Rabbi Shais Taub on "Compassion for the Wicked?"—Shem MiShmuel on Parshas Vayeira

Okay. So, welcome to Thursday night chol. We call this cholant because we eat real cholant. It's not a joke. And because it's different every week, we learn something learn something different every Thursday. So, um we where we two weeks ago we were in Ukraine. Last week we were in Iraq. And uh now we're going to Poland. We we get around. So the shemish the rabbi the he was actually the second his father Shamishmo's father Rab azer was the first sachav he has an interesting background he was a katskar he was a talmid of the katskar the famed kutsker and then afterward he after the katskar was nstalik so He went and became aid of his wife's uncle the GB and then after that he went to Alexander to Gar and Alexander have a nice rivalry but he I guess that didn't stop him and he went to the Alexander Rabb that was the first so his is the shamish is an interesting title for a safer. It's known that uh is put their names into the na into the safer. The title of the safer that they were uh so his the name is but uh what what is this shemish? What is it a p where where do you find such words? So actually it's a Mishna. It's a Mishna and Shabas. It's talking about the one of the 39 prohibited labors is CA is writing. So it asks a question, what if you were trying to write a word and you didn't finish the word but by even writing the beginning of of a longer word, you had actually written a complete word, a smaller word which is the beginning of a longer word. For instance, if you wrote me, you were trying to write, that was your intention, but you just wrote the first two letters shinme, which on their own are already a word, the word shem, which means name. And so that's what the shem is. Okay. So the shamish is uh on the on the paras and on theim and uh it's in chronological order goes in chronological order according to the years when the shemol said these drasas. So we're going to look at adrasha on par because that's the para this paraso and uh talks about a very interesting concept with uh some deep ramifications sociologically and spiritually. Basically what do we do with people who are a menace to society who they are a detriment they are dangerous. How do you handle something like that? Okay, so let's take a look here. And approached and he said, what is this referring to? Approached. We know the approach. The approach is his prayer. He approached Hashem. He was dabbing. He was mispe. What was he dabbing about in this particular context? He was dabbing to Hashem that Hashem shouldn't destroy Snoy and the other four cities because Hashem said, "How am I not going to tell a I made him, you know, the the head of this whole area? So, I got to go tell him what I'm about to do that we pasined in the best sham. This these these cities, they got to go. So, I'm going to go tell him first." And instead of just saying, "Okay, duly noted a started deting." He said, "No, Hashem, don't do it." Okay. So, Yeah, regarding davening for the sodomites, we have to understand something. There's something very strange here. Is it not? So, the sodomites weren't just bad to themselves. They were bad to everyone, to the whole world, not just uh to a few other people, to everybody. We know what was like. They were very bad people. They're very they were they were systematically cruel. They institutionalized cruelty. They made a they made a a a culture of cruelty. It talks about in the Gummor and Sanhedrin about uh they outlawed hospitality. There was a girl. She gave she gave uh seducker to a beggar. They caught her and they tied her up and they put honey on her until wasps came and stung her to death. So they they were very cruel. Or if you wanted to uh spend the night, they said, "Okay, sure." They put you in a bed and if the bed was too long for you, they'd stretch you. If the bed was too short, chop you up. So they they they they mocked hospitality. They hated hospitality. the the Akadus Yitz actually says that they were the anti-av that a wasid and who were contemporaneous to a they were like the anti-hassid not just the lack of they were antithetically opposed to um there's a story the bed a couple weeks ago we learned from the kaducious so when he became he actually he had a a deal with the vader with the community council. He told them that he's the Rav which means he deals with RNA and if they have any communal matter matters they can only call him in if it's a new takana. If it's an old takana he says don't bother me about it but just you know grandfather it in I don't want I don't want to hear about if it's a new taka if it's a new enactment then you could call me in. So that when he first became they they brought him in. They brought in and the head of the community gets up and he says we have a problem here that the the beggars have become it's just rampant. It's incessant just doesn't stop with all these accosting everyone at home in Schul and the streets just too much. So we're going to make a rule. Nobody's going to give beggars. You don't give to a beggar. We're going to have a community chest. Was it called a monopoly? Community chest. Okay. Got out of jail. Community chest. Okay. What was the chance card? Chance card and community chest. Okay. The orange and the yellow. Am I right? I haven't played that in a long time. Anyways, so we're going to have a community chest and anyone who needs funds, they they can get from there. But but nobody's giving to Poppers. We don't do that anymore. So gets up and he starts to leave. Why? What are you leaving? And he says you brought it's an old he says you brought me under false pretenses. You told me you're only going to bring me for a new takana. They said it is a new takana. He said no it's an old takana goes all the way back to okay was against hospitality or daka. They just they didn't they did not allow any type of uh any type of uh hospitality or generosity in any in any way. Um I was going to tell you that yeah there's a there's a concept in nigla talks about in gum in a few places about mid mid isn't just like an ethical concept like tick like don't be so selfish it's actually it's a concept where you have a case of zen where it's a scenario where one person's going to benefit but his benefit doesn't doesn't hurt you it doesn't it doesn't deplete eat from anything that you like an example one of the examples in the goto says there are two brothers and they inherited fields from their father. So one of them had property already. He already owned property that was adjacent to the inherited property. So he inherited property that was like one property away from the one he already owned. So he tells his brother, "Let's switch. So at least my I could expand. you know, it's better to have adjacent fields than to have a field and then a field. So the brother's like, "Nah, I don't want to do it. I don't want to switch." Like, why why wouldn't you switch with me? There's no if the the the scenario is all things being equal. They're equally good, equally big. Everything is the same about the fields. There's no difference to you. There's a difference to me. I'm going to I'm going to have a n from the fact that the the field is adjacent to the one I already own. You're not going to lose anything. It's not like the other brother had another field that was adjacent to that one. You're not losing anything, but he doesn't want to let it actually be can be kifa. They can force somebody if it's called if if it's if they're telling, hey, that's not right. You can't just even if you're within your rights, but to but uh to do something cruel just for the sake of, you know, standing on your rights when it's it's it's clearly not going to hurt you. You're not protecting any interests you have. It's not going to hurt you in any way. You're just being cruel. So they could actually force you. Anyways, so we know that was systematically institutionally cruel. They perfected it. They perfected cruelty. Okay. Trying toffect the rest of the world was just within their own. That's a good question. Were they like uh ambassadors of cruelty? Were they trying to convince I would assume? Probably not. the opposite. Oh, that's interesting. Because hassid itself wants to share what it's got. So, this is the opposite of hassid. So, you don't share what you got. If I've got a good thing, why do I why do I want you to replicate my model? We perfected this model that scares beggars out of town and you we're going to give it to you. Okay. Yeah. So, that's that's definitely a soda. That's very logical. Okay. Um I I the reason I would think Oh, they're bad to everyone. Well, you know, sometimes kma could be metaphorical or figurative, but or or it could mean potentially anyone who crossed their path. They didn't they didn't discriminate. Anyone who would be unlucky enough to come to town. Okay. the if so if so saving the sodomites is hurting the world. So here's a he's a bleeding heart and he's dinging. No, Hashem, don't punish. Yeah. Okay, but hold on a second. These guys are a menace. So by not punishing them, you're not removing the menace, you're indirectly aiding in a betting and you're going to cause damage to everybody else. If so, how is it possible that was asking mercy for them in a scenario that's going to directly damage other people? It's going to damage everybody else. It's good for them to get saved. It's bad for everybody else if they get saved. Alasim who alum interesting way to formulate it compassion for the sodomites is cruelty to everyone else. Okay. Okay. Now he brings in P of the Ramban oniml over there. It's talking about a murderer and it's talking about getting rid of the murderer. So the Ramban says something interesting. mitzvah. It's a mitzvah to do so. It's actually good for you, the avenger or the society who practices this vengeance to save yourself from death. So Raan says, what does that mean? It means if you're merciful on murderers who it's going to cause people to be murdered by these murderers and by other uh people who are uh damaging to society who who who throw off conventions and they they flout the law law breakakers. So Ramban says what does it mean when it talks about it means and and what and that it says that it is to save you. What does it mean to save you? It means it's very simple. You know there's different arguments for capital punishment. We take a ethics class. What are the arguments for capital punishment? Deterrent. Right? So you can argue against it. say, "No, it's not a deterrent." They know they they know. No, maybe it makes it worse and they know it's a three strikes and then they're going to they're go they're going to go for broke and then become desperate and Okay, so you say, "Well, well, vengeance. You want to uh get closure for the family, the victim." Okay, then maybe you could argue against that. You say, um, well, maybe it's not healthy for them. You know, maybe maybe uh two wrongs don't make a right. Does not going to benefit them. doesn't bring back to life the victim. Um but then the one of the one of the arguments is well no it's none of those things. It's really it's just to protect people. These are dangerous people and we're trying to prevent them from reaffending cuz they're murdered once they can murder again. It's just not it's not safe for society to allow certain people to to walk among the rest of us. So that's sort of what the Ramban is saying here that there are certain people who they're murderers. They murdered once. They're going to murder again. You got to get rid of them. You got to remove them. So we're very puzzled about Av's deting for the demium because they were bad guys. They were hurting people. And it wasn't just an accident that they were hurting people. It was very systematic. It was their it was their their rule book. So, uh, so what's up? What's what why is Aram why is Aram being so naive? That would be the word, you know, that we'd use if somebody somebody's, uh, you know, the public defender and he's like, well, you know, you got to show compassion. Well, the guy's a murderer. He didn't show compassion to his victim. Yeah, but we still have to have compassion. Okay, you're bleeding heart. You want to you want to defend this guy. You want to get him off, but what kind of compassion is that to the next person that he hurts and the next person the next person? Okay, it's a good question. Strong question. So it seems so it seems a wasn't just saying let's be compassionate. He had a strategy here. He had a plan and his plan was that by asking for Hashem to have compassion on theim, it would actually be of them would bring them close to Hashem. Meaning it would um it would reform them and they would come back from their bad way. How so? What are the mechanics? because by his arousing mercy for them from heaven we know there's a concept of emotional reciprocity it talks about in that it's originally from schleamelik but the idea of a heart reflects a heart like water reflects a face when you look into a clear water and you see your face shining back right so a heart has that same property of reflectivity that when you show a certain emotion towards someone they reflexive ly automatically show it back to you. So this was Aram's idea. Yeah, I know these guys are hardened criminals. You want to soften them, you want to make them kind, show them kindness. So therefore, if you show them kindness, it'll arouse in them a feeling of compassion alukim over uh on the oppressed and the downtrodden because right now they were cruel toward the oppressed and the downtrodden like deliberately so. But if you'll show them compassion, then they'll start to be compassionate to those who are disenfranchised. They'll come back from their wicked way. This was always a's way. This was doing this long before. This was his MMO. What was it? He would be people with precisely this method. He would show people kindness. And the Sheesh explains metaphysically how that worked. It wasn't just, you know, psychologically. I was nice to you so you be nice to me and be nice to others like psychologically like uh you know you feel indebted. He actually explains it was it's a metaphysical thing. It's a it's a spiritual thing. When you bring down kindness to them, it automatically draws them to be attracted to the source of that kindness. So you show them kindness and they become kind. Now he says here in the brackets is so in parro says that when you want to be mad of a person how do you do How how are you makat of a person? How do you bring a person close to with an animal? What does he mean with an he says with animalistic stuff? Which by the way is the whole point of the chant before the I mean this is very important. You can't skip the chol and show up for the the shir. The whole point is we put out a good ch and we put out meat and uh we give you some gashmas. Why? because we want to be mount of you. We want you to become close to Hashem. That's the way you do the says that's how you do it. You give somebody gashmas. You do the mata. He also mentions the why does it say? He says because the first man that Hashem made everything ready for him first and then he created him. Meaning he he prepared his misit. He prepared his sustenance and then he brought him onto the scene. So when you want somebody to do what they need to do, you can't ask them on an empty stomach. You can't you you can't talk to somebody who doesn't have their needs met and expect them to be holy. No, take care of them, feed them, and then they'll they can start being more spiritual. So almost like Maslo's hierarchy of needs, right? First you got to before the self-actualization, the spiritual stuff, you got to eat, right? Okay. But again, it it's not just psychological. It may also work psychologically because the way the reality works everything is consistent that if it's this way in the spiritual realms then it's consistent it's that way in in in in human psychology as well. But what I'm saying is the spiritual mechanics of it is upon that that that the the reciprocity. Okay. So you bestow kindness in someone it makes them kind that's and that's what what the says that's saying here. All right. this attribute of kindness that we always praise about. We say how kind he was. It wasn't just indiscriminate random kindness. We have that what is that bumper sticker practice uh random acts of kindness. Well, yeah. I mean, I understand what that means. random act of time. I mean, I mean, it's like don't don't be so picky, you know, just be kind just for the fun of it. But actually, it's it wasn't random at all. There was a very um specific talis. There was a benefit in mind here. And that is if you're kind to people, then you can help them grow spiritually. And that if you're mean to people, you're not going to help them grow spiritually. and you'll probably cause them to spiritually regress. So anyways, all right. So far so good. Makes sense. All right. So now he continues explains another part of this according to what we said. One of the things Aram says in his arguments, his defense argument of sort of like opening arguments is he, you know, the opening arguments before you say your case, you sort of like try to you're allowed to say other things that are not exactly, you know, the the the evidence. So um one of the things he mentions he says now Hashem you know you know me I am I am dust and ashes I'm I'm dust and ashes okay so the is going to ask what was the point of that why is he saying I'm dust and ashes like what was how is that part of his plea that hashem should be merciful on this built seemingly that's not understood What does I am dust and ashes have to do with this? He explains why it's like a nonsequittor. It's like totally out of place to even say that. You want to say it's some type of uh like uh like uh humility. It's not even humble. says, "Compared to exalted status, dust and ashes aren't any more humble than than an angel." If you want if you're comparing to what is this similar to you have an You have a millionaire. To this millionaire, there's no difference between a guy who has a hundred coins and a guy who has one coin. They're both out of his league. And with Hashem, how much more? So, because Hashem is infinite. So, you're saying I'm just dust and ashes. Well, and if you would say, and I'm a malik, I'm an angel. Then that would be uh that would be like intimidating. That would be like too big. That would be like overwhelming to Hashem. to Hashem who's infinite. There's really no there's no difference between the loftiest creation and the the smallest most insignificant creation. Continue the guy with one coin, the guy with a 100 coins, they're identically insignificant to the guy with a million. So, so to compared to Hashem's greatness, there's really no qualitative superiority to an angel over dust and ashes. They're both absolutely insignificant. They have no existence relative to Hashem equally. So we don't even understand what he was talking about. All right. So here what does she say? Remember the context. Aram's whole argument here is he has a plan. He's going to get compassion for the stim and they're going to become compassionate. It's not he's saying let's let the murderers loose. He's saying let's get the murderers to stop being murderers. Okay. So, how is this part of this? Very interesting. Oh, this is still part of the question actually. He's building the question. I forgot. There's one more part of it. Still building the question. And he says, he says, even Rashi doesn't know what to do with this when when says I'm dust in ashes. Rashi says, well, you know what he was? He was doing he was referring to old stories. who's saying, "Well, I should have rightfully I should have already been pounded into dust when I fought those kings, and I should have been burnt into ashes when Nimrod threw me in the in the in the furnace." Okay, but that's like so out of place. Or why is he referencing those incidents? But here's what the Shem says. says like this. Hashem, it is your way to be compassionate. That's what you do. That's what you do. I know you. You're compassionate. That's been my personal experience with you. Okay? I'm giving you two examples off of apher. I should have been pounded into dust by the kings. I should have been burnt into ashes by Nimroite. I'm giving you two examples where I personally can attest to the fact of how compassionate you are. Okay, two personal examples. Very compelling argument. But hold on a second. We know there's a principle, you know, like when asked when Misha asked Hashem to reveal himself to him after he forgave the Eden for the theel, the golden calf. So, Hashem says that uh I will be compassionate on those who I'll be I'll be compassionate on whomever I'll be compassionate. So, I'll say one who is befitting compassion. So, hold on. You're going to say like this just made an argument. Hashem, I know you to be compassionate. That's been my personal experience. But hold on a second. Maybe you were deserving. Maybe you were deserving. Maybe Hashem was compassionate to you because you deserved compassion. The love of if rece received compassion because Ara was deserving of the compassion. He says, "Think about think about these wicked people and these abominable people. You know what? And I bet you they're also deserving of compassion. You know why? Why should I make that equivalency asma? I wonder it's like puzzling. Didn't know that he's a Na'vi. He's a prophet. He's so holy. So why is he saying, "Hashem, I know you to be compassionate. you've been compassionate to me when the answer is yeah I was compassionate to you because you're special cuz you're a prophet because you deserve you deserve my compassion however according to the way we've been explaining it so far we could explain it now very simply says to Hashem. Yeah, you know what? I am special. You're right. Yeah, I am enough. I'm all these things. I'm very holy. You know how I became this way? Because you had compassion on me. That's his argument. He says, "My midos, my qualities were not the cause of your compassion. They were the result. They were the byproduct, the effect of your having been compassionate on me. because you are of me. Soon upon him, I responded in kind. He said he says because you were kind to me it aroused in me a certain quality of kindness reciprocal kindness and that's how I merited to the levels that I achieved. And that's what he means when he says I'm just dust and ashes. I inherently myself I don't have any special trait. I don't have any special value. I'm off of a I'm dust and ashes. But you are so kind. You were nice to me. You initiated it and you triggered the response for me. So, I'll bet you if you would do the same thing with those guys. See, I'm off of a for too. I'm worthless. I was a nobody. When you started being nice to me, I didn't have any special merits. And what happened when you were nice to a little old dust and ashes guy like me, I became great. I'm not denying I'm great. I'm just saying it was your doing, Hashem. You were kind to me and you made me this great. So, I will bet you you could replicate that. I I I'm no better than I what my how I started my origins were no better than they are. I'm I'm off of apher but you were nice to me and it triggered something in me and it made me who I am today. So go ahead and be nice to them. If you will show them compassion, they will also be triggered to reciprocate and they will become like me. So a isn't saying let's be bleeding hearts and let's open up all the the the the cells on death row and we're going to let the murderers go do whatever they want. No, the Ramban says you can't do that. Can't run you can't uh you can't run a society that way. It's not safe. But is saying it's not what I'm saying. I'm not a fool. I'm saying there's a way to make people change. You want to make people change, show them kindness. Initiate kindness. Not kindness that's in a context. Kindness that's totally out of context. Meaning they didn't do anything to earn it. They didn't do anything to deserve it. But that's even better because the the the more undeserving they are of the kindness then the more kind the kindness. Kindness is a is a tough translation of really means the truth is wanting kindness or gratuitous kindness is a redundancy repetitive redundancy department of redundancy department. So all is by definition is gratuitous because initiator means it's not quidd proquo. It's I initiate. I make the first move. You didn't do anything to earn it. I'm just doing it because because the giver wants to give. So he says so is saying like this. Yeah. Am I? Yeah. I'massid. You know how he came this way? because of I was nothing. I deserved nothing. You picked me up. You made me everything. And you see what you turned me into. Why couldn't that be replicated? So, I'm not saying let's let the murderers run around and wreak havoc on everybody. I'm saying show them compassion and they will become compassionate. Powerful idea. Anyway, not that anyone's going to really do it. I'm sure we can go back to being cruel to everybody. So, don't don't take it too seriously. It's all right. We go back being judgmental and and cruel and telling people uh why don't you be more spiritual? Scream at somebody for not being spiritual enough. What did God do when do this? Why didn't they wish to follow A's plan? Taka, good question. That's a question. I don't know. I don't know why Hashem did what Hashem did because had prepared himself to do it. I don't know. I Because here's the thing. I can't learn from Hashem. I don't understand Hashem's ways. I don't know why Hashem did what Hashem did. But did he But you can learn from A. In other words, who are you supposed to be like in this story? Who's your role model? of or Hashem did not take it from Hashem how to do this way or no he learned from Hashem so they learned from but I'm saying in this story you're saying in the end Hashem did destroy so I'm saying that isn't that what you were saying right so I'm saying don't worry about the fact why did Hashem do what he did I don't know you think I'm going to start worrying about why Hashem does what he does then I'll become a philosopher and then you know it'll mess with my brain so no I'm not going to worry why why Does Hashem do what Hashem does? I don't know. Hashem does what he does. But a learn from a You're not supposed to learn from this story. Oh, be like Hashem and go destroy. You're supposed to learn from this story. Be like Aam and earnestly believe that people are redeemable. And even when they're low lives and even when they are menaces in actuality, they're actually causing damage. You you're supposed to believe that they're inherently redeemable. and that will show them kindness. It'll have an effect. That's that's the way we're supposed to be. Supposed to be like a Jews are always bleeding hearts. At least they always were. Historically speaking, Jews were always compassionate even to a fault. Remember all of Shalom? He used to give a lot of stucka and he wasn't he wasn't a rich guy but he just gave away a lot of his wealth and uh to to organizations but also on the street people would come up to him and he was just constantly giving out money and I remember one time my cousin my older cousin asked him he's like what why did you give that guy that guy is clearly like he's gonna go he's gonna buy drugs with that So remember once we said this to my father's uncles and my father said maybe he's a Leo noi. So that's that's different and my father said maybe he's a Leo noi. But anyways my grandfather there was I remember a story he gave money to a guy who was like an unsaavory looking character and my cousin's like why do you give him the money? He's going to go buy drugs with it. And uh so my grandfather said, "You know what? Maybe he will buy drugs with it. And maybe if I give 10 homeless guys money, nine out of the 10 are going to buy drugs. And one out of 10 needs it to get a meal or to help his family." He said, "I'm comfortable with those odds. Comfortable. It's a one out of 10 shot that it's actually helping. So I'm comfortable with those odds." Anyways, that's very Jewish. That's very interest. And his name, by the way, was Ara. My grandfather was named Ara. I have a son of was named after. Anyways, that that's that's uh belief that people are redeemable even when they look like a hopeless case.