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 G‑d-fearing
conversed with one another, and G‑d listened and heard; and it was inscribed before Him in a book of
remembrance for those who fear G‑d 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, G‑d 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 G‑d's table, as is stated, "And he said to me: This
is the table that is before G‑d" (Ezekiel 41:22).
But three who eat at one table and speak words of
Torah, it is as if they have eaten at G‑d's table, as is stated, "And he said to me: This
is the table that is before G‑d" (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
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