The special reading for the holiday of Rosh Ha Shannah 5765/2004 Bet Day 2 on 2 Tishrei, 5765 - September 17, 2004 Torah: Genesis 22:1-24; Haftarah: Jeremiah 31:1-19; Mei Kituvim: Job 40:1-24; Brit Chadashah: James 2:1-26


The Bagel: In His arms. When someone is in the arms of G-d the scene is one of loving kindness. But there are the arms of others in the readings for this holiday as well. It is possible that under those human arms are the arms of G-d as well.

Torah:
Genesis 22:1-24. In the reading for Rosh Ha Shannah Bet, we find Adonay commanding Abraham to take up Isaac into his arms and lay him on the altar of stone. This was the supreme test of Abraham's faith. Would his love as a father override his love to G-d? This was also a test of Isaac's faith as well. Could he trust his father to do right in this circumstance? It is instructive to note that both exercised faith simultaneously. While Abraham believed G-d to set the wood in order, bind Isaac, and lay him on the altar, Isaac trusted Adonay as he was picked up and placed on the altar.

There was another arm. This was the arm of the knife. This arm picked up the knife and with it would have sacrificed Isaac in preparation as an Olah (whole-burnt offering). The knife in the arm of Abraham was as good as down into the victim. Isaac died and was already a sacrifice in the mind of Abraham. The knife in the hand (arm) was just the outworking of the already accomplished fact in faith. Dayenu! It would have been sufficient that both Abraham and Isaac exercised faith in the face of death. However, Adonay added the ultimate basis for that faith: "Adonay shall provide for Himself the lamb" (Genesis 22:8) - picturing the coming Lamb in the person of the Suffering Messiah. As Yohanan put it: "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) as he was pointing to Yeshua.

Haftarah:
Jeremiah 31:1-19. In the Haftarah reading, is a promise by Adonay that He would one day regather the scattered people of Israel. The picture Jeremiah paints is G-d as a Shepherd (verse 10), who keeps His flock. Particular to the theme of "in His arms" is the scene of His care for those who are unable to care for themselves: "I will bring them in from the northland, Gather them from the ends of the earth -- The blind and the lame among them, Those with child and those in labor -- In a vast throng they shall return here" (Jeremiah 31:8 Tanakh JPS). Sheep that are lame need a shepherd to take them up into his arms. It is likely that blind sheep won't move because of the blindness and also need to be carried. Thus Adonay lifts up the lame and blind of Israel and places them on His shoulders to bring them home, to their rightful place of safety.

Mei Kituvim:
Job 40:1-24. In the reading of the Kituvim, G-d challenged the thinking of Job. He posed the question: "Do you have an arm like G-d? (v. 9)" Adonay then elaborated on what that arm was and did. It was G-d's regal arm as though He were seated on the kingly throne. He expressed it to Job by a probing statement: "All right then, put on your robes of state, your majesty and splendor.(v. 10)" Job had no G-d-king arms. Then Adonay put it Job further. "Scatter wide your raging anger; See every proud man and bring him low. See every proud man and humble him, And bring them down where they stand. Bury them all in the earth; Hide their faces in obscurity. Then even I would praise you for the triumph your right hand won you" (Job 40:11-14 Tanakh JPS). It was though He were saying in effect: "Take up the wicked in your arms and put them into the place where they belong!" Job couldn't do that. Neither can we. So even the wicked have an in-G-d's-arms experience which is not pleasant or kind.

Brit Chadashah:
James 2:1-26. When we get to the Brit Chadashah, we see Yakov's teaching on faith in relation to Abraham. Here the emphasis is on Abraham's faith that manifested itself in works. The prime example of that was in the Aqedah (binding of Isaac): "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar" (James 2:21 KJV)? It was faith in the arms of Abraham. He lifted up Isaac just as the Kohen (priest) lifted up the Olah (whole-burnt offering) with his arms. Yakov confirmed what was already there in the text of Genesis. Perhaps, the Aggadah that Rashi referred to was circulating and Yakov borrowed from it. For Rashi cites an unnamed source: "....so it shall be said 'on this day' in all coming generations, 'on the mount of the Lord is seen' the ashes of Isaac heaped up and serving for atonement." ¹ This extends the Aqedah beyond Abraham's day and brings down to the community of faith in all generations.

Yakov tags faith with a manifestation of works as in the Aqedah. There is justifying faith, which is alone apart from works. There is justifying faith with works. It would be a contradiction if it were exactly the same thing. Abraham was justified by faith alone in Genesis 15 in the Brit Bin Ha B'tarim event (the separated pieces of the sacrificed animals). There Abraham prepared the two-party covenant by separating the animals into a pathway between the severed parts. Then Adonay made Abraham sleep while G-d alone walked in the midst. The two-party covenant between Abraham and Adonay was signed by G-d alone. Abraham believed this and was justified. G-d alone made the contract - fulfilled the covenant. G-d alone and faith alone was before justifying works. In the Aqedah it was G-d and Abraham in the event. Abraham was able to do that work because he was already justified without works. Put in another way: saving faith results in saving works. It's all in the arms of G-d when said and done.

Cream Cheese: Save in the arms of G-d!


¹ Rabbi Abraham Ben Isaiah and Rabbi Benjamin Sharfman, The Pentateuch and Rashi's Commentary, A Linear Translation into English - Genesis, S.S.& R. Publishing Company: Brooklyn, 1949, p. 206.

The special reading for the holiday of Rosh Ha Shannah 5765/2004 Bet Day 2 on 2 Tishrei, 5765 - September 17, 2004 Torah: Genesis 22:1-24; Haftarah: Jeremiah 31:1-19; Mei Kituvim: Job 40:1-24; Brit Chadashah: James 2:1-26