Parshas Eikev - The Bottom Line of Bribery

 

 

Torah Parallels Weekly

Parshas Eikev

💭 A Thought on the Parsha:   The Bottom Line of Bribery                         In the middle of Moshe’s final speech to the B’nei Yisroel, he reminds them that there is no “cheating the system” because Hashem does not take bribes. Rashi comments that this means that Hashem cannot be appeased with money. How could we begin to understand the hava amina that one might think that one could bribe Hashem?               The S’forno has a different approach and writes that Moshe was relating the following idea: Imagine a person who is a sinner. He knows that ultimately, he will be punished for his sins but he finds it too hard to control himself so does it anyway. However, still uncomfortable with the thought of spending time in gehenom, he reasons that he could just do more mitzvos and as a result diminish the punishment of his aveiros. This logic, the S’forno explains, is that Moshe was coming to counter - Hashem does not take bribes. As the S’forno continues to write based on the gemara, “a mitzva does not extinguish an aveirah.” One should not think that if one sins he could dampen his punishment by performing mitzvos, for those are calculated on a separate scale. Rather, the only way to lessen the punishment of aveiros is by doing teshuvah.               The Maharal, in Gur Aryeh, explains for Rashi that of course there would be no hava amina to think that it would be possible to offer money to Hashem to appease him because there is nothing that we would be doing. Even declaring that Hashem already has all the money in the world would be a gross understatement. Wealth is a physical concept; Hashem is fundamentally above any gashmiyus ideas. Rather, what Rashi must mean is that one might think that one can appease Hashem by offering karbanos and donating to the Beis Ha’Mikdash and that by doing so dampen one’s load of aveiros. In order to rebut such a thought, Moshe reminded B’nei Yisroel that each individual is responsible for his or her actions; and that being more generous in offering better karbanos and involved in more sponsorship opportunities might get one some bonus mitzvos, but does not do anything to lighten the load of one’s averios. Using the Maharal’s explanation, Rashi and the S’forno seem to be saying the same thing. One is responsible for his actions and just because one decides to do more mitzvos does not negate the fact that he or she has committed aveiros.               Interestingly, though, the gemara that the S’forno is referring to actually uses a slightly different terminology. The gemara does not say that performing mitzvos has no effect on one’s aveiros. Rather, the gemara mentions that aveiros have the power to dampen the potency of one’s mitzvos. How does the S’forno see from this gemara that mitzvos do not have the power to dampen aveiros? Perhaps they dampen each other? Perhaps the gemara means that each individual has a virtual basket where all his mitzvos and aveiros get stored and calculated and that the system is such that for some mitzvos he gets rewarded and for some aveiros he gets punished, while some just cancel each other out and the s’char v’onesh (reward and punishment) consequence will fully depend if the sum is positive or negative? Why should it be that aveiros dampen mitzvos but mitzvos cannot dampen aveiros? And what is it about such an approach that makes this bribery?               Earlier in the parsha, Rashi explains that Moshe warned the B’nei Yisroel to be just as meticulous regarding safeguarding the “light mitzvos” as the “heavy ones” and not tread on them, so to speak, as so many people do. However, it is hard to understand why this is such a serious matter. After all, imagine someone who is extremely careful when it comes to keeping Shabbos properly, but happens not to care too much about performing the mitzva of shiluach ha’kein (sending away the mother bird before taking its egg) correctly. What is the big deal? He is keeping Shabbos perfectly and is meticulous when it comes to all the “major league” mitzvos he just is not so careful with some of the lighter mitzvos. If he is scoring well with the big mitzvos isn’t that what is more important?               The S’forno comments that Hashem commanded us to keep all the mitzvos and in return he keeps with us bris v’chesed – his treaty and kindness. However just doing the mitzvos is not enough. We are obligated to perform the mitzvos with the proper intentions, doing them out of love for Hashem as opposed to for personal ulterior motives or even for the purpose of receiving reward in the world to come. This is an idea we find in the mishnayos -  Antignus teaches that our approach to performing mitzvos should not be like servants who work in order to receive reward, but rather be like servants who work even without receiving reward. In other words, when we perform mitzvos the reason we do so should, on a highest level, be solely out of love for Hashem. Not because of the eternal reward we will receive, nor for the physical consequences we benefit from. Rather, ultimately our mindset should be that even every mishpat at its core is a chok and the reason we follow the Torah and keep the mitzvos is because that is what Hashem commanded.               The concept of adding and subtracting points based on mitzvos and aveiros is a physical cheshbon – one which plays a role in determining if an individual will live longer, and whether the world in general may continue. However, on a deeper level, in the world of s’char v’onesh, it does not work like that at all. An aveirah is more than a red “negative-one” mark; it is a glaring symbol of rebellion against the King and raises a red flag to reevaluate the authenticity of the mitzvos performed. Doing more mitzvos does not negate the fact that an aveirah was done. The opposite of an aveirah is not a mitzvah per se, it is teshuva. An aveirah means rebellion and teshuva could remedy that; doing mitzvos will allow one to get s’char, but does not make light of the fact that one rebelled against the King.               With this in mind, we could better understand the first passuk as well as the mishna in avos. Every single mitzvah deserves the same amount of seriousness because every mitzvah is a direct commandment from Hashem. Transgressing even on what we may perceive as the slightest of mitzvos is really at its core a demonstration of utter rebellion.               The s’char that one receives from doing mitzvos is beyond comprehension. As the gemara relates in the name of Rebbe Yaakov, it is not possible to receive the reward from a mitzvah in this world. The Michtav Mei’Eliyahu writes that this is true even of the “smallest” mitzvos. Mitzvos performed in this world are fulfillments of Hashem’s ruchniyus commandments, the rewards that are reaped from their fulfillment are so great that all of the money and pleasures on this world from the day it was created until now cannot compensate. It is this understanding itself of the greatness of even the smallest of mitzvos which answers why aveiros diminish mitzvos and not the other way around. Even the transgression of the smallest aveirah translates directly into an audacious act of treason. The way to prove loyalty is not to point to the good deeds one has done or will promise to do, for those themselves could be called into question as being done for ulterior motives. Rather, the appropriate way counter the seriousness of even the smallest aveirah and to diminish its consequences is by doing teshuva.               Bribery is a demonstration of not caring about one’s improper actions or the legal processes that they demand, and instead is an attempt to beat the system by diverting the judge’s attention to other good deeds or future promises. Hashem does not accept even the best of bribes. Pointing to past mitzvos, giving one’s best animals as karbanos, or doubling one’s contributions to the Beis Ha’Mikdash with the hope of being able to shirk his accountability through appeasement is not the proper response. Only teshuva is strong enough to undo the damage of disobedience by sincerely apologizing for the aveirah done and accepting upon oneself to make the extra effort that it does not happen again.               With the month of Ellul approaching may we take the time to look back at our actions and not just make the effort to increase our mitzvos so that we merit a good din, but to also work on teshuva to undo the damage we have done with our aveiros.