Bo - Agency

 

Parshas Bo - Agency

In this week’s Parsha the commentators struggle to explain why Hashem took away Pharaoh’s free will.  

The underpinning motivation for this struggle is the ironclad rule that everyone has free will regardless of the circumstances as the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 5:2) explains that any person can be as righteous as Moshe or as evil as Yeravam. 

The Gemara declares this no less than three times in Shas (Brachos 33a, Niddah 16b, Megillah 25a) R’ Chanina said, everything is in the hands of heaven with the exception of the fear of heaven.

Every human is Divinely endowed with agency. Even Pharaoh facing an onslaught of pressure to renege on his resolve to keep the Jews enslaved was able to chose refusal because, according to the Sforno (Shemos 9:12), Hashem gave him the strength to do so. 

It seems like a simple concept. We have agency and are responsible for our actions as the Daas Tevunos says, Hashem created the world in such a way that we earn everything that we have. 

However, in today’s day and age, this concept is not simple at all. If you ask someone if they believe that they have free will they will answer, yes.

But, then they will make a myriad of excuses for their lack of accomplishments. It wasn’t my fault they will say. So and so prevented me from doing this and that. All those types of excuses are a fractional denials of agency.

This is something that is incumbent upon us to inculcate within every fiber of our being, As R’ Elazar Ben Durdia said(Avodah Zara 17a), the matter does not depend on anybody else except for me.

As a matter of fact, the entire world was created for that one impactful choice that we will make some time in our lives the Mishnah declares (Sanhedrin 37a) a person is obligated to say the world was created for me.

Vayigash - Truth

 

Vayigash - Truth

In the epoch of the Messiah veracity will be scarce (TB Sotah 49b). 

This is a pejorative prediction that falsehood will seep into civilization. It’s a message to those inclined to never give up to proliferate truth to the point of it’s insertion into the societal fabric to hinder its fray. 

But, what is the truth that one is encouraged to propagate? Living within the confines of our society it is hard to grasp. Echos jounce of walls declaring that it’s your truth that matters. 

This, of course, presupposes that truth is nonexistent because it’s presence is irreconcilable with multitudinous perspectives that are mutually exclusive.

For example, one says that my truth is that the Sun is in the sky and the other says that my truth is that the Sun isn’t in the sky. They both can’t be right. They are either both wrong or one of them is right. 

The answer is that dearth of truth is tantamount to Godlessness because the signet of God is truth (TB Shabbos 55a). Ipso facto, the pursuit of knowledge of God will yield the unveiling of truth. 

How does one know the truth that there are men and women? That they have different roles? That the familial structure is the foundation of society? That procreation is a value and a Mitzvah? That stealing and murder are wrong? That the struggle between good and evil is what’s weighty? That racial profiles or affiliation with a specific group are insignificant to one’s innate opportunity? Personal accomplishment is the only element that affords one privilege as a matter of consequence. 

Regarding Devorah being a Prophetess and serving as a Justice adjudicating Jewish Law, Tannah Debei Eliyahu (Rabbah Chapter 9) declares, “I attest upon myself with the Heaven and the Earth that whether one is Jewish, non-Jewish, man or woman, servant or maid-servant everything is according to one’s deeds. Proportionate to those deeds will the Divine Presence be manifest in their lives.”

One can only know truth by knowing God. One can only know God by studying His manifesto; The Torah. 

Not only are we to engage in loftiness. But, it is incumbent upon us to instill it in our children (TB Kiddushin 29a). 

If our progeny fails to imbed it in the inner recesses of their consciousness and apply it to their daily lives then we have ceased to live. For one who doesn’t spring forth into the future is reckoned to be dead (see Gur Aryeh, Genesis 30:1). 

This is why this week’s portion informs us that the spirit of Yaakov was enlivened (Genesis 45:27). Yaakov was apprehensive of Yosef’s spiritual state. Living in Egypt must have worn Yosef down. The depravity and dispensation of morals that was prevalent in that society certainly frayed the spirituality of Yosef until he was reduced to shadow of his old self.

That’s what Yaakov thought was the most likely scenario. But, when He heard that Yosef was still studying the Torah (Rashi, Ibid) his anxiety dissipated leaving in its wake the elation one feels when they recognize that they are still alive because their progeny continues to plot forward spiritually. 

Bamidbar - Identity

The Israelites shall camp each with his standard, under the banners of their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance. (Bamidbar 2:2) 

In today’s society prevalence of succumbing to indulgence has become an epidemic. Objective speculation from an observational standpoint would conclude that this practice is due to a fallacious belief that one can eschew any pernicious affect upon their stellar character even if they periodically dabble in a some minuscule deviance. 

Imagination may conjure some rosy portrait of one’s impeccable moral standard declaring, I’m good person. But Elijah the prophet’s cry reverberates throughout the generations, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? (Kings 1 18:21)

The colloquialism mimicking this query is true. One cannot straddle the fence. A side has to be chosen. This is the lesson of the novel, A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In my review of the book I commented the following. 

“This is a fantasy about a researcher that has developed a drug that can catalyze a transformation in people such that their evil part becomes the dominant character to the point where even the physical features are reflective of that persona. 

He then switches to that character to facilitate his own unbridled indulgence in every desire. 

What he fails to realize is that one can’t compartmentalize evil and, at will, retract to his sensible self. 

Eventually, the drug fails to be efficacious and he rebounds to his evil self without conscious purpose or the drug. His evil self emerges to the fore and submerges his sensible side. 

He doubles the dose of the drug and forcibly conquers his evil self. 

But, eventually his resolve falters. Then he is forced to take extreme measures which spiral his doom…

If one permits dominance of one’s inclinations it will not be a momentary indulgence. But, rather his entire being will become subsumed in it’s parasitic consumption.”

That is to say that if one straddles the fence, the evil side will eventually ravage all opposition. As the indulgence compounds less space is left for the sensible side until there’s no room at all. This is the meaning of the Talmud’s statement, “Rav Asi said: Initially, when it begins to entice someone, the evil inclination is like a strand of a spider’s and ultimately it is like the thick ropes of a wagon.” (Succah 52A)

We humans possess the capacity to identify this issue, diagnose its exact catalyst and employ our faculties to overcome these formidable invasions of our psyche. 

That’s why identity is paramount. When one is able to isolate the framework of their identity they become cognizant that urges, desires, impulses, and lusts are tertiary to who they are. 

This is why the Torah, in this week’s portion, according to the Haamek Davar, stresses that identify is essential. The Haamek Davar states that each Tribe, in their encampment, had a flag that was specific to their identity. The Tribe of Reuven had mandrakes, the tribe of Yehuda had a lion, etc. (Bamidbar 2:2) 

Presumably the standard’s purpose was to emblazon one’s identity upon the mind. That there was an Avraham, Yitchak, Yaakov, and the Tribes. That there was a historical development of mind, spirituality, and monotheistic belief that eventually set the groundwork for the development of a people that would be ready, deserving, and qualified to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai from God Himself. 

It gave license for one to say as a famous singer once sang, “It’s all a part of me. That’s who I am”. 

Vayetzei- The seat of power is with the people

PARSHAH VAYETZEI | GENESIS 28:10-32:3

Continents have been ravaged by tyrants. Countries have been decimated by despots. People have been led like sheep to slaughter. They have been tortured, maimed, executed and controlled in a cruel, phlegmatic manner — all so that someone could garner power.

One can be born in a country that’s free with equal rights or in a dictatorship where all do as they are told. It seems that for the 7.5 billion people on this planet it’s a

matter of chance, a roll of the dice. And there’s nothing that they can do about it. One can be born in North Korea or in the United States. The choice isn’t theirs.

But the Torah teaches us differently.

Pharaoh was the absolute ruler of ancient Egypt. He made himself into a god-like figure (Rashi, Shemos 7:15). The Egyptian empire was the most powerful at the time.

He was a true king in every sense of the word. Whatever he said was law — period. Dissent was impracticable.

Egypt owed a prodigious debt of gratitude to Yosef. As the viceroy he single-handedly saved the kingdom. As we know, at that time the planet was stricken by an excru-

ciating famine. Mass starvation and economic calamity was the unavoidable fate.

Yosef devised a plan putting together an operation that was executed smoothly with precise logistics and organization. As a result of his efforts not only did the Egyptians

survive but they also thrived in the face of this famine. They became the provider of all necessities in that difficult time.

So, many years later, when the Egyptian people approached him requesting that he subjugate the Jews, because of his gratitude, he emphatically refused. In his blood and

bones Pharaoh internalized that Egypt as they knew it would be — a collapsed heap of rubble without Yosef. Therefore, he wasn’t willing to be an ingrate and subjugate his people. And when Pharaoh, the king of the entire civilized world, refuses, that is the end of the conversation.

Not so, in this case, because the people weren’t interested in that gratitude and etiquette. Au contraire, the Jews had to be corralled, the danger that they presented, eradicated. He refused so they deposed him from his reign for three months until he reneged. Only when he agreed was he reinstalled. “A new King arose that didn’t know Yosef” (Shemos Rabbah 1:8).

In other words, it was it was the same king, the same Pharaoh. But, Pharaoh acted as if he didn’t know Yosef. As if he felt no gratitude for what he did.

No matter who is in charge. No matter what type of government it is — a dictatorship, autocracy, democracy, or a republic — the governing class can’t do anything without the people’s consent. John Lennon once remarked: “People have power. They don’t even know it.” This is why in this week’s portion Yaakov consults his family before leaving Lavan. He presents an entire campaign outlining his reasoning (Bereishis 31:4-13). One would think that their departure was a fait accompli. Lavan was manipulative, ghoulish, intrusive and duplicitous. Separation from this abusive relationship was a no-brainer. Nevertheless, Yaakov understood that without the acquiescence of his family it wasn’t going to happen.

One should always make sure that the people are on their side because that is where the true power lies.