Sicha, Shabbos Parshas Devarim 5735
The Straight Path
The second chapter of Ethics of the Father’s begins by quoting Rabbi Yehuda that one must choose the “straight path” for themselves. Doesn’t the Code of Jewish Law already set out the path we need to take in life? What path does one need to choose on their own, asks the Rebbe? Furthermore, Rabbi Yehuda says that this path is one that is “harmonious for the one who does it, and earns them praise from mankind.” Is the right path dependent on what others think?
The Rebbe explains that the “straight path” here is choosing one of two legitimate options: a) Working primarily on one’s self. b) Working primarily for the benefit of others.
The Tannaic sages themselves opted for different paths. Ben Azzai, for example, was someone who never married and had a family because his soul thirsted for Torah study, and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s sole occupation was Torah study. Others, including the famous Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa, dedicated their lives to helping others. There are few legal rulings in the Talmud quoting Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa.
This debate goes back to the spies. They thought that one can only focus on one path, and thus only study Torah or only observe mitzvot. That’s why they were afraid to enter the Land of Israel; they would be able to observe mitzvot there but they were worried they wouldn’t be able to study Torah with the same dedication as before. Thus, they chose to remain in the desert.
Therefore, the Mishnah advises us that we can have both; we can work on ourselves (Torah study) and work with others.
The Rebbe exemplified this teaching in his personal life. He split his precious time between intense Torah study and communal activism on behalf of all Jews everywhere. The Rebbe demanded this attitude from his emissaries as well, saying often that G-d’s blessing will guarantee that their communal work will not detract from their personal spiritual growth.
Rabbi Steinsaltz’s story – the Rebbe demanded more and more.
Engaging with the Government
The third Mishnah cautions us to recognize the duplicitous nature of governments and not to believe they always have our best interests in mind; often they are preoccupied with their own agenda.
(Two noteworthy examples from Jewish history: Joseph, the viceroy of Egypt, saved the nation from hunger and in turn was mistreated by Pharaoh, and Don Yitzchak Abarbanel, the foremost economist in Spain who lent vast sums to the king, yet wasn’t spared from expulsion.)
The Rebbe interprets this Mishnah esoterically. The “government” is the muscles that control and regulate our body, the heart and brain. We should be cautious in how we engage them, because they can lead us astray. On the other hand, we cannot ignore them and focus only on doing good; our job is to transform our inclinations towards positive inclinations.
