Some qualities of a tsaddik, a righteous person TB Baba Batra 80

 Today’s daf TB Baba Batra 80 talks about tree farming, also known as arboriculture which is the cultivation of trees for timber production.

“The mishna teaches: If one buys olive trees for felling, he must leave two shoots from the tree. The Sages taught: One who buys a tree from another for felling must cut the tree one handbreadth above the ground, to allow the tree to grow again. In the case of an untrimmed sycamore, he must cut the tree a minimum of three handbreadths above the ground, and with regard to a large sycamore, which has strong roots because the sycamore has been cut down once already, he must cut the tree a minimum of two handbreadths above the ground. In the case of reeds or of vines, he may cut only from the knot and above, so that they will grow back. In the cases of palm and of cedar trees, he may dig down and uproot them, because their trunks do not replenish themselves after they are cut down, and therefore there is no reason to leave anything behind.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Allowing a tree to regenerate makes a lot of sense. This past summer Judy and I visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. The forest covering some of these mountains were deforested and now nothing can grow there anymore.

The Gemara questions whether palm trees and cedar trees do not regenerate based on a verse in Psalm 92. In doing so the Gemara goes on a short discussion about the qualities of a righteous person.

“The baraita teaches: In the case of palm and cedar trees, a buyer may dig down and uproot them, because their trunks do not replenish themselves after being cut down. The Gemara asks: And is it correct with regard to a cedar that its trunk does not replenish itself? But didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Lulyani teach: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psalms 92:13)? If “palm tree” is stated, why is “cedar” stated? And if “cedar” is stated, why is “palm tree” stated? What is added by this double comparison?

“Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Lulyani explains: Had the verse stated only “cedar” and had not stated “palm tree,” I would have said that just as a cedar does not produce fruit, so too, a righteous person does not produce fruit, i.e., he will have no reward in the World-to-Come. Therefore, it is stated: “Palm tree,” which is a fruit-bearing tree.

“And had the verse stated only “palm tree” and had not stated “cedar,” I would have said that just as with regard to a palm tree its trunk does not replenish itself after being cut down, so too, in the case of a righteous person, his trunk does not replenish itself, i.e., he will be unable to recover from misfortune. Therefore, it is stated: “Cedar,” to indicate that just as the trunk of the cedar replenishes itself, so too, the righteous will thrive again. This demonstrates that the trunk of a cedar does grow again.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rabbi Art Green in his book Well of Living Insight: Comments on the Siddur describes another quality of a tsaddik, a righteous person. “Notice how the palm tree grows. Unlike any other tree, each new branch comes out from the very center, not from the far edge. The  tsaddik is such a person, turning deeply inward and in each new moment of growth, always seeing that every act of reaching outward must come directly from the deepest inner place. (Page 197)

Alyssa Grey expands this verse to refer to all of Israel. “Israel can be compared to a date tree (Midrash T’hillim 92:11). Both are organic wholes consisting of various parts-some sacred, some not, but all of them equally necessary. A date tree’s branches and fibers are used to make a lulav and sukkah on Sukkot. But it’s trunk is good for firewood. So too, some Jews are scholars (b’nei Torah), like the parts of the date tree that are useful for Sukkot. Others are ordinary folk who perform acts of lovingkindness (g’melut chassadim), like the trunk of the date palm, from which firewood is derived.) My People’s Prayer Book: Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, volume 8, Kabbalat Shabbat, edited by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Jewish Lights publishing, page 145-6.

 

 

 

“Who is our greatest enemy? It’s the yetzer hara, the evil inclination. #Ki Tetze#devartorah#parashathashavua

A few years before he became the 26th U.S. president (1901–1909), Theodore Roosevelt got word that his oldest son, Theodore Jr., was ill. While his son would recover, the cause of Ted’s illness hit Roosevelt hard. Doctors told him that he was the cause of his son’s illness. Ted was suffering from “nervous exhaustion,” having been pressed unmercifully by Theodore to become the “fighter” hero-type he himself had not been during his own frail childhood. Upon hearing this, the elder Roosevelt made a promise to relent: “Hereafter I shall never press Ted either in body or mind.”

The father was true to his word. From then on he paid close attention to how he treated his son—the very same son who would one day bravely lead the landing of Allied soldiers on Utah Beach in World War II. 

This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei begins with a law defining minimum appropriate behavior of soldiers vis a vis women civilians.  “When you take the field against your enemies…and you take some of them captives and you see among the captives a beautiful woman and you would take her to wife…she shall trim her hair, pare her nails, and discard her captive’s garb. She shall spend a month’s time in your house lamenting her father and mother; after that you may come to her…;” (Dt. 21:10-13)

The Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder the modern Hasidic movement, interprets this verse for us differently as we prepare ourselves for the upcoming High Holidays.    He asks: “Who is our greatest enemy?   His answer: it’s the yetzer hara, the evil inclination. We must battle it with the same amount of cunning, strategy, and determination that we would channel against a mortal enemy.”

God has entrusted each of us with influence in the lives of others. We have a deep responsibility in those relationships, not only to spouses and children, but to friends, employees, and customers. The yetzer hara tempts us to press too hard, to demand too much, to force progress, or to orchestrate success and this can lead us to harm others even when we don’t realize it.  

As we approach the High Holidays trying to become the people we truly want to be in this New Year, know that we can succeed in all these worthy endeavors for the Torah emphasizes ultimate victory over our yetzer hara as it is written: “and the Lord your God delivers them into your power….” (Dt. 21:10)

A timely Elul lesson TB Baba Batra 78

 Throughout the Jewish calendar time is set aside for meaningful introspection. We are now in the month of  Elul. “Elul is a time of repentance and introspection in preparation for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This period is known as teshuvah, which means returning to a clean state’ or ‘forgiveness’” (https://www.jewishindianapolis.org/elul#:~:text=As%20Elul%20is%20the%20last,time%20for%20Teshuva%20and%20introspection.)

“Jewish tradition points to the name of the month as symbolically appropriate — the letters of Elul form an acronym for the words in the verse Ani le‑dodi ve‑dodi li–“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3) . Believing that the “beloved” refers to God, the sages take this verse to describe the particularly loving and close relationship between God and Israel. Elul, then, is our time to establish this closeness so that we can approach the Yamim Noraim, or Days of Awe, in trusting acceptance of God’s judgment. We approach the trial not out of fear, but out of love.” (Rabbi Reuvan Hammer, Entering the High Holy Days, published by the Jewish Publication Society.)

Moses and the Israelites defeated Sihon who  would not allow the Israelites to pass through his land to reach the promised land and furthermore went to war against them. (Numbers 21:23-26) Immediately afterwards the Torah recounts in poetry how Sihon defeated the Amorites. What does this have to do with the Israelites battling Sihon? These verses cry out to be interpreted. I don’t believe in coincidences. Just in time today’s daf TB Baba Batra 78 teaches us important musar how we should live our lives as we approach our High Holidays.

“The Gemara cites a related discussion. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Therefore they that speak in parables [hamoshlim] say: Come to Heshbon! Let the city [ir] of Sihon be built and established! For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it has devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon” (Numbers 21:27–28)?

"The Gemara interprets these verses homiletically. “Hamoshlim”; these are the people who rule over [hamoshlim] their evil inclination. They will say: “Come to Heshbon,” meaning: Come and let us calculate the account of [ḥeshbono] the world, i.e., the financial loss incurred by the fulfillment of a mitzva in contrast to its reward, and the reward for committing a transgression, i.e., the pleasure and gain received, in contrast to the loss it entails.

“Let it be built and established” means that if you make this calculation, you will be built in this world and you will be established in the World-to-Come. The phrase “city [ir] of Sihon” means that if a person fashions himself like this young donkey [ayir] that follows after pleasant talk [siḥa], i.e., if one is easily tempted to listen to his inclination, what is written after it? “For a fire is gone out of Heshbon…it has devoured,” i.e., a fire will go out from those who calculate the effect of their deeds in the world, and will consume those who do not calculate and examine their ways but instead do as they please.

“A similar interpretation applies to the continuation of the verse: “A flame from the city of Sihon”; this means that a flame will come from the city of righteous people, who are called trees [siḥin]. “It has devoured Ar of Moab”; this is referring to one who follows after his inclination like this young donkey [ayir] that follows after pleasant talk. “The lords of the high places of Arnon”; this is referring to the arrogant. As the Master says: Every person who has arrogance in him will fall into Gehenna (Hell-gg).

“The Gemara interprets a subsequent verse: “We have shot at them [vanniram], Heshbon is perished, even until Dibon, and we have laid waste even until Nophah, which reaches until Medeba” (Numbers 21:30). “Vanniram”; this indicates that the wicked person says: There is no higher [ein ram] power governing the world. “Heshbon is perished” means: The account [ḥeshbon] of the world has perished, i.e., they claim there is no accountability for one’s actions. “Even until Dibon [divon]”; the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: Wait until judgment comes [yavo din]. “And we have laid waste even until Nophah,” meaning until the fire comes that does not require fanning [nippuaḥ], i.e., the fire of Gehenna, which will consume them. “Until Medeba [Medeva]”; this means until their souls are pained [tadiv]. And some say an alternative explanation: It means until God does what He wishes [mai deva’ei] with them and punishes them as they deserve.” (Sefaria.org translation)

 

The first happy day for boat owner’s life TB Baba Batra 76

I’m told that the two happiest days in a boat owner’s life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it. Today’s daf TB Baba Batra 76 discusses how one acquires a boat. A boat is considered a movable object; consequently, a document will not do the job because a document can only acquire land. Neither can cash acquire the boat for cash only works in betrothing a woman. That leaves pulling, meshikha-מְשִׁיכָה, a significant length, passing, mesira-מְסִירָה, taking possession and moving it ever so slightly, or lifting it, hagbaha-הַגְבָּהָה, which can acquire anything.

The Gemara points out a seemingly contradiction. In one baraita Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says one needs meshikha to acquire the boat and in another it seems that he holds that mesira is effective. The Gemara sounds the contradiction by saying that the boat is in two different locations.

“The Gemara answers: This is not difficult; here, where Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi states that a ship is acquired through passing, he is referring to a ship situated in the public domain. Since a ship in the public domain cannot be acquired through pulling, which must be performed in a domain that is in one’s possession, it is acquired through passing. By contrast, there, in the first baraita, the ship is situated in an alleyway [simta], which is not the public domain, as both parties have the right to keep their possessions there. A ship in this location must be acquired through pulling.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Rashbam explain that meshikha is about moving the item into the person’s domain while mesira doesn’t require moving into the person’s domain. Nevertheless, once meshikha becomes an option, mesira is off the table. In this case only meshikha works to acquire the boat. Rebbeinu Tam argues that mesira is always the preferable method because it involves the acquiescence of the seller as well as the buyer. Most Rishonim hold that the person must use the preferable method of acquiring the object which is meshikha.

According to the Rambam since is impossible to lift up the boat and dragging the boat is hard work, the boat may be acquired via mesira., Mesira only works in the public domain or a courtyard and doesn’t belong to either, but meshikha effects acquisition in an alleyway or in a courtyard that belongs to both of the parties; and lifting effects acquisition in every place, even in the seller’s domain.

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The antidote to jealousy TB Baba Batra 75

 Even in  Olam Haba, the next world, daf TB Baba Batra 75 teaches that our human nature is hard to change. Petty emotions still rule over the individual. Even the righteous are not immune.

“And Rabba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will fashion seven canopies for each and every righteous individual, as it is stated: “And the Lord will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over those who are invited to it, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy” (Isaiah 4:5). This teaches that for each and every righteous individual, the Holy One, Blessed be He, fashions for him a canopy seven times over, in accordance with his honor, i.e., greater individuals receive grander and larger canopies.

The Gemara asks a question with regard to the above verse: Why should there be smoke in a canopy? Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is because anyone whose eyes are narrow, i.e., is stingy, toward Torah scholars in this world, his eyes fill with smoke in the World-to-Come. And why should there be fire in a canopy? Rabbi Ḥanina said: This teaches that each and every one is burned from embarrassment at the size of the canopy of the other, and says: Woe for this embarrassment, woe for this disgrace, that I did not merit a canopy as large as his.” (Sefaria.org translation)

The antidote to jealousy is the observance of the mitzvah “Love neighbor as yourself: I am YHVH” Leviticus (19:18)  the difficulty of fulfilling this commandment lies in the fact that most people are inclined to be jealous of others. “When they hear about someone’s good fortune (for example, he became wealthy or received great honor), their jealousy is aroused and prevents them from being sincerely happy. Therefore, it is extremely important for person to work on rectifying his trait of jealousy…

A person who fulfills this commandment will not be jealous of the good fortunes of others. (Ramban, commentary) That idea has been expressed that the meaning of ‘as yourself’ in this verse refers to the type of fellow man. It is not difficult to befriend and love a person who far exceeds you and wealth and prestige. In the same way, if a person is of a far lower status, you would show warmth to him out of pity. However, the Torah requires you to befriend a fellow man who is ‘as yourself,’ have the same social and financial status. You must overcome any feelings of competition or jealousy and show sincere friendship even in this case (Likutai Dovid, p. 27; see Lekutai Basar Lukutai, on this verse) Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, page 301, 309.

Just as we depend upon God, God depends upon us TB Baba Batra 74

We hear very often how much we depend upon God and it’s true. But we don’t learn how much God depends upon us to fulfill His plans and desires. The following story on God’s impotence, so to speak, to redeem the Jewish people without us to doing our share of the work.

“Rabba bar bar Ḥana continues his account. That Arab also said to me: Come, I will show you Mount Sinai. I went and saw that scorpions were encircling it, and they were standing as high as white donkeys. I heard a Divine Voice saying: Woe is Me that I took an oath; and now that I took the oath, who will nullify it for me?

When I came before the Sages, they said to me in rebuke: Every Abba is a donkey, and every bar bar Ḥana is an idiot. You should have said: Your oath is nullified. The Gemara explains: And Rabba bar bar Ḥana did not nullify the oath because he reasoned: Perhaps God is referring to the oath that He will not flood the earth again. But the Sages would argue that if that were so, why say: Woe is Me? Rather, this must be referring to God’s oath of exile upon the Jewish people.” (Sefaria.org translation)  

This is not the first time God regrets one of His actions. Before God called upon Noah to build the ark, the Torah records: “YHVH saw how great was human wickedness on earth—how every plan devised by the human mind was nothing but evil all the time. And YHVH regretted having made humankind on earth. With a sorrowful heart, YHVH said, “I will blot out from the earth humankind whom I created—humans together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I regret that I made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7) God needed Noah in His second attempt to create the world anew.

Judaism has always understood the power of words. Even when God takes an oath, He must fulfill it. He needed a Sage like Rabba to nullify His oath exiling the Jewish people. Rabba, whose full name was Rabbi Abba bar bar Hana, understood sometimes when you want to help, you make things even worse. He was afraid that the oath that God was referring to was the oath not to destroy the world with flood waters again. Perhaps God was so angry at humankind again, and wished to destroy the world again. Rabba certainly didn’t want to nullify that oath.

The rabbis deride him for being overly cautious and not listening carefully. God is lamenting about the existential state of the Jewish people in exile. God needs us to further along the redemption process. Rabba missed his opportunity and I think the Gemara is trying to teach us that we shouldn’t miss ours. We are idiots if we just sit him on our behinds, do nothing, and wait for God to redeem us.

 

Even when justice is delayed, God’s love will never fail us #Shoftim#parashathashavua#devartorah

For years, many believed the fire began when the cow knocked over a lantern left burning in a shed. After further investigation—126 years later—the city’s Committee on Police and Fire passed a resolution exonerating the cow and her owners and suggesting the activities of a neighbor warranted scrutiny.

This week’s Torah portion Shoftim is devoted almost entirely to the theme of justice. The Torah commands: “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Dt. 16:20) The Etz Hayyim commentary below the line teaches us: “The term ‘pursue’ carries strong connotations of effort, eagerness. This implies more than merely respecting her following justice; we must actively pursue it (Heschel)” (page 1088) We need to pursue justice no matter how long it takes.

Justice often takes time, and Scripture acknowledges how difficult that can be. The refrain, “How long?” is repeated four times in Psalm 13: “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (vv. 1–2). But in the middle of his lament, David finds reason for faith and hope: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (v. 5).

Even when justice is delayed, God’s love will never fail us. We can trust and rest in Him not just for the moment but for eternity.

 

A fishy story TB Baba Batra 73

Daf TB Baba Batra 73 begins three pages of Aggadah. Rashbam comments that these difficult Aggadot serve three purposes.1, They teach us “How great are the works of the Lord-מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשיךָ ה' (Ps. 92:5); 2, they teach us about the reward that the righteous will receive in the world to come; and 3, they explained difficult verses in the book of Job.

 Here is just but one example that I think we should not understand literally. “And Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Once we were traveling in a ship and we saw a certain fish in whose nostril [be’usyeih] a mud eater [akhla tina], i.e., a type of insect, had sat and killed him. And the waters thrust the fish and threw it upon the shore. And sixty districts were destroyed by the fish, and sixty districts ate from it, and another sixty districts salted its meat to preserve it. And they filled from one of its eyeballs three hundred flasks of oil. And when we returned there after the twelve months of the year had passed, we saw that they were cutting beams from its bones, and they had set out to build those districts that had been destroyed.” (Sefaria.org translation)

When we lived in Springfield, Massachusetts, we had a fish tank in the playroom. When the fish tank needed cleaning, Judy filled the bathtub with water and transferred the fish there so they could feel that they were swimming in the ocean once again. Even in my relatively small fish tank, the variety of fish and their colors were awesome. I used to like to daven in front of the fish tank because God’s great works aided my kavvanah, intention.