Parshas Vayechi 5759
Rav Podolsky z"l
"Reuven, you are my first born, my strength and my initial vigor, foremost in rank and foremost in power. Water-like imetuosity -- you cannot be foremost, because you mounted your father's bed... (Breishis 49:3-4). Onkelos explains that instead of blessing Reuven, Yaakov actually punished him by forever revoking his right to national leadership -- the birthright, the priesthood, and kingship.
The question is: Why did Reuven do to warrant a punishment so harsh and interminable?
The Torah recounts: "And it came to pass, while Yisrael dwelt in that land, that Reuven went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine... (ibid. 35:22)." The plain understanding is hard to swallow. Could Reuven -- a full-fledged, card-carrying member of the "Tribes of G-d" (Tehillim 122:4) -- have truly been capable of such a heinous and reprehensible sin? The Gemara concludes, no.
"Said Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeini in the name of Rabi Yonasan: Whoever says that Reuven sinned is totally mistaken (Shabbos 55b)." In other words, Reuven didn't really do it. But what then did he do?
The Gemara explains: Reuven was concerned for the honor of his mother. After Rachel had died, Reuven naturally assumed that Yaakov would establish his primary residence in Leah's tent. When he saw that Yaakov had chosen Bilhah, Reuven was disconcerted, to say the least. How would his mother Leah feel? It was enought that she was second to Rachel, but to be second to Bilhah, that was too much to bear. In order to save his mother from undue anguish, Reuven moved Yaakov's bed to Leah's tent.
Accordingly, Reuven's sin was not nearly as grave as would seem. He merely moved a bed. But why does the Torah describe it in such nefarious terms?
"...'His surroundings are exceedingly turbulent (Tehillim 50:3)' -- this teaches that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is exacting with those who surround him to a hairsbreadth (Yevamos 121b)." Tzaddikim are judged by a different standard. One does not weigh diamonds on the same scale one uses for potatoes. For Reuven, the first-born of Yaakov, moving his father's bed was tantamount to the worst of crimes.
Let us return to our Parsha. Instead of blessing Reuven, Yaakov curses him, and Reuven thereby loses three very valuable possessions for all eternity. But why? Was the Torah's ignominious portrayal not sufficient? That the uneducated would forever censure Reuven for a sin that he did not commit was not ample castigation?
Rav Elya Lopian, in Lev Eliyahu, answers. Truth to tell, Reuven's act itself was not so utterly immoral. What established it as eternally infamous was the fact that he acted out of anger. He was impetuous. "Water-like impetuosity, you cannot be foremost... (Breishis 49:4)."
In order to to occupy a position of leadership of the Jewish people, to be able to voice an opinion, first a person needs to eradicate anger. Anger colors all action with a dubious hue. Torah Truth flees (Pesachim 66b).
In a sense, Reuven was not punished, rather his everlasting loss was an expression of his unchanged personality. Thus, although Reuven did teshuva for his act (Rashi 37:29), he was not restored to his original status. It wasn't a one-time error which demolished Reuven's future, it was his consistent flaw of anger. And that he had yet to rectify.
We find the same phenomenon with regard to Shimon and Levi. "For in their rage they murdered people... Accursed is their rage for it is intense, and their wrath for it is harsh... (Breishis 49:6-7)." Yaakov was not disturbed by what they did, but by how they did it (Rashi 34:25). They personally were not cursed, only their anger. Their impetuosity was their undoing.
Anger is the root of many evils. Even if a resultant sin is not considered so grave, nonetheless, the anger itself may invoke harsh retribution.
"...Anger is a very evil character trait, and it is worthwhile for a person to distance himself from it to the furthest extreme. He should train himself never to become angry, even for something worth getting angry over... Whoever gets angry, it is as if he worships foreign gods; Whoever gets angry, if he is wise, his wisdom flees from him... People who are often angry, THEIR LIFE IS NO LIFE (Rambam Hilchos Deyos 2:3)."
"When a person gets angry, all types of Gehinnom manipulate him (Nedarim 22b)." "The angry one possesses only his anger (Kiddushin 40b)." Not only will the angry one not achieve his intended goal, he may very well lose that which he already has, including the respect of those who know him.
Perhaps the best conclusion is a story from the Gemara (Shabbos 30b). There was an incident regarding two people who made a bet. They said, "The first one who causes Hillel (the prince of the Jewish people) to become angry, will receive four hundred zuz."
One took the challenge. That day was Erev Shabbos, and Hillel was shampooing his hair. The man walked by Hillel's house. "Who's this Hillel guy, who's this Hillel guy?" he cried.
Hillel got dressed and went out to greet him. He said, "My son, what can I do for you?"
"I have a question to ask."
"Ask, my son, ask."
"Why are the heads of the Babylonians oblong?"
Hillel responded, "My son, you have asked an important question. The answer is, because their midwives are not wise."
The man left and waited a while. He returned and cried out, "Who's this Hillel guy? Who's this Hillel guy?"
Hillel dressed again and went out to greet him. "My son, what can I do for you?"
"I have a question to ask."
"Ask, my son, ask."
"Why are the eyes of the Tarmudians tender?'
"My son, you have asked a great question. The answer is, because they live among the dunes."
He left and waited another while. He came back and again cried out, "Who's this Hillel guy? Who's this Hillel guy?"
Hillel dressed himself yet again, and went out to greet him. "My son, what can I do for you?"
"I have a question to ask."
"Ask, my son, ask."
"Why are the feet of the Africans wide?"
"My son, that is a great question. Because they live among mud flats, and they walk barefoot."
The man complained, "I have many questions to ask you, but I am afraid you will get angry."
Hillel sat down. "Feel free to ask anything you like."
"Are you Hillel, the one they call the prince of Yisrael?"
"Yes."
"If you are him, let there be no others like you among the Jewish people!"
"But why, my son, why?"
"Because of you, I have lost four hundred zuz!"
Said Hillel, "Watch your temper. It is worth losing four hundred zuz, and yet another four hundred zuz, as long as Hillel does not get angry." |
