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What Does the Esoteric Torah Teach About a Left-Handed Person ("Aiter Yad Yamino")?

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Question

Greetings, the Torah sometimes notes that a certain man is left-handed (literally, "aiter yad yamino"). Since no word in the Torah is superfluous, I wonder what significance the Torah found in specifying this. Does the esoteric Torah reveal anything regarding left-handed individuals? With blessings to strengthen and empower you.

Answer

Greetings and blessings, To the best of my knowledge, this is mentioned twice in the Prophets, both times in the Book of Judges. Chapter 3, verse 15 states: "And the children of Israel cried to Hashem, and Hashem raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a man 'aiter yad yamino'." Jonathan's Targum renders it as "a man who was ambidextrous in his right hand." Rashi explains that the Aramaic word "gamid" means something contracted due to illness. Therefore, he did not command his right hand, and in Hebrew "aiter" means sealed—as in the phrase "al teiter al pi'e" (don't seal his mouth), implying a sealed or disabled right hand over which he had no control. Berlev and Metzudot interpret that in his military strategies he waged war by virtue of being left-handed. They explain the reason why the king of Moab was not saved from Ehud's sword: because he was left-handed, Ehud hung the sword on his right thigh to make it comfortable for him to draw with his left hand—opposite to most people. Hence, nothing prominent appeared beneath his left thigh under his garments, and Eglon did not sense the sword in his possession, for he did not suspect he was left-handed. However, according to Rashi, since Ehud's hand was contracted and his defect in his hand was evident, he surely knew Ehud was left-handed. Nevertheless, he did not fear such a weak individual, who was not naturally left-handed but due to his right hand's deficiency. Presumably, Ehud was as strong in his left as an ordinary person is in his dominant hand. Thus, he did not fear that such a man would draw a sword to kill him. Precisely such a man was chosen to save Israel, for nothing restrains Hashem from delivering; if He desires, He can even save with the disabled. Without His help, even an army of heroes cannot move. The holy Gaon Ramad of Wali writes that for this reason Hashem chose Ehud as judge to declare and to become known that salvation belongs to Hashem, for all are equal before Him and He grants strength to everyone. Indeed, it is better to bring salvation through a man who would not be tempted even for a moment, for his power and strength in his hand accomplished this valor. The Kabbalists explain that in those days the Israelites increased the power of the holiness alluded to on the left side through their sins. Therefore, when Ehud came to save them, it was understood that by their actions they had strengthened the might of the left, and his role was to bring Israel to repentance to nullify the power of the left and to strengthen the right. A novel interpretation appears in the Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez, that "aiter" as written in the Prophets means a person trained in warfare who taught himself to use his left hand as well as his right, and he is advantageous in war. This is evident also from the passage in the War of the Concubine at Gibeah (Judges 20:16): "Among all the people, seven hundred chosen men were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss." This implies that left-handed men were renowned warriors. However, as mentioned, this is not the generally accepted explanation of these texts. Wishing you success, Menashe Yisrael

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