בס”ד
Shmot (Exodus 1:1-6:1 )
In this week’s Torah portion, Moshe escapes from Egypt and meets Tzipporah, the daughter of Yitro. The Torah states: “Va’yoel Moshe (Moshe desired) to dwell with the man and he gave his daughter Tzipporah to Moshe.”1
The simple understanding of the verse is that that Moshe desired to live with Yitro, yet the word ‘va’yoel’ is not normally the word used to express desire. Indeed, the basic meaning of the word is ambiguous. Based on this, the Midrash makes a remarkable point. It explains that the word ‘va’yoel’ implies that Moshe made an oath to Yitro. This oath was that Moshe swore that the first child born to his marriage with Tzipporah would be dedicated to Idol worship and the other children would be dedicated to G-d.2
This Midrash begs two obvious questions: Firstly, how could Moshe agree to allow his child to be dedicated to idolatry? Secondly, we know that Yitro had been a priest to idoloatry, but already by then, he had repented and found the one true G-d.3 Then why was he so insistent on his grandson being dedicated to Idol worship?!
With regard to Moshe, the Baal HaTurim explains that Moshe knew that Yitro would ultimately convert to Judaism and that he would then agree to Moshe’s son becoming fully dedicated to G-d.4 However, what was Yitro’s own reasoning for this drastic demand? Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz5 answers that Yitro knew the truth of Torah and he did not want his grandson to live a life of an idol worshipper. However, Yitro felt that the best way to come to the truth was the way that he himself did so. He had great experience of idol worship and had come to a recognition through his own reasoning that idol worship was empty and that there was only One true G-d. So too, he wanted his grandson to go through the same process of experiencing idol worship, questioning it and ultimately rejecting it for the truth.
In contrast, Moshe had a totally different approach. He wanted to bring his son up from his early youth that one must be an servant of G-d without giving any attention to other world views. Yitro knew that Moshe would bring his son up this way, and therefore he forced him to swear that for his first son at least, he would adopt Yitro’s approach that he should come to truth and reject false beliefs through his own logic, Rabbi Shmuelevitz continues that we wholeheartedly adopt Moshe’s approach, because the ultimate goal is to serve G-d because we have to do so.
The question arises, as to how does this approach relate to two types of Torah observant Jews – those who grew up their whole life observant and those who grew up non-religious but came to Jewish observance through their own inquiries and logic. With regard to the latter group, is there an inference that their service of G-d is lacking, since it came about in a similar way to that which Yitro wanted for his grandson? It seems that this need not be the case if the Baal Teshuva has the correct approach. That is that even though he came to a recognition of G-d through logic, once he has accepted the veracity of the Torah, he now serves G-d unquestionably. This doesn’t mean that a Jew can’t ask questions and try to understand the reasons for the Torah’s approach to every matter, rather it means that ultimately, he serves G-d because he recognizes the necessity to go with the truth, in the same way that a servant serves his master. Yitro, on the other hand, wanted his grandson to remain with the same approach even after he found the truth: That his observance would be dependent on his logic, not his unwavering self-negation to the word of G-d.
With regard to a person who grew up observant, he has the benefit that he has been brought up with a pure outlook that has not been sullied by false ideologies. However, the question arises as to why does he follow the Torah? One may think that it is enough that he was brought up that way by his parents. Indeed, some may describe this with the term of ‘Emunah Peshuta’ (translated as simply faith). However, Rabbi Noah Weinberg used to say that this is not Emunah Peshuta, rather something totally different – Emunah tefeilah (referring to an inferior faith). He would point out, that most people throughout the world live in the way they live because they were brought up that way. Moreover, if we were brought up in a different way, how can we be so sure that we would have rejected that way and found the truth, given that the vast majority of people blindly follow their upbringing.
This begs the next question of what is a ‘valid’ basis for one’s belief? Rav Yitzchak Berkovits shlit’a says that one of the foundations of Emunah Peshuta is that we see great Torah scholars, how they live their lives, their stellar character traits in Inter-personal relationships as well as the realm between man and G-d. and we know that the Torah was the prime catalyst for them to attain this greatness. In contrast, no other religion or ideology can claim anything comparable in the overall greatness of their leading proponents. Indeed, very often, they live lifestyles that are totally inconsonant with their professed values.
This is demonstrated by the following story6: The great Mashgiach (spiritual guide) of Yeshivah of Mir, Rabbi Yerucham Levovits once met a secular Jewish professor while on vacation in Marienbad. Rav Yerucham engaged him in conversation, trying to draw him closer to Torah. After Rav Yerucham had steered the conversation in the direction he desired, the professor asked him if he had read the works of Immanuel Kant, a famous philosopher. Rav Yerucham answered in the negative. The professor then asked if he had read the works of Sigmund Freud, the famous psychologist whose views were far removed from Torah. Again, Rabbi Yerucham answered that he had not read a word of Freud. The professor wondered aloud, “Well, if you haven’t read the works of these scholars, how do you know that their outlook is incorrect? If you aren’t familiar with their ideas, how do you plan to convince me that the truth is on your side? Maybe they are the ones who are right?”
Rav Yerucham responded: “I know that our Torah produced an individual of the calibre of the Chofetz Chaim as well as a long succession of other righteous, great Jewish spiritual leaders…all of whom were products of the study of the holy Torah…Have any such individuals emerged from any of the value systems you mentioned? Of course not! So, they’re obviously a lot of nonsense! Why should I bother investigating them any further?!
Rabbi Levovits was teaching that a pillar of our Emunah is that only a Torah lifestyle can produce people as righteous as the Chofetz Chaim. Rav Yerucham saw the Chofetz Chaim in the flesh, yet it is more difficult for a person to tap into this resource of Emunah if he just relies on second hand stories of their greatness. Seeing such righteous people is surely far more effective in instilling an Emunah that the Torah must be genuine if it can produce such a person. In this generation, we do not have the merit to see the Chofetz Chaim himself. Perhaps this is why there was a such a commotion when a few seconds of footage of the Chofetz Chaim were revealed a few years ago. Yet, in each generation, we merit to be led by righteous men.
In addition to this kind of Emunah, it should be noted that the Sefer HaChinuch writes that internalizing Emunah through one’s knowledge is the way of fulfilling the Mitzva of Emunah in the optimum fashion, and that is no contradiction to the idea that we bring up our children with unfaltering Emunah.
May we merit to attain a strong foundation to our Emunah.
By Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen
- Shemot, 2:21.
- Yalkut Shimoni, Shemos, Remez 169.
- Shemot Rabbah, 1:32.
- Baal HaTurim, 2:16. Although, the Baal HaTurim notes that Moshe was punished for this in that his grandson became a Priest to Avodah Zara (Bava Basra, 109b).
- Sichot Mussar, Maamar 78.
- Cherished Conversations, by Rav Dov Eliach, shlit’a, pp.126-127.
WEEKLY TORAH PORTION,
The Guiding Light
by Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen
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