Friends, I'm in the process of learning here so take it easy on me. I'm going to lay out all (most) of my thoughts on the political structure of Israel. Think of it as a conversation, not as preaching, okay?
AM YISRAEL
What makes an "am"? (As in "Am Yisrael"). My thoughts: (1) descent from a common ancestor or (2) participation in a common religion.
ADAT YISRAEL
What makes an "am" into an "edah"? (As in Adat Yisrael). My thoughts:
The edah is a political structure (a republic in fact) because it says that there were "nesi-ai ha-edah" (representatives of the edah) [Joshua 9:15] and it also says that the nesi'im conducted their political business in the Ohel Mo'ed.
This "republic" is composed of "eday" (witnesses to the covenant) because it says "you are my witnesses [eday]" [Isaiah 43:10-12] and we know that they are witnesses to the covenant because it says "let it serve as a covenant between me and you" [Gen. 31:44].
Further, we know that the witnesses are witnesses of the Israeli Covenant (i.e. the one inaugurated in Egypt and ratified at Sinai) because the first mention of the Edah is in Exodus 12:3 and it's in regard to the Passover Feast. So we see that the Edah is established by the Passover specifically.
We also know that the witnesses are witnesses to the Torah of Moshe because it says that the ark was an "aron ha-edut" [Joshua 4:16]. And we know that the ark contained the Decalogue.
Thus, it appears that one enters the Edah (the Israeli Republic) by participating in Passover.
KAHAL
HOw does Israel operate as a kahal? My thoughts: It seems that within the Edah there are constituent entities which are each formed by either covenant and/or by descent from a common ancestor: family, batei av, tribes, tribal councils, tribal federation (as in "the day of the kahal" at Sinai).
MEMBERSHIP
How does one join an "am", "edah", and "kahal"?
Am: descent from common ancestor or adoption into the family and by observance of the common faith.
Edah: participation in Passover.
Kahal: it depends on which type of kahal. Each kahal is a subsidiary of the Edah, formed through covenant. A marriage is a covenant that forms a familial kahal. A communal covenant formed by a quorum of ten adult males forms a communal kahal (kehillah). Yeshua has His own Kahal and He invites everyone to join who has faith in His ability to forgive sins and who genuinely desires His forgiveness. Membership in a kahal seems to presuppose membership in the Am.
CONCLUSION
So could I be wrong? Absolutely! Let's have a conversation. I want you to argue with me.
Don't have much time...
ReplyDeleteEdah is not a "political structure." Edah is an ethnic community, like עדה ספרדית-Sephardic Edah. עדה אשכנזית-Eshkenazi Edah. Nothing to do with politics.
With Dan, I have never seen Edah rendered in a political sense, only in a casual or informal way.
ReplyDeleteThus, it appears that one enters the Edah (the Israeli Republic) by participating in Passover.
The Passover occurs before the Israelite covenant is cut at Mount Sinai, thus they are not one and the same. The mixed multitude had already joined the "group" in the exodus out of Egypt, without possibly participating in the Passover event, but did not enter the covenant until Mount Sinai.
Re: "With Dan, I have never seen Edah rendered in a political sense, only in a casual or informal way."
DeleteWe see the political structure when it says "nesi-ai ha-edah" and when it records that these representatives of the Edah convened in the Ohel Mo'ed. This seems to be identical to the functioning of a republic, yes? Representatives serving in a Senate?
Re: "The Passover occurs before the Israelite covenant is cut at Mount Sinai, thus they are not one and the same. The mixed multitude had already joined the "group" in the exodus out of Egypt, without possibly participating in the Passover event, but did not enter the covenant until Mount Sinai."
Would you say that the historical separation between a betrothal and a marriage ceremony (which was typically the span of a year) meant that there were two different covenants implied thereby? Or would you say that both events were related to a single marriage covenant?
In the same way, the Passover set Israel apart much like a bride was set apart during her betrothal period and the Sinai event operated as a marriage ceremony.
Prior to the marriage ceremony, the blood was washed off with water:
"I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you."
The ketubah (marriage contract) was written on tablets of stone--the Decalogue.
But Israel was an unfaithful wife and so a new covenant is required:
"25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols."
It's the same ketubah though:
"27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
In conclusion, just as the two steps of a marriage covenant operate as part of a single covenant, the Passover and Sinai event operated as part of a single covenant.
The "cutting" of the covenant is the blood of Passover. For where was there blood on Sinai? Rather, we see there was water at Sinai because it says they washed their clothes, referring to Bnai Yisrael's immersion in mikvaot.
And we see in Joshua that everyone who came out of Egypt was circumcised. This means that all of the Egyptians had to have been circumcised before leaving Egypt as part of the mixed multitude. And all of the mixed multitude has participated in the Passover because it says that "he shall be as a native-born" and it says "the entire congregation must eat of it". Thus, all of the mixed multitude participated in Passover.
"We see the political structure when it says "nesi-ai ha-edah" and when it records that these representatives of the Edah convened in the Ohel Mo'ed. This seems to be identical to the functioning of a republic, yes? Representatives serving in a Senate? "
ReplyDeleteNot at all. The head of the Sanhedrin was called Nasi , Yehudah Hanasi, who compiled the Mishna. Not him or the Sanhedrin had anything to do with a political entity.
You are reading your agenda into Scriptures. The betrothal and marriage ceremony happened way, way before the Exodus. After the betrothal ceremony a man and a woman would not see each other, yet god interacted with the people He elected to carry His covenant forward all the time.
" This means that all of the Egyptians had to have been circumcised before leaving Egypt as part of the mixed multitude."
This is pure speculation which has no room in Biblical interpretation. Arguing from silence proves nothing....
If you follow all the times Edah is used, you will have to conclude it cannot be claimed as a political entity, it is even used in the Apostolic Scripture to describe a congregation/synagogue. A synagogue was not a political entity.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is speculation to say they were circumcised before. Also consider, that there could be those who were not circumcised and part of the covenant, they just simply could not eat the Passover, this would be the children for example who were not circumcised, but were covenant members.
b"h
ReplyDeleteחידת שמשון
וְהִנֵּה עֲדַת דְּבוֹרִים בִּגְוִיַּת הָאַרְיֵה וּדְבָשׁ
I bet those bees had a wonderful Passover...
Good example... The term is too broad.
DeleteA swarm of bees is not the same thing as Adat Bnai Yisrael.
DeleteYou'll find many terms that are broad when decontextualized. Take any Hebraic term that begins as broad and then is later used contextually. For example, mishkan is a broad term. But this broadness doesn't negate it's specific uses as a very special dwelling place. Take kahal as another example. Very broad term. But when it is contextualized as in "day of the kahal" then it becomes very special indeed.
Context is everything.
Here's a few sources for what I'm talking about. I just put these over at Gene's and so I'll put them here too:
DeleteELAZAR:
“Between Exodus 12 and 23, we are given a step by step description of the process of the founding of the Israelite polity. At the beginning of chapter 12, God commands Moses and Aaron to initiate a new calendar for the Israelites, beginning with the spring month of Nissan (12:1-2). HE THEN NAMES THE NEW POLITY ADAT BNAI YISRAEL (12:3) and sets down procedures for establishing citizenship in it through the sacrifice of the pascal lamb and the observance of Passover (12:3-28 and 43-51).” pg. 178 of Covenant & Polity in Biblical Israel: Biblical Foundations & Jewish Expressions by Daniel Elazar
BUBER:
“If our assumption is correct, Moses transformed the clan feast of the shepherds (the matzoth too, the unleavened flat cakes, are the bread of the nomads) into the feast of a nation, without losing its character of a family feast. And now the families as such as the bearers of the sacramental celebration; which, however, unites them into a national community.” pg. 72 Moses: the revelation and the covenant by Martin Buber
STUART COHEN:
“Altogether, then, by Samuel’s generation what had begun as a somewhat amorphous conglomeration (Am Yisrael) had been transformed into a clearly defined political unit (Adat Bnei Yisrael), each of whose citizens possessed distinctive rights and duties within the parameters of the uniformly accepted constitution.”
If "Adat Israel" is the end of the rule by tribal membership and the beginning of a "political entity," Then can you please explain the first 4 chapters of the book of Numbers?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the book of Numbers would you like to have explained? I don't understand what you mean?
DeleteI never said that tribal membership ended. I'm not sure what I might've said that would've given you that impression.
DeleteI will ask you one last time, what is your Hebrew knowledge? Do you read, write and speak it fluently?
ReplyDeleteif you are going to avoid me this fourth time, then I am done with this conversation and you can continue to debate yourself.....
Dan,
DeleteI'm sorry that you're upset. I was just trying to understand your position better.
As far as my knowledge of Hebrew, I don't have a problem reading from the Torah in shul. The first time I visited a Messianic synagogue I remember a girl invited me to her Hebrew class--this was on Shabbat. And so I went upstairs with her and sat in on the class and they were in a circle and each person would read a portion from a workbook. And so when my turn came I would read the portion and was surprised to find out that it didn't require that much effort. It all just sort of came back to me.
However, since that time, I've made an effort to improve my understanding of ancient Hebrew and so I understand a little better now.
Does that help?