Posts
Shalom:
Justice (tzadakah), justice shall we pursue, but it will always be elusive for we humans, as we are not G!D.
We are not to loose faith, the Mishna teaches, in divine justice, but we are to be careful as humans, when trying to do justice. We are to try to emulate G!D in all of His magnificent ways, except for judgment. That trait we are best off leaving for G!D.
The human condition is described well by the sages, and we were created, (at least post- eating from the tree of good and evil) with free will, and have both a yetza ha ra and a tov.
Those of us who wish to, can ask each day for G!D to negate our will, and to align it with His so we can live a day trying to do His will.
Most folks don't.
Hence we have ego bumping into ego..our individual wills bumping into others' individual wills.
We can decide to do justice, be truthful and be peaceful, as the Mishna says the world rests on these three important things.
But we cannot ask G!D to change our nature. Each day we can make our world as close to the Garden of Eden from which we were tossed out, each Shabbat we get a taste of Paradise, but universal peace, truth, and justice, really are concepts of a Messianic time.
We can only do our best each day, and do teshuvah, (make amends), when we slip up.
The question is asked is there any way to liberate ourselves from our earthly fate? Why would we want to? If I were an angel or a saint, perfect in every way, why would I need to study Talmud and Torah and other great texts? Why would I need to pray? Why then would I need G!D? The Talmud teaches that when we have problems, to first look at ourselves, to see if we caused the situation, and to learn from it, so that we can grow. Life would be dull if our earthly father and mother hadn't eaten from the forbidden tree.
Caveat emptor, let the buyer beware, is not a Talmudic concept.G!D rules the world in justice and love, and we should conduct ourselves accordingly to bring Kiddush ha Shem. The Talmud has many examples of Rabbis who could have made a large profit, but turned down deals, so that one could not even begin to think they were treated unjustly.
Any concept of human justice, (and certainly, the Torah, and the Talmud, do a great job, of defining a just society, if only, everyone would just obey, all the rules, and not play cafeteria style Judaism), is lax. True justice is only divine. No human, nor groups of humans, can truly 100% of the time, hand out justice, and no human, can truly do teshuvah, to someone that we have harmed. Hence, humans must also learn humility, a perpetual quietness of one's heart, to ask G!D for shalom each day, to not be vexed or irritable or even angry, and not wonder at anything being done against us. It is truly to have trust in G!D, so one can be at rest when we are blamed, or hurt, and to have a home within ourselves, where we can retire, pray to G!D, and have shalom, even in calamity.
Hence Micah's telling us to love kindness, do justice, and to be humble. We will always miss the mark however, and this is why our sages say there is no one alive who is without 'chet,' (sin, bad translation).
If man truly had Utopia, indeed earth would be heaven, but this is why tractate Sanhedrin muses so much on Olam ha Ba and the Messianic age. Even in Huxley's Brave new World folks were drugged on Soma, which foreshadowed wonderfully our present world on seretonin uptake inhibitors.
One of our classmates wrote of his attorney friend saying his most difficult clients are ones seeking justice and not just monetary damages. Our Talmud makes it clear that an eye for eye is monetary damages. The only way one gets justice is in one's inside. No human can give you justice on this earthly plain.
When we read a Shabbat ago that we are not to hold a grudge or hate in our heart, it is awfully hard to do when one of us is mugged. ( I was sorry to read of this Rabbi Abrams). But there is an oft left out part of this pusuk. "I am the Lord your G!D." It is only with G!D's help that we can ask Him to allow us not to hate, not to hold a grudge, not to be angry, not to have a resentment. This is doing G!D's will. Our yetza ha ra wants us to have "justifiable anger." And when I am angry at another human, or even go so far as to hate him, I am hating G!D, as G!D created this person.
In Dec 05, Ellen and I, at 830 PM, were kidnapped in Lima, Peru, and by the grace of G!D and the wayfarers' prayer (I used to scoff when I came to the part about highwaymen and bandits, but not any more), we fought them off. Yet by 1 am that night, after prayer, and meditation, both of us, were able to forgive them, not hate, slept with shalom, and awoke the next day grateful to G!D. Every day can be a day, when I see injustices occur to me, but everyday, however is a day, I chose to see as a cup overflowing with G!D's love and abundance for me.
Shalom, Arthur
BH
Heaven and Earth in Each of Us, copyright Judith Z. Abrams, 2007
Our study passage comes from the early midrash=20
collection on the book of Deuteronomy called=20
Sifre.
R. Simai used to say: both the soul and the body=20
of those creatures created from the earth are=20
from earth, except for that one creature, man,=20
whose soul is from heaven and whose body is from=20
the earth. Therefore, if man lives by the Torah=20
and performs the will of his Father in heaven, he=20
is like the heavenly creatures, as it is said, "=20
You are godlike beings and all of you children of=20
the Most High (Psalm 82:6). But if he does not=20
live by the Torah and does not perform the will=20
of his Father in heaven, he is like the creatures=20
of the earth, as it is said, "Nevertheless you=20
shall die like Adam (i.e., go back to the earth =3D=20
adamah) (Psalm 82:7). (Sifre Deuteronomy 306)
Rav Simai's interpretation of Psalm 82 is=20
inspirational=8Aand a bit frightening. This Psalm=20
is somewhat harsh in itself as it mourns=20
injustice and the end of humanity even as it=20
exalts the human race:
God stands in the congregation of God; he judges among the judges.
How long will you judge unjustly and respect the persons of the wicked?
Judge the cause of the poor and fatherless:=20
vindicate the afflicted and needy.
Deliver the poor and destitute: rescue them out of the hand of the wicked.
They know not, nor do they understand.
They walk on in darkness.
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I had said: You are angels, all of you children of the Most High.
Nevertheless, you shall die like Adam and fall as one, O princes.
Arise, O God, judge the earth: for You shall=20
possess all the nations. (Psalm 82)
This psalm and this midrash seem to say that=20
humanity is capable of heavenly acts, yet we are=20
destined to return to dust. This dichotomy-that=20
we have within us heaven come to earth (the=20
midrash is on the words from Deuteronomy 32:2,=20
"My doctrine shall drop like rain") yet we are=20
also the earth's-is one of the profound problems=20
of the human condition.
Discussion Questions
1. You are probably familiar with the=20
Hassidic idea that a person should have in one=20
pocket a scrap of paper saying, "The universe was=20
made for me" and in the other pocket, a scrap of=20
paper saying, "I am but dust and ashes." Here=20
you see the more ancient Biblical and rabbinic=20
basis for this teaching. Is there any way we can=20
liberate ourselves from our earthly fate? If so,=20
how?
2. Does justice bring heaven to earth?=20
Would justice bring the world closer to God's=20
heavenly example? How? Give examples?.
3. Are there things that justice can't fix? Give examples.
Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.
