Family and Community As Substitutes for the Temple After Its Destruction New Readings in Psalms 127 and 133
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Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 85/1 (2009) 55-62. doi: 10.2143/ETL.85.1.2040694 © 2009 by Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses. All rights reserved. Family and Community as Substitutes for the Temple after Its Destruction New Readings in Psalms 127 and 133 Elie ASSIS Bar Ilan University Introduction In 538 BCE, about 50 years after the catastrophe of the destruction of the Tem- ple and the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 BCE, Cyrus’ announced his permission to rebuild the Temple. The expectations of the people for an immedi- ate rebuilding of the Temple were very high. Despite these expectations, the Book of Ezra suggests that reality turned out to be very different for those who came back to settle in Zion. Although the sacrificial offerings in Jerusalem were renewed almost immediately (Ezra 3,1-7), the attempt of the people to build the Temple was frustrated by their neighbours. It took twenty years to commence the actual construction of the second Temple (Ezra 4,1-5). The inability to build the Temple generated a major theological problem. The process of the redemption of the people was supposed to coincide with the construction of the Temple, which would symbolise the return of God to His people in His full splendour. How did the nation contend with this immense disappointment and what was their theological explanation for their inability to build the Temple? How were the people able to maintain their identity without the Jerusalem Temple? In the absence of the Temple there was a need to develop real hope of redemption in the near future, and indeed the contemporary prophets did much in this direction1. Alongside this, there was also a need to find “substitutes for the Temple”. Because the Temple and the institutions associated with it were so central, future promises were not sufficient. This was also the situation after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE. The nation wanted to continue living a Jewish life and maintaining their identity as God’s people. Nevertheless, because the Temple had played such a major role in the life of the nation, upon its destruction, the nation found substitutes for Temple worship. After its destruction, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, worked unceasingly for the survival of Judaism and the Jewish people. He maintained that one could offer charity instead of the Sin Offering in order to obtain absolution of sins. Midrash Avot of Rabbi Natan (Version A, the Schechter Edition, p. 21): Once Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai left Jerusalem and with Rabbi Yehoshua following him, and he saw that the Temple had been destroyed. Rabbi Yehoshua said: “Woe * I wish to acknowledge the generous support of “Beit Shalom”, Japan, for this research. 1. On this matter see e.g. A. RAINER, Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century B.C.E., trans. D. GREEN (SBL, 3), Atlanta, GA, SBL, 2003, spec. pp. 166-203. 22250-09_ETL_1_04_Assis.indd250-09_ETL_1_04_Assis.indd 5555 003-07-20093-07-2009 009:08:479:08:47 56 E. ASSIS unto us that it has been destroyed, the place where the sins of Israel were forgiven”. He said to him: “My son, do not feel so bad, we have an atonement which is very similar. And what is this? Charity, as it is written: ‘because loving kindness I sought and not sacrifices’ (Hos 6,6)”. Prayer was also viewed as a substitute for the Temple sacrificial service2: Midrash Tanchuma Vayishlach, 9 (Jerusalem, Levine-Epstein, 1969, p. 43): Said Rabbi Yitzhak: “Now we have no prophet, no priest, no sacrifice, no Temple and no altar, who will give atonement for us? Even though the Temple has been destroyed, nothing will be left in our hands apart from this prayer”. Midrash Numbers Rabbah (Vilna) Chapter 18,21 (London, Soncino, 1939, vol. 2, p. 737): When the Temple existed God said to Israel that we would offer up a sacrifice to atone for our sins and now we have nothing left other than to pray. The need to find substitutes for the First Temple after its destruction in the sixth century BCE was certainly as great, if not greater, than after the destruction of the Second Temple. What could replace worship in the Temple, and Jerusalem and its institutions once they were destroyed? There are no biblical texts that answer these questions directly. The little material we have from this period does not provide us with an adequate picture of the reactions of the people to the destruc- tion, and therefore, any shred of information from that time is extremely valuable. I believe that Psalms 127 and 133 were meant to contend with the void that was created. Ps 127 and 133 are respectively the eighth and fourteenth in the series of the 15 Psalms of Ascents (Ps 120–134). Scholars are divided as to the meaning of the term “ascents”, and, moreover, dispute the historical background of these psalms3. Many understand that these psalms were recited by the pilgrims during their annual pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem4. I agree with those who argue that these psalms were created by those exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the Temple in the year 587 BCE, and that they reflect the thoughts and feelings during their exile and their return to Yehud. “Ascents” may be interpreted in the sense of one who ascends to Israel, as in Ezra 7,95. I propose that the purpose of Ps 127 and 133 is to suggest a substitute for the destroyed Temple. 2. See A. ADERET, From Destruction to Restoration: The Mode of Yavneh in Re-Estab- lishment of the Jewish People, Jerusalem, Magnes, 1997, pp. 86-111. 3. For an overview of the various understandings of the term and discussion, see E.G. BRIGGS, The Book of Psalms, vol. 1, Edinburgh, T&T Clark, 1906, pp. LXXIX-LXXX; L.C. ALLEN, Psalms 101–150 (WBC), Waco, TX, Word Books, 1983, pp. 219-221; L.D. CROW, The Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134): Their Place in Israelite History and Religion (SBL DS, 148), Atlanta, GA, Scholars Press, 1996, pp. 1-27.157-158. 4. See e.g. H. GUNKEL, Introduction to Psalms: The Genres of the Religious Lyric of Israel, trans. J.D. NOGALSKI, Macon, GA, Mercer University Press, 1998, p. 347; see also S. MOWINCKEL, The Psalms in Israel’s Worship, vol. 1, trans. D.R. AP-THOMAS, Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1962, p. 3; H.-J. KRAUS, Psalmen (BKAT), vol. 1, Neukirchen-Vluyn, Neu- kirchener Verlag, 1966, pp. XXI-XXII. 5. H. VIVIERS, The Coherence of the ma‘a lôt Psalms (Pss 120–134), in ZAW 106 (1994) 275-289, p. 288; M.D. GOULDER, The Psalms of Return (Book V, Psalms 107–150): Studies 22250-09_ETL_1_04_Assis.indd250-09_ETL_1_04_Assis.indd 5566 003-07-20093-07-2009 009:08:479:08:47 FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AS SUBSTITUTES FOR THE TEMPLE 57 Community as a Substitute for the Temple: Psalm 133 [1] A Song of Ascents; of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together. [2] It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard; on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes. [3] Like the dew of Hermon, that falls on the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore. Though this psalm is among the shortest in the Book of Psalms, its historical value seems to be in reverse proportion to its size. The main thrust of this Psalm is v. 1b: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is that brothers dwell together”. Both the additional sentences, vv. 2-3, are images which describe the same good spoken about in verse 1b. In this psalm, the psalmist praises the dwelling of brothers together. The brotherhood and harmony that exist between them is com- mended. It may be that the psalmist is relating here to “brothers” in the narrow sense of the word, but more likely the word is being used in its wider sense that is found elsewhere in the Bible, when it refers to the brotherhood between mem- bers of the same group, those belonging to the people of Israel (see, for example: Lev 19,17-18). The expression “how good and how pleasant” means, “exceptionally good”. It is not possible to quantify the praise in only one adjective. Instead a second adjective is used, in order to suggest that the good increases steadily. This style of superlative expresses a continually increasing glorification – a commendation of infinite dimension. The meaning of the phrase “how good” is that there is nothing better6. in Psalter, IV (JSOT SS, 258), Sheffiled, Sheffield Academic Press, 1998, pp. 20-30. A.A. ANDERSON, The Book of Psalms (NCB), vol. 2, London, Oliphants, 1977, p. 867. For the connection of these psalms to Zion see also E. ZENGER, Die Komposition der Wallfahrts- psalmen Ps 120–134: Zum Programm der Psalterexegese, in M. EBNER – B. HEININGER (eds.), Paradigmen auf dem Prüfstand: Exegese wider den Strich. FS K. Müller (NTA, NF 47), Münster, Aschendorff, 2004, 173-198; E. ZENGER, Der Zion als Ort der Gottesnähe: Beobachtungen zum Weltlbild des Wallfahrtspsalters Ps 120–134, in G. EBERHARDT – K. LIESS (eds.), Gottes Nähe im Alten Testament (SBS, 202), Stuttgart, Katholisches Bibel- werk, 2004, 84-114; E. ZENGER, “Es segne dich JHWH vom Zion aus…” (Ps 134,3): Die Gottesmetaphorik in den Wallfahrtspsalmen Ps 120–134, in M. WITTE (ed.), Gott und Mensch im Dialog: Festschrift für Otto Kaiser zum 80 Geburtstag (BZAW, 345), Berlin, Gruyter, 2004, vol.