Deed & Creed Class #12

Transcription

1 Deed & Creed Class #12 According to the effort is the reward. By Rabbi Benjamin Blech with Rochelle Lev 1

2 Enjoy Life on this Earth (12-min. video) Understanding Judaism p The Nazir Numbers 6:2-5 (ArtScroll Chumash, Stone Edition) God spoke to Moses, saying. Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: A man or woman who shall dissociate himself by taking a Nazirite vow of abstinence for the sake of God; from new or aged wine shall he abstain, and he shall not drink vinegar of wine or vinegar of aged wine; anything in which grapes have been steeped shall he not drink, and fresh and dried grapes shall he not eat. All the days of his abstinence, anything made from wine grapes, even the pips or skin, he shall not eat. All the days of his Nazirite vow, a razor shall not pass over his head; until the completion of the days that he will be a Nazirite for the sake of God, holy shall he be, the growth of hair on his head shall grow. 2

3 (1) What is Nezirut? (2) What must a person do after he finishes his term as a Nazir? Why? (3) Explain the concept of the Maimonides middle path. (4) If the Torah is opposed to asceticism, why is the oath of a Nazir and the abstinence from certain pleasures permissible by Jewish law? (5) Why does Rabbi Blech call us the Choosing People? (6) Can a person convert to Judaism? (7) What is the Jewish attitude to the convert? (8) Why is the Baal Teshuvah considered to be higher than a tzaddik (righteous person)? 3

4 (1) Q: What is Nezirut? A: A Nazir is a person who takes a vow to temporarily abstain from drinking wine (which represents worldly pleasures) and from cutting his hair (symbolizing his removing himself from society). (2) Q: What must a person do after he finishes his term as a Nazir? Why? A: When finishing his term as a Nazir, he brings a sin offering to the Temple. The act of Nezirut taking on additional restrictions not prescribed by the Torah expresses the feeling that the laws given by God were not sufficient for him. The sin offering is a public admission by the Nazir that he has transgressed by implying that God s laws are insufficient. (3) Q: Explain the concept of the Maimonides middle path. A: People may sometimes go astray and bend to one extreme. Maimonides explains that the middle path is the ideal, living neither one extreme nor the other. However, Maimonides states that sometimes the only way to veer a person from lone extreme back to the middle path is by temporarily moving to the opposite extreme. For example, the excessively stingy person may need to temporarily act especially generous in order to rid himself of his stingy nature and arrive at a place of balanced giving. (4) Q: If the Torah is opposed to asceticism, why is the oath of a Nazir and the abstinence from certain pleasures permissible by Jewish law? 4

5 A: The Nazir must refrain from drinking and socializing because he had a difficulty in handling drink and socializing in a centered manner. We see that it is necessary for the hedonist to become a temporary ascetic in order to return to the middle path. However it is only because of his previous improper behavior that he is allowed to go to the other extreme. It is not an ideal. Although the action is permitted, a sin offering in required because the reasons that motivated him to become a Nazir are not desirable. (5) Q: Why does Rabbi Blech call us the Choosing People? A: God offered the Torah to every nation and they refused. The Jewish people made an active choice to accept the Torah. They are indeed the Choosing People. (6) Q: Can a person convert to Judaism? A: Yes. Judaism is not a race, it is a religion. Any individual can choose to become Jewish, just like Ruth and Yitro. (7) Q: What is the Jewish attitude to the convert? A: The phrase and you shall love the convert is mentioned 36 times in the Torah. A convert is someone who chooses to perform God s mitzvot out of love. This is considered to be a very high level. (8) Q: Why is the Baal Teshuvah considered to be higher than a tzaddik (righteous person)? A: The Talmud says, According to the effort is the reward. God evaluates our actions according to the level of difficulty it takes to get there. The Talmud also teaches: In the place that Baalei Teshuva 5

6 stand, even the totally righteous cannot stand. It takes much courage and conviction for a Baal Teshuva to return to Judaism, and in some respects the reward for this is even greater than a tzaddik who did not sin. Asceticism is not an ideal in Judaism, and asceticism that causes harm to a person is certainly forbidden. Nezirut is a form of asceticism that is permitted by Jewish law. A Nazir is a person who takes a vow temporarily abstaining from drinking wine (which represents worldly pleasures) and from cutting his hair (symbolic of his removing himself from society). The Nazir is permitted to do this because he has had difficulty handling drink and socializing in a balanced, centred manner. Maimonides explains that the middle path is the ideal way to live. People may sometimes go astray and bend to one extreme. There are times that the only way to bring a person from one extreme back to the middle path is by temporarily going to the opposite extreme. For example, wine is one of the worldly pleasures that God has given us. Wine can be elevated and sanctified through mitzvot such as Kiddush and Havdallah. However, when wine is used to excess, it may affect a person s behavior negatively. In its extreme, it may lead to alcoholism. To cure this extreme, an alcoholic must stay away from alcohol totally. The person at one extreme must go to the opposite extreme in order to return to the middle path. The Nazir takes a vow to totally refrain from worldly pleasures and social contact in order to return him to the middle path. However, it is only because of his previous improper behavior that he is permitted to go to the other extreme. Although permitted to make the vow of 6

7 Nezirut, he must bring a sin offering at the end of his Nezirut. It was his inappropriate behavior that prompted the vow of Nezirut. Although the vow was corrective, he must still atone. Rabbi Blech goes on to talk about the act of choosing to keep God s Torah. We are not simply considered to be the Chosen People, as we are often referred to. In accepting the Torah from God, we made an active choice. It would be more accurate to refer to us as the Choosing People. God offered the Torah to the nations on the world and one by one they refused. God offered it to the Jewish people, and they said Na aseh V nishma we will do and we will listen, an active choice. Judaism is not a race, it is a religion. Any individual can choose to become Jewish, just like Ruth and Yithro. The convert is held in high esteem. By making the conscious choice to become Jewish, they show that the mitzvot are done purely out of choice and a love for God and His Torah. Similarly, the Baal Teshuvah is also considered on a very high level, and we are taught that in the place that Baalei Teshuva stand, the totally righteous cannot stand. It takes much courage and conviction to return to Judaism, and each person is rewarded according to the effort they put in. In changing their lives to such an extent, both the convert and the Baal Teshuva become particularly beloved in the eyes of God and will be rewarded according to their efforts. 7