jewish times - volume i,no. 23...july 12, 2002

7/27/2019 Jewish Times - Volume I,No. 23...July 12, 2002

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In This Issue:Why should one serve god? 1, 2

eventy interpretations 1, 3Good luck 2, 3God talking amidst flames 3

An intelligent reader from Belgiummade it clear to me that my past article

warrants a sequel. We have stated thatne of the premises of our faith is thatGod has no needs and derives no benefitwhatever from our serving Him. AsNachmanides states, "all our praise is asothing to Him." This is clear to anyntelligent person. For how would God,he Creator of the universe, deriveatisfaction from our praise? Would an

Albert Einstein derive satisfaction fromhe praise of a child who says he is areat mathematician because he knows

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Can both the Rambam and theRamban be right on a specific point? Isthis possible? They argued on eachother, so they would be the first toadmit that both of them couldn't beright on a specific point. The Gemoratoo is replete with arguments. DidHillel really think that Shammai wasright on the very same point uponwhich Hillel was arguing? Obviouslynot.

What does "Shivim Panim L'Torah"mean? (Literally, there are 70interpretations to any area of Torah).Does this mean that one can sayanything he wants about the Torah, andsince there's a principle of ShivimPanim, he is right? This is an absurdity.

Are we then to say that when Hillel

said "X" is non-kosher, and Shammaisaid "X" is kosher, they are both right,but we are just on such a low level andcan't understand it? This is equivalentto saying that Hillel said 2+2=4, andand Shammai said 2+2=5, and we thensay that they are both right. How can 4be the same as 5? How can non-kosherbe the same as kosher?

Hillel and Shammai cannot both beright. As far as halacha goes, theirrespective students must follow each.But in objective reality, somethingcannot be both kosher and non-koshersimultaneously.

It would seem that when we sayShivim Panim L'Torah, we mean thatthere can be many explanations for agiven topic. However, the explanationmust makes sense. There was a point inhistory when there were nomachloksim (disputes) over halacha(law). It was only after minds becameless sharp than the original baaleihamesora, (masters of tradition) that webegan to see disputes. Eventually, tokeep one identity to the Torah, the

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Why Should OneServe God?

rabbi israel chait

Suggested Readings:see these and other articles at our site

Reader: I have a question that's been bothering me for a while. I understand we can't askwhy God created the world. There's something about it that appears illogical to me. We say thatGod is perfect and complete, that God could not have created the world out of any need or lack.We also say that God is infinite and that nothing physical is infinite. The only existence that isinfinite is God. We also say that God is unchanging. My question is given all of this, if God isunchanging and at one point was the only existence existing, how could God have created theuniverse? That is to say that at one point only God existed and at another point the universeexisted as well. God doesn't change and I don't understand how God could go from being a noncreator to a creator. I guess the example I keep thinking of is the one where God is compared toa flame. The flame doesn't change but different results can be obtained depending on what isplaced before the flame, i.e smoke, explosion, burning, etc. If God is like the flame, andunchanging, yet the world was created, this implies something came in front of the flame, sincethe flame cannot change and that is impossible when it comes to God, since there was nothingelse in existence aside from God. It seems anti-logical. I hope you understand what I'm asking.I'd really appreciate a response. Thank You

Mesora: Yes, God is perfect, unchanging (change implies imperfection). He needs nothing.He does not work by motive - a physical phenomena - so to ask "why" God created the earth isa futile endeavor.

You state correctly, "God doesn't change and I don't understand how God could go frombeing a non creator to a creator." I had this question many years ago and asked my teacher. Hesaid that "God's nature is to create" - thus, creation resulted from God who "always" created.Our universe's creation was not a deviation in God's nature. What else God created besides ouruniverse is irrelevant.

Speculation in matters prior to the first acts of creation are prohibited. The first Mishna inChap. II, Talmud Chagiga reads, "If man ponders four things, it is better that he was nevercreated (they are) what is above the earth, what is below, what came before the Earth, and whatsucceeds it". This is where the human mind must know it has reached its limit. Speculation inthese areas is useless, as man fails to function as a seeker of knowledge when the investigationapproaches areas where the doors are shut. His existence is purposeless when he ponders theseareas, "it is better that he was never created".

SeventyInterpretations

to the Torahrabbi moshe ben-chaim

rabbi moshe ben-chaim

Maimonides' 13 PRINCIPLES

God's Existence Belief orProof?

God's Land

Without God?

Maimonides' 13 PRINCIPLES

God's Existence Belief orProof?

God's Land

Without God?

the heavens and the torah share ingenius design. Teach children to have the same appreciation for Torah as for the universal laws. God made both.

Have your children email us with their questions: [email protected]

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"...those who fashion evil into a way of life....God turned upon them th violence, and with their own evil He will cut them off,...God will cut th

King David: Psalm 94

Speculation

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he multiplication table? Ournowledge of God is far less than thatf a child's knowledge of an Einsteinecause a child at lest knowsomething of Einstein while we knowothing of God other than the little wenderstand of His works and that Hexists. Also, we consider it anmperfection if a person is in need of raise and enjoys praise and we doot ascribe imperfection to God.

All this being clear the questionemains, why do we serve God, since

He gains nothing from our service? Isfor ourselves? Isn't this then

edonistic? Is our religion self-eeking? Because of such questionsome have maintained that thessence of religion lies in helpingthers. But if one's self-fulfillment isependent upon helping others one

must wish that others be in a state of eed. Were everyone self-sufficientuch a person would have no purposen life. They would be like auccessful General whose veryuccess in ushering in an era of peaceenders his services obsolete.

In the messianic era, we are told, none will be in a needy state yet all will

erve God. The service of God,herefore, must contain somethingther than helping others. There muste some other underlying good that

we are helping others to attain. Thisnderlying good is something we

would necessarily occupy ourselveswith even if everyone had everythingttainable. It is a good we wouldnvolve ourselves with even if we

were alone, as Adam the First. What this underlying good if it is not for

he benefit of God or of other people?Does the Torah provide the answer tohis most important question upon

which our entire worship of Godepends?

The Torah states in Deuteronomy0:12,13, "And now, o' Israel, whatoes the Lord your God ask of you,ut to fear the Lord your God, toollow in all His ways, and to love

Him, to serve the Lord your God withll your heart and all your soul, toeep the commandments of God, and

His statutes, which I give you this dayo that it shall be good for you?" Inther words, the purpose of the entireorah, the reason why God gave the

Torah to man, is that man may benefitfrom it. Again in Deuteronomy 6:24we read, "And God commanded us todo all these statutes, to fear the Lordour God, so that it will be good for usall the days, that He might preserve usalive, as it is at this day." It is clearfrom the Torah that the purpose of ourserving God is to benefit ourselvesand for no other reason. AsNachmanides states, "It is all solely

for our own benefit, (Nachmanides onDeuteronomy 22:6)." But, we mightask, how does this differ fromhedonism? Does not the Torah putdown the selfish and hedonistic wayof life? To answer this question wemust understand what is wrong withthe hedonistic way of life. What iswrong with the hedonist is not that heis interested in himself, but that he isliving a way of life that is notappropriate for man. The Torah wantsus to be concerned about ourselves.Moses states in Deuteronomy 4:9,"Only take heed for yourselves and

guard thy soul diligently..." It isincumbent upon man to be concernedfor himself, but, this must be done inthe proper manner. Man must choosethe life which is most appropriate forhim. God wants man to fulfill hispotential as man and this is thepurpose of the entire Torah. Thehedonist has chosen a life that isdestructive to man's very essence,namely his soul. Just as it is God'swill that every animal live life in linewith its own nature, it is His will thatman live a life in line with man'snature. Man must be concerned abouthimself if he is to accomplish this.Since man has free will this cannotoccur spontaneously as it does in therest of the animal kingdom. Man musthave Torah so that he has knowledgeof what is good and what is evil andcan then make proper choices.

What is the "good life" according toTorah? It is not the life of searchingendlessly for material pleasure orwealth or fame. It is the life in whichman pursues truth and knowledge, inwhich man is involved in studyingand understanding the ideas of God'sTorah, in experiencing the infinitebeauty of Torah and God's universe,in doing kindness and helping otherswhen they are needy. This kind of lifemakes man truly happy and blessed.Ironically man is happiest when heturns away from the self and isinvolved in something far greater thanthe self, i.e., pursuit of knowledgethrough God's Torah. The initialmotivation must always be for theself. This is natural and evennecessary. But when one getsinvolved in truly helping one's self inthe manner of Torah one finds that he

or she is in the face of a reality that isso awesome that the self becomesinsignificant. Knowledge of Torahdraws the individual into the world of God's reality, a world of beauty andawesomeness that makes man's pettyconcerns seem trivial andunimportant. In this world man risesto ever increasing heights as hetranscends the mundane and thetemporal. This can only beaccomplished through a constantinvolvement in the knowledge of God's Torah and God's universe. asMaimonides states, "It is known andclear that the love of God cannot bebound to the heart of man unless hetoils in it constantly in the propermanner," (Laws ConcerningRepentance, Chap. 10 Law 6).

God gave us a great Torah, we caninvolve ourselves in its study ourentire lives and never exhaust itsinfinite knowledge. This is theultimate good for mankind. It is whatmankind will do in the messianic era

when man will be provided with allhis physical needs. It is what man cando when he is alone or in thecompany of others. The study of Torah and appreciation of the beautyof God's knowledge is the ultimateaim of human existence. It is whatgives human life its human characterand provides man with the kind of existence that makes his lifeworthwhile. It is the aim of the entireTorah and the true benefit formankind.

The concept that there isprotective force other than G-d is alto Judaism.

We have never seen an object givany value other than its own simfunction. A lamp gives light. Do bow down to it? A fireplace gives heDo we say it also possesses intelleNo. So why do people say abostring which is red, that it hasmiraculous force of removing the AyHarah? That it protects? Where doesay this in the Torah?

Attributing powers to simphysical objects is an absurdity. Ttruth is, if one were to ask a perswho believes in red bendels, "wh

does the bendel become powerfOnce it is twined, or even before? Ais half full of red dye, or ocompletely red? Before or afterdries?" The person will dumbfounded, as there are no rulShowing how the bendel ismanufactured item, and follows rationale, removes the strength of blind emotional belief incorrecattached to it. It shows the beliethat it really isn't any more significthan a green bendel. They will fuadmit that a bendel of any other cowill not protect. Also, if this is powerful, why has G-d not mentionit in the Torah?

Believing in the bendel is that....a belief without proof. Itbased in an insecurity in the followMany items discussed by the Rambas being under the category of AvodZarah also bear the same markingsthe red bendel. A need for security.

The Haftorah on Parshas Vayikstates that people used to take a trhalf of which they would cook thfood, and even warm themselves. Tother half they would make into image, and say to it, "save me, your are my god". What this Haftoris teaching, to quote a Rabbi,contrasting these two performances,warming oneself, and 2) idolatry. THaftorah is showing how absurd itto take an object such as a tree,which nobody would claim had apower, and use half for practipurposes, and half insanely idolatry. The apparent contradictionthat half is only firewood. So why wthe other half any better, that th

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Why Should OneServe God?

rabbi israel chait

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P

hulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law

as written.Hillel and Shammai both cannot berrect on the same point if they hold

pposing positions. But that doesn't matter,the goal is not to determine what Moshe

abbeinu knew, but to determine with one'swn mind how one sees an area. Halacha isot based on what Moshe Rabbeinu wouldve said, but it's based on what a Rabbitermines today. There is a gemora where artain individual stated that, "had Yehoshuan Nun told me such and such,...I would

ot listen to him". What does this show? Itows that we are not looking fornfirmation from the original baaleimesora. This is not what makes a halacha.

ather, as the Torah states, "al pi hatorahher yorucha", "in accordance with the

orah which they (the Rabbis) teach you".he rabbis today create halacha for us.hen we are perplexed we consult our Rav.e determines the halacha.The halacha is, that if one has learned

rough an area in gemora, searched clearlyrough the Rishonim, and sees the lawfferent than how he was taught, he has theght to follow his own mind. He does notve to follow his Rav. He must not

owever teach this ruling to his peers - ass peers have not gone through the area as

did, they then must follow their Rav orosek.

But one must not be foolish and think thatnce someone said an idea, that it must beue. Or since one saw an idea in a printededium that this validates it. One shouldalyze what he hears. Just as the students ine time of the gemora asked questions oneir teachers, so too must we. We should

ot blindly accept ideas. Chazal say that "lobayshan lomed", "an embarrassed personill not learn".If we are not to ask questions, but we aresimply follow today's ignorant view of

we can't know as they did, we are not oneir level", how then did Chazal say this

atement of "an embarrassed person willot learn"? Evidently, they were urging us tok in order to learn. How can one learn the

orah and not have questions? That ismply ridiculous. To train people to donlse humility and claim, "I am not on thevel of the Rambam or Rashi, therefore Iust not ask on their statements", willrtainly lead to further ignorance, and the

ages and the Rabbis z"l abhor thisproach."Aylu v'aylu divrei elokim chaim" ,

hese and these (people) God's words live"

means something similar. It means that aslong as one is elucidating the Torah based onfact, and his opinion makes sense, then thisopinion is also valid. There's not only oneidea in a given area. Many ideas can belearned from a single pasuk or area of theTorah, "Shivim Panim l'Torah".

When one is in the pursuit of knowledge,as long as one is following their mind, thisperson is then functioning exactly asHashem desired he act.

I feel that this approach of false humilityis one of the causes for so many youngstudents abandoning Torah learning.Teaching students and children that we can'tquestion a Rashi or a Tosfos is basicallytelling them that the Torah is to be followedwithout understanding. How can we expectour children to love learning if their mindsare not stimulated by questions? If theyaren't given the courtesy as equal humanbeings to receive dignified attention to theirquestions? We must all urge students to asktheir questions. And if as parents or teacherswe don't know the answers, we must tellthem "I don't know". Compliment them as

well on their questions. You will never see astudent or child light up as much as whenthey have a great question, and they are toldso. Teachers must be on their guard not toseek consistent reinforcement of theirauthority by squelching a students zeal. Thisruins what might be a great student. Whatcould be a greater loss? Conversely, if weurge honest inquiry, and show respect to ourchildren and students, you will see that in notime, your students and children will belearning out of a true appreciation forwisdom. "Leshma", for the very sake of learning, with no other motive but to satisfytheir genuine curiosity - our true goal.

Young people have naturalinquisitiveness. You always see youngchildren asking questions such as , "Whydon't cats have wings like birds?" "Whatkeeps clouds from falling?" And the like.These are humorous examples, but theymake the point. This inquisitive nature caneither be suppressed, or hopefully,encouraged. And when these children enterthe world of learning Torah, they will againnot be afraid to ask here, as you haveencouraged this attitude.

We have the opportunity to turn childrenon to knowledge, offering them the trueenjoyment of learning, of life. Let us beextremely careful not to dissuade them.

should prostrate themselves to it and call it agod?

The Navi also talks about how Hashem

caused the idol of the Phillistines, Dagon, tobe broken. This idol was half man, half fish.Two creatures which the Phillistines wouldopenly agree had no powers. When theycombined the two, they attributed god-likequalities to it. To correct their ways, asHashem's punishments always strive to do,Hashem caused Dagon to fall down in frontof the ark of G-d, broken apart by the seamswhere the fish parts met the human parts.This was to demonstrate that Dagon was

nothing special - just fish and man.Hashem's intent here was that when thePhillistines would arrive for prayer, theywould find their god broken into pieces of fish and man. Perhaps seeing these twoworthless components, they would abandontheir worship.

Rambam (Hilchos Avoda Zarah, 11:4)certainly classifies this type of activity asidolatrous. Anyone who gives signs forthemselves is partaking of primitivepractices. Rambam states, "If one's breadfalls from his mouth, or his staff from hishand and he says I won't go to such and sucha place for I won't be successful", thisperson receives lashes (Malkus). Theseactivities have no bearing on dailyoccurrences.

The same applies to red bendels, orplacing a prayer in the Kotel Hamaaravi, theWestern Wall. The bendel is just a thread.The wall is just stone. The Torah says(Exodus, 20:21)"any place that you mentionmy Name, I will come to you and I willbless you". Hashem can hear equally wellfrom the Wall, or from one's shul. One is nocloser to Hashem by merely being at theWall. Closeness in physical proximity to theWall, does not mean closeness in one'sapproach to Hashem.

There are statements in the Talmud thattalk about the air of Israel making one wise,and the like. These are accurate statements,but one must interpret these statementscarefully. Breathing the air of Israel will notmake someone wise. It means that when oneis in the environment where the forefathersand prophets lived, it creates in him anadditional awareness of his heritage and theideals of the Torah. It is an added impetus tocleave to the Torah. It is not mystical.

The most clear statement howeverregarding red threads is actually an openTosephta in Chapter 7 of Sabbath. It statesthere a list of acts which are considered as"darchei HaEmori", "ways of the

Ammorites", and the Tosephta includes "onewho wears a red thread on their finger".

In Jeremia 9:23, the Metsudas Davidstates that G-d says, "I am G-d, there is noother". The Metsudas David further statesthat "G-d forbid (one should think that) thereare good or evil forces in the world." Heclearly says that there are no other powers inthe universe except for G-d. There is nogreater proof against red bendels, kapituls inthe Western Wall, ayin hara, or the like, thanthis statement of Metsudas David.

By keeping these sources in mind, let us

examine our ways and return to Hand the teachings of the rabbis, and abthe foolish habits of the masses.

What is the concept intended bnumerous times the parsha states thJews heard G-d speak from the midst flames?

The reason why G-d created the evSinai as a voice of words emanating ffiery mountain is as follows: G-d d

that this event be a proof to all generthat the Torah is of Divine origin - nomade. The one element in whbiological organism cannot live is firG-d creating a voice of "words", meintelligence, emanating from the miflames, all would know for certain thcause of such an event was not intelligence on Earth. They would athe phenomena solely to that which cothe elements, that being G-d Himselfthe One who controls fire, Who formproperties, can cause voices to exist iAs the sounds heard by the people wintelligent nature, they understoodbeing to be the intelligent, and metaphG-d.

The purpose of the repetition wdrive home the concept which is suand more essential to man's knowledgall other concepts, i.e., that G-d gavTorah, and that He is metaphysicalquestion was asked, "Why would the pnot err and assume G-d to be fire itself

We see the first words heard froflames were "I am the G-d who tooout of the land of Egypt". This means that the Cause of the miracles in Egnow claiming responsibility for this evSinai. The fact that there were no fiEgypt shows that fire is not indispe

for the performance of miracles, all clby the voice at Sinai. The Jews therefonot view the fire as G-d, as experienced miracles prior to this without witnessing any fires. It is truewas a pillar of fire which led them by but as we do not find fires connectedall miracles, we conclude that fire is ncause of those miracles, or of revelatSinai. There must be something exterfire, which controls the laws of naturis above nature. That can only bCreator.

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SeventyInterpretations

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Vaueschanan:God Talking from Amidsthe Flames


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