CONGRUENCE
“Any Torah scholar
whose inside does not match his outside is not a scholar”
Babylonian Talmud
Yuma 72b
When instructing
the creation of the Holy Ark to house the Ten Commandments, the Torah instructs,
‘You shall make the ark of wood...and you shall coat it with pure gold outside
and inside.”[1]
The ark represents the Torah scholar who contains Torah within himself. It was
coated with gold on the inside and out to emphasise that “any Torah scholar
whose inside does not match his outside is not a genuine Torah scholar”.[2]
A scholar’s external behaviour
should reflect his internal knowledge; a code given so much weight by the
eminent Talmudic sage, Rabban Gamliel, that he barred students lacking such
integrity from his academy.[3]
In the first book
of the Torah, Jacob’s sons exemplified such truth in their interactions with their
brother Joseph. Concerning the resentment they felt toward him, the verse
states, “They could not speak any words of peace toward him.”[4] Although
this verse does not appear complimentary to the brothers, it actually
demonstrates their virtue. Despite their ill-feelings toward Josef, they did
not hide the truth through facade or pretence but transparently expressed what they
harboured within.[5]
This mode of being is called ‘tamim’ - wholeness or sincerity; no masks and no
complexity; what you see is what you get.[6]
A biblical character
epitomizing the antithesis of this virtue is Jacob’s father-in- law, Laban.
When Jacob arrived at Laban’s home, Laban, “ran to greet him, embraced him, and
kissed him.”[7]
Commenting on this verse, Rashi[8]
explains that Laban ran to welcome Jacob under the assumption that he brought
money and gifts. Noticing Jacob came empty-handed, Laban embraced him to check
if he was carrying gold in his pockets. Finding no gold, he kissed him to see
whether he was hiding jewels in his mouth.[9] Laban’s
warm welcome was merely a guise for his greed. It is no irony that the name of this
con-artist was Laban, connoting whiteness and purity, for it was on account of
his deceptive nature that he bore such a misleading title.[10]
King David
distinguished between ordinary wrongdoing and deception when he exhorted,
“Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from deception”[11];
associating evil with the tongue and deception with the lips. Ordinary evil
behaviour reveals the wrongdoer’s intentions; thus, one who deliberately
injures another reveals his ill-feelings toward him. Evil is therefore
identified with the tongue, a single entity. Deceit, however, involves a split
between presentation and intention; it is therefore aptly associated with the
lips which are divided in two.[12]
The Torah’s
abhorrence of deception also explains why the pig is considered the epitome of
non-kosher. There are two basic characteristics that render an animal kosher:
split hooves, an external sign, and re-chewing cud, an internal sign.[13]
The camel, for instance, is not kosher because, though chewing its cud, its
hooves are not fully split. It lacks the external sign but possesses the
internal one. The pig, however, is the opposite: it bears split hooves, the
external sign, but does not chew its cud, the internal one. The pig thus signifies
one who presents himself well but hides an agenda within.[14]
The absence of the
congruence dimension of truth also finds expression in subtle ways. After the passing
of the saintly Rebbe of the Chabad movement, Shneur Zalman of Liadi,
controversy ignited amongst his disciples concerning the identity of his successor.
The two candidates were the Rebbe’s son, Rabbi DovBer, and the Rebbe’s
pre-eminent disciple, Reb Aharon Strosheler. Some of the disciples decided to
visit the court of Reb Aharon to assess his suitability as a Rebbe. At a Chassidic gathering, Reb
Aharon delivered a mystical discourse during which he leapt onto a table in
ecstatic dance. One discerning disciple observed that Reb Aharon continued
dancing after he lost his original inspiration. He commented, “Reb Aharon is
certainly holy, but a Rebbe he is not!” Holy because of his acute sensitivity
to Godliness; but not a Rebbe who bares the seal of truth, whose every action
perfectly reflects his inner feelings and beliefs.[15]
In Chabad Chassidism,
this aspect of truth is highly regarded, especially during prayer. While other
Chassidic groups encourage prayer with a raised voice, song, and visible fervour,
Chabad mysticism emphasizes prolonged contemplation on the nature of God and
His relationship with the world.[16] A
silent, motionless exterior, indicative of deep mental preoccupation, is greatly
admired, while external expressions such as song and dance are only respected
if they are spontaneous by-products of profuse contemplation. An affected
display of enthusiasm or emotion is frowned upon.[17]Indeed,
in the Chabad Chassidic past, the label Chitzon, external or artificial,
was a most incisive insult, while pnimi, internal and real, a coveted accolade.
The centrality of truth
in Chabad philosophy is further underscored by the sentiment expressed by a
Chabad Chassid during a private
audience with Rabbi Sholom DovBer, the fifth Chabad Rebbe. The chassid complained
that his Divine service is artificial and lacks truth. He then added, “And my
complaint about lacking truth, it too lacks truth!” “Furthermore”, he exclaimed
even louder, “My complaint about the way that I am complaining is also devoid
of truth!” And so he continued until he worked himself into frenzy, fainted,
and fell to the floor. The Rebbe then commented to someone present, “This,
however, he meant truthfully!”
The Aramaic
translation of the verse, “righteousness, righteousness you should pursue”[18]
is ‘Truth, truth should you pursue.’[19] Commenting
on the translation, Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa is said to have quipped,
“With truth, truth should be pursued, and not with falsehood!” But how can one
pursue truth falsely? Well, not everyone manages to serve God with truth, and
at times, this can be quite comical. For example, a story is told about a young
man from Peshischa who was granted a study in the home of his in-laws shortly
after marriage. Attempting to impress them with his diligent Torah study he
would start learning loudly whenever he heard movement outside his door. In
actuality, the footsteps he heard were only those of a restless cat. Thus instead
of learning Torah for the sake of Heaven, he ended up learning for the sake of
a cat!
Nonetheless, explains
the Kotzker Rebbe, one should not be disheartened if their service of God lacks
truth. For the verse states, “And these words that I command you today shall be
upon your heart.”[20] It
states upon your heart rather than in your heart, because God does not
expect us to maintain congruence of mind and heart all the time, and instructs
us to continue learning Torah even if our heart is not with us. Eventually, one’s
heart will open up and the words placed upon
it will enter inside.’[21]
This aspect of
truth is intimated by the Hebrew word for truth, ﬡמת, which consists of the first, middle, and last
letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The first letter is said to represent a
person’s mind; the middle letter, feelings, and the last letter, behaviour.[22] This
implies that truth is attained when one’s entire being is aligned and consistent.
Furthermore, rearranged, the letters of the word Emet spell ‘Etam’- I shall be sincere
or whole.[23]
[1]
Exodus 37:12
[2]
Babylonian Talmud Yoma 72b
[3]
Babylonian Talmud Berachot 27b; Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Deiot
2:6
[4]
Genesis 37:4
[5] Rashi
on Genesis 37:4
[6]
Rabbeinu Bachyeh on Genesis 17:1; Sheloh Hakadosh, Mesechta Pesachim, Perek
Torah Ohr, Matzah Ashirah Derush 39
[7]
Genesis 29:15
[9] Ibid
[10]
Borenstein, Shmuel, Shem MiShmuel Bereshit Vol. 1,Yeshivat Avnei Nezer
Sochotchov,1992, pp.228-230
[11]
Psalms 34:14
[12] Vilna
Gaon on Proverbs 2:2
[13]
Leviticus 11:3-8; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah ,79
[14]
Midrash Rabbah Genesis 22:13, Leviticus 13:5
[15] Heard directly from Rabbi Mattis Kantor,
Author of ‘The Ten Keys’ and ‘The Jewish Timeline Encyclopedia’
[16]
Mindel, Nissan, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi Vol. 2, Kehot Publication
Society, 1973, pp.16-18
[17]Schneerson,
Y.Y., Likutei Dibburim, Vol.5, Kehot Publication Society, pp.104-105
[18]
Numbers 16:20
[19]
Targum Onkelus on Numbers 16:20
[20]
Deuteronomy 6:6
[21]
Oratz, Ephraim, ‘And Nothing But The Truth’ Judaica Press, New York, 1990, p.59
[22] Rabbi
Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, Meor Enaim, Netzavim
[23] Rabbi
Dovber of Lubavitch, Derech Chaim, Kehot Publication Society, pp.7a-7b
No comments:
Post a Comment