"For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." -- Isaiah 2:3

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DEUTERONOMY — 33:1 man

Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, V'Zot HaBerachah (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12), Source Book Keys, PLYN
Page(s): 434-5
DEUT1713 Although we should forgo pleasures ourselves, we should try to give others pleasure. The Midrash comments that Moshe's upper half was Godly; Moshe's lower half was human (Dvorim Rabbah 11). Rabbi Yisroel Salanter explain the Midrash in the following manner. For himself, Moshe was a spiritual being, but when it came to others, Moshe was human. The Talmud (Ksubos 17a) states that a person should mingle with others. He must understand the needs of others. But for himself, a person should have as few needs as possible. A person must have two sets of values, one for himself and one for others. As far as he is concerned, a person should shy away from honor. Nevertheless, he should bestow honor upon his fellow man. A person should forgo pleasure for himself, but he should try to give his fellow man as much pleasure as possible. A person should be humble, but he should never humble his fellow man. (Ohr Yisroel, p. 83). Rabbi Yosef Y. Hurwitz, Rosh Yeshiva of Nevardok, expressed a similar idea. Undue concern about money is a very bad characteristic. A person should go to the opposite extreme and not worry even if he suffers a financial loss. However, if you see someone's possession laying on the floor, you must go out of your way to prevent it from being damaged. You should lend others whatever you own and even allow them to use your belongings without permission. But you yourself should never use anything that belongs to someone else without explicit permission. (Madraigos Haodom, section chesbon tzedek, ch. 7)

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DEUTERONOMY — 33:10 teach

Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, V'Zot HaBerachah (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12), Source Book Keys, BLOCH
Page(s): 99-100
DEUT1722 "Thou shalt teach Jacob thy ordinances and Israel thy law" [this verse]. Modern society worships success. Education is the key to success in business and the professions. An education which is geared to the promotion of proficiency in one's career must of necessity stress technological and scientific competence. Philosophy and ethics are of little consequence within this framework. Regretfully, technology does not enhance a student's moral stance, and postgraduate degrees do not attest to perfection of character. Fortunately, man's ethical heritage derives from various sources, independent of formal education. Many professionals find an opportunity to project their humane impulses in their chosen field of endeavor. The dedicated social worker, the medical practitioner in the inner city, the lawyer who defends the poor, the teacher who remains after school hours to tutor students in need of help, and countless others in different fields, find self-fulfillment in acting out their moral perceptions. Judaism has advocated the pursuit of education as a worthy goal in its own right, not for the material gain which it may produce. The rabbinic slogan which reflects this attitude was coined by Rabbi Zadok (1st cent.): "Make not the Torah a crown with which to aggrandize thyself, nor a spade with which to dig" (Avot 4:7). The rabbis and teachers of antiquity were unsalaried people who made their living by hard labor. Despite their lack of economic success, they received the highest degree of respect, admiration, and veneration. Traditional Jewish society equated education with the study of Torah, a compendium of ritual laws, civil laws, and ethical precepts. Experts and laymen alike were required to have a knowledge of this code. It was mandatory for every individual to set aside periods for study. The basic rule of national conduct with regard to education was formulated in the command to Joshua: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein" (Joshua 1:8). The purpose of education, spelled out in this command, is to teach the rules which one must translate into daily conduct.

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