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Monday, May 9, 2016

Parashat Kedoshim 5776 Put a Little Love in Your Heart

Echoes of Eden
Rabbi Ari Kahn
Parashat Kedoshim 5776
Put a Little Love in Your Heart

Perhaps one of the most famous verses in the Torah is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”(Vayikra 19:18) This is not an isolated instruction; it comes as the concluding statement at the end of a list of commandments, all designed to create harmony, to create a just, functional, perhaps even utopian society.

In his comments on this verse, Rashi notes that Rabbi Akiva stated that this is “a great principle of the Torah,” a defining principle – if not the defining principle of Judaism.

Far more often than not, Rashi draws upon rabbinic tradition without citing the author of a particular teaching. In this case, though, not only does Rashi inform us that this is the great principle of the Torah, but he also goes farther than is his usual practice, and quotes Rabbi Akiva as the formulator of this opinion. Certainly, Rabbi Akiva is one of our greatest sages, but why, specifically in this instance, does Rashi feel that the citation must be included?

While Rabbi Akiva himself is generally (universally?) remembered as one of the most saintly, holy, caring individuals in our history, there is an uncomfortable aspect of his biography that gives us pause: the tragic deaths of thousands of his students, deaths which the Talmud attributes to a lack of love, honor and mutual respect among them.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת יבמות דף סב עמוד ב
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אֶלֶף זוּגִים תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, מִגְּבַת עַד אַנְטִיפְרַס, וְכֻלָּן מֵתוּ בְּפֶרֶק אֶחָד, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹֹּא נָהֲגוּ כָבוֹד זֶה לָזֶה.
Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of disciples, from Gevat to Antipatris; and all of them died in one period of time, because they did not treat each other with respect. (Talmud Bavli Yevamot 62a)

While in general it may be unfair to judge parents for the behavior of their child or a teacher for the behavior or accomplishments of his or her students, nonetheless the “disconnect” between this teacher and his students causes us no small degree of wonder, and perhaps a degree of worry. How could such a great teacher formulate such a great principle, yet fail to transmit the message to his students?

We may approach this problem by first examining the reaction of one of Rabbi Akiva’s primary students[1] to this principle:

ספרא קדושים פרשה ב פרק ד:יב
ואהבת לרעך כמוך רבי עקיבא אומר זה כלל גדול בתורה בן עזאי אומר זה ספר תולדות אדם זה כלל גדול מזה:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Rabbi Akiva said, ‘This is the great principle of the Torah.’ Ben Azzai said,”‘This is the book of the generations of man[2] [on the day God created man, He made him in the likeness of God]” (Bereishit 5:1) – this is an even greater principle. (Sifra Kedoshim parasha 2 perek 4:12)[3]

For Rabbi Shimon Ben Azzai, the larger principle that informs all of Jewish thought is that each and every human being is created in the image of God, and therefore deserving of love, respect, and reverence. In Ben Azzai’s view, if we remain cognizant of the image of God inherent in every human being, we will necessarily treat others with love and respect.[4] Thus, in Ben Azzai’s opinion, his own principle subsumes that of his teacher and colleague Rabbi Akiva: Loving one’s neighbor would be a natural consequence of recognizing the divinity of every other person. Rabbi Akiva’s principle becomes redundant if Ben Azzai’s principle is scrupulously obeyed.

From Ben Azzai’s comment, we begin to understand what at least one of Rabbi Akiva’s students thought was an unfortunate limitation of his great teacher’s principle: What if a person is an ascetic, and holds himself up to impossible standards of deprivation, self-criticism or harshness? Would he be justified to treat others as he treats himself? To phrase this more cynically, would the principle of loving one’s neighbor as oneself give license to the masochist to be a sadist?[5] Ben Azzai’s principle circumvents this problem: Rather than using the individual as the benchmark for how others should be treated, Ben Azzai stressed the need for an objective, Divine benchmark for interpersonal relations.

Something had gone terribly wrong; Rabbi Akiva lost 24,000 students, but he did not despair. He started again, but this time he focused on a much smaller group of disciples - five students, to be precise. It is from these students that Torah spread; it is they who transmitted the legacy of Rabbi Akiva.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת יבמות דף סב עמוד ב
וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם שָׁמֵם, עַד שֶׁבָּא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אֵצֶל רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁבַּדָּרוֹם, וּשְׁנָאָהּ לְרַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן שַׁמּוּעַ, וְהֵם הֵם הֶעֱמִידוּ תּוֹרָה בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה.
The world remained desolate until R. Akiva came to our masters in the south and taught Torah to R. Meir, R. Yehudah, R. Yossi, R. Shimon [bar Yochai] and R. Elazar b. Shammua; and it was they who revived the Torah at that time. (Talmud Bavli Y’vamot 62b)

The phrase “until R. Akiva came” is used many times in rabbinic literature; in fact, it is used twice as many times in reference to R’ Akiva as it is regarding all other sages combined. This is the only instance in which the phrase is descriptive: It is not a general statement, along the lines of “until he came up with the idea;” rather, it describes an actual relocation – he came to the south of Israel and began to teach his new students there. One may theorize that whenever this phrase is used, it refers to a teaching Rabbi Akiva imparted to his new students in the south. These particular teachings were aimed at insuring that his new students would be emotionally sophisticated, sensitive and kind, and avoid the mistakes that led to the demise of his earlier followers.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת קידושין דף נז עמוד א
כִּדְתַּנְיָא, שִׁמְעוֹן הָעַמְסוֹנִי וְאַמְרֵי לָהּ נְחֶמְיָה הָעַמְסוֹנִי הָיָה דּוֹרֵשׁ כָּל "אִתִּין" שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְ"אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵיךָ תִּירָא" ]דברים י[ - פּירַשׁ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו, רַבִּי, כָּל "אִתִּין" שֶׁדָּרַשְׁתָּ, מָה תְּהֵא עֲלֵיהֶם? אָמַר לָהֶם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁקִּבַּלְתִּי שָׂכָר עַל הַדְּרִישָׁה, כָּך אֲקַבֵּל שָׂכָר עַל הַפְּרִישָׁה. עַד שֶׁבָּא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְלִמֵּד, "אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא" - לְרַבּוֹת תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים:
As it was taught: Shimon HaAmsuni (others state that it was Nehemiah HaAmsuni) interpreted every ‘et’ in the Torah, but when he came to the verse, “Thou shalt fear [et] the Lord thy God,” he desisted. Said his disciples to him, Master, what is to happen with all the instances of the word ‘et’ which you have interpreted?’ He replied: Just as I received reward for interpreting [them], so will I receive reward for desisting.” Until R. Akiva came and taught: ‘Thou shalt fear [et] the Lord thy God:’ [the addition of the word ‘et’ teaches us that this fear] includes (students of) scholars. (Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 57a)

Rabbi Akiva taught that students of Torah are deserving of respect, and their honor is a part of the awe and fear we have towards God Himself. We can easily read this as an addendum to his glorious teaching that one must love one’s neighbor as oneself. Additionally, we may surmise that this may have been Rabbi Akiva’s way of anticipating or responding to the critique that his “great principle of Torah” leaves a loophole for the person who mistreats themself to treat their fellow students with disrespect.[6] A second teaching of Rabbi Akiva may address this issue even more directly.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא מציעא דף סב עמוד א
לכדתניא: שנים שהיו מהלכין בדרך, וביד אחד מהן קיתון של מים, אם שותין שניהם - מתים, ואם שותה אחד מהן - מגיע לישוב. דרש בן פטורא: מוטב שישתו שניהם וימותו, ואל יראה אחד מהם במיתתו של חבירו. עד שבא רבי עקיבא ולימד: וחי אחיך עמך - חייך קודמים לחיי חבירך.
Two people are travelling on a journey [far from civilization], and one has a pitcher of water. If both drink, they will [both] die, but if one only drinks, he can reach civilization. Ben P’tura taught: It is better that both should drink and die, rather than that one should behold his companion's death. Until R. Akiva came and taught: [The verse] That thy brother may live with you’ (Vayikra 25:36) teaches us: Your life takes precedence over his life. (Talmud Bavli, Bava Metziah 62a)[7]

We must care for others, but when push comes to proverbial shove, one’s own life must take precedence. This case uses the extreme situation to teach both sides of Rabbi Akiva’s underlying principles: We must love others as we love ourselves – care for them and respect them at all times – but in order to do so, we must love ourselves, treat ourselves with dignity and care. The fact that Rabbi Akiva had to stress the idea of self-preservation and self-respect indicates that this was not only a law, but a position his students needed to hear. Rabbi Akiva, who believed passionately in the value of life just as he believed passionately in the value of altruism, could not accept the notion that altruism might cause the death of both travelers in the desert. He had seen enough death in his lifetime, and taught his students that if you can walk out of the desert alive, that becomes your obligation.[8]

Did Rabbi Akiva succeed in breaking the vicious cycle and raising a different type of student? Close examination of the words and deeds of his “new students” proves that he most certainly did – but in order to fully appreciate Rabbi Akiva’s pedagogic success, we are forced to take a slight detour.

Rabbi Akiva’s philosophy regarding interpersonal relationships is perhaps most clearly illustrated in his halachic rulings regarding marriage. As one of the most important and primary relationships in a person’s life, Rabbi Akiva was quite concerned that husband and wife live in tranquility, in harmony, in love. For this reason, Rabbi Akiva’s rulings regarding divorce were relatively lenient.

The scholars who preceded him were divided on the question of legitimate grounds for divorce: While Beit Shammai understood that the Torah would only permit divorce in cases of infidelity, Beit Hillel opined that a man may divorce his wife even if she burns his food (and it is my understanding that it is only his food, and not hers or anyone else’s, which is ruined, indicating aggression, spite and hatred).[9] We may assume that Beit Hillel’s relative leniency is based on an understanding that if this couple is already involved in a contentious relationship, there is no need to wait for the relationship to deteriorate to actual infidelity. And yet, Rabbi Akiva goes one considerable step further, stating that a man may divorce his wife even on the grounds that he has found another woman who is “na’ah mimenah”– more beautiful or more pleasant (or perhaps more suitable). While on the one hand it may strike us as outrageous that a wife can be “sent packing” because her lecherous husband has found a newer model with less “mileage,” Rabbi Akiva seems exceptionally sensitive to the concern that this relationship should be based on love, mutual respect, and attraction. In fact, in a separate, apparently related teaching, Rabbi Akiva speaks out against the “old time rabbis” who advocated that wives should refrain from making themselves look attractive during those times that they are forbidden to have marital relations with their husbands. Rabbi Akiva permitted married women to beautify themselves as they saw fit, and did not limit physical attractiveness between spouses as a function of physical intimacy.

תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף סד עמוד ב
זְקֵנִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים אָמְרוּ, שֶׁלֹּא תִּכְחוֹל, וְלֹא תִּפְקוֹס, וְלֹא תִּתְקַשֵּׁט בְּבִגְדֵי צִבְעוֹנִין. עַד שֶׁבָּא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְלִימֵּד, אִם כֵּן אַתָּה מְגַנָּהּ עַל בַּעֲלָהּ, וְנִמְצָא בַעֲלָהּ מְגַרְשָׁהּ,
 The early Sages ruled that she must not rouge nor paint nor adorn herself in colorful garments while she is a niddah; until R. Akiva came and taught: If so, you make her repulsive to her husband, with the result that he will divorce her! (Talmud Bavli Shabbat 64b)

Here is another instance where the phrase “until R. Akiva came” is used. If we are correct in our thesis, this is another instance in which Rabbi Akiva taught his new students to be sensitive to feelings, to legislate in favor of love and attraction. The same Rabbi Akiva who permitted the husband with a straying eye to divorce his wife, spoke out against an earlier rabbinic ruling that he feared might make wives unattractive to their husbands. Rabbi Akiva spoke boldly, in order to insure that halacha would never provide the reason for a husband’s eye to stray.[10]

Rabbi Akiva further stressed the importance of a person marrying an appropriate spouse in order to avoid the pitfalls of a deteriorated relationship:

מסכתות קטנות מסכת אבות דרבי נתן נוסחא א פרק כו ד"ה רבי עקיבא
רבי עקיבא אומר כל הנושא אשה שאינה מהוגנת לו עובר משום חמשה לאוין משום לא תקום (ויקרא יט:יח) ומשום לא תטור (שם) ומשום לא תשנא אחיך בלבבך (שם יז) ומשום ואהבת לרעך כמוך (שם י"ח) ומשום וחי אחיך עמך (שם כה:לו) מתוך ששונא אותה רוצה הוא שתמות ונמצא מבטל פריה ורביה מן העולם:
A man who marries a woman who is not an appropriate for him breaks five different negative commandments of the Torah: “Do not take revenge,” (Vayikra 19:18) “Do not bear a grudge,” (ibid., 18) “Do not hate your fellow man in your heart,” (ibid., 17) “Love your neighbor as yourself,” (ibid. 18) and “Your fellow man shall live with you.” (ibid. 25:36). Because he hates her, he hopes that she will die, and he abstains from procreation. (Avot d’Rebbi Natan, version 1, chapter 26)

This very striking passage is, in fact, the only commentary by Rabbi Akiva himself on his “great principle of Torah.” He teaches that in a relationship devoid of love, many other Torah laws are unavoidably trampled upon. The great principle is most evident in this passage, which outlines a destructive progression that begins with a loveless marriage: A cascade of negative emotions leads to hurtful thoughts and, eventually, destructive actions.

With this information, and against the backdrop of Rabbi Akiva’s application of his “great principle of Torah,” we may now return to our earlier question: Did Rabbi Akiva succeed in communicating this idea to his students?

Rabbi Yehuda, one of Rabbi Akiva’s five new students, makes a very similar application of law, and warns of the price to be paid for a relationship that has deteriorated. Both the words and the logic he employs should seem quite familiar:

ספרי דברים פרשת כי תצא פיסקא רלה ד"ה (יג) כי
כי יקח איש אשה ובא עליה ושנאה, רבי יהודה אומר [ושנאה], [11]מיכן אתה אומר עבר אדם על מצוה קלה סופו לעבור על מצוה חמורה עבר על ואהבת לרעך כמוך]ויקרא יט:יח[ סופו לעבור על לא תקם ולא תטר]ויקרא יט:יח[  ועל  לא תשנא את אחיך בלבבך]ויקרא יט:יז[ ועל ואהבת לרעך כמוך ועל  וחי אחיך עמך ]ויקרא כה:לו[עד שבא לידי שפיכות דמים לכך נאמר כי יקח איש אשה.
If a man takes a wife, has relations with her, and comes to hate her…” Rabbi Yehuda says, …from this we see that if a person breaks an easy commandment, he will eventually break a more serious commandment. If he does not obey the commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” he will come to violate the commandments “Do not take revenge” and “Do not bear a grudge,” [Vayikra 19:18], and the commandment, “Do not hate your fellow man in your heart,” [Vayikra 19:17], the commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and “Your brother shall live along with you.” [Vayikra 25:36], and he will eventually reach the point of bloodshed. (Sifrei Devarim, Ki Tetze section 235)

Regarding a totally different sort of interpersonal relationship, the Mishna in Nedarim grapples with the problem of a person who made a vow disowning a friend from his assets. The Mishna discusses the conditions that might annul such a vow (called “opening” the vow), and Rabbi Meir’s opinion on the matter also strikes a familiar chord:

משנה מסכת נדרים פרק ט משנה ד
וְעוֹד אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר פּוֹתְחִין לוֹ מִן הַכָּתוּב שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ, אִלּוּ הָיִיתָ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹבֵר עַל לֹא תִקֹּם וְעַל לֹא תִטֹּר (ויקרא יט), וְעַל לֹא תִשְׂנָא אֶת אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ (שם), וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ (שם),וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ (שם כה) שֶׁמָּא יַעֲנִי וְאֵין אַתָּה יָכוֹל לְפַרְנְסוֹ, וְאָמַר אִלּוּ הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא כֵן, לֹא הָיִיתִי נוֹדֵר, הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר:
Rabbi Meir also said: An opening [for annulment of a vow] may be given based on what is written in the Torah, so we say to him: Had you known that you were violating [the injunctions], “Do not take revenge,” “Do not bear a grudge,” “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and “Your brother shall live with you,”  or that he might become poor and you would not be able to provide for him, [would you have made this vow]?Should he reply, Had I known that it is so, I would not have vowed,” he is absolved. (Mishna Nedarim 9:4 Talmud Bavli 65b)

The pattern that emerges is unmistakable: Rabbi Akiva’s application of the great principle of “Love your neighbor as yourself” to the area of spousal relationships was applied by two of his new students – first, Rabbi Yehudah in the matter of divorce, and next by Rabbi Meir, to help heal a different sort of rift between two people.

The Sifrei records a similar teaching in a third area of interpersonal relationships:

ספרי דברים פרשת שופטים פיסקא קפז ד"ה (יא) כי
כי יהיה איש שונא לרעהו וארב לו וקם עליו, מיכן אמרו עבר אדם על מצוה קלה סופו לעבור על מצוה חמורה עבר על ואהבת לרעך כמוך סופו לעבור על לא תקום ולא תטור[ויקרא יט:יח]  ועל לא תשנא את אחיך [ויקרא יט:יז]  ועל וחי אחיך עמך [ויקרא כה:לו]  עד שיבא לידי שפיכות דמים לכך נאמר כי יהיה איש שונא לרעהו וארב לו וקם עליו.
“If one person hates another and lies in wait and attacks him:” From this we learn that if a person breaks an easy commandment he will eventually break a more serious commandment. If he breaks the commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself” he will eventually come to break the commandments “Do not take revenge” and “Do not bear a grudge,” [Vayikra 19:18] and the commandment “Do not hate your fellow man in your heart” [Vayikra 19:17], and the commandment “Your brother shall live along with you” [Vayikra 25:36], until he reaches the point of bloodshed.

This passage deals with hatred which may lead to murder; once again, there is a downward spiral, and along the way commandments are trampled. Again, Rabbi Akiva’s teaching is implemented, although this specific teaching is not attributed to a particular scholar. However, the Talmud states that anonymous teachings in the Sifrei are the work of yet another of Rabbi Akiva’s “new” students: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai:

תלמוד בבלי מסכת סנהדרין דף פו עמוד א
דאמר רבי יוחנן: סתם מתניתין רבי מאיר, סתם תוספתא רבי נחמיה, סתם ספרא רבי יהודה, סתם ספרי רבי שמעון, וכולהו אליבא דרבי עקיבא.
R. Johanan said: [The author of] unattributed Mishnah is R. Meir, of unattributed Tosefta is R. Nehemiah; of an unattributed [dictum in the] Sifra is R. Yehudah, and in the Sifrei, R. Shimon; and all are taught according to the views of R. Akiva. (Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 86a)

Thus, we see that three of his Rabbi Akiva’s new students heard and internalized their teacher’s lesson, and applied his great principle of Torah regarding the centrality of building and maintaining loving relationships in their own teachings.

A fourth student, Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua, taught this same principle of love and respect in a more succinct formulation:

משנה מסכת אבות פרק ד:יב
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן שַׁמּוּעַ אוֹמֵר, יְהִי כְבוֹד תַּלְמִידְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וּכְבוֹד חֲבֵרְךָ כְּמוֹרָא רַבָּךְ, וּמוֹרָא רַבָּךְ כְּמוֹרָא שָׁמָים:
R. Elazar b. Shammua said: Let the honor of your disciple be as dear to you as your own, and the honor of your colleague as [important] as the reverence for your teacher, and the reverence for your teacher as [vital] as your fear of Heaven. (Mishna Avot 4:12)

The emphasis Rabbi Elazar places on honoring teachers, colleagues and students reflects Rabbi Akiva’s teachings; we may say that this Mishna is a true expression of Rabbi Akiva’s legacy, as it is expressed by one of his new students.[12] Another lengthy midrash recounts that Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua’s kindness and concern extended even to non-Jews, a fact that eventually saved all the Jews of a certain province.[13]
It seems clear that Rabbi Akiva was quite successful with his new students. He taught them sensitivity, he taught them kindness, and he taught them love. He taught them that love of our fellow man is truly the central teaching in the Torah. Every aspect of Torah law should be impacted by this love; every aspect of our society evolves from the great principle of love.

The Rabbi Akiva who arrived in the south and taught 5 great students was a Rabbi Akiva who himself had internalized the lesson of his earlier students’ tragic deaths. When teaching his new students, he did not leave it to chance that they would understand his message; he drilled it home over and over, and was explicit and specific in teaching them. His pedagogic method, and his diligence in delivering this educational message to his new students, are preserved in another passage that tells the story of the earlier students’ deaths, with slight variations:

בראשית רבה (וילנא) פרשת חיי שרה פרשה סא:ג
ר' עקיבא אומר אם היו לך תלמידים בנערותך עשה לך תלמידים בזקנותך שאין אתה יודע איזה מהם מתקיים לך זה או זה ואם שניהם כאחד טובים, י"ב אלף תלמידים היו לר"ע מעכו ועד אנטפריס וכולם בפרק אחד מתו, למה שהיתה עיניהם צרה אלו באלו ובסוף העמיד שבעה, רבי מאיר, ורבי יהודה, רבי יוסי, ור' שמעון, ורבי אלעזר בן שמוע, ורבי יוחנן הסנדלר, ור' אליעזר בן יעקב, ואית דאמרי ר' יהודה, ור' נחמיה, ורבי מאיר, רבי יוסי, ורשב"י, ור' חנינא בן חכינאי, ורבי יוחנן הסנדלר, א"ל בניי, הראשונים לא מתו אלא שהיתה עיניהם צרה אלו לאלו תנו דעתכם שלא תעשו כמעשיהם, עמדו ומלאו כל ארץ ישראל תורה.
R. Akiva said: If you have raised disciples in your youth, raise disciples in your old age, because you do not know which will survive, these or those, or whether they will be equally successful.’ R. Akiva had twelve thousand disciples from Acco to Antipatris, and all died in the same period. Why? Because they looked grudgingly on each other. Eventually he raised seven disciples: R. Meir, R. Yehudah, R. Yossi, R. Shimon, R. Elazar b. Shammua’, R. Yohanan the Cobbler, and R. Eliezer b. Yaacov. Others say: R. Yehudah, R. Nehemiah, R. Meir, R. Yossi, R. Shimon b. Yohai, R. Hanina b. Hakinai, and R. Yohanan the Cobbler. [Rabbi Akiva] said to them: My sons, the previous ones died only because they begrudged one another [the knowledge of] the Torah; see to it that you do not act as they did. They arose and filled the whole of Eretz Israel with Torah.(Bereishit Rabbah 61:3)

Any other man who had lost so many students, whose entire life’s work was eradicated, would have given up. Rabbi Akiva had begun teaching at a relatively late stage of life, and he might easily have felt that all was for naught. Instead, he started again. He found the best minds around, and he filled their hearts with love.



A postscript is taught in the name of the Chidushai HaRim.[14] While it is true that law follows Rabbi Akiva, in our inner hearts we should feel the altruism of Ben Petura.[15] And even when we must value and take care of ourselves, the love for our fellow man should still be strong in our hearts.

Many generations later, in the holocaust era, another man saw the same type of destruction witnessed by Rabbi Akiva, though multiplied to impossible numbers. He was a young hassidic yeshiva student named Eli Wiesel, and many years later, he wrote about his love for Rabbi Akiva:

I love Rabbi Akiva. I love him for his humanity, for his passion for study. I love him for his love of the Jewish people. His argument with Ben P’tura on the duties and obligations of friendship? His decision teaches us something important. When the surviving friend emerges from the desert, he is no longer alone; he will have to live two lives, his own and that of his dead friend. (Sages and Dreamers, Eli  Wiesel page 240)[16]

For more in depth study see:


[1] Ben Azzai was a senior student and perhaps could be called “junior partner” of Rabbi Akiva, see Talmud Bavli Baba Batra 158b, Jerusalem Talmud Rosh Hashana 1:1
תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא בתרא דף קנח עמוד ב
בן עזאי תלמיד חבר דרבי עקיבא הוה,
תלמוד ירושלמי (וילנא) מסכת ראש השנה פרק א
זאת אומרת שבן עזאי חבר ותלמיד היה לו לר' עקיבה ובן עזאי מכריע על דברי תלמידיו.
[2] Often the Talmud makes the assumption that the reader is familiar with biblical texts, and will cite the start of a text when the object of interpretation is in fact the second part of the verse.
[3] This teaching is found in three places, the Sifra which is the halakhic midrash to Vayikra, Bereishit Raba and the Jerusalem Talmud in Nedarim 9:4. Only in Bereishit – when commenting on the verse in Bereishit does Ben Azzai come first, and then Rabbi Akiva’s position is mentioned. In the other two instances Rabbi Akiva is cited first, and the Ben Azzai is cited as introducing a greater principle. It is possible that Ben Azzai saw himself as not arguing, but expanding the teaching of his master.
בראשית רבה (וילנא) פרשת בראשית פרשה כד סימן ז
בן עזאי אומר זה ספר תולדות אדם זה כלל גדול בתורה, ר"ע אומר (ויקרא יט) ואהבת לרעך כמוך, זה כלל גדול בתורה, שלא תאמר הואיל ונתבזיתי יתבזה חבירי עמי הואיל ונתקללתי יתקלל חבירי עמי, א"ר תנחומא אם עשית כן דע למי אתה מבזה, בדמות אלהים עשה אותו.
תלמוד ירושלמי (וילנא) מסכת נדרים פרק ט הלכה ד
גמ' ... ואהבת לרעך כמוך. רבי עקיבה אומר זהו כלל גדול בתורה. בן עזאי אומר [בראשית ה א] זה ספר תולדות אדם זה כלל גדול מזה.
[4] It is possible that Rabbi Akiva concurred. In Pirkei Avot 3:14, Rabbi Akiva says: “Beloved is man for he was created in [God’s] image.” It sounds as if the reason we are worthy of love is due to the image of God which we possess.
משנה מסכת אבות פרק ג:יד
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם.
[5] This legal lacuna was pointed out by R’ Yaakov of Orleans (a member of the Tosafot school who was martyred in London). See R’ Hayim Paltiel, Vayikra 19:18.
ר' חיים פלטיאל, ויקרא פרשת קדושים פרק יט פסוק יח
ופי' הר"ר יעקב מאורליינ"ש זצ"ל דזה כלל גדול דאמר דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד מיהו אם אדם אכזרי ואינו חש על עצמו הוא הדין לא ירחם על אחרים כי היכי דאם חבל בעצמו פטור הוא הדין שיחבל בחבירו או אם הוא מבזה את עצמו הוא הדין חבירו להכי נאמר כי בצלם אלהים עשה את האדם.
[6] See R’ Pinchas Horowitz’s commentary, Sefer haMiknah Kiddushin 57a.
המקנה מסכת קידושין דף נז עמוד א
בגמרא כיון שהגיע לאת ה' אלקיך תירא פירש וכו'. ... וכמו שמצינו באמת שנענשו כ"ד אלף תלמידי דר"ע שלא הי' נוהגין כבוד זה לזה וכיון שראה ר"ע בתלמידיו שנענשו היינו דאמר עד שבא ר"ע ולמד לרבות ת"ח שאפי' התלמידים צריכים לנהוג כבוד זה בזה כמורא רבם...
[7] The context of this passage deals with helping someone in financial need, but the language of this verse, “v’chai” – suggests a broader application of saving lives.
ויקרא פרק כה, לה-לח
וְכִֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָ֥טָה יָד֖וֹ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ: (לו) אַל־תִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתּוֹ֙ נֶ֣שֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּ֔ית וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְחֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ עִמָּֽךְ: (לז) אֶ֨ת־כַּסְפְּךָ֔ לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן ל֖וֹ בְּנֶ֑שֶׁךְ וּבְמַרְבִּ֖ית לֹא־תִתֵּ֥ן אָכְלֶֽךָ: (לח) אֲנִ֗י ה֙' אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לָתֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לִהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים: ס
[8] Rav Yakov Emden ruled that as long as one life was preserved Rabbi Akiva’s teaching would be fulfilled. He felt that the owner had the right to keep the water or give it to the other person, as long as one person was saved.
[9] See Mishna Gittin 9:10 (found in Talmud Bavli Gittin 90a):
משנה מסכת גיטין פרק ט משנה י
בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, לֹא יְגָרֵשׁ אָדָם אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶלּא אִם כֵּן מָצָא בָהּ דְּבַר עֶרְוָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כד) כִּי מָצָא בָהּ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֲפִלּוּ הִקְדִּיחָה תַבְשִׁילוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי מָצָא בָהּ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אֲפִלּוּ מָצָא אַחֶרֶת נָאָה הֵימֶנָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָיָה אִם לֹא תִמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינָיו:
Beit Shammai say: A man should not divorce his wife unless he has found her guilty of unseemly conduct, as it says, “…because he has found some unseemly thing about her.” [Devarim 24] Beit Hillel, however, say [that he may divorce her] even if she has merely spoiled his food, since it says, “…because he has found some unseemly thing about her.” [ibid.] R. Akiva says, [he may divorce her] even if he finds another woman more beautiful than she is, as it says, “If it comes to pass that if she finds no favor in his eyes.”


[10] This connection was noted by the Netziv in his commentary Meromei Sadeh, Shabbat 64b.
מרומי שדה מסכת שבת דף סד עמוד ב
שם. עד שבא רבי עקיבא ולימד, אם כן אתה מגנה על בעלה ונמצא בעלה מגרשה. בירושלמי שילהי גיטין אי' דזקנים הראשונים ס"ל כב"ש וב"ה דאסור לגרש אלא א"כ מצא בה דבר ערוה או שהקדיחה תבשילו לב"ה. ולכן לא חיישי שמא יגרשנה. אבל ר' עקיבא לטעמיה, דאפילו מצא אחרת נאה הימנה מותר לגרשה.

[11] I am assuming it is still Rabbi Yehuda speaking in the text.
[12] This emphasis of respect is found in another passage where Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua teaches that if one comes late for a lecture they should not awkwardly make their way to their seats, if this will cause discomfort to those already sitting see Talmud Bavli Sotah 39a and Rashi’s comments.
תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוטה דף לט עמוד א
שאלו תלמידיו את ר' אלעזר בן שמוע: במה הארכת ימים? אמר להן: מימי לא עשיתי בית הכנסת קפנדריא, ולא פסעתי על ראשי עם קודש, ולא נשאתי כפי בלא ברכה.
His disciples asked R. Eleazar b. Shammua, How have you prolonged your life? He replied: Never have I made use of a Synagogue as a short cut, nor stepped over the heads of the holy people, nor lifted up my hands [as a kohen] without first uttering a benediction.
רש"י מסכת סוטה דף לט עמוד א
ולא פסעתי על ראשי עם קודש - שהיו יושבים התלמידין בבית המדרש על גבי קרקע והמהלך ביניהם כשהן יושבין ונכנס לישב במקומו מרחיב פסיעותיו בעל כרחו והוא לשון מפסע ונראה כמפסע על ראשיהם לפיכך צריך להקדים או ישב לו מבחוץ.

[13] Kohelet Rabbah 11:1.
קהלת רבה (וילנא) פרשה יא:א
שלח לחמך על פני המים, א"ר ביבי אם בקשת לעשות צדקה עשה אותה עם עמלי תורה שאין מים האמור כאן אלא דברי תורה, שנאמר (ישעיה נ"ה) הוי כל צמא לכו למים, אמר ר' עקיבא כשהייתי בא בים ראיתי ספינה שטבעה בים, ונצטערתי על תלמיד חכם אחד שהיה בה ונטבע, וכשבאתי למדינת קפוטקיא ראיתיו שהיה יושב לפני ושואל שאלות, נמתי לו בני היאך עלית מן הים, אמר לי רבי בצלותך טרדני הגל לחבירו וחבירו לחבירו עד שהגיעוני ליבשה, אמרתי לו בני מה מעשים יש בידך, אמר כשנכנסתי לספינה פגע בי איש אחד מסכן, אמר לי זכי בי ויהבית ליה חד עיגול, אמר כמה דיהבת לי נפשי במתנך כן יתיהב לך נפשך, וקראתי עליו שלח לחמך על פני המים, מעשה בספינה אחת גדולה מפרשת לים הגדול נטלה הרוח והוליכה למקום שאין בו מים מהלכין, כשראו שצרתן צרה, אמרו באו ונשתטפינון באיצטרכיא שלנו, אם נמות נמות כולנו, אם נחיה נחיה כולנו, האיר המקום עיניהם ונטלו גדי אחד וצלו אותו, ותלוהו במערבה של ספינה באה חיה גדולה לריחו והתחילה גוררת בה עד שהשליכה למים המהלכין והלכו, כיון שהגיע ונכנסו לרומי תנון עובדא לר' אליעזר ור' יהושע וקרון עליהון שלח לחמך על פני המים, בר קפרא מקפל בשוניתא דימא דקסרי, ראה ספינה שטבעה בים הגדול ואוטפיטא עולה מתוכה ערום כד חמיניה בא אצלו ושאל בשלומו ונתן לו שתי סלעים, מה עשה הכניסו לביתו והאכילו והשקהו ונתן לו עוד שלשה סלעים אחרים, אמר לו אדם גדול שכמותך יוציא שלשה סלעים אחרים, לבתר יומין אתצידון יהודאי בהדין ספפסא, אמרין מאן אזיל ומפייס עלינא אמרין דין לדין בר קפרא דהוא חשוב במלכותא, אמר לון וידעון אתון הדא מלכותא עבדא מידי על מגן, אמרין ליה אית הכא חמש מאוון דדינרין סב יתהון וזיל ופייס עלינן, נסב חמש מאוון דדינרין וסלק למלכותא, כשראה אותו אנטפיטי עמד על רגליו ושאל בשלומו, אמר לו למה איצטער רבי להכא, אמר ליה בעינא מינך דתתרחם על אילין יהודאי, אמר ליה ידע את דהדין מלכותא עבדא כלום על מגן, אמר ליה אית עמי חמש מאוון דדינרי סב יתהון ופייס עלינן, אמר ליה אית אילין דינרין אינון יהון מתמשכנין לך חלף חמשה סלעים דיהבת לי, ואומתך משתזבן חלף מאכל ומשתה דאוכלת ואשקת יתי בביתך ואת זיל בשלם ביקרא סגי, וקרון עלוי שלח לחמך על פני המים, רבי אלעזר בן שמוע הוה מטייל על כיף ימא רבה, חמא אילפא דמיטרפא בימא כהריפת עין טבעת וטבע כל מה דהוה בה, חמא חד גבר דיתיב על קורשא דספינתא מגלא לגלא סליק ליבשתא, כד הוא הוה ערטילאי והוה מיטמר בכיף ימא, ארעת ענתה דישראל סלקין לריגלא בירושלם, אמר להון מן בני עשו אחוכון אנא הבו לי זעיר כסות ואיכסי בה תתאי דערעני ימא ולא אישתזב גבאי מידי, אמרין ליה כן יתערערן כל אומתך, תלה עיניה וחמא ית רבי אלעזר דהוה מטייל ביניהן, אמר מסתכל אנא דאת גבר סב ויקיר מאומתך ואת חכים ביקרי דברייתא, אלא זכי בי והב לי תכסית דאכסי בה תתאי דערערן ימא, הוה על רבי אלעזר בן שמוע שבע איצטלוון, שלח חד ויהביה ליה, אובליה לביתיה ואכליה ואשקיה ויהב ליה תרין מאוון דינרין וארכביה ארבעה עשר פרסין, ועבד ליה יקרא סגי עד דאעליה לביתיה, לבתר יומין מת קיסר הרשע ואימנו ליה מלכא תחותיה, גזר על מדינתא ההיא כל גוברין לקטלא וכל נשיא לביזה, אמרו לר' אלעזר בן שמוע זיל ופייס עלינן אמר לון אתון ידעיתון הדא מלכותא עבדא מידי על מגן, אמרו ליה אית הכא ארבעה אלפין דינרין סב יתהון ואזיל ופייס עלינן, נסב יתהון וסלק, וקם על תרע מלכותא, אמר לון איזלון אימרון למלכא חד גבר יהודאי קאים על תרעא בעי מישאל שלמא דמלכא, אמר אעלוניה, כד חמיניה מלכא שדא מעל כורסייה ונפל על אנפוהי, אמר ליה מאי עיסקיה דמרי הכא ולמה איצטער מרי להכא, אמר בגין דתתרחם על הדא מדינתא ותתבטל הדא גזירתא, אמר ליה אורייתא כלום כתיב בה שיקרא, אמר ליה לא, אמר ליה לא כתיב בתורתכם לא יבא עמוני ומואבי בקהל ה', למה, על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם בלחם ובמים וכתיב (דברים כג) לא תתעב אדומי כי אחיך הוא ואנא לא בר עשו אחוכון אנא ולא גמלון לי חסד, ומאן דעבר אדאורייתא חייב לקטלא, א"ל רבי אלעזר בן שמוע אף על פי דהינון חייבין לך תישבוק ותרחם עליהון, אמר ליה ואת ידע הדא מלכותא עבדא מידי על מגן, אמר ליה אית עמי ארבעת אלפין דינרין סב יתהון ואיתרחם עליהון, אמר ליה ארבעה אלפין הללו יהון לך יהיבין חלף תרין מאוון דיהבת לי, ומדינתא כולה תהא משתזבא בגינך, חלף מיכלא ומישתיא דאוכלת ואשקת יתי, ועול לבי געא וגנזי דידי וסב לך שבעין איצטלוון דלבושן חלף איצטלא דיהבת לי, וזיל בשלם על אומתך ואשביקין בגינך וקרון עלוי שלח לחמך על פני המים, עובדא הוה בחד בר נש דבכל יום הוה נסיב חד עיגול ומקלק לימא רבא, חד יומא אזל וזבין חד נון קרעיה ואשכח ביה סימא אמרו ליה היידי הוא גברא דקם ליה עיגוליה, וקרון עלוי שלח לחמך על פני המים, א"ר יצחק עובדא הוה בפרגמטוזטוס שהיה מהלך בדרך בהדי אסרדיוט חד, כשהן מהלכין זה עם זה קשר עמו חיבה, כיון שנכנסו לעיר הכניסו עמו והאכילהו והשקהו, לבתר יומין איתציד ההוא פרגמטוזטוס דהוה מזבין מנין מגעגעין בדמא, שמע ההוא אסרדיוט ואתא לגביה, אמר ליה מה את עביד הכא, תני ליה עובדא אמר ליה כד את נפיק למיתדנא אימא להו פלן חכים עלי זכו, כד נפק לאתדנא אמר פלוני חכים עלי זכו, אמרון ליה מה זכו את ידע לדין, אמר לון אחוי דקטילא הוה חייב לי ולא הוה ליה מה יתן ונסיבית ית מנוי ויהבית יתהון לדין למזבנא יתהון לי, אמרין נאמן מנאמן קביל והוא נפיק לדימוס, וקרון עליה שלח לחמך על פני המים, ר' אלעזר ברבי סימאי פתר באברהם אבינו אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא אתה אמרת (בראשית י"ח) ואקחה פת לחם חייך שאני פורע לבניך במדבר וביישוב ולעתיד לבא, במדבר שנאמר (שמות ט"ז) הנני ממטיר לכם לחם מן השמים, בישוב, שנאמר (דברים ח') ארץ חטה ושעורה, לעתיד לבא שנאמר (תהלים ע"ב) יהי פסת בר בארץ, אמרת ורחצו רגליכם חייך אני פורע לבניך במדבר ובישוב ולעתיד לבא, במדבר, שנאמר (יחזקאל ט"ז) וארחצך במים וגו', בישוב שנאמר (ישעיה א') רחצו הזכו, לעתיד לבא, שנאמר (שם /ישעיה/ ד') אם רחץ ה' את צואת בנות ציון, אמרת יקח נא מעט מים חייך אני פורע לבניך במדבר וביישוב ולעתיד לבא, במדבר, שנאמר (במדבר כ"א) עלי באר וגו', בישוב שנא' (דברים ח') ארץ נחלי מים וגו', לעתיד לבא, שנא' (יואל ד') והיה ביום ההוא יטפו ההרים עסיס וכל הגבעות תלכנה חלב וכל אפיקי יהודה ילכו מים וגו', אמרת והשענו תחת העץ חייך אני פורע לבניך במדבר ובישוב ולעתיד לבא, במדבר, שנאמר (תהלים ק"ה) פרש ענן למסך, בישוב שנאמר (ויקרא כ"ג) בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסוכות, לעתיד לבא, שנאמר (ישעיה ד') וסכה תהיה לצל יומם וגו'.
 R. Eleazar b. Shammua was walking on the rocks by the sea, when he saw a ship which was tossed about in the water suddenly sink with all on board. He noticed a man sitting on a plank of the ship [carried] from wave to wave until he stepped ashore. Being naked he hid himself among the rocks by the sea. It happened to be the time for the Israelites to go up to Jerusalem for the Festival. He said to them, I belong to the descendants of Esau, your brother; give me a little clothing wherewith to cover my nakedness because the sea stripped me bare and nothing was saved with me. They retorted, ' So may all your people be stripped bare! He raised his eyes and saw R. Eleazar who was walking among them; he exclaimed, I observe that you are an old and respected man of your people, and you know the respect due to your fellow-creatures. So help me, and give me a garment wherewith to cover my nakedness because the sea stripped me bare. R. Eleazar b. Shammua was wearing seven robes; he took one off and gave it to him. He also led him to his house, provided him with food and drink, gave him two hundred dinars, drove him fourteen Persian miles, and treated him with great honor until he brought him to his home. Some time later the wicked emperor died, and they elected this man king in his stead, and he decreed1 concerning that province that all the men were to be killed and all the women taken as spoil. They said to R. Eleazar b. Shammua, Go and intercede for us. He told them You know that this government does nothing without being paid. They said to him, ' Here are four thousand dinars; take them and go and intercede for us. He took them and went and stood by the gate of the royal palace. He said to [the guards], Go, tell the king that a Jew is standing at the gate, and wishes to greet the king. The king ordered him to be brought in. On beholding him the king descended from his throne and prostrated himself before him. He asked him, What is my master's business here, and why has my master troubled to come here? ' He replied, ' That you should have mercy upon this province and annul this decree. The king asked him, ' Is there any falsehood written in the Torah? ' ' No, was the reply; and he said to him, ' Is it not written in your Torah, An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord (Deut. XXIII, 4)? What is the reason? Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way (ib. 5). It is also written, Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother (ib. 8); and am I not a descendant of Esau, your brother, but they did not treat me with kindness! And whoever transgresses the Torah incurs the penalty of death. R. Eleazar b. Shammua replied to him, Although they are guilty towards you, forgive them and have mercy upon them. He said to him, You know that this government does thing without being paid. He told him, ' I have with me four thousand dinars; take them and have mercy upon the people. ' He said to him, ' These four thousand dinars are presented to you in exchange for the two hundred which you gave me, and the whole province will be spared for your sake in return for the food and drink with which you provided me. Go also into my treasury and take seventy robes of honor in return for the robe you gave me, and go in peace to your people whom I forgive for your sake. They applied to him the text, CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS.

[14] This teaching of Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter (known as the Chiddushei Harim), is reported by his grandson Pinchas Menachem (Elazar) Yostman in his Siftai Tzadik Parashat Kedoshim section 11.
ספר שפתי צדיק - פרשת קדושים
יא) ואהבת לרעך כמוך. בגמרא (ב"מ סב.) דריש בן פטורא ב' שהיו מהלכין בדרך והי' ביד אחד קיתון של מים ואם ישתו שניהם ימותו שניהם מוטב שימותו שניהם, עד שבא ר' עקיבא ולימד וחי אחיך עמך חייך קודמין לחיי חבירך. אמר זקיני הק' ז"ל מהו הלשון עד שבא ר' עקיבא, אמר שכל אחד מישראל צריך לרצות לעשות כבן פטורא, כי איך יוכל לראות במיתת חברו, רק מטעם שר' עקיבא מלמדו להקדים חיי עצמו לכך הוא מוכרח לשתות, והסתפק זקיני מו"ר ז"ל איך יעשה אם יש ב' צמאים זולתו וברכושו ליתן לאחד להחיותו עד שיגיע לישוב ואם יתן לשניהם ימותו שניהם, נראה שמחויב ליתן לשניהם שלא שייך הטעם חייך קודמין, (עיין לקמן פרשת בהר אות לה)

[15] Meïr Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser - the Malbim in his commentary to Vayikra 19:18, 45 speculates that Ben Azzai agrees with Ben Petura.
מלבים על ויקרא פרק יט פסוק יח
<מה> ואהבת לרעך כמוך, כבר העירו המפ' שאא"ל שיאהב את חברו כאשר אוהב את עצמו שזה דבר שאינו בכח הנפש. וגם אין לצוות על אהבה או שנאה שאין אדם מושל עליהם ... ואהבת לרעך כמוך רע"א זה כלל גדול בתורה בן עזאי א' זה ספר תולדות אדם זה כלל גדול מזה ע"כ. ומובן במ"ש, ועי' בב"ר (פכ"ד) הביא ג"כ דברי ר"ע ובן עזאי. וכפי ההשערה דברי ר"ע לשטתו (בספרא בהר פרשה ה' מ"ג) שדרש חייך קודמים לשל חברך. ודברי בן עזאי כבן פטורי שם. ואכמ"ל יותר:
[16] As it says “His brother shall live with him”.

Echoes of Eden

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Audio and Essays Parashat Emor

Audio and Essays Parashat Emor

New Echoes of Eden Project:
Sanctify Life

New Essay on Parashat Kedoshim
Put a Little Love in Your Heart (What Happened with Rabbi Akiva’s new students)


Audio:
Extension of Holiness

Parshat Emor / Holiness From Above And From Below Lag B Omer

Parshat Emor / Ish Tam

Parshat Emor / Shabbat

Parshat Emor / The Son Of The Egyptian Man

Parshat Emor / The Dual Aspects of Sefirat Haomer





Extension of Holiness


Essays:
The Story Behind the Story

The Omer - Bread from Heaven

The Quality of Innocence

An Extension of Holiness



Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Parashat Acharei Mot 5776 A Holy, Delicate Land

Echoes of Eden
Rabbi Ari Kahn
Parashat Acharei Mot 5776
A Holy, Delicate Land

Perhaps reading the parasha from a post-Pesach perspective impacts what we see, but there are one or two comments in this week’s parasha that are particularly apt for this time of year - after the seder, when all of us felt as if we had been redeemed from Egypt.

The book of Vayikra is almost completely devoid of chronological and geographical reference points, giving the book a certain feel of timelessness. Nonetheless, we do know that the context, both geographically and historically, is somewhere between Egypt and the Promised Land:

Do not follow the ways of the Land of Egypt where you lived, nor of the Land of Canaan, where I will be bringing you. Do not follow [any] of their customs. (Vayikra 18:3)

As an introduction to a set of laws that create a new morality, the Torah warns against the practices of these depraved nations, and then proceeds to list forbidden sexual relations and practices. At the end of the list, an additional consideration is introduced: Not only are these behaviors wrong from the Torah’s perspective, but the Land of Israel – the Holy Land - cannot tolerate depravity of this sort:

Do not let yourselves be defiled by any of these acts. It was as a result of these behaviors that the nations that I am driving away before you became defiled. The land became defiled, and I held them responsible for the sins committed there, and the Land vomited out its inhabitants…The people who lived in the land before you did all these disgusting perversions and defiled the land. But [you shall not cause] the land to vomit you out by defiling it, as it vomited out the nation that was there before you. (Vayikra 18:24-28)

There is a price to be paid for holiness; the spiritual constitution of the Land of Israel cannot tolerate sin – certainly not certain types of sin. It was this profound holiness, reflected in the laws unique to the Land of Israel (particularly the agricultural laws, designed to create a more caring and cohesive society) that scared off many a settler throughout the centuries. “Am I on a high enough spiritual level,” they wondered, “to live in such a holy place?” They additional laws, and the more exacting level of Divine scrutiny, were frightening. After all, this land is described as a place of unique character and characteristics:

The land you are about to occupy is not like Egypt, the place you left, where you could plant seeds and irrigate it by yourself, like a vegetable garden. Rather, the land which you are crossing into is a land of mountains and valleys, which can be irrigated only by the rain. It is therefore a land constantly under Almighty God’s scrutiny; the eyes of the Almighty your God are on it at all times, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year. (Dvarim 11:10-12)

God’s constant scrutiny is daunting; who could possibly live under such pressure? Who would willingly subject themself to that? Nonetheless, the tradeoff – the opportunity to live in “God’s palace,” to be close to the Divine, seems like an offer one cannot possibly refuse.

Those who make that leap, those who cross over and settle in the Promised Land, may be tempted see others in a harsh, critical light, and to hold them up to impossibly high standards: “Perhaps they are unworthy, perhaps they will cause all of us to be expelled.” Such self-righteous posturing was anticipated years ago by a famous Kabbalist, Rabbi Avraham Azzulai. Looking back at the verses in this week’s parashah, Rabbi Azzulai drew the opposite conclusion regarding the “others” who live in this land, those perceived as not that holy enough or deserving enough:

And you should know that every person who lives in the Land of Israel is considered a tzaddik (righteous person), including those who do not appear to be tzaddikim. For if he was not righteous, the land would expel him, as it says “a land that vomits out its inhabitants.” Since the land did not vomit him out, he is certainly righteous, even though he appears to be wicked. (Rabbi Avraham Azzulai, Hesed l’Avraham, ma’ayan 3 nahar 12)

The Land of Israel is indeed a holy land, and when we look at ourselves, each of us should make sure that we live up to God’s standards. In order to merit living in the Holy Land, we must reject the sordid behavior of the Egyptians and the Canaanites, and follow the way of God. However, when we look at others, we must never question their right to be in the Holy Land. The fact that the land “tolerates” their presence is proof enough that they are deserving, and holy.

For more in depth study see:

Echoes of Eden

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

(And God Said…) I am Sorry

Echoes of Eden

(And God Said…) I am Sorry

Rabbi Ari Kahn

Every spring, a number of days of commemoration are observed.  Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron, established by the government of Israel, are days in which we honor the memory of the fallen – first for the victims of the Holocaust and then for those who gave their lives to create and defend the State of Israel. On these solemn days, we remember the fallen as individuals, just as we attempt to transmit the lessons learned from tragic loss to the next generation.
Yom HaAtzmaut immediately follows Yom HaZikaron, marking the establishment of the State of Israel and celebrating our continued freedom and sovereignty in our homeland. These three days, clustered together in a very intensive sequence, create a period of national introspection and stock-taking in which we consider, on the one hand, our many achievements and the unprecedented success of the Jewish nation-state, while on the other hand, the extreme sacrifices that were made to achieve our freedom. By creating the juxtaposition between Remembrance Day and Independence Day, this was the underlying message Israel’s founders hoped to convey  - a lesson they apparently learned from the juxtaposition of the solemn fast of Esther and the celebratory holiday of Purim: Our victory, our survival, was made possible by almost-unthinkable sacrifice.
Similarly, the darkness of the Holocaust is contrasted with the dawn of the emerging Jewish state – not to insinuate a correlation or “barter” of six million souls for the establishment of the State, but to help us appreciate the contrast between these two eras through their juxtaposition. The Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel should be seen as polar opposites – not only in the political or physical sense, but also, as Rabbi Soloveitchik encouraged us to understand them, in terms of their theological implications.
The Holocaust is an archetypical example of darkness, of the hester panim (literally “hidden face”) mentioned in the book of D’varim: “I will surely hide my face on that day…” (31:18). Conversely, the establishment of the modern State of Israel is a revelation of God’s presence and active involvement in Jewish history, a dazzling gilui panim (revelation) in which God’s hand is unmistakable. The contrast between the darkness that we experienced and the emergence into the light and warmth of modern Israel is almost startling.
In a very real sense, the relationship between God and the Jewish people may be likened to the cycle of the moon, which disappears and then reappears, at first as a sliver, and eventually as a full moon. A brief rabbinic comment regarding the new moon may help us reframe this strange shift from darkness to light from a theocentric perspective: On each holiday, we are commanded to sacrifice a sin-offering, just as a sin-offering is brought on the eve of every new month. However, the biblical passage that describes the sin-offering on Rosh Hodesh – the new moon – differs from all the others. In all other instances, the Torah refers simply to the “sin-offering.” Only the sacrifice brought on Rosh Hodesh is described as “a sin-offering for God” (B’midbar 28:15). The Talmud (Hullin 60b) offers a philosophical explanation for this anomaly: God asks that a sin offering be brought each month to atone for His own sin – the sin of diminishing the moon.
The implications of this teaching are extraordinary, and they speak to the very core of our reality.  The world was created with a delicate balance between light and darkness, between clarity and obscurity, between revelation and hester panim. Presumably, this balance is necessary in order to create an atmosphere in which man can retain free will, which is the very foundation of our independent existence.  In a world in which God’s constant, active involvement in human history is always apparent, free will is eclipsed, and man cannot thrive. Ultimately, the periods of darkness, the terrible bouts of existential loneliness, are as spiritually beneficial for us as the periods of light. The waves of hester panim, as they are juxtaposed with gilui panim, sharpen our awareness of the Divine and encourage us to seek out the spiritual message contained in the darkness, in the silence, in the pain that precedes the appearance of that sliver of moon. It is the struggle with the darkness that allows us to grow.
And yet, God expresses remorse for inflicting upon us the hours, days, even years of darkness and doubt. God takes responsibility for the pain we must experience. “Pray for Me,” He says. “Bring an offering to atone for My sin. Forgive Me.” By commanding us to bring this offering, God says “Forgive Me for the pain you have experienced.” We might consider this the flip-side of the coin of the human condition: We all, unavoidably, sin. When we do, we turn to God, we desperately pray and plead for forgiveness. Once each month, the proverbial shoe is on the other foot, and God seeks our forgiveness for the pain inherent in the human condition. Can we rejoice in the loving reunion that ensues as the light overcomes the darkness and we realize that the pain was an indispensable stage in our spiritual growth? Do we have the moral fortitude to forgive God?


This essay originally appeared in the Times of Israel, April 28th 2014





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