Parashat HaShavua - Yitro

What message might God have wanted to convey to Bnei Yisrael, on the cusp of receiving the Torah, by using the metaphor of an eagle? “‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. I carried you on the wings of eagles, and brought you to Me / אַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לְמִצְרָ֑יִם וָֽאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָֽאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי.” (Ex. 19:4) On the one hand, it would make sense that Bnei Yisrael would want a bird of prey at the beginning of their journey, when God freed them from the Egyptians. But now? Would they still want, and should they be concerned if they still need, that same bird of prey to bring them to God?

This metaphor is most commonly explained, by Rashi for example, as representing God’s protectiveness of Bnei Yisrael: since eagles fly higher than all other birds, they carry their young on their wings to place their own body between threats from below and their young. However, it is also pointed out that birds who fly lower also protect their young, but from threats from above, by carrying them with their feet as well. In other words, what distinguishes eagles from other birds is not that they are protective, but rather that they are the highest flyers!

It is precisely this point – how high eagles fly – that gets the attention of Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (East Prussia, 1785-1861), who learns the following: “If you elevate like the eagle, then you will reach peaks and heights and raise all things to it, meaning heavenly heights / אם תגביה כנשר, לכן יכונה גבהות ורוממות כל דבר אליו, והמכוון פה על גבהות המעלה.” And what was awaiting us in those heavenly heights at this particular moment in our history, at Har Sinai? The Torah. In other words, this apex predator who protected us on the way from Egypt took on new meaning at Sinai and became our direct connection with God and Torah, as though to say: our source of strength, our superpower, was now the rule of law.

The Chatam Sofer (Germany, 1762-1839) helps make this connection for us as well. He explains that God said “‘I brought them to me to be attached to me,’ which is why he brought them to Har Sinai…, as it says, “‘you who are attached to the Lord your God are alive, all of you, this day.’ (Deut. 4:4) / ואביא אתכם אלי להיות דבוקין בי היינו במה שהביאם לפני הר סיני…, וממילא וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֑ם.” In the pesukim immediately following the one quoted by the Chatam Sofer, the Torah elaborates on how our commitment to Torah, to the rule of law, is our superpower:

“Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord, my God, commanded me, to do so in the midst of the land to which you are coming to possess. You shall keep and do [them], because that is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Only this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ (Deut. 4:5-6)

 רְאֵ֣ה לִמַּ֣דְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֗ם חֻקִּים֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֔ים כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוַּ֖נִי יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת כֵּ֔ן בְּקֶ֣רֶב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם בָּאִ֥ים שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ: וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֘ וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶם֒ כִּ֣י הִ֤וא חָכְמַתְכֶם֙ וּבִ֣ינַתְכֶ֔ם לְעֵינֵ֖י הָֽעַמִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָֽמְר֗וּ רַ֚ק עַם־חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן הַגּ֥וֹי הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּֽה:״

There are additional ways in which the eagle metaphor conveys meaningful values about Torah. When Moshe returns to it at the end of Devarim, he describes God as one who, “hovering over its fledglings, spreads its wings and takes him / עַל־גּֽוֹזָלָ֖יו יְרַחֵ֑ף יִפְרֹ֤שׂ כְּנָפָיו֙ יִקָּחֵ֔הוּ.” (Deut. 32:11) Rashi, quoting Sifrei explains:

It does not weigh on them, rather, it hovers above them, touching them and yet not quite touching them. So too, is the Holy Blessed One, [as it says:] “We did not find the Almighty great in power” (Job 37:23). When God came to give the Torah to Israel, God did not reveal God’s self to them from one direction, but rather from four directions [in order to be less imposing].

אֵינוֹ מַכְבִּיד עַצְמוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶלָּא מְחוֹפֵף, נוֹגֵעַ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹגֵעַ; אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, ״שַׁדַּי לֹא מְצָאנֻהוּ שַׂגִּיא כֹחַ״ (איוב לז:כג) כְּשֶׁבָּא לִתֵּן תּוֹרָה לֹא נִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם מֵרוּחַ אַחַת אֶלָּא מֵאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת.

According to this, God made God’s self, and therefore the Torah, less imposing and more accessible. God’s approach from different directions could also represent different perspectives, and since God went to the trouble of giving the Torah from different perspectives, we must approach it from different perspectives as well.

Finally, there is this from Sforno, who notices that the plural “fledglings” is followed by the eagle taking “him.” Sforno connects this passage to a quote from Isaiah, who prophecies that when God saves us, “you shall be picked up one by one, Bnei Yisrael / וְאַתֶּ֧ם תְּלֻקְּט֛וּ לְאַחַ֥ד אֶחָ֖ד בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל.” (Is. 27:12) We pray that when we need God to save us, we are saved one by one; and that one by one every voice is heard, in the study of Torah and always. And may we all appreciate and celebrate Torah and the rule of law, and ascend with them to heavenly heights.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Jack Nahmod
Middle School Judaic Studies Head
Rabbinic Advisor