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Hakhel: Reinforcement Through Experiential Learning Hakhel: Reinforcement through Experiential Learning ur recollection of yetziat Mitzrayim is woven into the warp and woof of our Deena Rabinovich, PhD Oidentity as am Hashem. The term of Director, Jewish Education Program, Stern College slavery in Egypt followed by God’s for Women redemption of our forefathers is a basis for our observance of Shabbat. It is the reason for commemorating Nevertheless, every concept needs and live our lives as members of Pesach and Sukkot, it governs our reinforcement. Where do we find a “kingdom of priests and a holy intimate relations (to whom we may the reinforcement for both the nation.” The Torah is ink written on or may not get married) and provides unique events that took place on Har parchment. But beyond that, as Rabbi us with a foundation for building Sinai and for the covenant between Lord Jonathan Sacks observes, it also,3 an ethical and just society.1 The God and the Jewish people, that … symbolizes some of Judaism’s Exodus is mentioned dozens of times was executed on that day? Where deepest beliefs: that God is to be found in Tanakh. Contrast that with the are we reminded of the individual in words, that these words are to be number of times ma’amad Har Sinai, commitment to accept the Torah and found in the Torah, and that they form the revelation at Sinai, is described for the collective proclamation of the basis of the covenant — the bond and recalled — Mount Sinai and — we will do and na’aseh v’nishmah of love — between God and the Jewish Horev are mentioned only a handful we will listen? We find it in the last people. of times. Even the date of the giving of two mitzvot of the Torah — number the Torah is subject to disagreement.2 612, to gather together every seven The words of the Torah are formed Furthermore, the holiday of Shavuot years for the ceremony of hakhel, and out of individual letters, each one as mentioned in the Torah emphasizes number 613, that each man should vital to the integrity of the scroll. If the agricultural component of the write for himself a sefer Torah. one letter is missing, the entire Torah holiday — chag habikkurim or chag is invalid and may not be used for hakatzir, the holiday of harvest or the There is a great deal of significance public readings until it is repaired. The holiday of the first fruits. Shavuot is attached to the act of writing a sefer Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the not described, in the Torah at least, Torah for oneself. Chassidic movement, described the ”Jewish people as a “living sefer Torah א”ר יהושע בר אבא אמר ר’ גידל אמר רב... as zman matan Torateinu, and unlike with each Jew representing “one of its כתבו, כלומר בידו, מעלה עליו הכתוב וקבלו the Exodus, the story of revelation ”.letters כאילו מהר סיני is barely referenced in Nakh, the מנחות ל. Prophets or Writings. Perhaps the A letter on its own has no meaning, yet rationale can be found in the words of R. Joshua b. Abba cited R. Giddal who when letters are joined to others they Rashi on Devarim 26:16: said in the name of Rav… he who writes make a word, words combine with a sefer Torah, the Torah regards him as if others to make a sentence, sentences היום הזה ה’ אלקיך מצוך — בכל יום יהיו he had received it on Har Sinai. combine to make a paragraph, and בעיניך חדשים כאילו בו ביום נצטוית עליהם. [The verse states] Today, God Your Lord Gemara Menachot 30a paragraphs join to make a story. This commands you — Each day you should The sefer Torah is the repository of is how the Baal Shem Tov understood view the laws as new, as if today God has the teachings of God whereby we life. Every Jew is a letter. Each Jewish commanded you to obey them. learn how we are to conduct ourselves family is a word, every community is a 19 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Sukkot 5776 sentence, and the Jewish people at any Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, Rav David Tzvi Hoffman (Austria one time are a paragraph. The Jewish saying: “At the end of every seven years, and Berlin, 1843-1921) sees the year people through time constitute a story, in the set time of the year of release, in the of shemittah as preparation for the the strangest and most moving story in feast of tabernacles, 11 when all Israel mitzvah of hakhel. He first looks at the annals of mankind.4 is come to appear before the LORD thy shemittah and the different type of The writing of a sefer Torah, the God in the place which He shall choose, harvest that is gathered at the end of act of etching out individual letters, thou shalt read this law before all Israel the year: בדרך כלל נחשב חג הסוכות ל,,חג האסיף”, ,which when joined together form in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people אבל עם גמר שנת השמיטה, שאין בה אסיף, words and sentences, represents the the men and the women and the little מצוה לחוג את חג הסוכות על ידי קריאת strengthening of one’s individual ones, and thy stranger that is within thy התורה ,בתור אסיף רוחני של תבואת הדעת. commitment to a life of God and gates, that they may hear, and that they רב דוד צבי הופמן, דברים טו, א-ג Torah observance, the renewal of one’s may learn, and fear the LORD your personal covenant with God.5 God, and observe to do all the words of this law; 13 and that their children, who Generally, Sukkot is referred to as the In addition to entering into a have not known, may hear, and learn holiday of gathering. But with the end of personal commitment with God on to fear the LORD your God, as long as the shemittah year, a year when [nothing Har Sinai, Bnai Yisrael collectively ye live in the land whither ye go over the was plowed and therefore nothing] entered a communal covenant by Jordan to possess it.” harvested, it is a mitzvah to celebrate saying na’aseh v’nishmah, by agreeing Sukkot through reading the Torah, in to become a “kingdom of priests When is the Mitzvah of becomes a spiritual harvest of the grain and a holy nation.” Just as writing a Hakhel Observed? of knowledge. sefer Torah, mitzvah 613 reaffirms Rav David Tzvi Hoffman, Devarim the commitment of the individual, In Devarim 31:12, when Moshe 15:1-3 participating in , mitzvah 612, commands the cohanim and the hakhel The year that by necessity was spent reaffirms the commitment of the zekeinim to observe the mitzvah of away from the fields was a year that community. How is this mitzvah hakhel, he directs them to fulfill the was devoted to the learning of Torah observed? The parameters of mitzvah, at the “end” of seven years, hakhel which ultimately prepared them for are outlined at the end of Sefer during the time of Shemittah, during the commemoration of matan Torah. Devarim.6 the holiday of Sukkot. While the ועכשיו עם גמר שנת השמיטה, ששבתו שנה word miketz can refer to either the דברים לא,ט וַּיִכְ ּתֹב מֹׁשֶה, האֶת-הַּתֹורָ הַ ּזֹאת, שלימה מעבודת קרקע לכבודו של ה’, ולא beginning or the end of a spectrum,7 וַּיִּתְ נָּה אֶל-הַ ּכֹהֲ נִים ּבְ נֵי לֵוִ י, הַ ּנֹׂשְאִים אֶת-אֲ רֹון זרעו ולא קצרו, נתחייבו כל ישראל אנשים in this verse it is generally understood ּבְרִ ית ה’; וְאֶל-ּכָ ל-זִקְ נֵי, יִׂשְרָאֵ ל. לא,י וַיְצַ ו נשים וטף לבוא לפני ה’ יתברך, להודות לו ,to mean the end of the seventh year מֹׁשֶה, אֹותָ ם לֵ אמֹר: מִּקֵץ ׁשֶבַע ׁשָ נִים, ּבְ מֹעֵ ד שנתן להם פרנסתם אף בשנה זאת אשר אין which is really the beginning of the ׁשְנַת הַּׁשְמִּטָה--ּבְחַג הַּסֻּכֹות. לא,יא ּבְ בֹוא בה חריש וקציר, לקבל עליהם שוב את התורה eighth year; at the conclusion of the כָ ל-יִׂשְרָאֵ ל, לֵרָאֹות אֶת-ּפְ נֵיה’ אלקיָך, ּבַּמָ קֹום, כמו שקבלו אז במדבר, ולהבטיח בזה, שהם shemittah year rather than at the onset אֲׁשֶ ריִבְחָר: ּתִקְרָא האֶת-הַּתֹורָ הַ ּזֹאת, נֶגֶד מוכנים להקדיש את חייהם לעבודתו יתברך of the shemittah year.8 Why is the ּכָ ל-יִׂשְרָאֵל--ּבְאָ זְנֵיהֶ ם. לא,יב הַקְהֵל אֶת-הָעָ ם, שמו בכל זמן ובכל מצב. end of the shemittah year considered הָאֲנָׁשִ ים וְהַ ּנָׁשִ ים וְהַּטַ ף, וְגֵרְ ָך, ראֲׁשֶ ּבִׁשְ עָרֶ יָך- רב דוד צבי הופמן דברים לא,יא ?fortuitous for the mitzvah of hakhel ן-לְמַעַ יִׁשְמְ עּוּולְמַעַ ן יִלְמְ דּו, וְיָרְ אּו אֶ ת-ה’ Some explanations emphasize the And now, with the conclusion of the אלקיכֶם, וְׁשָמְ רּו לַעֲׂשֹות,אֶ ת-ּכָל-ּדִבְרֵ יהַּתֹורָ ה way that the shemittah year prepares shemittah year, a year in which one הַ ּזֹאת. לא,יג ּובְ נֵיהֶם ראֲׁשֶ לֹא-יָדְ עּו, יִׁשְמְ עּו us for the mitzvah of hakhel and view abstained from working the land in וְלָמְ דּו--לְיִרְ אָה,אֶ ת-ה’ אלקיכֶם: ּכָל-הַ ּיָמִ ים, the mitzvah of hakhel as a unique deference to the honor of God, a year אֲׁשֶר אַּתֶם חַ ּיִים עַל-הָאֲדָמָה, אֲׁשֶר אַּתֶ ם educational opportunity for getting in which one did not plow, nor did one עֹבְרִ ים אֶת-הַ ּיַרְּדֵן ׁשָּמָ ה,לְרִׁשְּתָ ּה. close to God and renewing our harvest. At the end of this year, all of 9 And Moses wrote this law, and commitment to observing His Torah.
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