Chamor - Donkey
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
The Hebrew word Chamor, usually translated as an ass or donkey, is used frequently in the Tanach[1]. This common animal is found in several very uncommon circumstances. We have Avraham and Moshe using the Chamor to carry things and to carry their family, and we have the Mashiach actually riding a Chamor. In this study I would like to examine this animal and try to understand why this animal is used in such exceptional circumstances.
The Zohar explains that a donkey is "bad on the outside and good on the inside"[2], very "material" but loving and loyal[3]. The Mashiach "takes a ride" on a generation comparable to a donkey (a generation steeped in materialism).
The first use of the Hebrew word for donkey, Chamor, is found in the following passage:
Bereshit
(Genesis)
Strong’s defines chamor as:
+------------------------------------------------+
2543
chamowr, kham-ore'; or (short.) Chamor, kham-ore; from 2560; a male as (from
its dun red):-(he) ass.
---------------
Dictionary Trace --------------
2560
chamar, khaw-mar'; a prim. root; prop. to boil up; hence to ferment (with
scum); to glow (with redness); as denom. (from 2564) to smear with pitch:-daub,
foul, be red, trouble.
We know that the Torah’s first use of a word defines its meaning. In a sense, it creates the meaning. In this first usage we see Pharaoh taking Sarai from Avraham. At the same time, the Torah tells us that Avraham had donkeys and other animals. Why are we told this at this point? It appears the Torah is telling us that Avraham had other material possessions that were not taken by Pharaoh.
His Eminence Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai has taught that the Chamor is a picture of the Gentiles. His Eminence has pointed out that the only unclean animal that needs to be redeemed is the Chamor. This was the beast of burden that brought the treasures out of Egypt. If we keep this understanding in mind, then many of the following ideas will come into sharp focus.
With this in mind, let us return to Avraham. When the pasuk
tells us that he had these various animals it is telling us that he possesed
more than animals, he possesed what the animals represent. The donkeys that he
had represent Gentiles that belonged to him. The Maharal concurs and makes the
designation more interesting. The Maharal says that the donkey is a symbol of
In Hebrew, the name of something reveals its essential characteristic. The Midrash tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence of every animal and named it accordingly. The donkey, for example, is characterized by carrying heavy, physical burdens:
Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis XVII:4 R. Aha said: When the Holy One, blessed
be He, came to create Adam, He took counsel with the ministering angels, saying
to them, ’Let us make man’ (I, 26). ' What will be the nature of this man?'
they inquired. ' His wisdom will exceed yours,’ He answered. What did the Lord
do? He brought the animals, beasts, and birds before them and asked them, 'What
should be the name of this? ' but they did not know;' of this? 'and they did
not know. Then He paraded them before Adam, and asked
him, ‘What is the name of this?’ ‘An ox.’ ‘And of this?’ ‘A camel.’ ‘And of
this?’ ‘An ass.’ ' And of this?’ ‘A horse.’ Thus it is written, AND THE MAN
GAVE NAMES TO ALL CATTLE, etc. (II, 20).
The Ba'al Shem Tov explains[4] that Chamor, from the root Chomer "material" and chumriut "materialism", refers to a person's physical body.
The word "chomer" means physicality or material. "Chomer" can be thought of as raw material, which needs to be fashioned in to some functional object. Doing so requires imposing a certain structure, purpose and direction on this material, something which, conceptually, raw material resists. It would rather remain "undisciplined," leaving all possibilities open. The animal "Chamor" donkey, is most representative of this concept of "chomer". Another dimension of "chomer" is that it can be viewed as physical "matter," the substance which composes the entire physical world.
A Chamor, a donkey, represents physicality, materialism, and the very word for a completely physical entity is the word 'chomer.' The donkey is a beast of burden that exists for little reason other than to function in this way, and thus symbolize materialism.
Remembering that the donkey represents Gentiles, we can understand that the role of the Gentile is to function as a beast of burden in this world. They are the ones who bear the burden of building this world of physicality. The Zohar reinforces this idea:
Soncino
Zohar, Bereshith, Section 1, Page 238a BINDING HIS FOAL UNTO THE VINE . The vine
is the Community of Israel, so called also in the
verse: “Thou didst remove a vine from Egypt” (Ps.
LXXX, 9). By “his foal” is meant the Messiah, who is
destined to rule over all the hosts of the peoples, that is to say, the
heavenly hosts who have charge of the Gentiles, and from whom they derive their
strength. The Messiah will prevail over them, because this vine dominates all
those lower crowns through which the Gentiles have dominion. This will be the
victory above. Israel, who are “a choice vine”, will conquer and destroy other
hosts below; and the Messiah will prevail over all. Hence it is written of him
that he will be “poor and riding on an ass and on a young ass's colt” (Zech.
IX, 9). “Colt” and “ass” are two crowns by virtue of which the Gentiles have
dominion, and they are from the left side, the side of uncleanness. It is
strange that the Messiah should be called “poor”. R. Simeon explained that it
is because he has nothing of his own, and he is compared to the holy moon
above, which has no light save from the sun. This Messiah will have dominion
and will be established in his place. Below he is “poor”, because he is of the
side of the moon, and above he is poor, being a “mirror which does not
radiate”, “the bread of poverty”. Yet withal he “rides upon an ass and upon
a colt”, to overthrow the strength of the Gentiles; and God will keep him
firm.
The Midrash also gives us a glimpse into the meaning behind the Chamor:
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LXXV:6
AND I HAVE AN OX, AND AN ASS, etc. (XXXII, 6). R. Judah said: From one ox many
oxen came forth, and from one ass many asses came forth.’ R. Nehemiah said:
This is the common idiom: an ass, a camel. The Rabbis maintained: OX is an
allusion to the one anointed for battle, as it says, His firstling bullock,
majesty is his (Deut. XXXIII, 17)3; ASS refers to the royal Messiah, for it
says of him, Lowly, and riding upon an ass (Zech. IX, 9); FLOCKS refers to
Israel, as it says, And ye are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture (Ezek. XXXIV,
31); AND MEN-SERVANTS AND MAID-SERVANTS [likewise alludes to Israel, as it
says], Behold, as the eyes of the servants unto the hand of their master (Ps.
CXXIII, 2).THAT I MAY FIND FAVOUR [GRACE]-as it says, Be gracious unto us (ib.
3).
The Midrash and the Zohar are both telling us that the royal Messiah is associated with a donkey! His association, however, is from the standpoint of dominion and control. He is “riding” the donkey.
Chamor is not arbitrary moniker. The donkey was seen as an
animal of all brawn, and no brains. If Chazal were around today, they would
undoubtedly question how many Chamorim there were under the hood of a Chevy
truck. It represented brute physical power. Its name is directly related to the
words for substance (chomer), mortar, and clay. As such, it makes a good
symbol, argues Maharal, for the purely physical side of
Pirkei D'Rav Eliezer, chapter 31, notes that the Chamor used by Avraham is the same Chamor mentioned by Moses, and will be the same Chamor ridden by Mashiach!
Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer:
This donkey was born to the famous donkey formed on the first Friday of creation, after sunset.[5]
It is the donkey on which Moshe rode when coming to Egypt. And it is the donkey
which the son of David[6]
will ride upon.
Hmmm, our chamor is the offspring of the MOST famous donkey ever created:
Ethics of the Fathers 5:6 Ten things were created on the eve of Shabbat at twilight. These are: the mouth of the earth (where it swallowed Korach) the mouth of the well (of Miriam, that provided water for the Israelites in the desert); the mouth of the (ballam's) ass; the rainbow; the manna; (Moses') staff; the shamir (that cut the stones of the Altar in the Holy Temple); and the writing, the inscription, and the tablets [of the Ten Commandments].
Mashiach's donkey makes its first appears in the year 2084 from creation (1677 BCE):
Bereshit
(Genesis) 22:3 And Abraham rose
up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two
of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and
clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up,
and went unto the place of which God had told him.
The Chamor is used for many things involving the carrying of burdens. What did Avraham use his Chamor for? Avraham used the Chamor to carry the bundles of wood and the knife. In other words, the Chamor didn't carry Avraham or Yitzchak. It carried only the items which Avraham was planning to use for the Akeida.
Avraham's journey was only the first time in history that this type of service was performed. That's why so very little was put on top of the Chamor, only the items he needed for the Akeida.
What was Avraham’s Chamor trip for? Avraham was going to redeem his son, and by redeeming his son he would be redeeming all of the Children of Israel, because, at that time, all of the Children of Israel were in the loins of Yitzchak. This was a redemption journey using the Chamor for transportation.
In Shemot, we see a pasuk that describes how Moshe used THE Chamor to carry his wife and children to their destination:
Shemot
(Exodus)
Rashi says the following about this ass (donkey):
mounted them upon the donkey - The designated donkey. That is the
donkey that Abraham saddled for the binding of Isaac,
and that is the one upon whom the King Messiah is destined to appear, as it is
said: “humble, and riding a donkey”.[7]
Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov in Be'er Mayim Chayim said:
Rashi is troubled why the verse says that he "mounted them upon the donkey" rather than merely "a donkey". Therefore, he concluded that the Torah must be hinting that it is a famous donkey.
Moshe placed his wife and children atop the Chamor. People who are close to you are much more important than tools. This shows that in the many years that had passed since Avraham, a lot had been accomplished in the task of using physicality to serve HaShem. By then, it was people who were on the Chamor, not items. Still, we were talking about Moshe's family, not Moshe himself.
What was Moshe’s Chamor trip for? Moshe was going to redeem all of the Children of Israel. This was a redemption journey using the Chamor for transportation.
In describing the advent of Mashiach, the Prophet states,
Zechariah
9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter
of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy
King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
This is the Chamor who carries not the belongings or the wife and children, but the person himself, this is the Chamor of Mashiach!
When describing the exile, our sages tell us that Mashiach himself will ride atop the Chamor. Then the physicality of our world will be fully used for spirituality.
Mashiach will ride the same Chamor that was used by Avraham and by Moshe. The Mashiach will be one who has conquered the material aspects of Himself, and he will ride them, and it will be a Chamor, because it will provide him with the material as a means to His ends.
What was Mashiach’s Chamor trip for? Mashiach was going to redeem the Gentiles. This was a redemption journey using the Chamor for transportation. Matityahu tells us the Midrashic perspective of this Chamor and the carrying of Mashiach:
Matityahu
(Matthew) 21:1-9 And when they
drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage,
unto the mount of Olives, then sent Yeshua two disciples, Saying unto
them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an
ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me. And if
any [man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and
straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold,
thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal
of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Yeshua commanded them, And brought
the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set [him]
thereon. And a very great multitude spread their
garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed
[them] in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed,
cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the
name of HaShem; Hosanna in the highest.
Yochanan tells us the Sod level perspective of this Chamor and the carrying of Mashiach:
Yochanan
(John) 12:12-16 On the next day
much people that were come to the feast, when they
heard that Yeshua was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and
went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed [is] the King of Israel
that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Yeshua, when he had found a young ass,
sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King
cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. These things understood not his disciples at
the first: but when Yeshua was glorified, then
remembered they that these things were written of him, and [that] they had done
these things unto him.
Apparently, this donkey alludes to a higher spiritual dimension than the simple animal itself. The purpose of using and riding a donkey is to enable the person and his belongings to reach such a place which, due to its height or distance, would be unreachable without the donkey.
The same is true in the spiritual act of "riding on a donkey." Chamor is linked with chomer, materialism. The purpose of a Jew, and every human being, is to refine the coarseness of this materialistic world, one's body, household, etc. through the study of Torah and observance of mitzvot. In so doing one is elevated to such a level that the soul, in and by itself, is unable to attain. Only when the soul enters the corporeal, physical body (at birth) does it have the challenge - and HaShem given ability to refine the body and all materialistic aspects through a life devoted to HaShem and His Torah.
Why do our Sages go to such great lengths to teach us that Avraham, Moshe, and Mashiach all rode the same Chamor? What difference does it make?
Sanhedrin 98a Rebi
Alexandri said: Rebi Yehoshua ben Levi raised the following contradiction: It
says, "Behold like the clouds of Heaven came one
like the son of man" (Daniel 7:13). It is also written, "Lowly and
riding upon a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). If they merit
it, he will come with the clouds of Heaven, but if they do not merit it, he
will come upon a donkey.
The
great and holy scholar, Rabbi Chiam Midini, in his work Sdei Chemed[8],
connects this Talmudic statement referring to the
prophecy of Daniel: "If the generation is
fortunate the Mashiach will come from the dead, i.e. on "clouds of
heaven," and then everyone will accept him with no reservations. But if
not he will come from the living, i.e. riding on a Chamor.
And so agrees the Holy Hakham Yosef Chaim[9] in his commentary on Sanhedren 98, in his book "Ben Yhoyada", that the Mashiach can come from the dead. (he also explains the topic there of Mashiach ben Yosef and how he can also be Mashiach)
Mashiach's donkey represents the essence of the Messianic process: a process that began before creation and which constitutes the very soul of history. In the beginning, when HaShem created the heavens and the earth, when the world was still void, unformed, and shrouded in darkness, the spirit of Elohim hovered above the emerging existence. Says the Midrash:
Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis II:4 R. Simeon
b. Lakish applied the passage to the [foreign] Powers. NOW THE EARTH WAS TOHU
(E.V. ‘UNFORMED’) symbolises Babylonia: I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was
tohu-E.V. ‘waste’ (Jer. IV, 23); AND BOHU (E.V. ‘VOID’) symbolises Media: They
hastened (wa-yabhillu) to bring Haman (Est. VI, 14). AND DARKNESS symbolises
Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel with its
decrees, ordering Israel, ‘Write on the horn of an ox that ye have no portion
in the God of Israel.’ UPON THE FACE OF THE DEEP-this wicked
State:just as the great deep cannot be plumbed, so one cannot plumb [the depths
of iniquity of] this wicked State. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD HOVERED: this
alludes to the spirit of Messiah, as you read,
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him (Isa. XI, 2). In the merit of what will [this spirit] eventually come? [For
the sake of that which] HOVERED OVER THE FACE OF THE WATERS, i.e. in the merit of repentance which is likened to water, as it is
written, Pour out thy heart like water (Lam. II, 19). R. Haggai said in the
name of R. Pedath: A covenant was made with water
that even in the hot season a breeze stirs over it.
"'The spirit of Elohim hovered', this is the spirit of Mashiach". For Mashiach represents the divine spirit of creation, the vision of the perfected world that is Elohim's purpose in creating it and populating it with willful, thinking and achieving beings.
Mashiach's donkey has a long, prestigious history. Time and again it makes its appearance through the generations, surfacing at key junctures of the messianic redemptive process. Each time we see it fulfilling the same function, but in a slightly different manner; reflecting the changes in our world.
When Yaaqov approached the land
he sent messengers to tell Esav, "I have oxen and
mules" or, literally, "an ox and a mule." These animals
represent the two Meshichim: Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Each
one has a different mission. Yosef, the ox, can
overturn the power of negativity that is Esav. The other Mashiach, ben David,
rides a Chamor, and stands for the power to raise up the seductions of Yishmael
who is called Am Chamor, Donkey Nation. Chamor is the symbol of
"chumriut," physicality and Yishmael has to do with taking the light
of spirituality and sinking it into worldly lust, stealing from the longing for
HaShem by directing it into worldly appetites where it doesn't belong. Thus the
midrash says that when HaShem offered the Torah to Yishmael he refused it
because of the prohibition of stealing.
According to the Talmud, the animal that symbolizes Yishmael and his descendants is the 'Chamor' - the donkey:
Yevamot
62a Rab said: All agree that a
slave has no legally recognized relatives, since it is written, Abide ye here
with the ass[10], people who are like the ass.
However, it is not the Talmud's way to take pot shots at nations of the world, especially by playing on a word
in the Torah. There is a message to the Jewish people
in this comparison of Yishmael to the Chamor, one that takes on added
importance at this late and troubling stage of world history, for, if Mashiach is coming, he
seems to be 'arriving' on a 'Chamor.'
Now it is not the accepted thing for a King or Queen to ride on a donkey. Majesty rides on a horse as it is written:
Habakkuk 3:8 “You rode
on Your horses, your chariots of salvation”.
One does not degrade a Queen by putting her on a donkey and certainly not the King himself. It is more proper for the king’s servant to ride a donkey and this is the reason it is written about the Mashiach that he is:
Zechariah 9:9 He is
just and victorious; humble and riding on a donkey
The servant is not called King until he rides on his horse that is called the Assembly of Israel. When the King is outside his residence, and not united with his Queen, he is not in his full majesty. In the future, when He returns to His residence, then
Zechariah 14:9 The
Lord shall be King over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one, and
his name one.
All
We are getting ahead of ourselves a bit, so lets return back to the beginnings:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 22:5 And Abraham said
unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go
yonder and worship, and come again to you.
This scene seems common on the surface, but the Midrash reveals that which is not seen:
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LVI:2
He then said to him [Isaac]: ‘Isaac, my son, seest
thou what I see?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied. Said he to his two
servants: ' See ye what I see?' 'No,’ they answered. Since ye do not see it,
ABIDE YE HERE WITH THE ASS,’ (XXII, 5), he bade them, for ye are like the ass,
whence it follows that slaves are like an ass The Rabbis proved [it from this
verse spoken at] the Revelation: Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work... thou, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor
thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle (Ex. XX, 10). R. Isaac said: This place shall
one day be alienated from its Owner for ever? [No], for it is stated, This is
My resting-place for ever; here will I dwell for I have desired it; (Ps.
CXXXII, 14)-when he comes of whom it is written, Lowly, and riding upon an ass (Zech.
I, 9).
Our Sages tell us that when Avraham approached Har HaMoriah,
Bereshit
(Genesis) 24:35 And HaShem hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become
great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and
menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 30:43 And the man
increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants,
and camels, and asses.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 32:5 And I have oxen,
and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women servants: and I have sent to tell
my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
In the above pasuk, Jacob recounts his years in Laban's household. Among other things he states, "I have ox(en) and donkey(s)" (the Hebrew has both in the singular). According to the Midrash, this is an allusion to the Chamor of Mashiach, whom the Torah describes as "humble and riding upon a Chamor":
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LXXV:6
AND I HAVE AN OX, AND AN ASS, etc. (XXXII, 6). R. Judah said: From one ox many
oxen came forth, and from one ass many asses came forth.’ R. Nehemiah said:
This is the common idiom: an ass, a camel. The Rabbis maintained: OX is an
allusion to the one anointed for battle, as it says, His firstling bullock,
majesty is his (Deut. XXXIII, 17); ASS (Chamor) refers to the royal Messiah, for it says of him, Lowly, and riding upon an
ass (Zech. IX, 9); FLOCKS refers to Israel, as it
says, And ye are My sheep, the sheep of My pasture (Ezek. XXXIV, 31); AND MEN-SERVANTS AND MAID-SERVANTS [likewise
alludes to Israel, as it says], Behold, as the eyes of the servants unto the
hand of their master (Ps. CXXIII, 2). THAT I MAY FIND FAVOUR [GRACE]-as it says, Be gracious unto us (ib. 3).
A question is asked: Why did Jacob choose to allude to the final redemption in precisely this way?
Abraham and his servants walked by foot, employing the donkey only to carry their belongings: the pieces of wood and the knife. Neither did Moses ride upon the donkey himself, but only mounted his wife and son on the animal's back. Mashiach, by contrast, will actually ride the donkey.
In the times of Abraham, before the Torah was given at Mt. Sinai, the physical world was not yet sanctified. When the Patriarchs performed mitzvot with physical objects, the physical objects remained unchanged. Materiality did not yet have the power to spiritually elevate. Abraham thus utilized the donkey only for carrying, as the holiness in the objects was limited to the actual time he used them for sanctified purposes.
In Moses' time, the ability to transform materiality into spirituality (through the performance of mitzvot) was granted. The lowest levels of human existence could thus be elevated. This partial conquest of the physical world is symbolized by Moses' mounting his wife and son upon the donkey.
It is only in the era of Mashiach that the superiority of the body over the soul will be fully revealed. At that time, even the highest levels of the soul will be elevated through the refinement of physicality. For this reason, Mashiach will actually ride upon the donkey.
Jacob's declaration thus alludes to his successful refinement of the physical plane of reality during his sojourn with Laban. Indeed, it indicated his readiness for the next step up, the elevation of the soul that follows such refinement.
Bereshit (Genesis) 34:28
They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which [was] in
the city, and that which [was] in the field,
Bereshit (Genesis) 36:24
And these [are] the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this [was that]
Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his
father.
Bereshit (Genesis) 42:26
And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.
Bereshit (Genesis) 42:27
And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he
espied his money; for, behold, it [was] in his sack's mouth.
Bereshit (Genesis) 43:18
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's
house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at
the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and
fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
Bereshit (Genesis) 43:24
And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and
gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he
gave their asses provender.
Bereshit (Genesis) 44:3
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
Bereshit (Genesis) 44:13
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the
city.
Bereshit (Genesis) 45:23
And to his father he sent after this [manner]; ten asses
laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and
bread and meat for his father by the way.
Bereshit (Genesis) 47:17
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread [in
exchange] for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and
for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 49:14 Issachar [is] a
strong ass couching down between two burdens:
Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis XCVII Let us now commence with ISSACHAR IS A LARGE BONED ASS (XLIX, 14). As an
ass breaks the bone of the skeleton, so does the tribe of Issachar break Israel in halachah, for it
says, And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times... the heads of them were two hundred (I Chron.
XII, 33): this means that his tribe produced two
hundred Sanhedrin.
Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LXXV:12
Another interpretation of AND I HAVE AN OX, AND AN ASS. OX alludes to Joseph,
as it says, His firstling bullock, majesty is his’ (Deut. XXXIII, 17); Ass, to Issachar, for it is written, Issachar is a
large-boned ass (Gen. XLIX, 14). Now the grandson of Joseph is destined to
destroy Amalek, as it says, And Joshua discomfited
Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword (Ex. XVII, 13); while the sons
[descendants] of Issachar know what the Holy One, blessed be He, does in His world, as it says, And of the children of Issachar, men
that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (I Chron.
XII, 33). AND FLOCKS refers to Israel, as it says, ' And ye are My sheep, and
the sheep of My pasture ' (Ezek. XXXIV, 31); AND A MAN-SERVANT alludes to
David: I am Thy servant, the son of thy handmaid (Ps. CXVI, 16). AND A
MAID-SERVANT, to Abigail, as it says, Behold, thy handmaid is a servant (I Sam.
XXV, 41).
Reb Chaim of Volozhin z'tl cites the Zohar,
which explains that the reason Yaakov identifies the tribe of Yissachar as the
Chamor is to indicate and allow us to understand that although the make-up of
Yissachar is material (chomer), the Torah has the ability to spiritualize that
physicality and elevate it to a new level. According to this
understanding, the verse, "He saw tranquility that it was good, and the
land that it was pleasant, yet he bent his shoulder to
bear the burden and he became an indentured laborer," means that despite
the fact that Yissachar saw that he had tremendous bounty and material success,
he nevertheless chose to remain unaffected by it. Rather, he "bent his
shoulder..." to assume the yoke of Torah. Yisachar took the "Chamor /
chomer" and spiritualized it. Thus we can
understand why Meam Loez, in the commentary on Yehoshua, that the Chamor
represents the Torah scholar.
Shemot (Exodus) 9:3
Behold, the hand of HaShem is upon thy cattle which [is]
in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen,
and upon the sheep: [there shall be] a very grievous murrain.
Shemot
(Exodus)
Shemot
(Exodus)
Shemot (Exodus)
Shemot (Exodus) 22:4
If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or
sheep; he shall restore double.
Shemot (Exodus) 22:9
For all manner of trespass, [whether it be] for ox, for ass, for sheep, for
raiment, [or] for any manner of lost thing, which [another] challengeth to be
his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; [and] whom the
judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
Shemot (Exodus) 22:10
If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast,
to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing [it]:
Shemot (Exodus) 23:4
If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring
it back to him again.
Shemot
(Exodus) 23:5 If thou see the ass
of him that hates thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help
him, thou shalt surely help with him.
The Baal Shem Tov applied this instruction to the body and the material self (Chamor, "donkey", also means "materiality"). Initially, the Torah is saying that you may see your body as your enemy, resisting your soul's objectives, collapsing under the "burden" of the mitzvot. You may therefore be inclined to fight the body by denying its needs and mortifying it. Says the Torah: You must aid your soul's "enemy". Purify the body, refine it, do not break it.
Shemot (Exodus)
Shemot (Exodus) 34:20
But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem
with a lamb: and if thou redeem [him] not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And
none shall appear before me empty.
Bamidbar
(Numbers)
Since the Chamor represents physicality, we can understand
why Moshe said, "I didn't take a Chamor from them". Moshe was being
accused of all sorts of things, so he says to HaShem, what basis do they have
to accuse me of these things? Not one physical,
material anything did I ever take from them! Moshe doesn't mean that he never
stole a donkey, he means he never took a physical, material object. His
language could not have been more exact.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 31:28
And levy a tribute unto HaShem of the men of war which went out to battle: one
soul of five hundred, [both] of the persons, and of the
beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 31:30 And of the
children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the
persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of
beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of HaShem.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 31:34
And threescore and one thousand asses,
Bamidbar (Numbers) 31:39
And the asses [were] thirty thousand and five hundred; of which HaShem's
tribute [was] threescore and one.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 31:45
And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:14
But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of HaShem thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant,
nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant
and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
Devarim (Deuteronomy)
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 22:3
In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his
raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou
hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 22:4
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide
thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift [them] up again.
Devarim (Deuteronomy)
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 28:31
Thine ox [shall be] slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass [shall be] violently taken away
from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep [shall be]
given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue [them].
* * *
The Midrash cites a pasuk that refers to Yaakov as the “sheep” (seh) and the Jews are the “sheep among the wolves.” There is a pasuk in Yehezechel, which identifies the Egyptians as donkeys (Chamorim):
Yehezechel
(Ezekiel) 23:19-21 Yet she
multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth,
wherein she had played the harlot in the
“Their flesh is the flesh of asses (Chamorim).” The Maharal of Prague explains that the word Chamor comes from chomeir that connotes materialism. The Egyptians had the lowest degree of spirituality of any nation in the world. Because of this, the Egyptians had sunk to lowest depths of depravity such as incest, adultery, witchcraft, and idol worship.
* * *
Rashi
says that “The” Chamor that Moshe used to bring his family to
Matityahu
(Matthew) 21:1-7 And when they
drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of
Olives, then sent Yeshua two
disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and
straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and
bring [them] unto me. And if any [man] say ought unto you, ye shall say, The
Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the
daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an
ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Yeshua
commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their
clothes, and they set [him] thereon.
Thus we see Mashiach riding the
chamor as He prepares for His ultimate redemptive
act. Thus we can see that when Avraham went to the Akeida
for the redemption of the Jewish people, he too
use The chamor. When Moshe went to redeem the peoples from
Bereshit (Genesis) 34:13-15 "Jacob's
sons answered Shechem and Chamor, his father, cleverly,
and they spoke because he had defiled Dina their sister. And they said to them,
"we cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who remains uncircumcised, for it is a disgrace for us. Only on
this [condition] can we agree with you, if you will be like us, to circumcise every male."
After Shechem's assault upon and kidnapping of Dina, the brothers set out to rescue her. A straightforward interpretation of these verses is that the brothers, recognizing that they were not strong enough to rescue her through military might, tricked Chamor and his son into weakening themselves. They never intended to permit the attackers to marry their sister, but the deception was justified in order to save her (and as we see, Shimon and Levi felt that the people of Shechem were subject to the death penalty for participating in the kidnapping).
The Ba'al Akeida, however, takes a different approach. He says that the offer was genuine, but Shechem and Chamor didn't fully understand what they were being asked to do. The brothers said that they would consent, "if you will be like us," meaning truly like they were. Not only on the outside, but on the inside. The people of Shechem would need to become like the children of Yaakov, joining the Jewish people. The brothers were not just asking them to perform the physical act of circumcision, but that they join the covenant of circumcision, the covenant HaShem made with Abraham. If they did so, then to have Shechem marry their sister would be no disgrace at all.
That was the fundamental point, the key issue. But Shechem and Chamor didn't get it. They thought that if the outer trappings were OK, that's all that was needed.
* * *
Luqas
(Luke) 14:3-6 And Yeshua answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees,
saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And
they held their peace. And he took [him], and healed him, and let him go; And
answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a
pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could
not answer him again to these things.
* * *
This study was written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Greg Killian
7104 Inlay St SE
Lacey, WA 98513
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page: http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
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