(ז) וְדִרְשׁ֞וּ אֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הָעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִגְלֵ֤יתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ שָׁ֔מָּה וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֥וּ בַעֲדָ֖הּ אֶל־ה' כִּ֣י בִשְׁלוֹמָ֔הּ יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (פ)
(7) And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.
(ב) רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ חַיִּים בְּלָעוֹ.
(2) Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, says: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, man would swallow his fellow alive.
(א) בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת. וַאֲפִלּוּ שֶׁל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם:
(1) "For the welfare of the government:" and even [that] of the nations of the world.
(א) רבי חנניה סגן הכהנים אומר הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות שאלמלא מוראה. שהוא קשה עלינו:
(1) Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, says: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it: As it is harsh upon us.
(ב) איש את רעהו חיים בלעו. זה הענין ר"ל שיש לאדם להתפלל על שלום כל העולם ולהצטער על צער של אחרים. וכן דרכן של צדיקים כמו שאמר דוד ע"ה (תהלים ל"ה י"ג) ואני בחלותם לבושי שק עניתי בצום נפשי שאין לאדם לעשות תחנוניו ובקשתו לצרכיו לבד אך להתפלל על כל בני אדם שיעמדו בשלום ובשלומה של מלכות יש שלום לעולם:
(2) man would swallow his fellow alive: This matter is wanting to say that a person should pray for the peace of the whole world and be in pain about the pain of others. And this is the way of the righteous ones, as David, peace be upon him, stated (Psalms 35:13), "As for me, when they were ill, my dress was sackcloth, I afflicted myself in fasting." As a person should not make his supplications and his requests for his needs alone, but rather to pray for all people, that they be at peace. As with the welfare of the government, there is peace in the world.
(ד) הרדיפה וההגבלה בדרך החיים אינן בעצם תנאי הגלות, ונהפוך הוא, חוב מוטל עלינו לפי היכולת, להאחז במדינה אשר תקבל אותנו לגור בה; להשתדל להוציא לפועל את מטרת המדינה ותועלתה, ובדרשנו את טובת עצמנו, עלינו לדרוש גם את שלומה וטובתה.
(4) To be pushed back and limited upon the path of life is, therefore, not an essential condition of the Galuth, Israel's exile state among the nations, but, on the contrary, it is our duty to join ourselves as closely as possible to the state which receives us into its midst, to promote its welfare and not to consider our well-being as in any way separate from that of the state to which we belong.
(ה) ההתנחלות בכל מקום שהוא במדינות ובארצות אפשרית היא, כי לא תזיק לרוח היהדות; יען וביען כי ההעמדה ברשות עצמו בנוגע אל ממשלתו המדינית, עת ישב ישראל על אדמתו, לא היתה גם אז עצם ותכלית ללאומיות ישראל, ורק בתור אמצעי להוציא לפועל את תעודתו הרוחנית,
(5) This close connection with all states is in noways a contradiction to the spirit of Judaism, for the former independent state life of Israel was not even then the essence or purpose of our national existence, was only a means of fulfilling our spiritual mission.
(5) This, of course, refers to compulsory service which, being the command of the government (Zivvuy Hammemsholo), according to Jewish law must be obeyed. But our question does not directly concern itself with obeying the command to serve (about which there is no doubt) but volunteering on one's own initiative. Is such volunteering in accordance with Jewish law?
(4) There is no question that, in Jewish law, military service, when it is required by the government, must be accepted wholeheartedly by subjects or citizens of Jewish faith. The duty to respect the commands of the government is clearly stated and emphasized in Jewish law. This attitude of respect and loyalty to the government is summarized, for example, in the introductory statement (on page 10) of Isaac Elchanon Spector's "Eyn Yitzchok Hasheni" (who quotes Proverbs 24:21, Aboth 3:2, Jer. 29:7, Yoma 69a - Simon the Just to Alexander). The specific duty to serve in the army is described in detail by the Chofetz Chaim (Israel Meir Hacohen of Radun) in his Introduction to "Machane Yisroel": "It is a great sin," he says, "to evade service in the army."
(6) The basic question involves the laws of Sakkana, danger to life, as to whether one may put himself in danger and also whether there is not to the contrary the duty to escape from such dangers. There is a definite command in the law to avoid all dangers. This law has a number of different aspects. One of them is based upon the verse (Deut. 4:9): "Be careful and preserve your soul." The Talmud (Berachoth 3a & 8b, et al) speaks of the obligation to guard against endangering oneself by entering a ruin, drinking unsafe water, etc. Maimonides codifies these various dangers (Hil. Rozeach u-Shemiras Nefesh XI, 4 & 5). So does the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch (Yore Deah 116). See especially the long note by Isserles. Maimonides says that whoever does not avoid such dangers but insists that he takes them at his own risk and that, therefore, it is his own affair, should be flogged for endangering himself (Makkas Mardus). (So too in Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpot, 427 #9.)
(י) שְׁמַעְיָה וְאַבְטַלְיוֹן קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. שְׁמַעְיָה אוֹמֵר, אֱהֹב אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה, וּשְׂנָא אֶת הָרַבָּנוּת, וְאַל תִּתְוַדַּע לָרָשׁוּת:
(10) Shemayah and Avtalyon received from them. Shemayah says, "Love work, hate lordship and do not become familiar with the government."
(א) רשות זה הוא השלטנות ואלו שלש מדות יש בהן תיקון האמונה והעולם כי בהעדר המלאכה יצר לו ויגזול ויזנה ובבקשת השררה והרבנות יארעו לו נסיונות בעולם ורעות כי מפני שיקנאו בו בני אדם ויחלקו עליו יפסיד אמונתו כמו שאמרו כיון שנתמנה אדם פרנס על הצבור מלמטה נעשה רשע מלמעלה. וכן ידיעת השלטון בימים הקדמונים וקרבתו רחוק היה מאד להנצל ממנה בעולם הזה והיא מפסדת אמונתו כי לא ישגיח בדבר רק במה שיקרבהו אליו ואתה יודע ענין דואג ואע"פ שהשליט אשר קרב אליו דואג היה משיח השם ונביא ובחיר השם יתברך:
(1) This 'government' (rishut) is the authorities. And in these three traits there is refinement of faithfulness and of the world. As with the absence of work, things will be tight for him and he will rob and be unfaithful. And with the pursuit of lordship, he will have challenges in the world and bad things; as since people will be jealous of him and disagree with him, he will lose his faithfulness. [It is] as they said (Sanhedrin 103b), "Once a man is appointed an officer over the community below, he becomes an evildoer above." And so [too, regarding] familiarity with the government in the early days and coming close to it, it was very unusual to escape from [the damage caused by] it in this world. As he will not pay attention to anything except that which brings him close to it. And you know the matter with Doeg - and even though the authority with which Doeg became close was the anointed of God and a prophet and God's chosen one, may He be blessed.
“I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial site among you, that I may remove my dead for burial.”
(י) כָּל הַמֵּשִׂים עַל לִבּוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וְיִתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה הֲרֵי זֶה חִלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם וּבִזָּה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְכִבָּה מֵאוֹר הַדָּת וְגָרַם רָעָה לְעַצְמוֹ וְנָטַל חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. לְפִי שֶׁאָסוּר לֵהָנוֹת מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים (משנה אבות ד ה) "כָּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה נָטַל חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם". וְעוֹד צִוּוּ וְאָמְרוּ (משנה אבות ד ה) "אַל תַּעֲשֵׂם עֲטָרָה לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהֶן וְלֹא קַרְדֹּם לַחְפֹּר בָּהֶן". וְעוֹד צִוּוּ וְאָמְרוּ (משנה אבות א י) "אֱהֹב אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה וּשְׂנָא אֶת הָרַבָּנוּת", (משנה אבות ב ב) "וְכָל תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ מְלָאכָה סוֹפָהּ בְּטֵלָה וְגוֹרֶרֶת עָוֹן". וְסוֹף אָדָם זֶה שֶׁיְּהֵא מְלַסְטֵם אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת:
(10) Nevertheless, whosoever sets his heart to pursue the study of the Torah but do no secular work at all, and permits himself to be supported by charity, behold him, he blasphemed the Name, and degraded the Torah, and shadowed the light of religion, and caused evil to be brought upon himself, and deprived his own life from its share in the world to come; because it is forbidden to enjoy aught in this world in return of the study of the words of the Torah. The sages said: "Whosoever enjoys aught in return of the study of the words of the Torah takes his own life away from the world" (Pirke Abot, 4.7). They have, moreover, commanded and said: "Thou shalt not make them a garland by which to be considered great nor a spade to dig with them" (Ibid.). Again they have commanded and said: "Love manual labor and hate rank". (Pirke Abot, 1.10); whosoever studies the Torah and does not acquire at the same time a manual trade his knowledge of the Torah will be nullified and bring about sin" (Ibid. 2.2.). The end of this will be that he will rob people for his living.10The text is clear enough to absolve Maimonides from forbidding scholars to accept renumeration. It can not be construed to include priests, teachers, Rabbis and other scholars who render services to the public. He only includes such scholars as are doing nothing in return for gifts received by them. This would be enjoying fruit of the Torah in this world. Cairo strenously objects to this law, and supports his objections by authority from Yoma, 35a; Berakot, 17a; Ta’anit 25a; Ketubot, 105a; Gittin 67b; Baba Mezi’a, 84b; Sotah, 21a; Hullin, 134a; Nedarim, 62a. G.
"A Stranger and a Resident"
- Harav Aharon Lichtenstein zt"l
Adapted by R. Eliyahu Blumenzweig
Translated by Kaeren Fish
Rashi offers two interpretations of Avraham's words to the children of Chet, "I am a stranger and resident (ger ve-toshav) with you" (Bereishit 23:4). According to the literal meaning of the text, Avraham is saying that in the past he was a stranger "from a different land, and I settled (nityashavti) among you." The other interpretation, based on the midrash, is:
"If you are agreeable [to my request for a burial plot], then I am a stranger; if not, I will be a 'toshav' (resident), and I will take it by right, for God has told me, 'to your descendants I shall give this land' (Bereishit 12:7)."
According to both interpretations, the expression "ger ve-toshav" includes two contrasting terms that seem to contradict one another. However, the simple meaning of the text seems to indicate that there is some connection between them, and they can co-exist.
In order to understand the relationship between these two concepts, we must examine them on two different levels: one concerns the relationship between Avraham, the Hebrew, and the other people of the world; the other concerns the relationship between Am Yisrael and the other nations of the world.
When Am Yisrael was in exile, at times it wished to integrate into the surrounding society. However, even when this was indeed achieved, it was accompanied by a sense of "foreignness;" despite the integration there remained a barrier separating Jews from their neighbors. In Israel, however, Jews feel like “residents;” the sense of foreignness, of being strangers, is less tangible. The inhabitants of the land of Israel possess a sense of belonging which the surrounding nations do not succeed in shaking.
However, there is another level on which the relationship between the sense of "sojourning" and the sense of "foreignness" must be expressed, and that is on the personal level, as expressed in the connection between an individual and the reality that surrounds him.
On the one hand, a person naturally feels part of the world around him. Halakha addresses this connection, instructing a Jew as to the path that he should follow and the actions that he should undertake vis-Ã -vis the various manifestations of reality. This includes everything from his relationships with peers, to his relationship with his spouse, to his attitude towards every tiny detail of Creation.
On the other hand, a person has to know that he is a "stranger" in the world. It can be difficult to live with this knowledge, especially if one is successfully integrated in the world and one’s material pursuits are flourishing. A person who experiences setbacks and defeats in all his endeavors will not find it difficult to feel himself a "stranger.” But if everything goes smoothly for a person, and his path in life takes him from one success to the next, it is difficult for him to sever his bond with the reality of this world, which gets stronger by the day. This bond arises not only from the person's subjective consciousness, but also from reality itself: the works of Creation, bursting with life, invite man to eat of their fruit and to satisfy himself with their goodness.
Despite this – and specifically for this reason – a person must consciously adopt a sense of foreignness. He must know that even his integration into the most practical aspects of life is necessary in order to be able to achieve a higher spiritual level. The reality is nothing but a means. The end, the aim, is to attain "that day" when "God will be One, and His Name will be One" (Zekharia 14:9). When a person feels, with his entire being, that this is his goal and purpose in life, then he is able to sense his "foreignness" in this world – not out of scorn for the world, nor in an attempt to remove himself from it, but rather out of his integration into it as a means to attain a higher goal – "that day.”
(This sicha was delivered on leil Shabbat parashat Chayei Sara 5732 [1971].)
Chayei Sarah- Ger v'Toshav - Rabbi Beinish Ginsburg
Rav Soloveitchik zt”l once developed the following idea[i]. Avraham Avinu was describing the dual nature of a Jew's existence in the secular world. This self description of Avraham Avinu, the Rav explained, applies to all those who live in the Western world.
Avraham Avinu was saying that on the one hand he is a resident; he is a part of the Canaanite society. He is concerned with the economic development of society. And he supports this development by digging wells. He is concerned with proper social development, and that is expressed through all the chesed which he does, helping people. He is a resident, he is a citizen. He is part of the country. And when it comes to the economic, technological, and social development, he is one of them.
However, Avraham Avinu was explaining, he is also a stranger. When it comes to anything religious, anything spiritual, any question of moral values, he is a stranger, h he is different. He has his own set of rules, his own set of values, based on the commands and Will of Hashem. Avraham Avinu was explaining that despite the fact that he is a citizen, he is different. Burying Sara is a religious spiritual activity. Avraham was saying
‘I have my own rules and regulations. I have my own way of doing things, I am different.’
So Avraham Avinu was explaining why he needs to buy a burial plot for Sara, because this is a moral, spiritual, religious issue. And in order to explain that, he defined himself as a ger as well, as a foreigner.
This applies to all of us. Take, for example, a person who lives in the United States. On the one hand he is a citizen. He is concerned about the economic welfare of society, he wants there to be a good transportation system, good economic system, he votes in the elections[ii].
A Jew is a citizen of the United States. However, a Jew has to remember that at the same time, and more importantly, he is ager, a stranger, as well. When it comes to religious and spiritual issues, he is different. He has his own set of values. A Jew is not supposed to learn from the secular world anything about his spiritual and religious values. We have the Shulchan Aruch, the Rambam, and the Mesillas Yesharim. These are our guides for our spiritual lives. This is one of the greatest challenges Jews face living in the Western world. We have to maintain our own set of values and not be influenced by the trends of the outside world. We have to always remember as we go through life in the outside world that our status as a ger is primary, and it has to govern our actions[iii].
English
(8) You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your kinsman. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land. (9) Children born to them may be admitted into the congregation of the LORD in the third generation.