[I have been asked to change the format in increase the font size for the sake of 'tired eyes'.
So here it is. Let me know what you think. Thank you.]
WHOa__
Pirkei Avot Mishnah 1–6 מסנה א–ו
“Accept a Torah teacher upon yourself; acquire a friend for yourself, and judge everyone favorably.”
We should be receptive to learn from a Torah scholar who has something to offer (even if he is not learned enough to serve as our main teacher). It is worth the effort required to accept that person as a teacher whether we learn much or little from him.
Acquire a friend for yourself...
friendship is owned in partnership between the two friends.
We should give a positive overall evaluation to all people, and be prepared to overlook things when necessary. Do not rebuff person by saying that he is unworthy.
Dealing, as it does, with social conduct and the fact that we do live as a part of kindred people; successful participation in society flows from the love of HaShem. This, in practice means that we should accept a religious superior as a “Rav” - although he be not perfect. In the same manner we need accept our peers as companions - although they do not always meed our standards. Perhaps what is more important, we need judge everyone favorably and do not let differences keep us apart. Or, as the Maharal tells us: Draw people near and do not rebuff them.
ז 7
Distance yourself from a bad neighbor
And do not associate with a wicked person, and do not despair of retribution.
Okay. Let’s stop to consider this.
What are we speaking about? Are we talking about the guy next door (over the backyard fence)? Are we talking about our Jewish mishpochen? Or an Yehudah? Are we talking about anyone in our city, county, state... or country? Hey! What about our country’s relationship with other countries? How do we distance ourselves from Canada or Mexico? How do we draw near our friends in Japan, or Israel, or Gabon or The Gambria [yes, those are real countries]? How do we avoid dealing with countries like Syria, Cuba, Somolia? How do we distance ourselves from the Jew who wants to befriend our shul but we know that he has “dirty hands”? How do we befriend the real dirty hands of the homeless in need?
Whoa !!! These questions are loaded. It is not a black-and-white life here in 2011.
1Nittai warns us to be vigilant agains the death and destruction that are an integral part of the physical world. [that is Nittai of Arbel] We should not trust that wealth (like our wealth of technology, as an example - just go read the weekly military obits for proof of that!) will save us from difficult times - look what happened to Hamen in the blink of an eye, and what happened to the country dedicated to the avoidance of earthquake problems; Japan. But the Mishnah tells us to not give up on harmful events and not to worry about them because worrying about impending danger is itself an undesirable trait. On the other hand, we need to consider the dangers and to prepare for the worst possible conditions that we can think of - without worrying that we did not do everything possible.
As an individual then, does it do any good to worry about the unrest in the Moslem lands? As a country should we be concerned about the Moslem unrest? What do we do? Distance our selves? Develop defense methods? Use covert approaches and “Black Ops”? The words of the Pirkei Avot do not address this but are there guidelines here to use?
As residents of quake-country, CA, are we to worry - or are we to prepare as the Wisdom of our Forefathers tells us? This whole section is full of questions for us to address individually and in concert with our friends, teachers and judges advise us. Nor does that mean that we cannot develop our own avenues of life independent of others. Which is, of course, when we speak of individuals and of smaller groups; the questions remain for countries and way in which we govern ourselves when we are not a homogenous group but a country of diverse needs and talents. [you can use America, Israel, the UK or any other larger country to discover the many needs of people.
To continue-
8 x
This deals with judges and how they should consider both parties as guilty and then, after the trial has been resolved, to judge them both righteous. This in the case of litigation, of course, not as in a murder trial. Again in Mishnah 9 we find the Avot addressing legal matters involving the judges. So we will give over and continue with:
10 y
Here we find mussar which is directed toward the spiritual leaders so that they may develop and protect the love & fear of HaShem (as we previously addressed) within the respective communities. Shemayah & Avtalyon (both descended from converts, simply as a manner of record) received [the Torah] from them.
Shemayah says: “Love work; despise holding office; and do not become overly familiar with the government.” Is is not interesting that our own United States developers of our Constitution included the “Right to bear arms... as a protection against our own government”? The rabbis said that (being in) positions of authority result in the opposite of loving work, for it shortens live in this world. Maharal asks this: Why did Yosef die before his brothers? Because he conducted himself in a position of authority. Of course, we look at the history of our presidential holders and wonder why some of them could not have passed earlier. Rather, we are encourages to love (our) work, thus we are too busy to become overly familiar’ with the government. Today we might extend this to include not becoming overly familiar with the “Fourth Estate”; can you tell me of more than one or two magazines, newspapers, TV or radio news that do not earn its living by promoting doom and gloom?
Since officials seek only that which is in their own benefit, no good can come of associating with them. But evil certainly will. People in power approach an individual only when it is to their own benefit. That person can be certain that he will not gain from such an affiliation.
Are these words of bitterness? Does this sound like someone who has been passed-over or slighted and has missed out in being part of the “In Crowd”? Or is this the way of the world? The truth being a bitter pill sometimes? Government is a creation of man. Ask Yithro. As the creation of man it is, ipso facto, flawed. Some government more. Some less. All flawed. [why would someone spend millions of dollars (Pound; Franc; Guilder...) to secure a job that pays a few hundred thousand]?
...think about it.
tvba yqrp
Shabbos Torah Study Group
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