19 minute read
Judaism
22 JUDAISM
TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488 Torah from Israel
Violent Speech and Violent Deeds
BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN
Homo Sapiens are unlike any other creature. Brushed by the hand of G-d, we are formed in His image. We, alone, possess intelligence, consciousness, freewill, freedom of conscience, and creativity. With these remarkable tools we are expected to perfect a world which G-d intentionally left imperfect. Gifted with divine tools, we partner with Him in relandscaping our world.
Chief among our gifts is the power of speech. Most living creatures communicate with one another, however, in most instances, their communication is extremely rudimentary. They communicate basic needs such as the location of food, migratory paths, or reproductive opportunities. Human beings, on the other hand, possess cognitive, creative, and abstract speech. Collaborative speech allows us to share mutual interests and better organize our common resources. Abstract communication allows us to convey theories about religion, science and self-consciousness. Through interpersonal communication we construct deep relationships, which adorn our lives and redeem us from the confinement of solitude.
SPEECH IN JEWISH LAW
In Jewish law, the power of speech is best exemplified by the laws of oaths or nedarim, enumerated in parshat Matot. By verbalizing an oath, we can impose human prohibitions upon otherwise neutral items, thereby redefining the halachik map. By example, articulating an oath or a neder not to consume an apple, converts that fruit into a forbidden item. G-d may not have banned the item, but human speech can. Such is the power of a human tongue, gifted with divinely empowered speech.
For this reason, the laws governing oaths and the management of oaths were delivered to the heads of tribes, and not directly to the general population. Speech is too powerful to be handled by those who don’t fully appreciate its potency. Wise people, who appreciate the gift of speech, are expected to regulate it in themselves and properly calibrate it in others.
ANGRY TONGUES
Just the same, human speech can turn ugly. Our speech is never more foul, than when it turns aggressive and violent. At its best, communication unifies us. At its worst, it becomes weaponized, contentious, and divisive. We inhabit a world which is drenched in acrimony and angry communication. Rage encircles us, whether in the form of road rage, workplace rage, domestic rage, or sports rage- just to name a few of the most popular arenas in which our rage is brandished.. Why has speech become so toxic and our discourse so antagonistic?
ANONYMITY AND INVISIBILITY
Ideally the internet should act as a “communication bridge”, enabling the seamless and rapid exchange of information and ideas. However, as with every technology, it can also expose the dark side of human nature. In the real world, there are natural “curbs” against verbal vitriol and hostile communication. In the real world we are sensitive to public perception and how our communication is viewed by others. Additionally, in the real world we encounter the “subjects” of our comments and are more likely to be courteous. The internet cloaks us with a veil of anonymity, while it also renders the subjects of our speech, invisible. Without these natural checks and balances which are built into normal communication, we are free to say whatever we want and however we want to say it. The internet has removed “social accountability” which, ideally, should serve as a “brake” against runaway verbal aggression.
ECHO CHAMBERS, AND RADICALISATION
Encountering different viewpoints also softens our language. Acknowledging and validating different views makes us less likely to aggressively vilify people who hold opposing views. Unfortunately, and again ironically, the internet shrinks our exposure and limits our encounters. The internet, with its information algorithms has confined us to echo chambers in which our news is filtered to reflect our own positions and interests. Constant exposure to our own opinions and to those who agree with us, radicalises our views rather than balancing them. Unconditional belief in our own absolute truth invites hostility to those who question those truths and are thereby our enemies who possess dangerous views.
Verbal aggression is addictive. It debases the public discourse, creates a society of incivility, and soon starts to infect our communities and even our personal relationships. And it quickly leads to physical violence…
VIOLENT SPEECH AND VIOLENT ACTIONS
In parshat Emor, the Torah portrays the crime of a Jewish man who blasphemed. Immediately, the Torah restates the laws forbidding physical violence- both against animal and man. These laws had been listed elsewhere, yet they are restated after this affair. Blasphemy is a form of violent speech- in this instance directed against G-d. Concerned that aggressive language will lead to violent behavior, the Torah cautions against any physical violence. Violent speech always causes violent behaviour.
Our world isn’t just tainted by angry speech, it has also become very violent. In the early 2000’s we faced the blight of ideological violence driven by militant fundamentalism. Unfortunately, we currently inhabit a world of non-ideological violence, in which violent acts are committed purely to vent anger and frustration. The United States continues to suffer spates of mass shootings and has witnessed a significant increase in the rate of violent crime. In Israel we have witnessed previously unheard-of outbursts of physical violence against policemen, teachers, and medical staff. Violence always escalates, and minor acts of aggression soon morph into large-scale acts of violence.
CIVIL COMMUNICATION
Israel is about to begin its fifth round of elections. Elections are polarizing experiences, as politicians exaggerate their positions, attempting to distance themselves from their opponents and gain votes. Often, politicians disparage or even demonize their political adversaries. Sometimes this leads to actual physical confrontations.
Who should you vote for? That is obviously a very personal question. Perhaps, though, when deciding who to vote for, we should factor in the level of respect and dignity a candidate displays. Typically, we vote for politicians who reflect our ideologies or who endorse our preferred policies. Perhaps we should also consider the tone and character of their rhetoric. Politicians who regularly insult their opponents and who employ crude and dehumanizing language are critically harmful to our social fabric. Long-term, politicians who conduct themselves with civility and respect for others, may be more beneficial, even if their policies aren’t exactly identical to our own. In a world of rage, insult and verbal aggression, role models who restore civility and grace are absolutely vital to the overall health of society.
Violence guts any society and must be eradicated at all levels. Civility must start in our social discourse. If that discourse becomes toxic and antagonistic, we will find ourselves living very angry lives and suffering contentious relationships. Beware the long-term damage that violent behavior inflicts. In almost all instances, it just isn’t worth it.
Originally printed in The Jerusalem Post Magazine, July 22, 2022
The writer is a rabbi at Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gush, a hesder yeshiva. He has smicha and a BA in computer science from Yeshiva University as well as a masters degree in English literature from the City University of New York.
Weekly Dvar Torah
FROM ERETZ YISRAEL Honest Speech
BY RABBI BEREL WEIN
The introductory subject of this week’s Torah reading concerns itself with vows and commitments that a person takes upon himself or herself willingly, by simply stating his or her intention. The Torah places great emphasis upon the spoken word. Everything that is uttered from our mouths obligates us to the commitment attached to it. Words are holy, and, therefore, they are also binding. The Talmud records for us that a person who did not stand by his word regarding a commercial commitment is allowed to be publicly rebuked in the synagogue, by the recitation of the statement that the L-rd who repaid the generation of the flood for their evil will also undoubtedly repay this person who has breached his word and trust in this particular local incident.
Judaism recognizes that the basic physical difference between the human kingdom and the animal kingdom is one of speech and communication. The ability to speak and converse is seen as being a Divine attribute somehow granted to human beings as well. Because of this, speech is to be treasured and not squandered. Evil speech, slander, lies, and libel are all viewed as being a violation of the relationship between G-d and man. Therefore, a person must always be careful with the words that one utters from one’s mouth. They are more powerful and influential than we might imagine. This is especially true in our time in a generation of nonstop communication and constant speech, text, and statements through many devices, in addition to one’s mouth. The statements of the rabbis how people should be very cautious with the words that they use, certainly is even more relevant to our generation.
It is interesting to note that this basic idea, upholding speech, and truth in words, was communicated personally to the heads and leaders of the tribes of Israel. It is in their presence where Moshe explains these laws that gives our reading its title of Matot. I think it is intentional that this concept was originally explained first to the leaders of the tribes, with all its laws pertaining to true speech and binding commitment. They were meant to set the example for society, generally, that speech should be honest. It should be fairly obvious to all if we are unable to trust the words and commitments of our leaders, that all our society is crumbling and dissipating. One of the drawbacks of our system of democracy and of elections is that our politicians are constantly engaged in electioneering and running for office, and, thus, make grandiose promises and statements as to their policies and behaviour after election. In almost all cases, these statements are, at best, an exaggeration, and, at worst, a total sham full of falsehood. Of course, because of our lifelong experience with political commitments, we expect that our elected officials, once in office, may not live up to the promises that they made in order to be able to enter those offices. In order to mitigate this almost errant weakness in an otherwise healthy society, leaders should fulfil what they promise, and commitments should be upheld. I realize that this is a very high bar set for leadership in the Jewish people. But even if we cannot reach it, we should at least know that it is there.
Rabbi Berel Wein is Senior Rabbi of Beit Knesset HaNassi in Jerusalem and Director of the Destiny Foundation.
Matot Masei Sidra Summary
MATOT- 1ST ALIYA (KOHEN) – BEMIDBAR 30:2-31:12.
Moshe speaks to the heads of the tribes, telling them to relate the laws of vows and oaths to the Children of Israel. Contravening an oath or vow constitutes a Biblical prohibition. The sidra details who may revoke a vow on behalf of others in his care, but only on the day that he first hears about the vow. A husband may also revoke his wife’s vow in similar circumstances. G-d tells Moshe to wage war against the Midianites before his death. Moshe conscripts 1000 men from each tribe. They go into battle and kill all the Midianite males, as well as Bilam. They take captive the women, the young children, their cattle and material possessions.
2ND ALIYA (LEVI) – 31:13-54.
Moshe rebukes the officers for not killing the women, who had been the instigators of the immorality and idol worship that had led to the national catastrophe (see 25:1-9); he instructs them to now kill many of the women. Moshe tells those who have killed how to purify themselves from their state of tumah (ritual impurity). Upon G-d’s instruction, Moshe and Elazar count up the spoils and divide them in half, between those who fought in the war and the rest of the nation. A small percentage of each of these spoils is given as a tribute, one to Elazar and another to the Levi’im. The military leaders approach Moshe to donate the jewellery that they had plundered, as an offering to G-d.
3RD ALIYA (SHLISHI) – 32:1-19.
The tribes of Gad and Reuven ask to be given land on the east bank of the Jordan River, instead of crossing into the Land of Cana’an. Moshe rebukes them for their apparent cowardice, which seems to repeat the error of the spies 39 years previously. The two tribes clarify that whilst the women and children would settle on the east bank, the men would fight with the rest of the nation to conquer the Land and would not return to their families until the end of the war. "The border (of Israel) shall descend to the Jordan and its outskirts shall be the Salt Sea; this shall be the Land for you"
(Bemidbar 34:12)
4TH ALIYA (REVI’I) – 32:20-33:49.
Moshe accepts their request and instructs Elazar and the tribal heads to allow them to keep the land they requested if they do battle as promised. Some of the tribe of Menashe are also apportioned land east of the Jordan. Point to Consider: why is some of the tribe of Menashe now mentioned, having not been cited in the negotiations with Moshe? (32:33)
Parashat Masei begins by recalling the 42 journeys that the Israelites made from leaving Egypt until the present time, when they are about to cross into the Land of Cana’an.
5TH ALIYA (CHAMISHI) – 33:50-34:15.
G-d speaks to Moshe in the plains of Moab, telling him to relate to the nation that after entering the Land, they must destroy the idols of the Canaanites and make sure to drive them out the Land. G-d tells Moshe the boundaries of the Land that the tribes will inherit.
6TH ALIYA (SHISHI) – 34:16-35:8.
G-d announces the names of the leaders of each tribe, who will take charge of apportioning land to his tribe’s members. 42 cities are designated specifically for Levi’im to live in, surrounded by a designated amount of open space. These cities are also to provide refuge for a person who has killed accidentally and is fleeing from the relatives of the deceased.
7TH ALIYA (SHEVI’I) – 35:9-36:13.
In addition, six cities are designated as special ‘cities of refuge’, to which the accidental killer can flee. Instructions are given about what constitutes ‘accidental’ and how the community must endeavour to protect the accidental killer from those who are pursuing him. Men from the tribe of Menashe approach Moshe, concerned that the land given to the five daughters of Tzelofchad, a descendant of Menashe (see parashat Pinchas 27:1-8) would be lost from the tribe if they marry men from other tribes. Moshe responds that they should only marry men from the tribe of Menashe; this they do.
This is the closing part of the book of Bemidbar. We stand for the final verse and then recite: “chazak, chazak ve’nitchazek”, a phrase asking for continued strength to study the Torah.
HAFTARAH
This haftarah, taken from Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) is the second of the three ‘haftarot of affliction’ read in the build up to Tisha B’Av. G-d rebukes Israel for turning away from Him and towards idols, forsaking the opportunity He gave them when He bought them into the fruitful Land.
24 JUDAISM TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488
28 JULY 2022 Two Stages of History: Seeing vs. Hearing
BY RABBI SHMUEL REICHMAN
There was a man who visited his friend in a far-off town once a year. When he arrived one year, he was shocked to find a towering tree in his friend’s backyard, standing well over sixty feet tall. Most puzzling, though, was the fact that just last year there had been no trace of such a tree, not as much as a small sapling. Perplexed, he asked his friend, “I was here just a year ago, and this tree wasn’t here. What happened? Did you plant a fully-grown tree in your yard?” His friend smiled and explained, “This is the Chinese bamboo tree, a very rare and unique tree. Once you plant it, you must water it every day and make sure it has adequate sunlight. If you miss even a single day, the seed will die. For five whole years, you must tend to the plant diligently, without seeing a single inch of growth for your efforts. But once you’ve cared for the seed for five years, the tree grows at an accelerated rate, expanding exponentially over the course of just a few months to a staggering height of over sixty feet.” The man was shocked to hear this, and as he and his friend walked away, he began to ponder the meaning of this strange tree. He eventually asked out loud, “Does the tree take five months to grow? Or five years?”
TWO STAGES OF HISTORY
As we explained in the previous article, the spiritual concept of seeing is the idea of observing something as it is, i.e., in a completely static state, lacking any movement. When you see a picture, you grasp the entire image instantaneously. There’s no process of constructing or building the picture in your mind; everything is just there, at once, without any effort. The spiritual concept of hearing, in comparison, reflects a process; a movement through time; an evolutionary progression; one of effort, concentration, and organization of parts.
The relationship between hearing and seeing also explains the difference between the two stages of Jewish history. The first stage lasted until the time of Chanukah, the second stage spans from Chanukah until today. The first stage was a time of nevuah and miracles, a time of “seeing.” Hashem openly revealed Himself to the world and was clearly known to all. This is why a Navi was called a “chozeh,” a seer; it was a time where all people, not only the Neviim, saw Hashem with absolute clarity. But right around the time of Purim and Chanukah, nevuah ended and the world fell into darkness. What was the meaning behind this transition?
The first stage was a stage of seeing, where everything was clear and easy. Now, however, we live in a world of darkness, a world of hearing, where we need to choose to see past the surface, connect the pieces together and create that clarity ourselves. There were no open miracles on Purim; we had to connect the pieces together ourselves and see the miraculous within the natural to see Hashem within the world we live in. In the light, you can see; in the dark, all you can do is hear. You must pick up on every hint of clarity you receive, put the pieces together, and form the image in your mind while still walking in darkness.
When you see something, you experience it all at once; there’s no process, no surprises. When hearing, when taking a journey, there can be a long-winding path, twisting and turning in all directions, leading you on a seemingly endless quest. Then, at the very last moment, there can be a sudden revelation that retroactively changes your perspective on the entire journey! Like a twist ending in a great story, the last turn can change the way you perceive the entire quest. This is the nature of the final ge’ulah (redemption). When Mashiach comes, we will suddenly see how all of history was leading us toward our ultimate destination. This is why the end of days is compared to laughter: one laughs when there is a sudden change, and the destination one thought they were heading toward suddenly shifts into something completely unexpected.
PERSONAL MEGILLAH: “HEARING” IN OUR OWN LIVES
The same is true in our own lives. Sometimes, only by looking back and putting all the disparate pieces together can we finally see the beauty and hashgachah in events that occurred throughout our lives. Any individual moment of your life might seem meaningless, but held in context of your entire life, this moment suddenly shines with infinite brilliance, as it’s seen as integral and deeply meaningful; its true purpose and meaning becoming clearer. As we have mentioned before, this why the baalei machshavah suggest writing your own personal “megillah,” keeping an account of events, experiences, and choices that occur throughout your life. Megillas Esther contains no open miracle, but when you put all the pieces of the puzzle together and read them in order, you clearly see the yad Hashem, how all the seemingly random events fit together so perfectly to create the hidden miracle of Purim. “Megillah” shares the same root as the words le’galgel (to roll) and me’galeh (to reveal). When we roll through the scroll of the Megillah, we reveal the presence and hashgachah of Hashem.
The same is true for our own personal story. Each individual event or experience may seem insignificant and happenstance, but if we put all the pieces together, connecting the dots between the seemingly random events, we begin to see the beauty manifest in our own personal megillah. We can suddenly see the turning points in our lives; we retroactively perceive the life-changing decisions and events that until now seemed meaningless and random. Whether it was choosing a specific school, meeting a friend or spouse at a specific time, or visiting a certain place when we did, our past becomes a masterpiece, ready for us to admire and appreciate.
THE JEWISH BAMBOO HISTOREE
Our history is like the Chinese Bamboo Tree. This unique tree spends years in darkness, accomplishing what seems to be very little, lost in the void. Years go by, and all investment toward its growth appears to be in vain. Only with belief and undying trust can one get through this phase of darkness. Then, when all hope seems lost, it suddenly skyrockets toward its true, towering height — out in the light, for all to see. Only then, once it arrives at its full figure, does everything become clear. At that moment, one realizes that it didn’t take five months for the tree to grow; it took over five years.
The same is true with Klal Yisrael; one day, we will see how centuries of tragedy were actually bringing us closer and closer to our ultimate destination. The same is true for each of us; we must be willing to listen in the dark, to see past the surface. We must ride the waves of hardship and challenge, recognizing them as opportunities to grow and not only as burdens. One day, we will see clearly, we will recognize the why behind every what. Until then, we must learn to listen, to believe, to have faith. For only one who listens will one day truly see.
Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is a bestselling author, international speaker, and the CEO of Self-Mastery Academy. He has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. His bestselling book, The Journey to Your Ultimate Self, serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is also a business, executive, and leadership coach and consultant, with a unique approach based on Torah values. After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago. To enjoy more of Rabbi Reichman’s content, to contact him, or to learn more about his services, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com
