Midrash Similar to Mythology

How does one address the issue that there are many instances when Midrashic teachings are extremely similar to Greek mythology? There are many instances where the storyline expressed by a Midrash will be similar to a mythological legend, sometimes the two are identical (examples will be cited). This question has bothered many for centuries and many answers have been proffered. Many are comfortable with stating that the Greeks stole Jewish concepts and incorporated them into their own ideologies. The problem that some have with this approach is that the culture of the Greeks and that of Chazal seem so diametrically opposed that it seems unreasonable that one would have taken from the other.

I would like to offer a theory and offer an example to support it that is pertinent to Matan Torah (and, of course, would love to hear feedback). Chazal understood that the natural forces of both science and history are encoded and symbolized by the stars. They can be deduced via knowledge of the movements of the stars (the original 4 8 constellations) and the associated symbolism between the stellar patterns and various items. (See Ibn Ezra Shemos 33:31 and Rabbeinu Bachye Bamidbar 23:9; also see Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) For example, the Torah was given in the month of Sivan and the mazal of Sivan (the constellation that rose with the Sun during this month in ancient times) is Teomim, Gemini the Twins. Twins demonstrate a connection between two entities that is unmatched elsewhere. When united they display a complete state not possessed by others. The name Teomim may have its roots in the word Tam meaning complete. (See Midrash Tanchuma Haazinu 1) It was in this month that Klal Yisrael united with Hashem via the Torah.

The Greek mythology is depicted in the night sky. The constellations tell over these legendary stories. One can find the constellation Perseus near Andromeda, Cetus, Cassieopeia and Cepheus. These figures play the roles in a storyline that has monsters, heros and damsels saved at the last minute in Greek mythology.

Since Chazal agree with the basic depictions of the constellations, (see Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma) then it stands to reason that they saw elements in the natural world that express these concepts. I do not know if the Greeks took from Chazal, had a tradition dating back to Adam or if this was a natural science that they were able to uncover, but it seems that they also studied the sky and created their myths based on the constellations. That being said, if they express these concepts in a similar fashion to the way a Midrash is stated, it should not be shocking. Of course, the Greeks did distort (and even worship) these ideas and concepts and the figures turned into gods and the stories did not display their true meaning (if the true meaning was ever completely uncovered), but this definitely helps show why similarities not only can, but should occur between mythology and Midrash. (Unfortunately, the symbolism behing the aforementioned constellations is beyond the scope of this post, but the symbolism seems to depict the idea of the Sotah and that Hashem will eventually bring back His wife, Klal Yisrael, even though she has strayed from Him.)

The example with Matan Torah can be seen in with the constellations, Aquarius, Aquila and Cepheus. Aquarius is a Water Pourer, but is also associated with the child of the highest god in Greek mythology. Aquarius represents the "child" of Hashem in reality as it is the mazal of Klal Yisrael. (Ibn Ezra Shemos 31:18) This child was taken by an eagle, Aquila, to rejoin his father in the spiritual realm. We are taught that Hashem took us from Egypt to be his premier nation "on the wings of eagles." (Shemos 19:4-5) In the month of Sivan when Gemini would be rising with the Sun, Aquarius would be setting in the west. At this time, Cepheus, a constellation that represents a king, is seen at the height of the sky sitting in his throne. The "son" Aqaurius is standing on the ground in the west, but immediately next to him is the eagle, Aquila, to take him to his king, Cepheus. It seems pretty clear that the Greeks were (wether knowingly or not) expressing Matan Torah in their legend.

There are many other examples like this (like the story of Procrustes), but unfortunately this post cannot go for forever.

A Lifetime of Space Travel

In this week's parsha we are informed of the size of the Klal Yisrael's standing army in the Wilderness. Only those above twenty years of age were eligible to fight. This number seems somewhat arbitrary since the age of adulthood is considered to be thirteen. Rav Yehonasan Eibshitz resolves this by giving some background.

Rav Eibshitz quotes a verse from Tehillim that states that the average life span of a human is seventy years. The numebr seven has extreme celestial connotations, as the natural world is perceived as being under the influences of the seven planets, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (a theme discussed in the some of the past few posts).

These planets are depicted as orbiting the Earth (this is how the human perceives them) and the order of the orbital circles is as follows (from farthest to closest): Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. Rav Eibshitz suggests that each planets plays a role in the development of the human and each has influence for ten years.

Saturn governs the first ten years and this is recognized through its Hebrew name, Shabsai, which comes from the same root as Shabbos and means to rest. Saturn has the slowest apparent orbital motion and appears to be resting. A human spends much of these years at home and not able to go out into the world. Thus, Saturn's influence is clearly seen.

The next ten years are those of Jupiter's influence. Known by the Hebrew word for righteousness, Tzedek, Jupiter is perceived to have some of the most beneficial and almost holy qualities. It is during the next ten years that the child will attain adulthood (thirteen for a boy and twelve for a girl) and be able to accomplish his holy task in this world by performing mitzvos.

Rav Eibshitz then suggests that Mars, known as Maadim meaning red, takes over. Mars is associated with blood and death and it is at this age that the human has the appropriate celestial qualities that make him a warrior. Therefore, it is at this stage that the Torah says men should be drafted.

Rav Eibshitz does not tell us why the following thirty years are under the influence of the Sun, Venus and then Mercury. He, instead skips to the last ten years of the average human's life and tells us of the associated lunar traits. Perhaps, from age thirty to forty one is considered to be associated with the Sun because the Sun is the most powerful of the planets. Its abilities and physical influence on Earth make it seem as if it is the most powerful celestial force. These middle years of the human are when he is able to accomplish much of what he will be able to accomplish. These years are the peak of his life.

From forty to sixty he is first influenced by Venus and then Mercury. Perhaps, these planets are chosen because they are both between Earth and the Sun (not in the perceived orbits mentioned above, but in the actual way they orbit the Sun). As such, they are only visible in the sky during the evening twilight and then into the early night or from late night into the morning twilight (Mercury being the closest planet to the Sun is actually never seen during night, but always in twilight). They are never seen in the middle of the night. Perhaps, this is symbolic of the aging of the human and the entrance into the twilight of his life. First with Venus which is visible sometimes just after or before twilight, and then with Mercury which is only seen in the twilight.

Lastly, the person's years from sixty to seventy are governed by the Moon. This is very pronounced, says Rav Eibshitz, by the person turning white. His hair turns gray and then white (I am just praying that I still have hair, at the rate I am going the chances are slim). The Moon is the whitest of the planets and its Hebrew name, Levana, comes from the same grammatical root as that of the word for white, Lavan.

(In case you have been noticing, a lot of the material for my posts, recently, has come from Rav Yehonasan Eibshitz. He seems to understand a lot of symbolism, especially numerical symbolism, to be intertwined with this type of astrology. If you enjoy this type of astrological expression I would highly encourage purchasing the chumash that is currently marketed as his peirushim and contains the Tiferes Yehonasan, which has this type of stuff on chumash, the Ahavas Yeshonasan, which has this type of stuff on haftarah and Divrei Yehonasan which contains a pilpulistic commentary to the chumash. Alternatively, Rabbeinu Bachye seems to offer a lot, as well, albeit with an extremely different style. I must admit, I personally am drawn more to Rabbeinu Bachye's style as it often is more associated with astronomy and I am more drawn to that as opposed to astrology. The style of the upcoming book is more of that nature and so were some of the older posts, but Rav Eibshitz's certainly catches my attention.)

Determining the Identity of the Unicorn

Before I get into this post, let me first give a very basic overview as to what a constellation is. If one looks toward the sky he will be able to see hundreds, if not thousands, of stars (unless it is cloudy, daytime or he lives close to a city with lots of lights and pollution). It would be virtually impossible to discuss the different regions of the sky if they were not divided into smaller units. Throughout history, humankind has recognized different areas of the sky as being distinct sections. Each defined grouping of stars was pictured as an object (i.e. a lion, bull, etc.) and these formations (like connect the dots) are constellations. It is similar to looking at a map of the U.S. and then subdividing it into fifty states.

In the times of the Greeks there were forty-eight constellations, and the Ibn Ezra contends that Chazal agree with both this number and the actual division. These were considered to be Divinely created and to exert influence on life on this planet. As time continued, people decided that they needed to subdivide the sky into more regions (without any Divine intervention) otherwise it would be too difficult to converse with one another. The new divisions, which became standardized, provide a framework for both scientists and laymen to discuss the sky with relative ease. These constellations were generally created by astronomers interested in contemporary science and not astrologers who were interested in the influences of these regions. As such, the names of these often reflect more scientific objects such as Microscopium, etc. Currently, there are eighty-eight recognized constellations.

Now, let's talk about unicorns. There is a constellation called Monoceros. Monoceros is Greek for unicorn (mono = one and ceros = horn; interestingly, often times if you exchange the "c" in a Greek word for a "k" you get the Hebrew word, for example, Okaynus, and Oceanis for the word for Oceans. In this instance you get keresh) and that is what this constellation depicts. There is a discrepancy as to when this constellation was "created", but it seems that it was in the sixteenth or seventeenth century. It appears that Plancius is the first confirmed source for it and Bartsch(ius) definitely included it in his later work. A notable point is that there is discussion as to whether the, slightly earlier and very reputable historian, Joseph Scaliger allegedly claimed to have seen this constellation in a much earlier ancient Persian source. If so, that would, perhaps, place it as far back as the time of Chazal. If the Persians' unicorn was similar to that of the ones mentioned by Chazal, then this information could be used to ascertain this beast's identity.

About a year ago I made, what I feel, is a big discovery. I was learning the Ibn Ezra's Reishis Chachma for my upcoming sefer (sorry, I had to put in another shameless plug). When the Ibn Ezra delineates the constellations he only mentions the standard forty-eight of Chazal. However, he constantly refers to other segments and star patterns in the sky. This would be comparable to looking at the map of the U.S. and, in addition to the states (our constellations), we could also see some counties and regions. These are currently referred to as asterisms (i.e. the Big Dipper which is a segment of the constellation Ursa Major). When discussing Gemini, the constellation associated with the upcoming month of Sivan, the Ibn Ezra discusses some nearby asterisms. One of them is, you guessed it, Monoceros!!! At first I was completely amazed. It seemed that I had historical proof that this "constellation" did, in fact, predate (since the Ibn Ezra lived hundreds of years before) and that Scaliger's claim may have validity. Not only that, but the Ibn Ezra also refers to all the objects mentioned in his work as having influence on the planet, a suggestion implying that these are Divinely created asterisms. Since the only Reishis Chachma that I was able to get was a translation I set out to find a copy of the original Hebrew (something I had wanted to do anyway).

I finally located a copy published in 1939 that contained the original Hebrew as well as a French and English translation. The Hebrew reads "חיה בעלת קרן" which does sound like unicorn, but, I must concede, is not definitive anymore since one could argue that it just means a horned animal. I do find it very unlikely to be something other than the unicorn, though, because what is the likelihood of that happening in the exact location of the modern Monoceros which Scaliger claims predates its "modern creation".

Based on Scaliger's testimony and the above proof, it seems that Plancius and Bartsch were aware of the older asterism and decided to include it into the sky as a constellation (by the way, there is no reason to suspect that they intended to present this as their own creation, rather, it is very possible that they just intended to upgrade an asterism of ancient to the status of constellation in order to divide the sky into smaller parts). Scaliger's alleged sighting in the Persian source would have included a picture of the animal (it was common to draw the stars with fancy artistic representations of their associated items behind them) and it stands to reason that Plancius was aware of this information. Therefore, they would have known the Persian unicorn's true identity, which would probably be identical to the Ibn Ezra's.

There has been speculation as to the possibility of the unicorn being a giraffe. The giraffe has two horns on the top of its head, but another bump in the middle of its head. If it is the unicorn, then, what Chazal meant when they said an animal with one horn between its eyes was that in addition to two regular horns it had a third in between its eyes. The translation as unicorn would, then, be in error. If the giraffe is the only species of unicorn mentioned then, perhaps, the above stellar discoveries put a little doubt on this assertion (in addition to the asterism/constellation being called Monoceros as opposed to Triceros). There is another constellation created by Plancius and charted by Bartsch, Camelopardalis. In case you haven't figured it out, camelopardalis means giraffe in Latin (originating from the Greek) and Plancius was dedicating this region of the sky to this animal (once again, camel = gamal, o = u and pardalis = bardalis, a spotted cat like an ocelot; this would show the Hebrew equivalent of a mix between a camel and bardalis, a giraffe does look something like a mix of the two). The fact that there was another constellation created by the same people indicates that the two cannot be one and the same. The depiction that is in use, stemming from Plancius and Bartsch, is a horselike creature with a horn on its head.

Blasphemous Bread of Permanence

As I was continuing to review this week's parsha, Emor, I had a theory to explain something that has bothered me for awhile. At the end of the parsha we are taught of the convert whose mother was from Dan and father from Egypt. (see Mizrachi and Gur Aryeh as to why he is considered a convert) This individual was blasphemous and put to death for his actions.

Rashi teaches that he initially went out with one of two complaints. He found it preposterous that the Showbread in the Mishkan was placed on the Shulchan for nine days prior to being eaten. He also felt that his tent should be able to be placed in the camp of Dan since his mother was from Dan. When he was informed that he was wrong he blasphemed.

When Korach argued that a talis that is completely sky blue should not need tzitzis, we find that the commentaries give a metaphoric explanation for his choice of argument. What could the convert in our parsha have been insinuating with his remarks about the Showbread?

In the Mishkan there were two vessels that were placed across from each other, the Menorah and the Shulchan (both mentioned in the portion prior to the blasphemer). The Rema, in his Toras HaOlah, cites earlier sources that contend that the Menorah symbolized the concept of the seven planetary influences. There are seven "planets" that are visible to the naked eye: the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Depending on which constellation they are residing in, these planets exert influence on earth. The Menorah had seven branches, each lit for the purposes of shining light. The seven influences are thus shown to shine forth their power. The Shulchan, however, had twelve pieces of Showbread placed on it. There is another system of astrology in which the twelve constellations of the zodiac are seen to exert their influence. Unlike the planets, though the constellations are still relative to another. The planets, on the other hand, wander from one constellation to the next; each going at its own pace.

As we have mentioned in the past, Rav Yeshonasan Eibshitz contends that the system of twelve constellations is more pertinent to the Jews and the system of seven to the other nations of the world. This seems to be echoed by the fact that numerous sources compare the twelve tribes of Yisrael to the twelve constellations.

Perhaps, what this blasphemer intended was of a philosophical nature. He was wondering why Klal Yisrael can camp so proudly with their banners, yet, the newcomers who chose this way of life are not allowed into the camp permanently. They may trade and walk through, but they may not pitch their tent. These holy individuals have have wandered around and had chose to join Hashem's nation should be allowed equal expression. He was asking why the Showbread should contain "stale" bread, the bread that has been there for days and not a fresh piece, one that was just made.

The Showbread shows the twelve stagnant elements and also the twelve tribes. These are the ones that have not wandered and their permanence is expressed as an encampment. (the twelve constellations are considered to camp in exactly the same formation as the camping of the tribes see Midrash HaGAdol Bamidbar 2) While those that have wandered into these "constellations", the planets (or converts) have influence and are very holy, they are not the same as the originals. Their influence can shine as they wander into and fuse with the constellations, but they are not part of the "kahal" itself. They are not able to pitch a tent of permanence. Those who come and join exert influence and are placed in the Mishkan, but the Showbread is not its place. The Showbread keeps its bread for a duration of time, it does not continuously change and show wandering.

With this concept, one can appreciate the mesiras nefesh that a convert takes. He knowingly joins a nation in order to serve Hashem even though he recognizes he will feel like an outsider. He cannot have permanence (he is also not given land in Eretz Yisrael), yet, he sacrifices it all for his determination to esrve Hashem. Perhaps, this is why his vessel produces light. We can see and recognize and learn from this individual what fiery passion is truly necessary!

(I apologize if this was somewhat unclear, it was typed in a hurry).

No Martians in the Mikdash

I happened to see an interesting explanation from Rav Yehonasan Eibshitz that was so similar to last week's post that I could not help but post it for this week. The Haftarah for this week's parsha, Parshas Emor, comes from Yechezkel (44). In it the Navi describes what the service in the Beis HaMikdash will be like in the future. There are many discrepencies between this description and the service as described in Chumash and the Gemara tells us that for this Sefer Yechezkel was almost left out of Tanach. (Shabbos 13b) Finally Chananya ben Chizkiyah reconciled the discrepencies and it was allowed.

Interestingly, many commentaries still discuss the literal translations of the words and do not address the above mentioned issue. Rav Eibshitz seems to take this path and, therefore, provides insight into one of these perplexing verses. Yechezkel tells us that the Kohanim will wear linen garments when serving in the inner sanctum and will not have any wool on them. (Yechezkel 44:17) This is in stark contrast with the description of their clothing as described in the Chumash. There we are taught that their clothing contained both linen and wool, a combination prohibited for others to wear and referred to as Shaatnez.

Rav Eibshitz explains that linen is often times referred to as שש which is also the word for "six". In addition it is referred to as בד, a word whose numerical value is six. (see chapter 13 of my Tiferes Aryeh for more on this numerical value and how it seems to be a "hava ameinah" of the Gemara) Mystically it is a garment that brings together (in a cleansing way) the natural forces of six of the seven planets (the ancients recognized all items that moved independent of the regular stars to be planets. As such they talked of seven planets; the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The others are not visible to the naked eye and are, therefore, not discussed). The only planet it does not contain is that of Mars.

Mars connotes judgement and harshness (see last week's post) and has no place in the future worship of Hashem. (Rav Eibshitz points out that shrouds are of linen since Hashem will save the dead from judgement). In the past the Kohanim wore wool in their clothing because we had to contend with the evil forces and even "bribe" them to do the proper service of Hashem (see last week's post). In the future, however, things will be more perfect and we will no longer have wool in the clothing of the Kohanim.

Satan: Our Martian King of Earth

The Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachye reveal to the public what the Ibn Ezra considered to be a mystical secret. They state that the goat taken to Azazel as part of the Yom Kippur service is actually a symbolic show of bribing the Satan. The Satan is the evil inclination that resides in all of us and on Yom Kippur we rise above it and act like angels. As such, Hashem prescribed an offering that, on the surface level, appears to be a pacification of the Satan. This, then, enables us to completely serve Hashem without his interference. Obviously, we are not really worshipping Satan, as that would be idolatrous, this is a commandment from Hashem and is serving Hashem, but its symbolism is something to be taken to heart.

The planets and stars are considered to be the place where the spiritual realm of heaven and the physical realm of earth meet. As such, all events determined by heaven are considered to flow down upon us through the stars and planets. The Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachye contend that Mars, מאדים, is considered to be the force of the Satan (and demons) and connotes evil, death and destruction. The desolate wilderness is considered to be under his rule and it is there that this goat is taken. All animal life is considered to be influenced by the celestial objects and goats are considered to be under the rule of Mars, as well. (see Ibn Ezra Reishis Chachma for more detail of this concept) It happens to be fascinating that the other ancient civilizations also perceived Mars as a cruel and deadly influence. Usually it has been associated with death and war. (See Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos) The Parah Adumah, red heifer, is also a display of this, says the Ramban, but that is not the discussion of this post.

Rabbeinu Bachye furthers that the numerical value of מאדים is identical to that of המלך, "the king". It is our evil physical inclinations, ruled by the Satan, that, unfortunately, seem to govern and run our lives. The Satan, therefore, appears to be the king of this world. I find it fascinating that our prayers from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur (the time being discussed) focus on calling Hashem "our King". We change a blessing in our Shemonah Esrei from calling Hashem a holy God to calling Him a holy King. The chazzan starts the Yom Tov prayer with the word המלך, that same word that normally equals Mars, but in this context we make clear that it is Hashem who is the real king. In another piyut we contrast the Heavenly King with the destitude king, usually considered to be man, but, perhaps, truly referring to the Satan.

It would seem that these days, at the beginning of our year, are supposed to state emphatically, that although it normally seems that the king is Mars, we are proclaiming that Hashem is truly the king!!!

Ancient Influences of Outside Cultures

The names of the Hebrew months that we currently use are not biblical or even Hebrew! In fact, the Yerushalmi (Rosh Hashana 1:2) states that these were the secular names used by the Babylonians and we took them with us when we returned to Eretz Yisrael after this first exile. Many years ago archaeologists uncovered an ancient stone in the ancient city of Nineveh that confirmed this fact.

The question that arises is that if these are secular names, why is it that we find sources that "darshan" them. For example, a Midrash teaches that the month beginning this evening, Iyar, is called אייר from the root אור meaning light. It was in this month, contends the Midrash, that Bnai Yisrael received the manna with "shining countenance" and it was also then that Hashem shined his glory for them with the clouds of glory that escorted them in the Wilderness. (see Torah Sheleimah Miluim Parshas Bo pp. 177-178) It seems odd that the ancient Babylonians would care to call their months by names that exalt the Jewish nation.

Some, like the Bnai Yisaschar (Nisan Maamar 1), contend that Aramaic is a holy tongue and we know that the Torah was given in "Targum" in addition to its Hebrew version. Ancient Targum, literally translation, is in Aramaic. As such, these names are inherently part of the language and reflect the true nature of the word (in this case month). Interestingly, the people who use it, presumably, do not know the true origin of their native tongue. While not an outright question on this approach, it seems odd that some of these names are also names of Babylonian gods. In fact, the Midrash mentions that Tammuz is referred to as Tammuz because that is the name of a pagan god (this has been confirmed historically with a Babylonian god) and the Jews practiced idolatry in this month when they made the Golden Calf. It seems peculiar that the name of a pagan god should have been the inherent nature and name of a month.

Others have suggested that when the rabbinic authorities allowed this element of secular culture to permeate into Jewish culture (see Ramban Shemos 12:2 who contends that not only did they allow it, but they advocated its practice), they gave it a Jewish spin to make it distinctly Jewish. (see Torah Sheleimah cited above)

Regardless of what the origins of these names of the months are, it is clear that all agree that they did not start off being Jewish. How fascinating it is to note that here we have our culture that took a part of another culture and thousands of years later the originators are gone and the only ones preserving the Babylonian tradition are the Jews!!! Hashem's countenance shone upon us in Iyar that protected and sustained us throughout the harshness of our exile in the Wilderness and, apparently has never ceased. It has protected us throughout the rest of our exiles. Those who have persecuted us have fallen to the wayside and ironically the only remnant left is through their oppressed nation that has far outlasted them!!!