Parashas Vaeschanan: The Loneliness of the Jew

This is a write-up of an idea that my Mishlei rebbi told me. Originally posted in July 2013.

Parashas Va'eschanan: The Loneliness of the Jew

In Parashas Va'eschanan, Moshe Rabbeinu exhorts Bnei Yisrael to observe the mitzvos upon entering and settling the Eretz Yisrael. He begins by reminding the Jews of an incident still fresh in their memory:

Now, O Israel, listen to the decrees and to the ordinances that I teach you to perform, so that you may live, and you will come and possess the Land that Hashem, the God of your forefathers, gives you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract from it, to observe the commandments of Hashem, your God, that I command you. Your eyes have seen what Hashem did with Baal-peor, for every man that followed Baal-peor - Hashem, your God, destroyed him from your midst. But you who cling to Hashem, your God - you are all alive today. [1]

Next, he proceeds to describe how the surrounding nations will view them if they keep the mitzvos properly:

See I have taught you decrees and ordinances, as Hashem, my God, has commanded me, to do so in the midst of the Land to which you come, to possess it. You shall safeguard and perform them, for it is your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the nations, who shall hear all these decrees and who shall say, "Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!" For which is a great nation that has a God Who is close to it, as is Hashem, our God, whenever we call to Him? And which is a great nation that has righteous decrees and ordinances, such as this entire Torah that I place before you this day?

Moshe tells us that if we keep the mitzvos correctly, the goyim will admire us in three ways: (1) they will see that we are a wise and discerning nation, (2) they will realize that we, as a nation, are unique in that we enjoy a special, providential relationship with God, and (3) they will recognize that we live a life of righteousness.

My rebbi raised a basic question on Moshe's entire approach: Who cares what other people think? Why does Moshe place so much emphasis on how the goyim will view us? Is that really why we should keep the mitzvos? Should we really measure our value by the opinion of the surrounding nations?

My rebbi answered that Moshe is responding to an emotion that Bnei Yisrael were destined to feel once they settled in the land. That emotion is loneliness. Ahm Yisrael is destined to be different than all other people. Our ways are different from their ways and our values and ideas do not conform theirs. This difference is bound to make us feel isolated, rejected, and alone.

Moshe was the leader of Klal Yisrael. He witnessed and facilitated the birth of the nation through Yetzias Mitzrayim. He was the agent through whom the Torah was given, which forever altered the national destiny of the Jewish people. He shepherded them for 40 years in the desert, overseeing their arduous developmental journey until this point. Now, on the threshold of their entry into the Land, he knew that they would be faced with a new challenge: the challenge of living a unique lifestyle in the face of all the nations.

Moshe foresaw what we, with the advantage of historical hindsight, have seen play itself out for the past 3,000 years of our history until this day. Throughout the ages, the nation of Israel has struggled with a feeling of national loneliness. We cannot help but be self-conscious of the differences between ourselves and our neighbors. Theorize all you want about the roots of this emotion, but it is there, and it is inescapable.

There is only one antidote to loneliness. Not companionship, not affection, but acceptance. One must feel accepted by other people in order to overcome one's loneliness. [3] The lonely individual will seek acceptance at any cost.

Moshe knew there are only two ways that Bnei Yisrael would seek acceptance. The incorrect way - and, unfortunately, the easiest way - is to modify Torah to conform to the norms of the society. Ultimately, this approach will necessitate either adding or subtracting to the Torah, thereby violating the system of 613 mitzvos. This is precisely why Moshe reminds Bnei Yisrael about what happened to them the last time they attempted to assimilate into the surrounding culture in this manner (i.e. the incident with Baal-peor). All such attempts to "fit in" with the goyim by compromising Torah-observance are destined to end in destruction.

So, what is the correct way to earn acceptance from the goyim? By becoming an ohr l'amim (light onto the nations). [3] This is why Moshe Rabbeinu assures Bnei Yisrael that if they keep Torah properly, not only will the goyim accept them, but they will look up to them as role models. The goyim will laud them for their wisdom and understanding, for their closeness to Hashem (as evidenced by His hashgachah pratis over them), and for the justice and righteousness exemplified by Bnei Yisrael in the way they live. When this happens, the feelings of national loneliness will dissolve.

This lesson is just as relevant for us individuals as it is for the entire nation. As Jews, each of us will feel this existential sense of loneliness at some point - perhaps at many points - in our lives.

Sometimes, this feeling is easy to deal with, but at other times, it can be crippling. Nobody likes to feel unaccepted or rejected by the world at large.

We, too, are faced with the same two approaches to seeking acceptance: either compromise our adherence to Torah in an attempt to fit in with our surrounding culture, or embrace Torah and live up to its ideals, thereby winning the recognition and admiration of our non-Jewish peers. The crossroads of these two paths is the decision about whether to modify the system of Torah and its mitzvos.

As a wise man once said, "we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy." The road to acceptance set forth by Moshe Rabbeinu is far from easy. One must learn and live Torah to the extent to which wisdom, justice, and hashgachah are manifest in one's life. But even if we do not achieve this ideal level in whole, we can at least achieve it in part. To the extent that we come to embody the three qualities mentioned by Moshe Rabbeinu, we can overcome that feeling of existential loneliness, enjoy the benefits that the Torah has to offer, and be a light unto the rest of mankind.

[1] Sefer Devarim, Chapter 4
[2] I know what some of you might be thinking. "Shouldn't a person just undo the need for loneliness altogether?" I have two responses to this: (1) Moshe Rabbeinu is talking to the entire nation of Bnei Yisrael, and most of them (read: us) will probably never be on the level to undo our need for acceptance; (2) even great tzadikim feel an existential sense of loneliness, and I suspect that Moshe's words have relevance to them as well.
[3] cf. Sefer Yeshayahu 51:4. Little do people realize that the real phrase in the pasuk is not "ohr l'amim" but "l'ohr amim." Whatevs.

Some Musings on Achdus (Jewish Unity)

Originally posted in July 2013

Some Musings on Achdus (Jewish Unity)

The term "achdus" (Jewish unity) often comes up in discussions about social and political issues concerning the Jewish community. This concept is often invoked with unspoken qualifiers, such as "absolute achdus" or "unconditional achdus" or "achdus irrespective of our differences." Such calls for achdus are often bolstered with statements such as "kol Yisrael areivim zeh la'zeh" ("Every Jew is responsible for one another") and "ve'ahavta l'reiecha kamocha" ("You shall love your fellow [Jew] as yourself"). Some go so far as to hurl accusations of sinas chinam (baseless hatred) at anyone whose views are perceived as a threat to this achdus.

There is a simple truth which could stand to be reiterated from time to time: there is good achdus and bad achdus. In order to achieve the former, we must be able to understand, identify, and avoid the latter. That is the topic of this blog post.

We can examine this distinction from many different angles, but in this post we will focus on the statement of Hillel in Avos 2:4: "Al tifrosh min ha'tzibur" ("Do not separate from the community"). The Rishonim take a number of different approaches on this mishnah. I will now present excerpts from the commentaries of three Rishonim. As you read through their explanations, see if you can spot the common denominator. 

We will begin with the commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah:

When the community is involved with a mitzvah, this a crown for the Life of Worlds and an honor for His entire dominion, for when the multitude of the nation gathers to fulfill His mitzvos, it is a "glory for the King" (Mishlei 14:28), and it isn't right to separate from them, as it is stated, "He became King over Yeshurun when the numbers of the nation gathered - the tribes of Israel in unity" (Devarim 33:5). 

All of this applies to when the congregation is following a good path and is gathered to do mitzvos. But when the congregation turns to a bad path and their actions are corrupt, it is not right to join with them, and one who separates from them is praiseworthy. Concerning this, Yirmiyahu ha'Navi said: "If only someone would give me a travelers' lodge in the wilderness, then I would forsake my people and leave them, for they are all adulterers, a band of traitors" (Yirmiyahu 9:1). 

Next, the Meiri:

There are those who explain "do not separate from the community" in reference to their customs (i.e. a person shouldn't deviate from the customs of the community). This isn't a valid interpretation, for if [their customs] are good, then the same would apply even to an individual (i.e. one shouldn't deviate from the good customs of even a single person), but if they are bad, it is proper to rebuke them and to guide him on the straight path - that is, if he is worthy [to rebuke them]. But if he is not worthy [to rebuke them] or if they don't listen to him, then it is definitely proper to separate from them, and even to distance oneself from them exceedingly, in order to be saved from their companionship - even if he is their relative or close friend, as it was stated, "Go for yourself, from your land and from your birthplace" (Bereishis 12:1). And if he doesn't do this, he should be fearful for his soul, lest he perish on account of the sin of the city (cf. Bereishis 19:15). 

Lastly, the Rashbatz:

When the actions of the community are corrupt, one who separates from them is praiseworthy. Concerning this, Yirmiyahu ha'Navi said: "If only someone would give me a travelers' lodge in the wilderness, then I would forsake my people and leave them, for they are all adulterers etc." (Yirmiyahu 9:1). And David said: "I hated the gathering of evildoers, and I did not sit with the wicked" (Tehilim 26:5). And Yeshaya said: "Don't talk about a 'unified group,' for everything this people speaks of is a 'unified group'" (Yeshaya 8:12, translated according to Metzudas Tzion). And the Torah says: "Do not go after the majority for evil" (Shemos 23:2). 

But if their actions aren't too corrupt, you shouldn't separate from them ... 

Did you figure it out? That's right. Although these three Rishonim differ in their interpretation Hillel's statement, they are unanimous in their rejection of "absolute achdus," "unconditional achdus," and "achdus irrespective of our differences." 

Achdus Yisrael is beneficial for society and brings glory to God, but only when that achdus is harmonious with His ratzon. Rebbi Yochanan ha'Sandlar expressed this point when he said: "Any congregation which is for the sake of heaven will ultimately prevail, but one which isn't for the sake of heaven will ultimately not prevail" (Avos 4:11). No matter how this mishnah, it is clear that he is not advocating unconditional achdus.

Artwork: False Peace, by Zina Saunders

To my mind, one of the best depictions of the good type of achdus Yisrael is the Rosh ha'Shanah edition of the third brachah of the shemoneh esreh:

You are kadosh (transcendent) and Your Name is kadosh, and kedoshim praise You every day, forever. And so, too, O Hashem, our God, instill Your awe upon all Your works, and Your dread upon all that You have created. Let all works fear You and all creatures prostrate themselves before You. Let them all become a single society, to do Your will wholeheartedly. For as we know, Hashem, our God, that the dominion is Yours, might is in Your hand and strength is in Your right hand, and Your Name inspires awe over all that You have created. 

The natural question is: How can this achdus be achieved?  On the surface, it would seem that this is an unanswerable question. The question of how to achieve peace has plagued every society since the dawn of mankind. The problem is so multifaceted and daunting that it doesn't even seem worthwhile to ask the question.

Thankfully, Judaism provides a clear answer to this question. How can true achdus be achieved? Through knowledge. I can't express this point any better than the Rambam in the Moreh ha'Nevuchim 3:11, so I'll just quote him in full (with my own paragraph breaks):

All the great evils which men cause to each other because of certain intentions, desires, opinions, or religious principles, are likewise due to non-existence, because they originate in ignorance, which is absence of wisdom. 

A blind man, for example, who has no guide, stumbles constantly, because he cannot see, and causes injury and harm to himself and others. In the same manner, various classes of men, each man in proportion to his ignorance, bring great evils upon themselves and upon other individual members of the species. 

If men possessed wisdom, which stands in the same relation to the form of man as the sight to the eye, they would not cause any injury to themselves or to others: for the knowledge of truth removes hatred and quarrels, and prevents mutual injuries. 

This state of society is promised to us by the prophet in the words: “The wolf will live with the sheep [and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and a calf, a lion whelp, and a fatling together, and a young child will lead them.] A cow bear will graze and their young will lie down together; [and a lion, like cattle, will eat hay.] A suckling child will play by a viper’s mouth; [and a newly weaned child will stretch his hand toward an adder’s lair” (Yeshaya 11:6-8). 

The prophet also points out what will be the cause of this change, for he says that hatred, quarrel, and fighting will come to an end, because men will then have a true knowledge of God. “They will neither injure nor destroy in all of My holy mountain; for the earth will be as filled with knowledge of Hashem as water covering the sea bed” (ibid. 11:9). Note it.

The key to achdus Yisrael is knowledge: knowledge of ourselves, knowledge of Torah, knowledge of the world - all in the framework of knowledge of Hashem. "But let him that glorify himself glory in this: understanding and knowing Me, that I am Hashem, Who does kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these is My desire – the word of Hashem" (Yirmiyahu 9:23).

Of course, the Rambam does not mean to suggest that all we need to do is learn Torah 24/7 and everything will automatically take care of itself. People are complicated, and the problems we make for ourselves and for each other are equally complicated. Rather, the Rambam is saying that since ignorance is the root of all problems bein adam l'chaveiro, then all efforts to solve those problems must be based upon, guided by, and move towards knowledge. 

There is one last point I'd like to raise in this post - and this is where it gets tricky. The quest for knowledge must, of necessity, involve disagreement. It must also involve opposition to falsehood - opposition in in mind, in speech, and in action. In an ideal world, this would take place in the spirit of mutual respect and truth-seeking, untainted by ego and other negative emotions. The mishnah in Avos 5:17 points to the disagreements of Hillel and Shammai as the paradigm of "good disagreement" (a.k.a. "machlokes l'shem shamayim" or "disagreement for the sake of heaven").

Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Our world is filled with people who are intellectually and emotionally immature. We, ourselves, are intellectually and emotionally immature in comparison to others - and even the greatest thinkers are prone to bouts of immaturity. This makes things a lot more contentious and difficult. "Machlokes she'lo l'shem shamayim" ("disagreement not for the sake of heaven") prevails, and threatens to disrupt "the good achdus" at every step of the way.

How are we to conduct ourselves in a world divided by machlokes she'lo l'shem shamayim? Generally speaking, there are only two directions in which we, as members of Jewish society, can move in seeking a solution: either we can move towards knowledge, or away from it.

There is a trend among those who promote "unconditional achdus" to point out all of the ugliness that is generated by machlokes she'lo l'shem shamayim. On this score, they are correct: it can get quite ugly, and cause many problems. 

The mistake, however, is the solution that "unconditional achdus" proponents tend to adopt: they tend to believe that shalom can only be achieved by uncritically embracing and/or tolerating all beliefs and opinions as equally valid. Their approach is founded on a lack of basic epistemological yesodos and an erroneous understanding of concepts like shivim panim l'Torah and eilu v'eilu divrei Elokim chayim. They fail to realize that this approach leads away from knowledge, down the road of ignorance, and - according to the Rambam cited above - to increased harm and suffering.

It would behoove us to remember the example set by Korach and his assembly, in their rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu. Their machlokes with Moshe is identified by the mishnah in Avos as a machlokes she'lo l'shem shamayim - and yet, we do not see Moshe tolerating their views as "equal." The same is true of all the neviim and chachamim throughout Tanach. No matter how steeped in falsehood their society was, they never abandoned their commitment to defending knowledge and truth against the voices of ignorance and falsehood. Ahavas Yisrael they had, but not to the point where it compromised their ahavas Hashem, which is inextricably bound up with their ahavas ha'emes. 

The endeavor to treat all opinions as equally valid will, at best, only achieve a superficial and short-lived achdus - one which will erode the true foundations of true achdus. The only way to secure long-term achdus Yisrael is through the continual and communal pursuit of knowledge. If only we could overlook our differences to the point where we could all engage in an honest and open pursuit of knowledge without validating all opinions. It is possible to treat others with respect, compassion, and genuine empathy without compromising one's commitment to truth-seeking.

I sincerely hope and pray that we all live to see the true achdus in the fulfillment of Tzfania's prophecy: "For then I will change the nations [to speak] a pure language, so that they all will proclaim the Name of Hashem, to worship Him with a unified resolve" (Tzfania 3:9).