Pemikiran Yahudi Amsal 21:25: Akeidat Yitzchak, Duties & Guide for the Perplexed

Since man has not been created to sit idle, with his hands folded in his lap, it is fitting that his activities should be commensurate with the lofty status he occupies in this universe. The philosopher Aristotele illustrates this premise by two examples. In the first example he describes the relationship of superior beings to their inferiors. In the second example he describes the relationship of the whole to its constituent parts. If an artisan ruins his reputation by failing to live up to what is expected of a man of his calling, how much more does man forfeit his claim to superior status in this universe if he fails to employ the talents with which he has been endowed? Every part of the human body is designed and exists for the performance of some distinct function. Failure or inability to perform this function, robs that part of the claim to be what it is commonly called. A blind man's eye can hardly be termed "eye," since the ability to see, to have vision, is part of the definition "eye." Once devoid of its function, such parts retain their names only in the sense that they have been supplied to their respective owners. When "eye, ear, legs" are described in Psalm 115 as being parts of the idols, the Psalmist goes on to say "may those that would use them be just as these parts are themselves." This means that since the individual parts of the idols, i.e. eyes, mouth, legs etc. cannot perform the functions they were meant to perform, neither will the idol perform its function to be a deity, a protective power for those who worship it. "KOL asher boteach bahem," the whole in which one places one's faith. The whole relies on its parts to each fulfil its function; only then can the whole be conceived of, as living up to its title. If individual parts of the idol lack power and do not demonstrate such power, the idol as a whole is powerless, a sham. When man's individual parts fail to perform the various functions assigned to them, the term "man" can no longer be applied to its owners except in the sense of the lowest common denominator. This is why David says "KOL asher boteach" with the vowel cholam on the letter kaf rather than with the vowel kamatz under the letter kaf. When Solomon in Proverbs 21,25, states "the greed or lust of the lazy person will cause his death, since his hands refuse to do what he is supposed to do," he refers to the same idea. Man's inclination to inactivity leads him to be labelled "dead," as we find in Berachot 18, "the wicked are called dead during their lifetime (already)." Because they refuse to carry out their tasks, they have reached death prematurely; death after all, is merely a state of ultimate inactivity. Another way of explaining the same verse is that the desires of the lazy people are weak, express a wish to achieve their goals effortlessly. Therefore, when the time for action arrives, they fail to heed "the requirements of the hour, his hands refuse to do their share." This in turn leads to their death. It is beyond question then that a special task has been reserved for man. In general terms this task is described at the end of the story of creation. "He placed him in a garden in Eden, to work it and to preserve it." (Genesis 2, 15.) This verse is a reversal of a previous statement (2,5) "there was no human being to work the soil." Our sages comment on Deut. 15, 18, "He will bless you in all that you do." This verse is necessary so that we should not think we might sit and be idle. (Ketuvot 59) "Idleness leads to boredom." It causes spiritual emptiness and degeneration. The Torah illustrated that if even a small part of you, such as your hand, needs to perform its function, the idea that man as a whole could remain idle is obviously wrong. Solomon used many examples to decry and deplore idleness, laziness etc. From the above premise it is clear that all activity which does not lead to attainment of the goals and purpose of the person who performs it, is a useless activity. Such an activity would not be considered better than no activity. (Moreh Nevuchim section three chapter 25) However, the effort and diligence expended in pursuit of all categories of activities whose apparent goals are measured in quantity, weight or size, no doubt fall under the heading of "useless activity." The reason this is so is, that they are never ending, boundless. Those who pursue them never find rest, as someone who moves in a certain direction ought to find when he arrives at his destination. If this is so, the intensity with which these objectives are pursued do not make man any less idle or despondent. It follows that man's true activities must be the achievements that can be measured in terms of quality, not those that are measurable in terms of quantity. Real acquisitions would be knowledge, moral qualities etc. These acquisitions would be truly praiseworthy. Pursuit of such aims elevates man from a state of want and inadequacy to one of ever ascending status, until all his desires reach the stage of fulfilment. (menuchah, creative rest) All worthwhile objectives have strict limits towards which the aspirant strives. It is this which the wise Solomon defines as the perfect state of man. He proceeds from the premise that the soul is active in accordance with its superior moral status. The key to man's achieving his perfection lies then in the activity not motivated by lust, greed and phantasies, but by his moral imperatives. This is evident from the Torah's description of man's task in the garden Eden, which was the result of G-d blowing a living soul into him. (Genesis 2,7) It was at the point that we are told that Adam was endowed with a soul, that the Torah tells us what is his task. The poel, driving force, was to be the neshamah, soul. This is also what we must learn from the opening portion of our Parshah. "These are the words that the Lord said to them. Six days work shall be performed etc." (Exodus 35,2-3) When viewing the entire panorama of human activities which G-d commanded each one of us, one understands that just as G-d imposed activities upon Himself from which He desisted once He had achieved His objective, (compare "for during six days He created the universe, and on the seventh day He desisted and had a respite."-Exodus 31, 17) so all who model themselves after Him, will seek out activities that possess the distinction that toil and effort expended on them leads to margo-ah, serenity of their soul and personality, does not leave them feeling exhausted, unfulfilled, empty. When David says "when you eat of the labour of your hands, you will be happy and well off," (Psalms 128,2) our sages in Berachot 8, state that the word "happy" refers to this world, whereas the words "well off" refer to the world to come. It is clear that such activities are difficult for man to achieve, as explained in Moreh chapter 34, section 1. We would like to add another factor to those mentioned by Maimonides, one that is equal in importance to all those enumerated there. Most people view the acquisition of apparent wealth as the major accomplishment in their lives. This attitude leads to these people being under great strain, it preoccupies them so much that they have little time and energy left for the performance of good deeds. (Aristotele ethics chapter 17, statement 7) The "good fortune" of amassing such wealth, prevents true wealth, real happiness. Perhaps then material wealth is not really a "good fortune," if it leads someone astray who started out being a tzaddik before he became wealthy. "Watch yourself.. lest you eat, become sated,...and your heart becomes boastful..and you forget the Lord your G-d." (Deut 8, 11-15) See our commentary in connection with the manna in chapter 41.

The Talmud Sanhedrin 22 states that anyone whose "first wife dies, is as if the temple had been destroyed in his lifetime." Rabbi Alexander compares such a tragedy to someone having lost his eyesight, the world becoming dark for him. Rabbi Abahu says that a person experiencing such a trauma loses his ability to make sound judgments. It is clear that neither of the three Rabbis quoted, refers to the natural physical wife, i.e. what we have termed "the second mating." It must refer to someone who has lost his mazzal, i.e. who has corrupted it. What the Rabbis are talking about is that just as we have a tradition that the wicked are called "dead" already during their lifetimes (Berachot 18), so in this example they are referring to those who have abused their G-d given endowments to the point that they have forfeited them. Our Parshah, though obviously dealing with the "second zivvug,” mating, may nonetheless contain some allegorical comments about the first zivvug. When the "lives" of Sarah are described, this may be a reference to the fact that Sarah had converted her original mazzal into the kind of personality that "lived" on, beyond physical death, inspired her husband for the rest of his natural life, not to mention her son. The fact that man is able to overcome the mazzal, i.e. zivvug rishon, may be hinted at in the verse "and to the woman He said, ‘Towards your man (husband) will be your inclination, and he can be in charge of you.’" (Genesis 3,16). If we view "woman" in this verse as the "first zivvug,” the meaning is "although it is your tendency to exert influence over your partner, he in turn can exercise control over you" (if he tries).

According to this, examine your soul, and exert yourself with all of your might to promote its well-being. Do not neglect what will benefit you in this world and in the next, lest you die without fulfilling your longing for exalted spiritual levels which you are capable of reaching, as the wise man said: "The desire of a lazy man will bring about his death, for his hands refuse to labor"(Mishlei 21:25), and "By the fields of a lazy man, I passed and by the vineyard of a man without sense. And behold, thistles had grown all over it; nettles had covered its surface, and its stone fence had been torn down" (Mishlei 24:30), and the rest of the matter.