“And He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flame of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.” - Bresheet (Genesis) 3:24.
Several years ago, I was invited for dinner by a childhood friend whom I had not seen in many years. She was living with her partner, David ( an alias) who had been a helicopter pilot during his military service in the IDF.
Since it was my first visit to their home, I did what I generally do each time I visit new places, I looked at the library. One of the books caught my attention. It was a thin book and bore the titular name of this article.”Whose book is it?” I asked. “Mine,” replied the partner. “Can I look at it?” Of course came the swift response. I took it off the shelf. The cover displayed his helicopter squadron, all tall, handsome young men. I was familiar with this verse from the story of the Garden of Eden verse but was wondering why it was chosen as the title. After leafing through the pages of the book, I turned to him “And why is it named that way?” I continued to pry. His answer came as a surprise. “I don’t know,” he said with a blank expression. “It is a very powerful name that bears a deep meaning and sends a strong message,” I persisted “ and it comes from the book of Bresheet.” His answer hit me like a bolt from the blue “No wonder I do not know that,” confessed the partner, “we were not taught Tana”ch in my kibbutz.”
Trying to hide my disappointment which was mingled with a dose of dismay at his ignorance of our Jewish heritage, I explained the meaning of the name and its context. “Ah,” he said with his eyes wide open while a big smile was spreading over face, “You mean that this is the Jewish version of the Sword of Damocles."
Those of you who are familiar with the concept are probably aware that the term “Sword of Damocles" is derived from Greek mythology where Damocles envied the lifestyle of Dionysius who offered him a chance to experience the pleasures of kingship and placed him on the royal throne. The latter found himself seated beneath a naked sword suspended by a single thread of horsehair. The phrase refers to a threatening state which implies imminent danger or doom, often experienced by those in positions of power, and symbolizes the constant anxiety and peril associated with their status.
“Not at all,” came my swift response.
Since it was not the first time that I heard that comparison, I would like to take the opportunity and point out the differences between the Biblical narrative and Cicero's philosophical parable. Though both involve a sword as a symbol of deterrence and warning, they represent two different worldviews, one Hellenistic, the other Jewish. The Sword of Damocles which points downward warns that earthly power and privilege are perilous. Hocherev Hamithapechet, the turning sword at the entrance to the Garden of Eden points upwards and suggests that divine power and eternal life are beyond human reach.
I recalled that story, as I was reading this week’s Parashah, “Bresheet,” which tells the story of the Creation and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden following their disobeying G-d and eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The sword, which G-d placed over the eastern entrance to the Garden, served as an impassable, living barrier to prevent humanity from re-entering the Garden and eating from the Tree of LIfe granting humans immortality.
Rash”i explains that G-d was concerned that humans would eat from the Tree of Life, they “would live forever and thus the sinner would be immortal” and the world would forever remain corrupted by sin and trapped in imperfection..
Rabbi Sacks also addresses the symbolism in setting up the “turning sword.” He asserts that the sword, in the Bresheet narrative, is not merely a physical fence but also serves as a spiritual symbol. It represents the boundaries between G-d and Man, between what Man is allowed to do and that which is beyond his reach. After the expulsion, suggests Sacks, humanity lost its primal innocence and the chance of living eternal life devoid of moral responsibility. The sword, notes Sacks, is not merely a tool of destruction, it is also one to bring about justice. The turning sword, he concludes, stands for the price one has to pay for the freedom of choice.
Whichever way one wishes to interpret the notion of the “Flame of the Turning Sword,” it is clear that it acted both as a force of warning and deterrence as well as a reminder to Man’s limitation. That, I believe, was the guiding principle that dictated the decision to name the book about David’s helicopter squadron. Just like the “turning sword,” it serves as a constant reminder of the dangers that lurk at those who fail to follow the universal Code of Ethics given to Am Yisrael, in particular and humanity, in general, by G-d.
