Shavuot II: Yichus
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ShareAre we a result of our own Yichus?
The Hebrew (and laterally, Yiddish) term 'yichus' is a very significant term.
On a superficial level, one can say that it refers to one's pedigree/lineage, but in practice, it is essential, particularly when it comes to arranged marriages or 'shidduchs', as practised by our esteemed Haredi brethren. Every shadchan/matchmaker worth her salt will include it in her lexicography.
She will readily tell you that "Every 'bocher' (eligible bachelor) should have good yichus if he wants to find a young lady worthy of him". Many a young man has not been matched up with a potential partner because his yichus wasn't up to scratch and the same works vice-versa.
A friend of mine had a wonderful saying:
"Yichus is like potatoes - the best bits are underground!"
Its origins can be traced to the Book of Nehemiah in the Tanach (originally, the root was spelled yud-chet-sin but now we use yud-chet-samech:
On a superficial level, one can say that it refers to one's pedigree/lineage, but in practice, it is essential, particularly when it comes to arranged marriages or 'shidduchs', as practised by our esteemed Haredi brethren. Every shadchan/matchmaker worth her salt will include it in her lexicography.
She will readily tell you that "Every 'bocher' (eligible bachelor) should have good yichus if he wants to find a young lady worthy of him". Many a young man has not been matched up with a potential partner because his yichus wasn't up to scratch and the same works vice-versa.
A friend of mine had a wonderful saying:
"Yichus is like potatoes - the best bits are underground!"
Its origins can be traced to the Book of Nehemiah in the Tanach (originally, the root was spelled yud-chet-sin but now we use yud-chet-samech:
(ה) וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֱלֹהַי֙ אֶל־לִבִּ֔י וָאֶקְבְּצָ֞ה אֶת־הַחֹרִ֧ים וְאֶת־הַסְּגָנִ֛ים וְאֶת־הָעָ֖ם לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂ וָֽאֶמְצָ֗א סֵ֤פֶר הַיַּ֙חַשׂ֙ הָעוֹלִ֣ים בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֔ה וָאֶמְצָ֖א כָּת֥וּב בּֽוֹ׃ (פ) (ו) אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ בְּנֵ֣י הַמְּדִינָ֗ה הָעֹלִים֙ מִשְּׁבִ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶגְלָ֔ה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל וַיָּשׁ֧וּבוּ לִֽירוּשָׁלִַ֛ם וְלִיהוּדָ֖ה אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃
(5) My Gd put it into my mind to assemble the aristocrats and the nobles and the people, in order to trace their lineage. I found the Book of Lineage of those who were the first to ascend, and there I found written:
(6) These are the people of the province who came up from among the captive exiles that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had exiled, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city...
Yichus is therefore by no means exclusive to the Jewish people.
Each member of the Royal Family is keenly aware of their own yichus when it comes to the 'Line of Succession' and who can forget the tragic tale of Anna Anderson who believed herself to be The Grand Duchess Anastasia of the Romanoff dynasty?
The thought she had the right yichus (or alternatively, could have rightfully awarded an Academy Award for Best Actress). As it turned out, she was wrong!
Which brings us to the heroine of Shavuot, Ruth who though a princess (as I will shortly explain) was not blessed with the most advantageous yichus.
She came from Moab (known these days as the Kingdom of Jordan) and her ancestor, after whom the kingdom was named was none other than the result of an incestuous relationship between Abraham's nephew lot and his eldest daughter.
Each member of the Royal Family is keenly aware of their own yichus when it comes to the 'Line of Succession' and who can forget the tragic tale of Anna Anderson who believed herself to be The Grand Duchess Anastasia of the Romanoff dynasty?
The thought she had the right yichus (or alternatively, could have rightfully awarded an Academy Award for Best Actress). As it turned out, she was wrong!
Which brings us to the heroine of Shavuot, Ruth who though a princess (as I will shortly explain) was not blessed with the most advantageous yichus.
She came from Moab (known these days as the Kingdom of Jordan) and her ancestor, after whom the kingdom was named was none other than the result of an incestuous relationship between Abraham's nephew lot and his eldest daughter.
(לו) וַֽתַּהֲרֶ֛יןָ שְׁתֵּ֥י בְנֽוֹת־ל֖וֹט מֵאֲבִיהֶֽן׃ (לז) וַתֵּ֤לֶד הַבְּכִירָה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ מוֹאָ֑ב ה֥וּא אֲבִֽי־מוֹאָ֖ב עַד־הַיּֽוֹם׃
(36) Thus the two daughters of Lot came to be with child by their father. (37) The older one bore a son and named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today.
We would not call this "an auspicious start".
Further down the line and his descendent is none other than Balak, the king of Moab whose employs the wicked Balaam to curse the Israelites. With Gd's deft actions, both men fail and Balak returns to his country an angry, frustrated and no doubt bitter man.
He has a son whom we meet further on in the Sefer Shoftim/The Book of Judges and his name of Eglon. The Bible tells us:
(טו) וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֶל־יְהוָה֒ וַיָּקֶם֩ יְהוָ֨ה לָהֶ֜ם מוֹשִׁ֗יעַ אֶת־אֵה֤וּד בֶּן־גֵּרָא֙ בֶּן־הַיְמִינִ֔י אִ֥ישׁ אִטֵּ֖ר יַד־יְמִינ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל בְּיָדוֹ֙ מִנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ מוֹאָֽב׃ (טז) וַיַּעַשׂ֩ ל֨וֹ אֵה֜וּד חֶ֗רֶב וְלָ֛הּ שְׁנֵ֥י פֵי֖וֹת גֹּ֣מֶד אָרְכָּ֑הּ וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אוֹתָהּ֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לְמַדָּ֔יו עַ֖ל יֶ֥רֶךְ יְמִינֽוֹ׃ (יז) וַיַּקְרֵב֙ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה לְעֶגְל֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֑ב וְעֶגְל֕וֹן אִ֥ישׁ בָּרִ֖יא מְאֹֽד׃
(15) Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and the LORD raised up a champion for them: the Benjaminite Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man. It happened that the Israelites sent tribute to King Eglon of Moab through him. (16) So Ehud made for himself a two-edged dagger, a gomed in length, which he girded on his right side under his cloak. (17) He presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was an obese man.
(כ) וְאֵה֣וּד ׀ בָּ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהֽוּא־יֹ֠שֵׁב בַּעֲלִיַּ֨ת הַמְּקֵרָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֙ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵה֔וּד דְּבַר־אֱלֹהִ֥ים לִ֖י אֵלֶ֑יךָ וַיָּ֖קָם מֵעַ֥ל הַכִּסֵּֽא׃
(20) and when Ehud approached him, he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber. Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God”; whereupon he rose from his seat.
I won't describe how Ehud vanquished Eglon because it's described in a very graphical and disturbing manner, but Rashi notes something interesting with regard to the way Eglon reacted when Ehud entered his Royal Chamber:
ויקם מעל הכסא. לכך זכה ויצאה ממנו רות:
He rose from the throne. He therefore merited that Ruth was descended from him.
Chazal (our Sages) tell us that Ruth was Eglon's daughter, which would make her Balak's granddaughter.
Looking at her yichus, she has a very interesting 'back story'.
If we set aside the disturbing origins of her tribe, both father and grandfather are minded to attack the Israelites and subjugate them. Yet, in Eglon's case, his actions in standing up to respect a messenger from Gd, resulted in the merit of fathering one of the greatest heroines in Jewish history. But why does Balak given such an honour?
The Talmud tells us the following:
If we set aside the disturbing origins of her tribe, both father and grandfather are minded to attack the Israelites and subjugate them. Yet, in Eglon's case, his actions in standing up to respect a messenger from Gd, resulted in the merit of fathering one of the greatest heroines in Jewish history. But why does Balak given such an honour?
The Talmud tells us the following:
כרע נפל שכב וגו' (במדבר כד, טז) ויודע דעת עליון השתא דעת בהמתו לא הוה ידע דעת עליון הוה ידע מאי דעת בהמתו דאמרי ליה מאי טעמא לא רכבת סוסיא אמר להו שדאי להו ברטיבא אמרה ליה הלא אנכי אתונך לטעינא בעלמא אשר רכבת עלי אקראי בעלמא מעודך עד היום הזה ולא עוד אלא שאני עושה [לך] מעשה אישות בלילה כתיב הכא (במדבר כב, ל) ההסכן הסכנתי וכתיב התם (מלכים א א, ב) ותהי לו סוכנת אלא מאי ויודע דעת עליון שהיה יודע לכוון אותה שעה שהקב"ה כועס בה והיינו דקאמר להו נביא לישראל (מיכה ו, ה) עמי זכר נא מה יעץ בלק מלך מואב ומה ענה אותו בלעם בן בעור מן השטים ועד הגלגל למען דעת צדקות ה' מאי למען דעת צדקות ה' אמר להן הקב"ה לישראל דעו נא כמה צדקות עשיתי עמכם שלא כעסתי כל אותן הימים בימי בלעם הרשע שאילמלא כעסתי כל אותן הימים לא נשתייר משונאיהן של ישראל שריד ופליט היינו דקאמר ליה בלעם לבלק מה אקב לא קבה אל (וגו' אותן היום [הימים] לא זעם ה') אל זועם בכל יום וכמה זעמו רגע שנאמר (תהלים ל, ו) כי רגע באפו חיים ברצונו וגו' איבעית אימא (ישעיהו כו, כ) לך עמי בא בחדריך וסגור דלתיך בעדך חבי כמעט רגע עד יעבור זעם אימת רתח בתלת שעי קמייתא כי חוורא כרבלתא דתרנגולא כל שעתא ושעתא נמי חוורא כל שעתא ושעתא אית ביה סוריקי סומקי ההיא שעתא לית ביה סוריקי סומקי ההוא מינא דהוה בשיבבותיה דרבי יהושע בן לוי דהוה קא מצער ליה יומא חד נקט תרנגולתא ואסר ליה בכרעיה ואותיב אמר כי מטא ההוא שעתא אילטייה כי מטא ההוא שעתא נמנם אמר שמע מינה לאו אורח ארעא דכתיב (משלי יז, כו) גם ענוש לצדיק לא טוב אפילו במיני לא איבעי ליה למימר הכי תנא משמיה דרבי מאיר בשעה שהחמה זורחת והמלכים מניחין כתריהן על ראשיהן ומשתחוים לחמה מיד כועס (במדבר כב, כא) ויקם בלעם בבקר ויחבוש את אתונו תנא משום רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אהבה מבטלת שורה של גדולה מאברהם דכתיב (בראשית כא, יד) וישכם אברהם בבקר שנאה מבטלת שורה של גדולה מבלעם שנאמר ויקם בלעם בבקר ויחבוש את אתונו אמר רב יהודה אמר רב לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ובמצוה אפילו שלא לשמה שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה שבשכר ארבעים ושתים קרבנות שהקריב בלק זכה ויצאה ממנו רות א"ר יוסי בר הונא רות בתו של עגלון בן בנו של בלק מלך מואב היתה א"ל רבא לרבה בר מרי כתיב (מלכים א א, מז) ייטב אלהים את שם שלמה משמך ויגדל [את] כסאו מכסאך אורח ארעא למימרא ליה למלכא הכי א"ל מעין קאמרה ליה דאי לא תימא הכי (שופטים ה, כד) תבורך מנשים יעל אשת חבר הקיני מנשים באהל תבורך נשים באהל מאן נינהו שרה רבקה רחל ולאה אורח ארעא למימר הכי אלא מעין קאמר הכא נמי מעין קאמר ופליגא דרב יוסי בר חוני דאמר רב יוסי בר חוני בכל אדם מתקנא חוץ מבנו ותלמידו בנו משלמה ותלמידו איבעית אימא (מלכים ב ב, ט) ויהי נא פי שנים ברוחך אלי ואיבעית אימא (במדבר כז, כג) ויסמוך את ידיו עליו ויצוהו (במדבר כג, ה) וישם דבר בפי בלעם ר"א אומר מלאך ר' יונתן אמר חכה א"ר יוחנן מברכתו של אותו רשע אתה למד מה היה בלבו ביקש לומר שלא יהו להם בתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות (במדבר כד, ה) מה טובו אהליך יעקב לא תשרה שכינה עליהם ומשכנותיך ישראל לא תהא מלכותן נמשכת כנחלים נטיו לא יהא להם זיתים וכרמים כגנות עלי נהר לא יהא ריחן נודף כאהלים נטע ה' לא יהיו להם מלכים בעלי קומה כארזים עלי מים לא יהיה להם מלך בן מלך יזל מים מדליו לא תהא מלכותן שולטת באומות וזרעו במים רבים לא תהא עזה מלכותן וירם מאגג מלכו לא תהא אימת מלכותן ותנשא מלכותו אמר רבי אבא בר כהנא כולם חזרו לקללה חוץ מבתי כנסיות ומבתי מדרשות שנאמר (דברים כג, ו) ויהפוך ה' אלהיך לך את הקללה לברכה כי אהבך ה' אלהיך קללה ולא קללות א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן מאי דכתיב (משלי כז, ו) נאמנים פצעי אוהב ונעתרות נשיקות שונא טובה קללה שקילל אחיה השילוני את ישראל יותר מברכה שברכם בלעם הרשע אחיה השילוני קילל את ישראל בקנה שנאמר (מלכים א יד, טו) והכה ה' את ישראל כאשר ינוד הקנה במים וגו' מה קנה זה עומד במקום מים וגיזעו
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: A person should always engage in Torah study and performance of a mitzva even if he does not do so for their own sake, as through engaging in them not for their own sake, he will ultimately come to engage in them for their own sake. Proof for this can be cited from the example of Balak, as in reward for the forty-two offerings that Balak sacrificed, even though he sacrificed them to facilitate the destruction of the Jewish people, he was privileged and Ruth descended from him. Rabbi Yosei bar Huna says: Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, son of the son of Balak, king of Moab.
In Twelfth Night (Act II, Scene V), Malvolio says:
"In my stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
Both Balak and his son may have been kings but this didn't necessarily make them 'great'. Like each of us, they chose how to behave and in doing so, exhibited flashes of greatness, whether or not (particularly in the case of Balak), this was intended as a tribute to Gd.
One individual may be fortunate enough to be born with yichus. However, another behaves in a way that will result in its creation for their decendants as a result of their actions.
Did either Balak or Eglon achieve greatness?
Having been born into the Royal Moabite Line (which sounds like a cruise ship), they certainly a measure of greatness thrust upon them. It was the way that they used their powers which eventually impacted on their descendant.
Ruth was born from the same genetic line that produced her ancestors Moab, Balak and Eglon.
Her biological yichus may have been steeped in royal blood, but what really mattered at the end of the day was not the titles of her father and grandfather but how they chose to use their esteemed positions. In both cases, somewhere in their psyche, they realized that there was a certain way to act, to honour Gd.
It is in this merit that Ruth was their descendent and ultimately, she, through her actions and behaviour was honoured with being the great-grandmother of Kind David, the Davidic Line and ultimately, Please Gd in our time, the Messiah.
"In my stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
Both Balak and his son may have been kings but this didn't necessarily make them 'great'. Like each of us, they chose how to behave and in doing so, exhibited flashes of greatness, whether or not (particularly in the case of Balak), this was intended as a tribute to Gd.
One individual may be fortunate enough to be born with yichus. However, another behaves in a way that will result in its creation for their decendants as a result of their actions.
Did either Balak or Eglon achieve greatness?
Having been born into the Royal Moabite Line (which sounds like a cruise ship), they certainly a measure of greatness thrust upon them. It was the way that they used their powers which eventually impacted on their descendant.
Ruth was born from the same genetic line that produced her ancestors Moab, Balak and Eglon.
Her biological yichus may have been steeped in royal blood, but what really mattered at the end of the day was not the titles of her father and grandfather but how they chose to use their esteemed positions. In both cases, somewhere in their psyche, they realized that there was a certain way to act, to honour Gd.
It is in this merit that Ruth was their descendent and ultimately, she, through her actions and behaviour was honoured with being the great-grandmother of Kind David, the Davidic Line and ultimately, Please Gd in our time, the Messiah.
In conclusion, whereas I am not discounting the importance of yichus, because it is significant, in Judaism, it's what we do that matters, not as much as where we came from. There are many instances (especially in the Bible) of great men whose descendants were not worthy of their title and as we see from the story of Ruth, the opposite is also applicable.
The joke that I quoted at the start of this drasha is more than just a humorous aside. Sometimes, the best (and worst) bits are buried underground, but if we want to create yichus for our own dscendents, we have the opportunity to do so.
At the end of the day, the decision is ultimately up to us.
Wishing you a Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom
The joke that I quoted at the start of this drasha is more than just a humorous aside. Sometimes, the best (and worst) bits are buried underground, but if we want to create yichus for our own dscendents, we have the opportunity to do so.
At the end of the day, the decision is ultimately up to us.
Wishing you a Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom
