The article below is from Rabbi Riskin’s book Devarim: Moses Bequeaths Legacy, History and Covenant, part of his Torah Lights series of commentaries on the weekly parsha, published by Maggid
Are we commanded to study world history? Certainly, I would say, on the basis of the simple meaning of the verse cited at the head of this commentary in accordance with the commentary of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Germany, 1808–1888). A proper study of history will reveal the consistent interplay between Israel and the nations of the world, the intellectual streams which influenced us – and in turn – which we influenced, and the hidden finger of G-d which guaranteed Jewish survival under the most difficult of conditions. And I would argue that the proper translation of the biblical verse cited above, as one may deduce from the biblical commentary of Rabbi Hirsch, is “understand the differences [shenot, not from ‘shana – year,’ but rather from ‘shinui – difference, change’] of each generation.”
It has aptly been said: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is a gift granted to us by G-d, and that is why it is called ‘present.’” I would add that “today” is all that we really have to utilize, and we must utilize it well, with wisdom and with dispatch. And we cannot treat “today” with proper understanding and circumspection unless we are sensitive to the forces of history which preceded it, especially to the changes in zeitgeist (the temper and spirit of the time), which makes “today” different from “yesterday,” and the new opportunities which may enable us to set the stage for a better tomorrow.
The truth is that G-d revealed Himself to Moses as the G-d of history. Although in the book of Genesis it is clear that El Sha-ddai or Elo-him is the G-d of power and creation, when, in the book of Exodus, Moses asks G-d for His name, the divine response is “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh,” literally, “I shall be what I shall be” (Ex. 3:14). In effect, G-d is here introducing Himself first and foremost as the G-d of future tense, the G-d of history, the G-d of becoming, the G-d of future redemption (“Jehovah,” literally “He will bring about” redemption). This is very much in keeping with Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi’s Kuzari, who sees G-d as revealing Himself in history, based upon the first of the Ten Commandments, “I am the Lord thy G-d, who took thee out of Egypt, the house of Bondage” (20:2).
This name Ehyeh is very different from Maimonides’ emphasis on the G-d of creation, Elo-him; indeed, Maimonides interprets Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh as I am that I am, I am the G-d of being, I am the Ground of Being (Paul Tillich), I am the essence of creation (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Foundations of Torah 1:1).
And this name is not as definitive as is Elo-him, the G-d of creation. The G-d of creation “worked” (as it were) alone; in contrast, the G-d of history is dependent first and foremost on Israel (although redemption was in the divine plan almost immediately after the Exodus, the refusal of Israel to conquer the land delayed the process immeasurably) as well as upon the other nations and their actions. There will eventually be redemption, as all our prophets guarantee in G-d’s name, but since redemption requires Israel’s intervention, G-d must leave the “end of days” open-ended.
And so the Bible after presenting the name Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh goes on to say, “So shall you [Moses] say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord G-d of your fathers, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, the G-d of Jacob, has sent Me to you; this is My name forever, and this is My remembrance for all generations’” (Ex. 3:15). Note an interesting linguistic nuance: In Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two, the text reads “dor vador,” understand the differences “of each generation” whereas in Exodus chapter three, we find “dor lador,” “this is My remembrance for all generations.” There are two names of G-d expressed in this passage in Exodus: the G-d of the patriarchs is the G-d of Jewish tradition from generation to generation, the G-d of eternal Torah and halakhic continuity, the G-d of the Shulhan Arukh, if you will; the G-d of history is the G-d of each generation, with that generation’s specific demands conditioned upon the historical situation of the specific time.
Hence Rabbi Shimon Schwab records in his memoirs how, as a bar mitzva youth, he went to Raden, anxious to meet with the Chafetz Chayim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, the gadol hador, the great luminary of the time. The sage asked the youth if he was a Kohen-priest. When young Shimon answered in the negative, the Torah giant commiserated that when the Messiah will come, only he – a Kohen – would be privileged to enter the sacred precincts of the Holy Temple. The reason for the priests’ elevated status is that their tribal ancestors answered positively to Moses’ call, “Whoever is with G-d, come to me.” Since young Shimon’s tribal ancestors did not heed that call, he would be excluded.
The Chafetz Chayyim concluded:
“And, I do not say these words lightly in order to hurt you. I merely wish to prepare you: in every generation a divine voice calls out the particular summons, challenge, and opportunity of that generation. Do not repeat the mistake of your forebears. Listen for G-d’s voice in your generation, and make sure that you respond to G-d’s call!”
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Chancellor Ohr Torah Stone
Chief Rabbi – Efrat Israel
