Performing Israel's Faith: Narrative and Law in Rabbinic Theology

1 The Aggadic Theology of the Nations

Chapter 1 The Aggadic Theology of the Nations A religious system defines itself by erecting boundaries between those that belong and those that do not. The character of these boundaries delivers the systemic message. Hellenistic Judaism, represented by Philo of Alexandria, differentiated Israelites from Egyptians and identified Israelite culture with that of Rome, for example.1 Rabbinic Judaism, building on Scripture, encompassed all Israel and excluded all not-Israel. Knowledge of God made known in the Torah defined the Israelite, and rejection of God and the laws of the Torah characterized the outsiders, “the nations” or gentiles. The Aggadic theology asks questions of theodicy: why do the gentiles reject God? How to account for God’s election of Israel? The Halakhic actualization of that theology then translates into rules of conduct with idolaters and idolatry the norms of Israelite conduct. The category, the gentiles or the nations, without elaborate differentiation , encompasses all who are not Israelites, that is, who do not belong to Israel and therefore do not know and serve God. These are called “idolaters,” and the meaning of “the gentiles” is always and only, “idolaters.”2 That category takes on meaning only as complement and opposite to its generative counterpart, having no standing—self-defining characteristics—on its own. That is, since Israel encompasses the sector of humanity that knows, loves, and serves God by reason of God’s self-manifestation in the Torah, the gentiles are comprised by everybody else: those placed by their own intention and active decision beyond the limits of God’s revelation. Guided by the Torah Israel worships God. Without its illumination gentiles worship idols. At the outset, therefore, the main point registers: by “gentiles” the sages understand, God’s enemies, and by “Israel” the sages understand, those who 7 know God as God has made himself known, which is, through the Torah. In no way does this account deal with secular categories, but with theological ones. Defining Gentiles/Non-Israelites Gentiles are idolators, and Israelites worship the one, true God, who has made himself known in the Torah. In the Oral Torah, that is the difference— the only consequential distinction—between Israel and the gentiles. Still, there is that and one other, Israel stands for life, the gentiles for death. Before proceeding, let us consider a clear statement of why idolatry defines the boundary between Israel and everybody else. The reason is that idolatry—rebellious conduct, expressing arrogance against God—encompasses the entire Torah. The religious duty to avoid idolatry is primary; if one violates the religious duties, the Israelite breaks the yoke of commandments, and if he violates that single religious duty, he violates the entire Torah. Violating the prohibition against idolatry is equivalent to transgressing all Ten Commandments: Sifré to Numbers CXI:I.1ff. 1. A. “But if you err and do not observe [all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses]” (Num 15:22-26): 2. A. “But if you err and do not observe”: B. Scripture speaks of idolatry. Now one may test the proposition, as the sages commonly do, by proposing other readings of the evidence that is adduced besides the one offered as normative . Here is a sequence of options: C. You maintain that Scripture speaks of idolatry. But perhaps Scripture refers to any of the religious duties that are listed in the Torah? D. Scripture states, “. . . then if it was done unwittingly without theknowledge of the congregation.” Scripture thereby has singled out a particular religious duty unto itself, and what might that be? It is the prohibition against idolatry. E. You maintain that Scripture speaks of idolatry. But perhaps Scripture refers to any of the religious duties that are listed in the Torah? F. Scripture states, “But if you err and do not observe,” indicating that all of the religious duties come together to give testimony concerning a single religious duty. G. Just as if someone violates all of the religious duties, he thereby breaks off the yoke [of the commandments] and wipes out the mark of the covenant and so treats the Torah impudently, so if one violates a single religious duty, he thereby breaks off the yoke [of the command8 Performing Israel’s Faith ments] and wipes out the mark of the covenant and so treats the Torah impudently. H. And what might that single religious duty be? It is idolatry, for it is said [in that regard], “. . . to...