רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנֶה אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמְּקַבֵּל
עָלָיו עֹל תּוֹרָה, מַעֲבִירִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ.
וְכָל הַפּוֹרֵק מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל תּוֹרָה, נוֹתְנִין עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ.
וְכָל הַפּוֹרֵק מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל תּוֹרָה, נוֹתְנִין עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת וְעֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ.
Rabbi Nechunia the son of Hakanah
would say: One who accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah is exempted from the
yoke of government duties and the yoke of worldly cares; but one who casts off
the yoke of Torah is saddled with the yoke of government duties and the yoke of
worldly cares.
The above mishna contrasts natural obligations against
heavenly obligations. The Bartenura explains that the yoke of the kingdom is
the obligations imposed on a person by the king and his ministers. This comes
out to be things like obeying civil law, paying taxes, and going into the army.
The Bartenura explains that the yoke of worldly cares is the labor and aggravation
involved with earning a living, and according to his craft he will be blessed.
A person who accepts the yoke of Torah would be a person
whose main preoccupation is religious studies and performing religious
precepts. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (27:2) explains that all Jews are required
to study Torah whether rich or poor, healthy or afflicted, young or old. He
then quotes the verse, “Thou shalt meditate on it day and night,” (Joshua 1:8).
He then explains that one who does not wish to greatly devote their time to
Torah can pay somebody else to learn on their behalf and brings an example from
the Talmud. In it Azaria decides to pursue a business career but designates his
brother Simon to learn on his behalf and financially supports him. Simon in
return gives Azaria a spiritual share in his studies and deeds.
Going a step further there is a story in the Gemara (Buba
Basra 8.) In it Rabbi Nachman bar Hisda levies a tax on the rabbis. Rabbi
Nachman bar Yitzchak protests saying he has violated Torah, prophets, sacred
writing as it says, “In deed the nations are dear but His devoted ones are in
His hands”, (Deuteronomy 33:3). Rabbi Yosef commented that the devoted ones are
the religious scholars that go from town to town and nation to nation to learn
Torah. He then brings a homily from a verse in the prophets to infer that these
are the “few that will be free of the obligations of the king and his
ministers”, (Hoshea 8:10). Following this approach, the Gemara concludes that
talmid chachamim should be exempt from taxes.
The scriptural analysis seems to be convoluted but the Kitzur Shulchan
Aruch (144:6) poskins that from the standpoint of the law a very great Talmid
Chacham should be exempt from taxes, whether he is rich or poor.
The Meiri describes casting off the yoke of Torah as
wasting time in the dealings of the world and not giving over his heart to
meditate on Torah and mitzvahs. The Rambam focusing on the choice, comments
that in recompense of taking on the yoke Torah, Hashem Yisborach will shield
him from the yoke of kings and will lighten up on him the aggravations of the
time. Pinchas Kahati expounds on the verse, “Man was born for toil”, (Job 5:7),
saying one who does not toil in Torah will be burdened with the yoke of
government and the yoke of worldly concerns.
The issue of the yoke of Torah or the yoke of the natural
world is a deep issue. It comes out there are religious values and worldly
values with a dividing point between them, and a person must decide in which
camp he stands. This choice will determine lifestyle, where one will live, the
job that will be taken, choice of friends, books that will be read. More subtly
it will determine the standards by which a person is judged both by G-d and
man. If a person does not choose Torah then he will be forced to go along with
the crowd and obey stupid laws, even if he knows what he is doing is nonsense
and even damaging. On the other hand if a person chooses Torah, he can even
pursue it even if it is politically incorrect. In addition even if it is
actually illegal, he will be able to get away with it. To do the right thing is
often not good enough. However if one is a messenger of the Almighty, he will
be protected.
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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