Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Ekev / Ethics of our Fathers 5:8-9 - A Just Society

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 Gd'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
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