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In us G.D trusts
This week we will read the Parsha of Yisro, in which we, as HaShem's chosen people are given our mandate. HaShem presents His Torah to us with explicit instructions that we continuously strive to achieve its high standards and to live by its lofty ideals. The simple fact that HaShem has these expectations of us and that He took us out of Egypt for this expressed purpose, that we raise ourselves to the Torah's standards, is perhaps the greatest demonstration of HaShem's implicit trust that He has in His people.
Looking back on 3,300 years of Jewish history will reveal that we have never yet achieved that level of perfection and yet HaShem is convinced that we will yet achieve it. There are only two ways to understand this. Either HaShem has misplaced His trust in us or HaShem knows us better than we know ourselves and He has the infinite patience necessary to wait for its fruition. Being that the first option is simply untenable we must conclude that HaShem's patience is truly infinite; that moment will come in its appropriate time.
Let us move our focus to the haftorah where the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) receives a prophecy where he beholds a vision in which the angels are declaring HaShem's sanctity. Realizing that he himself is not on the level of the angels and that the environment in which he finds himself is unworthy to participate in that proclamation he shudders. "Then I said, 'Woe is to me, for I am doomed; for I am a man of impure lips and I dwell among a people with impure lips'... One of the angels flew to me and in his hand was a coal... He touched it to my mouth and said 'Behold this has touched your lips, your iniquity has gone away'" The commentaries explain that the coal was touched to Yeshayahu's lips as a punishment for speaking loshon harah (evil speech) about the Jewish people. Namely, the fact that he referred to the Jewish people as a people with impure lips was loshon harah.
Let us move ahead a few verses to see HaShem's evaluation of the Jewish people and we will discover a remarkable thing. Following this episode HaShem sends Yeshayahu "Go and say to this people, 'Surely you hear, but you do not comprehend, and surely you see but you fail to know'. This people is fattening its heart, hardening its ears, and sealing its eyes' .... I then asked 'How long will this endure, HaShem' and HaShem said 'Until the cities become desolate without inhabitant, the houses without person, and the land becomes desolate and wasted ...."
Behold! HaShem gives His prognosis for the Jewish people as being quite dreadful; the people will refuse to accept my message until the land is desolate because they fattened their heart, hardened their ears and sealed their eyes and yet just a moment earlier He punishes Yeshayahu for talking about His people as being a people with impure lips! It is clear that Yeshayahu's estimation was quite in sync with HaShem's estimation and yet HaShem punishes him! How do we make sense out of this?
The answer is simple, profound and we can all relate to it.
Have you ever had a child, a brother, a sister, a parent or a friend that you know has done something inappropriate or something criminal? Did you ever hear other people talking about this individual's behavior to others? Although you know it is true nevertheless it hurts you to hear it. You love that person. Yes, it is true they did something wrong, but that doesn't have to be announced; it hurts!
This sentiment is only felt when the individual spoken about is dear and near to you. They are so dear and near to you that your relationship to them remains untarnished in spite of their misdeeds.
This is why HaShem punished Yeshayahu for talking about His people in such a manner. In spite of Yeshayahu's accurate estimation of the people nevertheless, it hurts HaShem when the prophet says something negative about them. His love for us is eternal and unconditional.
Once again HaShem's demonstration of His unwavering trust and unconditional love is expressed in such graphic terms.
Once we have arrived at this point I would like to go one step further and bring this point to its practical application.
Several mitzvos of the Torah instruct us to avoid loshon harah, evil speech. Loshon harah is speaking anything derogatory about another person even if it the facts are true. This mitzvah is often difficult to carry out properly due to various factors. For example, if there are group of friends talking about the latest business dealings in the community and each of the participants is telling their stories. If among these stories loshon harah is recounted, one is obligated to either leave the company or tell his friends that they should not say such things since it constitutes loshon harah. To do this requires tremendous self confidence which most people do not have. What is the solution?
The key to the solution lies in being able to identify every Jew as being your close friend or relative. Even if in fact he is not your friend, you must be able to tell yourself that this person is dear and near to HaShem so how can I say something derogatory or even stand by silently as it is said, about an individual who is so close to HaShem? Just look at His reaction to Yeshayahu's statement. I acknowledge that it is difficult but the benefits that come from this strength are magnificent. (For a short audio presentation from Rabbi Yitzchok Berkowitz click here.)
I mentioned last week that Ruthy's brother, Ari Munk, has a disease in his oral cavity. Tomorrow he will be having an operation to correct this problem. May the inspiration of this Parsha thought bring Ari's recovery that much closer.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind
