‘Parsha Growth Spurts’[1]
Rabbi Dani Staum
Parshas Shoftim 5773
“Judges and officers shall you appoint in all your cities…” (Devorim 16:18)
The Medrash (Devorim Rabbah 5:2) states: It is written (Mishlei 6:6), “Go to the ant, you lazy one! See her ways and grow wise… The Rabbis taught: Observe her derech eretz – see how she avoids stolen property! Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta said: Once, an ant dropped a wheat-kernel. All the other ants came and smelled it, but none of them took it… See her wisdom… for she has neither officer nor ruler! You, over whom I [Hashem] have appointed judges and officers – all the more so [should you be lawful and upright]”
Prima facie, the Medrash seems to use the inborn honesty of the ant to demonstrate the need for honesty and integrity. It must be realized however, that everything the ant has is stolen from others! Is it appropriate for such a creature to serve as the prototype of integrity and honesty?
Chiddushei Harim explains that it is not the ‘honesty’ or ‘ethics’ of the ant which Shlomo Hamelech lauded, but rather its ‘etiquette’ (“derech eretz“).
The message of the Medrash is the opposite of how it first appears. We must learn from the ant how we would be without having the Torah as our guide. The ant seems to have good manners and proper etiquette; it would never take anything from another ant. But leave some food on a table and within minutes it will be overrun with ants.
“Observe her etiquette – and grow wise!” Observe how the ant, without the guidance of the Torah, without a formal system of courts and justice, can be so proper and respectful, and yet derive its entire sustenance from stolen property. Become wise, by realizing that left to one’s own scruples, without the counsel of the Torah, even the most honorable and well-mannered being be a far cry from truth and integrity.
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“Righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue, so that you will live…” (Devorim 16:20)
What does the pasuk mean that you shall pursue righteousness?
The Shefa Chaim of Klausenberg zy’a explained that whenever one wants to elevate his service to Hashem he is confronted with various challenges to his resolve. The yetzer hara works hard to impede any of one’s efforts to serve Hashem. It may be easy for a person to wake up early to do something that excites him, yet it will be exceedingly challenging for him to get up in order to learn Torah. Similarly, one can easily be busy with various endeavors late into the evening, yet he will immediately feel tired and sluggish as soon as he opens a sefer.
The Medrash (Eicha Rabbah – Pesichta 10) expresses this idea by stating that Hashem laments that “You stand (in the market) negotiating business an entire day, and do not grow weary. Yet when you pray before Me you grow weary.”
The greater a mitzvah is the more the yester hara fights to not allow us to fulfill it properly. Therefore, in regards to those mitzvos which are most challenging to a person he needs to strengthen himself and gather his wits about him.
To be righteous and to live a moral Torah-based life is extremely challenging in our morally depraved world. Therefore, the Torah urges us to pursue righteousness with passion, in order to overcome all of the challenges and impediments we encounter in trying to live such a spiritually and morally elevated life.
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“You shall be wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d.” (Devorim 18:13)
Rashi explains that ‘tamim’ means that one must have flawless faith in Hashem.
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt’l (Darash Moshe) explained that there are two aspects to this obligation. The first is that one must overcome his natural curiosity to know what the future holds, through seeking the council of diviners, sorcerers, or astrologers. Even a prophet is prohibited from revealing the future, unless he is explicitly commanded to do so.
The second is that one should never give up on attempting to fulfill a virtuous dream and hope because of practical considerations. If it is urgent and necessary, despite the fact that naturally there is little chance of it succeeding, one must be ‘tamim’ with Hashem to believe that Hashem will help him accomplish the impossible.
If not for those who lived this idea, there would be no Torah in America today, and perhaps no Klal Yisroel either.
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Sources: Chiddushei Harim – quoted in Talilei Oros; Shefa Chaim – Peninei Shefa Chaim.
[1] This series was originally written for and published in Hamodia