~
Thoughts on the Parsha ~
Parshas
Behar
We Never Let Go
By:
Daniel Listhaus
:וְכִי תַשִּׂיג יַד גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ עִמּוֹ
וְנִמְכַּר לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ אוֹ לְעֵקֶר מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר
:אַחֲרֵי נִמְכַּר גְּאֻלָּה תִּהְיֶה לּוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֶחָיו יִגְאָלֶנּוּ
“If the
hand of an alien and a resident with you will achieve, and your brother becomes
improvised with him, and he is sold to an alien, resident with you, or to an
idol of an alien’s family; after he has been sold, he shall have redemption;
one of his brothers shall redeem him.”
-Behar 25:47-48
The Torah[1] describes
a scenario where idol worshippers are living amongst Jews and the possibility that
a destitute Jew might resort to sell himself as a slave to an idol worshipper
in order to be provided for. In such a case, as the next passuk (verse)
states, we are commanded to redeem the Jew from his slavery to the idol worshipper.
The Sifsei Chochomim[2] and Kli
Yakar[3] explain
that the obligation to redeem this slave is effective immediately once he is
sold as a slave. The reason is because there is a legitimate concern that someone
who is working day and night as a slave for an idol worshipper watching his
master’s way of life, might give into the temptations and consider, “since my
master does not keep Shabbos, worships avodah zarrah (idols), and
performs promiscuous acts, I will too.” Therefore, the Torah commanded us to rescue
such a person and get him out of that situation as soon as possible before more
damage is done. The Kli Yakar even goes further to say that even if the
person has been a slave to an idol worshipper for a long time and was able to
perfectly maintain his level of Torah, mitzvos and beliefs, the Torah
still obligates us to redeem him immediately in order that he should not learn
from the idol worshipers bad actions.
Let us not
forget that the idol worshipper the Torah is discussing is one who is living
amongst Jews – in a frum community, and therefore it is not the case
that the man who sold himself as a slave is now living alone on an island with
no kosher food, shul, or community to hold him accountable to a
standard. This man is still living in his town. Yet, the Torah understands that
the focused environmental pressure of living in the same house and watching the
actions of a master who is an idol worshipper is so strong that it could trump
the broader community pressure. Therefore, even if he “proves himself” by
somehow staying as a slave without being negatively affected, we still cannot
be sure that he will be able to withstand the pressure and the commandment
remains to redeem him immediately.
The S’forno[4] cites
the Gemara[5]
which says that this passuk is coming not only as a commandment to
redeem a slave in order that he not learn from the actions of his master, but
also on a deeper level to uproot a mistaken mindset that some might have that, “Once
this man already went to work as a slave for an avoda zarrah we might as
well throw a rock on top of the fallen”. In other words, this slave was clearly
not the most religious to begin with, as Rashi[6] writes,
his poverty came from his original associations with a ba’al avodah zarrah and
learning – even if just a little – from his evil actions. One might therefore be inclined
to say that such a person is a “lost cause” and that he is not worth the time
and effort to redeem. After all, he is already on the wrong track and who says
he will ever re-ignite his interest in his maximum potential in Torah and Judaism?
Therefore the Torah informs us that such a perspective is wrong. We never give
up on a Jew. Even if one is already on a bad track, doing inappropriate or
forbidden things, and perhaps even has embraced a non-Torah lifestyle, still,
we do not drop rocks on the fallen. Instead we are tasked to never give up and
to redeem him immediately.
The Torah
is teaching us an incredible lesson of the persistence we must have never to
give up on our peers. Kol Yisroel areivim zeh l’zeh (all of Yisroel are guarantors
for each other) and v’ahavta l’rayacha ka’mocha (love your friend like
yourself) are mantras we have to live by and deeply feel. Our responsibility for
one another is certainly a commandment, but it is not one given without reason.
We have to tune our perspective to get out of a “giving up” attitude and into a
“never letting go” mentality.
When we see fellow members of k’lal Yisroel
who have virtually “sold themselves” and taken paths of external negative pressures,
what is our attitude? Do we roll our eyes and fling our hands down at them –
throwing the proverbial rock on the fallen? Or do we extend a hand a pass them
a rope to help them up? Granted the situation is unfortunate, and certainly we
should do whatever we can to prevent such situations from happening in the
first place, just as we should provide for the poor so that no one should ever
have to be sold as a slave. However, if that was not done we must still maintain
that same level of persistence to redeem those who are in situations of
negative influence. After all, if the Torah is commanding us not to give up
then it must be that Hashem Himself has not given up.
This
powerful lesson of community and interpersonal responsibility could be extended
to apply on an intrapersonal level as well. Sometimes we ourselves continue bad
habits or keep heading in the wrong direction not just because it is hard to
change but rather often because we have given up on ourselves, think that if
others would know what we were up to that they would discount us, or perhaps
believe that even G-d has given up on us. However, such a mentality is completely
false. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth! This passuk
which commands, “acharei nimkar geulah teheiyeh lo” is a commandment to
change one’s perspective on life not to give up on our peers and certainly never
to give up on ourselves; not only initially if and when we start slipping in
areas we find difficult chas v’shalom, but even after we are literally
or figuratively sold as a slave to idol worshippers.
May Hashem
help us and all of k’lal Yisroel stay on the proper path even during the
hardest of times and through the strongest of negative pressures. However, at
the same time may we always remember that our responsibility to one another does
not stop at preventative measures but rather extends to make sure that we are
always there to assist those in spiritual need. We do not give up. Instead of
throwing a rock on the fallen we throw down a rope so that those who need can
be pulled back up. This is true of our responsibility to ourselves as well. Instead
of kicking the bottom of the cliff we slipped down and letting a boulder roll
down to smash us out of despair, we must keep in mind that Hashem has not given
up on us and therefore we should not give up on ourselves. May we use this
crucial time of sefiras ha’omeir to work on these areas of bein adom
l’chaveiro and bein adom l’atzmo so that we will be prepared to
reaccept the relationship of bein adom l’Hashem at the approaching z’man
mattan Torah in its purest form.
No comments:
Post a Comment