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The Path and Wisdom for Living at Peace with Others:
A Modern Commentary on Talmud Tractates Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah [Kindle Edition]
Jewish Spiritual Renewal:Derek Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:Shabbat 2/18/12(aka Derech Eretz )Shalom my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat this coming weekend to all.We continue with our exploration into the Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah. (aka Derech Eretz Zuta, aka Derech Eretz Rabbah. As was mentioned, zuta is Aramaic for 'small', and rabbah is 'large').Remember that Derek Eretz is not about Jewish ritual. It is about how we are to treat one another and what traits of character, middot, we are to try to develop. The lessons are universal and ecumenical. The development of character traits and Jewish spiritual renewal transformation is called Mussar.For those new to the class Baruch ha Ba! Welcome! You can access last week's class at Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL :DEREK ERETZ: BE WISE ,NOT A BOOR or http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2012/01/rabbi-arthur-segal-jewish-spiritual_9910.htmlFrom here you will find links to preceding classes in this series. So, together we continue:TALMUD BAVLITRACTATEDEREk ERETZ ZUTA(aka Derech Eretz)Today we will continue with CHAPTER 7 of Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verse 7:3.CHAPTER VII.
7:3: As a bride, who so long as she is in her father's house pursues privacy and modesty, and when she is given away in marriage announces publicly, saying: "All those who can come to testify against me, let them come and do so," so a scholar must pursue privacy in his deeds but publicity in his ways; namely, he must run after truth but not after falsehood, after honesty but not after robbery, after modesty but not after haughtiness, after peace but not after war, after the advice of the old but not after that of the young. He shall rather follow behind a lion than behind a woman.''
The Sages begin this verse by describing the proper behavior of a young bride-to-be, and then compares this to scholar's, a rabbi's, or in case of this commentary, to everyone's behavior. Brides during Talmudic times were chattel of their fathers. While the rabbis of the Talmud did much in paving the way for women's rights, the way women were treated and expected to behave was very different than it is now in 21st Century Western cultures. But let us not delude ourselves, the above passage sadly defines women's status in many other parts of the globe today.
A woman's chaste behavior as well as her virginity was a prized possession of her father. It awarded him a higher bride price. So while an unmarried daughter lived in the home of her father, her behavior had to be monitored and guarded.
When her marriage day came she was able to announce that she was chaste and challenged anyone to speak against her. We see vestiges of this marriage ceremony in some of our traditional weddings today, when the officiant asks, "who ever has a reason to show that So and So can not be married, speak now,etc.'' While we rarely hear of anyone interrupting a wedding ceremony today, it was not uncommon a century ago, for someone to arise, and call a bride a non-virgin.
In fact according to our strict rules of lashon ha ra, speaking about others, one of the two times one can speak badly about someone, is if they have first hand knowledge of a bride or groom having a sordid past.
So this brings us to the discussion involving the scholars, or the rest of us. We should '' pursue privacy in our deeds but publicity in our ways.'' Since none of us are perfect, one interpretation of this means that we should seek privacy when we do our personal daily behaviors. Conversely we should be public when our ways, our behaviors, are forthright, and 'kosher.'
People looked up to rabbis in Talmudic times. There is a cute story in the Talmud of how rabbinic students would follow rabbis into the privy and bath house to see how they used the toilet and took baths.[ Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracot 62a]. There is another tale of a student who was discovered by his rabbinic teacher under his bed to learn the proper way of having marital relations.[Ibid]. So rabbis are always on display, as we all are, and we need to let private things remain private, but not be afraid to let ourselves be public examples for our proper behavior.
Another interpretation is that we are to do our good deeds anonymously as we can. But we are to teach proper ways, i.e. derek eretz, publicly.
We ''must run after truth but not after falsehood.'' We aren't given the option here. We must pursue truth, emet. And we are to run from falsehoods. We are to speak out for truth and against lies. The Talmud isn't telling us that we are to do this when a situation regarding what is true or false comes to our attention. The sages are telling us we are to search out and rectify these situations.
We must pursue ''after honesty but not after robbery.'' We all have an obligation to pursue justice. In fact the Torah repeats the word for justice, Tsadakkah. twice. "Justice, justice shall you pursue"[ Deut.16:20].Citing Proverbs 21:3: "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice," a Midrash taught that God told David that the justice and the righteousness that he did were more beloved to God than the Temple. We are all commanded to be rigorously honest in all our dealings.
We are to run ''after modesty but not after haughtiness.'' Humility is a virtue taught many times in the Talmud, when arrogance is derided. Micah 6:8 tells us we are to walk "humbly with God," and the Torah teaches us of Moses' humility. [Nub. 12:3]. But when it comes to arrogance, we are taught that an arrogant person is like a pagan, and God cannot abide in the same world with them [Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 4b]. "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord!" (Proverbs 16:5). Through the process of Jewish Spiritual Renewal we can learn to lessen our ego and arrogance led by our yetzer ha ra, and listen to our yetzer tov and learn humility.
We are to pursue ''peace but not after war.'' Wouldn't this be wonderful if all of humanity did this? ''Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron--a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.'' [Pirkei Avot 1:12]. It is harder to make peace than war, or to be resentful and be augmentative than to be agreeable. Our yetzer ha ra, our egos, want to scream, "My way or the highway.'' It takes work to quell our egos, our petty wants and desires, and learn the art of peace making and compromise. ''Who is strong? He who converts an enemy into a friend", Avot de Rabbi Natan teaches.
The Talmud Bavli Tractate Berachot 12a tells the story of Rabbi Meir and his wife Beruriah. Meir had a vicious enemy that used to stalk him as he walked to the Beit HaMidrash. Once he stood praying for his enemy's demise. His wife stopped him, "Don't pray for his death, pray that he change his ways."
As we will learn when we study the last chapter of Derek Eretz Zuta, one of God's Holy names is "Shalom.''
We are to seek ''after the advice of the old but not after that of the young.'' Many of my talmidim, students, are younger than I am and I have learned much from them. The Rabbis in the Talmud record similar. Rabbi Chanina remarked, "I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the most from my students" (Talmud Bavli Tractate Ta'anit 7a). The rabbis aren't showing age discrimination. Substitute learned and experienced for ''the old.'' If we are going to ask for advice, ask it from someone who's opinion counts.
Lastly, our verse and class today ends with: ''He shall rather follow behind a lion than behind a woman.'' There are a lot of interpretations of this verse. When one follows a lion, rather than let a lion get behind us, we are putting ourselves in a relative position of safety. If the lion turns to attack, we are ready with our spears or bows and arrows. When a mans follow a woman, watching her movements, one's yetzer ha ra becomes aroused, leading one to seek '' after the lusts of your own heart and your own eyes, after which you go a whoring,'' [Num. 15:39]. We are being taught to keep ourselves from physical and spiritual harm.
Another interpretation is that in the Talmud, learned rabbis are called ''lions.'' And while there are many women in the TaNaK and Talmud who are regarded as bright and brave and who are listened to, [e.g. Deborah the Warrior Judge, Beruriah the wife of rabbi Meir, the nurse of Rabbi Judah ha Nasi ], for the most part, scholars were not advised to listen to, follow, women.
Pirkei Avot 4:20 reads: "Be the tail of lions rather than the head of foxes." As R' Rosenfeld teaches : ''It is better to be in the company of those greater than us in Torah. Better to be the lowly, humble student of lions rather than great scholar among the foxes. We naturally adapt ourselves to our environment. If we associate with scholars, we will both learn from their ways and be motivated towards greater growth. If we associate with the unlearned, we will stagnate with little incentive to realize our own potential. There are few who are so self-motivated as to require no outside stimulus for spiritual growth. Only through having our own role models and recognizing who we ourselves can be will we be impelled and inspired to follow the path of the lions before us. "
If we drop the misogyny, and read ''lion'' to be a top Talmud scholar , and a ''woman'' to be a less educated person, then we see that Verse 7:3 of Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta is asking us to chose with whom we study, very carefully, and to pick the best.
We discuss these middot, character traits , of peacefulness, honesty, modesty, truthfulness, and finding a good teacher throughout the majority of chapters in ''The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew'' ' (http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/ ) as well as in most chapters of ''A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud''
What are your ideas about these character traits we are advised to pursue? How has learning Talmud's Derek Eretz helped you in your interpersonal relationships? How has understanding the spiritual and ethical teachings of Judaism helped you live a more joyous life?Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue and complete Derek Eretz Zuta, Chapter Seven. Thank you for joining me.For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Mishpatim from '''A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud'' please click on Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH RENEWAL : MISHPATIM : LAW AND ORDER; ETHICS or http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2011/01/rabbi-arthur-segal-jewish-renewal_3376.html .Shabbat Shalom:Rabbi Arthur Segal_
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