“Hearken, O heaven, as I declare and let the Earth hear the
sayings of my mouth.”
~ Devarim 32:1
Hearken, O heaven. That I [Moshe] admonish the
Israelites, so that you may serve as witnesses to the matter. For so I informed
them, that you would be witnesses [see Devarim 30:19]. Similarly, “let the
Earth hear.” Why did he designate the Heaven and the Earth to testify against
them? Moshe said [to himself]: I am only mortal and tomorrow I may die. In case
the Israelites declare ‘We never agreed to fulfill the covenant,’ who will
refute them? He therefore designated, to testify against them, Heaven and
Earth, witnesses who endure forever…
~ Rashi on Devarim 32:1
Can inanimate objects serve as witnesses? It seems from
Rashi’s comment that they can. And this is not the only time in the Torah that
an element of nature is designated as a ‘witness’ to the affairs of humanity.
Another instance is in Bereshis, where Lavan states (after a heated argument
with Jacob) about a monument and a mound of stones raised by Jacob and his
sons: “This mound shall be a witness and the monument shall be a witness that I
may not cross over to you past this mound, nor may you cross over to me past
this mound and this monument for evil.” (31:52).
How do we understand these instances? I find it unlikely
that these elements are being designated as actual witnesses, if for no other
reason than the fact that it’d be rather difficult to obtain their testimony if
it was ever needed. Rather, the speakers in both verses (Moshe in Devarim and
Lavan in Bereshis) are using the term ‘witness’ in an effort to invest the
elements with added symbolism that will trigger associations, in the future, in
the minds of the listeners.
We do the same thing, for ourselves, in many ways. For
example, we return from an enjoyable vacation with a memento (could be a stone
from the beach or a pinecone from a forest) that, when we view it, reminds us
of the ease and calm we felt during our getaway. People may look at their
engagement rings (glorified rocks!) or wedding bands (molded metals!) and be
reminded of the hope, love, and commitment they undertook at the start of their
marriage.
On the first Shabbat of the New Year, it might be worthwhile
to look around our homes and consider what (and how many) objects we have
consciously set in our own paths, to serve as conscious reminders of our
dedication to serve God’s will. Is there a leftover esrog from a prior year, a
prized Tzedaka box, a spice box from the Olive Wood factory in Jerusalem, or
something else? Do they still speak to you?
Perhaps, as we age, it is worthwhile to take stock of our witnesses,
assess how well they are testifying, and see if some new witnesses are needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment