5784/2023

What distinguishes a book of Navi (Prophets) from a book of historical anecdotes? For the sifrei Nevu’ah referred to as Nevi’im Acharonim, answering this question is fairly simple. Broadly speaking, these books (Yeshayahu, Yirmiyahu, Yechezkel, and Trei Asar) are

compilations of actual prophecies, clearly distinct from a typical

history book. Yet, despite their name, the books of Nevi’im Rishonim

cannot offer the same answer. The large majority of Perakim do not

contain explicit prophecies and primarily deal instead with stories of

war, kings, judges, and other leaders. These Seforim are included in

Nevi’im by dint of their prophetic authorship, not their content (see

the discussion in Bava Batra 15b about their authorship.)

Still, resolving that these Seforim are included in Nevi’im because of

their composers only prompts another important question: Why is it

so significant that Nevi’im composed them? If they are predominantly

books of historical stories, what difference does it make whether a

Navi wrote them or not?

There is an analogy that I like to share with my students that is useful

for answering this question: The Presidential Diet Analogy. Consider

the following scenario: a student is tasked with writing a paper on

United States presidential history from 1900-2000. To the teacher’s

surprise, the student’s submission contains information about the

various dietary preferences of Presidents during this time period.

Instead of writing about critical decisions the presidents made during

World War II or the Cold War, the author goes into great detail about

FDR’s penchant for fish chowder and scrambled eggs, Reagan’s love of

Jelly Beans, and JFK’s preference for meat and potatoes. Naturally, the

student should receive an F for a paper that totally missed the point of

the assignment! Yet, imagine if the student was tasked with a different

assignment: write a paper on United States presidential dietary

history from 1900-2000. If he handed in the same paper, he would

receive an A+! Why the difference? Clearly, what was supposed to be

included in the paper depends on what the purpose of the assignment

was. This is true more broadly as well. What an author includes,

emphasizes, abridges, or omits depends on the book's goal: to detail

history, spread ideas, or entertain. It will have a tremendous impact on

the writing style and content.

This applies to the books of Nevi’im Rishonim as well and explains why

it is so significant that the author of each Sefer is a Navi. The books of

Nevi’im are meant to impart critical lessons and values to the Jewish

people. Each authorial decision in these books is prophetically

inspired: where to start or end a story, how much detail to provide, the

type of language, etc. Sometimes a Navi will skip decades, and other

times describe an event at great length. The job of a reader of these

books is therefore not only to understand local issues in the text but

also ask in each Perek: why did the Navi choose to present this story

this way? What lessons are we supposed to derive from these

prophetically-inspired choices?

An example of this phenomenon is the very first Pasuk in the Haftarah

for Parashat Chayei Sarah from Sefer Melachim. Yirmiyahu, the author,

opens the sefer by describing David Hamelech’s state in his old age:

“Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they covered him

with clothes, but he could not become warm”(1:1:1). Of course, an

engaged reader will wonder why David could not warm up.1 However,

there is a broader question that must be asked: What is this

information doing here in the first place? As Abarbanel notes, it is

impossible for all parts of David Hamelech’s life to be recorded for

posterity, as there would be too many to count! Moreover, the purpose

of any details of his life included in Sifrei Nevuah is to share these

specific moments of his life with future generations because they are

uniquely significant and meaningful. Though every Jew loves to hear

about David Hamelech, what message is Yirmiyahu seeking to impart

with this vignette of a frail David nearing the end of his life? Why

should David’s challenges in getting warm be relevant to us?

Abarbanel’s first answer to this question is striking. He argues that it

informs the reader of an incredibly important lesson to be learned

from David Hamelech. David is incredibly weak and his life is nearing

its end. He has experienced many taxing ordeals in his lifetime. Yet,

when in the continuation of the narrative David is informed that

Adoniyahu is robbing the throne from Shlomo (his successor as

dictated by God), David jumps out of his bed with alacrity, vigor, and

passion and goes to address the situation. Though David Hamelech

was perhaps “burned out” and it was physically difficult for him to

take action, when he saw something wrong he pushed himself to great

lengths to do his part to improve the situation. Through his efforts,

David is teaching us that though we may be exhausted—be it

physically or mentally—and at times taking action against what is

wrong can be deeply challenging, we too cannot succumb to burnout

and must push ourselves to stand up for the just, moral, and holy when we can. Only through beginning with David’s weak condition is

Yirmiyahu able to convey this powerful message.

Several years ago, I observed this very lesson firsthand. There was a

march against anti-semitism that drew tens of thousands of people to

the Brooklyn Bridge. In the middle of the walk, I saw at my side a man

slowly walking across the bridge with a walker. After a second glance,

I realized it was the legendary Rabbi and Tzaddik, Rav Yehuda

Kelemer zt’’l. Rav Kelemer was a respected Posek and pulpit rabbi at

Young Israel of West Hempstead. Unfortunately, a few years before his

passing, he was involved in a terrible car accident that severely

hampered his mobility. However, despite his physical limitations,

when he saw something wrong that needed addressing, even if it

required tremendous exertion to literally cross a bridge, he pushed

himself with great Zerizut and passion to be involved in standing up

for what’s right.

During this extremely challenging time for the Jewish people, we

should be reminded by and take inspiration from our great

predecessors to continue to push ourselves to advocate and stand up

for our homeland and our People despite whatever exhaustion and

challenges it will bring.