Though T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound are remembered as much for their vile anti-Semitism as they are for their poetry, it is worth recalling that Eliot once reflected on Pound’s writing with the confession that: “I am seldom interested in what he is saying, but in the way he says it.”  Language and style are as important as content.  And when it comes to the Torah, language and style often shape content.

For example, the Biblical text uses the verb “to hear” whenever it wishes to convey an awareness of past events.  Hence, when describing how the Canaanites king of Arad came to do battle with the Israelites, the Torah text reports that “her heard” their approach (Numbers 21:1).  In describing how Yitro came to join the Israelite camp, the Torah reports how “he heard” about the Exodus (Exodus 18:1).  And in describing why the morale of the city of Jericho was so low, Rahab explains to Joshua’s spies that it was because of what “they heard” about the Israelite victories (Joshua 2:10).  Yet when it comes to describing the reaction of King Balak to the approaching Israelites, the narrative violates its own style and uses the verb “to see” (Numbers 22:2).  How can this variation be explained?

There are but two expressions of what was later called “the ultimate mitzvah” by the Talmud (Baba Batra 8a-b).  One is associated with Abraham, the other with battle against the Canaanites.