Did the Patriarchs (Avot) Keep the Whole Torah? - Apples of Gold in Vessels of Silver.

I got into a discussion with a friend regarding the meaning of the saying of Chazal that the Avot (patriarchs) kept the 613 Mitzvot. This discussion was also briefly touched on at the excellent Divrei Chaim blog (although dealing with an even more radical extrapolation of the idea) http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2007/11/literalism-midrash-and-anachronistic.html as well as on the follow up posts. See also the recent posting on the also excellent Mevaseretzion blog http://mevaseretzion.blogspot.com/2007/11/update-to-midrash-post.html .

My friend a product of the mainstream Yeshiva world, after much prodding on my part, came out with the following statement (note the slightly frustrated undertone) –

“Taryag Mitzvos – The Avos knew innately to keep the Mitzvos without a specific commandment. According to some, the perception of theirs extended to Derabanans (such as Eiruv Tavshilin) as well. And perhaps only when they were in Israel, where the Kedusha is greater.”

So I ask, “Does this make sense to you?” – And he answers –

YES, WHAT ALTERNATIVE DO YOU SUGGEST? IS THIS UNDERSTANDING NOT FOUND IN OUR MEFORSHIM? LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. IF YOUR LOGICAL TREATMENT OF THE TORAH LEADS YOU TO AN INCONTROVERTIBLE CONCLUSION THAT IS CONTRARY TO WHAT OUR RISHONIM/ ACHRONIM SAY. DO YOU STICK TO YOUR GUNS OR ARE YOU MEVATEL YOUR DAS?

Let me make it clear that I am not at all critical of this young man. He is the product of a system that Rambam already struggled with during his time.

“The object of this treatise is to enlighten a religious man who has been trained to believe in the truth of our holy Law, who conscientiously fulfils his moral and religious duties, and at the same time has been successful in his philosophical studies. Human reason has attracted him to abide within its sphere; and he finds it difficult to accept as correct the teaching based on the literal interpretation of the Law, and especially that which he himself or others derived from those homonymous, metaphorical, or hybrid expressions. Hence, he is lost in perplexity and anxiety. If he were guided solely by reason, and renounce his previous views which are based on those expressions, he would consider that he had rejected the fundamental principles of the Law. Even if he retains the opinions which were derived from those expressions, and if, instead of following his reason, he abandon its guidance altogether, it would still appear that his religious convictions had suffered loss and injury. For, he would then be left with those errors which give rise to fear and anxiety, constant grief and great perplexity.” (Introduction to MN)

They teach you in Yeshiva how to interpret a Halachik Ramban, Rashba and a Reb Chaim here and there, but to read a Midrash Chazal rationally trying to understand what they teach us – they were not storytellers or reporters of magical events – is too much to ask. The Mussar Schmuessen are so focused on Midot and other practical matters, so little on Hashkafah that most just blank out and ignore them. I also am convinced that the Rashei Yeshivot and Mashgichim do not have a clue themselves. If they do, they are afraid to voice their opinions for fear of excommunication. Only those like Rav Dessler, R. Chaim Shmulevitz et al. who achieved fame and were respected as Gedolim, dared openly discuss these issues.

Understanding the meaning of the Avot keeping the Torah before it was given as I see it, hinges on how we understand the reason for Mitzvot. As I discussed in the series of posts on Yaakov’s Ladder, Ramban sees a world full of spirits and magic that needs to be harnessed so that man is not buffeted by events beyond his control. The Torah teaches man how to remove himself from the control of the capricious and magical nature, to throw himself on the mercy of God. The Mitzvot have therefore intrinsic meaning and they interfere with the natural order of things, deflecting the nefarious influence of the magical forces. By focusing on HKBH and attaching himself to Him, accepting with his whole heart that all comes from Him, man throws himself on His mercies. HKBH orders the spiritual forces that control nature to protect that particular person. Certain acts are prohibited because they interfere with the proper functioning of these spiritual forces. A typical example of such a prohibition is the Issur of Kilayim. Each entity, animal fibers or vegetal ones, vine and grains, grains and vegetables, each has a different spiritual source, is controlled by a different power that watches over them. Mixing them together creates confusion in those powers[1]. According to this understanding of Mitzvot, the Avot too understood this spiritual world and were able to develop on their own or through their nevuah similar actions that took them from under the influence of the stars and threw them under God’s direct supervision.

Rambam on the other hand understands the world differently. HKBH does not need intermediaries to run the world. He is omniscient and omnipotent having created a perfect world that runs itself without the need of constant spiritual input. Man cannot manipulate nor change nature other than through his physical actions. If there is no rain in an area, he must bring waters from afar, build canals and work the land in such a way that it will produce. No amount of Mitzvot or prayer will change the physical reality. However, man also has the ability to act beyond his immediate needs for survival. He can also try to understand how his actions have a long-term effect, sometimes beyond his own lifetime. He can try to find and decipher the will of HKBH and partake with Him in creating. He searches for meaning beyond the present and wants to understand the meaning of his own existence. Man on this quest can very easily get lost in an imaginary universe, out of touch with reality, a world of fantasy and eventually idolatry. Torah and Mitzvot is the path that, if followed properly, prevents us from veering off into this world of fantasy. It also establishes interpersonal relationships so that we can dedicate ourselves to thought rather than spending time defending ourselves against our neighbors. It teaches us restraint, so that we don’t dedicate our life to the accumulation of wealth. It teaches discipline both in actions and thought. It teaches us to think about God at all times by doing Mitzvot like Shabbat, Yom Tov, prayer etc… It tells us not to act in the superstitious ways of the idolaters who believed in the spiritual control of the world and tried to influence the spirits through actions that affected them. They planted vines with grains because they believed that the powers that controlled them liked these types of combinations.

According to Ramban, there is an intrinsic value to Mitzvot. Keeping them properly has a real effect out there. Rambam sees them as tools. They have no intrinsic value other than what they teach, what they represent. Keeping this in mind Meiri (1249-1310), the great Maimonidean Rabbi who lived in Provence during the 13th century, addresses the issue of the Avot keeping the 613 Mitzvot in his introduction to Pirkei Avot. When Chazal tell us that Avraham Avinu kept the whole Torah including Eiruvei Chatzerot, (Breishit Rabah 64) they are referring to a minor detail in Hilchot Shabbat, as if to say that Avraham taught the whole idea behind Shabbat. He taught in great detail, what Shabbat stands for, that God created the world and the practical implications of that belief. When the Rabbis say that Avraham kept Eiruvei Tavshilin (Yoma 28b) they are telling us that Avraham taught the meaning of Yom Tov. Yom Tov stands for Yetziat Mitzraim, the Exodus, which teaches that there is reward and punishment in this world, that there is Divine Providence and that there are miracles.

Rambam’s Mitzvot are meant to help us understand our existence and find God. This idea of searching for God was introduced to the world by the Avot who taught these lessons in their times. They tried to accomplish this without the practical Mitzvot, teaching the underlying theology. These teachings were almost lost when the natural course of events interfered and their descendants ended up in slavery in Egypt. By a miraculous confluence of events, God gave us Moshe Rabbeinu, who then gave us a Torah and Mitzvot so that the near catastrophe of Egypt does not repeat itself. They are the practical anchor that keeps us focused.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in vessels of silver" (Prov. 25:11).


[1] Ramban Vaykra 19:19 –
רמב"ן פרשת קדשים

ומחברינו מוסיף בטעם הכלאים, כי הוא שלא לערבב הכחות המגדלים הצמחים להיות יונקים זה מזה, ממה שאמרו בבראשית רבה (י ו), אמר רבי סימון אין לך כל עשב ועשב מלמטה שאין לו מזל ברקיע ומכה אותו ואומר לו גדל, הדא הוא דכתיב (איוב לח לג) הידעת חקות שמים אם תשים משטרו בארץ. והנה המרכיב כלאים או זורען בכדי שינקו זה מזה מבטל חקות שמים, ולכך אמר בהם את חקותי תשמורו, כי הם חקות שמים, וכך אמר רבי חנינא משום רבי פנחס משום חקים שחקקתי בהם את עולמי (ירושלמי כלאים פ"א ה"ז):
וכבר כתבתי בסדר בראשית (א יא) שהצמחים כולם יסודותם בעליונים ומשם צוה להם השם את הברכה חיים עד העולם, והנה המערב כלאים מכחיש ומערב מעשה בראשית: