Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

In his great legal code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides praises the discipline of silence:

“One should always cultivate silence and refrain from speaking, except about matters of knowledge or things necessary for one’s physical welfare. It was said that Rav, the disciple of our saintly teacher Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, never uttered an idle word in all his days — which is what most people’s conversations consist of.” (Deh-ot 2:4)

The Rav mentioned here is one of the towering figures of Jewish history. Born in 175 CE in Babylonia, he founded the Sura Academy, one of the two great centers of learning that produced the Babylonian Talmud. His teachings appear more than 3,500 times in that work.

This is why it is so striking when Rav’s name appears in the Talmud without an explicit teaching attached to it. Such is the case when Rav relates the following brief story:

“A certain man sent new wine, new oil, and new linen garments to his father‑in‑law’s house at the time of Shavuot.” (BT Bava Batra 146a)

That’s it. No explanation. No moral. It reads almost like a joke missing its punchline. The sages are left to uncover what Rav intended to teach.

They conclude that Rav — who lived in Babylonia — is highlighting the specialness of the Land of Israel. Grapes, olives, and flax, the raw materials for wine, oil, and linen, typically ripen after Shavuot. Yet here, the Land produced them early enough for this man to send gifts from the new harvest “at the time of Shavuot.” Rav’s story is subtly praising the importance of the Land of Israel.

Today, in the United States, a rapidly growing network of Jews, organizations, and communities is seeking to build a Judaism not centered on Israel. After three years of war, violence, and political turmoil in Israel and the region, emotional distance is understandable. Many American Jews feel exhausted, disillusioned, or spiritually unmoored.

Yet I believe American Jews must continue to care about and stay engaged with Israel’s future. As Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said, “Our path from despair to hope passes through one single route, and one only: partnership.”

Shabbat Shalom

Photo by wael belkahla on Pexels.com