Chasidut על אבות 1:3
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 23,24. “they are a nation that rises like a lion, leaps up like the king of beasts. It rests not till it has feasted on prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”
In the matter of how to serve the Lord optimally, it is an accepted rule that the first stage of becoming a true servant of the Lord involves that the person concerned expects a reward as a form of recognition for his effort. It is simply not to be expected that every person will begin his career as a servant of the Lord by eschewing every kind of reward. When the Mishnah in Avot 1,3 teaches not to serve the Lord on condition of receiving a reward, it does not address “beginners.” Proof that this is the accepted norm is found in Pessachim 50 where the Talmud teaches that if we perform G’d’s commandments, even while also having ulterior motives, in due course we will do so without having ulterior motives. [This is part of the promise that the reward of performing a commandment brings in its wake performance of another commandment, (Avot 4,1) i.e. the same commandment, but on a higher level. Ed.] When one has attained this level of serving the Lord, one will also become the vehicle through which the “fallen” sparks, i.e. spiritual beings or human beings who have “fallen” from their erstwhile high moral/ethical level may be restored to grace through contact with such servants of the Lord. This has been spelled out in the writings of the Ari z’al.
As long as one serves the Lord expecting to be rewarded for this, the human being doing so is considered as on the level of a female, as by definition all females, i.e. their functions, are viewed primarily as recipients, vessels to be filled. Once having attained the level of serving the Lord without any expectation of reward, one has joined the ranks of the males. Not only does such a person not depend on “receiving,” but he is able to become a dispenser of satisfaction and pleasure even to the Creator. This is the true meaning of a statement in the Zohar III,7 that the Jewish people provide G’d with His sustenance, פרנסה.
This is also what Bileam had in mind when he said: הן עם כלביא יקום, “this is a nation that arises like a lioness,” but develops to the stature of being כארי יתנשא, “it elevates itself to become comparable to a mature male lion.” [According to our author Rashi commenting on that verse interprets it as sequential, i.e. beginning to serve the Lord while expecting a reward, progressing to serve Him without such expectations. I have not been able to find this Rashi. Ed.]
In the matter of how to serve the Lord optimally, it is an accepted rule that the first stage of becoming a true servant of the Lord involves that the person concerned expects a reward as a form of recognition for his effort. It is simply not to be expected that every person will begin his career as a servant of the Lord by eschewing every kind of reward. When the Mishnah in Avot 1,3 teaches not to serve the Lord on condition of receiving a reward, it does not address “beginners.” Proof that this is the accepted norm is found in Pessachim 50 where the Talmud teaches that if we perform G’d’s commandments, even while also having ulterior motives, in due course we will do so without having ulterior motives. [This is part of the promise that the reward of performing a commandment brings in its wake performance of another commandment, (Avot 4,1) i.e. the same commandment, but on a higher level. Ed.] When one has attained this level of serving the Lord, one will also become the vehicle through which the “fallen” sparks, i.e. spiritual beings or human beings who have “fallen” from their erstwhile high moral/ethical level may be restored to grace through contact with such servants of the Lord. This has been spelled out in the writings of the Ari z’al.
As long as one serves the Lord expecting to be rewarded for this, the human being doing so is considered as on the level of a female, as by definition all females, i.e. their functions, are viewed primarily as recipients, vessels to be filled. Once having attained the level of serving the Lord without any expectation of reward, one has joined the ranks of the males. Not only does such a person not depend on “receiving,” but he is able to become a dispenser of satisfaction and pleasure even to the Creator. This is the true meaning of a statement in the Zohar III,7 that the Jewish people provide G’d with His sustenance, פרנסה.
This is also what Bileam had in mind when he said: הן עם כלביא יקום, “this is a nation that arises like a lioness,” but develops to the stature of being כארי יתנשא, “it elevates itself to become comparable to a mature male lion.” [According to our author Rashi commenting on that verse interprets it as sequential, i.e. beginning to serve the Lord while expecting a reward, progressing to serve Him without such expectations. I have not been able to find this Rashi. Ed.]
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Kedushat Levi
This also helps us understand a verse in psalms 31,20 מה רב טובך אשר צפנת ליראיך פעלת לחוסים בך נגד בני אדם, “how abundant is the good that You have in store for those who fear You; You have done so publicly in full view of men, for those who have taken refuge in You.” Rachel was a perfect example of how one fulfills the exhortation of our sages in Avot 1,3 not to belong to the category of people who observe the Lord’s commandments only for the sake of the reward G’d has promised. She trusted G’d fully, else she would have certainly used the argument that she did not want to become Esau’s wife as justification not to reveal the secret code between Yaakov and her to her sister. Her action even endangered her afterlife, which due to being a dutiful wife of Esau would have daily put her claim to an afterlife at risk.
The exhortation of the above quoted Mishnah not to perform the commandments for the sake of the reward promised is very difficult to honour as we know and are constantly aware that G’d keeps His promises to us, and it is almost superhuman not to be influenced by such promises. When David worded his psalm 31,20 as he did, adding the words נגד בני אדם, he meant that at the time when we perform the commandments we must not think of the reward in store for us. G’d does not mind that once we have performed the commandment we think about the reward. He knows how difficult it is not to think of it while performing it; this is why David says of G’d צפנת, “You hid,” such thoughts from those who truly revere You at the time when they performed the commandments.
The exhortation of the above quoted Mishnah not to perform the commandments for the sake of the reward promised is very difficult to honour as we know and are constantly aware that G’d keeps His promises to us, and it is almost superhuman not to be influenced by such promises. When David worded his psalm 31,20 as he did, adding the words נגד בני אדם, he meant that at the time when we perform the commandments we must not think of the reward in store for us. G’d does not mind that once we have performed the commandment we think about the reward. He knows how difficult it is not to think of it while performing it; this is why David says of G’d צפנת, “You hid,” such thoughts from those who truly revere You at the time when they performed the commandments.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 31,18. “he guided all his livestock and all his portable possessions , the ones he had acquired while in Padan Aram, and in order to go back to his father Yitzchok”. The last few words about Yaakov returning to his father appear superfluous; the moral/ethical lesson that the Torah teaches by describing Yaakov’s motivation in returning to the land of Israel as being to become reunited with his father, is that although G’d had promised Yaakov that he would become a founder of a great nation, would expand in all directions of the globe, none of these promises weighed on his decision to return forthwith to the land of Israel. His concern was the opportunity to once more be able to fulfill the commandment of honouring his father (his mother having died during his absence).
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