What is Bushah?

Bushah (בּוּשָׁה) - commonly translated as "shame" - is a term that shows up in pesukim, in teachings of Chazal, and in our tefilos. Unfortunately, it is one of those terms whose meaning has become obscured and/or distorted as a result of our immersion in the non-Torah cultures of galus. 

I have been trying for some time to cultivate a clear idea of the Torah's concept of bushah, but it's still unclear to me. I took up the investigation again last week, and I thought that writing a blog post might help me to organize and develop my thoughts. 

My goal in this post is not to suggest a complete theory, or even to present all of the relevant sources. I simply want to call attention to six sources which have piqued my interest, and which I believe to be good "leads" for arriving at an understanding. I will present these sources, make a couple of observations, raise a few questions, and see where that leads. Perhaps this brainstorming session will be the catalyst for a flash of insight, or at least an interesting discussion. 

NOT the Torah's idea of shame

Item #1: Bushah in Teshuvah

If you asked a layperson, "At what point in the teshuvah process does bushah play a role?" he would likely answer, "At the beginning. You do something wrong, you feel ashamed, and then you do teshuvah." According to halacha, this is not the case. Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah 2:2 writes:

What is teshuvah? That the sinner should abandon his sin, and remove it from his plans, and resolve in his heart not to do it again, as it is stated, “The evil one should abandon his way, and the man of iniquity his plans” (Yishaya 55:7). Likewise, he should regret transgressing, as it is stated, “for after I returned [in teshuvah], I had remorse; after I became aware [of my sin], I slapped [my] thigh [in anguish]” (Yirmiyahu 31:18). And the One Who Knows Hidden Things should testify about him that he will never return to this sin, as it is stated, “We will no longer say, ‘O our gods!’ to the work of our hands, for it is with You that an orphan finds mercy” (Hoshea 14:4). And he must verbally confess and say these matters which he resolved in his heart. 

Here is full pasuk cited by the Rambam for the step of nechamah (remorse): "For after I returned [in teshuvah], I regretted; after I became aware [of my sin], I slapped [my] thigh [in anguish]; I was ashamed and also humiliated, for I bore the disgrace of my youth." 

This doesn't mean to suggest that bushah doesn't play a role before teshuvah. It just shows that there is a specific type of bushah which comes after one has gone through the teshuvah process, and it is this bushah and nechamah which are a required part of the teshuvah process. 

The question is: What is the nature of this bushah? 

Item #2: Bushah as Removed by Mitzvos

The Rambam prefaces the Mishneh Torah by quoting phrases from two pesukim. The first is "בְּשֵׁם ה' אֵל עוֹלָם" - "in the name of Hashem, the Eternal God" (Bereishis 21:33). The second is "אָז לֹא אֵבוֹשׁ בְּהַבִּיטִי אֶל כָּל מִצְוֹתֶיךָ" - "then I will not be ashamed when I look at all of your mitzvos" (Tehilim 119:6). Here is the second pasuk in context:

Praiseworthy are those whose way is whole, who walk with the Torah of Hashem. Praiseworthy are those who guard His testimonies, they seek Him wholeheartedly. They have also done no iniquity, for they have walked in His ways. You have issued Your precepts to be kept diligently. My prayers: May my ways be firmly guided to keep Your statutes. Then I will not be ashamed when I gaze at all of Your mitzvos. I will give thanks to You with upright heart, when I study Your righteous ordinances. I will keep Your statutes, O, do not forsake me utterly. (Tehilim 119:1-8)

By applying this pasuk to the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam implies that by learning and keeping all of the 613 mitzvos in his book, one will be able to gaze upon those mitzvos without feeling bushah. 

The question is: How does the study and observance of mitzvos remove bushah?

Item #3: Bushah as a Defining Trait of the Jewish People

So far we have seen examples of bushah as something which is negative - or at least, something which, if we were perfect, we would not have. In contrast, the Gemara in Yevamos 79a implies that bushah is a positive quality.

This nation (i.e. the Jewish people) is distinguished by three qualities: they are rachmanim (merciful), bayshanim ("ashamed"), and gomlei chasadim ("those who do acts of kindness"). Rachmanim, as it is written: "and He will grant you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you" (Devarim 13:18). Bayshanim, as it is written: "so that the fear of Him shall be upon your faces, so that you shall not sin" (Shemos 20:17), Gomlei chasadim, as it is written: "because he commands his children and his household etc." (Bereishis 18:19)

The pasuk cited by the Gemara to support its statement about bayshanim is referring to the Revelation at Sinai. Here is the pasuk in context, which is right after the Aseres ha'Dibros:

The entire people saw the thunder and the flames, the sound of the shofar and the smoking mountain; the people saw and trembled and stood from afar. They said to Moshe, "You speak to us and we shall hear; let God not speak to us, lest we die." Moshe said to the people, "Do not fear, for in order to elevate you has God come; and so that the fear of Him shall be upon your faces, so that you shall not sin." The people stood from afar and Moshe approached the thick cloud where God was. (Shemos 20:15-18)

There are several questions here: What makes bushah a defining trait of the Jewish people? How does the pasuk cited by the Gemara prove this contention? After all, the pasuk doesn't even use the term "bushah"! What is the definition of bushah based on this pasuk? 

Item #4: Bushah as the Opposite of Azus

The mishnah in Avos 5:20 says:

Yehuda ben Teima says: Be az (bold) like a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and mighty as a lion, to do the will of your Father in heaven. He used to say: Those who are azus panim (boldfaced) go to Gehinnom, but those who are boshes panim (shamefaced) go to Gan Eden. May it be Your will, Hashem, our God and the God of our forefathers, that the Holy Temple be rebuilt, speedily in our days, and grant us our share in Your Torah.

The question is: What is the relationship between azus panim and boshes panim, and why does the former lead to Gehinnom and the latter to Gan Eden? The second half of this mishnah presents azus panim as the opposite of boshes panim. If we can understand azus, perhaps we will gain insight to bushah as well. 

Item #5: Bushah as an Impediment to Learning

The meforshim  point out that the mishnah cited above seems to be contradictory. The first half of this mishnah advocates azus, whereas the second half condemns it. 

The Rambam, among others, explains that the resolution to this contradiction lies in the qualification: "to do the will of your Father in heaven." In other words, although azus panim is, generally speaking, an imperfection, it can be good if it is harnessed to do the will of Hashem. 

Chazal teach that bushah is an obstacle to learning, as it says in Avos 2:6: "ein ha'bayshan lomeid - an ashamed person doesn't learn." The question is: Is bushah similar to azus in that it is sometimes good and sometimes bad, or is this second mishnah talking about an entirely different type of bushah?

Item #6: Bushah as Intelligence

In his commentary on Avos 5:20, the Rashbatz quotes a cryptic definition of bushah from Maalos ha'Midos, by Rabbeinu Yechiel ben Yekutiel:

They asked the wise man: "What is boshes?" He answered: "Seichel (intelligence)." They asked him: "What is seichel?" He answered: "Boshes."

The question here is clear: What does this mean? Isn't it circular? What definition of bushah is being suggested here? 

Time to Ponder

Seeing as how I just hit my 1,400 word limit, I think this is a good time to stop and think. Like I said, there are more sources out there. These are just the ones that have been rolling around in my mind as of late. I'm curious to hear what you think!