Jewish Spiritual Renewal: Derek Eretz Zuta + Rabbah: Shabbat 10/2/10
Shalom, L'Shana Tova, Chag Sameiach Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah! And Baruch ha Ba, welcome.
This begins our 4th class with Shamash OnLine classes, a service of Hebrew College of Newton Centre, MA, starting for the Shabbat of October 2, 2010, Parasha Beresheit.
Our class will be studying the minor, but important, and oft quoted Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta (small in Aramaic), and Rabbah (large). We will of course study some mussar, ethics, and ways of living our lives ethically with our fellows. While derek eretz literally means 'walking the land,' it is about how we live our lives daily, doing our best, trying to do what is 'just and right in God's eyes', getting along with our family, friends, and neighbors, and living life with shlema, integration, which leads to true shalom and serenity, being happy, joyous and free.
Traditionally both of these Tractates are found in the back of Talmud Bavli Tractate Avodah Zarah but calls to ArtScroll and Eichler Publishing show that their Talmuds are void of these texts, and to their knowledge, there is no English book written discussing them. So we are all on a new journey together.
As a bit of a beginning, in Talmud Bavli Tractate Pirkei Avot 3:17, '' Rabbi Eliezer the son of Azariah would say: If there is no Torah, there is no common decency; if there is no common decency, there is no Torah. (im ain derech eretz ain Torah). '' Ironically, Rabbi Eliezer was so stubborn holding on to his own opinion regarding whether a certain oven was kosher or not, that he defied all of his Rabbinic Academy colleagues and he was ex-communicated. His slipped on his derek eretz this day.
Being a fine human being (in Yiddish , a mentsh, as said to me the other day by my friend, and local Beth Yam shul president, Ted David ), and acquiring good character traits (in Hebrew, Middot), are fundamental to living anything learned by Torah or Talmud study. So if one has no "derek eretz," and does not possess '' decent, polite, respectful, thoughtful and civilized behavior,'' it doesn't matter what is learned in a Torah class, or if one is an elected lay leader, or even a rabbi, one is missing the point about what it is to be a Jew, or a good person in any religion.
With this being the Shabbat of Parasha Beresheit, Genesis, we are told that ''In the beginning, God created...'' It can be interpreted that God created only the beginning. How we humans chose to live the rest of our lives, how we choose to live on this earth, and treat our fellows and the planet, is up to each of us to decide, as we are created with bechira, free will. We have freedom of choice to choose to live a life with derek eretz, or a life with selfishness, letting our yetzer ha ra, what the Talmud calls the evil inclination, lead us.
So. together we begin:
TALMUD BAVLI TRACTATE DEREK ERETZ ZUTA.
CHAPTER I.
1. The qualities of the sages are: Modesty, meekness, eagerness, courage, bearing wrongs done to them, and being endeared to every one; submission to the members of their household, fear of sin, and judging every one according to his deeds.
So what is modesty? There is a seemingly cute but exceedingly wise statement in the Talmud Bavli Tractate Eruvin 100b "If the Torah had not been given, we would have learned tzni'ut (modesty) from a cat."
While traditional Judaism places emphasis on modesty as in the way one dresses , or relates to the opposite sex, tzni'ut, in this study of derek eretz, refers to humility.
Moses is referred to as "exceedingly humble, more than any man in the world" (Num.12:3). The Talmud states that humility is one of the desired characteristic traits of the Jewish people (Bavli Tractate Yevamoth 79a). Humility is a sign of Godly strength and purpose, not weakness. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (Proverbs 3:34). Humility allows us to understand that we are all connected with notions of transcendent unity with the universe or the Divine, and of becoming egoless.
The rabbis teach that the man who thinks he can live without others is mistaken; the one who thinks others can't live without him is even more deluded. Hence humility is a desirable trait because it creates in us the capacity to truly love God and our fellows.
It is our ego that separates us from God and our fellows. If we have a resentment towards someone, chances are, the Talmud teaches, as well as psychiatrists, that we see in that person a defect of character, that we have. We would rather shun or hold a grudge to that person, than work on that defect in ourselves.
"I stood between God and you" (Deuteronomy 5:5). Moses is telling Israel that he was an intermediary between God and them at Sinai.
But let us look at the verse literally. "I'' (ego) actually is a barrier, that stands between, God and us.
Anochi is the Hebrew word used for 'I."
While God wants us to have a healthy self esteem, that is earned by doing His will, God does not appreciate fake humility, self anointment, and vanity. "A vain person is one I cannot bear" (Psalms 101:5).
Jacob said to Isaac when he was pretending he was Esau: "It is I, Esau your firstborn" (Genesis 27:19). Anochi was used here.
The sages teach that the idea of wanting to be the "big man" , being an "I," is a trait of Esau. Esau is not one of our seven shepherds, ushpizin, who visited us this past week, in our sukkoth.
Jacob's self-concept was expressed in his statement "I am too small (undeserving) of all the kindnesses You have done for me" (Genesis 32:11). Jacob is Tiferet. This word symbolizes adornment, humility, even spirituality. He was in harmony with all. Jacob went with God's flow. (paraphrased from
I'd like to leave you with a quote on Humility, by Dr. Robert Smith, of the 20th century, USA. "Humility is having perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me . It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and pray to God in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble. "
We will as we study Derek Eretz Zuta and then Rabbah find the above themes taught and repeated. We will continue with this verse , Baruch ha Shem, next week. Have a good Shabbat and think of what is your definition of modesty and humility.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameiach!
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