Rabbi Frand on Parshas Yisro
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 360, Dolls
and Statues: Problem of Avodah Zarah?
Good Shabbos!
Let Us Keep Idolatry Away From Our Homes
This week's reading contains the first time that the Torah prohibits
idolatry. The second of the Asseres Hadibros [Ten "Commandments"] states:
"You shall have no other gods before Me. Do not represent [such gods] by any
carved statue or picture of anything in the heaven above, on the earth
below, or in the water below the land." [Shmos 20: 3-4] This is the first of
many varieties of prohibitions in the Torah relating to Avodah Zarah
[literally: foreign worship]. The Torah is replete with such warnings.
Anyone with even a superficial knowledge of Tanach is aware that the
problem of 'Avodah Zarah' plagued the Jewish people throughout all of their
existence -- up until the time that, as recorded in the Talmud [Sanhedrin
64a], the Men of the Great Assembly prayed for the destruction of the
desire, the evil inclination (Yetzer HaRah), for Avodah Zarah. In our day
and age, it is very difficult for us to contemplate how anyone could be
attracted to graven images, never mind going to such extremes as burning
their children for the sake of Avodah Zarah. The abominations that were
performed in the name of Avodah Zarah are mind boggling to us.
If we wish to understand an inkling of the strength of the natural urge that
existed in Biblical times for Avodah Zarah, we should compare it to the urge
that exists today for forbidden sexual relations (Arayos). This, it is said,
can be a starting point for our imagining the power of the craving for
Avodah Zarah in Biblical times.
Given the fact that no such Yetzer HaRah exists today, it would seem that
all of the Torah's many prohibitions relating to Avodah Zarah do not really
apply to us. We never find ourselves 'tested' in this area.
In so many areas, we can find ourselves 'tested'. Sometimes we find
ourselves 'tested' regarding something prohibited on Shabbos. Sometimes we
find ourselves tempted with immoral acts. We are constantly tempted with
the urge to gossip (Lashon HaRah). We know that we can be tempted regarding
monetary prohibitions. But ostensibly, in our lifetime, we are never going
to be tempted with any moral dilemma relating to idolatry.
The Radziner Rebbe (1839-1891) comments that in all likelihood, we will
indeed be 'tested' in the area of Avodah Zarah. The Talmud teaches [Shabbos
105b] "Any person who loses his temper, it is as if he worshipped idols."
The Gemara derives this from the pasuk [verse] "Lo Yiheyeh becha el zar" --
"There should not be in your midst a foreign god" [Tehillim 81:10]. What
foreign god is in a person's own midst? This foreign god is the person's own
ego. When a person becomes angry, that is a form of Avodah Zarah.
Part of the reason why a person becomes angry is because things are not
going "his way". A person becomes angry when he wants something to happen or
someone to listen to him and it does not happen. Why do I become so angry?
Because my will has been thwarted. I feel that things should go "my way".
The underlying reason why a person becomes angry is because his image of
himself is too great. This is a subtle form of Avodah Zarah.
The only being for whom everything goes His way is the Master of the World.
If we truly believed that fact, then we would not become angry. We would
realize that we do not call the shots. He calls the shots! Therefore, the
Talmud teaches that if someone becomes angry, it is as if he worshipped
foreign gods. Which foreign god did he serve? He served himself, the
exaggerated self-image, the exaggerated ego.
The Radziner Rebbe advises that the next time a person is about to become
angry, he should remember that he is becoming involved in a subtle form of
Avodah Zarah. When one avoids becoming angry, although so tempted, he has
successfully withstood the "test" -- in our time -- of avoiding Avodah Zarah.
An incident is told about the Vizhnitzer Rebbe (1860-1938), that he once
went to bake matzos on Erev Pesach [the day before Passover]. Baking matzos
Erev Pesach is a very tricky business. If anything goes wrong, one can
encounter a problem of Chometz [unleavened bread]. One of the people who was
baking the matzos did something wrong and someone else became very angry
with him. The Rebbe asked, "Why are you becoming so angry?" The person
responded, "But Rebbe, Chametz is prohibited in even the smallest quantity
(b'mah-shehu)." The Rebbe responded (in Yiddish) "The smallest quantity of
anger is worse that the smallest quantity of chometz". We fail to realize
the severity of the sin of losing one's temper. The Gemara equates it with
Avodah Zarah. The Gemara does not equate just 'any' prohibition with Avodah
Zarah.
Therefore, no matter what the situation, we must remember this week's
Parsha. Whether the children do not behave as well as we think they
should, or when we do not receive the honor that we thought we deserved...
When we are about to become angry, we must remember this week's Parsha. "Do
not have other gods before Me." Let us make a pledge: This Week, we will
not have any Avodah Zarah in our homes!
The Zohar Points Out -- There Are No Pauses In The Pasuk Prohibiting Falsehood
There is a fascinating Zohar in this week's parsha. The Zohar points out
that in the commandments: "Do not murder; Do not commit adultery; Do not
steal", the note 'tipcha' is used each time that the word "Lo" [Do Not] is
used. [There are notes associated with entire Torah. These notes indicate
the precise "trup," or melody, used when reading from the Torah in public.]
The note 'tipcha' indicates a pause. In other words, the Zohar says that we
are commanded: Do Not... pause... Murder! Do Not... pause... Commit
Adultery! Do Not... pause... Steal!
The Zohar says that the reason for the pauses is because there are occasions
when for the welfare of the world, the Torah sanctions murder, adultery, and
theft. Is it ever permissible to kill? The answer is yes. When one sees
someone running after his friend to kill him, he should take the initiative
and kill the pursuer. Mind-boggling as it may seem, the Torah says (of
course under the strictest of conditions) that murder is permitted.
Therefore, there is a pause between 'Do Not' and 'Kill'.
The Zohar applies the same rationale and says that if 'Niuf' [adultery] were
always forbidden, one would not even be allowed to engage in the marital act
with one's own wife, even for the purposes of procreation. Of course, that
is not technically adultery because it is with one's own wife. But the Zohar
is indicating that the Torah is pointing out here that unlike certain other
religions, the Torah doe not forbid all sexual relationships. The Torah
says, "Yes, husband and wife must engage in the marital act - for the sake
of mitzvah, for the sake of pleasure." That form of "Tinaf" is separated by
a pause from the word "Lo" [Do Not].
"Do Not"... (Pause)... "Steal". Sometimes stealing is, in fact, permitted.
If two people come to a judge for adjudication of a court case, the judge
must try to ascertain who is telling the truth and who is lying. A smart
judge may attempt to determine the truth by setting the person up, by asking
the type of questions that will sometimes trick one of the parties. In other
words, sometimes the judge must use "Geneivas Da'as" - (literally: 'theft of
the mind'), misleading a person with cunning and trickery. There are
occasions when there is a pause between the "Do Not" and the "Steal".
However the Zohar points out that in the next commandment, "Do not bear
false witness against your fellow man", there is no pause between the
negation (lo) and the rest of the commandment. Outright lying is never
permitted. Yes, one can "change for the sake of peace". This, however is
failing to tell the whole truth, which is not the same as "lying for the
sake of peace", which is never permitted. Falsehood is so fundamentally
wrong and destructive that the Torah does not allow any pause that might
indicate that it would sometimes be permitted.
I once heard from Rav Pam (zt"l, 1913-2001) that he attributed his sense of
honesty to his mother. His mother lived to be a very old woman. Never, in
her entire lifetime, did Rav Pam hear his mother say the word 'Sheker'
[lie]. It was such a dirty word in the Pam household, that she would refuse
to use it. If someone told a lie, at most she would say, "He is not telling
the truth". That may be part of the 'secret formula' for raising a child to
grow up to be on the caliber of a 'Rav Pam'.
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion.
The complete list of halachic topics covered in this series for Parshas
Yisro are provided below:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
