Parshat Bechukotai – “Et Tu?”

And I will remember My covenant [with] Jacob, and also My covenant [with] Isaac, and also My covenant [with] Abraham I will remember.  And I will remember the Land.

וְזָֽכַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י יַֽעֲק֑וֹב וְאַף אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֨י יִצְחָ֜ק וְאַ֨ף אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶזְכֹּ֖ר וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֶזְכֹּֽר

VaYikra 26:42

This is one of the ten Biblical verses incorporated into the “Zichronot” section of Rosh HaShanah Musaf, on the strength of the three-peat of the word זכר (to remember).  We ask God to remember that we are descendants of the Biblical heroes with whom He had a special relationship.  We are their heirs; the blessings first conferred upon Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were bequeathed to us.

Chazal noticed several peculiarities in our verse:

• The Patriarchs are written in reverse order;
• The verb זכר (remember) is only written in connection with Avraham and Yaakov – it is omitted with Yitzchak;
• The adjective אף (and also) is only written in connection with Yitzchak and Yaakov – it is omitted with Avraham;
• The word את precedes each of the Patriarch’s names; and
• Nowhere else in Chumash is Yaakov spelled with a VAV (יַעֲקוֹב).

Let’s examine each of these quirks.  Rashi explains the first two irregularities:

• Why are the Patriarchs enumerated here in a reverse order (in contrast to their chronological order and Exodus 32:13, where it states: לאברהם ליצחק ולישראל וכו‎‎‎זכור ‏)?

It is to say: We should be redeemed through the merits of Jacob; but if perforce he is not sufficiently worthy, then the merit of Isaac should be enough to redeem us.  And if that does not suffice, then behold, then there is Abraham whose merit is surely enough!

• And why does Scripture not use the word “remember” in connection with Isaac’s name?

[Because] Isaac’s ashes always appear before Me, gathered up and placed upon the altar “[and therefore, God does not have to ”remember” Isaac, for Isaac is never forgotten]

אלא אפרו של יצחק נראה לפני צבור ומונח על המזבח

Rashi, quoting the Midrash, notes that there is no need for us to “remind” God about Isaac’s merit (which we are trying to cash in on) since Isaac’s singular act of devotion and self-sacrifice is ever forefront in God’s Memory.  Rashi is teaching us that Isaac got an A for effort; he willingly allowed himself to be bound on the alter and would have been sacrificed had not God stopped it.  Thus, Isaac gets full credit for the sacrifice even though the Divine test was abruptly halted at the last possible moment.

Explaining why the word “אף” is not used in connection with Yaakov, the Chizkuni reminds us that אף also means anger in Hebrew:

• Seeing that none of Yaakov’s children were disloyal to his teachings, the Torah did not use the word “אף,” “anger,” in connection with Yaakov.

Abraham fathered not only Isaac but also the wicked Ishmael.  Isaac begot not just Jacob but his (mostly) evil twin, Esav.  Jacob alone was blessed with a baker’s dozen of righteous children^[1]. For this reason, “אף” is not used in connection with Yaakov.  (The Chizkuni also suggests that this is another reason why Jacob appears first in the list of Patriarchs.)

The Hebrew word את has no precise English translation.  Nor does it have a simple meaning in Hebrew, which is a little bit strange since it is the single most common word in Chumash, with 6,662 uses, significantly eclipsing even HaShem, who clocks in with about 6,524 (counting all His different names together).^[2]

Rather, את is “used to introduce a semantically definite direct object”.^[3]   But just because את doesn’t convey a precise meaning didn’t mean that our Sages treat it lightly.  In fact, they often learned great things from this non-translatable word that consists only of the first and last letter of the Alef-Bet:

Simeon Imsoni — others state, Nehemiah Imsoni- interpreted every occurrence of the word אֶת in the Torah

שמעון העמסוני, ואמרי לה נחמיה העמסוני, היה דורש כל אתים שבתורה

Talmud Pesachim 22b

Since the Torah could have simply stated “Jacob, Isaac and Abraham” instead of “Et Jacob, Et Isaac and Et Abraham”, the Torah Temimah offers the following insight: The word את is used specifically to include our Matriarchs, who had plenty of stand-alone merits upon which we must (also) draw.  We, who are living through the #MeToo Moment, should remember that Chazal invoked our Matriarchs with love, devotion, respect and great awe.

I save my personal favorite for last.  While Yaakov’s name only appears once with a vav in Chumash, Rashi points out that this variant spelling is found four other times, in Jeremiah 30:18, 33:26, 46:27, 51:19.^[4]  He then connects this with the fact that Eliyahu HaNavi’s name is written defectively – without a VAV – in five places:

Jacob took a letter [“vav”] from the name of Elijah [the Prophet] as security-that he will come and herald the redemption of his [Jacob’s] children.

יעקב נטל אות משמו של אליהו ערבון שיבוא ויבשר גאולת בניו

Yaakov Avinu may have been an אִישׁ תָּם ישֵׁב אֹֽהָלִֽים, a quiet, peaceful, simple, tent-dwelling man, but he was also a skilled negotiator who picked up a valuable birthright from his brother for some bread and lentils and a couple of wives (and concubines) in exchange for a few years of labor.  According to Rashi, Yaakov ‘borrowed’ a letter from the end of Elijah’s name and held it hostage, so that Elijah would come back for it, and bring Mashiach with him.

Yaakov may seem like a thief selling stolen goods back to the rightful owner, but Rashi, at least, does not view Yaakov’s conduct harshly.  After all, Yaakov didn’t hide the VAV away; he displayed it prominently.  And more importantly, who among us wouldn’t do everything in our power to coax and cajole Eliyahu HaNavi into finally bringing the Mashiach?

Rashi doesn’t explain why Yaakov “borrowed” a letter on five separate occasions.  Some suggest that the five-peat is for each of Five Books of Moshe.  The Maharal of Prague suggests otherwise:

The five instances of the “vav” symbolize the five fingers of the hand; i.e., this security arrangement between Jacob and Elijah was sealed by a handshake

כי הנותן ערבון נותן לו כף יד

Gur Aryeh, Vol 3, VaYikra.

In this reading, Yaakov is not making an unauthorized withdrawal and holding it hostage.  Instead, Eliyahu HaNavi is offering the last letter of his name as a pledge.  With a handshake, Eliyahu promises that he will indeed come back to us, to claim his VAV and to finally bring us the Mashiach.

Shabbat Shalom!

 

[1]. Righteous, of course, does not mean perfect.

[2]. http://sparks.simania.co.il/words.php

[3]. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%AA

[4]. I found this occurrence in about 5 minutes using a Bar Ilan search.  Rashi had to do a manual search through all 24 books in the Tanach.