ה:ח. שִׁבְעָה מִינֵי פֻרְעָנִיּוֹת בָּאִין לָעוֹלָם עַל
שִׁבְעָה גוּפֵי עֲבֵרָה:
מִקְצָתָן מְעַשְּׂרִין וּמִקְצָתָן אֵינָן מְעַשְּׂרִין, רָעָב
שֶׁל בַּצֹּרֶת בָּאָה, מִקְצָתָן רְעֵבִים וּמִקְצָתָן שְׂבֵעִים.
גָּמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְעַשֵּׂר, רָעָב שֶׁל מְהוּמָה וְשֶׁל
בַּצֹּרֶת בָּאָה.
וְשֶׁלֹּא לִטּוֹל אֶת הַחַלָּה, רָעָב שֶׁל כְּלָיָה בָּאָה.
דֶּבֶר בָּא לָעוֹלָם עַל מִיתוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה
שֶׁלֹּא נִמְסְרוּ לְבֵית דִּין, וְעַל פֵּרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית.
חֶרֶב בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עִנּוּי הַדִּין, וְעַל עִוּוּת
הַדִּין, וְעַל הַמּוֹרִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַהֲלָכָה.
ה:ט. חַיָּה רָעָה בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא, וְעַל
חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם.
גָּלוּת בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְעַל
גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְעַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְעַל הַשְׁמָטַת הָאָרֶץ.
5:8. Seven types of
retribution come to the world, for seven types of sin. When some tithe and
others don't, a hunger caused by turmoil ensues: some are hungry, others have
their fill of food. When all are unanimous in their failure to tithe, a hunger
by drought ensues. For not separating chalah, an annihilating hunger results.
Plagues come to the world for
those capital crimes mentioned in the Torah that have not been given over to
the court, and for desecrating the produce of the sabbatical year.
The sword comes to the world for
the suppression of the law, the corruption of the law, and because of those who
teach the Torah in a way contrary to the
accepted practice.
5:9. Carnage by wild beasts comes
to the world for false oaths and the desecration of G‑d's name.
Exile comes to the world for
idol-worship, sexual promiscuity, murder and the failure to leave the land
fallow on the sabbatical year.
The seventh and eighth Mishnas of the fifth
chapter of Ethics of our Fathers describe various types of retributions that
come from heaven as a result of various types of societal infractions. In
Jewish thought not only are individuals judged based on their actions but the
society as a whole is also judged and given a corresponding reward or
punishment. Failure to financially support the poor and religious scholars
results in various types of economic hard times. Corruption of the legal system
results in plagues, violence, war, and wild animals. The three cardinal sins;
idol worship, sexual obscenity, and murder; result in exile from the land of
Israel. Failure to let the land lay fallow in the seventh year results in
plagues and exile.
Two situations are described in regards to
the failure to give tithes to the poor and students of Torah. In one case some
people give them and some do not. The result is panic buying in which case some
people have enough to eat, ostensibly those that were living up to their
obligations, and some have little, ostensibly those that were not living up to
their obligations. The second case is one where the tithes are ignored by
society with the result being austerity caused by high prices. Wild beasts,
plagues, violence, and exile likewise may be selective or general.
The discussion of corruption of the legal
system provides details into the tricks and lies used to violate the Torah. The
Mishna lists suppression of the law, distortion of the law, and misrepresenting
the Torah so as to draw faulty conclusions. The Bartenura describes suppression
of the law as knowing what the proper decision is but delaying or refusing to
render it. Maimonides adds delaying by claiming further investigation is needed
when in fact the matter is clear. The commentaries describe distortion of the
law as vindicating criminals and convicting the innocent. Teaching Torah in a
way not like the halacha, the commentaries describe as forbidding that which is
permitted and permitting that which is forbidden. Commonly used methods include
shallow sophistry, fragmentary quotes out of context, as well as generally
ignoring the central messages of scripture.
The idea of corruption of justice brings
the sword raises a number of issues among them societal corruption and
indiscriminate killing. The Gemara hangs the ills of society on a corrupt legal
system as it says, If you’ve seen a generation with many troubles, go and check
the judges of Israel as all retributions that come, only come because of the
judges of Israel . . . and the holy One
blessed be He does not shine His presence on Israel until have eliminated bad
policemen and judges from Israel”, (Shabbos 139.). The situation though does
not seem to be that of a good society with evil judges; rather it seems to be
that of a society getting the judges they deserve.
The Gur Arye notes the phrase, “they cut
a judgement” (see Sanhedrin 7:), and compares it to the cut of sword. Based on
this he says that those that have the power to make a judgement have a sword in
their hand. If the verdict is honest than the sword is with you, if it is
corrupt a sword comes into the world. The idea is that G-d has entrusted the
judges with his sword to rectify the ills of society. If the sword is not used
properly He uses it Himself against all those He considers responsible.
Often to the eye of flesh and blood, war,
plague, and starvation look like indiscriminate killing. This is because it may
not be so obvious who put these crooked cops and judges in places of
responsibility and is keeping them there. Also there is room for mercy with
those that have made severe mistakes, but were honestly misguided. In addition
the righteous also perish in tragedies. At times G-d will take a tsadik to
shock the flock into realizing how evil their actions really are. Other times
it is so HaKadosh Baruch Hu can don his robe made crimson by the blood of the
righteous and torture the evil by saying this stain was caused by you. For the
righteous they will sit by the right hand of Hashem for having made the supreme
sacrifice.
It comes out that all Jews are responsible
for each other and the institutions of our society are of our own making. When
it comes to rooting out the evil in our midst, some people will have a genuine
gun. Others may have a vote and others may only have an attitude. Never the
less the tools that a person has may be very potent. The objective is to build
a just, peaceful, and prosperous society in the land of Israel that will be a
model for all mankind.
לע"נ
הדוד לייב הערש בן אהרן ז"ל נלב"ע יז תמוז תשמ"ב
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר
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