04 Jul PINCHAS: THE MISSION STATEMENT OF JUDAISM “ONE SHEEP YOU SHALL OFFER IN THE MORNING AND THE SECOND SHEEP IN THE AFTERNOON”

The Verse that
Says It All
A fascinating
Midrash credits an
isolated verse in this
week’s Torah
p o r t i o n , Pinchas, encapsulating
the quintessence of Judaism.
The Midrash quotes four opinions as to
which biblical verse best sums up the
ultimate message of Torah. One sage, by
the name of Ben Azzai, believed it was
the verse in Genesis: “This is the book of
the chronicles of man; on the day that G-d
created man He created him in the image
of G-d.”
Another sage, by the name of Ben Zoma,
holds a different verse to be more central
to Jewish thought: “Hear O Israel, the
Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One.”
A third Talmudist, Ben Nanas, chooses
this verse: “You shall love your fellow
man like yourself.” Finally, the fourth
sage, Shimon, the son of Pazi, casts his
pitch for the epic verse of the Torah. It is

culled from the section in this week’s
parsha that deals with the obligation
during the time of the Beis Hamikdash to
bring each day two lambs as an offering
to G-d. “One sheep you shall offer in the
morning and the second sheep in the
afternoon.”
This verse, according to Shimon, the son
of Pazi, is the defining verse of Judaism.
The Midrash concludes: “One of the
rabbis stood on his feet and declared,
‘The verdict follows the opinion of
Shimon the son of Pazi!’”
The Big Question
This is strange. The first three opinions
make sense. The notion that all of Judaism
can be traced back to the idea that a
human being reflects G-d seems right.
The same can be said about the concept of
a single and universal G-d, or the
injunction to love our fellow man like
ourselves—these ideas, introduced 3300
years ago by Tanach, vividly embody the
essential weltanschauung of Judaism and
its contribution to civilization.

But how does the verse “One
sheep you shall offer in the
morning and the second sheep
in the afternoon” represent the
core essence of Torah? How
can one even begin to compare
the message about offering two
lambs with the global and
noble ideas contained in the
other three opinions?
What is even more astonishing
is that the final verdict in the
Midrash selects this verse about the sheep
as the “winner.” The biblical verses
dealing with love, monotheism and
human dignity, the foundations of
morality and civilization, did not “make
it” in the contest; it is precisely this verse
enjoining us to offer a lamb in the
morning and a lamb in the afternoon —
that was chosen as the ultimate
embodiment of Judaism!
The Depth of Perseverance
One of the most seminal Jewish thinkers
in the post-medieval period was Rabbi
Judah Loew (1525-1609), who was
known as the Maharal and served as
the Chief Rabbi of Prague. In one of
his works he offers a powerful answer.
What the fourth and last sage,
Shimon the son of Pazi, was
suggesting is that the verse that
ultimately defines what it means to be
a Jew is the one that speaks
of unwavering consistency, “One
sheep you shall offer in the morning
and the second sheep in the afternoon.”
Every single morning and every single
afternoon you shall make a sacrifice
for your Creator.
The biblical declarations that reveal
the philosophical depth of Torah and
its grand vision for humanity—
monotheism, love, human dignity—
are powerful, splendid, and
revolutionary. They have redefined
theology, sociology, and psychology.
But what makes Judaism and Jewish
life unique is the unswerving
commitment to live and breathe these
truths day in, day out, seven days a
week, 365 days a year.
I can be moved to tears by the notion
of tikkun olam, of healing the world; I
can preach about the ideals of human
dignity, love, and peace. But the ideas
and inspiration are fleeting. The real
and ultimate power of Judaism is that

it managed to translate the profound
visionary ideals in daily routines and
behaviors. Judaism always inspired its
people to cultivate their relationship with
G-d on a continuous basis, every day of
their lives. Torah asks the human being to
make daily sacrifices for truth, for love,
for peace, for G-d, for family, for
marriage. “One sheep you shall offer in
the morning and the second sheep in the
afternoon.”
During exciting days and monotonous
days, on bright days and bleak days—
“One sheep you shall offer in the morning
and the second sheep in the afternoon.” In
the morning, when you awake, you are
called to make a sacrifice to G-d. In the
afternoon, when your day is winding
down, you are called, once again, to
sacrifice something of your ego and
insecurity for G-d.
Judaism is not only about a moving Yom
Kippur experience or an emotional
memorial ceremony; it is something the
Jew lives every moment of his life. It is
the dedication of ordinary people to
construct, through daily ordinary acts, a
fragment of heaven on planet earth.
It is a truth the great artists grasp
well: Consistency is the soil in which
creativity blossoms. The mission
statement of Judaism is that you
are always an ambassador of the Divine,
an ambassador for love, light, and hope.
When your sun rises and when your sun
sets, you are G-d’s agent here on earth to
infuse it with meaning, purpose, and
harmony, creating unity out of chaos,
oneness out of fragmentation, light
weaved from the stuff of darkness. You
may be having a good day or a bad day,
you may be at peace or in the midst of a
struggle, but you are, in the words of the
Maharal, an “Eved Hashem,” a servant, a
messenger of G-d. You are a ray of
infinity, working for G-d, and reflecting
His oneness in the world you inhabit.