B"H
Menachem Av 13, 5772 * August 1, 2012
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E T H I C S O F O U R F A T H E R S
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On The Essence of Eat
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Rabbi Shimon would say ... Three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten at G-d's table.
- Ethics of the Fathers, 3:3
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On the surface, Rabbi Shimon's message is simple and straightforward: utilize your mealtimes to share the wisdom of Torah. This way, the mundane activity of eating becomes a lofty and G-dly endeavor.
But surely the same applies to a single diner or to many who eat scattered about the room. Why "three who eat"? And why specifically when they eat at "one table"? On a deeper level, Rabbi Shimon conveys the true significance of our need for food.
Hunger In Two Dimensions
The human being consists of two primary components: the physical body and the soul that gives it life and direction. The same is true of every created thing: its physicality and substance is but its outer husk. Within is a ``soul,'' an inner, spiritual essence and significance.
Ultimately, the soul of the entire universe is one: the drive to fulfill its Creator's will. At creation, this unified "soul" splintered into a myriad of individual "sparks" that now form the core of every created thing.
But unlike the human soul, who exercises will and choice, all other creatures are passive containers of their purpose and utility. They depend upon man, the crown and apex of G-d's creation, to develop and utilize them in accordance with the Creator's design. It is man to whom the Torah, which outlines this design, has been given, and it is man who has been granted the franchise and the tools to implement it.
So the soul of man descends into the trials and trappings of physical life in order to gain access to these "sparks of holiness": By investing itself within a physical body which will eat, clothe itself, and otherwise make use of the objects and forces of the physical universe, the soul redeems the "sparks" that they incorporate. For when man utilizes something, directly or indirectly, to serve G-d's will, he penetrates its shell of mundanity, revealing and realizing its function within the essence and purpose of existence.
This explains a most puzzling fact of life: Why is it that man derives life and sustenance from the animal, vegetable, and mineral worlds? How is it that the highest form of life is dependent upon these lower tiers of creation?
But in truth, man's need of the nutrients that his environment provides him (and the many other material resources that sustain and enhance his life) is the manner in which these elements reach fulfillment. When man makes positive use of the energy he derives from them, they become elevated to a station they could never attain on their own. They become an integral part of a conscious, willful being who elects to serve the Almighty. The meat of the beast, the grain in the bread, the water that quenches our thirst, these become the essence of an act of charity, an hour expended in the study of G-d's wisdom, a feeling of love for G-d in prayer.
In this way, Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch explained the verse: "The hungry and thirsty, in them does their soul wrap itself." A person desiring food may sense only his body's hunger; but, in truth, his physical craving is the external expression of a deeper yen. "Wrapped within" is his soul's hunger for the sparks of holiness that are the object of his mission in life.
Three At One
When a person sits to eat there are three partners to the endeavor: his body, his soul, and the food--the vital glue that keeps body and soul together as a living organism.
But if his eating is dominated by the perspective of Torah, these "three who eat" do so at a single table. Their eating is an act of unification, a revelation of the underlying oneness of creation and its connection to the One Creator.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Introductory reading to Ethics of the Fathers:
All Israel has a share in the World to Come, as is stated: ``And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever. They are the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, in which I take pride.'' (Sanhedrin, 11:1)
Chapter Three
1. Rabbi Akavia the son of Mahalalel would say: Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression. Know from where you came, where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting. From where you came--from a putrid drop; where you are going--to a place of dust, maggots and worms; and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting--before the supreme king of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
2. Rabbi Chanina, deputy to the kohanim, would say: Pray for the integrity of the sovereignty; for were it not for the fear of its authority, a man would swallow his neighbor alive. Rabbi Chanina son of Tradyon would say: Two who sit and no words of Torah pass between them, this is a session of scorners, as is stated, ``And in a session of scorners he did not sit.'' But two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them, as is stated, ``Then the G-d-fearing conversed with one another, and G-d listened and heard; and it was inscribed before Him in a book of remembrance for those who fear G-d and give thought to His name.'' From this, I know only concerning two individuals; how do I know that even a single individual who sits and occupies himself with the Torah, G-d designates reward for him? From the verse, ``He sits alone in meditative stillness; indeed, he receives [reward] for it.''
3. Rabbi Shimon would say: Three who eat at one table and do not speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten from the slaughter of the dead, as is stated, ``Indeed, all tables are filled with vomit and filth, devoid of the Omnipresent.'' But three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten at G-d's table, as is stated, ``And he said to me: `This is the table that is before G-d.' ''
4. Rabbi Chanina the son of Chachina'i would say: One who stays awake at night, or travels alone on the road, and turns his heart to idleness, has forfeited his life.
5. Rabbi Nechunia the son of Hakanah would say: One who accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah is exempted from the yoke of government duties and the yoke of worldly cares ; but one who casts off the yoke of Torah is saddled with the yoke of government duties and the yoke of worldly cares.
6. Rabbi Chalafta the son of Dosa of the village of Chanania would say: Ten who sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them, as is stated: ``The Almighty stands in the community of G-d.'' And from where do we know that such is also the case with five? From the verse, ``He established his band on earth.'' And three? From the verse, ``He renders judgment in the midst of judges.'' And two? From the verse, ``Then the G-d-fearing conversed with one another, and G-d listened and heard.'' And from where do we know that such is the case even with a single individual? From the verse, ``Every place where I have My name mentioned, I shall come to you and bless you.''
7. Rabbi Elazar of Bartosa would say: Give Him what is His, for you, and whatever is yours, are His. As David says: ``For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.'' Rabbi Yaakov would say: One who walks along a road and studies, and interrupts his studying to say, ``How beautiful is this tree!,'' ``How beautiful is this ploughed field!''---the Torah considers it as if he had forfeited his life.
8. Rabbi Dusta'i the son of Rabbi Yannai would say in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone who forgets even a single word of this learning, the Torah considers it as if he had forfeited his life. As is stated, ``Just be careful, and verily guard your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen.'' One might think that this applies also to one who [has forgotten because] his studies proved too difficult for him; but the verse goes on to tell us ``and lest they be removed from your heart, throughout the days of your life.'' Hence, one does not forfeit his life unless he deliberately removes them from his heart.
9. Rabbi Chanina the son of Dosa would say: One whose fear of sin takes precedence to his wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom takes precedence to his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure.
10. He would also say: One whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom does not endure. He would also say: One who is pleasing to his fellow men, is pleasing to G-d. But one who is not pleasing to his fellow men, is not pleasing to G-d. Rabbi Dosa the son of Hurkinas would say: Morning sleep, noontime wine, children's talk and sitting at the meeting places of the ignoramus, drive a person from the world.
11. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in would say: One who profanes the kodoshim, degrades the Festivals, humiliates his friend in public, abrogates the covenant of our father Abraham, or who interprets the Torah contrary to its true intent---although he may possess Torah knowledge and good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come.
12. Rabbi Ishmael would say: Be yielding to a leader, affable to the black-haired, and receive every man with joy.
13. Rabbi Akivah would say: Jesting and frivolity accustom a person to promiscuity. Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom is silence.
14. He would also say: Beloved is man, for he was created in the image [of G-d]; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to him that he was created in the image, as it is says, ``For in the image of G-d, He made man.'' Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of G-d; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to them that they are called children of G-d, as it is stated: ``You are children of the L-rd your G-d.'' Beloved are Israel, for they were given a precious article; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to them that they were given a precious article, as it is stated: ``I have given you a good purchase; My Torah, do not forsake it.''
15. All is foreseen, and freedom of choice is granted. The world is judged with goodness, but in accordance with the amount of man's positive deeds.
16. He would also say: Everything is placed in pledge, and a net is spread over all the living. The store is open, the storekeeper extends credit, the account-book lies open, the hand writes, and all who wish to borrow may come and borrow. The collection-officers make their rounds every day and exact payment from man, with his knowledge and without his knowledge. Their case is well founded, the judgment is a judgment of truth, and ultimately, all is prepared for the feast.
17. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Azariah would say: If there is no Torah, there is no common decency; if there is no common decency, there is no Torah. If there is no wisdom, there is no fear of G-d; if there is no fear of G-d, there is no wisdom. If there is no applied knowledge, there is no analytical knowledge; if there is no analytical knowledge, there is no applied knowledge. If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour.
He would also say: One whose wisdom is greater than his deeds, what is he comparable to? To a tree with many branches and few roots; comes a storm and uproots it, and turns it on its face. As is stated, ``He shall be as a lone tree in a wasteland, and shall not see when good comes; he shall dwell parched in the desert, a salt land, uninhabited.'' But one whose deeds are greater than his wisdom, to what is he compared? To a tree with many roots and few branches, whom all the storms in the world cannot budge from its place. As is stated: ``He shall be as a tree planted upon water, who spreads his roots by the river; who fears not when comes heat, whose leaf is ever lush; who worries not in a year of drought, and ceases not to yield fruit.''
18. Rabbi Eliezer [the son of] Chisma would say: the laws of kinin and the laws of menstrual periods---these, these are the meat of Halacha. The calculations of solar seasons and gematria are the condiments of wisdom.
Studied at the conclusion of each lesson of the Ethics:
Rabbi Chananiah the son of Akashiah would say: G-d desired to merit the people of Israel; therefore, He gave them Torah and Mitzvot in abundance. As is stated, ``G-d desired, for sake of his righteousness, that Torah be magnified and made glorious.'' (Makot, 3:16)
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