Atem-Emet: The Endurance of the Jewish People as Proof for G-d's Existence
Rashi on the very first pasuk in Nitzavim (29:9) writes that the intent of Moshe's statement "Atem nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem - You are standing here today, all of you, before Hashem, Your G-d" - was to reassure Bnei Yisroel. After hearing the curses of last week's parsha, Bnei Yisroel turned white and feared for their survival - "how is it possible for us to withstand such curses?" To which Moshe responded "Atem nitzavim" - you are still standing. That is, you committed sins that angered Hashem, and yet He did not destroy you. Therefore, your standing here before Hashem today should reassure you that you will withstand the curses, and survive.
In a dvar Torah I heard from Rabbi Yehuda Tucker (who heard it in a broadcast shiur given by Rabbi Yissochar Frand), it was brought down in the name of the Chatam Sofer that the word "Atem" (Alef Tof Mem) - the Hebrew plural "you" - appears as the first word in a pasuk only 4 times in the entire Tanach (grab a concordance to prove this to yourself). Interesting trivia? Hardly. As we shall see, the context of those 4 pasukim is extremely intriguing, and ultimately alludes to one of the fundamental proofs for G-d's existence.
#1: The first pasuk where "atem" is the first word is in Shemos 5:11 describing the suffering inflicted on the Jews in Mitzrayim:
Atem lechu kechu lachem teven me'asher timtza'u; ki ein nigra m'avodatchem davar.
You go and take for yourselves straw from whatever you find, for nothing will be reduced from your work."
Essentially, the Egyptian taskmasters are advising the Jews of Pharoah's decree (5:6-9) that straw will no longer be given to them. Instead, the Jews must collect their own straw to create the bricks needed to build Pharoah's edifices; however, despite this added burden, the production quota of the Jewish slaves will not be diminished.
#2: The second pasuk is Shemos 19:4:
Atem re'item asher asiti l'Mitzrayim; v'esah etchem al kanfei nesharim v'avi etchem elai.
You saw what I did to Mitzrayim; that I have borne you on the wings of eagles and brought you to Me.
See Rashi: in a nutshell, the pasuk reminds Bnei Yisroel how Hashem gathered them up, took them out of Egypt, and protected them when the Mitzrim sought to bring them back.
#3: The third pasuk is in Netzavim discussed above.
#4: The fourth pasuk is Yeshayahu (43:10):
Atem ay'dai ne'um Hashem v'avdi asher bacharti; l'ma'an tedu v'taminu li v'tavinu ki ani hu l'fanai lo notzar kel v'acharai lo t'hiyeh.
You are my witnesses - the words of Hashem - and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you will know and believe in Me, and understand that I am He; before Me nothing was created by a god and after Me it shall not be!
If one looks at the preceding pesukim in this and the prior Chapter of Yeshayahu, one sees that this entire prophecy concerns the destiny of the people of Israel to be a light on to the other nations; the sins that cause Israel to falter in this mission, resulting in death and destruction at the hands of the Nations; and Hashem's promise that the Nation of Israel shall not be destroyed, but rather redeemed and restored to its glory.
Pasuk 10 concludes this theme by stating that the Jewish people are "witnesses" (essentially evidentiary proof) of Hashem's existence and greatness.
What is striking is that the four instances in Tanach above where "Atem" (You) is the first word in the pasuk represent a sequence conveying the notion of Hashem's role in the suffering, salvation and ultimate survival of the Jewish people:
- the suffering in Mitzrayim (the paradigm of Jewish suffering throughout the ages, as per the Hagadah);
- the redemption from Mitzrayim (the paradigm of Jewish redemption);
- the reassurance from Moshe that the Jewish people will not be destroyed despite their sins; and
- the prophecy of Yeshayahu of death and destruction, but concluding that the Jewish people will survive and be "witnesses" to Hashem's existence.
As explained by leading Jewish thinkers such as Lawrence Kelemen (Permission to Believe) and R' Dovid Gottlieb of Ohr Samayach (Living Up to the Truth), the survival of the Jewish people through the millenia with their traditions and texts intact despite centuries of persecution and suffering defies logic and confounds historians. As the famous quote from Mark Twain puts it: "What is the secret [of the Jews'] immortality?"
Of course, as believing Jews, we attribute our Nation's survival to Hashem - a supernatural being who - as per the pesukim above - promised us that we will never be destroyed despite persecution.
Yeshayahu 43:10 states explicitly that the survival of the Jewish people is evidence of Hashem's existence. But more strikingly, this message is reinforced in a more subtle manner through the use of "Atem" as the first word of the pasuk in the 4 instances noted above.
As noted, the 4 instances appear, sequentially, in pesukim discussing Israel's suffering and redemption.
Now take the letters in "Atem" - Alef, Tof, and Mem - and rearrange them - you get "Emet" (Alef Mem Tof) - which means "Truth." It seems the Torah is communicating that the role of Hashem in Israel's survival is an eternal truth that can and should be accepted (and, of course, history bears this out).
Additionally, the value of the 3 letters in "Atem" and "Emet" is 400 (Tof), 40 (Mem) and Alef (1). Ignoring the zeros (see R' Hirsch on Naso 7:13), we have 4, 4 and 1, which alludes to the four appearances of "Atem" (and "Emet" when the letters are rearranged) as the first ("1") word in these pesukim (also, the "1" can represent Hashem). A sign, IMHO, that this repetition has significance in terms of reinforcing an important message (perhaps one can say "Atem" is "Emet" is "Hashem").
Finally, Yeshayahu 43:10 represents the last pasuk of the haftorah for parshat Bereishit (according to Ashkenazim). The Rashi on the first pasuk in Bereishit explains how it represents an assurance that the land of Israel belongs to the Nation of Israel because Hashem is the One who created the World, and thus can give the Land of Israel to whomever He pleases.
How fitting that the first pasuk of Bereishit and the last pasuk of the Haftorah cover the twin reassurances that form the foundation of our Nation: the survival of the Jewish people in the land of Israel.
In light of contemporary events, these messages obviously assume added significance. May both the revealed and the hidden message of these pesukim provide us with the emuna to believe firmly in our hearts that Hashem's promises are the Truth, and that as such, despite the hardships we've suffered and threats we continue to face, we will survive eternally as a Nation in our Land.
As Netzavim later states (29:28): "Hanistarot l'Hashem elokeu, v'haniglot lanu u'levnaynu ad olam l'asot et kol divrei hatorah hazot," "the hidden things are known to Hashem, and the revealed things are known to us and our children to carry out all the words of the Torah." That is, Hashem, as He promised, will engineer our survival through mechanisms that are often hidden from our view (or perhaps apparent but not always appreciated). It is our job simply to follow the Torah - the revealed Law - for this is what justifies our very existence as a Nation - as the navi Yeshayahu states: "to be a light on to the other Nations."
Comments