I Am My Brother s Keeper!

Transcription

1 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility Essay Sources Teaching Guide Hoshana Rabbah 5764 Prepared by David Jay Derovan for the

2 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 2 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility Contents Essay Page 3 Sources Page 12 Teaching Guide Page David Jay Derovan Beit Shemesh, Israel All Rights Reserved

3 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 3 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility Essay by Rabbi David Jay Derovan, Jerusalem Hoshana Rabbah 5764

4 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 4 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility Questions Questions Questions Just open the newspaper or watch TV and you will see Jews everywhere. Jews in America stand in the forefront of society s most important endeavors. From the White House and the Congress, to universities, from the science laboratories to social welfare organizations, Jews are everywhere. Why? Why do Jews have such a developed social conscience? Why are Jews always trying to help others? Here is a story to illustrate this point: A friend was driving along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York City. He spotted a car, out of commission, ahead. Next to the car he noticed a fellow wearing a large, black Yarmulke, so he stopped to help. The Yarmulke-wearing driver asked to be taken to the nearest gas station, so my friend obliged him. On the way, my friend asked where this fellow was from. Oh, Brooklyn, was the answer. And in which Shul do you Daven? was the next question. When the fellow started to hem and haw, my friend took a good look at him and guessed, You re not Jewish are you? No. I m not Jewish, replied the owner of the broken down car. Then why are you wearing a Yarmulke? asked my friend. Well, you see, said the fellow, for years I have been driving along the expressway and when ever I see a Jewish fellow with a Yarmulke on whose car has broken down, there are two or three other cars stopped nearby with people helping him. So I went and bought a Yarmulke. And you see that it works! You stopped to help me. Why? Why are we always there to extend a helping hand? The First Half of the Answer The answer comes in two parts. The first half of the answer is cultural. We are heirs to a long, honored and honorable tradition that stretches back in time to the very beginning of recorded human history. The Tanach is replete with episodes, words of wisdom and even commandments that come together to teach us to care for our fellow Jews and for all humanity. The Mishnah, Midrash and Gemara also contain innumerable stories, discussions, explanations and laws that teach us the same lesson: Be good to one another! Help one another! All the generalities are fine, but specificity is the name of the game here. So, let us examine some of these teachings more closely. Teach Me the Entire Torah while I Stand on One Leg A word of introduction is in order. Two of the greatest sages from the time of the Mishnah were Shamai and Hillel. Even though they were best of friends, Shamai and Hillel engaged in heated

5 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 5 debates about many topics in Jewish law. As the following story illustrates, they held opposite opinions on many issues. One day a non-jew showed up Shamai s house and asked Shamai, Teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one leg. The phrase, while I stand on one leg, does not mean that the fellow intended to hop around on one foot while Shamai taught him Torah. Rather, he was asking to be taught the extremely short version of Torah, a cheeky request to say the least. Shamai, who must have been building something in his garage at the time, chased the fellow away while waving a yardstick at him. The non-jew went across the street to Hillel. He repeated his request. Hillel agreed and actually converted him. Indeed, Hillel taught him all of Torah while the fellow stood on one leg. Hillel said, Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to your friend. This is the entire Torah. All the rest is commentary. Go and learn! Hillel certainly saw past the fellow s Chutzpah. He saw that he was serious. Hillel understood the question properly. The non-jew wanted to know the very essence of Torah. So Hillel taught him that the very core of the Torah was to teach us to treat each other properly. Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to your friend. This is the entire Torah. All the rest is commentary. The aphorism Hillel used is simply the other side of a coin that appears in the Torah itself. In ואהבת לרעך כמוך. - yourself VaYikra 19:18 it is written, Love your neighbor as Three great sages, from Mishnaic times, comment on the idea of this verse, including the famous Rabbi Akiva. In doing so, they expand our understanding of what Hillel said. Here is a short passage from the Midrash Berayshit Rabbah (24:7): Ben Azzai said, This is the book of generations of man (Berayshit 5:1). This is a primary principle of Torah. Rabbi Akiva said, Love your neighbor as yourself (VaYikra 19:18). This is a primary principle of Torah. You should not say, Since I was humiliated, let my friend be humiliated with me; since I was cursed, let my friend be cursed with me. Rabbi Tanchum said, If you did this, know who you are humiliating. He made him in the Lord s image (Berayshit 5:1) Ben Azzai begins by pointing to the verse that introduces the genealogy connecting Adam and Eve to Noah and, thereby, to the rest of humanity. In effect, he is saying that we all come from the same roots. All of humanity shares the same mother and father. We are all brothers. Thus, we have to treat each other with the same love and sensitivity shared by brothers and sisters. Rabbi Akiva points to the famous verse, Love your neighbor as yourself (VaYikra 19:17). To love yourself is to want only the best for yourself. Then you should want only the best for your friend. Indeed, you should want and strive to get for your friend only the best, even if it is better than what you are receiving. While Ben Azzai delivers a universal message, Rabbi Akiva takes a particularistic point of view. The neighbor in this verse is your fellow Jew. The Torah obligates each Jew to love every other Jew. Thus, Rabbi Akiva teaches us a multiple lesson from this verse. Rabbi Tanchum sees it from a different perspective. To mistreat our fellow human being is an affront against God, Himself, for each and every one of us was created in His image. Indeed, to mistreat another human being is to deny the image of the divine that resides within. It is this divine

6 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 6 essence that makes us human, that makes us different from the rest of creation. To mistreat another human being is to deny their humanity, i.e. their Tzelem Elokim. What Makes Jewish Ethics Special? The Talmud teaches us whoever aspires to piety and saintliness, let him fulfill the laws of Nezikin (Baba Kama 30). Nezikin are the laws governing buying and selling, civil matters and crime. Rabbi Chaim HaLevi Donin commented (To Be a Jew, Basic Books, New York, 1972, p. 42), By the same token acts of injustice, of brutality, of dishonesty, of deception, of slander, of unkindness, are all religious transgressions against God (his emphasis) no less than they are crimes against man. This very idea sets Judaism apart from humanistic ethics. To sin against man is to sin against God as well. And to do good for others, individually or collectively, is also a religious act, one motivated by our love and respect for God and His teachings. Rabbi Donin carries the idea further. They (the crimes mentioned above) are regarded as grave religious sins, perhaps even more than ritual violations. Consider the Al Chet confessional, which occupies a central place in the Yom Kippur service. It consists primarily of ethical-moral transgressions rather than ritual ones. The laws of Yom Kippur emphasize that God will forgive transgressions against Himself, but will not forgive transgressions against our fellow men unless amends are made and forgiveness is first obtained from the wronged party. (Ibid.) The story is told about the Chafetz Cha yim, Rabbi Yisra el Me ir HaCohen of Radin. The Chafetz Cha yim, who lived in the first part of this century, was famous for his extreme humility and saintliness. It would be hard to find a sweeter, kinder, gentler soul. His Magnum Opus, the Mishnah Berurah, serves as one of our primary Halachic guidebooks to this day. One day, the Chafetz Cha yim was traveling back to Radin by train. He was sitting in a compartment with three other religious Jews, who were businessmen on their way to Radin. These other gentlemen did not recognize the short, older man who spent his time with his nose stuck in a book. After a while, one of the businessmen took out a pack of cards and suggested that they all play a card game. The Chafetz Cha yim politely refused and continued to study Torah. Since four people were necessary for the game, the cards were put away. A while later, the cards were brought out again and the game suggested and again the Chafetz Cha yim refused to play. When he refused a third time, the businessmen became so upset that they picked up the old Jew and tossed him and his luggage out into the hallway of the train, slammed the door and locked it. So, the Chafetz Cha yim spent the last hour of the train ride to Radin sitting on the floor. The custom in those days was for businessmen, who had successfully completed their business, to end their trip to each town by calling on the town s sage or Rabbi. They usually received a blessing and they left a donation. So, you can certainly imagine the horror and surprise when these three businessmen where ushered into the room of the famous Chafetz Cha yim, only to discover themselves standing face to face with the old Jew from the train. The immediately started to cry and beg forgiveness. Forgive us, Rebbe! We didn t know it was you, the famous Chafetz Cha yim!! Please forgive us! We had no idea!! On and on they cried, until the Chafetz Cha yim held up his hand and stopped them. It is not from me, the famous Chafetz Cha yim, that you must ask forgiveness, said the sage. Oh no. You must return to the train and find the little old Jew and beg forgiveness from him! Immediately realizing the impossibility of this task, the businessmen began wailing and crying all over again. In the end, he did forgive them, but not before they had learned their lesson well. God is happy to forgive us for our sins. However, to forgive us for the sins we commit against our fellow human beings, we must first receive their forgiveness. Sometimes, that is an impossible task. Sometimes, we realize that we will never be able to find that little old Jew on the train. All the more reason, to be careful how we behave in the first place!

7 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 7 Desecrating God s Name What is the worst sin a person can commit? Remember that the Torah provides a rather elaborate system for removing sin, for achieving atonement. God does not want us to carry around our sin on our records, so to speak. Rather He is vitally interested that we leave the path of sin and return to the path of righteousness and good. So, what is the worst possible sin? Obviously, the sin that is hardest to remove from one s record. The answer to our question is found in the Talmud (Yoma 86a). The following quotation has had the Biblical proof texts removed, for they are not necessary for our discussion. Rabbi Matya ben Charash asked Rabbi Elazar ben Azari'ya in Rome: Have you heard of the four divisions of atonement which Rabbi Yishma'el would explain? He answered: There are [only] three [divisions] and Teshuvah (repentance) is part of each one. If he violated an "Active Mitzvah Mitzvat Asay" and repented, he does not move from there until they forgive him.... If he violated a "Prohibitive Mitzvah - Mitzvat Lo Ta'aseh" and repented, then Teshuvah (repentance) is held in abeyance [until Yom Kippur] and Yom Kippur atones.... If he violated a [sin whose punishment is] "extermination - Karayt" or capital punishment and he repented, Teshuvah (repentance) and Yom Kippur are held in abeyance and life's hardships cleanse him.... But whoever has the desecration of God's name on his hands, then Teshuvah (repentance) does not have the strength to be held in abeyance, nor does Yom Kippur [have the strength] to atone, nor life's hardships [the strength] to cleanse. Rather, they are all held in abeyance and death cleanses. So, there we have it. Without a doubt, the worst sin a person can commit is desecration of God s name. Only a lifetime of Yom Kippurs and repentance and hardship can atone for this sin. Death brings the final atonement. This answer raises another question, a question that the Talmud asks, What constitutes the desecration of God's name? Here is the Talmud s final, accepted answer, complete including the Biblical quotations. Abai'ya said: Like the Baraita: "You shall love God, your Lord" (Devarim 6:5) [meaning] that you should cause the name of heaven to be loved. He who reads and rereads (i.e. studies Torah) and serves the sages (Talmiday Chakhamim), and conducts his business in a trustworthy manner and speaks gently to others, what do people say about him? His father is happy because he taught him Torah. His teacher is happy because he taught him Torah. Woe to those who did not study Torah. This fellow studied Torah, look how pleasant are his ways, how correct his behavior; concerning him the text says, "He said to me: You are My servant, Israel, in whom I glory" (Isaiah 49:3). But whoever reads and rereads (i.e. studies Torah) and serves the sages (Talmiday Chakhamim), yet his business is not conducted in a trustworthy manner and he does not speak gently to others, what do people say about him? Woe to this fellow for learning Torah; woe to his father for teaching him Torah; woe to his teacher for teaching him Torah. This fellow who learned Torah, see how corrupt his behavior, how ugly his ways. Concerning him the text says, "As He said to them: These are God's people? And came from His land?!" (Ezekiel 36:20). According to Abai ya, one of the great Talmudic sages, the first person described here sanctifies God s name. The second person desecrates God s name. Look carefully. What is the difference between the two people? They both are devoted Yeshiva students. They both treat their teachers well. The question is how do they behave outside of the walls of the Yeshiva. How do they behave outside of the synagogue? Are they trustworthy? Are they honest in business? Do they have a

8 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 8 reputation for speaking nicely to others? The lesson of this Talmud quotation is clear. A Jew s behavior in society, the Jew s reputation for proper ethical behavior, for contributing positively to society, for just speaking nicely and pleasantly is the determining factor in living a life of sanctifying God s name in the world, or of, heaven forbid, desecrating God s name. True, the observance of the rituals Shabbat, prayer, blessings, and holidays along with other specifically God-directed commandments such as Kashrut is of primary importance. However, those commandments that teach us how to behave among our fellow human beings, that motivate us to help the lady next door, those needy people in our community as well as those around the world, are just as important. And our tradition emphasizes this point again and again. Perhaps, in some ways these interpersonal commandments are even more important! To Walk in God s Ways We mentioned before the idea that every human being was created in God s image. Just what does it mean to be created in God s image? One answer, hinted to above, is the concept of soul. The divine soul, that spiritual entity which resides within every person, is the divine image. There is another answer. Rambam (Moses Maimonides), in the very beginning of his Guide for the Perplexed, offers a different solution. In analyzing the Hebrew word that we have translated as image, Rambam teaches us that it really refers to behavior. The man s divine image is not a matter of physical form. Rather, it is a description of how a person is to behave. And now, Israel, what does God require of you? But to revere God, your Lord, and walk in His ways ועתה ישראל מה ה ' אלקיך שאל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ה' אלקיך ללכת בכל דרכיו (Devarim 10:12), says the Torah. And how are we to walk in God s ways? By now it should come as no surprise to learn that the Talmud answers, Just as He is merciful (Chanun) so be you merciful. Just as He is sensitive and caring (Rachum), so be you sensitive and caring -. אבא שאול אומר : ואנוהו - הוי דומה לו: מה הוא חנון ורחום - אף אתה היה חנון ורחום (Shabbat 133b). Just as God treats us in a merciful, sensitive and caring manner, so we must treat each other the same way. To be good to our fellow human beings, to help them is to actualize our divine image and to walk in God s ways. The Prophet Micah drives the same point home when he said: He has told you, Mankind, what is good. And what does God require of you? But to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk הגיד לך, אדם מה טוב ומה ה' דורש ממך כי אם עשות משפט ואהבת - God humbly and modestly with your.(6:8 (Micah חסד והצנע לכת עם אלקיך Remember the Chafetz Cha yim? As we saw previously, he truly understood this point. Indeed, he once wrote concerning the love of kindness that the entire Torah is permeated by this (kindness) concept. This brings us back to the beginning of our discussion in this section. When asked to teach the entire Torah while standing on one leg, Hillel answered, Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to your friend. This is the entire Torah. All else is commentary. Jews Are Special! There is nothing more Jewish than to walk in God s ways and to be kind and loving to absolutely everyone. However, the Torah also commands us to love our fellow Jews. Just as the Jewish people are God s chosen nation, so, too, the individual Jew is obligated to maintain a special love relationship with all other Jews. Think in terms of children. You certainly like all children, and when your child s friends come to your house for a birthday party, you treat them all equally. Every child gets exactly the same size piece of cake and scoop of ice cream, including your own child. The only difference is that you love your child more and he or she gets their ice cream and cake accompanied by a hug and a kiss. This is the basic Peshat in the verse, Love your neighbor as

9 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 9 yourself (VaYikra 19:18). While Ahavat Yisra el is a fine idea, we must be concerned with its operative and practical ramifications. One such concept and accompanying Halachot is the principle that all Jews are responsible one for the other. ישראל ערבים זה לזה כל This idea is the basis for the permission in certain cases to recite a Beracha for another person, thus relieving them of the obligation to say the blessing. What is intriguing here is the conceptual foundation of this principle. The people of Israel are not a simple aggregate of individuals. The Jewish nation is one organic whole. We are bound to each other to the extent that we are like one organism. That is why Rashi comments on the verse, They will fall over one another, as if chased by the sword, even when there is no one pursuing. You will not be able to stand before your enemies (VaYikra 26:37), that the Midrashic explanation of they will fall over one another is one will stumble because of the sin of another, for all Jews are responsible one for another. Even the sin of one Jew affects the collective whole of the nation. Here is how Rabbi Yehuda HaChasid expresses the idea in his Sefer HaChassidim (no. 233): All Israel are responsible one for the other. It is written, All the people answered with a single voice and said: All the words that God speaks, we will obey (Exodus 24:3). Even if a single individual had protested, the Torah would not have been given. Thus, we ברכנו etc. say, Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance, A simple maidservant saw with the light of the Shechinah at אבינו כולנו כאחד באור פניך the Reed Sea and at the giving of the Torah that which Yechezkel never saw in his prophecy. Thus, it says, May we all speedily merit His light; and Bless us, our Father, all of us as one; and it is written, God s glory will be revealed and all flesh, together, will see that God s very mouth has spoken (Yesha yahu 40:5). Our national organic oneness extends itself to individual spiritual prowess. Even the lowly, ignorant maidservant has the innate ability to see the wonders of God just like or even better than the greatest of the prophets. Rav Aryeh Kaplan writes in Love Means Reaching Out (New York, NCSY, 1974, p.19) that a ramification of this idea helps us understand why we are obligated by the covenant made at Sinai. Since the oath was taken unanimously by the entire community as a whole, then we are simply an extension of that community. The communal oath of covenant at Sinai affects every community member for ever after. The Maharal of Prague (Netivot Olam, Netiv HaTochachah, chapter 14) writes: The explanation of all Israel is responsible one for the other is that they are one nation, something you will not find in any other nation, [for] they are not one nation, like Israel. They (Israel) are like one person. If you hit one of his limbs, all the others feel it, for they are together one body. We Jews are unique. We are special. When one Jew is in pain, I feel his pain. When one group of Jews is in danger, then all other Jews rise to their aid. The Maharal (Netivot Olam, Netiv HaTzedakah, chapter 6) expands on the above idea in the following way: The Torah states, You should not give him your money with interest I am God, your Lord, who took you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, to be your Lord (VaYikra 25:37-38). What is this doing here? [Why does it say] to give you the land of Canaan, to be your Lord? Rather the explanation is that when the Jews entered Eretz Yisra el the Jews became a single, totally united nation. The proof for this is that so long as the Jews had not crossed the Jordan river and had not entered the land they were not punished for hidden sins (done privately), until they crossed [the Jordan] and became responsible for each other, they did not become Israel responsible (Arayvim) one for the

10 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 10 other. For someone becomes an Arayv when he is connected to the other; and the Jews did not become connected, to be entirely one nation until they came to the land and were together in the land and they had one place, namely Eretz Yisra el. Through Eretz Yisra el they became one entire nation. That is why it is written also to be your Lord, for they have one God, and, therefore, You should not give him your money with interest nor give your food with interest. According to the Maharal, to charge another Jew interest on a loan is to break the unity of the Jewish people. Interest on a loan is the antithesis of Arayvut. However, the Maharal adds another facet to our diamond. Since the principle of Arayvut did not go into effect until the Jews entered Eretz Yisra el for the first time, then the very essence of all Israel is responsible one for the other is rooted in Eretz Yisra el. Thus, the ultimate organic unity is not threefold but fourfold: God, Torah, the Jews and Eretz Yisra el! If nothing else, it certainly explains the unbreakable thread linking every Jew to the land of Israel, no matter where they reside. It also explains why every Jew in the Diaspora scans his daily newspaper looking for the news from Israel. The concern and the connection to Eretz Yisra el and the כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה. of Jews of Eretz Yisra el are an integral part To love your fellow Jew Ahavat Yisra el is a lofty concept. The Halacha brings it back down to earth for us. One of its primary halachic expressions is the idea of all Israel is responsible one for the other, which is one of the golden threads that runs through the very fabric of our observance and thinking as Jews. The Second Half of the Answer Why do Jews have such a developed social conscience? Why are Jews always trying to help others? Why are Jews always in the forefront of social movements? These are the questions we posed in the beginning of our discussion. We have examined source texts that give us the first half of the answer. We have seen how our Tradition teaches us the importance of, the dedication to, and the reason for helping others. Now we must present the second half of the answer. Here, to, we must turn to the pages of our Torah sources and glean from them ideas that express the second half of the answer. Do you ride a bicycle? When did you learn how to ride a bike? Did your dad teach you? Do you remember his instructions? When you ride a bicycle now, so many years later, do you consciously recall your dad s instructions as you mount the bike? Do you pedal and balance yourself consciously, thinking all the time, dad said to do it this way or that way? Of course, after so many years of riding a bicycle you do not think of the instructions as you get on and ride. Why not? Well, you say, I don t have to think of these things. They ve become second nature. They are part of me. And you are 100% correct. A lesson well learned is a lesson that becomes part of you. Educators use a fancy term to describe this phenomenon. They speak about integration. The ideas, the behaviors that are taught become integrated into the person. They have become part of the person. This is what has happened to the Jewish people. We have integrated the lesson totally. The concepts and ideas and instructions about caring for others and treating people properly reside in our hearts, in our souls, in our very beings, not just in books that sit on a shelf. This is the second half of the story. Not Who Is a Jew, But What Is a Jew In describing the Jewish people, the Talmud states, This people possess three characteristics. They are sensitive and caring (Rachmanim). They are modest and easily embarrassed (Baishanim). And they perform deeds of kindness (Gomlay Chassadim) (Yevamot 79a). Rabbi Chaim HaLevi Donin

11 I Am My Brother s Keeper! 11 explains this very well. When the ancient rabbis wished to indicate the characteristics which distinguish the Jews from the ancient heathens, they did not do it on the theological grounds that Jews worshipped one God, the heathens pagan idols or no god at all; that Jews rested one day a week, heathens did not; or that Jews performed certain ritual disciplines and heathens did not. Though all these were important and were certainly distinguishing characteristics of the Jew and his way of life, they emphasized that the Jew was merciful, he was modest, he was charitable (To Be A Jew, p. 42). Rambam takes this idea to its logical conclusion. There is reason to be suspicious of the Jewish credentials of one who is cruel (Mishnah Torah, Hilchot Issuray Bi ah 19:17). If a Jew is by nature sensitive and caring, then maybe a Jew who is constantly cruel to others is not really Jewish! In the first half of our answer, we quoted the Talmud saying, Just as He is merciful (Chanun) so be you merciful. Just as He is sensitive and caring (Rachum), so be you sensitive and caring. We explained that just as God treats us in a merciful, sensitive and caring manner, so we must treat each other the same way. This is indeed the lesson of this Talmudic statement. However, now we are ready to see a further dimension of this statement. One Chassidic Rebbe added that the Talmud does not say that God acts mercifully. Rather, God is merciful. God, Himself, in His very essence is merciful and compassionate. So, too, we must walk in His ways so that we, too, will not just act kindly, but will become, in our essence, merciful and sensitive and caring. This then is the second half of the answer. Truth to tell, God never worries about who is going to teach us how to ride a bicycle and whether or not we will fully integrate the lesson. On the other hand, He expressed His concern and His confidence that Avraham Avinu will command his children and his household after him that they keep the way of God, doing charity and justice, in order that God might then bring upon Avraham that which He had spoken of him (Berayshit 18:19). For three millennia, every Jewish father became Avraham Avinu and every Jewish mother became Sarah Imaynu. Together, they did exactly what God expected of Avraham. They taught their children and household to keep the way of God, doing charity and justice. This then is the second half of the answer. Jews are a caring, sensitive, loving and helping people because it is in our very genes, our hearts and our souls. It is what we are.

12 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה Mendrea: Photograph by Sandu Sources Prepared by Rabbi David Jay Derovan, Jerusalem Hoshana Rabbah 5764

13 ג( ח( I Am My Brother s Keeper! I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility Cain and Abel: The Shirking of Responsibility Berayshit chapter 4 ( ו י ה י מ קּ ץ י מ ים ו יּ ב א ק י ן מ פּ ר י ה א ד מ ה מ נ ח ה לה : (ד) ו ה ב ל ה ב יא ג ם הוּא מ בּ כ רוֹת צ אנוֹ וּמ ח ל ב ה ן ו יּ שׁ ע ה א ל ה ב ל ו א ל מ נ ח תוֹ: (ה) ו א ל ק י ן ו א ל מ נ ח תוֹ ל א שׁ ע ה ו יּ ח ר ל ק י ן מ א ד ו יּ פּ לוּ פּ נ יו: (ו) ו יּ אמ ר ה א ל ק י ן ל מּ ה ח ר ה ל ך ו ל מּ ה נ פ לוּ פ נ יך : ז( ( ה לוֹא א ם תּ יט יב שׂ א ת ו א ם ל א ת יט יב ל פּ ת ח ח טּ את ר ב ץ ו א ל יך תּ שׁוּק תוֹ ו אַתּ ה תּ מ שׁ ל בּוֹ: ( ו יּ אמ ר ק י ן א ל ה ב ל אָח יו ו י ה י בּ ה יוֹת ם בּ שּׂ ד ה ו יּ ק ם ק י ן א ל ה ב ל אָח יו ו יּ ה ר ג הוּ: (ט) ו יּ אמ ר ה א ל ק י ן א י ה ב ל אָח יך ו יּ אמ ר ל א י ד ע תּ י ה שׁ מ ר אָח י אָנ כ י: 3. Time passed. Cain brought some of his crops as an offering to God. 4. Abel also offered some of the firstborn of his flock and from the fattest ones. God acknowledged Abel and his offering. 5. But He did not acknowledge Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry and his face fell in sadness. 6. God said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why has your face fallen? 7. Indeed, if you do better, you will lift your face proudly. And if you do not do better, then sin is crouching at the door. It lusts after you, but you can overcome it. 8. Cain spoke with his brother, Abel. When they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother, Abel, and killed him. 9. God said to Cain, Where is Abel, your brother? He replied, I don t know. Am I my brother s keeper? How are we to understand God s question? Didn t He know what happened to Abel? And how are we to understand Cain s answer? Did he think that God wasn t aware of what he did to his brother? Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Commentary on the Pentateuch, Berayshit 4:9 The whole depth of criminal depravity and the most definite warning against family discord is expressed in God s question, Where is Abel, your brother? and Cain s answer. It is everybody s duty to know where the other is. The question was quite justified even if nothing had happened. And then the answer! I don t know. Am I my brother s keeper? Cain finds it a most complete excuse that it is not his business to 2

14 I Am My Brother s Keeper! look after his brother; he has enough to do to look after himself! This answer, showing the most coldblooded egoism, contains the most serious warning. Whoever adopts the loveless principle, Every man for himself, whoever refuses to take responsibility for his fellow man becomes a brother of malevolent hatred. He is ready to do away with his neighbor if the latter stands in his way. According to Rabbi Hirsch, Cain s answer expresses a particular social philosophy. Which phrase used by Rabbi Hirsch sums up that philosophy? Does the Torah approve of Cain s answer? Does the Torah adopt Cain s social philosophy? Do you remember what happens next in the story of Cain? All Jews Are Responsible One for Another Ê Ê ÌÈ Ú Ï È ÏÎ VaYikra 26:37 ו כ שׁ לוּ א ישׁ בּ אָח יו כּ מ פּ נ י ח ר ב ו ר ד ף אָי ן ו ל א ת ה י ה ל כ ם תּ קוּמ ה ל פ נ י א י ב יכ ם: They will fall over one another, as if chased by the sword, even when there is no one pursuing. You will not be able to stand before your enemies. This is one of the promised punishments God enumerates in the Tochachah, the lengthy rebuke at the end of Sefer VaYikra. Do you remember why God promises to punish His people? Rashi on VaYikra 26:37 ומדרשו וכשלו איש באחיו, ישראל ערבין זה לזה: זה נכשל בעונו של זה, שכל And the Midrashic explanation of they will fall over one another is one will stumble because of the sin of כל another another, for all Jews are responsible one for ישראל ערבים זה לזה. How can one Jew stumble over the sin of another Jew? Why does someone else s mistake affect me? How does Rashi answer this question? What does the word, responsible, imply in the phrase, all Jews are responsible one for another? Making HaMotzi Responsibility Also Means Helping Others Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 29a תני אהבה בריה דרבי זירא: כל הברכות כולן, אף על פי שיצא - מוציא, חוץ מברכת הלחם וברכת היין, שאם לא יצא - מוציא, ואם יצא - אינו מוציא. Ahava son of Rabbi Zayra taught, Concerning all the blessings (Berachot), even though the person has 3

15 I Am My Brother s Keeper! fulfilled his obligation he can recite them for another person. The exceptions are the blessings over bread and wine. If he has not fulfilled his obligation, he can recite them for another. If he has fulfilled his obligations, then he cannot recite them for another person. Rashi on Rosh HaShanah 29a אף על פי שיצא מוציא - שהרי כל ישראל ערבין זה בזה למצות. Even though the person has fulfilled his obligation For all Jews are responsible one for כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה למצוות. Mitzvot another regarding חוץ מברכת הלחם והיין - ושאר ברכת פירות וריחני, שאינן חובה אלא שאסור ליהנות מן העולם הזה בלא ברכה, ובזו - אין כאן ערבות, שאינו חובה על האדם; לא ליתהני ולא ליבריך. The exceptions are the blessings over bread and wine [This includes] the rest of the blessings for fruit and smells, which are not obligatory. Rather, it is prohibited to derive pleasure from the world without reciting a blessing. And regarding this, there is no mutual responsibility (Arayvut), for they are not a person s obligation. If you take no pleasure, you need not recite a blessing. Just what kind of blessings can one Jew recite for another? And what kind of blessings cannot be recited for another person? Hint: See Rashi! What principle does Rashi use as the basis for one Jew reciting a blessing for another? How does this work? What is the basis for the application of this principle? And why do the principle and its Halachic corollary work in one kind of blessing and not another? Hint: Look carefully at the second half of Ahava s statement. Responsibility Also Means Helping Others: Responsa of the Maharam of Rotenberg, sec. 4 no. 932 ודודי הרב רבינו קלונימוס ז"ל כשהמלך שאל מס היה מסייע לקהל בפרשה ואח"כ שאל מן המלך לנכות לו מן המס שליש או רביע מה שהי' מגיע לחלקו ואמר למלך אני עובדך בכל יום אני רוצה שתפטרני [מדיני] לתן עמהם ונתרצה למחול לו חלקו והיה חוזר ונותן מס עם הקהל והייתי סבור שמדת חסידות היתה [ואני] רואה שמדת הדין [הוא] כאשר פירשתי לעיל כי כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה לקבל עול גלותם וישתתפו עמהם בנחמתם. And my uncle, Rabbenu Kolonymos, of blessed memory, when the king demanded taxes, he helped the community in this regard. Afterwards, he asked the king to discount his own taxes by 25% to 33%. He said to the king, I serve you daily. I request that you exempt me from giving taxes with the rest of them. The King agreed to exempt him from his taxes. Then he (Rabbenu Kolonymos) went and gave taxes along with the rest of the community. I thought that this was an act of kindness (Chesed). Then I realized that this was the law, as I explained above. All Jews are responsible one for another in accepting the burden of the Exile as well as participating in the consolation of the community. Just what law was Rabbenu Kolonymos obeying by paying his taxes as a member of the Jewish community? According to the Maharam of Rotenberg, is a Jew s responsibility for other Jews limited to rituals, such as blessings? 4

16 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Ahavat Yisra el, Love for the Jewish People: The Mitzvah of Social Responsibility Rambam (Rabbi Moses Maimonides), Mishnah Torah,, Laws of Mourning 14:1 מצות עשה של דבריהם לבקר חולים, ולנחם אבלים, ולהוציא המת, ולהכניס הכלה, וללוות האורחים, ולהתעסק בכל צרכי הקבורה, לשאת על הכתף, ולילך לפניו ולספוד ולחפור ולקבור, וכן לשמח הכלה והחתן, ולסעדם בכל צרכיהם. ואלו הן גמילות חסדים שבגופו שאין להם שיעור, אע"פ שכל מצות אלו מדבריהם הרי הן בכלל ואהבת לרעך כמוך, כל הדברים שאתה רוצה שיעשו אותם לך אחרים, עשה אתה אותן לאחיך בתורה ובמצות. It is an active Rabbinic commandment to visit the sick; to console mourners; to bury the dead; to accompany a bride; to accompany visitors [as they leave]; to participate in all aspects of a burial, [including] to shoulder the coffin, to walk before it, to dig [the grave] and to do the burying; and also to make the bride and groom happy, and to provide for all their needs. These are the acts of loving kindness performed with one s person, which have no limit. Even though these are all Rabbinic commandments, they are included in You shall love your neighbor as yourself (VaYikra 19:18). All the things you want others to do for you do them for your brother in Torah and Mitzvot. Do the items listed here by Rambam sound familiar? Where have you seen a similar list? If Rambam mentions so many items in his list, then there must be a reason. What is the difference between each of the cases? What new idea does each case teach us? What is the common denominator between them? Are they all people in need? What about the bride and groom? What about the deceased? So decide, for instance, is visiting the sick, a Rabbinic command or a Torah commandment? What does Rambam think about this? Who is your brother in Torah and Mitzvot? To Do Good By Whose Standards? Devarim 12:28 שׁ מ ר ו שׁ מ ע תּ א ת כּ ל ה דּ ב ר ים ה א לּ ה א שׁ ר אָנ כ י מ צ וּ ךּ ל מ ע ן י יט ב ל ך וּל ב נ יך אַח ר יך ע ד עוֹל ם כּ י ת ע שׂ ה ה טּוֹב ו ה יּ שׁ ר בּ ע ינ י ה א ל ק יך : Carefully listen to all these words that I command you, so you and your children after you will have a good life forever, since you will be doing that which is good and morally right in the eyes of God, your Lord. Sifray,, Section 79 (On Devarim 12:28) כי תעשה הטוב והישר, הטוב בעיני שמים והישר בעיני אדם דברי רבי עקיבה וכן הוא אומר (משלי ג:ד) ומצא חן ושכל טוב בעיני אלקים ואדם. רבי ישמעאל אומר הישר בעיני שמים. 5

17 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Since you will be doing that which is good and morally right. Good in the eyes of heaven. Morally right in the eyes of man. These are the words of Rabbi Akiva. And so it says, And find favor and approval in the eyes of the Lord and man (Mishlay 3:4). Rabbi Yishma el said, Morally right in the eyes of heaven. What are Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishma el arguing about? What difference does it make if one is morally right in the eyes of man or in the eyes of heaven? Can you think of a practical difference or a case where there would be a real difference between human standards and Torah standards? Do you think that Rabbi Yishma el is instructing us to disregard people s feelings and ideas? Whose opinion is supported by the straightforward reading of the Torah text? Mechilta DeRabbi Yishma el, Parasha 1, on Shemot 15:26 והישר בעיניו תעשה זה משא ומתן מלמד שכל מי שנושא ונותן באמונה ורוח הבריות נוחה הימנו מעלין עליו כאלו קיים את כל התורה כולה. You should do the morally correct in His eyes (Shemot 15:26) This refers to doing business. To teach us that whoever does business in good faith and people are pleased with him is considered as if he fulfilled the entire Torah. What is the Midrash s example of doing that which is morally correct in God s eyes? Does the example involve specific Halachic standards? The Mechilta DeRabbi Yishma el was given that title because this book of Midrash came from Rabbi Yishma el s Bayt Midrash and generally reflects his point of view. Assuming that this Midrash quotation does indeed reflect Rabbi Yishma el s opinion, how does it assist us in understanding the opinion he expresses in the above quotation? Midrash Lekach Tov on Shemot 15:26 You should do the morally correct in His eyes (Shemot 15:26) This means to go beyond the letter of the law (Lifnim MiShurat HaDin). Another idea: You should do the morally correct in His eyes This is what is taught in the Mishnah, What is the correct path a person should choose? Whatever gives honor to the doer and honor to him from his fellow man (Pirkay Avot 2:1) There are two ideas in this Midrash quote. The first connects what two ideas? What does it mean, to go beyond the letter of the law (Lifnim MiShurat HaDin)? Can you give a concrete example of this idea? What is the connection between Shemot 15:26 and the quotation from Pirkay Avot? Is this second idea according to Rabbi Akiva or according to Rabbi Yishma el? 6

18 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Setting an Example Two Chassidic Tales Hidden Kindness From L. Newman, The Hasidic Anthology,, Schocken Books, New York, p. 209 Reb Hirsch Ziditzover narrated the following story. Once when I was a student of the Sassover Rav, I wished to see the Rebbe s midnight service (Tikkun Chatzot) for the Exile of the Shechinah (God s Presence). I concealed myself in his home and at midnight I saw the Rebbe arise from his bed, dress in peasant clothes, take some logs of wood and an axe and leave the house. I followed him in silence, and I saw him step into a hut where a woman had given birth to a child a few days before. Her husband was not in town, and no one had come to kindle a fire for her in the cold night. The Sassover said to her in Polish, Buy my wood; it s very cheap. You can pay me later. The woman replied, I have no strength to chop it and light the fire. I have an axe and will do it for you, came the reply. While chopping the wood, the Rebbe recited the first half of the Tikkun Chatzot service. And while lighting the fire he recited the rest of the service. Then he returned home, changed his clothes and began his nightly studies. The Apple Vendor From L. Newman, The Hasidic Anthology, Schocken Books, New York, p One day the Tzanzer Rav passed through the market place and noticed a weeping woman seated behind a fruit stand. In reply to his questioning, the woman told the Rebbe that no purchasers had come that day to buy her apples and that she faced ruin. The kind-hearted, lame Tzaddik took her place and loudly called out, Buy fine apples!! A Dozen for a gulden!! The news that the Tzaddik was selling fruit spread quickly and the wealthiest residents came to buy, deeming it an honor to make a purchase from the world famous Ga on and Tzaddik. The stock of apples was quickly converted into a pile of guldens, to the delight of the poor widow. What lesson is to be learned from these tales? What role does one s identity play in helping others? What role do pride and self-esteem play in helping others? What elements do the stories have in common? How many of us are ready to get our hands dirty in order to help others? Achieving Salvation by Helping Others VaYikra Rabbah, Tzav,, 9:3 מעשה ברבי ינאי שהיה מהלך בדרך וראה אדם אחד שהיה משופע ביותר א"ל משגח רבי מתקבלא גבן. אמר לו אין. הכניסו לביתו האכילו והשקהו בדקו במקרא ולא מצאו במשנה ולא מצאו באגדה ולא מצאו בתלמוד ולא מצאו. א"ל סב בריך. 7

19 I Am My Brother s Keeper! א"ל יברך ינאי בביתיה א "ל אית בך אמר מה דאנא אמר לך. א "ל אין. א"ל אמור אכול כלבא פיסתיא דינאי. קם תפסיה א"ל ירותתי גבך דאת מונע לי. א"ל ומה ירתותך גבי. א"ל חד זמן הוינא עבר קמי בית ספרא ושמעית קלהון דמניקיא אמרין (דברים לג) תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב מורשה קהלת ינאי אין כתיב כאן אלא קהלת יעקב. א"ל למה זכיתה למיכלא על פתורי. אמר לו מיומי לא שמעית מילא בישא וחזרתי למרה ולא חמית תרין דמתכתשין דין עם דין ולא יהבית שלמא ביניהון. א"ל כל הדא דרך ארץ גבך וקריתך כלבא?! קרא עליה שם דרך Àå) íé Ää Éì Áà ò ÇLÅé Àa ep Æà Àø Çà Àê Æø Æc í ÈN.(âë:ð íéìäú Rabbi Yannai was taking a walk and he saw a man very neatly dressed as a student. Rabbi Yannai said to him, Will the Rabbi please be our guest? He said, Yes. So Rabbi Yannai took him home. He gave him food and drink; then he tested him in Scripture, but he found nothing (meaning the man was totally ignorant), and so in Mishnah, Aggadah and Talmud. The man knew nothing. Then he said, Take the cup and say a blessing. The man said, Let Yannai say the blessing in his own house. Rabbi Yannai asked, Can you repeat what I say to you? He said, Yes. Then say, rejoined Yannai, a dog has eaten Yannai s bread. The man jumped up and seized Rabbi Yannai and said, Would you withhold my inheritance from me?! Rabbi Yannai said, How is your inheritance with me? He said, Once I passed a school and I heard the voices of the children say, The Torah which Moshe commanded us is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. They did not say, Congregation of Yannai. Then Rabbi Yannai said, What merit have you that you should eat at my table? The man said, I never heard an unkind word and returned it to its speaker. I never saw two men quarrelling without making peace between them. Then Rabbi Yannai said, You have so much Derech Eretz (good behavior), and I called you a dog! To that man he applied the verse from Tehilim 50:23, To him that orders his ways correctly, I will show the salvation of God. What error does Rabbi Yannai make at the beginning of the story? What mistake does he make in the middle of the story? Was the man worthy of eating at the table of a great Rabbi and Talmid Chacham? Why? And why did Rabbi Yannai apply that verse from Tehilim to this man? Pesiktah Rabbati 198a אמר ישעיה: רבש"ע מה יעשה אדם וינצל מדינה של גיהנם. א"ל יעשה צדקה חולק פתו לעניים ויתן ממונו לסופרים ולתלמידיהם ואל יגביה דעתו על הבריות ויעסוק בתורה במצותיה 8

20 I Am My Brother s Keeper! ויהיה בענוה ואל ידבר בגסות הרוח וישפיל דעתו לפני כל הבריות ואשכון עמו שנאמר מרום וקדוש אשכון ואת דכא ושפל רוח (ישעיה נ"ז ט"ו) ואני מעיד עלי מי שיש בו מדות הללו שהוא יורש עוה"ב וכל מי שיש לו תורה ומעשים טובים וענוה ויראת שמים ניצל מן הדין. Isaiah (the Prophet) said, Master of the universe, what must a person do to be saved from the doom of hell? God said to him, Let him give charity, dividing his bread with the poor, and giving his money to scribes and their students. Let him not behave haughtily to his fellow men. Let him busy himself with the Torah and with its commandments. Let him live in humility and not speak with pride of spirit. If he humbles himself before all creatures, then I will dwell with him, as it says, I dwell with him that is of a humble spirit (Isaiah 57:15). I testify that he who has these qualities will inherit the future life. Whoever has Torah, good deeds, humility and fear of heaven will be saved from doom. Aside from the theme of salvation what do these two Midrash quotes have in common? Did the man who met Rabbi Yannai fit the entire description found in God s answer to Isaiah? If yes, then where did the fellow who was hosted by Rabbi Yannai exhibit humility? And finally, why should the exercise of proper social responsibility insure salvation? A Final Word Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik as Quoted by Rabbi Abraham Besdin, Reflections of the Rav,, Jerusalem, 1979, pp This final quotation very much speaks for itself. Nevertheless, there is what to discuss here, Faith and Morality are Indivisible Since morality is basic to Judaism, it follows that to be regarded as a religious Jew, one must also be ethical. The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) were, as we know, inscribed upon two stone tablets. The first five commandments deal with acts of faith that relate man to his Maker, Ben Adam LaMakom, while the latter five prohibit anti-social acts, Ben Adam LeChavero. The Torah introduces the Decalogue with the verse, The Lord spoke all (Kol) these words saying (Shemot 20:1). Rashi notes that the verse would be entirely meaningful without the redundant word, all Kol, stating simply the Lord spoke these words saying. Rashi therefore explains, This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, pronounced all these words in a single utterance, an impossibility for a human being. What is the significance of God s simultaneous utterance of the entire Decalogue? It teaches us that all Ten Commandments constitute an indivisible, organic unity. We have not Ten Commandments but one, with ten aspects. The word all Kol in this context does not mean all of them, which characterizes a numerical sum total of independent teachings, but rather a totality, an interdependent oneness of all its seeming parts. Faith and morality are integrally one and inseparable. If all of the Ten Commandments are really one unit an indivisible, organic unity are all the 613 Commandments an indivisible, organic unity? 9

21 I Am My Brother s Keeper! What is the significance of this idea for Jewish observance? Can There Be Morality Without Faith? Can a secular state nurture a moral society? Can a culture which is indifferent to the transcendental imperative inspire ethical performance in private and public life? In past decades, secular humanists were certain that man could be induced and motivated to pursue ethical norms without the absolute imperative of the Divine. Our thesis is that in the long run, and for the masses of society, there can be no such thing. Either man accepts the authority of God as the Legislator of the moral norm, or he will eventually fail in all attempts to create a moral society. The verse, When a person sins and commits a transgression against God by dealing falsely with his neighbor (VaYikra 5:21), is homiletically interpreted by our Sages as follows: He who commits a transgression against God will eventually also deal falsely with his neighbor. Morality without faith cannot sustain itself. By declaring the indivisible unity of both tablets of the Decalogue, God declared that, without faith, morality cannot be sustained. What is the difference between a boy scout and a Jewish youngster who help an old lady across the street (whether she wants to go or not)? Or in other words, what is the difference between a humanitarian act and the fulfillment of an interpersonal Mitzvah? Could it be that the separation of Mitzvot into ritual (Ben Adam LaMakom) and interpersonal (Ben Adam LeChavero) misses the point? Can One Have Faith Without Morality? It is equally true that there can be no faith (Emunah) without loving kindness (Chesed). People who are ritualistically observant but ethically deficient distort Judaism. Their self-righteousness and presumed piety are hypocritical. Here, too, the BeDibbur Echad God s combined utterance proclaims the indivisibility of the entire Decalogue. It is moral schizophrenia to separate ethics from God. In the final analysis, only a superior value system of ethical behavior will allow authentic Judaism to prevail in a secular world. God may be worshipped only if we first make peace with our fellow man. There can be no Judaism without morality. Think again; are all the 613 Commandments an indivisible, organic unity? 10

22 I Am My Brother s Keeper! Examining the Sources from Our Tradition Concerning Social Responsibility Teaching Guide By Rabbi David Jay Derovan Jerusalem Hoshana Rabbah 5764