Weekly Dvar Torah: The Innate Nature of the Jewish People to be Kind
Torah is from the word ‘Horaah,’ it is a book of instruction. Every word in Torah carries a lesson in life.
The book of Breishis is a narrative of the life story of our forefathers. Every detail is a lesson in life to us, and the story of who we are as a people.
One of the distinct identities of the Jewish people is that they are kind. They like to do good. In Parshas Vayera there are several stories about the kindness of Avraham Avinu. A trait that he bequeathed to his children as an inheritance, a Jew is to be identified by his kindness.
At first, Avraham is sitting with G-d, but when he sees strangers coming by, he leaves G-d and runs to feed the strangers.
Later, G-d says; I love Avraham, because he will educate his children to uphold the G-dly path to do charity and justice. Because of these values I will share with him my plan to destroy Sodom and Gomora. Subsequently Avraham pleads with G-d to spare Sodom and Gomora.
Who were Sodom and Gomora? They were the epitome of cruelty, they tortured people in the most unimaginable gruesome ways (because of recent events I will not list the graphic details). Suffice it to mention the siege on Lot’s home when the Sodomites discovered that he hosted guests, a capital crime in Sodom.
And Avraham, the father of kindness, who represented the G-dly trait of kindness in this world, stands and pleads with G-d to spare these wicked people.
On the other hand, when his son Ishmael threatens with murder, Avraham expels him from home.
In this vein, when G-d commands Avraham to bring Yitzchock to the Akedah, Avraham doesn’t hesitate and is ready to sacrifice his own son.
How do these divergent behaviors coexist in Avraham?
The message is clear. By nature, we are kind, but our kindness must be measured and G-dly.
Meeting G-d is important, but more important is to do what G-d wants, and this is to spread goodness and kindness.
Even for the worst terrorists, we tend to look for a redeeming factor, as in, perhaps there are still a few Tzadikim in Sodom.
At the same time, being kind to the evil is being cruel to the good. When your son becomes a threat to society, you can’t give him fatherly refuge.
And when G-d asks Avraham to sacrifice his son, he passes the ultimate test. Because he realizes that G-d is infinitely merciful, and our mercy is only finite. You trust that G-d’s infinite mercy is manifest here, it is beyond the scope of our limited comprehension.
Avraham’s way is to walk the path of G-d. Kindness must be G-d’s way, otherwise it can’t be sustained. One cannot feed a child a poisonous lollypop, just because it tastes sweet.
Avraham’s children have this innate quality of kindness, but it must be accompanied with firmness, otherwise it will stir you away from the path of G-d. It has to be G-dly kindness.
Once we walk G-d’s way, we must also remember to do so with joy. When we serve Hashem and do G-d’s way, we must do so with Simcha. Especially if it manifests itself with some harshness. Our sages say that Simcha sweetens the harshness. In addition, when we are in a joyous mood because we are doing what G-d wants, we will have the moral energy and strength to succeed. And the harshness will dissipate.
The Alter Rebbe teaches in Tanya, that when two rivals are engaged in combat, the one who is joyous is the one who has the upper hand. Joy is the key.
Kindness and mercy are what we Jews are all about. But this kindness only holds when it’s G-dly kindness. Like Avraham, we try our utmost to be kind and merciful, but it must be discriminate, and when need be, we exercise force to protect ourselves and the world.
This Shabbos is Chof Marcheshvan, it is the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab, who established Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim, and he declared the Tmimim to be the soldiers of the house of David. Our weapons are goodness and kindness. We must take these weapons and gird ourselves with joy and determination, and we will win the war for Moshiach, who will clear the world of all evil, and usher in a world of pure G-dly goodness and peace, may it be speedily, Amen.
Have a kind and merciful Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
