the unpardon able sin - jewish theological seminary of america · jacob, who taken prison son,...
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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
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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
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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
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. 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
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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.
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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
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).
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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
ess. That is the thHolidays. We ca and, in so doinion is incompleteto take a stand tes. The sin is ithe things we carese unpardonab
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
heme of an seek ng, our
e. There that are ts own
rry.” ble sins ure, we ving of limited
out our centive ever” in pted to others,
this rest nnot be greater
the
ewish
y. Jews efeated
ed their This is
helps to
rous grant