NOW IT WAS ON THE MORROW: MOSHE SAT TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE

AND THE PEOPLE STOOD BEFORE MOSHE

FROM DAYBREAK UNTIL SUNSET.

WHEN MOSHE'S FATHER-IN-LAW SAW ALL THAT HE HAD TO DO FOR THE PEOPLE, HE SAID: WHAT KIND OF MATTER IS THIS THAT YOU DO FOR THE PEOPLE?

WHY DO YOU SIT ALONE,

WHILE THE ENTIRE PEOPLE STATIONS ITSELF

AROUND YOU FROM DAYBREAK UNTIL SUNSET?

 

The Judge Can Judge Only By What He Sees

... From the text, it seems that originally Moshe Rabeinu did not intend to appoint an administrative system for the nation; he had intended that the nation be led by divine inspiration which would reach the nation through him - through the man whom God "knew face to face". He had tried to implement such a system. We read that he sat "from morning to evening", and, employing the holy spirit which was within him - dispensed justice.

But later he learned from his gentile father in law, who had come close to the God of Israel, that even leadership according to the word of God requires human tools and devices, which derive from the powers and the talents latent in men themselves. Therefore, mortals are appointed to administer and to judge people; true, they must meet high standards - "capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who spurn ill-gotten gain" - qualities rare, but human. What is not demanded of them? Presence of divine inspiration.

This being so, administration and judgement according to the Torah are deposited in the hands of mortals, who act according to their knowledge and comprehension of God's Torah and out of desire to observe and preserve this Torah.

 (Y. Leibowitz: Remarks on the Weekly Parasha, p. 50)

 

 

 

HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR FATHER -

THAT YOU MAY HAVE A LONG LIFE

Saul Davis

 

The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts: The first part includes those commandments "between man and the Omnipresent", the second, those "between man and his fellow". At the point of conjunction between the two groups, we find the fifth commandment: "Honor your father and your mother" (Shemot 20:12). As a rule, the Torah does not specify the reward or the punishment for observance or non-observance of commandments. Such is not the case with this commandment. The Torah records that which seems to be reward for observance of this mitzvah: "in order that your days may be prolonged on the soil that the Lord your God is giving you." Respect for parents merits longevity. In the Sefer Devarim reiteration of the Ten Commandments, additional reward is promised: "in order that it may go well with you" (Devarim 5:16). In a conference dealing with social security and, primarily, with old age pensions, in which I participated, I was asked (in my role as kipah-wearer): Why does the Torah tie respect for parents to longevity? After some thought (and consultation with my wife), I discovered a possible answer to this question.

 

Understanding a number of basic principles is essential to the answer.

Chazal asked (Bavli, Kiddushin 31b) "What constitutes "kibbud" ("honor"), as is written: "Honor your father and your mother?" The answer given is: "Feeds, gives to drink, dresses, covers, brings in and takes out" - in other words, the son/daughter worries about the physical needs and daily welfare of the parents.

The noted Canadian psychologist, Albert Bandura, researched child development. He, and others, developed the theory of social learning. According to Bandura, a child learns to behave by study and observation of the society in which he lives. The primary models in the child's environment are its parents. The parents also reinforce what they perceive to be the child's positive behavior. Other psychologists stress the importance of the social environment for the child in additional to the importance of the parents. As is well known, a person's properties (actually, the properties of anything) are affected by both heredity and environmental factors.

"Woe to the evildoer, woe to his neighbor; good for the tzaddik, good for his neighbor" (Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Korach, 8; Rashi on Korach (Bemidbar 16:1), and others). Chazal, too, recognized the importance of the environment, and its great influence upon his behavior. For example:

1.     Regarding Noah it is written (Bereishit 6:9): "Noah was a righteous, wholehearted man in his generation" Rashi, following the midrash (Bereishit Rabba 30:6), brings two opinions regarding the degree of Noah's 'righteousness" : "... laudatory - had he lived in a generation of righteous people, he would have been even a greater tzaddik..., deprecatory - in his generation he was considered a tzaddik; had he lived in the generation of Avraham he would have been considered as nothing." Both views recognize the mutual influences between man and society - they differ only in their evaluation of whether Noah's righteousness would have stood out among tzaddikim.

2.     Lot endangered his life in order to offer the two angels hospitality, but this was not the reason he and his family were spared when the town was destroyed. A midrash agaddah (Bereishit 19:16) states: Because when Avraham went about in Egypt, Lot did not reveal Avraham's secret, as is written (regarding his wife in Bereishit 12:13) 'She is my sister' - therefore The Holy One, Blessed Be He, had mercy upon him, and saved him." For Lot, who had lived many years with Avraham, hospitality was taken for granted, as Rashi - commenting on the Sodom story - said, "From Avraham's home he learned to seek out guests" (Bereishit Rabba). Hospitality was so great a value for Lot, that he was even willing to endanger himself for its sake. On the other hand, not to inform on Avraham and benefit thereby, as Avraham had benefited ("that it may go well with me - (Bereishit 12:13 - and Rashi remarks "They will give me gifts"), this made very difficult demands upon Lot, and therefore he was worthy of praise and reward.

In the light of this, one can understand the words "in order that your days may be prolonged ("and that it may go well with you") following the commandment "Honor your father and your mother". Our children will note our behavior towards the previous generation - for better and for worse. To the degree which we show concern for our parents' welfare, our children will learn - through social learning and personal example - the importance of honoring parents, and how, in practice, to do so; as a result, our children, when the time arrives, will continue in this way, and will care for us in similar fashion (and the converse is also true). A person who receives good care and respect in old age will feel better both physically and psychologically, and will live longer - exactly as the Torah promised.

It seems to me that this is the point Rashi is making when he quotes from the Mechilta (Chap. 8): "If you honor, they [your days] will be made longer; if not, they will be shortened." From the positive aspect, the Mishnah (which we recite every morning) states "These are the precepts whose fruits a person enjoys in this world but whose principal remains intact for him in the world to come" (Peah 1:1). Heading the Mishnah's list is "Honoring father and mother"; the main reward for observing this mitzva is given - as for all mitzvoth - in the world to come, but - as explained above - there are also benefits and dividends ('their fruits') reaped in this world.

It is interesting to note that the mitzvah of "shiluach ha'kan" - the sending off of the mother bird - employs terminology similar to that of the fifth commandment. "Send off, yes, send off the mother, and take the offspring for yourself, in order that it may go well with you and that your days may be prolonged" (Devarim 22:6). We have to understand the importance of the bond between parent and child, and at least - when we come to take the fledglings or the eggs - refrain from taking them in their mother's presence. Respect for parents in the main mitzvah; "the bird's nest" is a more symbolic one, educating us towards the mitzvah of honoring parents. Therefore the reward for the two mitzvoth is identical. (Needless to say, reward is relative to effort; the sending away of the mother bird is an easy mitzvah, compared with the honoring of parents which is a most difficult mitzvah to observe (See the last Mishneh in Hullin, and the Bavli 142a).

It is advantageous for us to be concerned for the welfare of the previous generation, in order that the next generation will care for us. The meaning of this is, on a social level in a modern Jewish state which draws inspiration from our sources, that we must maintain a system of old age pensions, old age homes, etc, in order that the aged among never have to say: "Do not cast us off in old age; when our strength diminishes, leave us not" (Psalms 71:9).

Saul Davis is a lawyer who resides in Beer Sheva. He is married to Michal Faroy who is a doctoral candidate in developmental psychology.

 

 

The Torah Was Given In Peace And Unity

"And Israel camped there" - as one man with a single heart; all other campings were accompanied by quarrel and controversy.

(Rashi 19:2)

 

Great is peace: regarding all other journeys, it is written, "They traveled... they camped" - they traveled in controversy and they camped in controversy. But upon arrival at Mt. Sinai, they became one camp, as is written (Shemot 19) "And Israel camped there" it does not say "va'yachanu" [plural mode - "they camped"] but "va'yichan" [singular mode - "he camped"]. Said The Holy One, Blessed Be He: This is the time to give the Torah to my children."

 (Vayikra Rabba 9)

 

"Other Gods"

"You shall have no other gods" - are they really gods? Is it not written, "And have committed their gods to the flames and have destroyed them, for they are not gods"? What then are we to learn from "other gods"? But [the meaning is that] others consider them to be gods. An alternative explanation: "other gods" - they delay the good from coming into the world. [Translator note: The root a'ch'r' means both 'other' and 'to delay"] Another explanation: "Other gods" - they are others to their worshippers, as is written, "If they cry out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save them from distress" (Isaiah 46:7)

 (Mechilta, Parashat Yitro, Mashechet D'BaChodesh, Parasha 5)

 

"Please do not bury me in Egypt" - why?... Lest they make me an object of idolatry.

 (Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishit, Chap. 47, 156)

 

Let us now discuss anger. There is the short-tempered person of whom it is written "One who is quick to anger is like one who worships idolatrously". This is the person who becomes furious whenever his will is contradicted, becoming filled with rage, to the point where he loses good judgment. Such a person would destroy the world if only he could, because his intelligence has no control over him; like all animals of prey, he is unreasonable, and of him it is written (Job 8): "You who tear yourself to pieces in anger - will earth's order be disrupted for your sake?" It is easy for him to transgress all sorts of sins in the world if his fury carries him there, for he has no motivation other than his anger - wherever it leads him, he follows.

 (Mesillot Yesharim, Chapter 11)

 

Included in the widespread idolatry in today's world is a powerful reality: the concentration of all thought and activity towards the accumulation of wealth and the success of possessions. They are the mighty gods upon whom they lean, they are supported by their faith; by sanctification of their names, they deny the existence of God above.

(Quoted from the "Baal HaAkedah" by Prof. Nechama Leibowitz z"l, in "New Studies in the Book of Shemot" , p. 234)

 

The names change, the multiplicity remains. Culture and civilization, nation and state, nationality and race, economy and class - here you see an partial list of the pantheon of contemporary gods. Who can deny the existence of these gods? Never had an 'idol worshipper' bowed to his god with greater sacrifice, greater faith, than does modern man... therefore, even until this day, in man's heart a war is waged - between the worship of the One and worship of the many, and the outcome of this battle is uncertain.

(From "Franz Rosenzweig: Jehuda Halevi - Anmerkungen", translated and quoted by Prof. Nechama Leibowitz z"l)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editorial Board: Pinchas Leiser (Editor), Miriam Fine (Coordinator), Itzhak Frankenthal and Dr. Menachem Klein

Translation: Kadish Goldberg

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