ר"ע תיתד תונויצל ינויערה גוחה ,םולשו זוע
In one of the weekend newspapers of the past few weeks, an interview was published with Meir Amit who was the head of the Mosad (Israel Intelligence). At the end of the interview, in reaction to a journalist's question about the big secret that stays with him is still in the realm of a secret, Meir Amit said that he could not reveal the secret, because the meaning of the work of intelligence and the Mosad is in not giving over information. According to him: "Information that you gave over is not yours anymore. It is equal to Samson's long hair before it was cut. This is the secret and the power of the matter: information."
Parshiot "Nitzavim-Vayelech" deal with the subject of information in a direct and indirect way. Parshat Nitzavim opens with "the Covenant of Information" that was made between Hakadosh Baruch Hu and Israel. This covenant requires certain behavior based on information that is given: (Chapter 29:9-14).
[9] You are placed this day all of you before the Eternal you G-d, your heads of your tribes, your elders, and your policemen, with all the men of Israel.
[10] Your children, your wives, and your stranger that is in your camp, from the woodcutter to the drawer of water.
[11] You should enter into the covenant with the Eternal your G-d and into His oath, which the Eternal your G-d makes with you this day.
[12] That He will raise you today for a people unto Himself, and the He may be unto you a G-d, as He has sworn to your father, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
[13] Neither with you only do I make the covenant and the oath.
[14] But with him that stands here with us today before the Eternal our G-d, and also with him that is not here with us this day.
The two last verses in this portion include and expand the covenant to those that were not present at the time of the making of the covenant. We are already witnesses her to the importance that the Torah relates to the passing on of information, because even if those obliged to the covenant were not physically present at the specific time and place when it was set, they are not free from knowing the contents of the covenant and keeping it. The question is asked about the way the information will be relayed and the procedure of the process of control that will confirm the existence of the passing on of the information. The parashah has its ways of showing us how we should pass on information.
In chapter 29, verse 28, it is said: "The secret things belong to the Eternal our G-d, but those things which are revealed belong to us, and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." In other words, the condition for control of information is that it is revealed and clear to all those obliged in its doing. Along with this, it is impossible to disregard the duality that is included in the existence of information in that it is clear that there exists revealed information and that there exists concealed information. But, the Torah frees us from control of concealed information and allocates it only to the control of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. As Rashi explains this:
"The secret things belong to the Eternal our G-d: And if you say, but what can we do? You threaten the whole community with punishment because of the sinful thoughts of one individual, as it is said: 'Lest there should be among you a man', and afterwards it is said: 'And they will see the plagues of the land.' But surely no man can know the secrets thoughts of his fellow! Now, I reply: I do not threaten to punish you because of secret thoughts for these belong to the Lord our G-d and He will exact punishment from the individual; but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our children that we may put away the evil from our midst; and if we do not execute judgement upon them, the whole community will be punished…" (Rashi D'varim Chapter 29, verse 28).
An additional outlook on the importance of the way information is passed on is explained in chapter 30,verses 11-14:
[11] For this commandment which I commandment you this day, it is not hidden from you, neither is it far off.
[12] It is not in the heaven, that you should say: who shall go up for us to the heaven, and take it unto us and let us hear that we may do it?
[13] Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say: Who will pass over the sea for us, and take it unto us, and let us hear it that we may do it?
[14] But the word is very close unto you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
It seems that the intention is the simplicity of receiving information and the equal accessibility of information for everyone. A good illustration of the existing tension between "concealed" information that is accessible for everyone exists in the topic of Tanur Shel Achnai (the oven of the snake). And this is the language in the Babylonian G'mara, Baba Mitziah 59, page 2 :
"It is taught; And on that day Rabbi Eliezar answered all the answers in the world and they did not agree with his opinion. He said to them: If the halacha (law)is like my opinion, the carob tree will prove it. The carob tree was uprooted from its place by one hundred cubits. And there were those who said four hundred cubits. They said to him: One does not bring proof from a carob tree. He returned and said to them: If the halacha is like my opinion, the water canal will prove it. The water in the canal flowed backwards. The said to him: One does not bring proof from a water canal. He returned and said to them: If the halacha is like my opinion, the walls of the Beit Midrash will prove it. The walls of the Beit Midrash tended to fall. Rebbi Yehoshua got angry at them and said: The scholars argue amongst themselves with regard to halacha, why are you getting involved!? The walls did not fall because of honor for Rebbi Yehoshua and the walls did not straighten because of honor for Rebbi Eliezar, and they still are slanted and stand. He returned and said: If the halacha is like my opinion, the heavens will prove it. A bat kol (divine voice) said: What is your problem with Rebbi Eliezar, the halacha is like him in all cases? Rebbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: 'It is not in the heaven.' What does it mean; 'It is not in the heaven' (Devarim 30)? Rebbi Yirmiah said: We don't listen to the bat kol as it is written on Mount Sinai in the Torah (Sh'mot 23) 'After many to incline.' Rebbi Natan met Eliahu. He said to him: What did Hakadosh Baruch Hu do at that time? He said to him: Your life. My sons won me in the discussion."
In this story, we learn that in the discussion between the scholars, that there is no doubt in their expertness in the revealed and concealed, the information that is accessible to all prevails and the halacha is set by it, even through victory over the heavenly information that is guarded by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, when Hakadosh Baruch Hu himself confirms the superiority of a decision based on human information. Only clear, accessible information for all, that can be assessed by human criteria can be a base for an obliging covenant.
In addition to the clearness and accessibility of information, that are essential conditions for relating information as we have seen until now, the parashah provides us with two "supports" that their purpose is to help in keeping these conditions:
The first is "testimony", as is written in chapter 30, verse 19:
"I call the heaven and the earth as witnesses this day against you…" And why do the heavens and the earth have to be witnesses? For, "That I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse, therefore choose the life."
Rashi explains to this verse that the eternal permanence and existence of the heavens and the earth remind us of that which we committed ourselves to through the information we received, such that if we forget the information, we can be assisted by existing witnesses that are always in our surroundings.
The second is the mitzvah of Hakhel (assembly) (Chapter 31: 10-13)
[10] And Moses commanded them saying, at the end of every seven years, at the appointed season of the year of the Shmitah Year, at the festival of Succot.
[11] When all Israel is coming to appear before the Eternal your G-d in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
[12] Assemble the people together, men and women, and little ones, and your stranger that is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Eternal your G-d, and observe to do all the words of this law.
[13] And that their children, who have not known anything, may hear and learn to fear the Eternal your G-d, all the days that you live on the ground where you pass over the Jordan to possess it.'
This mitzvah clearly reminds us of the information relayed from generation to generation and that obligated the whole nation.
It is possible that the passing on of the leadership that concludes Parshat Vayeleh is another example of the fact that it is impossible to turn away from information.
The Torah describes in a concrete manner the event of turning over the leadership. Moses and Joshua stand in the Ohel Moed (the Tent of Congregation) and the two hear together the words of G-d coming out of the Amud Anan (column of the cloud) that is at the opening of the tent.
And then, in verse22, appears the passing over of the information: "Moses therefore wrote this song…and taught it to the children of Israel… And he commanded Joshua the son of Nun…" The passing over of the leadership is done in a similar way to the way the information in the covenant was passed on, in a public event, that all see, as Rashi writes in his commentary to D'varim 29:9:
"You are placed: As Israel went from one leader to another leader, from Moses to Joshua. Therefore, he made them a monument in order to hurry them."
It can be said, that the covenant of information that was made between the people of Israel and Hakadosh Baruch Hu enables us understanding and orientation of what is required of us. We cannot claim to our defense, for one reason or another, that when our behavior expresses signs of not fulfilling the covenant that "we did not know." Behold, a generation that knows to explore and understand the ways of the heavens and to predict the exact time of a sun eclipse, cannot disregard information of what is happening around him and what one is obliged to ones fellow man from this information, because "it is not in the heaven."
Tsipi Laser-Holendar is a psychologist who deals with education and learning.
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