Chapter 2: Mishna 8 : Part 2 as good as always!

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Chapter 2: Mishna 8: Part 2

He (Hillel) used to say: A surplus of meat causes an increase in worms. A surplus of possessions causes an increase in worry. A surplus of wives causes an increase in "keshafim" (witchcraft). A surplus of maidservants causes an increase in promiscuity. A surplus of slaves causes an increase in thievery. A surplus of Torah causes an increase in life. A surplus of "yeshiva" (sitting together with peers studying Torah) increases wisdom. A surplus of "eitzah" (seeking advice and insights from more experienced people) increases understanding. A surplus of charity increases peace. One who acquires a good name acquires it for himself; one who acquires words of Torah for himself has acquired the World to Come for himself.

(We left off discussing a person's excess involvement in the physical dimension of the world which will be contrasted with "excess" involvement in the spiritual dimensions of the world.)
The proper order for a person's relationship with the physical world is to first acquire possessions and then to build a home. (See Rambam Ch. 5, Deioth, Halacha 11) For this reason the lesson on possessions is followed with a lesson about the foundation of the home, his wife. We are taught that a surplus of wives causes an increase in "keshafim" (witchcraft). The power of "kishuf" is more developed and prevalent among women due to their greater connection to the tangible and physical dimensions of world, as well as to their more developed sense of imagination, both of which are needed to activate the power of "kishuf."
(It is difficult for us today to know exactly what the power of "kishuf" is, but it was clearly a real force. There is a prohibition in the Torah of being involved in it, in Shemoth 22:17; and there is discussion about it in Sanhedrin 67a-b. From the Gemara and commentaries, it seems that kishuf relates to the interference with the desired relationship between the forces of the upper world and their proper influence on the physical world, enabling the material world to function with a dimension of independence from the upper world. It is for this reason that for "kishuf" to work, the person doing it must be rooted on the earth, as is implied in Rashi in Sanhedrin (44b, "d'bayah").
(Just as the Maharal made clear in the previous lessons, a "surplus of wives" is not referring to a literal count of a person's actual wives, but rather a representative lesson about a man's relationship to his wife (or in the time of the Torah and Talmud, to his wives). A person who shows a predilection for many women ("marbeh") seems to be responding to the collective "mystique" of Womankind, rather than to the unique individuality of a woman with whom he can create a true partnership of accomplishment. The nature of womankind is to be more connected to and rooted in nature and the physical world. Some manifestations of this would be their tendency towards the practical rather than the theoretical; their connection of their bodies to the rhythms of time and forces of life.
(The woman's nature and role, reflecting the ideal state of "chomer," is directed towards being the "implementer" of the potential ideal in the "real" world. It is the male role to provide the theoretical framework represented by the "tzurah," for that ideal. Please refer to our extended discussions on this in Ch. 1, Mishna 5.
("Kishuf" is the strengthening of the power of "chomer," the material dimension of creation, to resist the implementation of the ideal dimension of creation. Even though a person's wives may be far removed from performing any kind of "kishuf," pursuing a surplus of wives is departing from and weakening the role with which he is charged, being drawn to the very different female role. This upsets the very delicate balance necessary to ensure the proper connection between the upper and lower worlds in order that the desired ideals are implemented in the material world.
(Concepts in Chazal that relate to gender differences have become difficult to discuss in these "politically correct" times. Yet there is much in the writings and research of contemporary secular educators, psychologists and psychiatrists which validates the Torah view. (Some of the work of Dr. John Gray in his "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" series is an example.) Unfortunately, discussions of this topic on its merits are usually difficult these days. The problem frequently is not an educated refutation of the principles, but resistance due to the potential for abuse that are implied in many of these principles. If the principles are misused or abused in a chauvinistic way, that should not lead us to deny the principles, which are rooted in our Divine Torah. Rather we must fight the specific instances of abuse or misuse, without compromising on a correct understanding of how G-d made the male and the female, and the different roles they play in bringing the world to its desired perfection.)
After discussing the foundation of a man's home, the Tanna discusses the excess in other dimensions of the home. The maidservant represents one works in the home, while the slave represents one who works outside the home, in the fields. Maidservants are descendants of Cham (the son of Noach who was cursed for his improper behavior towards his father), and are considered steeped in promiscuity as a continuation of their ancestor. Even if the specific maidservants owned by the person are themselves of the highest moral standards, the tendency of the person to an excess of maidservants is indicative of his own disposition and lack of sensitivity towards promiscuity.
Slaves are associated with thievery due to a presumed lack of honesty and integrity. (While this sounds a little "politically incorrect," the explanation provided by the Maharal may be relevant to many of us in our professional lives.) The possible difficulty of properly performing the tasks assigned to him leads a slave to compromise on the honesty of how he discharges those responsibilities, resulting in his indirect stealing (from his owner, through a less than thorough performance of his tasks) or more directly stealing from others in order to make his work easier. This was the behavior of the shepherds of Lot, who allowed the sheep to graze in other people's fields, in contrast to the shepherd's of Avraham, who took the sheep to the desert where they would graze on ownerless land. (See Breishith 13:7 and Rashi ibid, as well as Shemoth 3:1 where it is taught that Moshe behaved in a similar fashion.)
Due to their natural dispositions, maidservants who deviate from proper behavior are led to promiscuity, while slaves who deviate from proper behavior are led to thievery. Grasping this requires a very deep understanding of the workings of the world. (As we have written before, this language of the Maharal indicates a deeper insight that borders on the Kabbalistic.)
In summary, the five things mentioned in the first part of the Mishna relate to the physical dimensions of existence, and any excess in this dimension results in increased need and deficiency, and ultimate deterioration.
The class is taught by Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky, Dean of Darche Noam Institutions, Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapell's and Midreshet Rachel for Women.

http://www.torah.org/learning/maharal/p2m8part1.html

Chapter 2: Mishna 8: Part 1

He (Hillel) used to say: A surplus of meat causes an increase in worms. A surplus of possessions causes an increase in worry. A surplus of wives causes an increase in "keshafim" (witchcraft). A surplus of maidservants causes an increase in promiscuity. A surplus of slaves causes an increase in thievery. A surplus of Torah causes an increase in life. A surplus of "yeshiva" (sitting together with peers studying Torah) increases wisdom. A surplus of "eitzah" (seeking advice and insights from more experienced people) increases understanding. A surplus of charity increases peace. One who acquires a good name acquires it for himself; one who acquires words of Torah for himself has acquired the World to Come for himself.

Why did the Tanna choose the specific elements mentioned in the Mishna? There are many things about which it can be said that excess causes damage, and many others about which a surplus can lead to extra achievements!?
Man is composed of a physical body created from the earth, and a soul that emanates from the heavens. The "distance" from the earth until the heaven is considered to be embodied in the number "ten." (See Sukkah 5a about Moshe and Eliyahu ascending to heaven. These lines of the Maharal are rooted in Kabbalah, and, as has been our practice, we will not elaborate on matters about which we lack understanding and access.) So there are ten distinct elements related to man's creation, five of which are material matters that are part of man's physical dimension, and five of which are spiritual matters that are part of man's transcendent dimension.
There are ten major parts of man's body which parallel this division. The two eyes, the two ears and the tongue are considered the more spiritual parts of man. The two feet, the two hands and the sexual organ are the five that are closer to the physical side of man. (See the Gemara in Nedarim 32b for an elaboration of this. We will summarize the basic principle of this dichotomy as explained by the Maharal.)
The activities of the eyes (sight) ears (hearing) and tongue (speech) do not need any physical contact with the material in order for them to function. Sight is a perception of things which are distant from man, and with which he has no tangible interaction. Hearing is also a perception of things with which man does not have direct contact, although it is not as abstract as sight. (Man needs to be closer to an object to hear it than to see it; sound waves travel more slowly, are more tangible and physically accessible, and more easily measurable than light waves/particles.) Speech is also an activity connected to the spiritual and intellectual dimension of man. The hands, feet and the sexual organ are connected to the more physical activities of man, and they are considered closer to the earth.
We also find in the Ten Commandments that five of them are connected to the heaven and five are connected to the earth. The first five are activities which relate to G-d. [This includes "Honor your father and mother," whose honoring is equated with that of G-d, as we are taught in Kiddushin (30b). When a person honors their parents, G-d considers it as if He lived among them and also received honor.] The last five are activities between fellow human beings who dwell on the earth. This encompasses the entire human being whose spiritual side emanates from the heaven and whose body derives from the earth, with the distance between these two locations represented by the number ten.
This human being, belonging to both the heaven and the earth is connected to five material elements of his existence and five spiritual elements of his existence.
In each of the material elements, a surplus is actually destructive, where anything which deviates from the proper measure is in fact considered a deficiency. But in the non- material elements which are connected to the spiritual dimension, a surplus is a virtue.
First we are taught about a surplus of something which represents the essence of man's physical body, meat (flesh). A surplus of meat causes an increase in worms. Worms represents disintegration and absence, for worms eat away at the meat until it doesn't exist. One who is attached to the physical dimension of his existence is subject to the disintegration that befalls all physical matter. The lesson of the Tanna is not limited specifically to worms eating meat, but refers to all deterioration that befalls material objects. A person who is overly connected to the physical dimension of existence (with the hope that this will ensure his existence) is subject to the inevitable deterioration that is the nature of all physical matter (leading to the opposite result of his intention).
An embodiment of this principle is the lesson that "lust drives a person from the world" which will be elaborated upon in its place (Avoth Ch. 4, Mishna 28).
After a person's own body, the next closest thing to which a person is an owner and has an attachment is ones material possessions. These are necessary for him to support himself in this world, and they precede creating an attachment with a spouse. About these material possessions we are taught that "a surplus of possessions causes an increase in worry," that here, too, the surplus actually causes a deficiency. A person involves himself in his protecting his possessions so that they should not be lost or destroyed. A surplus of these possessions makes it impossible for him to avoid this undesirable result, thus increasing his worry. This is in line with our principle that an excessive attachment to the material leads inescapably to greater deficiency.
(In preparation for the next part of the Mishna, I recommend studying the Dvar Torah for Pesach which provides background information on the principle of gender differences. Our shiurim on Ch. 1, Mishna 5, especially parts 2 and 3, will also help in understanding what the Maharal writes in a very abbreviated form in this Mishna. )
The class is taught by Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky, Dean of Darche Noam Institutions, Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapell's and Midreshet Rachel for Women.

My view

My name is Daniel and I live in Karnei Shomron, situated in what many call the "West Bank" but we Jews call the Shomron, part of our history and cradle of our culture.
I really don't understand what is our right to this land (talking about the whole of Israel) if it's not because of what is written in the Torah. Can anybody really believe that it's legal a resolution creating a country anywhere with no connection between the people and the land? Would we have the right to the land if we were given Uganda as was proposed?
The answer is no.
We have the right to live in this land because HaShem gave the Land of Israel to the people of Israel, closing a holy triangle that is the base of this world: Torah, Am Israel and Eretz Israel.
We cannot exist without one of them, since the three are really one, the Torah is our law, our way of living, the instructions about how to fulfill our destiny. Am Israel is the tool to do that, a tool selected by HaShem not because we are better than others, just because He chose us. The Land of Israel is the only place that's intimately connected to Am Israel and the Torah, it only flourishes when the Jews are here and when they work the land (anybody who doubts this has multiple historic reports that prove the point) Am Israel never forgot the Land of Israel, but, the Land of Israel also longed for Am Israel and waited patiently for us to come back to flourish again.
How can anybody ignore something so special? How can anybody happily talk about giving part of our land to the arabs considering it rightful?
The only way to reach peace is by being really sure about this, Eretz Israel is ours. If we start talking from this point we can reach the solution to any problem. If we doubt and try to look nice in the eyes of the "world" we can only fail!

More Torah Learning Mishna 6 Part 6

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Chapter 2: Mishna 6: Part 6

He (Hillel) used to say: A boor is not one who fears sin; nor can an ignorant person be pious. A shy person does not learn, and an [overly] strict person is not one who can teach. And not everyone who increases commerce ("sechorah") becomes wise. And in a place where there are no "people," attempt to be a "person."

After teaching lessons that bring perfection to the entire human being in all his dimensions, the Tanna concludes "In a place where there are no 'people,' attempt to be a 'person'." This means that when you see that no one is doing something that needs to be done, you should be the "person of action." As the one responsible for ensuring that the necessary deed was done, your reward is great. (In the following section the Maharal analyzes in minute detail a section of Talmud, Berachoth 63a, that seems to repeat what is learned in our Mishna. It is best if you can locate the section, and follow the arguments inside, in the original Aramaic. It will be complex, and I will do my best to present it in a comprehensible way in this limiting medium, limited by it being a) English only and b) written "impersonally," as opposed to an interactive oral explanation.) We learn in Berachoth (63a) that Bar Kapara taught: In a place where there is no "person," There you should be a "person." (Where I have written "person" the word used in the Aramaic is "gvar," which literally means "man," as our Mishna uses the word "ish." There are some fundamental reasons for this word choice, which in no way excludes women in this lesson. It does, however, imply certain assumptions about innate male and female characteristics and differences. This is not the forum to develop these issues, especially in these "politically correct" times. :-) But be aware that our Rabbis taught us some fundamental truths about these issues. We have touched on them briefly in Chapter 1, Mishna 5, and we may come back to them later in this chapter.) [The Gemara continues by deducing from Bar Kapara's statement:] "But in a place where there IS a "person" you should Not be a person. (If someone else is doing it, you should Not do it.) [Asks the Gemara a question:] This (implication from Bar Kapara's statement) is obvious! [Why did you need to point it out?] [The Gemara provides an answer:] It was necessary (to point it out) for the case where both (people) are equal (in qualifications)." (This concludes the quote from the Gemara. Now the Maharal begins his analysis.) What is Bar Kapara teaching us that we don't already know from our Mishna?! Furthermore, why didn't the Talmud make its deduction (about Not being a "person") from our Mishna? (Since the Mishna seems to have taught exactly what Bar Kapara is teaching, the deduction should have been made on the statement of our Mishna, as an earlier source, rather than on the re-statement of Bar Kapara, who is a later source!) And, finally, the deduction itself is far from compelling. Maybe all that Bar Kapara is teaching is that in a place when there is no "person" you are Required to be a "person," but in a place where there is a(nother) person, you aren't Required to be a "person" (doing what is needed). However, you are still Allowed to be a "person" (taking action)!
The explanation is as follows. The Mishna teaches us that when there is no "person" (when something that needs to be done is not being done by anyone) you are Required and responsible to take the necessary action. Bar Kapara then adds that this is true Only when there is no person doing what needs to be done, but in no other situation. From this statement the Talmud makes it deduction that in a place where the needed action is being done by someone, you should Not be a "person" (likewise doing the needed action). And it is on this deduction that the Talmud asks "Obviously!" This is clearly what Bar Kapara meant. Why did you need to say it explicitly? (A fundamental principle in studying the words of our Rabbis is that if there is no other reasonable way of interpreting something, we are expected to properly understand it for ourselves, without the need to have it spelled out explicitly.) And the Gemara responds that it was necessary to point it out for the case where both people are equal. Since there is another person of equal stature and qualification doing what needs to be done, why should you take the job for yourself rather than letting your colleague take it.
(This very concise and condensed statement of the Maharal to explain this lesson contains within it a whole perspective on ambition and accomplishment. A person who does things in a quest for personal fulfillment, self-actualization, or to forge an identity could undertake projects or challenges even if others are who equally (or even more) qualified are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished. In a "rights" oriented society (as opposed to a "responsibilities" oriented one) the refrain would be "It is my right to have that opportunity." This is reflected in the attitude of "taking" a position of responsibility, rather than giving and serving in that capacity.
(Judaism begins from a perspective of "responsibilities." We exist to fulfill responsibilities and tasks assigned to us by our Creator. Of course, one of the most difficult things, even after we have made the difficult decision to commit ourselves to that service, is to identify what, exactly, G-d wants from us. We usually make at least one of the following mistakes in trying to identify what that is. Either we mistakenly project what We want to do as being what G-d wants us to do. Or we look around to see what everyone else is doing, and assume that is what G-d wants us to also do, when what is really motivating us is the fear and insecurity of being "different." Or we look to build our egos by doing things that will bring us validation and recognition from others, justifying it as being in the "service of Heaven." These negative motivations can be identified by how we respond when others are doing what needs to be done. Do we try to push our way in anyway? Are we jealous of what they are doing? Or are we pleased that the purpose of the world is closer to being accomplished, as we look to identify Other things that are Not being done, things that we are uniquely capable of accomplishing. This requires the realization that G-d made each of us different, and that G-d made a world that has lots of different challenges. Creating each of us with different talents and abilities leads to the expectation that each of us will fulfill a different role, accomplish different things, leading to a world of perfection in all dimensions and to all people making a unique contribution to that perfection in line with their unique capabilities. We must have a deep security and confidence in our special abilities, as we identify what unique role can be fulfilled with those abilities, and as we commit ourselves to serve in that role. We must have what today is called an "abundance mentality" and we must be committed to use our resources, talents and abilities to give and to serve.
(This is the lesson that the Maharal has extracted from the seemingly redundant nature of the Bar Kapara's statement and the Gemara's discussion about it.)
The class is taught by Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky, Dean of Darche Noam Institutions, Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapell's and Midreshet Rachel for Women.