Not in my name

This morning a friend of mine forwarded me a WhatsApp that he thought might interest me. The text, which appears to have been forwarded many times, is said to be a speech by Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. I gave it my close attention.

The content of the speech certainly matched the Prime Minister’s views. It also struck an appropriately defiant note, being in places an almost Churchillian rallying cry along the lines of “it’s us against the world and against all the odds—and we will triumph”. There were however some puzzling aspects to this piece of rhetoric.

The preface to the speech suggested that it had been freshly delivered. It however mentioned Israel’s victory in the Six Day War of 1967 as having happened 35 years ago. That would suggest it was delivered in 2002 when the Prime Minister was actually Ariel Sharon. Elsewhere the reference to the State of Israel—which was founded in 1948—as being 60 years old would suggest that this piece was composed in 2008, when the same office was held by Ehud Olmert.  Also puzzling was the style. Whatever one thinks of Netanyahu’s politics or his leadership, there is general consensus that the one thing he is very good at doing is making speeches in the English language. This one just didn’t read like one of his and, in my opinion, almost certainly isn’t.

The sixth and final chapter of Avot, at 6:6, contains a list of some 48 features that either define a Torah scholar or enable him to become one. The last of these is this:

הָאוֹמֵר דָּבָר בְּשֵׁם אוֹמְרוֹ

One who says something in the name of the person who [first] says it.

Compliance with this rule not only marks a person out as someone who pursues and upholds the principles of the Torah. It even, as 6:6 continues, assists in bringing redemption to the world.

Now if indeed this speech was composed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it would be incumbent on anyone forwarding it to credit him as its author. But does this also impose a correlative requirement of NOT crediting a person as the author of something that he or she did NOT compose?

I have checked out a number of commentaries on Avot but have yet to find any that discuss this issue within the context of 6:6. I do however recall that false attribution of authorship has sometimes been permitted where it has been felt necessary to do so in order to achieve a greater good—for example to persuade the Jewish population at large to accept an undoubtedly correct halachic ruling which, if they heard it in the name of the original author, would carry considerably less weight in their eyes and might lead to it being ignored or rejected. If my memory serves me well, I think that Marc B. Shapiro lists some instances where this happened and gives chapter and verse in his book, Changing the Immutable.

Thoughts, anyone?