thhe Temple and the was handed oves, who lost their cso mandated a s and a ruler-cult tical Greek civic ed in Antiocheiansequence, rebe

ucid perspective oout accepting si

email, visit www.jts

JTS

ureaucratic manment of Olympiohe Expulsion of He

y the same man) a

ucid kings alloweds of the Torah). e Jerusalemites h

h existed inside aof 168 BCE (probhe Jewish commuhe ability to admier to Antiocheia.corporate status aseries of cultic gethat worshipped Apractices in the

a-Jerusalem expeelled. This histoon the Maccabemplistic narrative

sa.edu/torah

nagement? The

odorus as regionaeliodorus from the

attacked by divine

d the Jews to beHowever, in the

had petitioned tond alongside the

bably rebellion orunity lost its locanister itself under. This Greek cityand become serfsestures, includingAntiochus. e Seleucid world.erienced them asorical context ofan rebellion, and

es of persecution

Hanu

AmonBrancamany, WorldDodgewhen tbat. Thof ThoThomsfamoupennaPrior tKerouathree besidebasebaDodgecommdidn’t In this unpardCanaason, Bbrotherecognhimselfrom Jso, Jos

e l

e e

e e o e r l r y s g

. s f d n

ukkah | Mike

The

Marc GOpera

g baseball aficioa, who died at thinfamous) for be.” In the final gamers were leading the New York Ghe Dodgers calleomson’s bat and son sailed arounds moment in spnt! The Giants wito that fateful pitac, and Don Delconsecutive All-S

e Jackie Robinsoall’s color barrierers’ fans never fent: “A guy comget pardoned.” week’s Torah po

donable sin. We aan. Jacob sends hBenjamin—to Egyer Joseph, who isnize him. Josephf. Instead, he acc

Jacob’s house andseph seizes Sime

www.jtsa.

etz 5777

UnpardonGary, Executiveating Officer, JT

onados, the name age of 90 at theing the pitcher w

me of the 1951 Na4-2 in the bottomiants’ power hitted on Branca to saover the green wd the bases, the orts broadcastingin the pennant!” tch—memorializelillo—Branca was Star seasons for on on opening r. After 1951, heforgave him. Demmits murder a

ortion, Miketz, weare deep into the

his ten remaining sypt where food ras now second in h, however, knowcuses them of spyd return with himeon as a hostage.

.edu/torah

nable Sin e Vice ChancelloTS

me of Ralph Branhe end of Novemwho gave up thetional League chm of the 9th inniner, Bobby Thomsave the game, butwall in left center

Giants’ announcg history—shoute

d in the writings an accomplishedthe Dodgers. Aday in 1947 wh

e never regainedecades later, Braand he gets pard

e also are confrone story of Joseph,sons—all except tations are availabpower only to P

ws who they are ying and orders th

m to Egypt. In ord.

ז"תשעמקץ |

or and Chief

nca is universallymber, was famouse “Shot Heard Roampionship, the Bng with two men son, came to the t his second pitchfield for a home

cer—in perhaps ted, “The Giants

of John Steinbed baseball player.nd he deliberateen his teammat his baseball strnca made this pdoned after 20

nted with the noti, and famine has the youngest andble. They meet wPharaoh, but they

and yet does nohem to retrieve Bder to insure that

חנכה

y known. s (or, for ound the Brooklyn on base plate to

h flew off e run. As the most

win the

eck, Jack He had

ely stood te broke ide, and poignant years. I

on of an struck in

d favorite with their y do not ot reveal Benjamin they do

Page 2: The Unpardon able Sin - Jewish Theological Seminary of America · Jacob, who taken prison son, Benjam Benjamin re father, ‘You 42:37). To m up one’s ch willing to of Jephthah

Jacob, who taken prisonson, BenjamBenjamin refather, ‘You42:37). To mup one’s chwilling to ofJephthah kiout of the d39). All of tmistaking thTo his cred[Benjamin] mleft. If he mhead down Benjamin, wconcluded tloss of a secson held horedeem his been our mhis devotionReuven’s yoJacob. If hedoes not offwill be suretto you and s43:9). In otsafeguard BJacob accepHow are webefore youBenamozegLamikra:

Thesomthat

believes that Josner, is understand

min. Reuven, the oeturn to Egypt witu may kill my twomodern ears this ild as a pledge offer up Isaac in Gills his only daug

door of my housethis may serve ashe powerful force dit, Jacob dismismust not go doweets disaster on t

to Sheol in griwe do not know wthat having lost ocond son (Benjamostage (Simeon)pledge and sacriost flawed patria

n to his family perounger brother, Je fails in his missifer to sacrifice anyty for him; you maset him before yother words, Juda

Benjamin, his sin wpts. to understand th

u forever”? The h offers the follo

e figure of speecmething not othet there is no puni

TORAH FROM J

seph is dead and dably reluctant to oldest son, despeth him and his bro sons if I do notseems a tad hars

of faith or securitGenesis chapter hter after pledgi

e to meet me on m a polemic againof such a pledge

sses Reuven’s arwn with you for hithe journey you aief” (Gen. 42:38

why Jacob rejectsone son already (min), not to men), it would be scfice two of Jacobrch (which is whameates the GeneJudah, tries a difon to return Benyone or anythingay hold me respo

ou, I shall stand gah is willing to will never be pard

he intent behind J19th century It

owing explanatio

h contains a valuerwise explicitly aishment outside o

JTS

now hears that Srisk the loss of h

rately tries to conrothers. “Then Ret bring him backsh, but in biblicaty is not unheard22; and in the bng to sacrifice “wmy safe return” (

nst child sacrifice,. rgument out of s brother is dead

are taking, you wi). Other than h Reuven’s guaran(Joseph) and facntion the danger cant comfort if b’s grandsons. Jaat makes him so esis narrative. fferent tack entir

njamin safely to h. Instead, he tells

onsible: if I do notguilty before youacknowledge tha

doned. That is the

Judah’s words “I stalian rabbi and

on in his Torah c

uable lesson, teacalluded to in theof the sin. Sin its

Simeon has been his most beloved nvince him to let euven said to his k to you’” (Gen. l terms, offering of. Abraham is

book of Judges, whatever comes (Judges 11:30-31, , but there is no

hand: “My son d and he alone is ll send my white

his affection for ntee. Perhaps he cing the possible of losing a third Reuven had to

acob might have interesting), but

rely to convince his father, Judah Jacob: “I myself t bring him back

u forever” (Gen. at if he fails to e guarantee that

shall stand guilty d scholar Elijah commentary Em

ching us e Torah: self is its

Judaithe Bforgivburdeare soneverpunishWhilethroushouldothersnumblives rto avoour oremaiand toRalphof hiscalledsensit

אחר

The fwere the STempan aspexplai

The pufrom Ri

own punishmethe purpose of

sm is a religion thBook of Jonah aveness from Godens will be lifted. Bome misdeeds, sor forgiven becauhment. In Tim Oe many would ghout our lives id be generally fs. But knowing

ber of acts and oregardless of wheoid them if at all

own eyes compen bystanders, to o risk our own safh Branca made ons life. As much asd back. That knowtivity, and with gre

A Diffe | דבר WhyJewsDr. NaHistor

familiar version opersecuted and t

Seleucid conquerple. But this tellinpect of Hanukkahin the Seleucid pe

ublication and distributiota Dee (z”l) and Harold

www.jtsa.

ent in the Divine f reward and punihat holds the promand the meaningd and our fellowBut, in the natureome angry wordsuse we cannot ’Brien’s searing phargue that carris unhealthy, I woforgiving of oursethat there are c

omissions—that wther God or othe possible. Knowinls us to act withvigilantly watch

fety to protect oune bad pitch and s we wish otherwwledge helps us teater compassion

rent Perspec

y Did the Sels? athan Schumer, Pry, JTS

of the story of Hthen, under the Hrors, drove off t

ng omits why the h that’s poorly unerspective.

on of the JTS Parashahd Hassenfeld (z”l).

.edu/torah

scheme of judgmishment. mise of forgiveneg of the High Hw human beingse of things, expiats, some failures tforgive ourselvehrase, these are “rying around thould suggest othelves just as we

certain misdeeds we will carry as a ers forgive us creang that we “shallh compassion whour words so as r neighbors. lived with the co

wise, some things to live with greatn.

ctive

eucid State “

Postgraduate Fel

Hanukkah is one Hasmonean bannethe persecutors, Seleucids “persederstood, but rec

h Commentary are mad

ment and serves

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herwise. To be sushould be forgivand failures—a burden througho

ates a powerful in stand guilty fore

hen we are tempnot to humiliate

onsequences for twe do in life caner urgency, with

“Persecute”

low in Ancient Je

of Jewish agencyer, successfully de

and rededicateecuted” the Jews.cent scholarship h

de possible by a gener

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