Burners of Barns – Devarim
אֵיכָה אֶשָּׂא לְבַדִּי טָרְחֲכֶם וּמַשַּׂאֲכֶם וְרִיבְכֶם (דברים א, יב).
See if you recognize the following story -
"A very important, influential man, a member of what we call "the privileged" strata of Israeli society was very anti Charedi, but despite this, he fell in love with and married the sister of a prominent Charedi rabbi. They had two sons. The elder of the two was a "momma's boy" and leaned more towards his mother's traditional upbringing and way of thinking, while his younger, extrovert brother followed in his father's footsteps, became very anti-religious and pursued a military career in the army. The two siblings came of age and both decided to go into politics and run for the position of head of state.
Due to their sibling rivalry and opposing life philosophy, a seething hatred developed between the two, resulting in altercations between them and the factions that supported them. The physical violence was accompanied by mutual insidious, slanderous, mocking rhetoric and propaganda and deliberate "poking each other in the eye", out of spite.
Since the nation was divided in support for both, resolution was unobtainable through conventional democratic means. The brothers therefore decided to involve outsiders to help tip the scales in their favor, most notably the greatest superpower on earth and its leader, who himself had definite leanings towards one of the brothers.
This sibling rivalry literally tore the nation apart, led to a bloody civil war, enormous loss of life and ended with Israel's enemies all descending upon them from multiple directions simultaneously and destroying the fragile Jewish state".
It is a well-known story. It is the story of our lives at this very moment in Israel. We see it daily when we switch on the TV and when we travel the roads of the land and encounter violent demonstrations and incessant badgering. We see it in the biased and prejudicial treatment of the different factions by the authorities, the police force, the army, the judicial system. We see the rifts in the economic sector, in the academia, in the medical system, in the schools and even in the public transport.
The above story is an accurate description of what is transpiring at this very moment in the modern State of Israel, but it is not a new story. It is a carbon copy of another story that took place around 2000 years ago in Israel just prior to the destruction of the 2nd Beit HaMikdash.
Alexander Yanai is the influential man mentioned above, a Tzedoki and member of the privileged strata of society. He married Shlomtzion, the sister of prominent Charedi/Perushi rabbi – Shimon ben Shatach. Their two sons were the elder Yochanan Hyrcanus and the younger Yehuda Aristobolus, the rival brothers in our story. A bloody war raged between them without resolution, leading to the brothers turning to the Romans to arbitrate the dispute. This resulted in Pompeii sacking the Beit Hamikdash and a short century later in its total destruction and the longest exile our nation has ever known.
As we approach Tisha Be'Av this coming week, I would to like to try analyze the "self-destruct" tendency and mechanism that exists in Am Yisrael, where it stems from, whether anything can be done to prevent it from rearing its ugly head and what each and every one of us can do to avoid and prevent the catastrophic consequences it wreaks.
All of Am Yisrael today are descended from Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka, Yaakov, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah. Everyone, including Alexander Yanai, R' Shimon ben Shatach, Shlomtzion HaMalka, Yochanan Hyrcanus, Yehuda Aristobulus, Ehud Barak, Aharon Barak, Yair Lapid, Ehud Olmert, Benny Ganz, Bibi Netanyahu, Yoav Galant, Simcha Rotman, Yeriv Levine, Yitzchak Goldknopf, Betzalel Smotrich, Itamar ben Gvir, etc. etc. We are all descended from the neshamot of Am Yisrael that physically stood and witnessed Matan Torah at Har Sinai.
Before HKB"H gave the Torah to Am Yisrael He offered it to all the other nations but they refused to accept it, or more accurately the vast majority of each of these nations refused to accept it. There was a tiny minority, however, in each of these nations that were willing to accept the Torah. The Mefarshim say that all the גֵּרֵי צֶדֶק in Am Yisrael over the millenia are descended from the neshamot of this tiny minority of the goyim who were prepared to accept the Torah (Sefer Baruch Yomeiru).
We genetically inherited all the midot and the character traits of the Avot, some midot are just more dominant in each of us than the others. For example, our universal love for mankind is a character trait we inherited from Avraham Avinu. Our ability to love even our worst enemy we inherited from Yitzchak Avinu, who allowed Eisav to continue living and sinning in his home with his idol worshipping wives. Our passion for studying Torah and the penchant to segregate ourselves from the goyim we got from Yaakov Avinu. Modesty we learned from Sarah (in the tent) and Rachel (who gave Leah the simanim). We learned חֶסֶד from Avraham, גְּבוּרָה from Yitzchak and their combination, תִּפְאֶרֶת, from Yaakov, etc. etc. There is not one single הַשְׁקָפַת עוֹלָם in Am Yisrael today that cannot be traced back directly to the Avot. They are all derivations of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא.
When you see people in Am Yisrael today who devote their lives to protecting the weak - battered women, abused children, gays who have been ostracized by their families, even innocent civilians amongst our enemies - this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא. When you see people in Am Yisrael today willing to sacrifice their lives for their belief in HKB"H, this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא. When you see people in Am Yisrael today devoting their lives to doing chessed – helping the poor, donating kidneys, mentoring kids from broken homes - this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא. When you see people in Am Yisrael today devoting their lives to the study of Torah and serving HKB"H, this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא. When you see people in Am Yisrael today who are willing to act as human shields, defending their fellow Jews against our enemies, this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא. When you see people in Am Yisrael today who care about the environment and preserving HKB"H's creations, this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא. When you see people in Am Yisrael today who devote their lives to uplifting the spirit – in music, art, literature - this is part of our רוּחַ מְמַלְּלָא.
All these מַעֲלוֹת exist also in other nations, but there they are disconnected, individual initiatives performed in isolation. This does not minimize their worth, they still are altruistic deeds performed by elevated neshamot. However, in Am Yisrael these behavioral patterns are not voluntary, done out the goodness out of one's heart (that too), they are part and parcel of our responsibility as a nation, to be the Am Segula. They are our calling!
The Mishna (Avot 5, 20) says –
יְהוּדָה בֶּן תֵּימָא אוֹמֵר ...... יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱ-לֹקֵינוּ שֶׁתִּבְנֶה עִירְךָ (ל"א: שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ) בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ
We daven for the Beit HaMikdash to be rebuilt, but that is only half the tefila. The second half of that is that we beseech HKB"H וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ - to give each of us our חֵלֶק בַּתּוֹרָה. We don't ask HKB"H to give each of us ALL the Torah, only our part in the Torah. Each of us has our own, unique, individual part in the infinity that is the Torah that is intended specifically for us, for our purpose in this life. For some people that חֵלֶק is researching the Lechem Hapanim, for others it is providing shelter for stray animals, studying Kabbalah, singing opera, running a hi-tech startup, writing poetry, learning Gemara בְּעִיּוּן, teaching children, driving a bus, engineering a skyscraper, etc.
We are each given a gift and a mission that only we have and only we can fulfil, nobody else. We are ALL essential "cogs" in HKB"H's "machine" and if one is missing, the entire machine breaks down. As it says in another Mishna (Avot 4, 3) בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר: .... אַל תְּהִי בָּז לְכָל אָדָם .....שֶׁאֵין לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שָׁעָה
That is another difference between Am Yisrael and the other nations. In the other nations, when one "cog" malfunctions, it has no effect on the collective. In Am Yisrael it does, כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֵבִים זֶה בָּזֶה (Sanhedrin 27b)
HKB"H refers to Am Yisrael numerous times as an עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף. What does having a "stiff neck" mean?
When Yaakov reunites with Eisav after returning from Charan, the passuk says that Eisav embraced Yaakov and fell on his neck and kissed him וַיָּרָץ עֵשָׂו לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיְחַבְּקֵהוּ וַיִּפֹּל עַל צַוָּארָו וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ (בראשית לג, ד). The Yalkut Shimoni and the Ba'al Haturim on that passuk say that Eisav tried to bite Yaakov on the neck, not kiss him. What? Was Eisav a "vampire" that he tried to bite him on the neck? Why davka on the neck and not on his shoulder? Chazal say that the word "neck" is a synonym for the Beit Hamikdash (Brachot 30a) as it contains two pipes, one for food going down and the other for air going up. The Beit HaMikdash is a bidirectional "pipe" with blessings coming down the pipe from HKB"H and korbanot going up the pipe from the mizbeach. Eisav tried to injure Yaakov in the neck, to destroy the Beit HaMikdash and sever our connection with HKB"H.
Am Yisrael are an עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף, we have a "stiff neck", which means we vociferously protect the Beit HaMikdash within us, the direct connection with HKB"H. This is only one side of the coin. The flip side is the second part of the Mishna in Avot above וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ, that we all are "cogs" in HKB"H's machine, as it were.
As long as we function as "cogs" and respect the other "cogs" as equally essential to the overall functioning of the "machine" then Am Yisrael is a smoothly running machine, the Am Segula. However, if we regard our "cog" more important, or superior to any of the other "cogs", disaster results.
Unlike the "progessive" philosophy of the goyim (the French, for example) - liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality, fraternity), which strives to achieve across the board uniformity between people (like the דּוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה), Am Yisrael is not a social structure or society of equality. In Am Yisrael there are different strata – Kohanim, Levi'im, Yisraelim. There are Twelve Tribes and not all are equal and uniform. Yehuda are destined to be - kings, Zevulun - traders, Yissachar - Torah scholars, Gad - warriors, etc. Am Yisrael are not intended to be equal nor uniform, but each one of us is essential and equally important.
When Eisav (a synonym for the yetzer harah) tried to bite Yaakov in the "neck", he was trying to damage both sides of the coin, our umbilical connection with HKB"H and also our umbilical connection with one another. The yetzer harah is constantly trying to hamper our connection with one another and he does it by deceiving us into thinking that our "cog" is more important than the rest.
This resulted in the sin of the brothers selling Yosef into slavery in Egypt. It resulted in the sin of the egel hazahav, the meraglim, Korach, Achan in Yericho, the whole series of repeated infringements in sefer Shoftim, Shaul pursuing David, the Tzedokim, the zealots who burned barns in the time of Bayit Sheini, the Charedim thinking they are better than the secular Jews, the "privileged" secular Ashkenazi Jews thinking that they are culturally and intellectually superior to the Charedim and the Sefardim, the deans of universities thinking they are smarter than rashei yeshivot, the supreme court judges thinking they have more integrity and morality than the dayanim in the rabbinical courts, the pilots in the air force and the army generals who think they are smarter and have more morality than those who fuel their planes and actually combat the enemy on the ground, the hi-tech innovators who think they fuel the economy more than the blue collar workers who farm cucumbers and clean offices, the lawyers who think that they are superior to the politicians, the politicians who think they are superior to everyone else, the left wing who think they are G-d's chosen people, the right wing who think they are G-d's chosen people, the TV presenters and journalists who think they have more insight into current events than the man on the street, … and the list goes on.
It can be summarized in one word – ARROGANCE! The yetzer harah constantly tricks us with arrogance and manages to cause havoc because deep down we have the need to feel important. The yetzer harah says to us – you are important! You count! Not only do you count and are you important, but you are MORE important than Yitzchak, than Shmuel, than Chaim, than Ze'ev ….
The yetzer harah finds no better prey than people who feel that they don't count. There is no worse feeling for a person than the feeling "I don't count!" When we dehumanize people and give them the feeling that they don't count, we create extremists. Gays are most definitely being עוֹבֵר an issur de'oraita, that is not even a question. The question is what is the correct way to treat someone who is עוֹבֵר an issur de'oraita, like breaking Shabbat, for example. Do you throw stones at them or do you try be mekarev them? If you dehumanize and ostracize them, the result is an extremist reactionary movement that assumes monstrous proportions, like the gay rights movement today. When the late prime minister Yitzchak Rabin z"l told the "settlers" in Yehuda and Shomron that they "could spin like propellors", in other words they did not count, it resulted in an extremist like Yigal Amir and Rabin's assassination. When you tell an entire sector in the Israeli public, who democratically elected the most recent right-wing government, that they are "baboons" and their vote does not count, it results in extremism. When the government tells the secular pioneers that they no longer count, it results in the extremism we are currently witnessing.
This is what caused the destruction of our Batei Mikdash, factions who did not acknowledge and respect each other, making the other feel that they didn't count, like the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. The result was the creation of an extremist, like the creation of the zealots who burned the storage houses in the besieged Jerusalem, with enough supplies for 21 years.
In HKB"H's eyes there is not such a thing as "you don't count"! Everyone counts in HKB"H's eyes, even the reshaim. HKB"H did not uproot the עֵץ הַדַּעַת that sinned in Gan Eden, it is still there, awaiting tikkun. Eisav's head is still in Yitzchak's lap in מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה, awaiting tikkun. HKB"H loves all His creations, not only Am Yisrael. He loves anyone who is willing to have a relationship with Him. This is why HKB"H did not destroy Ninveh. This is why in the time of Geulah HKB"H will not destroy the 70 nations, He wants them to do tikkun and have a relationship with Him. The only nation that HKB"H commands us to wipe out is Amalek, because Amalek cannot undergo tikkun, they are the antithesis to HKB"H. When the Mashiach arrives he will identify who Amalek is. Right now we don't know.
So how do we prevent the self-destruct mechanism that keeps rearing its ugly head in Am Yisrael, as it recently has once more?
We begin by acknowledging our self-worth. Realizing and accepting in ourselves that we DO count, we have value, that HKB"H loves us. We have been placed here with a specific purpose and mission in this world by HKB"H that nobody else can achieve. Our neshama will eventually reveal this purpose to us, for some it takes longer than others.
The next stage is acknowledging that others are equally essential to the existence of the world as we are. They have their essential mission to accomplish to be metaken olam that nobody else can accomplish but them, אֵין לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שָׁעָה.
When we understand and acknowledge that, then arrogance goes out the window. The pilot is no more important than the window cleaner, the general is no more important than the yeshiva student in Bnei Brak, the supreme court judge is no more important than the "settler" in Karnei Shomron. Not only are we not more important than anyone else, we are reliant on them, just as they are reliant on us. This leads to respect.
Respect leads to unity and unity leads to us achieving our destiny as the Am Segula, to be a beacon of light unto the nations spearheading the tikkun olam that will eventually culminate in the Geulah.
The Mefarshim say that Yaakov and Eisav in Rivka's womb were battling over the twelve months in the year. Yaakov managed to get dominion over most of them, excepting for the months of Tammuz and Av. These months were placed under the dominion of Eisav and the yetzer harah. Eventually Yaakov, when he wrestled with the angel, managed to recoup the second half of the month of Av, which is why it is called אב, because the first half is אָרוּר and the second half is בָּרוּךְ.
In the months of Tammuz and the first half of Av the yetzer harah is in overdrive, testing us, testing our integrity and how closely we cling to HKB"H. The yetzer harah is one of the angels who advised HKB"H not to create man because he sins. HKB"H silenced the yetzer harah and created man anyway. However, the yetzer harah is constantly testing us to make sure we match up to HKB"H's expectations of us when He created us. Just like the yetzer harah tested Avraham with the Akeida and Avraham prevailed, so too does the yetzer harah test us more intensely in the months he has dominion over.
As we enter the month of Av we all need to make more of an effort not to be tricked by the wiles of the yetzer harah who tempts us with insecurity, despair and arrogance (amongst other things). To remain firm in our love for HKB"H and by proxy, for the rest of Am Yisrael, however much we perceive they have wronged us. We need a wave of reconciliation to wash over us, a wave of love for our fellow Jew, whoever he/she is. In response to megaphones in our ears we need to sing back Zmirot Shabbat, in response to hate we need to radiate love, in response to burning tires we need to kindle Shabbat candles surrounded by the whole family, in response to leering we need to heap praise on the other side's achievements and accomplishments, in response to lies we need to radiate truth, in response to extremism we need to radiate tolerance.
HKB"H's eyes are upon us. The eyes of the world are upon us. We have a unique opportunity at this very moment to do tikkun olam and bring the Geulah. Instead of showing the rest of the world how much we hate each other, let us show them how much we love each other. Let us silence the extremists on all sides. Let us plead with HKB"H to spread a wave of love over us, a wave of כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֵבִים זֶה בָּזֶה, to help us to put our differences aside and achieve our true destiny as the Am Segula. To serve as a model for the rest of the world, bring about peace between nations and an end to war and conflict.
Or, … we can burn the barns and be yet another failed generation in a long line of failed generations, bequeathing our sins, yet again, to our children to have to fix.
