The Blame Game - Learning about Elul

We are used to the idea of elected officials grabbing the spotlight when high-profile crimes occur. However, I have never witnessed a politician going to a scene where an unsolved homicide took place and asking God for forgiveness. Nevertheless, the Bible requires the leaders of a municipality to perform a ritual known as egla arufa when an unsolved murder takes place anywhere in the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 21: 1-9). The atonement rite culminates in a confession to God, asking for expiation for the crime that has taken place so close to home. These nine biblical verses suggest that blame for violence cannot be confined to the immediate perpetrator, but has to be shared by those mandated to create and enforce safety within their municipality.

 
From the most menial task such as measuring the distance between the corpse and the nearest city to the highest point in the ritual service, the elders, judges and priests are present or actually conducting the procedure. No part of the ceremony is given over to just any resident. The Land of Israel is sacred territory, and behavior in it must represent the highest example of morality. The land itself is holy, and when evil manifests itself in the form of murder, this is a matter of the greatest severity. The Bible makes it very clear that murder must never be accepted or tolerated, especially in the land that God has given.

 
The "blame game" should never be played by Israel's leaders. We must not emulate Cain, who asked am I my brother's keeper? Rather, we must follow the example of Judah when he confessed his affair with Tamar. Nothing is nobler than taking responsibility for reality. As long as murder occurs, it is only fitting that every level of the judicial system takes action.

 
In contrast to the Cities of Refuge mentioned in Deuteronomy 19, which serve as a solution when the perpetrator of an unintentional murder is known, responsibility for an unidentified corpse is placed squarely on the nearest city and its elders. Responsibility is localized, not centralized. However, even the local responsibility involves the presence of a national institution; the priesthood. The priests remain in the background during the egla arufa rite to demonstrate that each community must take responsibility for justice, and that the actions of each community affect the entire social order.

The confessional prayer recited by the elders indicates their non-involvement in the crime. However, as stated before, responsibility for the chain of circumstances involved can be laid at the feet of the city's leaders. The question that arises is from which individual are the Elders seeking absolution - the victim or the murderer? If the confession is coming on behalf of the victim, the prayer is declaring that the elders didn't know the person either lacked food or had felt compelled to travel alone. The elders are acknowledging that social welfare is one of the Bible's concerns, and that this was a circumstance that should have been within their power to prevent. They are affirming that the social services in place are intended to prevent the desperate circumstances that would compel people to engage in risky behavior. However, if the confessional prayer is emphasizing their innocence from the perspective of the murderer, the Elders are declaring that the killer must have slipped through their hands. They did not see him committing the crime, and failed to bring him to justice. A failure to convict a murderer is tantamount to the judges themselves spilling blood.

 
Judaism has long recognized that sins of commission are part and parcel of human existence. It is for this reason that God granted us the gift of repentance. But it is sins of omission that so often lead to tragic results. Our leaders must create a climate where indifference is not tolerated, where the needs of all, especially the underclass, are addressed. To mind our own business is to violate biblical standards. Apathy is a trait abhorred by the Torah, which holds leaders responsible for the welfare, safety and administration of justice to all who pass through their city.

 
Look how far the Torah requires us to repent for someone we never knew. Imagine how much more is required when we hurt the people closest to us. As we enter the last month of the Hebrew calendar year, Elul, it is a time for introspection as we prepare for the New Year and the Day of Atonement. There is a Jewish tradition that says one must ask for forgiveness from his fellow human being before asking mercy from God. Loving God means loving His creation! Therefore, it is necessary during this month that we conduct a soul accounting on the way we act toward others, as well as what is our relationship with God.

 
Elul is an acronym for ani ldodi vdodi li--I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine (Song of Songs). God is always with us, but are we always with Him? When Moses requests to see God face to face (Exodus 33), the Almighty answers You will not be able to see My face, for man shall not see Me and live (v.20). However, God does allow Moses to see My back (v.23). What is God trying to teach Moses through revealing His back to him? The Hebrew word for back in the verse is אחורי. which incorporates two Hebrew words - אח (brother) and אחר (other). God is saying to Moses that to truly know me is to identify with my creation.