Pemikiran Yahudi Mazmur 12:7: Akeidat Yitzchak

The truth that faith constitutes an objective to be attained by our mental faculties is expressed in Exodus 19,9, "And also in you they will believe forever." The commandments which we perform because of our faith in G-d, His superior wisdom, rather than because our intellect has persuaded us of their usefulness and value, are the ones which entitle us to be called human beings. The true human being submits to the imperatives of His Creator. We are superior to the animals by doing not only what is functional, sensible. Were we to do only those things, even though on a more sophisticated level, we would not be superior to animals. It is precisely they that are programmed with instincts to do what is good for them in the context of their lives. This is what Solomon had in mind when he said, "For this is the whole human being," i.e. the whole advantage of a human being over the animals is his ability to demonstrate such faith in the Creator that one keeps the type of commandments which one's reason neither dictates nor is able to justify. The reward for the physical part of us performing mitzvot is spelled out in Deut. 6,24, "To perform these commandments...to keep us alive and well on this day." Similarly, reference is made to the reward for the souls which participated in the performance of these mitzvot when the same verse speaks about, "It will be good for us for all times." Clearly, this refers to a reward in another world. The nature of the reward in that world is not spelled out, since our comprehension of that world is limited to a very general knowledge of its existence. As long as man is in a physical shell, he cannot really understand the true nature of such a world.

The variety of ways of pious conduct by individuals mentioned in the Talmud, demonstrates that it simply is not given to one person to fulfil all possible permutations in one lifetme. Performance and study of each of the sections brings its own reward in terms of happiness, enlightenment etc., but the impact of Torah in its totality is infinitely greater, and even different conceptually. The reward for fulfilment of each mitzvah may vary from "gold" to "fine gold," but the reward for the totality of observance is eykev rav, is so great that it cannot be defined in terms which our imagination understands. Similarly, when the Mishnah in Peah 1,1, promises dividends in this world for certain types of good deeds performed, whereas the "capital" is reserved for the world to come, the concept is identical with that expressed by the Psalmist. A study of the expressions used by our ancestors when blessing their children, or Israel as a whole, reveals that the change in the wording used reflects the ongoing and ever increasing closeness that existed between the various recipients on the one hand, and G'd on the other, just as already Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had different conceptions of mikdash the holy sanctuary, Abraham calling it "mountain," Isaac "field" and Jacob "house," respectively, there has been dynamic progress towards an increasingly intimate relationship between Israel and G'd. The uniqueness of this relationship is seen when Moses says "hail unto you Israel, who is like you?" Here he had paraphrased the words he had used in the song of thanksgiving after crossing the sea of reeds, when he had sung "who is like You O Lord, amongst the deities?" The reason the Jewish people wanted the reward in olam haba spelled out is, that they felt unless there was such a thing, the advantage of man over other creatures in this universe would not only be illusory, but man would actually be worse off than the animals. This very thought is in Solomon's mind, when he asks "what is man's gain in return for his toil?" (Kohelet 1,2) He refers to the comparison with the "inferior" creatures. Torah study and observance, force these conclusions on man. (see chapter thirty three) Moses' reply was that description in detail of that reward would deprive it of part of its value. Whenever we specify something, we give finite limits to the matter thus defined. Therefore, in order to preserve the comprehensive value of the reward, it could only be described as "indescribable."