Avot307
of the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel
RABIN MISHNAH STUDY GROUP
TRACTATE AVOT, CHAPTER FIVE, MISHNAH SIX (recap):
Ten things were created on Erev Shabbat at twilight. They are: the mouth of the earth, the mouth of the well, the mouth of the she-ass, the rainbow, the manna, the rod, the Shamir, the letters, the writing and the tablets. Some say that also the imps [were created at this time], Moses' grave and Abraham's ram. Some say that a wrench was made with a wrench.
EXPLANATIONS (continued):
34:
I am sure that those who have been following the discussion on our present mishnah must have on more than one occasion been scratching their heads or rubbing their eyes. They must have been asking themselves how it could be that the sages related with equanimity to all the stories which are the basis of the elements of our mishnah. The attempt itself is admirable: to remove from the account of God's relationship with man as much of the miraculous as is possible. But the result introduces rods which perform miracles, an implement (or a worm) that eats into stone, a ram that was specially created and so on. It is very difficult for us to know to what extent the sages actually believed these tales, legends – call them what you will. But we must admit that the burden of evidence seems to be that they did so accept them.
35:
In his introduction to our present tractate, the famous "Eight Chapters", Rambam teaches that one special faculty of the human psyche is the imagination. Imagination, he says, permits us to conceive of things that do not exist, and, indeed, cannot exist. But even though we know that they cannot exist that does not prevent us imagining them. He gives as an example of imagining the impossible the idea of an iron ship which can sail through the skies. One wonders what Rambam would have made of the modern airliner.
36:
Our present mishnah is not the only source for items that were created "on Erev Shabbat at twilight". The Gemara [Pesaĥim 54a] offers another list. Some of the items are the same as those we have already noted, but some are different.
The well; the manna, the rainbow, the letters, the writing, the tablets, Moses' grave, the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood, the opening of the donkey's mouth and the opening of the mouth of the earth to swallow the wicked.
We note that in this list both the miraculous rod and the Shamir (whatever it actually was) are missing and their place is taken by Moses' grave and the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood.
37:
Moses' grave has already been discussed by us because it appears in our present mishnah too, under the heading "some say". Moses' cave is a reference to the incident chronicled in the Torah [Exodus 33:19-23] when Moses asks God to show him His glory:
And He answered, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you God's name, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show. But," He said, "you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live." And God said, "See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself in the rock and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen."
This very same "cleft in the rock" is the one to which the prophet Elijah escaped when he was running away from the wrath of Queen Jezebel [I Kings 19:8-12]:
[Elijah] arose and ate and drank; and with the strength from that meal he walked forty days and forty nights as far as the mountain of God at Horeb [Sinai]. There he went into a cave, and there he spent the night. Then God's word came to him. He said to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" … "Come out," He called, "and stand on the mountain before God." And lo, God passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by God's power; but God was not in the wind. After the wind an earthquake; but God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake fire; but God was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of silence.
Thus, this special cave is the site of two very special self-revelations by God. Therefore, according to rabbinic logic, it must have been created on that "Erev Shabbat at twilight".
To be continued.
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