Myśl Żydowska do Powtórzonego Prawa 10:15

Man's actions can be the result of three distinct causes. They can be the result of free choice made intellectually; they can be the result of man liking the activity he performs, or they can be the result of the immediate benefit he expects to derive fom his action. A further cause prompting man to act, is an inner urge, which does not bother to rationalise the purpose and sense of one's actions, as long as the action serves to gratify the urge that has prompted it. When a sailor, whose ship is about to founder, throws the cargo overboard in order to lighten the weight of the ship, and in order to avoid sinking the whole ship, he acts from a choice made intellectually, despite the fact that he resents either of the two options that had been open to him. This is similar to the halachic dilemma faced by people who need to violate a commandment in order to survive. Some such decisions must be based on the principle of yehareg ve-al ya-avor, rather be killed than become guilty of that violation; others will be based on the principle ya-avor ve-al yehareg, better to sin and survive than forego the chance of performing other mitzvot through having permitted himself to be killed. These options are discussed in Sanhedrin 76. If Isaac loved Esau because the latter would bring him venison, then an activity which would result in Isaac receiving such venison can be said to have originated in a feeling of love. Such an activity involves more of one's desire plus planning, than the one described previously. When a person is in the grip of lust or similar emotion however, he becomes so irrational that he will pay any price to satisfy his lust or greed. Chamor and Shechem are examples of people who made unreasonable concessions on behalf of their townspeople in order to satisfy the lust to possess Dinah, Jacob's daughter. (Genesis 34,11-19) In order to better comprehend the last example, picture a driver, a carriage and horses. Although the driver is in charge of the carriage, should the horses become unmanageable, the carriage will be drawn in the direction the horses want, and the driver will be powerless to prevent this, as long as carriage and horses are coupled together. In this parable, the horse represents the will, the lust, the urge; the carriage represents the person; the driver represents the choice made intellectually, the ability to discriminate, the gift man has been equipped with. The relationship of G'd to Zion is not based only on bechirah, choice between relative evils, but as the Psalmist 132, 13, terms it "for G'd has chosen Zion because He wanted it as His residence." The choice of the Jewish people as the chosen people, was dictated by intellectual considerations, but it was re-inforced by the Divine equivalent of ta-avah, an almost overpowering urge. This is underlined in the verse that follows "This is My rest forever, here I will dwell for I have desired it." In Deut. 10,15, Moses describes it as follows: "G'd took a strong liking to your forefathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, more than all other nations, as of this day." This shows that the love sprang from a strong liking G'd had developed towards them, based on their conduct. However, the love for the descendants is due to His choosing them (bachar) in comparison with other nations who were on a lower level, morally. That this is so, is confirmed in Song of Songs, where we read that Israel is "like a lily among thorns, so is My partner among the daughters." (Song of Songs 2,2) The terms chashak, love, choice, are used in descending order of preference. The first one is natural, unreasoning; the second one is deliberate, planned, but based on sound reason for the attraction. The third one is something forced upon one, in which one makes the best of a given situation. Of the many expressions of G'ds love for the Jewish people which are recorded in the Torah, some stem from relatively mild forms of love. None express a stronger bond of love than the setting aside of the mo-adim, the holydays that enable us to commune with G'd, and be in the presence of the shechinah, like children in the company of their father in joy and happiness.

Some problems tin the text of our Parshah. 1) When the Torah writes (Numbers 11, 1) "The people were as if complaining, wicked in the eyes of the Lord," what was it that G'd had heard? Why is it not spelled out? When the Jewish people are described as "crying again" in verse four, when was the first time they had cried? 2) How could the people say "who will feed me meat?," when they had enjoyed a regular diet of fowl, quail, since the second month they had been in the desert? How could Moses therefore appear to question G'ds ability to provide meat for the whole nation? 3) Why did Moses not relay the people's request to G'd as had been his custom? 4) If Moses simply wanted to reduce the burden of leadership from himself, why did the elders have to be assembled prior to the provision of meat? 5) The Torah seems extraordinarily long winded when describing how long the meat supply would last, i.e. "not one day, not two days etc. etc.." Why? 6) Moses' question "are You going to provide meat for six hundred thousand foot soldiers that I find myself amongst," seems peculiar? 7) Why did G'd supply this meat?

The references to man as beloved of G'd do not mean that the love of G'd was demonstrated before its recipient had demonstrated some personal accomplishment in the field of yir-at shamayim, fear of Heaven. All men are created with equal opportunity in this respect, though G'd provides blandishments to attract those who choose His way, whereas no incentives are provided for the potential sinner. The fact that we find ba-aley teshuvah, repentant sinners on the one hand and on the other hand one encounters people who have lived a devout life most of their years only to suddenly forsake that path, shows clearly that we are all free agents in this respect. The initial amount of Divine love each person is endowed with at birth, is augmented as man pursues the path of righteousness. emet me-eretz titzmach, truth grows from the earth. (Psalms 85,12) This means the recognition of truth is rooted in our world. "Righteousness however, is subsequently looking down from above." Solomon's prayer at the beginning of his career, (Kings I 3,6) is the best illustration of our contention. Solomon said: "You have done great kindness with Your servant David my father, when he walked before You in truth and righteousness and with upright heart; You preserved this kindness for him, and gave him a son who sits on his throne as of this day." Solomon talks of two acts of kindness by G'd. The first is the kindness extended to all men at birth, the second that which accrued due to David's personal conduct. In chapter sixteen we have explained in detail why in the case of Abraham, G'ds special love is reported before we know of Abraham's good deeds. The initial endowment of man by G'd at birth can be divided into three categories. 1) The physical aspect; the gift of life, a sound body. 2) Endowment with certain character tendencies that will help to smooth his path in life. 3) Endowment with certain intellectual powers. When we quoted the Talmud in Makkot at the outset, the three types of decrees the rabbis instituted may reflect these three categories. (1) The reading of the megillah annually, is an act of appreciation that our physical lives had been preserved at the time of Haman. When Jews found that this basic gift of G'd had become endangered, they did penitence, a gift G'd had granted mankind prior to man having been created. This act therefore awakens the bond that links man to G'd. By fasting, i.e. denying oneself the needs of the body, Jews atoned for having indulged their bodies at the feast of Ahasverus some years previously. (2) When the Rabbis expanded the tithes legislation, they imposed restraints on certain character traits, primarily greed. The giving of alms is proof that one is able to restrain one's natural greed. Once man makes a move in this direction, he can be sure that G'ds kindness will respond in equal or even far greater measure. Also, the dispensation of alms, tithes, on a regular basis, eventually results in such acts of kindness becoming part of our very nature. When one observes good deeds being performed, one cannot always be sure of the motive of the person performing such good deeds. It may be an outgrowth of a mature personality, or it may still be motivated by ulterior considerations. The only criterion that offers guidance in this respect is the donor's facial expression at the time he performs the deed of kindness. If he seems to genuinely enjoy performing the deed, we can be sure he has attained the personality level when this mitzvah has become a natural for him. Such a person is called nadiv, generous, the other kind is merely called noten, a donor. David expressed this thought very clearly in Chronicles I 29,17. After having acknowledged that all the silver and gold man has amassed is in truth G'ds, he continues "and I am aware my Lord that you examine the heart, that you are desirous of uprightness; I have donated all these items from the uprightness of my heart; and now Your people present here, I have observed that they donate for You joyfully." G'd can tell motivation by examining the heart. David only has the venue of watching people's faces when they make their donations to tell how genuine their motivation may be. The verse commencing with the words asser te-asser, tithe repeatedly, (14,22) just like the words naton titten, give repeatedly, (14, 10) reminds us that only repeated action of that kind leads to generous gestures becoming second nature to us. Alternately, the repetition could mean that for every act of generosity we perform, a compensating act is performed in Heaven.