Myśl Żydowska do Psalmów 37:4

The ten rulers referred to are the ten brothers of Joseph, since it is written, "Ten of the brothers went down." They could have laid Egypt waste with their strength, but Joseph vanquished them with his wisdom. Since man is forced to sojourn on this earth although he has been provided with a soul by G-d, it is fitting that his fate be similar to the fate of other strangers in this world. Due to the soul's celestial antecedents, plus the fact that man was created in G-d’s image, his place should not really be down here on earth, but his natural habitat should be near the Almighty Himself. This is what David says in Psalms 119,19, "Do not hide Your commandments from me, because I am a stranger on this earth." It is natural for man to keep his intimate secrets from those whom he considers of inferior status. David pleads with G-d in Psalm 55,14 not to keep His secrets from him, because he is aware that his place of abode is so inferior. Also in Psalms 39,13, he pleads that though he may have become estranged from G-d through some of his deeds, G-d should not turn away from his supplication, since at least his ancestry is so superior. The reason that ordinary man, i.e. the one who does not constantly advance towards moral and spiritual perfection, is called am ha-aretz, people of the earth, is precisely because he has made the "lower" world his permanent home instead of treating it like the foyer to a far superior world (Avot 4,21). This world is reserved for those who preserve the Divine image in which they were created. Because our world is merely a foyer to the ultimate palace reserved for us, it is only natural that during our stay on this earth we must submit to the indignities usually reserved for aliens everywhere. The two major areas in which aliens are disadvantaged while far from home are A) They cannot claim the respect due them as they would in their native society, and B) they have to perform work unbefitting the dignity of their real status in order to earn their livelihood. Jeremiah already compares G-d as not insisting on the respect due Him, since He is in exile when His people are in exile (Jeremiah 14,8). "Why should You be a stranger on earth, like a guest requiring lodging, when Your name is proclaimed with us?" The meaning there is "Since You are not a stranger, and since You have existed from time immemorial, if You do not help us as our Savior, You will be considered like a man without recourse, like a disabled hero." This too is the line Moses took when he argued that people will comment on the demise of the Jewish people as evidence of the inability of G-d to overcome the Canaanites (Numbers 14,13-17). When our sages advise a person who is unable to master his passions to go to a place where he is unknown (Chagigah 16), they want to prevent the sin to be committed to fall into the category of chilul hashem, desecration of the holy name of G-d, something that it is impossible to atone for in this life. When a stranger is observed committing a sin, this does not influence the society of the place in which the sin is committed, since nobody pays the stranger any heed anyways. If the same sin were committed in one's hometown, others may use it as an excuse to do likewise, and the chilul hashem is beyond recall. The second major indignity suffered by strangers is their inability to converse in the language of that country, thereby making themselves laughingstocks and misfits in the new society they find themselves in. Even if in order to earn some money one subjects oneself to such indignities by becoming a stranger in a foreign land, since one has no guarantee that one will return home with a sizable fortune, what guarantee is there that even if the money has been earned, it will endure (see example of Rabbi Eleazar ben Charsum in Yuma 35)? Forsaking preoccupation with the acquisition of permanent wealth, namely Torah knowledge, cannot be justified. Our purpose in this world is to prepare ourselves for the world to come. It follows that those who demean themselves by unnecessary preoccupation with the acquisition of material wealth, demean the "palace" in favor of the "foyer." When the Midrash comments on the words Vayeshev Yaakov, that if a person of the caliber of Jacob wanted to live serenely on this earth, Satan interfered, the meaning is quite plain. A tzaddik who demonstrates too much interest in material wealth and pleasure in this world imperils his standing as a tzaddik and invites yissurim, painful tribulations, to remind him of the error of his ways. This is what the Midrash meant when it says one cannot demand the "goodies" of both worlds. "Peace" is real only in the other world, as indicated by the promise to Abraham, "And you will join your fathers in peace" (Genesis 15,15). The yissurim, afflictions, make its recipient realize that his presence on this earth is comparable to that of a persecuted stranger. Jacob's experiences are a perfect example of this analysis. The disappearance of Joseph, the rape of Dinah, the famine, the apparent loss of Shimon, the threatened loss of Benjamin, all combined to bring home that truth. Unless Jacob was a stranger on this earth whose rightful abode was in the celestial regions, how could we account for all the indignities he had to suffer? The second disadvantage we have mentioned as being suffered by aliens in a country not their own, the language problem, is also relevant when we view man's temporary stay on earth. As a rule, speech is used to articulate man's physical needs, i.e. food and drink etc., or to put it more crudely, to communicate those of his needs that he shares with the animal kingdom to others. Whenever mere language does not suffice to assure him of his needs, he resorts to violence, i.e. a call to arms: (Proverbs 18,6) "The lips of the fools engage in quarrels, his mouth calls for turbulence." Their very language becomes an instrument of violence. Jeremiah 18,18 illustrates this point further: "Let us smite him by means of language!" Wisdom, however, is superior to violence and to instruments of war and strife (Kohelet 9,16). When speech is employed to express the spiritual yearnings of man, it does not become an instrument of war or a means of animalistic gratification. When Solomon says, "Do not answer the fool according to his foolishness; answer the fool in accordance with his folly!" this means, "Do not use the power of speech to answer the fool on his own level, but use the power of speech so that even a fool can recognize his folly (Proverbs 26,5). The ox is the animal that uses its brute strength to work hard uncomplainingly. Joseph had to suffer many indignities in the early part of his life, such as the brothers' jealousy, the Midianite slave merchants, Potiphar's wife's accusations etc. Nevertheless, he proved his moral superiority in his encounter with his master's wife. This moral superiority which he demonstrated when it clearly hurt his chances of a continued career (when he refused the advances of his master's wife), was richly rewarded by G-d, who alone was aware of the pure motives which had governed Joseph's behavior throughout. Joseph's ability to control his carnal urges made him a paragon of virtue. The Talmud Shabbat 63 says that whoever fulfills one single mitzvah completely, wholeheartedly, will not receive evil tidings. He will not need to worry about receiving bad news, but can enjoy undisturbed confidence that G-d’s personal Providence will remain at his side. Joseph's strength, i.e. the ox's strength, lay in the certainty that his cause was righteous, not in his ability to pull heavy loads. The lion, on the other hand, represents mere physical prowess. The brothers, in being described as "rulers" are conceived as having made themselves at home here on earth, not being content with remaining aliens, the purpose of man's sojourn on this globe. For this reason, then, Joseph representing the inner strength of a man of spiritual values, was able to overcome the combined strength of his brothers who had threatened to destroy Egypt failing release of their brother Benjamin.

(1) There are two groups of people observing mitzvot. One group is so preoccupied with trying to understand the will of G'd, that even if the mitzvot had not been given, they would have divined most of them themselves, and proceeded to observe them. This is the group of people from whom potential leaders are drawn. They are,alas, few in number. The second group is the group that comprises the vast majority of people. These people observe the mitzvot because they are afraid that non observance will make them liable to punishments, to physical afflictions. They are not really concerned with any considerations beyond that. Among these two categories, some will attempt to understand the deeper meaning behind the mitzvot, whereas others content themselves with simply performing them, fearing retribution. Even among the latter group, some will be more afraid of retribution for non observance of certain commandments. They will be less concerned with the fear of retribution for transgressing some other injunctions in the Torah. It is in the nature of things that if one expects people to observe the commandments out of comprehension, the objectives should be stated first. The specifics of the observances should follow afterwards. For those who observe out of a sense of fear, the presentation of what is demanded of them should be stated first, the objectives of the legislation would be mentioned only at a later stage. Since the revelation at Mount Sinai was the site at which all of the people were assembled, the order of the prohibitions was directed first and foremost at this largest group of people, and in G'ds own words. This was to instil fear in them. Here, in Parshat Kedoshim however, when Moses is to address the beney yisrael, i.e. the elite of the people, the positive aspect of what is to be accomplished is stressed first, namely the objective of achieving holiness. Subsequently we progress to the relationship between father and mother, a subject which had been mentioned at Sinai only after conclusion of the obeisances that related to poor relationship vis a vis G'd. (2) When one uses logic, the respect due to parents leads one to respect the Creator and the Sabbath which testifies to the work of the Creator. This in turn leads one to deny the claims of any other deities. The testimony offered by not working on the Sabbath extends to total recognition of the Creator, and it brings in its wake reminders not to serve or fabricate images, not to have recourse to them in any shape or form. The prohibition not to make images, also extends to the minting of images on coins, which are treated by so many as objects of worship. Truly good Jews, of course, will not make gold their idol nor glory in their material wealth. When they offer a sacrifice, they will be sure to do so from pure motives. All of these things are the outcome of an approach to the service of G'd that does not stem from fear of punishment. (this accounts for the sequence 19, 1-6) When we are told by the Mishnah in Avot 2,4, "make His will like your will, so that He will make your will like His will," the meaning is as follows. If you carry out His wishes with the fervour that you normally reserve for carrying out your own wishes, then He will help you divine what is really His will. The daily practice of performing His mitzvot with understanding, will eventually enable us to know instinctively what His will would be (in matters we have not yet been taught) The Mishnah in Avot goes on to say "set aside your will in favour of His will, so that He may set aside the will of others on account of your will. In matters of wishes for mundane matters, such as your desire for women, property to be acquired illegally or immorally, curb your wishes, since such a desire is really an expression of your evil urge, and turn your wishes into permissible channels. In turn, He may influence those who possess the objects that you desire, but refuse to part with them, and you will find former obstacles to your attaining your desires removed. Biblical examples of vain attempts to achieve objects of one's desire by illegal means, are Adoniah's bid to succeed to his father David's throne. (Kings I 1,5-45). Another example is Absalom's rebellion. (Samuel II chapter 17) On the other hand, the fact that David suffered initial setbacks at the hands of Saul, but became king, shows that the prescription offered in Avot is valid. Batsheva, who had acted prematurely, almost came to fatal grief in her haste to meet her destiny. In Psalm 37, David expresses it in these words "seek bliss for yourself with the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Since the Talmud in Zevachim 29, tells us that the offerings mentioned here are discussed in terms of the motivations that prompted them to be offered, this proves the thrust of the whole Parshah in the direction we have stated. In all these undertakings, once you have embarked on your career i.e. farming, you will be concerned with those who are less fortunate, sharing with them part of your harvest. (19,9-10) Once you have been trained to give away some of what is yours, you will certainly not be likely to steal from others, cheat, swear false oaths and thereby desecrate the name of G'd. (verses 11-13) On the contrary, because of your highly developed sensitivity towards the need of the poor, you may have become prejudiced in favour of the poor, and need to be reminded not to err in that direction either. (verse 15) Inactivity in the face of evil is not enough, (verse 16), even silent hatred of the evildoer (verse 17) is not enough. You have to speak out against evil, you must intervene actively to prevent violence. Unless you do these things, you will not achieve the objective of the Torah, i.e. to become a saintly person. The Torah's attitude to collective responsibility requires that we point out to delinquents that they must share the burdens of the community. If a heavy load can only be lifted by concerted effort, he who fails to help shoulder the burden, endangers the success of his colleagues, and may even become responsible for their losing what they had already achieved. Rebuking people is reserved for the intelligent and responsible, (verse 17) He who is a scoffer, will not respond to lectures etc; on the contrary, efforts in this direction can be counterproductive. Proverbs 9,8, is quite explicit on that subject. The Talmud in Ketuvot 105, tells us that the young scholars who seem to enjoy popularity,- more so than their elders,- have achieved this popularity because they fail to preach to their congregants on the proper modes of religious conduct. The true reason for not rebuking the scoffer is to avoid burdening him with the additional sin of hating the preacher. By the same token, however, pointing out errors of one's fellow man in a constructive manner adds to his appreciation of his peer or his teacher. Refraining from acts of revenge, (verse 18) are further steps in the direction leading to saintliness. It is a Divine attribute, as we read in Jeremiah 3, 12 "I will not frown upon you, because I am pious, nor will I bear a grudge against you forever." The culmination of the chapter is the injunction "Love your fellow man as yourself." (again verse 18) One needs to refrain from committing the type of acts against one's neighbour that one would consider hateful if they were perpetrated against one's own self. Since one's closest bonds are usually with one's brother, who is one's own flesh and blood, the Torah frequently uses the term "brother" as an example par excellence when it describes certain attitudes to be displayed. For instance: "when your brother becomes poor, let your brother live with you." "When your brother sells himself to you" etc. etc. Brotherliness is the key to our conduct vis a vis a fellow Jew. It is only via this route that saintliness which is our goal can be approached. The exact meaning of the moral imperative "love your brother," has been dealt with in chapter twenty three. Having completed injuctions of a a social nature, the Parshah turns to injunctions governing our conduct vis a vis G'd Himself. The introduction "My statutes you shall observe," precedes laws designed to prevent unions that are not compatible from G'ds point of view. If one is to avoid mixing different seed, i.e. when planting a vineyard, and one must not work together animals of different physical capabilities since they are unmatched, it is obvious that the sexual pairing of freemen and slaves constitutes an even greater breach of such a rule. These people are not compatible, do not even share the need to observe the Torah laws in the same manner. This law applies even to slaves who are already in the process of becoming freemen, (verse 20). Perhaps the underlying reason for these regulations is a reminder that nature is not the result of accident, that all species have been carefully planned, and that we are not to upset the calculations and purpose of their Creator. Compare the commentary of the Sifri on the tzitzit legislation, (Menachot 43) that when we see tzitzit, we are to remind ourselves of the mitzvot adjoining. Shaatnes, is a form of blending wool and flax (linen) which is forbidden under the heading of pairing incompatibles. (see our commentary in chapter ninety) The realisation that blue reminds one of the Heavens, the Creator, leads one to understand that we must not interfere with the rules G'd has established in His universe. The shifcha necherefet, a bondsmaid already betrothed to a man, combines a dual status in her very person, since on the one hand she is forbidden as someone else's wife, whereas on the other hand, union with her is permitted since as a slave, she has not yet qualified for marriage with an Israelite. After this, the Torah discusses which plants are not available for our use until they have attained a certain age. Possibly, a certain degree of maturity is needed before one can make certain judgments. Attaining such maturity requires time. The laws of orlah may be a reminder to await such maturity, and the laws against various kinds of soothsayers etc. (verse 26) are corollaries for this line of thought. It is in the nature of the impetuosity of youth to want to know what the future holds in store, and to go to some length to have it revealed to them. They believe that preparedness to sacrifice themselves or part of themselves for a cause, may hasten the attainment of wisdom, knowledge of the future etc Therefore the Torah warns insistently against any practices related to such endeavours. (verses 28-29) Since it is a sign of immaturity to be overly concerned with one's hairdo, the Torah legislated concerning treatment of hair in order to help bring about maturity through the observance of the relevant mitzvot. Immaturity is not confined to those who are young in years, but is a state of mind. Therefore, even if one is old enough to grow a beard, this is no guarantee that one has attained a degree of maturity. The law not to profane one's daughter to a life of harlotry, is aimed primarily at discouraging a father from giving a daughter in marriage to a much older man, since as a result of subsequent incompatibility in physical vigour, there is a chance that the daughter (wife) will seek fulfilment of her urges in extramarital relationships, in harlotry. (Sanhedrin 76) The underlying idea of all legislation is to minimise opportunities and temptations to transgress the law. Placing the injunction to treat the temple property with respect, next to the injunction not to consult soothsayers, (verse 30-31) again displays deep psychological insight. Since it is understandable to want to know the future, this is allowed only via the urim vetumim, a device on the breastplate of the High Priest, which enables the latter to receive answers to requests from G'd. In his partial review of Torah legislation in Deuteronomy, Moses makes the point in chapter 18,13, "be wholehearted with the Lord your G'd," i.e. not like the gentiles mentioned in the very next verse. For all the reasons listed above, namely efforts to counteract immaturity, the Torah demands respect for the aged and the learned, those who have achieved maturity of years or the mind, (verse 32) As the Talmud in Kiddushin 33, explains, once one shows respect for the Torah scholars, how much more respect must one show for the author of Torah? Since at the time the Talmud was edited, it was a widespread custom to rise in the presence of a Torah scroll, but to remain seated at the approach of Torah scholars, the Talmud Makkot 22, castigates this practice as foolish. The argument is that if one pays homage to the Torah, based on a logical conclusion, then certainly those who interpret Torah, without whom much of Torah would remain a mystery to most of us, deserve at least equal honour and recognition. Not only that, but the Torah specifically commands that we respect the scholar. There is therefore no contradiction between the two statements in the Talmud quoted. There follows a string of commandments dealing with fair weights and measures, both items that can be violated easily without anyone noticing. Even the person violating the injunction may not realise that he is not giving fair measure. The Torah reminds us that when G'd took us out of Egypt, He had to make a very fine distinction between who was a Jewish firstborn and who was an Egyptian firstborn. Without such a careful distinction, Jewish firstborns would have died. It is incumbent upon us to make such fine distinctions to ensure that our weights and measures are not fraudulent, even if such fraud is not evident to our fellow man. The passage ends with the comment that all the foregoing are both chukkim and mishpatim, statutes and social laws. This means that each of the ordinances combines elements of a social nature as well as elements that defy our reason, and therefore need to be obeyed merely because the law is Divine in origin. The point of forbidding the practice of such abominations as child sacrifice to the Moloch, is less the prohibition per se, than the demand that anyone who is guilty of such a practice must be apprehended and brought to justice. Failure to play G'ds policeman in such instances, will result in dire consequences for those who choose to turn a blind eye when they observe such conduct in others. (Chapter 20, 3-6) Attaining holiness requires not only one's own effort at perfecting oneself in one's character and observances of the mitzvot, but one's active participation in eradicating perversions by others. Attainment of holiness on a nation wide basis, is unthinkable any other way. (4) Whereas in chapter nineteen, most injunctions were followed by some rationale, be it only the repetition of the Torah's ideal for man, chapter twenty does not dignify its commandments with reasons, and only lists penalties provided for non observance. This shows clearly that the Torah considers these statutes as so fundamental that anyone not abiding by them is guilty of animalistic, not human behaviour. The nation who had lived in the land of Israel prior to our taking over, was spewed out by the land precisely because they had sunk so low, to a sub human level. Our own success in the land then would depend on our living up to a higher moral standard. It is the ability to make proper distinctions, havdalah, between the forbidden and the permissible, which alone can lead man to become holy, elevated, (closing verses of chapter twenty)