Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, in chapter 8, touches on just that. It paints a picture of a world where the connection to the Holy One, blessed be He, isn't always a given. It suggests that if a generation is steeped in iniquity, if they simply aren't listening, then, as the text delicately puts it, God is "unable to let His glory abide among them."
It's a sobering thought, isn't it? That our actions, our collective choices, can actually impact the very presence of the Divine in our lives.
But then, there's a glimmer of hope. The text immediately follows this warning with a celebration: "Happy were they who stood in that place in that hour." Happy are those who do hear the joyful sound. Those who, as Psalm 89:15 says, "walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance." Imagine being in that radiant presence! Walking in the very light of the Holy One. It reminds us that the connection, while fragile, is always possible.
Now, the text takes an interesting turn. It shifts from the spiritual to the practical, discussing the intercalation of the year – adding an extra month to the Jewish calendar to keep it aligned with the seasons. This might seem like a sudden change, but bear with me.
Why did the ancient rabbis add a month? "On account of three things," Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer tells us, "on account of trees, grass, and the Tekufot." Tekufot (תקופות) refers to the seasons, the equinoxes and solstices that mark the passage of time. The rabbis would observe the natural world – were the trees budding on time? Was the grass growing as it should? And crucially, where did the Tekufah of Tevet (טבת), the winter solstice, fall?
These observations weren't just about agriculture. They were about maintaining harmony, about ensuring that the festivals, which are deeply connected to the agricultural cycle, remained in their proper place within the year. The text specifies that if the Tekufah of Tevet occurred on the 20th day of the month or later, the year was intercalated. But if it was earlier than the 20th, they would not add a month.
But what does any of this have to do with God's presence?
Perhaps the connection lies in the idea of order. Just as the rabbis meticulously observed the natural world to maintain the order of the calendar, so too must we strive to maintain order in our spiritual lives. If the trees, the grass, and the seasons are out of sync, it throws everything off. And if our actions are out of sync with the Divine will, it can dim the very light of God's presence.
So, maybe the message of Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer chapter 8 is this: Pay attention. Listen to the joyful sound. Walk in the light. And strive to keep things in order, both in the world around you and within yourself. After all, our connection to the Divine depends on it.