Subconscious Motivation

Rabbi Twerski spoke of a term called, “subconscious motivation.” He connected it with the commandment of שכחה, leaving part of the harvest that was forgotten, for the poor.

If one is subconsciously motivated, he will not pay attention to the fact that there was an area he neglected to harvest. In his subconscious, he really wanted to help the needy, which was the cause of his forgetfulness.

This is also connected to the question as to how we define one who transgressed בשוגג, inadvertently. There is a significant difference between one who never knew that a particular commandment ever existed, and one who knew about that Mitzva, but momentarily, this prohibition slipped his mind.

In the latter case, he is more accountable, because his subconscious motivation, should have prevented him from violating a Torah law.

This distinction is taken into account regarding the Shabbat laws. One who never knew the law ever existed, is referred to as a תינוק שנשבה, a baby taken captive, who never even knew that he was Jewish. He is treated more leniently than the one who was educated but had a memory lapse. The תינוק שנשבה had no subconscious motivation, while the regular שוגג did.

It is amazing how if one delves deeply into Jewish Law, he will be in awe of the depth of understanding of our great sages.

Reasons for Mitzvot

The Sefer Hachinuch has a lengthy discussion related to the commandment of Shiluach Haken, sending away the mother bird, before taking her eggs.

There is a difference of opinion between the Ramban, Nachmanides, and the Rambam, Maimonides. The Ramban believed that the Torah is teaching us compassion.

He believed that the mother animal does feel some kind of sentiment of sadness, when her offspring is taken from her. We are to act with such compassion when dealing with animals and people.

The Rambam questions this theory because ultimately, we are permitted to slaughter this bird if it is kosher. He believed that there are reasons for all 613 commandments. However, we must begin with the premise that these Mitzvot are all גזירת המלך, the decree of the King. We will observe them whether we understand them or not. And we accept that some of them, we will never understand, as they are beyond our comprehension.

Nevertheless, the Rambam recognizes that once we accept this premise, it is helpful and even inspiring to investigate and find the deeper meaning behind our G-d given Torah.

A wise Rabbi once said that he would never observe a religion where we understood G-d’s ways. It is all about faith and the realization that “His ways are not our ways.”

Do a Favor-Gain an Enemy

There is a story told of the Bobover Rebbe, where a certain individual looked at this rabbi with distain. The Rebbe noticed that this person clearly did not like him. In his wisdom, the sage commented, “I don’t know why this fellow doesn’t like me. I never did him a favor!”

We are commanded numerous times in Parshat Ki Teitzeh to be kind and compassionate in all our dealings with our fellow man. Yet, we must be aware of human nature.

A basic concept in Judaism is to be appreciative of a kindness that one does for us. Moshe Rabbeinu reprimands the Jewish nation for not recognizing and appreciating all of the miracles they witnessed in Egypt and the desert.

But there is a dark side in some people in that they do not know how to be grateful. When someone does them a favor, they feel beholden, and expect that this favor is going to cost them at a later time.

It is often difficult to believe that something done on behalf of someone else with a full heart, can get such a negative response. But this is a sad reality of human nature.

For me personally, it took me a long time to realize the truth of the Bobover Rebbe’s words. Perhaps we need to use more discretion, before we decide to help someone. We each have limited resources, and greater care needs to be taken to be sure that our kindness be focused on where it is needed and appreciated.

Feeling Pain of Others

There are many commandments in Parshat Ki Teitzeh, that emphasize proper treatment of animals. An example of one of these Mitzvot, is that we are not allowed to harness an ox and a donkey when they plow.

One explanation is that the ox is generally a much more powerful animal than the donkey. It will not be able to keep up with power of the donkey, and it will be greatly fatigued, and could even die.

There is a second explanation that also teaches that we must have a sensitivity to the needs of our animals. The ox is a kosher animal and chews its cud. The donkey does not. When they are harnessed together and the donkey sees the ox chewing its cud, it will feel gypped that it is not getting as much food as the ox. This is why it would not be proper to harness the two animals together.

Some rabbis took this second explanation to mean that we should feel for the plight of the poor. It is wrong for them to see us enjoying endless amounts of food, when they go hungry. We must do our utmost to see that our poor are adequately fed.

This again shows how we must not study superficially, but we should look for the Torah’s deeper meanings.

Forgetfulness and Character Building

Parshat Ki Teitzeh has seventy-four laws from the Torah. Most of these are designed to teach us to be ethical and compassionate in all of our dealings.

The commandment to return a lost article, appears to be simple and clear cut. The Sefer Hachinuch explains that forgetfulness is a very common human trait. Therefore, when one returns something lost or forgotten, it brings that person great joy in getting back what was lost.

We also learn from this law, the concept of לפנים משורת הדין, going beyond the letter of the law. There may be certain requirements and time constraints in terms of when we are allowed to keep that which we have found. Nevertheless, we need to be extra kind and diligent in finding the rightful owner.

Rabbi Twerski, who was also a psychiatrist, felt that the Mitzva of השבת אבידה, returning a lost article, is designed to refine one’s character. He truly learns how to hold someone else’s property as dear as his own.

This is a great example of where if we delve deeper into the Torah text, there are great lessons to be learned.

Lifetime Battle

Rabbi Twerski pointed out that there is only Mitzva in the Torah that is specifically directed to the Yeitzer Hara, evil inclination. This is the case of the beautiful woman taken captive.

Permission is reluctantly given to the captor to have relations with the prisoner once. After this one episode, she must be treated as a potential wife, with dignity. The Rabbis reason for this procedure is that “the Torah has spoken opposite the Yeitzer Hara.” If this procedure was not implemented, the captive would be taken anyways, in a much more undignified manner.

We are to be aware that there is an ongoing battle every person has with the Yeitzer Hara. It tries to take away our joy, creates doubts, and entices us to sin. It is described as being very cunning, sneaky, and powerful.

Rabbi Twerski, in his experience working with drug and alcohol addiction, saw the Yeitzer Hara at work. When one realized that his addiction was causing him harm, and he wanted to be rehabilitated, it became very difficult. It was as if there was a constant voice in his head, convincing him why it was okay to start his rehabilitation, “tomorrow.” One more day of drugs or alcohol, wouldn’t be so bad. And the process continues on and on, with tragic consequences.

The realization that there is a force that wants us to fail, is very important. Rav Shlomo Mann used to say that we should even speak to the Yeitzer Hara when we are feeling down. We tell it to leave us alone, because it has no business with us, and it will fail.

All of the books on Mussar speak of this battle, and we should not take it lightly. For winning this battle, gives us peace of mind, and allows us to focus on what is truly important, with enthusiasm and optimism.

G-d, Good, and Evil

The Ramchal, in his book, Derech Hashem, the Way of G-d, explains how to effectively recite the “Shema” prayer each morning and evening.

There needs to be an affirmation of the Oneness of the Creator. This Oneness confirms that He is the King of the Universe, and all existence is dependent on Him. However, G-d’s existence is completely independent of anything that exists in the world. Our recitation of Shema is meant to also affirm that when His Authority is known and confessed by all mankind, every type of good and prosperity, exists in the world. Blessings are increased, and the world abides in peace.

When mankind rebels, on the other hand, and do not subjugate themselves to G-d, and recognize His Authority, then good is lacking, darkness prevails, and evil dominates.

While this is good advice as to how to properly recite the Shema, it is a sobering commentary on the situation in the world today. When there is an overall denial of G-d and His Authority, we have chaos and a lack of morality. Values become twisted, the pursuit of pleasure becomes the priority, and nothing is sacred.

We pray for the day when we see the fulfillment of the verse, “On that day, Hashem will be One, and His name will be One.”

Jewish Unity

The Ari Z’l, a very saintly rabbi of the sixteenth century, commented on a difficult Midrash. The angels in Heaven, asked Hashem why the Jewish people suffered so much over the generations. They suffered expulsions, exile, pogroms, and Holocaust. G-d’s answer was simply that there is no peace among them.

Rav Yitzchak Luria (the Ari z’l) expanded on this and focused on the words, דברי ריבות בשעריך, “matters of dispute in your gates.” The simple interpretation of these words is that when there is a dispute, one should go to court to settle the dispute.

However, these words have a deeper meaning. Because of constant disagreements among our people, and the lack of unity, we suffered as we did, over the generations.

After beginning as a nation on Mount Sinai, when we were, “one man, one heart,” we saw the power we have as a people when we are united. How foolish can we be not to realize how much we harm ourselves as a people, when we fall into factionalizing, and divisiveness. We are shooting ourselves in the foot. Dissension among Jews is harmful beyond words. We need to remind ourselves that when we speak or even think badly of other Jews, we are bringing harm to the entire nation.

When we are unified, no power on earth can touch us. This should be so obvious, but, sometimes, the most obvious, alludes us. This message must be shouted out-especially as we approach an election where divisiveness runs rampant. “Achdut,” Jewish Unity, must be our collective priority.

Listen to the Rabbis

The Talmud in Masechet Shabbat, asks about the Chanukah blessing on the candles. If all blessings are rabbinic in nature, except for Birkat Hamazon, Grace After Meals, how do we justify the specific wording?

The coinage of that blessing is that we bless G-d Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to light the Chanukah candles. If the blessing is rabbinic, how can we say that it was Hashem who commanded us, when it was really, the Rabbis who gave this commandment.

The Sefer Hachinuch lists all of the 613 according to the weekly portion. Commandment number 496 is a negative commandment that states that we must not turn away from the teachings of the Rabbis. In other words, the Torah gave the Rabbis the authority to make enactments and decrees. Therefore, it really is G-d telling us to make the blessing on the Chanukah candles. When we listen to the Rabbis, we are fulfilling a Torah commandment.

This is the source for the power given to the Rabbis. It is their role to safeguard and protect that the Torah not be violated. We must never minimize their authority, and diligently follow that which they teach us.

Proper Judges

The commandment to appoint judges in our cities, is followed by an apparent unrelated verse. The Mitzva that follows is that we must not plant an “Asheira,” which is translated as a certain tree that is worshipped and is in the category of “Avoda Zara,” or idol worship.

We consistently look for a message when we carefully look at the order that the Torah presents.

The Rabbis explain this by saying that if a corrupt judge is appointed, it’s just as bad as planting an Asheira, used for Avoda Zara.

The judges for any society, set the moral and ethical tone for that society. If one reaches the conclusion that going to court to settle a dispute, is like rolling the dice, it is a sad commentary on the status of things. It creates a very unsettled and frustrating scenario.

We are further warned not to be fooled by the apparent outward demeanor of a judge. He may be a nice person and well mannered, but it does not mean he is qualified to judge. This is especially problematic if he is a political appointee.

The Torah is very clear that in order to judge fairly, the judge must posses fear of Heaven and Divine wisdom that comes with a vast knowledge of Torah sources. If he does not have these traits, he will render an incorrect decision.

It is appalling that in Israel today there are judges who openly admit that they are atheists. This is a classic example of where they may be nice people, but they are not capable of judging effectively. This is why the Rabbi gave their warning that the appointment of an improper judge, is like planting an Asheira.

Protect Our Children

The classic Chassidic interpretation to the verse that commands us to place judges and policemen in our gates, is pretty well known. The “gates” described in the Torah, refers to the openings in our body.

We are to “police” our eyes so that we do not look at things that are inappropriate. We protect our ears from not listening to evil speech, or things that might pollute our minds. We are to be careful with what we put into our mouths, as that can affect our souls. And we are to be careful with what comes out of our mouths, so that our words do not cause pain to others.

Rabbi Twerski took this explanation as a warning to parents. They must be vigilant in their policing and judging what to allow in their homes. And perhaps to keep an eye on their children as to where they go outside of the house.

Years ago there were studies showing that when children saw numerous violent movies and television programs, it made them more prone to violence.

Today, there are so many things out there, that can mess with a young person’s mind. Parents must first set the example themselves as to how to act in a dignified and consistent manner. This has the biggest influence on their children. But they must also place judges and policemen on their gates, to ensure that their children be protected from the numerous outside negative influences.

Pursue Justice

This week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, deals with the subject of judges and the pursuit of justice. The Torah uses the word, צדק, justice twice.

This is as if to say that a Jew must pursue honesty at all costs. This honesty must never be compromised.

Moshe Rabbeinu demonstrated this after the incident of the death of the two sons of Aaron. Moshe reprimanded the surviving sons for the manner in which they dealt with the sacrifices. When Aaron showed Moshe why they acted correctly, Moshe was honest enough to admit when he was wrong.

There is also the manner in which capital cases were tried. If there was a unanimous vote of the judges, to execute the sinner, he would go free. It became suspicious that not even one judge could find merit.

The Or Hachayim said that if you are the judge with the final vote, and all judges before you voted to convict, and you know that your not guilty vote will get that person convicted you still must do the right thing. You must always go the honest route, and must never water down the truth.

We must truly pursue justice.

Being Charitable

The Jewish people stand out as גומלי חסדים, those who do acts of kindness. A big emphasis of Moshe Rabbeinu was to remind the nation that they needed to be charitable and take care of the needs of the less fortunate.

There is a commandment not to send away our Hebrew slave empty handed. After being forced to sell himself into slavery because of his intense poverty, he should be sent away with dignity by his master. The Torah uses a form of the word, מענק, which means a kind of grant or gift.

We are also promised that if we give our tithes, we will always be blessed. The Rabbis learn from the words, עשר תעשר, that you should surely tithe, עשר בשביל שתתעשר, give your tithes in order that you will be wealthy.

We are never to feel that we will lack anything when we give ten percent of our earnings to charity. It’s as if we are being given a Divine guarantee that we will be rewarded for our generosity.

There are numerous stories about apparent misers and their callousness in not wanting to give Tzedaka. One such story involved Rav Yom Tov Heller, in Cracow.

There was a member of the community who received the name, “Shimon the miser.” When Shimon died, the townspeople decided to bury him at the far end of the cemetery, so as not to show him any respect.

Shortly after Shimon’s death, the townspeople no longer could go to the baker or butcher for food to help the poor for Shabbat. For years, everyone thought they had a generous baker and butcher. Only now was it revealed that it was Shimon the miser, who was the real contributor to the needy. When Rav Yom Tov Heller heard this, he made a request to be buried next to the Tzaddik, Shimon.

We are to give in a modest but generous fashion, without seeking praises or recognition.

No Obsessions

There is a Pasuk that the Vilna Gaon explained homiletically. It concerns the prohibition against eating blood. The Torah says, “One shall not eat the ‘Nefesh,’ soul, with meat.”

The simple explanation is that blood is the life force of all living things. We, therefore, must not consume this life force.

The version of the Vilna Gaon is that “Nefesh” can be referring to one’s own soul. The interpretation would then mean that one should not consume his own soul by his obsession with eating meat.

We are permitted to enjoy and partake of the pleasures of the world. However, we are meant to elevate the material into the spiritual by way of making a blessing and showing gratitude for Hashem’s abundance. Traditionally, the most saintly Jews, were the ones who lived simply, and had very little interest in physical pleasures. Their nourishment was almost completely spiritual.

We are not expected to be on that level and there might even be a need to occasionally indulge ourselves with a nice vacation, or a good meal.

The warning of the Vilna Gaon is that we should not allow ourselves to become obsessed with these physical gratifications to the point where we sacrifice our Nefesh, or spirituality, because of it.

We must realize that the real gratification comes from the spiritual realm, and not the physical.

Broken Steps

There is a famous story demonstrating the genius of the Vilna Gaon. The Gemara tells the story of רב פפא, who avoided serious injury when the stairs he was using fell apart as he ascended.

His colleague, רב חייא בר רב, made a strange observation. He suggested to רב פפא that his near injury came about because he was not adequately helping the poor. There was no explanation for this connection between broken stairs and giving charity, until the Vilna Gaon came along.

He noticed that the טעמי המקרא, the Torah notes for the two words, פתוח תפתח, “You shall surely open” (your hand to the poor,) had a דרגא תביר. Those familiar with Laining, know how to sing the דרגא תביר. The Vilna Gaon thought to translate those two notes. The דרגא symbolized מדרגות, stairs. And in Aramaic, the ״ת״ is interchangeable with the ״ש״ so that the תביר can mean ״שביר״ or broken. Hence, broken steps.

And because the “broken steps” were under פתוח תפתח, the Vilna Gaon understood why רב חייא בר רב told רב פפא the reason what the message why the steps broke under רב פפא.

It’s not easy to get the title, “Gaon,” or genius. It was certainly deserved in the Vilna Gaon’s case.

Cruelty-Compassion

It is interesting that when the Torah gives the command to destroy the עיר הנידחת, the Condemned City, we are to completely obliterate everything in that city. This includes, men, women, cattle, and all of its possessions.

This is followed by a word of consolation from Hashem, וריחמך, and He will have mercy on you. This is a source for the connection between compassion and cruelty. Hashem is promising us that we should not worry that we will lose our sense of compassion in fulfilling this difficult Mitzva. Destroying evil IS compassion!

Rabbi Twerski gives a simple example of this idea. If a baby could speak, he might say to his mother, who is giving him one of his infant inoculations, “I thought you were taking care of me. Why are you bringing me to a place where they cause me pain?” The baby doesn’t realize that this is for his ultimate protection.

This misplaced compassion that is really cruelty, manifests itself with families of addicts. When they cover up for their family members who have broken the law, this is not mercy. Sometimes they must suffer the consequences so that they can be rehabilitated. We must be aware how closely connected compassion and cruelty, really are. We must realize that often what we think is compassion, is really cruelty.

היום

There are numerous times in ספר דברים, where Moshe Rabbeinu uses the word, היום. The first Pasuk of ראה, ends with the word, היום, “today.”

The חתם סופר and many other commentators tell us that we are to view the Mitzvot as if they were given today.

We are not supposed to allow our observance of the Torah to grow stale, we do everything mechanically by rote. It is supposed to be within us to find new excitement and enthusiasm each day.

Rabbi Twerski recognized this as a serious problem in the religious world. If young people, in particular, find the observance of Judaism to be dull and boring, they will go elsewhere to find meaning. This is why so many travel to far off places and seek Eastern religions to satisfy this need for excitement and purpose. Schools and Yeshivot do need to address this problem.

One useful suggestion might be to truly adopt the “one day at a time” philosophy. If we wake up each morning, and focus on appreciating being alive, and being determined to make the coming day, productive, this can help a great deal.

We do not take for granted the gift of life and good health, and we are particularly grateful to be Jews living according to Hashem’s Torah. If we take on this way of thinking, we will be able to feel as if the Torah was given “today.” We are then able to observe it with freshness, excitement, and enthusiasm.

Good Judgement

Parshat ראה speaks of the choices placed before every Jew, of the blessing and the curse. Rabbi Twerski spoke of how, as a human being progresses, it becomes easier to reason with them.

A young child does not have the ability to reason. We need to protect them from danger without explanation. As they get older, we are able to begin to get them to understand why it is necessary to act in a certain way.

Knowing that an individual has this ability to reason, it makes it so difficult to understand why mature adults are capable of making such bad decisions. They might choose to poison themselves with smoking, or drug and alcohol abuse, knowing that these are very harmful to them.

One’s judgement is distorted not by what he should believe, but by what he wants to believe. People are influenced by biases that blind them.

We must clearly understand that one’s life is dear enough that he should willingly accept discomfort for the sake of survival.

Moshe Rabbeinu is telling the nation that life presents many options to them. He encourages them to make the wise decisions that will lead to life and blessings.

Fear of Losing Connection

In פרשת עקב, Moshe Rabbeinu asks what it is that Hashem asks of us. He answers that we are expected among other things לירא את ה׳, to fear G-d.

Rabbi Twerski mentioned that it is immature to define “fear” as fear of punishment. He explains that a better way of understanding this יראה, is that we should be afraid of losing our special bond with Hashem. This could happen when a person sins. Each infraction, creates a barrier or distance between us and Him. It is important to understand how vital this bond is to our very existence. We should view this connection as being similar to one who is drowning, and is holding on to a rope, to stay afloat. Losing the grip of the rope comes when there is disconnect in our attachment to G-d.

When we realize just how essential it is to our very existence, we will work very hard in our יראת ה׳, so that we do lose our grip on the rope.

Blessing Hashem for Everything

The only Bracha that we make that is a Torah commandment according to all opinions, is ברכת המזון, the Grace after Meals. The Pasuk says, ואכלת ושבעת וברכת, “You shall eat, be satisfied, and bless.”

If we look closely at the text of this prayer, we give thanks to Hashem, for more than the food He gives us. We also thank G-d for taking us out of Egypt, and for giving us the “good land” that is Eretz Yisrael. We include our gratitude for being given the Torah, and we give thanks for life itself.

The recitation of ברכת המזון is meant to be an affirmation of the realization that all that we have, is from Hashem. It helps us realize that we must not get carried away with our own achievements, but realize that all success comes from Him.

Rabbi Twerski adds that when we say the ברכה of שהכל, which means, “everything,” we should keep in mind all that we might enjoy in the coming days. Even music that we might enjoy, would be included as we say שהכל.

It is certainly important to constantly be aware of Hashem’s abundant blessings. Being appreciative is a very positive character trait. It helps keep us focused and humble.