We continue with our exploration into the Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah. (aka Derech Eretz Zuta, aka Derech Eretz Rabbah), For those new to the class, Baruch ha Ba! Welcome! You can access last week's class at
So. together we continue:
TALMUD BAVLI TRACTATE DEREK
ERETZ ZUTA.
(aka Derech Eretz)
CHAPTER I.
1. The qualities of the sages are: Modesty, meekness, eagerness, courage, bearing wrongs done to them,and being endeared to every one; submission to the members of their household, fear of sin, and judging every one according to his deeds.
In our last classes, we discussed Modesty , Humility, Meekness, Eagerness , Courage and Bearing Wrongs Done To Us. Today I invite you to explore with me the middah, trait, of being endeared to every one.
What exactly are the authors of Derek Eretz Zuta (aka Derech Eretz Zuta) meaning when they teach us to be endearing to every one? Well first, we do not need to parse the words ''every one.'' This means what it says, to every human being we encounter.
But what does being endeared mean? It means that we find in every person something 'dear,' something valuable. When we are spiritually connected we know that all of us are made from the same Divine sparks. We are all interconnected. We understand that when we hurt another person, we only hurt ourselves. This is why were are taught that all of Torah, including Talmud, is to bring us to ahavath chesed, loving kindness to all. And further, that Derek Eretz, the correct way to treat others, precedes Torah's rituals.
All of us have the breath of life from God blown into us, with the Divine YaH WeH.
"Two eyes were given to man: One with which to see his fellow man's virtues, and another with which to see his own faults, " taught Rebbe Meir of Premishlan . It is so very important for each of us to see the beauty in every person and not see their imperfections. It is also so very important to point out to all their particular beauty. Faults we are to only see within ourselves.
As we learned in our class on Jewish Spiritual Renewal : A Path of Mussar Transformation for the Modern Jew, we are to take our own daily chesbon ha nefesh, inventory of our soul. Never are we to take another's chesbon or inventory. We are to live with 'How do I love thee, let me count the ways." We are not to live with 'How do I find you disgusting, let me count the ways.''
As we learned from our studies, the Talmud teaches us that when we find some trait in a person that we do not like, most likely we are projecting on to that person a defect of character of our own, that we won't work on removing in ourselves. It always seems to be the gossip who says that ''so and so talks too much.''
"Every person contains something precious that cannot be found in anyone else," opined Rebbe Pinchas of Koretz . That "something precious,'' is what we find endearing. If we do not see it right away, our job is to mine for it, as we would for a precious gemstone.
Our society moves at a break neck speed. Yet it has been posited by a modern halachic (Jewish Law) rabbi that just as one must answer all verbal ''hellos'' and ''shaloms'' and ''hand shakes, '' with a ''smile,'' so too must we answer all emails. Now I get tons of emails. Many are forwards, prayer wheels, jokes, political ads, etc. I while I admit I don't read the jokes, the prayer wheels, etc, every email at least gets a response of 'Thank you. How are you? Shalom.'' Now I am referring to folks I know, not the 20 West Africans who daily want me to send $50,000 so they can send me an inheritance from a long lost 6th cousin, who died from a snake bite in Lagos. Lol.
In point of fact, with these meshugah (Yiddish for crazy) social networks, modern Derek Eretz advises us that whomever asks us to ''befriend'' them, we say ''yes.'' Imagine the feelings hurt of someone who asks you to befriend them, and you ignore them? If they become too chatty, every network allows you to block their wall writings from coming to you. So why loose an opportunity to shine some love and happiness into someone's lives?
Everyone has his share of "not good". For those of us in our last class that ended circa Selicoth 2010, we learned this when we did our moral inventories, our chesbons. It's impossible that a physical being should be void of faults. The point is not to flee or hide from them. Nor is it to resign ourselves to it all. It is to face up to the fact that they are there, and to systematically chase them away.
Recognizing who we are and gradually cleaning up our acts is our jobs. It is not to look at others and see their faults. The mirror may look ugly at first, but it is our Divine path.
Let me end this week's class with this thought. As we move through Derek Eretz Zuta and Derek Eretz Rabbah (aka Derech Eretz Zuta and Rabbah), you will see very little about rules about humans relationships with the Divine. The talmidim (disciples) of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi once asked him: ''Which is greater -- to love God, or to love one's fellow ?'' Replied the Rebbe: ''The love of God and the love of a fellow are equally ingrained in the soul. God loves every person. So to love a fellow is to love what God loves, which is greater than to love Him Himself.'' Remember the Rabbis call us hypocrites and liars, if we say the V' Ahavtah prayer which announces our loving God, Whom we cannot see, but then ignore or treat badly, a person, who is the image of God, whom we can see.
These are the lessons Derek Eretz Zuta 1:1 is trying to teach us when it is written: being endeared to every one.
We discuss exactly how to truly love our fellows and find each endearing through out all chapters in The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew as well as in most chapters of A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud .
What are your ideas about being endeared to everyone ? How does living a life filled with love for all play a role in your spiritual life? How have you combated your desire to withhold love and friendship from someone?
Next week, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with Derek Eretz Zuta, 1:1. [Derech Eretz Zuta]
For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Toledot from
Shabbat Shalom:
If visiting SC's Low Country, contact us for a Shabbat meal, in our home by the sea, our beth yam.
Maker of Shalom (Oseh Shalom) help make us deserving of Shalom beyond all human comprehension!
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