Kaisipang Hudyo sa Mga Awit 15:4: Akeidat Yitzchak & Duties

The Talmud in Kiddushin 39, says that if one sits still, does not commit a sin, this is equivalent to having performed a mitzvah, a commendable deed. What is meant is that if a person resists the lure of the aveyrah, the transgression, the struggle involved in resisting the temptation is the mitzvah. Isaiah 33,15, lists a number of accomplishments that consist of not doing certain things. Included are such things as refraining from accepting bribes, not oppressing the defenseless etc. Such people tower above their peers (verse 16) "they live in lofty places." This proves that one can attain a degree of perfection by simply refraining from perpetrating sinful acts one used to perpetrate. It is true, that under normal circumstances, the baal teshuvah enjoys three advantages over the perfectly righteous person. 1) His actions are more convincing, stemming as they do from an inner struggle. They are performed with deeper consciousness of their significance. 2) He acts with a greater sense of urgency, does not postpone taking action, since he is aware of the obstacles that had to be overcome to make him ready to perform the good deed. 3) Even those good deeds he has not yet performed due to lack of opportunity, are considered as good as having been performed. We are told in Kiddushin 40, that G'd gives credit for the good intention of performing the good deed, not only for the good deed itself. This means that there are occasions when the good intention alone is equal in value to the mitzvah had it been performed. The amazement expressed by Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi about this, was resolved by a Heavenly voice telling him that a baal teshuvah may earn the title "Rabbi" even posthumously. Abraham who had prepared Isaac for slaughter was also rewarded as if he had in fact carried out the deed. This is the meaning of G'd saying "now I know that you are G'd fearing; for you have not withheld your only son from Me." (Genesis 2,12) The Rabbis comment that Isaac's ashes had lain in front of G'd. (Berachot 62) It is the quality of the mitzvah which is so important when the baal teshuvah performs it. Vet there are basic distinctions in the motivation of penitence experienced by different baaley teshuvah. A sinner whose pentitence is based on fear of punishment, accomplishes through his penitence that his intentional sins are now considered as having been committed unintentionally, as having been merely errors, whereas a sinner who recognises the folly of his ways and desires true closeness to G'd, has all his erstwhile sins transformed into meritorious acts. (Resh Lakish, Yuma 86) When we read in Kiddushin 39, that a man sitting down not committing a sin is considered as having performed a mitzvah, this refers to the repentant sinner who previously would not have missed an opportunity to indulge in that transgression. "Sitting" must be considered as "sitting down again although he had already risen in order to commit that sin. Conquering his temptation is what makes this sitting down equivalent to performing a mitzvah. After listing a number of non events such as not lending money for interest, not taking bribes, not slandering, Psalm 15,4, concludes by stating "he who does these will never waver." We see that on occasion inaction can be the height of perfection. Philosophers who state that perfection attained at birth is superior to perfection attained after much effort spent on refinement, have a point; however, the Torah viewpoint is based on the concept of "the reward is in direct ratio to the effort expended and pain experienced in order to perform that particular mitzvah "G’d decides which effort deserves what degree of credit. This is what Rabi Abahu's statement is all about. He does not disagree with Rabbi Chiyah. The latter is concerned with one's distance from sin, whereas Rabbi Abahu is concerned with the effort expended in not succumbing. A parable may illustrate the point.

(1) In business dealings with his contemporaries, and in good conduct with his fellow human beings, as I will explain later. On this the verse says: "despised and disgraceful is he in his own eyes" (Tehilim 15:4).

Then answer him: "How could I be repulsed by someone who G-d loves, and denigrate one who the Creator deems praiseworthy. Is it not enough that I am lazy in not doing the service of G-d as zealously as him, that I must also hate one who serves G-d? This is certainly no way to repay the Creator for what I owe Him. Rather, it is my duty, out of love of G-d, to love those who love Him, and out of honor of G-d, to honor those who honor Him, as written and he honors those who honor G-d" (Tehilim 15:4). And you already know what happened to Miriam, as written: "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moshe.." (Bamidbar 12:1), and what happened to Korach and his followers in envying Moshe and Aharon due to their closeness to G-d.