Dual Loyalty

Chapter 3, Mishna 2






Dual Loyalty



The previous edition of this class was sent out shortly after the passing of my beloved grandfather, HaRav Avraham Zvi ben Asher, a wonderful and learned human being who lived fully till the ripe old age of 101, and was beloved to all who knew him. At the time I dedicated this class to his memory. I now rededicate this class to him. May his memory be for a blessing.





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"Rabbi Chanina the deputy [High] Priest said: Pray for the welfare of the government (lit., monarchy), for if not for its fear, a person would swallow his fellow live."



Our mishna diverges from some of the more spiritual themes of previous mishnas (or so it seems), and offers us some important practical advice. We are obligated to pray for and concern ourselves with the welfare of our country and government. Without authority, without law and order, people would literally swallow each other whole. We've all seen footage of such events as blackouts and natural disasters. When such events occur, we're on our own. No one's in control and nothing's stopping us -- and both the best and the worst in people come to the fore. (A heart-warming exception to this was 9-11, in which the civilized world felt under attack -- and we united and stood together in a way only tragedy can bring about.) And while some rise to the occasion to help others in need -- for no other reason than their G-d-given sense of responsibility to help mankind, others see nothing other than an opportunity to ignore all rules of justice and fair play.



Such times test a person's true worth: Do I truly fear G-d or do I behave because of the constraints of civilized society? But, advises R. Chanina, let us not wait and see who passes such a test. A civilized and ordered society is the best guarantee we will all live happy and productive lives.



R. Samson Raphael Hirsch notes that our mishna goes so far as to advise that we pray for the welfare of the government. Many synagogues recite such a prayer during Sabbath morning services. There is a specially-composed prayer which asks for the well-being of the ruler and that he be well-disposed towards his Jewish subjects. (And today some add prayers for the State of Israel and the IDF.)



There lies, however, a significant dilemma in this. For most of the past 2,000 years Jews have resided in adopted -- and usually less-than-welcoming -- host countries. Even to this day the majority of Jews live outside the Land of Israel. And we have often been suspected by our fellow countrymen of being foreign nationals -- of not being good Germans, good Russians, or good Frenchmen -- because of our acknowledged devotion to Judaism and to Israel.



(For this reason many Jews who had managed to have obtain high and influential government positions were apprehensive of appearing too pro-Jewish, and therefore bent over backwards in the interest of "evenhandedness". Many unfortunate examples of this in recent history.)



And in fact the question is a very serious one -- and a very valid one: Are such suspicions justified? Isn't it true that our primary devotion is to G-d's Torah and the Jewish people -- over and above our host the country and its laws? If we are devout Jews and quite likely supporters of the State of Israel, can we truly be patriotic Americans?



(When I was in elementary school we used to challenge ourselves with the difficult thought question: What if America and Israel go to war? Whose side would we be on? Would the Americans be justified in putting us in concentration camps (as they did to many Japanese-Americans during WWII) to keep us from making trouble?) (In fact one of the lame excuses offered by the State Department for refusing to accept more Jews at the start of the Holocaust was because they might be German spies in disguise.) In retrospect I realized that the question was moot. America and Israel would only go to war if one of the two countries had a fundamental shift in values and attitude -- one drastically different from the values dear to us today. And if that would occur, the question would presumably be a very different one.)



(As another aside, America and Israel going to war never really seemed all the likely to us -- then or now. But take a look at Zachariah 14 -- how the nations will come to attack Israel at the End of Days until G-d comes to our defense. And verse 14 there states that "Judah" will too fight against Jerusalem. According to most of the commentators, these will be Jews whom the nations will force to attack Jerusalem along with them -- i.e., conscript into their armies -- until G-d wipes out the Gentiles, leaving the Jews to take the spoils.)



(It's also interesting to note that a great European rabbi who visited America in the early 20th Century (I believe it was R. Baruch Epstein, author of the Torah Temimah), noted with curiosity that American Jews were unique among Jews of the Diaspora to feel a sense of patriotism towards their host country. Jews in America certainly had and still have a lot to be thankful for; the Jews of Poland, Russia, the Ukraine, the Levant etc. were at best lucky to settle for undisturbed, second-class citizenship. Yet it is interesting to realize that the concept of feeling any sort of loyalty to our country of residence is a relatively new phenomenon in Israel.)



So what of our question? Are our enemies justified in viewing us as foreign nationals? At first blush, we would have to answer yes. Certainly, our highest calling is to G-d. Our mission is eternal and unchanging; it knows no geographical boundaries. We might be good and law-abiding citizens in our host country, but far above all, we are obligated to be loyal to our G-d -- regardless of whether of not we have the support or even the permission of the temporal authorities. The inescapable conclusion would therefore seem to be that we identify with Judaism and our fellow Jews first, and our places of residence a far second.



However, the truth is hardly so simple. The Torah places great emphasis on our being good, law-abiding citizens. When the Jews were exiled to Babylon at the destruction of the First Temple, G-d, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, exhorts the people: "Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray to G-d for its sake" (Jeremiah 29:7). The Jews of the time were departing for a mere 70 years, yet they were instructed to make themselves quite at home. As far as we're concerned, the Exile is here to stay. This is where G-d wants us to reside, and from our perspective it is home -- and its natives are our hosts. The Torah goes so far as to instruct us not to hold an Egyptian in contempt, "for you were resident in his land" (Deut. 23:8). We honor our hosts, we support them, and we "seek their peace."



The Talmud further asserts a principle known as "the law of the land is binding" (Gittin 10b). This means that there is a Torah obligation that we observe the laws of the country in which we reside -- unless they outright contradict our own laws. (One reason for this, as offered by the commentators, is that since the territory of, say, the United States belongs to the U.S. government, the government has the right to state the conditions upon which we are permitted to dwell there.)



But it is far deeper than this. We must ever be conscious of the purpose for which G-d exiled us literally to every corner of the globe. G-d did not spread us out so far and wide to stir up discontent, to oppose or even to ignore our surroundings. He did so in order that we spread the truth of His existence and set an example of holiness and virtuousness for the world to see. The Talmud states, "G-d exiled the Jewish People among the nations of the world only in order that converts join them" (Pesachim 87b). The world over must come to recognize the great divine potential of the human being.



In fact, the commentator Rabbeinu Yonah extends our mishna's theme. He deals with the following question: Are we concerned with the welfare of our own host nation alone? What of the rest of the world? True, we must occupy ourselves first with the needs of our own, as the Talmud says, "The poor of your own city take precedence" (Bava Metsiah 33a), and of course we have a vested interest in the social well-being and economic prosperity of our own place of residence. But, explains R. Yonah, this should not be taken to imply a lack of concern for the rest of the world. Our mishna in part stems from the interest and concern we must have for all members of the human race.



So yes, in the final analysis we are good citizens. But we are much more. We must be devoted and caring towards our countries, our neighbors, and the world at large. Patriotism may not be our end goal, but within the framework of Judaism, we are given the leeway -- and the obligation -- to be decent, devoted, and prominent citizens wherever G-d's exile leads us. We hope to return to our own homeland, but in the meanwhile we can and should devote ourselves to our provisional homelands -- to humanity as a whole, but in particular to our benevolent host country.



Those of us fortunate to live in western democracies are at the same time able to benefit from the constitutionally-backed notions of freedom of religion and expression -- and for that too we must be eternally grateful. Very rarely today do religion and state clash (in really fundamental ways). If they do, we will be left with no choice. But barring that, we constitute the most devoted, law-abiding -- and patriotic -- segments of our host countries.



And so, in short, we do not suffer from dual loyalty. We have a single loyalty -- to G-d alone. He just happens to be a G-d who wants us to be caring and gracious to all

Split at the Sea

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/2111302/jewish/Split-at-the-Sea.htm
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http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/618984/jewish/Protector-of-Her-People.htm

Split at the Sea




When the Jewish people was surrounded by the Egyptians at the sea, four opinions were voiced on how to respond: 1) Jump into the sea – better to give one’s life in sanctification of G-d’s Name than to transgress His will; 2) Return to Egypt – perhaps they had not completed their spiritual mission there; 3) take up arms and fight – for to extinguish their own lives or return to Egypt would both transgress G-d’s will; 4) Pray to G-d. More

When the Jewish people was surrounded by the Egyptians at the sea, four opinions were voiced on how to respond: 1) Jump into the sea – better to give one’s life in sanctification of G-d’s Name than to transgress His will; 2) Return to Egypt – perhaps they had not completed their spiritual mission there; 3) take up arms and fight – for to extinguish their own lives or return to Egypt would both transgress G-d’s will; 4) Pray to G-d.



All four approaches, however, were wrong: “The L-rd said to Moses, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to travel onward’” – march into the sea and it will split for you!



“Everything that is found on dry land is also found in the sea” – but from the surface you can’t see anything in the ocean, because it’s all covered by water. Similarly, G-d’s miracles are all around us, but when one looks no deeper than the surface of the natural order, he cannot see the miracles. As soon as you take the dive into the depths of G-dly reality, however, you immediately see miracles happening all around you; you see G-d’s own hand orchestrating your deliverance.

Judgment and the afterlife

The Sages, however, never describe it that way. Our mishna states that we will one day have to "give justification and accounting" ("din v'cheshbon") before G-d. It seems that more will transpire than a mere handing down of a verdict. In fact, all throughout Jewish writings our ultimate judgment is portrayed as a trial. We will stand before a heavenly tribunal; we will be forced to view our entire lives and defend ourselves before the fearsome prosecutor. The Talmud states that we will be forced to respond to questions about our behavior in this world (Shabbos 31a), and that we will have to sign our names in approval of the judgment we will receive (Ta'anis 11a). (There appears to be a contradiction in the Talmud if the first question we will be asked is if we conducted our business affairs honestly or if we set aside daily time for Torah study.)

But what's really the point of all this? Are there really going to be court proceedings almost in the manner we have in this world? Isn't the whole thing really just a show trial? Or are the Sages just speaking in colorful metaphor?
"Akavia ben (son of) Mehalalel said: Consider three things and you will not come to sin. Know from where you have come, to where you are heading, and before Whom you will give justification and accounting. From where have you come? From a putrid drop (of semen). To where are you heading? To a place of dirt, worms and maggots. And before Whom will you give justification and accounting? Before the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He."

Our origins should perhaps be the most humbling aspect of our self-awareness. We all come from the same quite "ordinary" beginnings. Pagan kings of old used to claim descent from the heavenly bodies. And (at the risk of generating a flurry of irate e-mails...), other religions claim their savior spawned from something "holier" than mere sexual relations. We make no such claims. For man should see himself (at least his physical side) as something not so qualitatively different from any beast of the field. Even the greatest Torah scholar once leaked out of his diaper, spat up on his mother's good dress, played ball indoors and broke his parents' expensive vase, and got yelled at by his mother for carrying on. We all began as purely physical, helpless, demanding creatures. What we make of ourselves after is our own choosing. But the humbling memory of our all-too-human past must accompany us all the while

Rabbeinu Yonah comments on our mishna as follows: Much worse than the punishment a person will receive for his sins, he will experience an enormous sense of shame. People are embarrassed by their misdeeds, especially if they are caught in the act, and especially if it exposes them as being of much poorer character than they outwardly project. Continues R. Yonah, if a person is put to shame in this world he will be mortified, but it will eventually subside. Our memories are limited and finite (while other people move on to the next scandal), and we will slowly be able to put the incident out of mind. For in this world, our souls are tempered by their presence in physical bodies.
R. Yonah provides us with a critical insight into the nature of the judgment which awaits us in Heaven: it is shame! Our concept of reward and punishment is not a matter of paying up past debts or of G-d evening the score with us. It is the unbridled self-awareness which will result when our souls depart their bodies. Our souls will be "on trial." We will be forced to face our faults and be cognizant of them -- much as a defendant facing the overwhelming evidence of the prosecution. We will come face to face with our Creator. There will be no protective cloak, no layers of physicality or self-imposed ignorance, and no defense mechanisms. We will not be able to ignore who we are or make feigned excuses. We will be alone with ourselves -- and with our G-d. And this might be the ultimate bliss or the most excruciating torment -- depending, of course, how we spent our lives.
R. Aryeh Kaplan of blessed memory, in his work "Immortality and the Soul," discusses the true nature of Hell. He explains that one of the biggest tasks of our brains is to block out rather than absorb information. If every bit of input which reaches our senses would be registered -- every one of the billions upon billions of cells which trigger in our eyes and ears at every moment, we would quickly be overwhelmed. The human brain acts much more as a reducing valve than a listening device -- blocking out nearly all external stimuli so that we notice only that which we are focused on -- as well as sudden or unexpected sights or sounds on the peripheral. As jamming mechanisms our brains allow ourselves to be productive while allowing for self-preservation.
Our memories work in a similar fashion. They too retain only what they deem necessary, leaving aside most of what is not significant -- as well as that which we would prefer not to remember. (Consider the many recorded cases of child abuse -- in which the child literally put the horrific memories out of his or her mind. Years later, the person has an eerie revulsion for certain people or places -- and he doesn't know why.) Thus, while in our physical state, we cope with life by blocking out and leaving aside much of the unwanted and unnecessary. And what we are left with is often far from the entire story.

However, our consciousness -- our souls -- absorb everything. We know all our mistakes and misdeeds. And when our souls depart from their bodies, they will exist without the jamming mechanisms of the brain. And so, the afterlife will be one of exposure, of coming face to face with our true selves. We will stand naked before G-d, fully aware of all our virtues and all our faults. For some of us this will be the ultimate of bliss. And for others, it will be an eternal hell.

(Just as a parenthetical endorsement, in my humble opinion R. Kaplan's writings are without question the most important works on Jewish thought written in the English language. Many of his most basic works have been published in The Aryeh Kaplan Anthology, by Artscroll Mesorah Publications

Chapter 2, Mishna 21






Our Problems, G-d's Problems



"He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not upon you to complete the task, but you are not free to idle from it. If you have learned much Torah, you will be given much reward. And faithful is your Employer that He will reward you for your labor. And know that the reward of the righteous will be in the World to Come."



This mishna closely resembles the previous, also authored by R. Tarfon. Last week we learned: "The day is short, the work is great, the workers are lazy, the reward is great, and the Master of the house presses." We were given a sense of the urgency of life. Here too, R. Tarfon discusses the enormity of the tasks to be performed and the magnitude of Divine reward. Yet our mishna introduces a number of new ideas, and as we will see, a much broader and profounder image of life will emerge.



This week R. Tarfon tells us that it is not upon us to complete the task. He also states that G-d is "faithful" to reward us -- and that that reward may come only in the World to Come. I believe last week R. Tarfon was offering us a personal or individualistic outlook on life. We must see life as an ongoing procession of challenges and opportunities. There is much work to be done and much reward to be earned. The stakes are very high. Our lives should be one of boldly and eagerly rising to the many challenges before us.



Here R. Tarfon views life from a broader perspective -- not the personal but the global one. It is true that we must work hard and accomplish mightily. There are very few of us who could not change the world for the better if we had only the vision and the drive. Yet we must not feel it all rests on our shoulders: the task is not ours to complete. We must make the effort, but whether or not our efforts will be successful is in the hands of G-d. We do our part -- we are not free to idle -- yet we rest assured that G-d is the ultimate arbiter of what is and what is not accomplished in this world. And if we are not successful, it is beyond our control, and most importantly: it is not our problem.



For this reason, our mishna seems to almost de-emphasize reward -- stating that we must be patient about it and not necessarily expect it in this world. Viewing the world from our own perspective, we might have expected that if we work so hard, we will enjoy the fruits of our labor. We would expect our deeds to make the world a visibly better place, and that the rewards which are our due be handed to us on a silver platter.



However, R. Tarfon, from the grander perspective of this mishna, warns us otherwise. We do our part, but we must accept that from our limited perspective we may not so quickly see the results. The gears of this world churn exceedingly slow. G-d has His plan and the world will certainly reach its zenith, but the march towards that goal may not even be perceptible to us. Many lifetimes may go by before we see the world move ahead. Many world events from our perspective may seem to be moving the world backwards rather than forwards. For we must simply accept that just as our own tasks are beyond our ability to control and complete, the results of our labor may be beyond our ability to comprehend. Every good deed brings the world forward -- that we know for certain -- but how precisely we may never know.



(I used to work in America for a large government research organization. The managers in those days used to talk about the importance of "incremental gains" in our projects. The meaning was that they had to show off to their managers new achievements on a steady and regular basis. A funded project can only be justified if the top brass can be convinced that good things are coming from it today , and that their investment is paying regular dividends. (Managers are rather shortsighted, you know) ;-) For better or worse, we can expect no such steady returns on our Divine service. The reward will come alright, but we can never assume we will palpably see how much the world has improved as a result.)



This mishna thus provides us with a much broader and healthier perspective on life. We must achieve, yet our expectations must be realistic. We must face our tasks realizing that our own perspective is limited. We try our best, but we simply have to trust -- and remain patient.



It is worth emphasizing the significance of this mishna's approach. Last week's mishna painted an almost frightening image of life -- so much to do, so little time, a pressing, almost terrifying G-d. It seemed to condemn man to a life of unendurable stress -- something most of us have far too much of in our lives already. True, we are promised "the reward is great," but the challenges and pressures are enormous. How can we not feel a sense of dread and inadequacy? And more important, is this really the image R. Tarfon wants us to carry with us? Are we supposed to go about life stressed out?



Here, however, R. Tarfon consoles us that the job is not ours to complete. I believe the meaning is not simply: "Don't worry if you fail. So long as you tried your best G-d will reward you anyway." The meaning is in fact far more profound.



When Moses and Aaron were first sent by G-d to Pharaoh to ask for the Jews' release (they first asked for a three-day retreat into the desert), their first efforts at what we'd today call "shuttle diplomacy" were an abysmal failure. Rather than consenting in the slightest, Pharaoh concluded that the Hebrew slaves must have too much spare time on their hands and were thus dreaming up such wild ideas. He therefore commanded that the bondage become even more intense. (See Exodus Chapter 5.) (Why G-d willed it that matters got worse before they got better is a separate issue, beyond the scope of our current discussion. Suffice it to say that redemptions always have -- and always will -- work that way.)



Needless to say the morale of the people, initially quite receptive to Moses' first words of prophecy, plummeted. They wanted nothing other than to be left alone to serve Pharaoh. Don't rock the boat. Don't rouse up the anti-Semites in parliament, giving them an excuse to despise us, a "sword in their hand to kill us" (5:21). And Moses himself returned to G-d and complained: "L-rd, why have You done bad to this nation? Why have You sent me? Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done bad to this nation, and You have surely not saved Your nation" (vv. 22-23).



G-d responded by heaving a heavenly sigh, as the Talmud puts it, "Woe to those who are lost and are no longer found" (Sanhedrin 111a). Even Moses lacked the pure, simple -- and profound -- faith of our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. G-d made many promises to them -- promises He did not fulfill in their lifetimes, and not once did any of them complain. He promised them the Land of Israel but each of them had to purchase land out of their own pockets and/or squabble over claims. He promised Abraham that Isaac would be his primary heir and then commanded him to slaughter him, and Abraham did not utter a word of protest. Moses, however, as soon as the going got rough, spoke out.



G-d's response in essence was that we do not have to worry about how G-d will do His job. He has a plan for this world, and we are instrumental in bringing that plan to fulfillment. But we -- even Moses -- should not expect to understand every detail of G-d's inscrutable ways. Our job is not to "complete the task" -- to take control of the situation and see to it that G-d brings the world to fruition. It is simply -- and this is not so simple -- to fulfill G-d's commandments and let Him do the rest. If we try to play god, if we take it upon ourselves to save the world -- to "complete the task" -- then everything becomes permitted. The grand and glorious ends of bringing the world to its fruition would easily outweigh any injustices and atrocities committed along the way.



It has been said that the greatest crimes against humanity have been committed in the name of religion (the Crusades being but one shining example, the WTC attack being another. But the list is in fact endless. Recall the "religiously-motivated" assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.) We have a crucial role -- a pivotal role -- in world history. But it is only a role; G-d is the Director. Bottom line, we must follow the script handed to us -- the commandments of the Torah. G-d alone can do the rest.



Traditional Judaism is continuously confronted with this type of issue -- how can we spread the faith and maintain the allegiance of the masses? Perhaps we should modernize our practices and have them conform to contemporary attitudes of ethics and political correctness? Maybe in order to increase synagogue attendance we should compromise here and there, bringing ourselves in tune with the times? Let them drive to synagogue on the Sabbath, for otherwise they won't come at all -- and it's our job to save them, one way or the other.



To this our mishna responds: Our job is not to complete the task -- nor to save the world. Says G-d, "You just do your job -- fulfill the mitzvos (commandments) how and when I said. Will they bring the world to its fruition? Yes. How will that happen? That's My problem." It's not our job to worry about G-d's problems. To worry about G-d's honor and to keep His mitzvos -- yes. To be aware of the significance, the magnitude of our deeds --yes. To understand how our actions and our suffering are a fulfillment of G-d's purpose in the world -- maybe, if we're lucky. But it simply does not hinge upon that. "Know that the payment of the reward of the righteous is in the next world." This world is to do and perhaps to be unwitting pawns in G-d's Master Plan. In the next world it will all make sense.



To some extent, the above is based on a lecture I heard from my teacher, R. Yaakov Weinberg, of blessed memory.



With this and with G-d's help, we have completed the second chapter

Ten utterances, 10 miracles etc

Daily Quote




Ten things were created at twilight of Shabbat eve: the mouth of the earth [that swallowed Korach]; the mouth of [Miriam's] well; the mouth of [Balaam's] ass; the rainbow; the manna; [Moses'] staff; the shamir; the writing, the inscription and the tablets [of the Ten Commandments]. Some say also the burial place of Moses and the ram of our father Abraham. And some say also the spirits of destruction as well as the original tongs, for tongs are made with tongs



- Ethics of the Fathers 5:6
Ethics of the Fathers: Chapter Five


1. The world was created with ten utterances. What does this come to teach us? Certainly, it could have been created with a single utterance. However, this is in order to make the wicked accountable for destroying a world that was created with ten utterances, and to reward the righteous for sustaining a world that was created with ten utterances.



2. There were ten generations from Adam to Noah. This is to teach us the extent of G-d's tolerance; for all these generations angered Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood.



There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham. This is to teach us the extent of G-d's tolerance; for all these generations angered Him, until Abraham came and reaped the reward for them all.



3. With ten tests our father Abraham was tested and he withstood them all--in order to make known how great was our father Abraham's love [for G-d].



4. Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in Egypt, and another ten at the sea. Ten afflictions were wrought by G-d upon the Egyptians in Egypt, and another ten at the sea. With ten tests our forefathers tested G-d in the desert, as is stated (Numbers 14:22), "They tested Me these ten times, and did not hearken to My voice."



5. Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in the Holy Temple: No woman ever miscarried because of the smell of the holy meat. The holy meat never spoiled. Never was a fly seen in the slaughterhouse. Never did the High Priest have an accidental seminal discharge on Yom Kippur. The rains did not extinguish the wood-fire burning upon the altar. The wind did not prevail over the column of smoke [rising from the altar]. No disqualifying problem was ever discovered in the Omer offering, the Two Loaves or the Showbread. They stood crowded but had ample space in which to prostrate themselves. Never did a snake or scorpion cause injury in Jerusalem. And no man ever said to his fellow "My lodging in Jerusalem is too cramped for me."

8. Seven types of retribution come to the world, for seven types of sin. When some tithe and others don't, a hunger caused by turmoil ensues: some are hungry, others have their fill of food. When all are unanimous in their failure to tithe, a hunger by drought ensues. For not separating chalah, an annihilating hunger results.




Plagues come to the world for those capital crimes mentioned in the Torah that have not been given over to the court, and for desecrating the produce of the sabbatical year.



The sword comes to the world for the procrastination of justice, the corruption of justice, and because of those who misinterpret the Torah.

Mourning destruction of the temple and other psalms

Chapter 79


In this psalm, Asaph thanks God for sparing the people and directing His wrath upon the wood and stones (of the Temple). Still he cries bitterly, mourning the immense destruction: The place where the High Priest alone was allowed to enter-and only on Yom Kippur-is now so desolate that foxes stroll through it!



1. A psalm by Asaph. O God, nations have entered Your inheritance, they defiled Your Holy Sanctuary; they turned Jerusalem into heaps of rubble. 2. They have rendered the corpses of Your servants as food for the birds of heaven, the flesh of Your pious ones for the beasts of the earth. 3. They spilled their blood like water around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury [them]. 4. We became the object of disgrace to our neighbors, ridicule and scorn to those around us. 5. Until when, O Lord! Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? 6. Pour Your wrath upon the nations that do not know You, upon the kingdoms that do not call Your Name, 7. for they devoured Jacob and desolated His abode. 8. Do not recall our former sins; let Your mercies come swiftly towards us, for we have fallen very low. 9. Help us, God of our deliverance, for the sake of the glory of Your Name; save us and pardon our sins for the sake of Your Name. 10. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let there be known among the nations, before our eyes, the retribution of the spilled blood of Your servants. 11. Let the groan of the prisoner come before You; liberate those condemned to death, as befits the greatness of Your strength. 12. Repay our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom, for the disgrace with which they reviled You, O Lord. 13. And we, Your people, the flock of Your pasture, will thank You forever; for all generations we will recount Your praise.

Chapter 80

An awe-inspiring prayer imploring God to draw near to us as in days of old.



1. For the Conductor, on the shoshanim, 1 a testimony by Asaph, a psalm. 2. Listen, O Shepherd of Israel, Who leads Joseph like sheep. Appear, You Who is enthroned upon the cherubim. 3. Arouse Your might before Ephraim, Benjamin and Menashe, for it is upon You to save us. 4. Return us, O God; cause Your countenance to shine, that we may be saved. 5. O Lord, God of Hosts, until when will You fume at the prayer of Your people? 6. You fed them bread of tears, and gave them tears to drink in great measure. 7. You have made us an object of strife to our neighbors; our enemies mock to themselves. 8. Return us, O God of Hosts; cause Your countenance to shine, that we may be saved. 9. You brought a vine out of Egypt; You drove out nations and planted it. 10. You cleared space before it; it took root and filled the land. 11. Mountains were covered by its shade, and its branches became mighty cedars. 12. It sent forth its branches till the sea, and its tender shoots to the river. 13. Why did You breach its fences, so that every passerby plucked its fruit? 14. The boars of the forest ravage it, and the creepers of the field feed upon it. 15. O God of Hosts, please return! Look down from heaven and see, and be mindful of this vine, 16. and of the foundation which Your right hand has planted, and the son whom You strengthened for Yourself. 17. It is burned by fire, cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Your Presence. 18. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You strengthened for Yourself. 19. Then we will not withdraw from You; revive us, and we will proclaim Your Name. 20. O Lord, God of Hosts, return us; cause Your countenance to shine that we may be saved.

Chapter 81

This psalm was chanted in the Holy Temple on Rosh Hashanah, a day on which many miracles were wrought for Israel.



1. For the Conductor, upon the gittit,1 by Asaph. 2. Sing joyously to God, our strength; sound the shofar to the God of Jacob. 3. Raise your voice in song, sound the drum, the pleasant harp, and the lyre. 4. Blow the shofar on the New Month, on the designated day of our Holy Day; 5. for it is a decree for Israel, a ruling of the God of Jacob. 6. He ordained it as a precept for Joseph when he went forth over the land of Egypt; I heard a language which I did not know. 7. I have taken his shoulder from the burden; his hands were removed from the pot.2 8. In distress you called and I delivered you; [you called] in secret, and I answered you with thunderous wonders; I tested you at the waters of Merivah, Selah. 9. Hear, My people, and I will admonish you; Israel, if you would only listen to Me! 10. You shall have no alien god within you, nor shall you bow down to a foreign deity. 11. I am the Lord your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open wide your mouth, [state all your desires,] and I shall grant them. 12. But My people did not heed My voice; Israel did not want [to listen to] Me. 13. So I sent them away for the willfulness of their heart, for following their [evil] design. 14. If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would only walk in My ways, 15. then I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their oppressors. 16. Those who hate the Lord would shrivel before Him, and the time [of their retribution] shall be forever. 17. I would feed him [Israel] with the finest of wheat, and sate you with honey from the rock.   Chapter 82

This psalm admonishes those judges who feign ignorance of the law, dealing unjustly with the pauper or the orphan, while coddling the rich and pocketing their bribes.



1. A psalm by Asaph. God stands in the council of judges; among the judges He renders judgment: 2. How long will you judge wickedly, ever showing partiality toward the evildoers? 3. Render justice to the needy and the orphan; deal righteously with the poor and the destitute. 4. Rescue the needy and the pauper; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. 5. But they do not know, nor do they understand; they go about in darkness, [therefore] all the foundations of the earth tremble. 6. I said that you are angels, supernal beings, all of you; 7. but you will die as mortals, you will fall like any prince. 8. Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You possess all the nations.

serving G-d to receive reward?

Chapter 1: Mishna 3: Part 2






Antignos Ish Socho received (the Torah transmission) from Shimon HaTzadik. He would say: Don't be like slaves (servants) who serve the master in order to receive reward. Rather be like slaves without any intention to receive reward. And the fear of Heaven should be upon you.



How come the Tanna didn't teach us more directly "Serve G-d from love"?!



Our love of G-d is supposed to be fundamental, emanating from our sense of being an attachment to the Divine reality. It is supposed to be independent of our feelings of appreciation for the good that G-d has done for us, or in order to receive good from G- d. Teaching us to "serve out of love" could be misinterpreted as being based on feelings of love one should have due to the wonderful things G-d has done for us. For that certainly could lead one to feelings of love for G-d, and one who serves G-d in response to good that has been received, or in anticipation of that good, is considered a completely righteous person. However, the Tanna is teaching us the fundamentally proper way to serve, motivated by an intrinsic desire to serve G-d and to fulfill His will, independent of any reward, leading to an inherent attachment to the Divine. Greater than simple appreciation, this drive is motivated by the recognition of the reality and the greatness of the Divine, leading to a fundamental desire to fulfill His will.



(In response to the following question: The second half of the Mishna presents a non-existent example as the desired behaviour! It would have sufficed to simply teach that one should not serve in order to get reward. The Maharal explains the following.)



Simply teaching "Do not serve G-d in order to get reward" would have implied a PROHIBITION on doing so, which is not correct. We have shown that a person serving in this way is in fact a righteous person. The Tanna wants, instead, to teach the fundamental way of service, which is independent of any reward. Therefore the conclusion of the Mishna is necessary "Rather be like a servant who serves with no intention of receiving reward."



On the other hand, the Tanna could not simply teach "Serve G- d as a servant who does so for no reward" as the paradigm for correct service, since such an example is virtually non-existent. Rather, the two contrasting statements are necessary to communicate the message fully: Don't be like a servant who is motivated by the reward, which is not the essence of service and does not emanate from love of the master; rather serve as one who is not motivated by reward -- even though this is not common -- but by love, the inherent desire to serve and be close.



After counselling us on "ahava," service motivated by love, we are also taught about "yirah," fear. For the natural attitude of one who loves another is closeness and connection. This closeness has the potential to neutralize fear and awe. ("Familiarity breeds contempt...") So the Tanna teaches us that even though you are supposed to serve out of love, becoming closer to G-d, this should not lead you to relate to Him like you would to a friend or peer. Remain conscious of the enormous gap between G-d, who is "in the heavens," and you, who dwells on the physical earth. This will ensure that your love and closeness to G-d will not neutralize your awe of the Divine.



(If we love G-d, if we are close to him, if we are "buddy- buddy" with G-d, rationalizations for improper behaviour become much easier, we can easily "take Him for granted," become less careful about transgressions. "G-d understands." "He won't mind." Our awe of G-d and fear of potential punishment avoids this pitfall.)



The proper term for fear and awe is "yira'at shamyim," fear of heaven, for it emanates for a recognition of the contrast between Divine and Transcendent G-d (in heaven), and finite, physical man (on the earth). We never find the term "ahavath shamayim," love of heaven, for love emanates from an attachment and closeness ("...to love G-d...and attach yourself to Him." Devarim 30:20), and "shamayim" is far removed from us.



After Shimon HaTzaddik taught of the foundations of the worlds existence, Antignos taught how man, for whom this world was created, is supposed to serve his Creator, which is the fundamental purpose of his existence.
The teaching of Antignos embraces the totality of service of G-d, embodying both love and fear. An individual action can be motivated by either love OR fear. But MAN is supposed to constantly embody both traits simultaneously, leading to an ideal relationship with his Creator. It is appropriate that this integration of love and fear be taught by Antignos, as an individual, while the coming Mishnayoth are authored by "pairs" of Tanaim. Each pair will be split between one teaching a behaviour based on love and one based on fear. But in the essence of service of G-d, which is what Antignos is teaching, there must be an integration and unification of love and fear.




(I would like to add a few paragraphs from an article I wrote on the subject of repentance motivated by love and fear, which raises issues that will give added insight to what the Maharal writes here.)



In Netivoth Olam, Netiv Ahavath Hashem, at the end of Ch. 2, the Maharal brings the Gemara in Avoda Zara (19a) and our Mishna. He explains that one who serves in order to get reward is not committed to truly SERVING; rather he is actually working for someone else to get a payoff for himself. This is legitimate when serving a human master, says the Maharal, for no servant's CREATION can be said to be for the owner, and he has no inherent responsibility for service to another. Man, however, was created for the purpose of serving G-d, and as such, his service should be performed for no other reason than that it is intrinsically man's purpose ("avodah b'etzem"). So the service should be with no intention of receiving any "payoff."

There is an intermediate level, one who serves G-d out of recognition of all the good G-d has bestowed upon him. This is more elevated than one who serves for the "payoff," but it is still not "avodah b'etzem." True "avodah m'ahava," service of G-d from pure love, is independent of anything G-d does for us, and even if we are subjected to difficulties and suffering (lo aleinu), since we exist to serve G-d as our inherent mission of our existence, we willingly do whatever we are asked to do. This is true service, "m'ahava."




In Netiv HaTshuva, Ch. 2, the Maharal discusses the distinction between Tshuva m'ahavah (repentance motivated by love) and Tshuva m'yirah (motivated by fear) discussed in the Gemara in Yoma (86). Tshuva m'ahava brings immediate rectification, while tshuva m'yirah requires a healing process that comes from G-d. Explains the Maharal: One who serves G-d from love has the love and attachment to G-d from within himself (m'tzad atzmo), while the one who serves G-d from fear is dependent on something outside of himself, the fear coming from G-d. Therefore the therapeutic nature of tshuva also requires input from G-d.



We operate on many different levels, with many different motivations. Much of our lives are devoted to fulfilling others' expectations of us, or trying to acquire things which are outside of us. This makes our mission as well as our success dependent on things which reside outside of us, rather than having our motivations and standards of accomplishment be dependent on our recognition of what our potential is, and driven by our sense of what our responsibilities are, what G-d created each one of us (individually) to accomplish.