Rabbi Heller's Blog

Today is the most random day of the Jewish year, known as “Yom Hameyuchas.” It falls just days before Shavuot, on the 2^nd day of the month of Sivan, and it is a day marked by… nothing? In Hebrew, the word meyuchas means associated or related. The term “yichus” can be used to refer to someone who may not have any specific merits or qualifications, but who has an illustrious family tree. The 2nd would seem to have nothing to recommend it. The day before is Rosh Hodesh, the start of the month. The next three days (3-5 Sivan) are “sheloshet yemei hagbalah”- the three days when the Israelites prepared for the giving of the Torah on Shavuot, which we observe on the 6th of the month, this coming Monday. The day is surrounded on all sides by festive days, but seems to have no unique characteristics of its own; no special prayers or observances. What is the yichus of this day, and what does it tell us about our own relationships?

Many sages have suggested reasons for this day’s mysterious name. Some suggest that the name was given out of a sense of “fame by association.” The day has no merit of its own, and merely basks in the reflected glory of the days before and after. There are many fields where success by association is a real phenomenon.

In media, names like Depp, Kravitz and Douglas have instant cachet. If you are the child of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, you may have inherited their talent and good looks, but it was probably a little easier to get your first audition. Don’t even get me started on the “Please Don’t Destroy” guys on Saturday Night Live. Several relatives of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola have attained success in their own right, but notably, one of their cousins, Nicholas, famously changed his last name to Cage to blaze his own path, and has, indeed, had an often successful but also very eclectic career.

The practice long predates the movies. There are plenty of political figures whose family name and connections may have given them a leg up. While success is, one would hope, on one’s own merits, a name like Bush, Kennedy, Clinton (or locally, Perdue or Carter), opens doors. The same is true in religion. Many great rabbis were part of lines of religious leadership passed from father to son. The term “nepotism” comes from the word for nephew because medieval popes, who were not supposed to have children of their own, would often give positions of wealth and power to their nephews. 

Some refer to these scions of famous families dismissively as “nepo babies,” arguing that they only succeeded because of their notable connections. Our tradition did not see connectedness as all bad. The Torah assumes that many forms of leadership would be hereditary. In our portion this week Bamidbar, we are told that as the Israelites prepared to march through the desert, “vayityaldu lemishpechotam.” Literally, they registered according to their families. Each brought forth their pedigree to show that they had a rightful place to dwell in a particular part of the camp and serve in a particular unit when the Israelites marched to war.

On a broader sense, there is another explanation for the name “yom hameyhas” that acutally supports this view. Some commentators suggest that today was the anniversary of the day when God told Moses that the Israelites would be set aside as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” In that sense, a Jewish person is special from birth, because they are part of a nation that was set apart by God in order to receive the Torah. However, the verse does offer a caveat- this is dependent on the Israelites listening to God and keeping the covenant.

Having famous parents is an advantage, but ultimately, one must still stand or fall on one’s own merits. Indeed, look at the children of Moses and Aaron. Moses’ children were not worthy of carrying his mantle of leadership. While Aaron’s eldest sons were designated to follow him as Cohanim, they perished because they were irresponsible in their duties, and only then were his younger sons appointed in their stead to carry on the tradition.

As we prepare to celebrate Shavuot and our receiving the Torah, we realize that we have come into the world with a pedigree. Are Jews spiritual “nepo babies?” Are we blessed and favored simply because we are children of Abraham and Isaac, and descendants of those who stood at Sinai? Our initial possession of the Torah is a gift, perhaps even an accident of our birth. However, we only get to keep the Torah if we actually keep it. We come into the world with the advantage of our legacy, but it is a legacy that is ours to lose. Moreover, we will read on Tuesday about Ruth the Moabite, who came from a tarnished family line, but chose Judaism and became the ancestor of King David.  The legacy of Torah is open to any who wish to grasp it, no matter their lineage.