"Torah Lights"
 
Video Insights on the Parsha
 
 by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel: "Thou shalt not covet…" (Ex 20:14)

The highlight of this week's Biblical portion is the Ten Commandments – which, even 4,000 years later, remain the most exalted prescription for human morality ever written. Immediately following these measured but majestic exhortations comes a seemingly superfluous postscript, but one which is startlingly relevant for our economically challenged times: "Thou shalt not make alongside me gods of gold or silver for yourselves" (Exodus 20:19).

Idolatry may be defined as making any ideal for oneself, an end-in-itself, other than the Lord of love and compassion, patience and morality (Ex. 34:6). G-d is a "jealous god;" the quest for gold and silver as an absolute goal cannot co-exist with fealty to Him, even if the "two-timer" prays three times a day.

In today's society, "it's not a question of enough pal, because it's never enough," as financier Gordon Gekko explains in Oliver Stone's memorable and perhaps prophetic movie "Wall Street." This movie expresses our zeitgeist in which a powerful few were enabled to manipulate banking and investment systems not only to feed their own greed but to fuel the greed of an entire society – including observant and traditional Jews – in their desperate rush to ride the golden calf.

Let me recount a crucial lesson in economics that I received in the eighth grade class of the Yeshiva of Brooklyn. Our principal, Rav Menahem Manus Mandel, posed the following question: who is wealthier, the man with $100 or the man with $200? "The man with $200," we replied in unison. "Not necessarily," explained the rabbi. "You must remember that unfortunately wealth must be measured not by the amount an individual has, but rather by the amount he thinks he lacks. Most people want to double what ever they have; hence, the person with $100 wants $200 – and so he is missing $100. But the person with $200 wants $400 – so he is missing $200. Doesn't this mean that the person with $100 is wealthier, because he requires less to get what he thinks he needs?"

Rav Mandel's point about having more and still desiring more was a lesson about greed, which is defined by Merrian–Webster as "a selfish and excessive desire for more of something [such as money] than is needed." The financial meltdown from which we are still suffering and our high rate of unemployment must teach us that greed is not good, and that the tenth commandment, "thou shalt not covet," is right on target. Greed ultimately leads to the "Madoffian" loss of morality because its ever-growing demands shut out the "still, small voice" of G-d.

It is not sufficient merely to ensure compliance with the letter of the law; it is specifically the spirit of the law which leads to proper Divine service. The Kotzker Rebbe is said to have remarked, "The mitnagdim are idolaters, since they slavishly serve the Code of Jewish law; while we hassidim serve the G-d of love and truth." If our community had but concentrated more on the values of our prophets, then the valuables of monetary profits would not have been allowed to control our markets.

Jewish "worship" of the "letter of the law" – as opposed to fealty to its inherent spirit – is exemplified by a recent slaughterhouse scandal in which illegal workers were hired and treated inhumanely, and animals were callously treated before they were slaughtered. In the aftermath of this outrage – that required government intervention – one of the most respected leaders of a well-known Kashrut-certification agency declared in a public forum that Kashrut means adhering to specific ritual standards regarding the piece of meat itself, period. Which workers you hire and how they are treated is a separate issue, he said, which must be policed by the government in accordance with its standards.

That perspective completely misses the point that informs the laws of Kashrut. It totally ignores the fact that the prohibition of eating meat and milk together is Biblically expressed in terms of sensitivity and consideration, "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk." (Ex 23:19) Likewise, the Biblical source for the soaking and salting of the meat before it may be cooked is "thou shalt not eat the blood, for the blood is the soul of the animal" (Deuteronomy 12:23).

The Bible is clearly concerned about training us to be sensitive to the ethical ambiguity of the eating of meat in the first place. It is clearly teaching us to be ethically sensitive to all living creatures, most of all to our fellow human beings.

My favorite story about Rav Yisrael Salanter, famed founder of the Jewish Ethicist Mussar Movement (1800 – 1870), relates to his Friday evening meal as the guest of a Kovno baker. Eager to impress the honored visitor with his religious piety, the baker bellowed loudly to his wife (whom he addressed improperly upon entering the house with the appellation "Yiddene," or "Jewish woman") that she must immediately cover the hallot (braided Sabbath loaves), castigating her for her delinquency in not doing so. The woman, embarrassed in the presence of Rav Salanter, shamefacedly covered the loaves, an act which she had planned to do anyway as a matter of course.

Rav Yisrael turned to his self-satisfied host. "Do you perchance know why we cover the loaves?" he asked. "Of course, learned Rabbi," answered the baker. "Usually we make the first blessing over the bread, which frees us from making blessings over other foods served during the meal. However, the Sabbath meals are an exception, since the blessing to sanctify the wine must precede the blessing over the bread. Since the hallot would probably expect to be blessed first, we cover them over to avoid their embarrassment when we bless the wine."

"Why do your ears not hear what your mouth is saying?" responded the Rabbi. "Do you really believe that Jewish law thinks that a piece of dough has feelings? Jewish law is training you to be sensitive to the feelings of the hallah, so that you will certainly be sensitive to the feelings of your wife!"

Jewish educators, rabbis and leaders of Jewish institutions must not overlook the true values of our Jewish traditions, the teachings of our prophets, "What is good and what does the Lord require of you? Act justly, love kindness, and walk modestly [not opulently] with your G-d" (Micah 6:8).  We dare not honor the millionaire of the day while we overlook the educator of the year, and give fulsome praise at obscenely gaudy bar-mitzvah and bat-mitzvah celebrations where the matching color-schemes of the dresses and flower arrangements and the deafeningly loud band music crowd out the true religious meaning of the rite of passage.

The gods of gold and silver must not be allowed to push aside the G-d of modesty and morality. Only when the term "religious Jew" becomes synonymous with "ethical human being" will we be able to fulfill our covenantal mission as "a holy people and kingdom of priests – teachers to the world" (Ex. 19:6); only then will be a "light unto the nations."

Shabbat Shalom

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