“For Futures”: Havdalah-Visions Within and Instead of Apocalypse Temple Sinai Atlanta, Silverman Maimonides Shabbat, May 18, 2024, Zackary Berger What are the frontiers of medical and Jewish ethics? How do we respond as Jews in the midst of various types of apocalypse and miscarriages of justice?

דניאל ז׳:כ״א-כ״ח

(כא) חָזֵ֣ה הֲוֵ֔ית וְקַרְנָ֣א דִכֵּ֔ן עָבְדָ֥ה קְרָ֖ב עִם־קַדִּישִׁ֑ין וְיָכְלָ֖ה לְהֹֽן׃ (כב) עַ֣ד דִּֽי־אֲתָ֗ה עַתִּיק֙ יֽוֹמַיָּ֔א וְדִינָ֣א יְהִ֔ב לְקַדִּישֵׁ֖י עֶלְיוֹנִ֑ין וְזִמְנָ֣א מְטָ֔ה וּמַלְכוּתָ֖א הֶחֱסִ֥נוּ קַדִּישִֽׁין׃ (כג) כֵּן֮ אֲמַר֒ חֵֽיוְתָא֙ רְבִיעָ֣יְתָ֔א מַלְכ֤וּ (רביעיה) [רְבִיעָאָה֙] תֶּהֱוֵ֣א בְאַרְעָ֔א דִּ֥י תִשְׁנֵ֖א מִן־כׇּל־מַלְכְוָתָ֑א וְתֵאכֻל֙ כׇּל־אַרְעָ֔א וּתְדוּשִׁנַּ֖הּ וְתַדְּקִנַּֽהּ׃ (כד) וְקַרְנַיָּ֣א עֲשַׂ֔ר מִנַּהּ֙ מַלְכוּתָ֔א עַשְׂרָ֥ה מַלְכִ֖ין יְקֻמ֑וּן וְאׇחֳרָ֞ן יְק֣וּם אַחֲרֵיהֹ֗ן וְה֤וּא יִשְׁנֵא֙ מִן־קַדְמָיֵ֔א וּתְלָתָ֥ה מַלְכִ֖ין יְהַשְׁפִּֽל׃ (כה) וּמִלִּ֗ין לְצַ֤ד (עליא) [עִלָּאָה֙] יְמַלִּ֔ל וּלְקַדִּישֵׁ֥י עֶלְיוֹנִ֖ין יְבַלֵּ֑א וְיִסְבַּ֗ר לְהַשְׁנָיָה֙ זִמְנִ֣ין וְדָ֔ת וְיִתְיַהֲב֣וּן בִּידֵ֔הּ עַד־עִדָּ֥ן וְעִדָּנִ֖ין וּפְלַ֥ג עִדָּֽן׃ (כו) וְדִינָ֖א יִתִּ֑ב וְשׇׁלְטָנֵ֣הּ יְהַעְדּ֔וֹן לְהַשְׁמָדָ֥ה וּלְהוֹבָדָ֖ה עַד־סוֹפָֽא׃ (כז) וּמַלְכוּתָ֨א וְשׇׁלְטָנָ֜א וּרְבוּתָ֗א דִּ֚י מַלְכְוָת֙ תְּח֣וֹת כׇּל־שְׁמַיָּ֔א יְהִיבַ֕ת לְעַ֖ם קַדִּישֵׁ֣י עֶלְיוֹנִ֑ין מַלְכוּתֵהּ֙ מַלְכ֣וּת עָלַ֔ם וְכֹל֙ שׇׁלְטָ֣נַיָּ֔א לֵ֥הּ יִפְלְח֖וּן וְיִֽשְׁתַּמְּעֽוּן׃ (כח) עַד־כָּ֖ה סוֹפָ֣א דִֽי־מִלְּתָ֑א אֲנָ֨ה דָֽנִיֵּ֜אל שַׂגִּ֣יא ׀ רַעְיוֹנַ֣י יְבַהֲלֻנַּ֗נִי וְזִיוַי֙ יִשְׁתַּנּ֣וֹן עֲלַ֔י וּמִלְּתָ֖א בְּלִבִּ֥י נִטְרֵֽת׃ {פ}

Daniel 7:21-28

(21) (I looked on as that horn made war with the holy ones and overcame them, (22) until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was rendered in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.) (23) This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast [means]—there will be a fourth kingdom upon the earth which will be different from all the kingdoms; it will devour the whole earth, tread it down, and crush it. (24) And the ten horns [mean]—from that kingdom, ten kings will arise, and after them another will arise. He will be different from the former ones, and will bring low three kings. (25) He will speak words against the Most High, and will harass the holy ones of the Most High. He will think of changing times and laws, and they will be delivered into his power for a cI.e., a year, two years, and a half a year.time, times, and half a time.-c (26) Then the court will sit and his dominion will be taken away, to be destroyed and abolished for all time. (27) The kingship and dominion and grandeur belonging to all the kingdoms under Heaven will be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. Their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’” (28) Here the account ends.
I, Daniel, was very alarmed by my thoughts, and my face darkened; and I could not put the matter out of my mind.

פֿאַר צוקונפֿטן
פֿון דזשאָסעפֿין מײַלס

װען די לאָמפּן צעלײַכטן זיך פֿינף אַ זײגער
אױף די ראָגן, איז דאָס עװלוציע פֿון קראַפֿט־ביוראָ.
אַזאַ מעכאַניקער װאָס גיט זיך אָפּ מיט צוקונפֿטן
װײַל דער הימל איז ברײט און װאַרעם איבער יענער שעה.

For Futures

By Josephine Miles

When the lights come on at five o'clock on street corners

That is Evolution by the bureau of power,

That is a fine mechanic dealing in futures:

For the sky is wide and warm upon that hour.

רַעַם וְרַעַם לִי מְבַשְּׂרִים / שאול טשרניחובסקי

רַעַם וְרַעַם לִי מְבַשְּׂרִים,
רַעֲמֵי-אָבִיב הָעַלִּיזִים,
כְּרוּז לִי, סוֹד לִי: בָּעֲרָבָה
אֶחֱזוּ עִקְּבוֹת זְרָמִים פְּזִיזִים.

תַּחַת דַּרְדַּר שֶׁל אֶשְׁתַּקָּד
אָפֵס שֶׁלֶג רֶגֶב-רֶגֶב,
וְנִצָּן רַךְ צָנוּעַ אוֹמֵר
פַּתַּח עֵינָיו לְרוּחַ נֶגֶב.

כְּרוּז לִי, כְּרוּז לִי: הוֹי הָעוֹרֵב!
קוּם עֲלֵה מִתּוֹךְ הַקִּרְיָה,
פּוּצָה לָךְ בְּתוֹךְ הַיְּעָרוֹת,
בְּנַחֲלֵי-בַּתּוֹת וְעַל פְּנֵי נִיר-יָהּ.

וְעוֹד לִי סוֹד: לֵב אִמְּךָ דַּוָּי,
דַּוָּי וְאוֹמֵר: "מָתַי בָּא הוּא?
בּוֹשֵׁשׁ בְּנִי..." וְהִיא מְדִיחָה
כּוֹס שֶׁל חַג, כּוֹס אֵלִיָּהוּ.

מליטופול, 1907

Thunder repeats, repeats with tidings

Shaul Tchernichovsky

Thunder repeats, repeats with tidings

Thunders of spring, cheerfully

Bring me secrets, proclaim: in the desert

Catch the current traces – speedily.

Beneath the thistle of yesteryear

Clumps of snow melt one by one,

As a bud – tentative, soft -

Opens its eyes to southern wind.

Proclaim to me, proclaim, you raven!

Go up now from the town

Give voice in the forests,

In the desolate brooks, or field plowed.

I’ve another secret: your mother’s sick at heart.

Says in its sickness: “When will he come,

“My son is delayed” - she pushes off

The cup of holiday cheer, of Eliyahu.

"Jewish philosophy does better when thinking about spaces rather than solutions, relationships to catastrophe rather than how to avert disaster. While my interest is more in the figure of the ark, a figure which for good reason has countless afterlives in disaster stories, dystopias, and science fiction, Noah’s mediocrity is too useful to pass over. A relatively humble figure, Noah is more or less mute for much of the story and certainly cannot be accused of an excess of charisma or wisdom. And as the disaster abates, Noah sets about making alcohol, as if to ensure he is not viewed as a great leader. This is not a messianic figure, nor even an apocalyptic one: he and those alongside him survive a disaster, and that is all.
“The ark, again, the second enclosure in Genesis after the garden, is an enclosure in and for a disaster. There is no suggestion it is a desirable place to be—the raven would sooner fly around above the water than return, and Noah and his family do not tarry there. This is not a suburban house, protected by a gate: beyond the walls of wood and pitch, there is only mass extinction. It is telling that the ark is built, and not by God: God gives a blueprint (as he is prone to doing), but the building is human. I suggest we too are not only going to have to think about spaces that protect relations, but we are also going to have to build them, materially, socially, politically, and religiously. One of religion’s possible futures is as an aid in making these bubbles livable.” -- Dustin Atlas, "The Ark and Other Bubbles: Jewish Philosophy and Surviving the Disaster, " Religions 2022, 13(12), 1152

מדרש תנחומא, שמות י״ח:א׳-ג׳

(א) ‎וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשָׁב אֶל יֶתֶר חֹתְנוֹ. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ (איוב כג, יג). דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי פַּפּוֹס, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יָחִיד בָּעוֹלָם וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיִּמְחֶה בְּיָדוֹ, כָל מַה שֶּׁרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹשֶׂה, וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, חַיֶּיךָ פַּפּוֹס, אֵין דּוֹרְשִׁין כֵּן. אָמַר לוֹ: וּמַהוּ וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַשּׁוֹאֵל שׁוֹאֵל לְמַטָּן, כָּךְ לְמַעְלָן. מִנַּיִן? דִּכְתִיב: בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָא עַד דִבְרַת דִּי יִנְדְּעוּן חַיַּיָּא דִּי שַׁלִּיט עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַן דִּי יִצְבֵּא יִתְּנִנַּהּ וּשְׁפַל אֲנָשִׁים יְקִים עֲלַהּ (דניאל ד, יד). כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּהֲלָכָה לְמַטָּן, כָּךְ נוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּהֲלָכָה לְמַעְלָן, וְהַכֹּל בְּמִשְׁפָּט, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲבָל אַגִּיד לְךָ אֶת הָרָשׁוּם בִּכְתָב אֱמֶת (דניאל י, כא).

(ב) וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן בְּמִשְׁפָּט וְאוֹמֵר: הֵיאַךְ יָצָא מִשְׁפַּט פְּלוֹנִי. וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים: כָּךְ וְכָךְ יָצָא. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַסְכִּים עִמָּהֶן. מִמִּי אַתָּה לָמֵד? מִמִּיכָה. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ לָכֵן שְׁמַע דְּבַר ה' רָאִיתִי אֶת ה' ישֵׁב עַל כִּסְאוֹ וְכָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם עֹמֵד עָלָיו מִימִינוֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ (מלכים א כב, יט). וְכִי יֵשׁ שְׂמֹאל לְמַעְלָן? אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ מַיְמִינִים, מַטִּין לְכַף זְכוּת. וְאֵלּוּ מַשְׂמְאִילִים, מַטִּין לְכַף חוֹבָה. וַיֹּאמֶר ה' מִי יְפַתֶּה אֶת אַחְאָב וְיַעַל וְיִפֹּל בְּרָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה בְּכֹה וְזֶה אֹמַר בְּכֹה. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁהַכֹּל בְּמִשְׁפָּט, שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּדִּין. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן עִמָּהֶן.

(ג) וּמַה הוּא וְהוּא בְּאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ. שֶׁמִּשֶׁנִּגְמַר הַדִּין, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִכְנָס לְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם רְשׁוּת לִכָּנֵס וְחוֹתֵם אֶת הַדִּין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ, וְהוּא יוֹדֵעַ דַּעַת כָּל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו וְאֵין מִי שֶׁיָּשִׁיב עַל דְּבָרָיו.

Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 18:1-3

(1) And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 4:18). Scripture states elsewhere: But he is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth (Job 23:13). R. Pappos explained this verse as follows: Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can stay His hand. He does whatever He desires, for what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. R. Akiba replied: By your life, Pappos, that is not the correct interpretation of this verse. Pappos then asked: What then is the meaning of He is at one with Himself and who can turn him? He replied: Just as men consult each other on earth, so the heavenly beings consult each other. How do we know that? It is written: The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth it up over it the lowest of men (Dan. 4:14). In other words, just as men debate a law here on earth, so do those above, and every decision rendered is in accordance with the law, as it is said: Howbeit I will declare unto thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth (ibid. 10:21).

(2) The Holy One, blessed be He, ponders the matter in question and asks: What should the law be? Whereupon they respond: It should be such-and-such. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees, as you may learn from Micaiah: And Micaiah said: “Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left hand (I Kings 22:19). But is there actually a left hand on high? No; it means that those on the right (side of God) balance the scale on the side of merit, and those on the left balance the scale on the side of guilt. And the Lord said: “Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said: On this manner; another said: On that manner (ibid., v. 20). This teaches us that they considered every decision with regard to the law, and the Holy One, blessed be He, discussed the law with them.

(3) What is meant by But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? (Job 23:13). It means that after the law was determined, the Holy One, blessed be He, would enter the place in which they were not permitted to go and seal the judgment, as it is said: He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? That is, He knows the opinions of all His creatures, and there are none who could challenge His words.

ביצה ט״ז א

כׇּל מְזוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם קְצוּבִים לוֹ מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, חוּץ מֵהוֹצָאַת שַׁבָּתוֹת וְהוֹצָאַת יוֹם טוֹב וְהוֹצָאַת בָּנָיו לְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה, שֶׁאִם פָּחַת — פּוֹחֲתִין לוֹ, וְאִם הוֹסִיף — מוֹסִיפִין לוֹ. הוּ דְּתֵימָא:

Beitzah 16a

A person’s entire livelihood is allocated to him during the period from Rosh HaShana to Yom Kippur. During that time, as each individual is judged, it is decreed exactly how much money he will earn for all his expenditures of the coming year, except for expenditures for Shabbatot, and expenditures for Festivals, and expenditures for the school fees of his sons’ Torah study. In these areas, no exact amount is determined at the beginning of the year; rather, if he reduced the amount he spends for these purposes, his income is reduced and he earns that much less money in that year, and if he increased his expenditures in these areas, his income is increased to ensure that he can cover the expense. Therefore, one may borrow for these purposes, since he is guaranteed to have enough income to cover whatever he spends for them.

"Providence does not reflect God’s desire, but is rather the outcome of systems of justice put into motion by God. This conception explains how everything that happens can be divinely arranged to be for the good, yet nevertheless God can desire that their outcomes be reworked by humans. A variety of alternative outcomes can be termed good, only in different senses. Our ethical intervention in the face of divine providential justice can facilitate a preferable form of justice, one more in line with God’s desire. [...]
"[M]oral dilemmas are just those crossroads where people choose their own life missions. An ethical consideration that induces one to reallocate to others one’s own required funds translates into a choice to alter a previously assumed life mission. If indeed Providence plans a person’s life, and if indeed innovafive and proactive ethical paths are divinely sanctioned, that means that Providence invites itself to respond to human ethical creativity by reallocating and reworking the life missions of ethical agents accordingly (viz. B. Beitzah 16a). [...] . So, human ethical action makes God work around us, and rework God’s original plan for our lives. Through ethical choice a person’s life mission becomes self-authored (compare Karo 1990, 21; Luzzatto 1982, 16-19). In the social justice context, the ethical agent induces divine Providence to reconfigure her life potential by how she chooses to reallocate her providentially granted assets. Redistribution to others makes one the author of one’s own life."
--Rosen, S. D. (2018). A theory of providence for distributive justice. Journal of Religious Ethics, 46(1), 124-155.

Zackary Sholem Berger