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Week 135 - Sunday - 23 June 2002

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNA 14

He used to say: Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (of God); still greater was this love in that it was made known to him that he was created in the image (of God), as it is written (Gen. 9:6): "In the image of God made He man". Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of God; still greater was this love in that it was made known to them that they are called children of God, as it is written (Deut. 14:1): "You are the children of the Lord your God". Beloved are Israel, for to them was given a precious instrument; still greater was this love in that it was made known to them that to them was given a precious instrument with which the world was created, as it is written (Prov. 4:2): "For I give you good doctrine; forsake not my Torah".

Kehati

In this Mishnah Rabbi Akiva teaches us concerning the love of man in general and the love of Israel in particular. We are reminded of his famous saying (T.J Ned. 9:4): "'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Lev. 19:18) - this is a major principle of the Torah."

He - Rabbi Akiva, used to say: Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (of God) "this refers to the rational faculty which distinguishes man, and whose goal is knowledge of God to the extent of man's capacity and intelligence" (Rambam). Hence, man is obliged to do the will of his Creator (Rashi); still greater is this love, in that it was made known that he was created in the image - God manifested additional love for man, in that He revealed to him that he was created in His image. For he who bestows a favor on another and informs him of the benefit conferred, discloses greater love than one who favors another but does not inform him of it (Rambam). Thus, by revealing to man his Divine image, God further underscored man's unique standing in His eyes; as it is written: "in the image of God made He man." - a universal reference to mankind, since this verse speaks of man in general (see Tosefot Yom Tov).

The Midrash tells us (Vayikra Rabba 34): "When Hillel the Elder parted from his students, he used to accompany them. His students asked him: Rabbi, where are you going? He answered: To fulfill a mitzvah. They asked: What kind of mitzvah? He answered: To take a bath. They asked. Is that a mitzvah? He answered. If the statues of kings placed in the theaters and circuses are washed and polished, and as a reward the cleaner earns his living and is honored in the company of the royal household, how much more so should I, who was created in the image of God, take care of myself, as it is written: 'for in the image of God made He man."'

Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of God - even when they have sinned (Kid. 36a), as it is written (Jer. 4:22): "they are foolish children," and (Deut. 32:20): "children in whom there is no faithfulness" - yet are still His children; still greater was this love in that it was made known to them that they are called children of God - God showed particular favor to Israel by informing them that they are His children, as it is written: "You are the children of the Lord your God" - which marks out Israel's special rank. However, this status is the function of a further Divine favor, for Beloved are Israel, for to them was given a precious instrument - i.e., the Torah, which is called precious, as it is written (Ps. 19:8-Il): "The Torah of the Lord is perfect... the ordinances of the Lord are true. ~. more precious are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold." In the words of our Sages (Zev. 116a): "When God gave the Torah to Israel, His voice travelled from one end of the world to the other... and all the kings of the gentiles gathered at the residence of Balaam the wicked and asked. 'What is this mighty sound which we have heard?...' He answered. 'God has a precious treasure in His storehouse... and he seeks to present it to His children.'"

Still greater was this love in that it was made known to them that to them was given a precious instrument, with which the world was created - as it is said (Bereshit Rabba Chapt. 1): "'And I was with him as a craftsman.' (Prov. 8:30). The Torah said: 'I was the tool of God.' Generally, when an earthly king builds a palace, he does not build it himself, but rather by means of an artisan; and the artisan does not build it unaided, but has blueprints and plans specifying the rooms and the doors; likewise, God consulted the Torah and created the world." Then God manifested additional love for Israel by disclosing to them that the Torah was given to them, as it is written: "For I give you good doctrine; forsake not my Torah" - Bartenura explains: "All of Creation of which it is said, 'and God saw that it was good' was called into being only for the sake of the Torah, called doctrine, as in (Deut. 32:2): 'My doctrine shall drop as the rain."'

Tosefot Yom Tov adds: The term tov (good) generally relates to physical objects, while hemdah (precious) is applied to the realm of the spiritual. Hence, Rabbi Akiva's association of the Torah with hemdah rather than tov, a term applied to Creation. This distinction is spelled out in the verse (Gen. 3:6): 'That the tree was tov (good) for food... and that the tree was nehmad (precious) to make one wise.' Here, too then tov relates to physical food, while nehmad (precious) is associated with the intellect.

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNA 15

All is foreseen; yet free choice is granted. The world is judged with grace; yet all is according to the predominance of the deeds.

Kehati

Our Mishnah presents a further dictum of Rabbi Akiva, described in Rambam's commentary on this Mishnah as containing "very important principles."

All is foreseen - and known beforehand by God, yet free choice is granted- man is to choose good or evil by his own free will. God's foreknowledge does not restrict human action at all. Although this concept is beyond human understanding, we must recognize that Divine knowledge is totally unlike our knowledge, since He and His knowledge are one. And just as we, with our limited intelligence, cannot grasp the reality of God, so too are we unable to comprehend the nature of His knowledge (Rambam), as the prophet declares (Is. 55:8): "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, My ways."

The world is judged with grace - by God Who considers man with kindness, applying the standard of mercy rather than strict justice, as it is written (Ex. 34:6): "long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth," and our Sages added (Sanh. 111a, and elsewhere): long-suffering towards both the righteous and the wicked, as it is written (Ps. 145:9): "The Lord is good to all," yet all is according to the predominance of the deeds - Rambam explains: According to the prevalence of deeds, rather than the nobility of an individual act. Thus, if a man consistently performs good deeds and repeats them several times, his positive inclination is strengthened.

This, however, cannot be achieved by the solitary performance of a great deed. For example: he who makes a single donation of a thousand gold pieces, does not acquire the quality of generosity, as much as one who gives the same amount in a thousand installments: for whereas the latter's one thousand times recurring generosity will impress itself upon his soul, a single magnanimous act could have resulted from a sudden spur of the moment that may never repeat itself. Similarly, in the Divine acknowledgement of the mitzvot, man is rewarded according to the degree of constancy in his record of positive action.

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