Outer peace, inner peace: Pinchas 5784

The Lord promises Pinchas that most valuable and yet constantly elusive gift—the blessings of the covenant of peace. Over the millennia, the world has known very little peace. Strife and conflict, war and violence, these have been the staples of human existence since time immemorial. Many historians and social scientists maintain that war and violence are the natural and constant state of human affairs. If so, the promise of peace to Pinchas seems to be a little extravagant, especially since it appears that Pinchas earned this reward by committing an act of violence. Shall we say that a time of peace is merely the absence of war, a negative state of being that only marks the interval between episodes of war and violence?

We are well aware how difficult it is to achieve peace and how fragile is its existence when it is somehow achieved. The Torah attests to its fragility, by breaking the vav in the word ‘shalom.’  So we may ask: what in actual fact was God’s promise to Pinchas—and and how is it ever to be fulfilled? This perplexing issue is especially pertinent regarding Pinchas himself, since he participated in the wars that Israel conducted against Midian and later against the Canaanite tribes in the Land of Israel during the era of Yehoshua and the Judges. Where is the promised peace in the life of Pinchas, or indeed in the lives of the future generations of his descendants and the Jewish people as a whole?

Many Torah commentators defined God’s promise of peace to Pinchas and his descendants as a personal and individual state of inner being, of what we colloquially call “being at peace with oneself.” Pinchas is undoubtedly disturbed by the act of violence that he committed and by the widespread criticism of his actions by many of the Jewish people at that time. Nevertheless, the Lord tells him that he did the right thing and that history will later thank him for his boldness and alacrity in stemming the tide of immorality that threatened to overwhelm the Jewish people. So Pinchas acquires, through God’s blessing, peace of mind and the necessary inner confidence and conviction that the act he committed was deemed by Heaven to be justifiable, however unpopular it might be in the eyes of society.

President Harry Truman is reported to have said that he lost little sleep over the atomic bombing of Japan which concluded World War II because he believed that he saved millions of American and Japanese lives by his awesome decision. He never again agonized over that decision since he had achieved an inner peace regarding the matter. Our conscience always disturbs us when we make wrong decisions and pursue policies that fail, but it never rises to plague us when we have behaved correctly and select a course of action in a manner that is both wise and moral. It is this blessing and reward that the Lord bestowed upon Pinchas and his descendants—the blessing of inner peace and moral contentment.

Rabbi Wein's birthday celebration

 

Our hearty thanks go to Heshy Engelsberg for sharing this link to his live recording of the highlights of the magnificent birthday celebration event which Beit Knesset Hanassi held on 17 July for Rabbi Berel Wein. Earlier this year Rabbi Wein turned 90, and the birthday event, held in Nefesh b'Nefesh's beautiful suite in Jerusalem's Cinema City, featured tributes from across the decades.

We wish Rabbi Wein many more productive years of good health and happiness.

Who is the real villain? Balak 5784

Philosophers and criminologists have long debated whether it is the mob boss or the actual hit man who is the more culpable in the murder of a rival gang leader. Though both are certainly morally guilty, the question as to which one bears the legal onus for the crime, absent statutory law on the matter, has generated much discussion and differing opinions.

In Judaism there is a concept that “there is no excuse of agency when a sin or crime is being committed.” This means that, when a hit man pulls the trigger or plants the explosive on the order of his boss, it is he who is certainly the more guilty party. In the words of the Talmud, “regarding the instructions from the master and contrary instructions from the student—to whom should one listen?” Thus in this week’s parsha, even though it is the malevolent Balak who engages Bilaam in a nefarious scheme to curse the Jewish people, it is Bilaam who actually intends and agrees to do the cursing, so it is he and not Balak who emerges as the ultimate villain of the event.

There is much discussion in the Talmud and in rabbinic sources as to whether any of the laws of agency, and this law in particular, exist outside of Jewish society generally. If there is no agency outside of Jewish society it appears that, generally speaking, in circumstances such as these, both the instigator and the agent would be liable. In any event, it is inherently wrong to engage an agent to perform an illegal act or a sinful one (they are no longer the same today) whether in Jewish terms or in society at large, whatever the technical legal liabilities may be. The instigator of a crime is deemed in contemporary society to be as guilty as the criminal who perpetrated the crime. Thus Osama bin Laden was as guilty of the World Trade Center assassinations as were the murderous suicide-pilots he sent forth to do the deed. Balak is as responsible for Bilaam’s curses as he is.

Heaven, in its exquisite way, administers justice to all concerned as it pleases and in its own time frame. Balak will pay the penalty for his unwarranted hatred and enmity of Israel, just as Bilaam does. The rabbis of the Talmud even extended the penalties for wrongful and criminal acts committed to include those who remained silent when they should have spoken out against evil and cruelty. Bilaam’s donkey is commended while his associates are undoubtedly condemned and eventually punished—hence the plethora of laws in the wider world that cover conspiracy to commit crimes and criminal negligence. Though an actual perpetrator sometimes attempts to hide behind the façade of only following orders, Judaism does not recognize that excuse. Even so, the one who issues the orders is also deemed guilty of the crime.

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein

Spiritual mysteries in the real world: Chukkat 5784

The Torah interrupts its narrative of the events that befell the Jewish people in the desert with a description of a commandment that admittedly lies beyond any rational human logic and understanding. Even the great King Solomon, the wisest and most analytical of all humans, was forced to admit that comprehension of this parsha was beyond even his most gifted intellect. So, if the Torah is meant to instruct us in life and its values, to improve and influence our behavior and lifestyle and to help us achieve our goal of being a holy people, why insert this parsha in the Torah when it can seemingly have no practical impact on our daily life or broaden our understanding of God’s presence in our lives? 

Though there is a section of Mishna devoted to the laws and halachic technicalities of the sacrifice of the “red heifer” it does not deal with the underlying motives for the existence of this commandment. Nor does it explain why this parsha is inserted here, right in the middle of its narrative of the events that transpired in the desert to the generation of Jews who left Egypt and stood at Mount Sinai. 

Both the Mishna and non-rabbinic sources provide a historical record that describes the actual performance of the commandment in Temple times. They remind us of our necessary obedience to God’s commandments even if they are not subject to human understanding. Even so, we still demand at least a glimmer of comprehension in order to make this parsha meaningful to us. 

The Torah seems to point out the reality that human life is always irrational and that human behavior frequently defies any logic or good sense. How could the generation that left Egypt and witnessed the revelation at Sinai complain about food when there was an adequate supply from Heaven? How could they prefer life in Egypt or even in the desert to living in the Land of Israel? And how could Moshe’s and Aharon’s own tribe and relatives rise against them in defiant and open rebellion? Are these not at heart bafflingly irrational decisions with a terrible downside to them? Yet they happened—and continued to happen constantly in Jewish and general life throughout history. Despite our best efforts and our constant delusion that we exist in a rational world, the Torah comes to inform us here that this is a false premise. 

If everyday life defies logic and accurate prediction, is it not most unfair and indeed illogical to demand of Torah and God that they provide us with perfectly explicable commandments and laws. The Torah inserts this parsha into the middle of its narrative of the desert adventures of the Jewish people to point out that the mysteries of life abound in the spiritual world just as they do in the mundane and seemingly practical world. 

One of the great lessons of Judaism is that we are to attempt to behave rationally even if, at the very same time, we realize that much in our personal and national lives is simply beyond our comprehension.

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein 

Next movie matinee: Crossfire

Our next Movie Matinee will be shown July 16th at 2 p.m. and feature the film classic, Crossfire. The first movie to examine anti-Semitism, a bigoted American soldier meets a Jewish man with violent results. 

Superb performances make this powerful portrayal of Jew-hatred indelible. Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture of 1947. Stars three Roberts: Mitchum, Young and Ryan. An extraordinary, important film. (English subtitles—1½ hours).

The Drive for Power: Korach 5784

Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman) generally holds that the events recorded in the Torah occurred in a linear timeline, despite the maxim that there is no ‘before’ or ‘after’ in the Torah. So according to Ramban the story of Korach and his contest against Moshe—the central part of this week’s parsha—must have happened after the tragedy of the spies and their negative report about the Land of Israel.

 As I have commented before, the negative report of the spies was motivated, according to rabbinic opinion, by personal interests that had no objective value concerning the Land of Israel itself. So too, the uprising Korach led against Moshe concerns neither justice nor objective benefit to the people; rather, it was driven purely by personal issues and by the jealousies of Korach and his followers. 

Both Korach and the spies before him masked their own personal drives for power and position with high-sounding principles of public good, social justice and great concern for the future of the people of Israel. The very shrillness of their concern for the good of society itself calls attention to their true motives—they protested too much! Pious disclaimers of self-interest always seem to accompany those that clamor for greater justice and a better world. Dictators in the past and present centuries have promised great improvements for their nations—yet all, without exception, eventually pursued only their own personal gain and power. Beware of those who speak in the name of the people. They are mostly only imitations of Korach. 

This insight might explain why Moshe took such a strong stand against Korach and demanded an exemplary punishment from Heaven. It is extremely difficult for humans to judge the true motives of others in their declarations and policies. Only Heaven, so to speak, can do so. Moshe’s plea to Heaven is directed not only against the current Korach that he faces, but also against the constant recurrence of other Korachs throughout Jewish and world history. 

Only the shocking miracles of the earth swallowing Korach and his followers, and of a fire consuming those who dared to offer incense in place of Aharon, would impress upon the historical psyche of Israel the paramount need to be wary of Korach’s imitators through the ages. 

There is an adage in Jewish life that one should always respect others while remaining wary of their true motives. Only regarding Moshe does the Torah testify that, as the true servant of God, he is above criticism and suspicion. But ordinary mortals have ordinary failings—and self-interest is one of them. Moshe is true and his Torah is true. After that, no matter how fetching the slogan or how glorious the promise, caution and wariness about the person and cause being advocated are the proper attitudes to embrace. 

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein