Rabbi Akiva Stopler
The brilliant and iconoclastic Chasidic thinker Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk (1787-1859) demanded for himself and his loyal followers uncompromising honesty and self-scrutiny. His obsession with the truth inspired him to suggest many original and creative aphorisms. “If I am I because I am I, and you are you because you are you, then I am I and you are you. But if I am I because you are you and you are you because I am I, then I am not I and you are not you.”
In other words, the Kotzker insisted that one’s identity be independent of others and come from within. If we are defined by how we measure up to others, then true self-identity cannot exist.
The Kotzker also said: “There are rebbes who are so great that they can revive the dead. But reviving the dead is Gd’s business. A rebbe needs to be able to revive the living”.
In other words, the Kotzker required that his followers be more than observers but participants, eschewing both mediocrity and rote. He saw his mandate as a rebbe to challenge and inspire his followers to serve HaShem with introspection, passion and originality. The Kotzker’s affinity to unadulterated truth is evident in his many original and non-conformist interpretations of the words of Chazal.
A perfect example of this is how he understood the passage of Y’fas Toar - the woman of beautiful form, featured in this week’s Parsha. Here the Torah offers a dispensation to the Jewish soldier to fulfill his desire with an otherwise prohibited pagan captive woman. In the words of our sages, “Lo dibra Torah ela k’neged Yetzer HaRah - The Torah spoke only in response to the evil inclination (Sifre)”. The classic interpretation of the commentators is that without this dispensation, the soldier might succumb to her beauty and take her illicitly. The Torah therefore offers a permissible venue, which extricates the soldier from sin. The problem with this interpretation is that the typical Biblical Jewish soldier was righteous beyond fault and amongst the nation’s spiritual elite. How could the Torah entertain the possibility that he would succumb to his evil inclination? Why is a dispensation needed for a soldier who would never entertain living with a pagan woman?
The Kotzker therefore offers a completely novel way to understand the Torah’s dispensation of Y’fas Toar. The Almighty wants us to feel alive. We accomplish this by struggling to make good choices. The satisfaction that comes from these successful choices endows us with a deep sense of purpose and zest for life. Therefore, if the Torah hadn’t permitted the captive woman there would have been no struggle and no challenge. The righteous soldier would never have entertained even a remote possibility of taking her. But HaShem wants us to struggle and deliberate. He wants us to choose and grow from these challenges. He therefore permitted the captive woman in order to tempt the righteous soldier. She was now a possibility, a viable candidate for marriage. Now that there was a level playing field, the soldier could choose to reject this beautiful pagan woman and thereby enjoy the benefits of choosing a more noble and virtuous life. This is what the sages mean by, “Lo dibra Torah ela k’neged Yetzer HaRah- The Torah spoke only in response to the evil inclination”. The dispensation was offered in order to allow the evil inclination a legitimate voice to tempt the righteous soldier. The soldier now had the ability to choose good over evil and reject the machinations of the evil inclination.
Another example of the creative and original Kotzker style is found in the passage of the Ben Sorer U’moreh - the wayward and rebellious son. This young 13 year old is guilty of stealing money from his father and feasting on rare meat and a modicum of wine. These minor crimes are seen as a harbinger for future dysfunction. His rebellious behavior makes it clear to Beis Din that he will degenerate into a depraved individual and must therefore incur the punishment of execution. He is punished for what he may do in the future, not for the sins he actually committed. In the words of Chazal (Sanhedrin 72a), “Ben Sorer U’moreh neherag al shem sofoh” - the wayward and rebellious son is put to death because of his end” i.e. his inevitable future. The problem with this interpretation is that the Almighty always judges man, “ba’asher hu sham - in his present reality (Vayeira 21:17)”. When the Almighty saved Yishmael from his terminal illness, the angels pleaded with Him not to perform this miracle because in the future Yishmael’s offspring would persecute the Jewish people. HaShem responded that He always judges an individual according to his present deeds and not for what his future holds. How then can we punish the Ben Sorer U’moreh for his future infractions?
The Kotzker therefore creatively interprets “al shem sofoh - because of his second name and description”. He may be a Sorer - wayward but his main offense lies in his second description Moreh - one who teaches and directs others to follow in his wayward path. A teenager who errs and succumbs to temptation can always be rehabilitated. However, one who truly believes the veracity of a life of crime, as evidenced from the fact that he guides and motivates others to rebel like him, will be forever entangled in the web of sin. He is therefore being punished for his present criminal leadership not for his future crimes. The true measure of an individual is how he affects others.
My good friend and colleague, Rabbi Kalman Packouz zt’l, shared the following anecdote about the power of leadership and hashpa’a. When Maran HaGaon Harav Shach zt’l came to Yeshivas Aish HaTorah to attend the bris of Harav Noach Weinberg’s son Yehuda, he was blown away meeting so many baalei Teshuva. He couldn’t believe that there were so many Bnai Torah who had previously been unobservant and now appeared acclimated and well grounded spiritually. This experience changed Rav Shach’s attitude toward the Teshuva movement in a most positive way. He then made his famous bold and powerful statement. “Since the attribute of Mercy is far greater than that of Divine justice, it stands to reason that, if one man, yemach shemo, can be responsible for the murder of 6 million Jews, so one man can also save and rehabilitate 6 million”.
My esteemed father Rabbi Pinchas Stolper Shlita merited influencing thousands on their journey to observance and a Torah way of life as the national director of NCSY. When Maran HaGaon Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt’l heard a rumor that my father might give up the leadership of NCSY, he spent an hour impressing on my father the urgency not to do so. In his loud and passionately booming voice, Rav Hutner told my father, “If you’re physically tired and emotionally drained, zolst foren in Honolulu arein - travel to Honolulu! Zolst leigen oifen beach - lie on a deserted beach! Nisht lernin - don’t learn! But gather your strength to return to the holy work that you are so devoted to. Be a moreh l’tov, inspiring others to return under the wings of the Divine Presence.”
In Conclusion: Firstly, the Almighty is a, “Melech chafetz ba’chaim” – a King who wants us to feel alive. We accomplish this by standing up to life’s challenges and making the right choices. The ensuing feeling of accomplishment and success gives one a sense of vitality and a joie de vivre that brings passion and meaning to life. It is better to be slightly challenged than live a complacent and sheltered life. When opportunity knocks on the door, such as spearheading a chesed drive or giving a shiur, seize the day and rise to the occasion. HaShem wants us to be challenged as we see from the way the Kotzker understood the passage of Y’fas Toar. Secondly, the worst sin is to be a Moreh L’rah –to lead others astray as the Kotzker understood the gravity of the decadence of the Ben Sorer u’moreh. Therefore, our goal in life must be to leave the world a better place than when we entered. This happens when we inspire others to lead a more noble and altruistic life. Each and every one of us, no matter where we stand on the spiritual spectrum, can contribute. A smile or an encouraging word can create a domino effect that makes a difference in someone’s life. Our mandate is to be Mashpiah L’tov by sharing the Derech Hashem with others. Wishing you and your loved ones a K’sivah V’chasima Tovah –A joyous, healthy and prosperous New Year.
