Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Emor \ Ethics of our Fathers 3:3-4 - For the Sake of G-d’s Name

רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן אוֹמֵר, שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְאֵין בֵּינֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מוֹשַׁב לֵצִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים א,), וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב.
Rabbi Chanina son of Tradyon would say: Two who sit and no words of Torah pass between them, this is a session of scorners, as is stated, "And in a session of scorners he did not sit" (Psalms 1:1).
אֲבָל שְׁנַיִם שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְיֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה, שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג טז), אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי ה' אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב ה' וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי ה' וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ.
But two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them, as is stated, "Then the Gd-fearing conversed with one another, and Gd listened and heard; and it was inscribed before Him in a book of remembrance for those who fear Gd and give thought to His name," (Malachi 3:16).
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם. מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹבֵעַ לוֹ שָׂכָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איכה ג, י), יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָיו.
From this, I know only concerning two individuals; how do I know that even a single individual who sits and occupies himself with the Torah, Gd designates reward for him? From the verse, "He sits alone in meditative stillness; indeed, he receives [reward] for it" (Lamentations 3:28).

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, שְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁאָכְלוּ עַל שֻׁלְחָן אֶחָד וְלֹא אָמְרוּ עָלָיו דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, כְּאִלּוּ אָכְלוּ מִזִּבְחֵי מֵתִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה, כח), כִּי כָל שֻׁלְחָנוֹת מָלְאוּ קִיא צֹאָה בְּלִי מָקוֹם.
Rabbi Shimon would say: Three who eat at one table and do not speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten of idolatrous sacrifices; as is stated, "Indeed, all tables are filled with vomit and filth, devoid of the Omnipresent" (Isaiah 28:8).
אֲבָל שְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁאָכְלוּ עַל שֻׁלְחָן אֶחָד וְאָמְרוּ עָלָיו דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, כְּאִלּוּ אָכְלוּ מִשֻּׁלְחָנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל מא,), וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלַי זֶה הַשֻּׁלְחָן אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי ה'.
But three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten at Gd's table, as is stated, "And he said to me: This is the table that is before Gd" (Ezekiel 41:22).


But three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten at Gd's table, as is stated, "And he said to me: This is the table that is before Gd" (Ezekiel 41:22).

Two consecutive Mishnas at the beginning of the third chapter of Ethics of our Fathers praise those that speak words of Torah and denigrate those that do not. The first one in the name of Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon brands a conversation without Torah as scornful. However if the conversation includes Torah, the speakers are reckoned as people who give thought to G-d’s name. The Mishna continues by implying that one’s thoughts should always be about G-d. The next Mishna in the name of Rabbi Shimon is similar. It castigates those that dine together without words of Torah saying that their table is filled with vomit and excrement. However, those that speak words of Torah are as if they are seated at the table of G-d. It comes out that one is to be thinking of G-d exclusively and anything otherwise amounts to death, perversion, and waste. This seems to be extreme, how are we to understand this?

It helps to look at all this through the statement made by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov when he said, “Wherever I go, I'm always going to Israel”. It is not so much of a description of physical movement rather it was an expression of his single minded desire to live in the Holy Land. Therefore whatever he was doing was bringing him closer to the land of Israel. Similarly there are people whose devotion to a particular cause is so enveloping that even in their mundane conversations they are still talking about the thing that is dear to them. When it comes to strong dogmatic ideologues one can often hear the ideology in the tone of their voice and see it on their faces.

There are a number of words for soul in Hebrew. One of them is ruach רוּחַ which can be understood as air. Another is nashama which can be interpreted as psyche or mind. However it is the language of breath because it is reckoned as the breath of G-d, as it says G-d made man from dust and breathed a breath of life into the man (see Genesis 2:7). The kabbalists will describe man as a soul clothed in a body. Similarly one can look at a man as a balloon fill with air with the air being the essence. Another metaphor is a fruit with the soul being the meat of the fruit and the body being the peel.

Religion is the language of both the soul and G-d. The soul descends into this lower world for a reason. Sometimes it is because we need to learn something, other times it is to perform a task. One can understand the idea of the word name as being repute as in an organization has a good or bad name. It can also be a description of appearance, function, or character. It typically, though, refers to the totality of an object. When applied to a person it refers to self or essence. Because of the incomprehensibility of G-d, it is difficult or impossible to grasp His essence. Therefore when referring to the Almighty the term name is used as in it is for the sake of G-d’s name.

When a person eats food to sustain his body the nutrients are used for its welfare and what is not needed is expelled one way or another. When there is a total absence of soul in a person’s words and actions, then these words and actions are essentially a waste.  When a person’s words and deeds are for the benefit of the soul it is also for the benefit of the little breath of G-d that is in him. This is the equivalent of considering the name of G-d and eating at His table.



לע"נ ה אמה מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז בנוסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני  וגם באתר  http://dyschreiber.blogspot.co.il


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