God and His Beit Din
Adapted from Rabbi Braun’s sermon in 5774
How could God kill all of the Egyptian firstborns?
What kind of God does that?
How do I believe in such a God?
I have heard that question from many having issues of belief. I have an aunt whose friend exhibited a bible in the Jewish museum in NY with highlights striking out all of the verses that she found offensive. Any time it referred to God as he, it got a highlight. Any time it referred to God as a warrior or killer it got a highlight. I am not sure how much was left.
I do have an approach to share with you more than a specific answer, but I raise the question because that question helped me understand a Midrash that has been perplexing me for a while.
Let me start from the beginning.
With regard to the plague of the firstborns, it is not exactly clear who is carrying out the divine decree.
In 12/23, after the Jews are commanded to paint their doorposts with blood in order to be spared we read:
ועבר יקוק לנגף את מצרים וראה את הדם על המשקוף ועל שתי המזוזת ופסח יקוק על הפתח ולא יתן המשחית לבא אל בתיכם לנגף
When God passes over to afflict Egypt, he will see the blood on the lintel and doorposts and pass over those houses and will not allow the destroyer to come to that house to attack.
It seems like God is passing over but there is a “destroyer” doing the actual killing.
What does that mean? If God is there why do we need a mashchit?
As a fascinating aside – the commentators try and square this with the line in our Hagaddah, “I passed over Egypt, I God and not an angel, I God and not a seraph!
The Chizkuni and others explain that God went with the angel; God was not alone, nor did God send an angel alone.
Then, 6 verses later we read –
כט) ויהי בחצי הלילה ויקוק הכה כל בכור בארץ מצרים מבכר פרעה הישב על כסאו עד בכור השבי אשר בבית הבור וכל בכור בהמה
And it was at midnight and GOD struck down the firstborns of Egypt!
In addition to the question of “is this God or is this the destroyer”, the Midrash which is quoted by many of the commentators offers a startling piece of information.
The Midrash Tanchuma (Yashan Bo 17a) picking up on the extra “and” in the verse, (And it was at midnight and GOD) writes that anywhere is says ויקוק “and God” that means that it is God and his heavenly tribunal. God convened a Beit Din and that court decreed that the Egyptian firstborns deserved to die.
According to this the textual problem is solved by reading the verse as follows. “And it was at night when the heavenly tribunal AND GOD smote the firstborns.”
The Midrash might alleviate a textual issue but in doing so it seems to create a much greater theological issue.
What in the world does it mean that God has a heavenly tribunal?
Is it not pure heresey to suggest that God needs help making decisions, that some other being can impact God? God needs a court to decree, act and proceed?!
Why do the Meforshim and Midrash suggest that God is not alone in Egypt and was not alone in making this decision?
Or maybe the right question is – how dare they suggest such heresy!?
I had almost given up on this sermon and started looking elsewhere, but it kind stuck in my head, and eventually I found a hint in the commentary of the Riva, Rabbi Judah ben Eliezer, 14th century Leghorn.
He quotes the same Midrash and then directs the reader to Parshat Vayera where he has already explained the concept.
That led me to the story of the divine destruction of Sodom. There too we find:
בראשית פרק יט
כד) ויקוק המטיר על סדם ועל עמרה גפרית ואש מאת יקוק מן השמים
And God rained down upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire.
And there too the Midrash writes, any time it says “AND GOD” it means Hashem and Beit Dino, God and the heavenly tribunal.
The last piece was a comment of the Riva on the Sodom story. He points out that these are not the only times in the Torah where we find “and God”. It says, “and God created the heavens” and clearly that must be God alone creating the universe!
Rather he suggests, the rule is that anytime it says “and God” in the context of puranut, of calamity, it means God and the heavenly tribunal.
Why only in these contexts?
Because it is in these contexts, where God is killing firstborns or wiping out an entire city that we might ask- how could God do this? Where is the justification?
The Midrash comes to address that question and tell us “don’t fret, God is justified.
In customary Midrashic fashion the Midrash doesn’t simply tell us don’t worry, it gives us an image that we will remember in order to convey the message.
According to this, there is no heavenly tribunal, no other heavenly beings who get a say because that indeed would be heresy.
Rather the Midrash is using an image we can identify with to teach us that although you might not understand God’s rationale, God’s decrees always have the force and import of a decree from a court, a tribunal. There is thought and fairness and a proper decision.
I want to end with one last critical note on the Midrash which relates to my opening questions. The Midrash does not give us a reason; it simply tells us that a decision has been reached. The tribunal decided but we are not privy to the internal discussion nor do we get to read the legal opinion. The message the Midrash seems to be teaching is, yes there is a moral issue. We are aware of it as you are. And the key to solving the moral issue is- know that God acts justly as if there was a tribunal and court.
Certainly it can be frustrating in our search for answers and it is somewhat circular, know that it is right because God did it, but for the believer that should be enough!
