(Deuteronomy 19:1 - 19:13)
"When Jehovah your god has destroyed the people dwelling in the land he is giving you and when you have occupied their territory and settled in the towns and homes that once were theirs, you must establish, in this land that Jehovah your god is giving you, three separate cities of refuge. Survey the land that is your inheritance from Jehovah your god and divide it into three regions, so that in each region there may be a city to which someone who has committed manslaughter may conveniently flee and take refuge.
"This provision is made for someone who has killed another person unintentionally, without malice aforethought, so that he may flee to one of these cities and live there in security. This would apply to someone who goes into the woods with a neighbor in order to cut wood. He swings an ax to fell a tree, the ax head flies off, hits and kills his neighbor. That man may save his life by fleeing to one of these cities. If, however, the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too great, the blood avenger, in hot pursuit, might, owing to the great distance, overtake and kill him. In such a case the man's death would be undeserved, because he had killed the man accidentally and without malice aforethought. That is why I command that you set aside three cities.
"If Jehovah enlarges your territory (as he vowed to your ancestors he would do) and gives you all the land he promised them -- because you have fastidiously followed all the laws I have given you, to revere Jehovah as your god and live by his precepts -- then you must provide for three additional cities of refuge. This would prevent the death of innocent persons in the land Jehovah is giving you as a divine inheritance and spare you from the guilt of allowing innocent blood to be shed.
"But if someone hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, attacks and kills him, and then flees to a city of refuge, the elders of the murderer's hometown must send for him and bring him back so that he may be delivered into the hands of the blood avenger to be executed. Lend him no pity! You must purge Israel of the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that all may go well with you."
Notes
1. The necessity to establish cities of refuge highlights the prevailing values of the time, specifically, that someone who causes the death of another person is guilty of murder irrespective of motive or possession of a guilty mind. Accidentally and unintentionally killing someone is tantamount to the most vicious murder and must be avenged by death. Tribal mores demand an eye for an eye. Taking the life of a member of the tribe, however it occurs, is an assault upon the tribe and must be responded to in kind. He who has taken the life of a tribal member must be killed by a blood avenger appointed by the offended tribe, this usually being a male member of the victim's family. Such concepts of justice were not unique to primitive Palestine; they seem to have been, if not universal, at least very widespread, perhaps the Sardinian vendetta being one of the last atavistic hold overs. Tribal standards remained in force until national governments claimed a monopoly on the administration of justice. With the Israelites, Jehovah does not seek to abolish or totally suppress tribalism; instead he works around it with such provisions as the cities of refuge. To the modern, Jehovan justice may seem primitive and harsh, but it is far less so than what it strives to replace. Often its principles are those upon which modern justice are based, for example, the distinction between premeditated murder and manslaughter, accidental death, and killing in self defense.
2. Implied in this section is the principle of collective guilt, that the entire community is responsible for the wrongful actions of any of its members. Moreover, if guilt is not assuaged, if wrong is not compensated for, then bad fortune will befall the community. (This last concept is a cornerstone of Jehovan and Christian religion as well: sin brings ill fortune, righteousness brings good fortune, a reward from a grateful deity.)
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Occult Practices and Prophets
(Deuteronomy 18:9 - 18:22)
"When you enter the land that Jehovah your god is giving to you, do not follow the abominable customs of the people living there. No one of you should commit to the flames his son or daughter as a human sacrifice. Do not allow any of your people to practice divination or fortune telling, to interpret omens or cast spells, to engage in sorcery, become a psychic medium, or evoke and consult the spirits of the dead. Anyone who engages in such practices makes themselves detestable to Jehovah. It is because the people in these nations engage in such practices that Jehovah your god will drive them out before you. You must be blameless before Jehovah your god! While the people you are about to displace consult with soothsayers and sorcerers, Jehovah your god does not give you leave to do so.
Moses continued, "Jehovah your god will raise up a prophet like me from among your brethren. And it is to him that you must listen. For this is what you yourselves asked of Jehovah your god when you were assembled before the holy mountain in Sinai. There you said, 'Spare us from hearing the voice of Jehovah our god or looking at his blazing fire anymore, lest we perish.' Jehovah told me, 'What they say is correct. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words into his mouth and he will speak to them all that I command of him. I will take issue with anyone who does not heed the words that he will speak in my name. But anyone who claims to speak in my name without my authorization or who speaks in the name of other gods should be put to death.'
"You may asked yourself, 'How can we know when a prophecy is one that comes from Jehovah?' If a prophet claiming to speak in Jehovah's name predicts something that does not come to pass or come true, then you will know that his prophecy did not come from Jehovah. That prophet has spoken on his own and should not be shown any consideration.”
Notes
1. Jehovah condemns all occult practices, but does not discredit them. Instead the Levite priests of Jehovah claim exclusivity in dealing with the spirit world and assert that authentic prophecy is derived only from Jehovah. This prerogative of the priesthood would be claimed by the Christian church as well. Anyone, who, bypassing the church, claimed to commune directly with the divine, would be severely punished -- in the most famous case, that of Joan of Arc, being burned at the stake.
2. The abominable customs of the native populations of Canaan is the justification Jehovah uses to expel them and settle his own people, the Israelites, on their land. The Israelites were exhorted to eschew these practices, human sacrifice, occultism, sorcery, as well as idol worship, but, in reality, Jehovah's demands were not complied with by future generations of Israelites.
3. Moses offers a guide as to who is a genuine prophet and who is a false prophet. It is not terribly helpful, even if it is simple and straight forward: prophecies that come true are from Jehovah; those that do not come true are not from Jehovah. Apparently other gods cannot inspire prophets to make accurate predictions. Therefore, accurate prophets are always genuine prophets, that is, Jehovah-inspired prophets. But Moses offers nary a clue as to how one can discern a true prophet from a false one without waiting to find out whether the prophecies are accurate or not. Couldn’t a clever false prophet confine himself to making predictions about events in the distant future and thus never be exposed as a charlatan? There are, in fact, many Old Testament prophets who made prophesies about future historical events that quite unambiguously did not come to pass. (One example would be Obadiah, a minor prophet who forecast the doom of Israel’s neighbor Edom; sorry, but Edom simply didn’t receive its prophesied comeuppance.) Are they to be reviled as false prophets and their books removed from the Bible?
"When you enter the land that Jehovah your god is giving to you, do not follow the abominable customs of the people living there. No one of you should commit to the flames his son or daughter as a human sacrifice. Do not allow any of your people to practice divination or fortune telling, to interpret omens or cast spells, to engage in sorcery, become a psychic medium, or evoke and consult the spirits of the dead. Anyone who engages in such practices makes themselves detestable to Jehovah. It is because the people in these nations engage in such practices that Jehovah your god will drive them out before you. You must be blameless before Jehovah your god! While the people you are about to displace consult with soothsayers and sorcerers, Jehovah your god does not give you leave to do so.
Moses continued, "Jehovah your god will raise up a prophet like me from among your brethren. And it is to him that you must listen. For this is what you yourselves asked of Jehovah your god when you were assembled before the holy mountain in Sinai. There you said, 'Spare us from hearing the voice of Jehovah our god or looking at his blazing fire anymore, lest we perish.' Jehovah told me, 'What they say is correct. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words into his mouth and he will speak to them all that I command of him. I will take issue with anyone who does not heed the words that he will speak in my name. But anyone who claims to speak in my name without my authorization or who speaks in the name of other gods should be put to death.'
"You may asked yourself, 'How can we know when a prophecy is one that comes from Jehovah?' If a prophet claiming to speak in Jehovah's name predicts something that does not come to pass or come true, then you will know that his prophecy did not come from Jehovah. That prophet has spoken on his own and should not be shown any consideration.”
Notes
1. Jehovah condemns all occult practices, but does not discredit them. Instead the Levite priests of Jehovah claim exclusivity in dealing with the spirit world and assert that authentic prophecy is derived only from Jehovah. This prerogative of the priesthood would be claimed by the Christian church as well. Anyone, who, bypassing the church, claimed to commune directly with the divine, would be severely punished -- in the most famous case, that of Joan of Arc, being burned at the stake.
2. The abominable customs of the native populations of Canaan is the justification Jehovah uses to expel them and settle his own people, the Israelites, on their land. The Israelites were exhorted to eschew these practices, human sacrifice, occultism, sorcery, as well as idol worship, but, in reality, Jehovah's demands were not complied with by future generations of Israelites.
3. Moses offers a guide as to who is a genuine prophet and who is a false prophet. It is not terribly helpful, even if it is simple and straight forward: prophecies that come true are from Jehovah; those that do not come true are not from Jehovah. Apparently other gods cannot inspire prophets to make accurate predictions. Therefore, accurate prophets are always genuine prophets, that is, Jehovah-inspired prophets. But Moses offers nary a clue as to how one can discern a true prophet from a false one without waiting to find out whether the prophecies are accurate or not. Couldn’t a clever false prophet confine himself to making predictions about events in the distant future and thus never be exposed as a charlatan? There are, in fact, many Old Testament prophets who made prophesies about future historical events that quite unambiguously did not come to pass. (One example would be Obadiah, a minor prophet who forecast the doom of Israel’s neighbor Edom; sorry, but Edom simply didn’t receive its prophesied comeuppance.) Are they to be reviled as false prophets and their books removed from the Bible?
Provisions for Priests
(Deuteronomy 18:1 - 18:8)
“Take note that the Levitical priests, that is, the entire tribe of Levi, receive no allotment of land along with the other tribes of Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites consume the food sacrifices dedicated to Jehovah: that is their portion. They do not share in the inheritance given to their fellow Israelites; Jehovah himself is their inheritance, as he promised them.
“From those who sacrifice a bull or a sheep, the priests' share is the meat from the shoulder, the cheeks, and internals organs. You must also give to the priests the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your olive oil, and the first shearing of wool from your sheep, for Jehovah your god has chosen them and their descendants, from out of all the tribes of Israel, to stand before the altar and minister in Jehovah's name for all time.
“If a Levite leaves a town in Israel in which he is living and goes to place chosen by Jehovah for his worship, then he may minister there in the name of Jehovah along with the other Levites who are already serving Jehovah there. He may also partake of their share of food offerings, (regardless of what he may have realized from the sale of family property).”
Note
1. This reiterates the rights and privileges of the Levites, but also mentions another, the right of a Levite priest to leave one of the Israelite towns set aside for his tribe and become a priest in one of the Jehovan places of worship. One wonders how this would work in practice. It would be as if Catholic priests were allowed to go to any parish they wished and be allowed to officiate. Wouldn't this result in chaos? Wouldn’t this result in an over abundance of priests at more desirable places of worship? One assumes that the high priest, the descendant of Aaron, would have authority over all matters affecting the tribe, but here there no provision to create the hierarchy necessary for the exercise of that authority or a protocol put in place for the delegation of his powers.
“Take note that the Levitical priests, that is, the entire tribe of Levi, receive no allotment of land along with the other tribes of Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites consume the food sacrifices dedicated to Jehovah: that is their portion. They do not share in the inheritance given to their fellow Israelites; Jehovah himself is their inheritance, as he promised them.
“From those who sacrifice a bull or a sheep, the priests' share is the meat from the shoulder, the cheeks, and internals organs. You must also give to the priests the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your olive oil, and the first shearing of wool from your sheep, for Jehovah your god has chosen them and their descendants, from out of all the tribes of Israel, to stand before the altar and minister in Jehovah's name for all time.
“If a Levite leaves a town in Israel in which he is living and goes to place chosen by Jehovah for his worship, then he may minister there in the name of Jehovah along with the other Levites who are already serving Jehovah there. He may also partake of their share of food offerings, (regardless of what he may have realized from the sale of family property).”
Note
1. This reiterates the rights and privileges of the Levites, but also mentions another, the right of a Levite priest to leave one of the Israelite towns set aside for his tribe and become a priest in one of the Jehovan places of worship. One wonders how this would work in practice. It would be as if Catholic priests were allowed to go to any parish they wished and be allowed to officiate. Wouldn't this result in chaos? Wouldn’t this result in an over abundance of priests at more desirable places of worship? One assumes that the high priest, the descendant of Aaron, would have authority over all matters affecting the tribe, but here there no provision to create the hierarchy necessary for the exercise of that authority or a protocol put in place for the delegation of his powers.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Kings of Israel
(Deuteronomy 17:14 - 17:20)
"After you have entered the land that Jehovah your god has given to you, have occupied and settled it, you may say, "Let's have a king to rule over us like all the neighboring countries do." Be sure to accept as your a king only he who has been selected by Jehovah your god. He must be a fellow countryman; do not pick a foreigner, one who is not of your people, to rule over you. The king should not breed a large stable of horses for himself or bid his people to go to Egypt to acquire more for him, because Jehovah has told you, "Do not go back that way again!” He must not take too many wives, for they are apt turn his mind from the way of Jehovah. Nor should he amass for himself an excessive amount of silver and gold.
"When he assumes the throne as king, he must keep a record of these instructions for himself in a book, copied from that of the Levitical priests. He is have it with him always and read it every day of his life so that he may learn to revere Jehovah his god, to keep all the words of his laws, and to execute these statutes. He must not come to feel himself superior to his fellow Israelites or alter the law in any way, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel."
Notes
1. Jehovah demands that Israelite kings do not seek to acquire too much personal wealth, horses, wives, gold and silver. Good luck with that. Ironically, King Solomon of Israel, who built the Jehovan Temple, was famed for his wealth and the size of his harem. He seemed to get on OK, but later, King Herod was not totally accepted by the people of Israel because he was regarded as a foreigner.
2. The king is not supposed to have too many horses and must on no account go to Egypt to stock his stables. At this time the Israelites had cattle and sheep, goats and donkeys, but there has been no reference to horses. The breeds of horses existent at that time were not used as beasts of burden. Donkeys pulled carts, oxen pulled plows, and everybody walked. In the 16th Century BC the Hyksos introduced the horse-drawn war chariot to Egypt. Outside of the steppes of Eurasian, horses were never used as mounts until about 800 BC -- and it would be hundreds of years before effective bridles were invented. It seems unlikely that an Israelite king would want horses for himself, unless the reference here is to war horses.
3. The king is suppose to have a written copy of Jehovah's laws to refer to on a daily basis. Great, only at this time, as has been oft noted, the Hebrews lived in a preliterate culture. There were no alphabets, no writing, save Egyptian hieroglyphics and Babylonian cuneiform. Even if Moses probably knew the latter, it is unlikely that the Israelites would have used either. It had been centuries since the Israelites had been in contact with Mesopotamia, and considering the animosity Jehovah harbored against the Egyptians, it is improbable that he would have sanctioned the use of their writing. It is assumed, of course, that the writing would be in Hebrew, but that was a language that would not be developed for hundreds of years. This is another indication that the writers of the Bible were entirely clueless about conditions in former times and were woefully deluded about the true history of their own people.
Justice in Israel
(Deuteronomy 16:18 - 17:13)
"In all the towns that Jehovah your god is giving you, you should appoint judges and officials for each of the tribes. They must pass judgment fairly, and not pervert justice by showing partiality or by taking a bribe (for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and twist the words of the righteous). Pursue justice and justice alone so that you may prosper when you take possession of the land Jehovah your god is giving you.
"You must not plant any kind of tree to be worshiped as an Asherah or erect a stone image for worship beside the altar you have built for Jehovah your god, for such things are detested by him.
"Do not sacrifice to Jehovah your god cattle or sheep that possess any flaw or defect, for that would be offensive to Jehovah.
"When you have settled in the towns Jehovah your god is giving you, it may happen that a man or woman does evil in the sight of Jehovah your god and violates his pact by serving and bowing down to other gods, or by worshiping the sun or the moon or other heavenly bodies -- which I have forbidden. If there is such a report and you come to hear of it, you must investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is established that such an abominable act has been committed in Israel, then the man or woman who has committed it must be taken to the town gates and stoned to death. Evidence must always be presented by 2 or 3 witnesses. No one should be sentenced to death on the testimony of a single witness. The first stones must be hurled by the hands of the witnesses, after which the rest of the populace join in. The evil in your midst is thusly purged.
"If a case arises in your towns that proves difficult to decide, whether it be a determination of what sort of homicide or assault may have been committed or some matter involving conflicting legal rights, then take it to a place of worship chosen by Jehovah your god and present it to the Levite priests or to whatever judge is currently in office. Consult with them and they will render a verdict for you. You must carry out the decisions they give you at a place of worship chosen by Jehovah your god. Carefully take note of all the instructions they tell you. Abide by their interpretation of the law and follow their directions in regard to carrying out the verdict. Do not alter their judgment in any way, by making it either harsher or more lenient. Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or the priest that represents Jehovah your god and rejects their decision must be put to death to purge the evil from Israel. All the people will hear of it, be afraid, and never again act with such contempt.”
Notes
1. There is a continued emphasis upon the exclusive worship of Jehovah, for that seems to be the common element, the glue that holds together the tribes of the nation of Israel. To pursue, worship, and serve other gods is more than sacrilege and a betrayal of Jehovah, it is a repudiation of national identity, justifying heresy and apostasy as capital offenses. In reality, though, the Hebrews were, through most of their history, not at all monotheistic nor was the worship of gods other than Jehovah an anomaly, even if it might have been an abomination to the Levite priests of Jehovah.
2. Asherah were living trees or wooden poles set up near Canaanite shrines to honor Asherah, a fertility goddess.
3. The reliance upon corroborated testimony and evidence resulting from an honest investigation, as well as insistence upon unbiased and incorruptible judges provide a sound basis for a justice system. That they were espoused by the Israelites, a group of primitive nomads, is admirable. But one wonders, though, whether these concepts were actually honored during the time of Moses or whether they were developed later when Hebrew civilization, no longer nomadic, had became more sophisticated. The lapse in time from when the events in the Books of Moses took place to when they were first recorded and to when the records might have been compiled, edited, added to, and censured is many hundreds of years. Therefore, we can never know what aspects of Hebrew law and custom are contemporary with the "historical" account and what are anachronistic.
4. The provision that the witnesses against a law breaker must be the primary executioners would seem a bit barbaric to us, but does make some rough sense. And the idea that severity of punishment is necessary to prevent future crime is certainly something we understand. However much as deterrent sentences have been and still are imposed, they do not constitute justice, which demands that the punishment be in proportion to the seriousness of the crime and that law breakers are punished only for their own crimes and not for future possible crimes committed by others. There seems to be an assurance here that putting to death those who are guilty of heresy or of ignoring or altering the judgment of a priest will generate such fear that it will scotch any potential law breaker. Experience and long history have shown, though, that draconian punishments, such as making minor crimes capital offenses, have rarely had the deterrent effect expected; more often than not they are counterproductive.
Three Festivals
(Deuteronomy 16:1 - 16:17)
"To honor Jehovah your god celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the month of Abib [Nisan], for it was in the month of Abib that Jehovah your god brought you out of Egypt in the dead of night. You should offer to Jehovah your god a sacrifice from the flock or the herd at a place of worship where Jehovah has chosen that his name should be honored. You should eat with it no bread that is leavened. For 7 days you should eat unleavened bread as you did when you departed Egypt in haste, for this is the bread of affliction, to remind you all the days of your life the time of your exodus from Egypt. Throughout the land let there be no yeast in your possession for 7 days. Let no meat you have sacrificed on the 1st day remain uneaten by the following morning. You may not make the Passover sacrifice in the towns that Jehovah your god is giving to you: it must be offered only at a place of worship where Jehovah has chosen that his name should be honored. Sacrifice it there at dusk when the sun is setting, the time when you began your exodus from Egypt. You must cook it and eat it at the place that Jehovah your god will choose. In the morning you may return home to your tents. For the next 6 days you must not eat any leavened bread. Then, on the 7th day, hold a sacred assembly and do no work on that day.
"Count off 7 weeks from the time you begin to harvest the standing grain. Then you will celebrate the Harvest Festival to honor Jehovah your god. You must bring to his altar voluntary offerings proportionate to the blessings you have received from him. Celebrate before the altar at the place of worship where Jehovah has chosen that his name should be honored; celebrate with your children, your servants, the Levites who live in your towns, as well as the aliens, the widows, and orphans who live among you. Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt and carefully observe these decrees.
"When the grain has been threshed and the grapes have been pressed, you should celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for 7 days. Celebrate with your children, your servants, the Levites who live in your towns, as well as the aliens, the widows, and orphans who live among you. For 7 days you will observe this festival to honor Jehovah your god at the designated place of worship, for it is Jehovah who blesses you with bountiful harvests and grants you success in all you undertake, so that you know great rejoicing.
“Three times a year, at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Tabernacles, each man must appear before the altar of Jehovah your god at a designated place of worship. He must not come empty handed, but must bring gifts for Jehovah proportionate to the blessings he has received from him."
Notes
1. A more detailed description of Jehovan holidays is presented in Leviticus -- another suggestion that Deuteronomy was written first and the previous books ascribed to Moses were later elaborations.
2. Abib, later called Nissan, occurring in early spring, is the first month of the Jewish religious calendar. (The secular calendar begins in the early autumn month of Tishri, Rosh Hashanah being New Year's day.) The Feast of Unleavened Bread is, of course, better known as Passover. Here no mention is made of the Jehovah's mass murder of the Egyptian first born and his Angel of Death "passing over" the homes of the Israelites. Reference is made only to the hasty departure of the Israelite slaves in embarking upon their exodus into the desert. Previous notes have commented upon the unlikelihood that any large number of Israelites were Egyptian slaves, that the Ten Plagues of Egypt probably occurred long before the age of Moses, and that any large exodus out of Egypt is not only unsubstantiated by history and archaeology, but is, in practical and logistical terms, impossible.
3. The Harvest Festival, literally the Festival of Weeks, was, by the time of Jesus, known as the Festival of Pentecost, and is now celebrated as Shavuot or Shabuoth. The Festival of Tabernacles, or Festival of Booths, was referred to in Exodus as the Festival of Ingathering, but is now celebrated as Sukkot or Succoth. It is ironic that Moses is lecturing his people on harvest festivals when up to this time they have only been nomads, wandering around Sinai with their flocks and herds. Having previously been slaves for generations, what would they even know of crops and harvests?
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Sabbatical Year
(Deuteronomy 15:1 - 15:23)
"At the end of every seventh year, you are required to forgive all debts. The manner in which this is to be done is this: every creditor must cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They must not demand payment from their neighbors and relations, because a cancellation of debts has been proclaimed by Jehovah. You may demand payment from a foreigner, but you must excuse whatever is owed to you by your fellow Israelites. Indeed, there need be no poor among you, for in the land Jehovah your god is giving you as an inheritance, he will bless you, provided you obey Jehovah your god and follow the commandments I am giving you today. Jehovah will bless you as he has promised. You will lend to many nations, but you will borrow from none. You will rule over other nations, but you will not be ruled over by them.
"If there are any of your fellow Israelites who live in the towns of the land Jehovah your god is giving you and are poor, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward them. Treat your poor brother with an open hand, lending him whatever he might need, regardless of what it might be. Take care not to entertain the selfish thought, "The 7th year, the year of debt relief is near," and regard your poor brother stingily, denying him a loan, so that he complains to Jehovah about you. If so, you will be guilty of a sin. Give to him generously and do so without a grudging heart, for which Jehovah your god will reward you by blessing all your work and all you may undertake. Since there will always be poor in the land, I therefore command you to be openhanded to your brother who lives in the land and is poor and needy.
"If any of your people, a Hebrew man (or woman), is indentured to you, he will serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you must grant him his freedom. And when you release him, you must not send him away empty-handed, but generously supply him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress, giving to him as Jehovah your god has given to you. And you should keep in mind that your were once slaves in Egypt and Jehovah freed you. That is the reason I give you this command today. However, your servant may tell you he doesn't want to leave, because he loves you and your household and is satisfied in your service. In such a case, you should push an awl through his earlobe into the door, marking him as your slave for life. The same should be done for a female slave as for a male. Do not consider it a hardship to free a slave, for his six-year service to you is worth twice the labor of a hired hand -- and, if you do so, Jehovah will bless you in all you undertake.
"Set aside the firstborn of your flocks and herds for Jehovah your god. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work in the fields; do not shear the firstborn of your flocks. Each year you and your household are to eat the meat of the firstborn before altar of Jehovah your god in the place of worship he has chosen. Although, if an animal has a blemish, if it is lame or blind, or has some other serious defect, you must not sacrifice it to Jehovah your god. You should then eat it within your towns instead. Those who are ritually pure and impure may partake of it, as if it were a gazelle or deer. But you must not consume its blood, which you should pour out on the ground like water."
Notes
1. Introduced here is the concept of the Sabbatical Year, the 7th year when debts are forgiven and slaves are freed. In regard to debts, one wonders whether this was anything more than an utopian idea, like many presented in the Books of Moses. Could this have worked in practice? Would a Hebrew, or anyone else for that matter, really offer a loan to someone in the 6th year just to be a good guy, knowing that in the 7th year he would be unable to collect it? Are loans regularly tendered when there is a near certainty of a loss? Basing an economy on ignoring self-serving financial incentives and relying upon altruism, charity and compassion, still a characteristic of the political philosophy of many on the social justice left, has, in the long run, never worked and doubtless never will, unless human nature, which is instinctually selfish, is somehow altered. It is interesting that in the case of money lending, the Israelite is treated differently from the foreigner, who is not offered any debt relief.
2. It is first asserted that in Jehovah's utopian paradise there would be no necessity for anyone to be poor, but then, more realistically, it is acknowledged that poor will always be with us. Generous loans and gifts are offered as the only solution to Israelite poverty.
3. Israel is urged to be a creditor but never a debtor -- nice, if things work out perfectly, as, of course, they will with Jehovah's favor.
4. Slavery in ancient times was quite different than slavery in the Old South, where there was instituted a permanent slave class based on race. Some ancient slaves were captives of war or abducted and pressed into service (a practice condemned by Jehovah.) However, most slaves were what we would call indentured servants. The slave himself or his family sold him into service for a limited period of time, after which he would be freed, usually with some payment made to him, as is described here. This practice was not uncommon in 17th and 18th Century America.
5. Israelites are to eat their firstborn livestock before the altar of Jehovah. Wouldn't all the firstborn livestock furnish a great deal more meat than one's household could consume? How could a small family eat even one steer at a sitting? That every family would bring all their firstborn livestock to the altar to be slaughtered, cooked, and consumed would surely present insuperable practical and logistical problems. Indeed, it would present a ludicrous spectacle. Does one picnic at the slaughterhouse? Wouldn't it make more sense to save the firstborn for breeding purposes, to improve the stock.
"At the end of every seventh year, you are required to forgive all debts. The manner in which this is to be done is this: every creditor must cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They must not demand payment from their neighbors and relations, because a cancellation of debts has been proclaimed by Jehovah. You may demand payment from a foreigner, but you must excuse whatever is owed to you by your fellow Israelites. Indeed, there need be no poor among you, for in the land Jehovah your god is giving you as an inheritance, he will bless you, provided you obey Jehovah your god and follow the commandments I am giving you today. Jehovah will bless you as he has promised. You will lend to many nations, but you will borrow from none. You will rule over other nations, but you will not be ruled over by them.
"If there are any of your fellow Israelites who live in the towns of the land Jehovah your god is giving you and are poor, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward them. Treat your poor brother with an open hand, lending him whatever he might need, regardless of what it might be. Take care not to entertain the selfish thought, "The 7th year, the year of debt relief is near," and regard your poor brother stingily, denying him a loan, so that he complains to Jehovah about you. If so, you will be guilty of a sin. Give to him generously and do so without a grudging heart, for which Jehovah your god will reward you by blessing all your work and all you may undertake. Since there will always be poor in the land, I therefore command you to be openhanded to your brother who lives in the land and is poor and needy.
"If any of your people, a Hebrew man (or woman), is indentured to you, he will serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you must grant him his freedom. And when you release him, you must not send him away empty-handed, but generously supply him from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress, giving to him as Jehovah your god has given to you. And you should keep in mind that your were once slaves in Egypt and Jehovah freed you. That is the reason I give you this command today. However, your servant may tell you he doesn't want to leave, because he loves you and your household and is satisfied in your service. In such a case, you should push an awl through his earlobe into the door, marking him as your slave for life. The same should be done for a female slave as for a male. Do not consider it a hardship to free a slave, for his six-year service to you is worth twice the labor of a hired hand -- and, if you do so, Jehovah will bless you in all you undertake.
"Set aside the firstborn of your flocks and herds for Jehovah your god. Do not use the firstborn of your herds to work in the fields; do not shear the firstborn of your flocks. Each year you and your household are to eat the meat of the firstborn before altar of Jehovah your god in the place of worship he has chosen. Although, if an animal has a blemish, if it is lame or blind, or has some other serious defect, you must not sacrifice it to Jehovah your god. You should then eat it within your towns instead. Those who are ritually pure and impure may partake of it, as if it were a gazelle or deer. But you must not consume its blood, which you should pour out on the ground like water."
Notes
1. Introduced here is the concept of the Sabbatical Year, the 7th year when debts are forgiven and slaves are freed. In regard to debts, one wonders whether this was anything more than an utopian idea, like many presented in the Books of Moses. Could this have worked in practice? Would a Hebrew, or anyone else for that matter, really offer a loan to someone in the 6th year just to be a good guy, knowing that in the 7th year he would be unable to collect it? Are loans regularly tendered when there is a near certainty of a loss? Basing an economy on ignoring self-serving financial incentives and relying upon altruism, charity and compassion, still a characteristic of the political philosophy of many on the social justice left, has, in the long run, never worked and doubtless never will, unless human nature, which is instinctually selfish, is somehow altered. It is interesting that in the case of money lending, the Israelite is treated differently from the foreigner, who is not offered any debt relief.
2. It is first asserted that in Jehovah's utopian paradise there would be no necessity for anyone to be poor, but then, more realistically, it is acknowledged that poor will always be with us. Generous loans and gifts are offered as the only solution to Israelite poverty.
3. Israel is urged to be a creditor but never a debtor -- nice, if things work out perfectly, as, of course, they will with Jehovah's favor.
4. Slavery in ancient times was quite different than slavery in the Old South, where there was instituted a permanent slave class based on race. Some ancient slaves were captives of war or abducted and pressed into service (a practice condemned by Jehovah.) However, most slaves were what we would call indentured servants. The slave himself or his family sold him into service for a limited period of time, after which he would be freed, usually with some payment made to him, as is described here. This practice was not uncommon in 17th and 18th Century America.
5. Israelites are to eat their firstborn livestock before the altar of Jehovah. Wouldn't all the firstborn livestock furnish a great deal more meat than one's household could consume? How could a small family eat even one steer at a sitting? That every family would bring all their firstborn livestock to the altar to be slaughtered, cooked, and consumed would surely present insuperable practical and logistical problems. Indeed, it would present a ludicrous spectacle. Does one picnic at the slaughterhouse? Wouldn't it make more sense to save the firstborn for breeding purposes, to improve the stock.
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