Israel and Humanity - The Theocracy in Israel

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CHAPTER EIGHT

REPORTS OF RELIGION AND THE STATE

ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATION OF JUDAISM

I.

Theocracy in Israel.

§ 1.

The study seems to us that we do need to complete our review of the contents of Noachism or universal, especially before considering each of the basic tenets that constitute it. The organization of Judaism in terms of relations between religion and state we will see what is in this respect the ideal Hebrew and what are the principles that Gentiles themselves to emulate.

If we leave aside the Western people whose form of government provides for discussion, we do not believe he ever existed in the East a theocratic nation that has been at any time whatsoever of its existence, the system of government advocated by the constitution. It was alleged that he was even among the Jewish people, but nothing is further from the truth and we just defer to Mr. Frank for the expression of the dominant view critics relevant, since the Bible and Judaism have been studied directly in their source: "It was then he said, an almost unanimous opinion and is still now a widespread view that the Government of the Hebrews was a theocracy like Egypt and India, that is to say that the supreme power, the principal magistrates and even the most considerable part of the territory and wealth Public belonged to the priests. Mr. Salvador has no difficulty in proving that nothing is more contrary to the texts of the Scriptures and the history of the Jewish people. The Priest in Israel had no other mission than to serve the altars and maintain its integrity in the text of the Act. Property, he did not, he only lived by the tithes and sacrifices. For everything else, it was as we say today subject to common law and had the same duties to perform his countrymen, he was judged by the same courts and paying the same taxes, not excepting tax in blood ".

What was the priest in Israel? To understand, we must go back to the origin of the institution. There is no doubt that until some time after the exodus from Egypt priestly functions were entrusted to the firstborn of each family. According to some doctors, so it was up erection of the tabernacle and R. Jeoschua previously said that the private altars were permitted and that no Aaronides began their ministry at that time. The Mishnah is of that opinion, but other rabbis believe that the election of the children of Aaron dated Sinai. This issue, besides its historical importance, is likely to inform us about the purpose and the nature of the priesthood of Aaronides. It was argued that the apostasy of the first-born priests in the manufacture and worship the golden calf was the cause of their downfall . If the fact was certain there would be a very serious reason, but there is no evidence that children of Aaron were not already elected at that time, the role played by Aaron too active in this circumstance seems to otherwise be related to the quality of which he was invested. It would be difficult to deny that the tribe of Levi was not even previously designated as strain of Jewish priesthood and the incident of the golden calf may have been an opportunity for her to open its functions.

Whatever the date, moreover, that we adopt, which shows an obvious way the whole set of facts is the national character of the priesthood and this allows us to glimpse the intention oversaw the selection of ministers. We have a transformation of the priesthood, similar and parallel to the transformation of family federation of tribes. As in Israel there were only families, the quality of priest belonged to the firstborn. In the same family of Jacob, Ruben would have had to accrue to the dignity and his descendants after him when the Israelite nation was formed, if sin had not rendered unworthy of first individually and then collectively as tribe. Ruben excluded, another tribe took its place, Levi became the Jewish family that the first-born had been in each house before the national era, the share devoted to God, the member dedicated to divine service, in a word the representative of the group is domestic or national with the Lord. Thus, the firstborn of the animals was dedicated to the altar, as the first fruits of fields and trees, as the tithe on the produce of the land. This harmony of all phases of the historical evolution of Israel, this unity of plan in the Mosaic economy is also reflected in the reports of Israel and humanity, as the chosen people is actually named the Terumah sacred part of humanity in this famous passage from Jeremiah: "Israel is dedicated to God and is the first fruits of his income "and the human race is called by the Doctors, the halla the world.

The Midrash Rabbah said in an ingenious way of Levi reports with other tribes. "A Gentile asked to R. Meir this question: Do you not say that Jacob is loyal, as it is written, Thou givest truth to Jacob? Yes, "replied the rabbi. Gentile then objected: But Jacob said unto all that thou give me, I'll dedicate the tenth part. Now, he removed his children to tithe of the tribe of Levi, where he has left two of his son outside the levy? The Doctor replied: You can add that her children were fourteen in number, since Ephraim and Manasseh shall be considered as Reuben and Simeon, and is therefore out of fourteen he was obliged to collect the tithe. And another: It is only furthest away from the fair. To which the rabbi replied: You must agree though that there were four mothers. But if you infer the number of fourteen first four infants we remain ten tribes, so that the tribe is well taken tenth ". In this passage, the consecration of the tribe

Levi, like all others, appears in its true light. The Aaronides and Levites are owned by God in the Israelite nation.

We perceive the Jewish priesthood and that character is very important that the political constitution away from the danger of theocracy: that the priest is sent to the representative of the people of God rather than God's representative to the people. The issue is raised in the Talmud as follows: "The priests they are our messengers or envoys of God? The Talmud, it is true, stands for the second of these assumptions, for this reason that deciding if it was assumed they were our messengers, it could not be explained so that their functions do not we might also be available , 35 . it is rather curious that the question is posed in the terms used by modern criticism. As for the solution adopted, it is doubtful that the Talmud, while admitting that the priest is the messenger of God, has meant that it is invested with supreme power. Certainly our conclusion qu'i1 do see in him, according to Jewish tradition, as our representative before God, is the formal condemnation of any theocracy, but the alternative hypothesis does not imply the opposite, since it may and such is actually the thought of the Talmud, that priests are the messengers of God for the special functions they are expected to perform.

We say that the quality of officials, delegates, which belongs to the Levites clear from the fact that they, the confession of Moses, took the place of the firstborn. It never came into effect to anyone to claim that in the family, the firstborn son was the representative of the deity and not the member spent by the family itself to the worship of God . If he is a priest, he is a victim, these two characteristics are inseparable from it and some critics have even argued that the consecration of the firstborn was originally a real sacrifice. But, it will be said, if the Levites replaced the firstborn, they therefore fulfill all the roles. But the role of the firstborn being in the family to exercise temporal power as well as spiritual power, the priest was intended to do so. The act in question is correct, the consequence that we draw no is the point, because it ignores the reasoning in a circumstance that characterizes all species of social or other developments: this is now called differentiation or division of labor. In Israelite society, as in any society, the functions and powers, initially concentrated, tend to divide into separate bodies afterwards, the priesthood and royalty are an example. The two qualities that, in the ancient family, were met head on the same member, persisted in the person of Moses to the top of the organization of Jewish nationality. Under the transitional law, the great legislator remained without a doubt the leader in both spiritual and temporal Hebrews as the priesthood was not established. Moreover, it was he who not only served as a priest during the short interval between the erection of the Tabernacle of the consecration of Aaronides, but which gave them the priestly investiture and celebrated all of their initiation ceremonies.

The rabbis seem to pay to Moses the secret thoughts of keeping the two powers, in imitation of the ancient patriarchs. Perhaps it is there from them one way, indeed quite common among them, represent a material way which was a movement of ideas among people and make biblical keep those speeches that never happened, but explaining the texts of Scripture. "R. Jeoschua, son of Korha, said Moses tried twice to become like Abraham, but God answered him: Do not glorify the royal presence. Abraham had said me here , that is to say: Here I am for the priesthood, I am here for royalty, for he has indeed two powers at once. Moses also said, I am here for the priesthood, I am here for royalty. But God said to him? "Do not come here." Now the word here is an allusion to royalty and the verb s to approach is an allusion to the priesthood.

After this transition period, the distinction between the two powers was established in Israel. But we will object is, if the Jewish people came to this distinction, because under the law governing the general evolution of humanity, then what is its religious superiority? A goal to be reached earlier than other people. All work, no doubt, and all walk under the Act, but this one ranks except that in any field, leading the way and serves as a front runner. Every nation in a certain branch of civilization fills this role to his brothers. That is what Israel did to the religious life and everything associated with it, and that is enough to give a special dignity as if to fulfill his destiny special every nation needs a special privilege, a greater revelation, we understand that Israel, which is the people of God, must have its special revelation and that it, by the nature of the subject is, literally, divine.

§ 2.

By its origin, its location and its general characteristics, the Jewish priesthood is closer to the ideal modern than the old concept. The complete review of its powers to show us he is more consistent with Western ideas as notions of the East. These functions were in service within the Temple worship and the public and there is nothing in that which brings us back to any priestly power, especially if you do not lose sight of what we have just established , namely that in performing these duties, the priests would perform a kind of delegation. Do not forget that because perhaps the enjoyment of old vestments, the simple Jew, even after the imposition of Aaronides had kept some of these former powers and precisely that, either by its very nature, either because of practice and belief must be universally regarded as essential for the celebration of the sacrifice, the sacrifice we mean that every Jew could indeed accomplish

The apparent encroachment on the prerogatives of the priesthood of the Israelites from the simple story of the Jewish people and tells us who may say that the Levitical law and the entire Pentateuch, which contains the post-date the establishment of the priesthood, s 'explained perfectly by a periodic return of rights to their original source hieratic, when some urgent necessity justified the repossession. It was sort of the whole nation that regained momentarily in the person of its most eminent representatives, all the powers which it had relinquished in favor of some of its members . We have sufficient evidence from which was made in public worship not only free the Israelites, but for slaves, and even converts to the Gentiles. Perhaps it should be mentioned again, as regards the Jews, the presence of some of them which, in turn, were present at Jerusalem and in the precincts of the temple, as representing the nation entirely under the name of maamadot to ordinary or extraordinary sacrifices that were made in his name. Do not believe that this institution contradicts the character of representatives of Israel we have assigned to the priests who would duplicate maamadot is indeed a general rule for all the precepts that even when the execution is entrusted to a representative, it must be near it at the time of execution of the mandate, especially for the imposition of hands on the victim's head.

Teaching was it part of the priestly functions as some texts seem to indicate ? It must be distinguished. We know that the first study of the law is imposed on the Israelites as a primary duty and that the father is obliged to educate its children, as recalled in the Bible on every page . In addition, there has always been to Israel doctors, scholars, not only during the last centuries of national existence, but even in ancient times, as evidenced by the oldest parts of Scripture . The prophets themselves were Doctors of the Act which they continued to recommend the faithful observance . What remains, then, for priests and how do we give meaning to the passages of the Scriptures that seem to give them a clear legal education? A careful examination of these texts can specify the exact scope and put therefore in agreement with others which we have alluded and which open to cleanly (a field beds to be much more extensive. This is not usually Pinstraction is conflêe priests, but bare braocche particular that which concerns the worship, rites roligienx, the, by and with the glistinetion Fimpar, the holy and the profane, the dietary laws, cërêmonielleB, we may even say hygienic if indeed're qualifier should be applied to rules that admit or exclude certain things or certain people in daily contact with the eompany. We do not mean, however, that the Levites Wétaient no more capable and more likely than Jews from other tribes, the study of the Act is that free da sake (the providing for their subsistence, they would have more leisure or the filing of the Torah which they had custody and occupations to which they ministered nuns usually predisposed them more. That's what the Bible assures us Phistoire and as teaching, Phêbraimne, is inseparable from the Survey that, we may believe that members of the tribe of Levi devoted themselves 6Gal and that undermined their ability and superiority in the field of real knowledge, they were forced to practice in the Jewish world Vinflaouce belongs to the class throughout the more educated . But there was for them or the statutory lien or special duty to their inherent quality, nor, a fortiori any monopoly, if only de facto, because all have denied this is a positive duty imposed on every Jew studying law and by the many examples that show us simple people and even whole tribes, such as Judah (% of Manasseh (% of Zebulun (~) and .18 Sachar ('), distinguished precisely by sonnaissance their extensive literature and national religion. The only part of the Law and the priest, we repeat, was a recognized legal authority, was the Levitical laws represented in the Pentateuch, and designated a special book, due most antiquity, as the Cohens are characteristic Thorat priestly law. What was the part that took prêtro the exercise of the higher judiciary nationalel Deuteronomy speaks of priests and judges in general and fully confirms the rabbinic tradition about it. It shows exactly what role was to play the priesthood in the Sanhedrin, the supreme political body, when he teaches that the priests and Levites, as well as ordinary Israelites were also included. This is the only way to understand the text mosaic on this issue because if the priests and the judges are listed at the same time, however, is also a distinct manner. It provides for cases of use of this high court that are each the responsibility of the priesthood, the other a matter of ordinary courts, whatever their members: "You go to the priests, the Levites and to him who then fill the functions of judge and confer with you and they will make you know the award "

In a portrait that we have just traced the Jewish priest, there is nothing that could in no way justify the charge of theocracy brought against the government of Israel.