JEWISH MATH! Ruminations on Parashat Va'etchanan

Shalom, faithful readers!

Something a bit different this week: a chance to look at the themes of ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION in the Torah! Our Torah portion, Va'etchanan (Deut. 3:23 - 7:11), includes a curious verse:

"You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you" (Deuteronomy 4:2).

(Translation from the Hebrew: JPS, 1999).

How do we understand this verse?

In what cases has post-Biblical Jewish tradition (Classical Rabbinic tradition, Mystical (Kabbalistic) tradition, and Reform Jewish tradition) deviated from this twofold precept? How has post-Biblical Judaism both ADDED to and SUBTRACTED from the dictates of the Torah? Give examples of Jewish "ADDITION" and "SUBTRACTION," if you can.

Or, can it be said that we have neither substantively ADDED to or SUBTRACTED from the writ of Torah, but rather have CONSERVED / PRESERVED it, on balance?

After you've considered these questions, you'll get EXTRA CREDIT (!) for reading the following texts in your weeklong study of Parashat Va'etchanan. Happy Studying and see you on Shabbat!

Rabbi Jonathan Blake

Deuteronomy 13:1

Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it.

(Translation from the Hebrew: JPS, 1999).

Proverbs 30:5-6

Every word of God is pure,

A shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Do not add to His words,

Lest He indict you and you be proved a liar.

(Translation from the Hebrew: JPS, 1999).

RaSHI to Genesis 3:3 (Based on Bereshit Rabbah 19:3).

“And you must not touch it.” She added to the command, and therefore was led to taking away from it. For it is said: “Do not add to His words” (Prov. 30:6).

“You will not, in fact, die!” He [the serpent] kept pushing her until she touched it, and then said to her: “Just as there is no death in touching, so too is there no death in eating!”

(Translation from the Hebrew: J. Blake).

Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 89a (Mishna)

There is greater stringency with respect to the words of the Scribes than with the words of the Torah. If one were to say: “There’s no [commandment concerning] Tefillin,” in order to transgress the Torah’s words, he is exempt [from liability for punishment]. [But if one were to say that there should be] five compartments, thus adding to the words of the Scribes, he is liable.

(Translation from the Hebrew: J. Blake).

Pirkei Avot 1:1

Moses received Torah at Sinai, and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment; and raise up many disciples; and make a fence for the Torah.

(Translation from the Hebrew: J. Blake).

Bereshit Rabbah 19:3

It is written: “Do not add to His words, lest He indict you and you be proved a liar” (Prov. 30:6). Rabbi Hiyya taught: this means that you must not make the fence greater than the main thing, lest it topple over and cut down the plants.

(Translation from the Hebrew: J. Blake).

Maggid of Dubno (Chasidic)

Sometimes adding leads to diminishing. If we demand too much, people may be driven to stop observing even what they currently do.

(Cited in H. Kushner, ed., D’rash Commentary, Etz Hayim (2000), to Deut. 4:2).