Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (1 of 2)

This year I learned and taught Sefer Iyov (the Book of Job) for the first time. I immediately became hooked on the Malbim's commentary, and relied heavily upon it to guide my learning (though I switched to the Rambam for the conclusion of the sefer). The Malbim, takes every word seriously, as is his style. He expresses his ideas clearly and explicitly, leaving no room for ambiguity. 

Although I found many insights in the words of the Malbim, one portion of his commentary stood out to my mind so fundamental and so eye-opening that I knew I had to share it . But I was apprehensive. Sefer Iyov is "longer in measure than the earth and wider than the sea" (Iyov 11:9). It should be learned in the manner of embarking on a journey - not as one browses postcards in a gift shop. I worried that by presenting this excerpt of the Malbim's commentary without the foundation and context of the rest of Sefer Iyov, one might be led to false conclusions. 

In the end, I decided that it was worth sharing, in spite of this risk. Think of this as a catalyst for further inquiry, not as a comprehensive treatment of the topic. To be safe, I decided to begin with this disclaimer:

DISCLAIMER:

You are about to read an excerpt from the Malbim's commentary on Sefer Iyov about the nature of reward and punishment. Sefer Iyov is 42 chapters long, and this excerpt represents only a fraction of the total picture. Thus, what you are about to read should NOT be taken as the "be-all and end-all" on the topics of reward and punishment, hashgachah pratis, and God's justice. There are many aspects of these topics which the Malbim does not address, and many questions which cannot be answered on the basis of these concepts alone. While it might be tempting to attempt to build an entire worldview based on the ideas set forth here, such an endeavor would be flawed from its inception. Think responsibly. 

I hope that message was loud enough and clear enough. Without further ado, let us proceed with the Malbim. Due to the length of the excerpt, I've decided to split it into several parts. 

We'll begin with the pesukim which the Malbim will be explaining. Part 1 will only cover his commentary on the first pasuk. 

Iyov 35:8-14: (8) Your wickedness injures only someone like yourself, and your righteousness is helpful only to another human being. (9) People will unite in the face of oppression, and they will cry out to be rescued from the oppressor's strong hand. (10) No [bird] inquires, “Where is God, my Maker?” who grants them nightly song [for their protection]. (11) Let us learn from the beasts of the field and gain wisdom from the birds of heaven. (12) There people will cry out, and [God] will not answer them because the wicked have grown so in strength. (13) But it is false to claim that [God] does not hear and that the Almighty does not see them. (14) Even though you say that you cannot perceive [Divine Providence], there is judgment before Him and you were created to implement it.

From here on out is the commentary of the Malbim, which speaks for itself. The paragraph divisions and emphasis in bold are my own: 

Malbim on Iyov 35:8: Your wickedness injures only someone like yourself. The wickedness that you commit that harms others only injures another human being like yourself [but does not affect God at all]. Similarly, the evil that man does to himself is damaging only to him. In the same vein, your righteousness is helpful only to another human being. That being said, how can you seek out [extrinsic] reward from Hashem for this, or [request] that He intervene in the particulars mete out punishment to the rasha? [To demand this would be] to suggest that [man’s actions] benefit Him or harm Him. 

This may be compared to the following: an ill patient doesn't seek out a reward from his physician [in payment] for obeying his instructions to safeguard his health, nor does the physician punish the patient if he fails to heed his warnings, for the reward and punishment are consequent upon the action itself. If he obeys [the physician’s instructions], he will be healed from his sickness, and that is his reward. If he doesn't obey, he will die, and that is his punishment. [This reward and punishment are not meted out] by the physician, but by [the patient] himself.  

Similarly, the reward [for good actions] is the good path itself, since he acquires perfection of his soul [by following it]; and if he does good for others, he will enjoy benefits from the society [in which he lives]. Conversely, “one who does evil corrupts his soul and his flesh” (Mishlei 11:17), and if he does evil to others, he will suffer from the wickedness of the society.  

The reason for this is because Hashem created man to be social, by nature, and [He intended] that the people of a society should help each other to attain their needs, and that they should have societal regulations and righteous laws to protect the community from all evil. If all people in the community join together to do goodness and kindness to their fellows, and take care not to harm each other in any way, and to diligently execute justice to all who violate these regulations – then everyone will live in peace and prosperity and no societal harm will befall any individual. The same is true for the species as a whole: if it is founded on righteous statutes and laws, then all of its individual members will be protected from every evil and harm, and its members would help each other [to attain their needs].  

But if all of them behave like wolves and agree to [follow] wicked laws [which enable] oppression and violence, then each [member of the society] will [consequently] be subject to wickedness. They will not be safe from the robber and the violent oppressor for even a moment. “Their lives will hang in the balance” (cf. Devarim 28:66) from the threat of their enemies, the perversion of justice, and the threat of murder. They will be like the fish of the sea, where each individual is swallowed alive by its neighbor.  

Hashem arranged the creation of man in such a way that reward and punishment are embedded in nature, both with regard to the individual and with regard to the preservation of the society. With regard to the individual: if a person follows the path to [true] happiness with proper ethical conduct and control of his lusts, and the like, then he will naturally enjoy a happy physical existence. And [if he lives in the] opposite manner, he will naturally suffer harm: “for the guzzler and the gorger will be poor, and slumber will clothe you in rags” (Mishlei 23:21), and “the lust of the lazy person will kill him” (ibid. 21:25); “for anger will annihilate the fool” (Iyov 5:2) and “envy causes bones to rot” (Mishlei 14:30), and “sharp wounds purge evil” (ibid. 20:30). And if an individual indulges in pleasure to excess, he will become seriously ill, “for the harlot will kill many a strong man” (cf. Mishlei 7:26). The same is true of one who sins against his society – the members of his society will come to exact justice, and the zealous will be the first to strike him. And the opposite with the opposite (i.e. the person who treats the members of his society well will receive reciprocal kindness from them).

I hope, after reading just one part of the Malbim's commentary here, that you can see what I mean about being "fundamental" and "eye-opening." Stay tuned for the continuation of this post, which I will try to post on the 17th of Tammuz. 

Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (2 of 2)

If you haven't read Malbim: On Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility (Part 1), you are advised to do so before proceeding. It would also be prudent to review the pesukim on which the Malbim will be commenting, as well as the disclaimer, which applies here as well.

Artwork: Eyes in the Skies, by James Rhyman

Having established a framework for understanding reward and punishment and their relationship to individual and societal suffering, the Malbim goes on to explain how this principle sheds light* on the question of "rasha v'tov lo" (i.e. a wicked person who prospers). The Malbim writes:

On the basis of this argument, the question that Iyov asked in chapter 24 is completely upended. [Iyov asked:] “Aren’t there are wicked men who destroy civil society, such as pirates on the seas and robbers in deserts who kill wantonly and destroy the world? Why doesn’t God destroy them and remove their evil from the world?” The answer to this question is now clear:  

(9) “People will unite in the face of oppression.” Isn't it clear that Hashem arranged for the correction of this problem within the nature of man himself? Hashem providentially supplied all living creatures with the tools and faculties necessary to protect themselves from their enemies, in order to maintain their species and individuals. This providence certainly extended to man, the choicest of creations. [Hashem did this] by creating man to be a social animal. He implanted in man's nature the ability to form societies, to institute righteous laws and rules, and to enforce lawfulness and justice all who violate the statutes and rules [of the society], thereby eradicating all evildoers from the land. 

Thus, if the majority of people are good and love justice and righteousness, it will be impossible for robbers and murderers to multiply and destroy civil society. The good people of the nation, who constitute the majority, would immediately rise up to destroy these predators and banish them from the earth. It would not be necessary for God Himself to descend from on high to do battle with these destroyers, since – in bringing them to justice – all righteous human beings are the agents by which He enacts justice. The people of society will gather together as one, with their judges at their head, to destroy and banish the evildoers. 

This is the meaning of the statement: “People will unite in the face of oppression.” Isn't it clear that Hashem implanted within man’s nature the ability to unite as a society and “cry out to be rescued from the oppressors’ strong hand”? The people of the land, who will outnumber those who oppress and murder, can assemble and cry out for deliverance from these oppressors, who will be the minority among the population at large, and destroy them. 

It is in this sense that Hashem providentially arranged for man to protect himself against oppressors and predators by enabling society at large to annihilate these destroyers. 

Artwork: Fable of Wolf and Owl, by Heather Hudson.

According to the Malbim, the next few pesukim show that although this hashgachah extends to all species, though it is specialized in the case of man.

(10) [God actually grants these protective measures to all His creatures.] Even to the bird, “He grants nightly song.” These are weak birds whose nature, as implanted by Hashem, is to sing at night. Because of their fear of nocturnal predators, they sing at night to alert each other to gather together and fight for their lives if a predator comes among them. They sing in order to warn one another about the threats that the night brings. In this way, they can protect themselves and preserve their species, such that “No [bird] inquires, 'Where is God, my Maker?'” In other words, [it would be false to say that such a bird] isn't under the providence of Hashem, its maker, since as He created it weak and vulnerable to be preyed upon by the stronger predators. In truth, Hashem’s providence did extend to this bird, insofar as He created it in a manner whereby it can be protected from those who seek to harm it. And if Hashem, in His providence, arranged such protection in the nature of lowly creatures – by granting them the ability to call out and be saved from oppression by taking a stand against their oppressors, and to do battle with the predatory animals – then He certainly providentially arranged [protection] for man in this manner. 

(11) Therefore, “Let us learn from the beasts of the field.” Since God conferred on mankind greater wisdom than that which was given to beasts and birds, how can man say, “Where is God, my Maker? God does not watch over me and protect me from predators and oppressors”? On the contrary, Hashem has most certainly extended His Divine Providence to the human species in an even more elevated fashion. Human beings can increase their wisdom by studying the nature of all living things, integrating the lessons learned from all of them into their own intelligence. This is what was meant by the statement: “Let us learn from the beasts of the field” – man should learn from their behavior patterns what he must do to preserve his own numbers and protect his own species. Therefore, mankind should gather together and stand united to defend their lives against the robbers and murderers who are out to destroy them. And when a predator comes among them, they, too, should “sing out in the night.” 

Artwork: Rise of Eagles, by Noah Bradley

Our excerpt from the Malbim concludes with an answer* to the question, "Why does Hashem allow evildoers to prosper? Why doesn't He destroy them?" 

(12) On the basis of this principle, you will find an answer to your question, namely, that “there people will cry out and [God] will not answer them.” Iyov made this statement in chapter 24: “The groans of the people rise up from the city, and the spirits of the slain cry out for deliverance – yet God finds no fault with the wicked!” (Iyov 24:12). Murderous assassins wreak havoc in the city and cause the deaths of so many people – whose spirits then cry out to God, as it says right there, “The spirits of the slain cry out for deliverance” – that they cry out to God for salvation. So why doesn't God answer them and hold guilty those who are responsible? 

The answer is: “because the wicked have grown so in strength” – because the wicked have overwhelmed the righteous with their intensity and strength. This is a sign that the majority of society is wicked and doesn't strive to execute judgment and banish those who do evil. Otherwise, the wicked would not have been allowed to become powerful enough to attack the city and kill the people there, and then those who were being oppressed would attempt to escape the strong hand [of the wicked] by crying out for deliverance. The greater majority [of the society] would have gathered together in great numbers to hasten to the rescue of those who were being oppressed and banish the evildoers. Therefore, this matter [of insuring the protection of the weak against the strong] is a responsibility incumbent upon society itself – not upon Hashem. 

(13) Consequently, “it is false” and vain for you to interpret these events to mean “that [God] does not hear” the cries of the oppressed “and that the Almighty does not see them” that He doesn't providentially supervise them and that He doesn't see the evil of the oppressors. [Such an interpretation] is false and deceitful, for Hashem hears and sees everything that happens on earth. 

(14) “Even though you say that you cannot perceive [Divine Providence]” – even though you say that you cannot perceive or see with your own eyes how Hashem providentially arranges for justice on behalf of the oppressed – the truth is that “there is judgment before Him.” God has indeed established a mechanism for justice to be executed in this world, and “you were created to implement it.” You [mankind] were created to be the agents of Divine Providence and to carry out these judgments when it comes to the robbing of the poor and the murder of the indigent. This means that upon your creation, the potential for eradicating evil from the land and providing justice for the oppressed was implanted in your nature. This enables you to battle and overcome those who breach laws and oppose peace. 

In summation: It is our responsibility - not Hashem's - to form righteous societies and to defend the weak against the evildoers who threaten them. Hashem endowed man with the intelligence to understand justice and the innate drive to create societies with laws to enforce it. Moreover, He gave us His Torah, which contains everything we need to accomplish this task. The question we must ask ourselves is: What is stopping us? 

* DISCLAIMER: You are about to read an excerpt from the Malbim's commentary on Sefer Iyov about the nature of reward and punishment. Sefer Iyov is 42 chapters long, and this excerpt represents only a fraction of the total picture. Thus, what you are about to read should NOT be taken as the "be-all and end-all" on the topics of reward and punishment, hashgachah pratis, and God's justice. There are many aspects of these topics which the Malbim does not address, and many questions which cannot be answered on the basis of these concepts alone. While it might be tempting to attempt to build an entire worldview based on the ideas set forth here, such an endeavor would be flawed from its inception. Think responsibly.

Is Judaism a Religion? (Version 2.0)

Two hours into writing this post I realized that I had already written and published this post on this blog in 2014. Since the direction I took this time around is different than the direction I took last time, I decided to finish writing the post to see what would happen. I was happy with the result. Since I think this one is the better version, I decided to remove the other one from the blog.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of this blog post.

Spoiler Alert: My answer to this question is the same as the answer to the question:
"Are both of these figures Betty White?"

Is Judaism a Religion? (Version 2.0)

Three Reasons for this Post

I was motivated to write this post for three reasons - two of which are pet peeves, and the other of which is a national teshuvah-related musing:

Reason / Pet Peeve #1: Throughout my teaching career I've had a number of students who have struggled with their relationship to Judaism. Sometimes these students express themselves by saying things like, "I have problems with religion" or "I have mixed feelings towards religion." 

This irks me. I'm not bothered by the fact that they have problems or mixed feelings, but by their use of the blanket-term "religion." Sometimes I'll ask them, "Really? Which religion?" They look at me with surprise in their eyes and answer, "Um. Judaism?" to which I respond, "So why did you say that you have problems with 'religion' as a whole, rather than with 'Judaism' or 'Torah' or 'being frum'?" The answers they tend to give lead directly into the subject matter of this blog post.

[Just to be clear: I don't blame or judge these students for lumping Judaism into the larger category of "religion." This is merely a symptom of the mistake which will presently be discussed.] 

Reason / Pet Peeve #2: Similarly, I am bothered by the use of the term "Judeo-Christian values." I do not dispute the fact that there are certain political agendas which unite religious Jews and Christians finding themselves on the same side of the aisle. I'm not talking about this kind of thing (i.e. "Judeo-Christian agendas" or "Judeo-Christian political objectives"). I am referring to the persistent myth that Judaism and Christianity share a common value system or a similar core belief system. I even considered entitling this post "The Myth of Judeo-Christian Values."

Reason #3: I am writing this post on the 17th of Tammuz. The Rambam [1] writes: 

"Five tzaros (calamities) occurred on the 17th of Tammuz: (a) the Tablets were broken; (b) in Bayis Rishon (the First Holy Temple) the tamid (continual offering) was discontinued; (c) the walls of Jerusalem were breached [in the war leading up to] the destruction of the second [Temple]; (d) Apostamos, the wicked [Roman general], burned a Sefer Torah; (e) he erected an idol in the Beis ha'Mikdash."

Based on Tuesday's post about national teshuvah gemurah, we must conclude that all five of these events were caused by national chataim (sins), and that these chataim still exist within the Jewish people today. In this vein, I began musing about the last tzarah mentioned by the Rambam. I thought to myself: "If the chataim of the Jews at the time of the Second Beis ha'Mikdash resulted in avodah zarah (idolatry) being erected in our holiest site, what is the parallel that exists today? How have we, as 21st century Jews, enabled avodah zarah to be erected in our holiest sites?" 

Call it speculation, call it drash (homiletics), call it "using symbolism as a rhetorical device" - my mind associated to the contents of today's post. I will explain this association below.

Without further ado, let's tackle the question at hand.

Is Judaism a Religion?

When asked this question by students, I tend to give the following answer: "Either Judaism is not a religion, or Judaism is the only religion." This is just a cheeky way of answering: "No, Judaism is not a religion." My answer is based on three features which place Judaism into its own category, distinct from other religions. In order to sound fancy, let us refer to these as "the three pillars."  

1. Emunah vs. Faith: I have written several posts about the definition of emunah and the primacy of emunah in Judaism. Most, if not all, other religions are based on faith, whereas Judaism is based on emunah. By "faith" I mean conviction without (or in spite of) knowledge, evidence, and reason. By "emunah" I mean conviction based on knowledge, evidence, and reason. 

Faith and emunah are polar opposites. Since other religions demand a leap of faith, whereas Judaism is built upon a foundation of emunah, it doesn't make sense to classify them under the same heading - just as it wouldn't make sense to include a non-fiction book in the fiction section of the library.

2. Regimen: I have also written several posts about the definition of Torah (which, in this context, is interchangeable with "Judaism"). Ralbag defines Torah as "a regimen that brings those who practice it properly to true success." By "true success" the Ralbag means "comprehension of Hashem, to the extent that is [humanly] possible" which is achieved by keeping halacha, by pursuing intellectual and ethical perfection beyond the dictates of halacha - that is, by emulating Hashem's middos (actions) of chesed (kindness), tzedakah (righteousness), and mishpat (justice) - and by striving to comprehend as much science and Torah as possible. This is the Judaism I practice.

I challenge anyone to find a religion whose character and objectives match this description. There are religions which emphasize ethical development but neglect the development of the intellect. There are religions which advocate pursuing a relationship with God, but have nothing to do with chesed, tzedakah, and mishpat. There are systems which may be described as "regimens" which focus on the pursuit of human perfection, but leave God entirely out of the picture. To my knowledge, there is no other religion which presents itself as a divinely authored regimen for perfection as a tzelem Elokim (truth-seeking human being). 

3. Chochmah: Everything in Judaism is based on chochmah (wisdom), exhibits chochmah, and promotes chochmah. Every halacha (Jewish law) is determined by the unique method of scientific thinking which characterizes the study of Torah she'baal Peh (the Oral Torah). Every mitzvah was given for rational reasons that can be grasped by the human intellect - even the chukim (statutes). No element of authentic Judaism was dictated by arbitrary whim, decreed by inexplicable mystical intuition, or prescribed by religious sentiment. Every feature was arrived at through chochmah. With other religions this is simply not the case. 

These three features set Judaism apart from all other religions. This is why I believe that the answer to the question, "Is Judaism a religion?" is a firm: "NO." 

Rambam's Analogy

One might object, saying: "Fine - I'll accept the fact that Judaism is fundamentally different from other religions, but you can't deny that there are many similarities. For example, consider how many things Judaism and Christianity have in common: monotheism, prayer, reward and punishment, heaven and hell, etc. What do you have to say about that?" 

The best response I have seen to this line of reasoning is the Rambam's analogy in Iggeres Teiman. The Rambam writes:

Our religion differs as much from the other allegedly similar religions as a living man endowed with the faculty of reason differs from a statue which is ever so well carved out of marble, wood, bronze, or silver. When a person ignorant of divine wisdom or of God’s works sees the statue that superficially resembles a man in its contours, form, features, and color, he believes that the structure of the parts of a statue is like the constitution of a man, because he is deficient in his understanding of the inner organization of both. But the informed person who knows the interior of both, is cognizant of the fact that the internal structure of the statue betrays no skillful workmanship at all, whereas the inward parts of a man are truly marvelously made, and testify to the wisdom of the Creator – such as the prolongation of the nerves in the muscles and their ramifications, the branching out of the sinews and their intersections and the network of their ligaments and their manner of growth, the articulations of the bones and the joints, the pulsating and non-pulsating blood vessels and their ramifications, the setting of the limbs into one another, the uncovered and covered parts, every one of these in proportion, in form and proper place.

Likewise, one who is ignorant of the deeper meaning of Scripture and the inner dimension of the Torah would be led to believe that our religion has something in common with a counterfeit religion if he makes a comparison between the two. For he will note that in the Torah there are prohibitions and commandments, just as in counterfeit religions there are permitted and prohibited acts. Both contain a system of religious observances, positive and negative precepts, and reward and punishment. 

If he could only fathom the inner dimensions [of Torah], then he would realize that the essence of the true divine religion lies in the wisdom of its positive and negative precepts, all of which benefit man in his striving after perfection, and which remove every harm that would impede his [pursuit of] this perfection. These commandments enable people to acquire moral and intellectual qualities – the masses according to their ability, and the elite individuals according to their apprehension – so that the community of God becomes pre-eminent, reaching a two-fold perfection: a first perfection, by which I mean man’s spending his life in this world under the best and most agreeable conditions, and a second perfection, by which I mean the apprehension of concepts, each person in accordance with his capacity. 

The other religions which resemble our own have no inner dimension [of wisdom], but are [merely] stories and imitations which are intended for self-glorification, so that people will say that they are similar to so-and-so. However, their counterfeiting is patently clear to the wise. Consequently they become objects of derision and ridicule just as one laughs and smiles at an ape when it imitates the actions of men. 

The Rambam here identifies two qualities which differentiate "the true divine religion" from "counterfeit religions." The first is the chochmah of the Torah, which the Rambam analogizes to the chochmah that is manifest in the design of the human body. The second quality he points out is the essential objective of the Torah's mitzvos, which is to benefit man in his pursuit of human perfection by helping him to acquire moral and intellectual excellence. In contrast, other religions lack an "inner dimension" of chochmah, and are not designed to facilitate man's moral and intellectual development. 

[You might have noticed that these are two out of the three pillars that I mentioned above. At first I wondered why the Rambam left out the fact that other religions are based on faith, whereas Judaism is based on proof. Then I remembered that the Rambam subsequently devotes an entire section of the Iggeres Teiman to this very point, which is why he doesn't mention of it in this analogy.]

All of the apparent similarities listed at the beginning of this section are just that: apparent similarities.

• The Jewish concept of Hashem's Oneness (i.e. that God is Absolutely One, without any parts, qualities, similarities, divisions, multiplicity, or plurality of any kind) is completely different than the so-called monotheism of Christianity - especially the Trinitarian sects of Christianity.
• The Jewish concept of tefilah is utterly different from the infantile Christian concept of prayer, as I wrote about in Jewish Prayer (and Jury Duty).
• The Jewish concept of reward and punishment has nothing in common with the primitive parallel notions in Christianity, as I wrote about in Malbim on Hashgachas Hashem and Human Responsibility.
• The Jewish concept of "heaven" (i.e. Olam ha'ba, or the World to Come) bears no resemblance whatsoever to the childish heaven of Christianity, as I wrote about in Mark Twain: On Olam ha'Ba.

According to the Rambam, the same goes for EVERY seeming similarity between Judaism and Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, or all the other religions. If you learn what Judaism actually holds in each case, you will see that the Judaism differs from the other religions as much as a Madame Tussaud wax figure differs from the person it was modeled after. 

Revisiting the Three Reasons

Let's go back to my three motives for writing this post: (1) my annoyance when people say they "have problems with religion" when they really mean they "have problems with Judaism," (2) the myth of "Judeo-Christian values," and (3) the modern-day corollary to Apostamos setting up an idol in the Beis ha'Mikdash.

re: Reason #1: In my experience, if a student characterizes his or her struggles as being "problems with religion," there is a good chance that the characterization is accurate. Every single time this has happened (so far), I quickly discover that the student is unaware of one, two, or all three of the features that Judaism apart from other religions. Once I help bring these students to the realization of what Judaism really is, it eventually dawns on them that many of their problems have nothing to do with authentic Judaism, and that Judaism supports their criticisms of "religion." This doesn't mean that they won't have other problems with Judaism, but I usually find that this "Aha!" moment creates an inroad and helps these students to be more open to hearing what Judaism has to offer. 

re: Reason #2: I think it's pretty clear at this point in the post that my feelings about the notion of "Judeo-Christian values" are well-founded - certainly according to the Rambam. 

re: Reason #3: Does Apostamos's erection of an idol in the Beis ha'Mikdash have anything to do with the subject of this post? Maybe, and maybe not. But I know one thing: the fact that so many Jews are ignorant of these three pillars indicates that Klal Yisrael has allowed Judaism to become defined by the concepts, values, and terminology of other religions. "They mingled with the nations and learned from their actions" (Tehilim 106:35). This undoubtedly qualifies as a national cheit (sin), and this cheit has resulted in innumerable personal and communal tzaros (calamities). 

Each and every Jew has a sphere of influence. Mine, as a teacher, extends to my students. Yours might be in your shul, or among your coworkers, or with your children. Regardless of how big or small one's sphere of influence is, each of us has a responsibility to practice Torah in a manner which reflects that  “[it is our] 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!’” (Devarim 4:6). 

If you agree with me about these three pillars, then I encourage you to bring awareness to them in your Torah discussions. And if you disagree with me, then I encourage you to speak out against these pillars. The main thing is that you fight to restore authentic Judaism to its previous splendor. The truth will ultimately emerge and be established forever.