Isaiah 42:1-4; He Will not Shout

בס"ד

The prophet Isaiah (42:1-4) talks about a beloved servant of the holy One, blessed be He. He is described as a teacher of the world who properly and practically describes ethical precepts. In doing so the ideas are not distorted; not out of sympathy for the weak nor in deference to the powerful. They are not exaggerated in order to motivate people nor downplayed so as not to lose people. Rather mitzvahs are truthfully taught the way they are; albeit with humility and tact. In doing so he does not scream, is not emotionally overbearing, nor intellectually overwhelming. Also he is dedicated, tenacious, and thick skinned. Often the commentaries say this is the messiah and ultimately he will succeed, because deep down inside humanity, his message is welcome.

There are many prophecies of violence and destruction. But, typically these are retributions for sin including the serious sins of rejecting Hashem and failure to properly study Torah. However doing a mitzvah should be done with joy. This is because the fundamental ways of religion are kindness, beauty, and peace. We see in the later books of the Tanakh that the return of the Jews to Zion was due to their sincerity and devotion. Ezra, Nechemia, Daniel, and Zerubavel were favorites of the King of Persia and examples to the people of Israel. Josephus describes the support, honor, and large gifts given to the Jews at the time by powerful nations and kings like Antiochus. The Temple was not built by means of firepower, flattery, or towering logical proofs, rather it was built by people imbued with the spirit of God. The land of Israel was lost by the generation of the desert the moment they picked up a sword even though it took almost a thousand years before they were actually carried into exile. In modern times Zionist guerrilla operations never amounted to more than a police issue. What won the land of Israel was the fact that many Jews simply wanted to live there.

Teaching Torah should be done pleasantly with students who are interested and want to learn. If a student must be clobbered physically, mentally, or morally then they have missed the point and any Torah absorbed will be largely useless. Rather they must want to know what the world is really like and desire to live in harmony with it. Also they must recognize and love the Creator and wish to live a life of truth.

לע"נ  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח

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