STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
SHOFTIM 5779
“THE
GREATEST GIFT”
Noted psychologist, Dr.
David Pelcovitz relates that his wife’s uncle was an American soldier in 1945
and was present when they liberated one of the Concentration Camps. When he
walked into a children’s barrack, he was stunned by the sight of the
frightened, emaciated children. He wanted to give them something, but he had
nothing to offer them. Without thinking twice, he reached out towards a young
child and hugged him. Instantly, a line of children formed, all waiting for a
hug.
The Pele Yoetz[1] writes that he doesn’t
understand why people will so freely spend substantial amounts of money to
purchase pesicha[2]
or to be a sandek at a b’ris, which are beautiful customs, but won’t invest in
performing acts of chesed which is a mitzvah recorded in the Torah.
He notes that every small act one does
on behalf of another is considered chesed, and thereby a fulfillment of a Torah
commandment. This includes holding the door for another person, changing money
for someone, or handing something to another that he needed.
In the ethical letter he wrote to his
family, the Vilna Gaon quotes a medrash which states that after a person leaves
this world and faces the heavenly courts, they ask him “Did you make your
friend king over you with pleasantness?”
In parshas Shoftim, the Torah details
what happens when a Jew is found murdered outside the confines of a city. The
city closest to the corpse must assume responsibility to perform the eglah
arufah (decapitated calf) ritual, to ascertain atonement the tragedy that
occurred.
During the procedure, the elders of
the city declare, “Our hands have not spilled this blood.”[3] The gemara asks how it is
possible for there even to be a thought that the elders of the city are responsible
for such a heinous crime? The gemara explains that they must declare that they
were not responsible for allowing the victim to leave town unescorted and
without provisions.[4]
It can be inferred from the gemara’s
answer that if the victim had been accompanied and supplied with provisions, he
would not have been killed.
Maharal asks that although there is an
obligation of “levaya” to accompany a guest out of the city, there is no
obligation to accompany him all the way to the next city? There is also no
obligation to arm the guest with weapons when he departs the city. How would
accompanying him have helped protect him?
Maharal[5] explains that when Jews
show solidarity towards one another, in this case by accompanying the guest a
short distance and providing him with provisions, Hashem protects the guest for
the duration of his journey. Therefore, if the elders did not demonstrate that
solidarity, Hashem will not offer His protection.
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig offered an
additional practical explanation: A visitor to a city or someone lost is
generally more susceptible to being mugged or robbed, than a resident of that
city. There is a certain profile which a mugger searches for, someone vulnerable
and unprotected. One who is unfamiliar with his surroundings projects his lack
of confidence in the manner in which he carries himself. He is therefore more
prone to being attacked.
When the elders accompany a guest for
even a short distance, it conveys to him a sense of respect and dignity for
him. That itself infuses him with a sense of connection and confidence. Such a
person is less likely to be attacked or taken advantage of.
On the other hand, if one is not
afforded that dignity when he leaves a city, he can feel lonely and
disconnected. That can easily unwittingly be expressed by a gait that projects
his lack of confidence, resulting in a greater propensity for a crime to be
perpetrated against him.
Someone once wrote a letter to the
Steipler Gaon[6]
about an individual who was extremely depressed. It was so severe that the man was
contemplating ending his life, and therefore it was unclear if he was of
sufficient sound mind to divorce his wife.
The Steipler replied that if a scholar
falls into depression it is likely the result of his feeling a lack of dignity
and self-worth.[7]
Therefore, the man should be given opportunities to teach Torah or to write a
Sefer containing his Torah thoughts that he can disseminate. Doing so would
give him the boost of morale and dignity that he needed to reclaim his
equilibrium. The Steipler suggested that the wife give her husband a year to
see if those changes would have a positive effect upon her melancholic husband.
Performing chesed is not limited to
giving money or even doing acts of kindness. Sometimes a kind word or a listening
ear can make a tremendous difference to another person. In an extreme case,
such as that of the eglah arufah, it can be a matter of life and death.
Avos d’rabbi Nosson[8] relates that on one
occasion, Rabbi Yochanan was leaving Yerushalayim and Rabbi Yehoshua was
walking behind him. As they walked, Rabbi Yehoshua glanced up at the fresh
smoldering ruins of the Bais Hamikdash, and cried out, “Woe is to us, the place
where the sins of the Jewish people were atoned has been destroyed.” Rabbi
Yochanan replied to Rabbi Yehoshua, “My son, do not be troubled. We have a
source of atonement like it, and that is the performance of good deeds.”
Doing chesed isn’t only life changing
and perhaps lifesaving, but when one performs acts of chesed he can achieve the
level of atonement that could have been attained with the avoda in the Bais
Hamikdash itself.
"Our hands have not spilled this
blood."
“Did you make your friend king over
you with pleasantness?”
Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW
Rebbe/Guidance Counselor – Heichal HaTorah
Principal – Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
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