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ShareBiblical Usage of Am Ha'aretz: Torah
(יג) וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל־עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאׇזְנֵ֤י עַם־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֛ךְ אִם־אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ שְׁמָעֵ֑נִי נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃
(13) and spoke to Efron in the hearing of the People of the Land, saying:
But if you yourself would only hear me out!
I will give the silver-payment for the field;
accept it from me,
so that I may bury my dead there.
(ה) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה הֵן־רַבִּ֥ים עַתָּ֖ה עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם מִסִּבְלֹתָֽם׃
(5) Pharaoh said:
Here, too many now are the people of the land,
and you would have them cease from their burdens!
- How is Am Ha'aretz being used in these two examples from the Torah?
Biblical Usage of Am Ha'aretz: Nach
וַיְנַגַּ֨ע יהוה אֶת־הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וַיְהִ֤י מְצֹרָע֙ עַד־י֣וֹם מֹת֔וֹ וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּבֵ֣ית הַחׇפְשִׁ֑ית וְיוֹתָ֤ם בֶּן־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ עַל־הַבַּ֔יִת שֹׁפֵ֖ט אֶת־עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃
The LORD struck the king with a plague, and he was a leper until the day of his death; he lived in isolated quarters,-a while Jotham, the king’s son, was in charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
(יח) וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(18)I make you this day A fortified city, And an iron pillar, And bronze walls Against the whole land—Against Judah’s kings and officers, And against its priests and citizens.
- How is Am Ha'aretz being used here? Are there differences in the two uses?
- Yair Furstenberg (in the T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Send Temple Judaism Volume Two) states that the verse from Kings "may refer to the citizen body" and the verse from Jeremiah "to a distinct power elite"
כִּֽי־נָשְׂא֣וּ מִבְּנֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם לָהֶם֙ וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֔ם וְהִתְעָֽרְבוּ֙ זֶ֣רַע הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ בְּעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת וְיַ֧ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים הָ֥יְתָ֛ה בַּמַּ֥עַל הַזֶּ֖ה רִאשׁוֹנָֽה׃
They have taken their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has become intermingled with the peoples of the land; and it is the officers and prefects who have taken the lead in this trespass.”
וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־נִתֵּ֥ן בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ לְעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְאֶת־בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם לֹ֥א נִקַּ֖ח לְבָנֵֽינוּ׃
“Namely: We will not give our daughters in marriage to the peoples of the land, or take their daughters for our sons.
- How is Am Ha'aretz being used in these sources from Second Temple Period literature? Has the valance shifted?
- Furstenberg writes: The title does not appear in Second Temple literature following Ezra and Nehemiah, and therefore it is questionable whether it denoted an identifiable social category (Oppenheimer 1977). Nor are there grounds for identifying “the People of the Land” as country people (Zeitlin 1932–1933). However, the separatist ideology and language following Ezra found broad support in sectarian circles (see 4QMMT C 410). Likewise, according to early rabbinic sources, the Pharisees separated from those they considered ʿam haʾareṣ, due to their neglect of purity laws (m. Ḥag. 2:7; t. Shabbat 1:15).
Rabbinic Usage of Am Ha'aretz: Mishnah
בִּגְדֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ מִדְרָס לַפְּרוּשִׁין. בִּגְדֵי פְרוּשִׁין מִדְרָס לְאוֹכְלֵי תְרוּמָה. בִּגְדֵי אוֹכְלֵי תְרוּמָה מִדְרָס לַקֹּדֶשׁ...
The garments of an am ha’aretz,are considered impure with the ritual impurity imparted by the treading of a zav. That is considered a primary level of impurity for individuals who are scrupulous with regard to impurity [perushin]. The garments of perushinare considered impure by the treading of a zav for priests who eat teruma...
Produce concerning which there is a doubt as to whether the rules relating to the Levitical tithes were strictly observed is known as Demai (suspicion, doubt). The term is applied to produce bought from a farmer who happens to be an am ha-aretz, ignorant of the rules governing tithes.
Since their produce was demai, that is, doubtful whether it had been tithed, a scrupulous observer of the Jewish law (ḥaver) who bought grain from an am ha-aretz had to set aside ma‘aser (a tithe for the Levites) and ma'aser min ha-ma‘aser (a tenth part of that tithe).
הַמְקַבֵּל עָלָיו לִהְיוֹת חָבֵר, אֵינוֹ מוֹכֵר לְעַם הָאָרֶץ לַח וְיָבֵשׁ, וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֵחַ מִמֶּנּוּ לַח, וְאֵינוֹ מִתְאָרֵח אֵצֶל עַם הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא מְאָרְחוֹ אֶצְלוֹ בִּכְסוּתוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף לֹא יְגַדֵּל בְּהֵמָה דַקָּה, וְלֹא יְהֵא פָרוּץ בִּנְדָרִים וּבִשְׂחוֹק, וְלֹא יְהֵא מִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים, וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא בָאוּ אֵלּוּ לַכְּלָל:
One who takes upon himself to become a “chaver” may not sell to an am haaretz either moist or dry [produce], nor may he buy from him moist [produce], nor may he be the guest of an am haaretz, nor may he host an am haaretz as a guest while [the am haaretz] is wearing his own garment. Rabbi Judah says: he may not also raise small animals, nor may make a lot of vows or merriment, nor may he defile himself by contact with the dead. Rather he should be an attendant at the house of study. They said to him: these [requirements] do not come within the general rule [of being a chaver].
(י) אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם.
הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית.
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:
(10) There are four temperaments among men:
1) the one who says "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- that's an [average] temperament.
And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom.
2) "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" -- an am ha'arets
3) "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" -- a pious person.
4)"what is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine" -- a wicked person.
- What does this paragraph from Pirke Avot add to the rabbinic understanding of Am Ha'aretz?
Rabbinic Usage of Am Ha'aretz: Gemara
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ:
אִם תַּלְמִיד חָכָם נוֹקֵם וְנוֹטֵר כְּנָחָשׁ הוּא — חׇגְרֵיהוּ עַל מׇתְנֶיךָ.
אִם עַם הָאָרֶץ הוּא חָסִיד — אַל תָּדוּר בִּשְׁכוּנָתוֹ.
Rabbi Abba said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: if a Torah scholar is as vengeful and begrudging as a snake, wrap him tightly around your waist if an am ha’aretz is righteous, do not dwell in his neighborhood
מַרְגְּלָא בְּפוּמַּיְיהוּ דְּרַבָּנַן דְּיַבְנֶה: ״אֲנִי בְּרִיָּה, וַחֲבֵרִי בְּרִיָּה. אֲנִי מְלַאכְתִּי בָּעִיר וְהוּא מְלַאכְתּוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה. אֲנִי מַשְׁכִּים לִמְלַאכְתִּי, וְהוּא מַשְׁכִּים לִמְלַאכְתּוֹ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא אֵינוֹ מִתְגַּדֵּר בִּמְלַאכְתִּי, כָּךְ אֲנִי אֵינִי מִתְגַּדֵּר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ. וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר: אֲנִי מַרְבֶּה, וְהוּא מַמְעִיט — שָׁנִינוּ: אֶחָד הַמַּרְבֶּה וְאֶחָד הַמַּמְעִיט וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּכַוֵּין לִבּוֹ לַשָּׁמַיִם״.
The Sages in Yavne were wont to say: I am God’s creature and my neighbor is God’s creature. My work is in town, and his work is in the country. I rise early for my work, and he rises early for his work. Just as he does not presume to do my work, so I do not presume to do his work.
Will you say that I do much and he does little (in the way of Torah study)? We have learned: One may do much or one may do little—it is all the same so long as one directs his heart to heaven.
translation from Philip Birnbaum's A Book of Jewish Concepts (1975).
- What is learned of the rabbinic view(s) of Am Haaretz from these excerpts?
- How has the representation of Am Haaretz changed through biblical and rabbinic periods?
Usage of Am Ha'aretz: Hasidic
https://breslovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-baal-shem-tov-and-am-haaretz.html
The Besht stays with a Jew who recites the full siddur every morning; he is upset that the Jew recites so many blessings in vain, which is a sin.
"The villager exclaimed, 'Holy rebbe! What can I do? I’m an am ha’aretz (ignoramus), because I never learned anything beyond how to read Hebrew. I was orphaned as a child and had no one to teach me. I only remembered that my father, may he rest in peace, used to pray with this Siddur every day. So I follow his example and also pray from this Siddur until the end, and I can’t tell the difference between one blessing and another. But this way I feel that I have fulfilled my obligation as a Jew to pray every day before our Father in Heaven. So it is that not only do I pray with great effort, but I will be severely punished for doing so!'"
The Ba'al Shem Tov shows him what prayers to say; but the page markings fall out...
"In his anguish, he ran outside. Maybe he could catch up to the Baal Shem Tov on the road. And in his great haste, he came to the river and in dismay, saw from afar how the Baal Shem Tov cast his gartel (cloth belt) on the water and crossed without a boat or ferry. So he began to scream with all his might, “My father, my father! My teacher, my teacher! Save me, for I’m such a wretch!”
He took his gartel and cast it across the surface of the water. Then he walked until he neared the Baal Shem Tov, and began to call out to him about the fallen straws. The Baal Shem Tov turned to face the man and saw him walking on his gartel. With his ruach ha-kodesh (divine inspiration), he immediately saw that the prayers the simple fellow had recited in truth and whole-heartedness, with no self-serving motive but only for the sake of Heaven, made a great impression on high, to the point that he too could perform a miracle by casting his gartel on the river. Thus, he told him in reply, “If you are able to do the same thing as me, go back home and keep praying as always!”
In retelling this story, the Breslover Chasidim add what the Rebbe [Reb Nachman] states in Chayei Moharan (sec. 520): how he envied a fellow known as “Yoss’l Siddur,” who used to pray with a thick Siddur and recite all of the supplications (techinos) and requests (bakashos) found therein. The Rebbe envied that this sincere, devout Jew was able to recite many prayers and requests with unselfconscious simplicity, and without any cleverness (“chokhmos”)."
Bringing it Home
- Should rabbis separate themselves from Am Haaretz in daily life? Why or why not?
- Pastoral leadership: Imagine you serve a non-halachic Jewish community where most of the community has no education in Jewish observance or practice. Do you consider them Am Haaretz?
- Reflection: What are the times in which you've felt like an Am Haaretz?
