שמעון הצדיק משיירי כנסת הגדולה. Shimon Hatzaddik was from the mishyarei knesset hagdoloh. Hu haya omer, he used to say, על שלושה דברים העולם עומד, on three things the world stands, על התורה ועל העבודה ועל גמילות חסדים, on Torah, on avodah and on gemilut chasadim. Okay, great. Now, we're going to spend the next couple of minutes just reading and translating, and we'll try to as we do it, we'll maybe notice that there are two very important differences between the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yonah, only one of the two are we going to really have time to speak about tonight. So we're going to sort of cherry pick it a little bit in Rabbeinu Yonah. Do you see where the Peirush Rabbeinu Yonah, for those who see that? So we're going to jump around. Okay, so let's take a look. First, הוא היה אומר על שלושה דברים העולם עומד in Rabbeinu Yonah. You see that everyone? It's the second bold heading under the Rabbeinu Yonah. Everyone see this? הוא היה אומר על שלושה דברים העולם עומד. רצה לומר שבשביל דברים אלו נברא העולם,
on account of these three things the world was created. כי למטה הוא אומר על שלושה דברים העולם קיים ואינם אלא שזוכר כאן.
So why isn't it kayam and it's omed? It's to show that this is why the world was created. Rabbeinu Yonah is distinguishing between this Mishnah from the Mishnah at the end of the first perek. The Mishnah of the first perek says על שלושה דברים העולם קיים. And here Rabbeinu Yonah says the difference between kayam and omed is that בשביל דברים אלו נברא העולם. And what does that mean? על כן צריכין אנו לפרש, what does that mean? Therefore we have to feel compelled to explain it. כי עומד שאמר רצה לומר שנברא העולם בשבילם מפני שהם רצון הקדוש ברוך הוא.
These three things are the ratzon of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, they're the entire reason that the world was created. רצה לומר שנברא העולם בשביל בריותיו שעתידים להיות רצון לפניו על ידי עשיית אלו הדברים.
So the world is created on account of the creations that were in the future to do the ratzon of Hashem and to do these through fulfilling these three things. ואלו השלושה הם עמוד גדול בשבילם יגיעו לכל הדברים שאמרו חז\"ל שהעולם עומד בשבילם.
These three things, they're a strong pillar and on account of them Chazal always speak about how the world is omed on account of that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created the world basically for adam, and the three main areas in which He wants adam to be active, to do His ratzon, is the Torah, avodah and gemilut chasadim. Now let's see how Rabbeinu Yonah explains each of those phrases. Okay, do you want to continue in the al hatorah? Maybe just read ואין טוב אלא תורה at the end of the first line there in Rabbeinu Yonah. You see it everyone? You see that al hatorah at the end of the first line ve'ein tov? ואין טוב אלא תורה, and there's Torah is the only good, uvishvila nivra olam, and because of it, due to it the world was created, shenemar, in Yirmiyahu Perek Lamed Gimmel Pasuk Kaf Hey, אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה, if not for My bris day and night, which refers to the Torah, חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי, and I wouldn't have created the world and natural law. וזה שאמר שלמה עליו השלום, ה' קנני ראשית דרכו קדם מפעליו מאז.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu created me, right, kavyachol, this is Torah speaking, Hakadosh Baruch Hu created me reishis darko, the very first thing before proceeding mifalo, before proceeding all of His other creative activities. אני נבראתי לפני כל העולם ובעבורי נבראו כל הנבראים כדי לקיימני.
Good, excellent. What is ve'al ha'avodah? ve'al ha'avodah, כי הקדוש ברוך הוא... ובחר בישראל מכל האומות because Hakadosh Baruch Hu chose Bnei Yisrael from all the other nations. וארץ ישראל מכל הארצות and Eretz Yisrael from all the lands. ובחר בירושלים מכל ארץ ישראל and he chose Yerushalayim within Eretz Yisrael. ובחר בירושלים ציון מרצונו לפני השם and he chose from Yerushalayim Tzion to appease Hashem or at Hashem's will. Kemo shene'emar כי בחר השם בציון איווה למושב לו because Hakadosh Baruch Hu picked Tzion and also he desired it as his dwelling place. Uvachar mikol the Tzion here refers to Har Habayis, right? It refers to Har Tzion. Tzion has different meanings. Here it refers to Har Habayis. Uvachar mikol beis habechira be'Yisrael ha'avodah in the Beis Hamikdash in order or because of the avodah shekasuv bah ratzon shene'emar lirtzono lifnei Hashem at Hashem's desire before Hashem. That you bring korbanos to fulfill the ratzon, the will of Hashem. כי מפני העבודה נברא כל העולם כולו. Great. Okay, great. One more line and then and then we'll begin to well actually we'll have to see the Rambam and then we'll begin to try to digest. Ve'al gemilus chasadim ועל גמילות חסדים כעניין שאמרו סוכה מ''ט ע''ב גדולה גמילות חסדים יותר מן הצדקה.
Gemilus chasadim is more gadol than tzedakah. שגמילות חסדים היא בין לעניים בין לעשירים because gemilus chasadim is both for aniyim and for ashirim, for the poor and the rich. וצדקה אינה אלא לעניים. A person who's rich, he doesn't need money, he doesn't need tzedakah, he may be in the hospital, he may be sick and may benefit from bikur cholim, he may be sitting shiva and need nichum aveilim or any of so many other expressions of gemilus chasadim. So בין עניים בין עשירים והצדקה אינה אלא לעניים is only for the poor. So in that sense, gemilus chasadim surpasses tzedakah. Another sense in which it surpasses tzedakah. גדולה גמילות חסדים שהיא בין בגופו בין בממונו. Gemilus chasadim is greater because it can be whether it's with somebody's physical body or with his money. You fulfill it, you can fulfill with your body. You go bikur cholim. You help someone out. Bein bemamono what means you can use your money to do chesed. וצדקה אינה אלא בממונו. Great. Okay, fine. So now, two more lines in the Rambam and then we're going to try to begin to understand. Can we read the Rambam please? The Rambam at the top of the Yonas. העניין שבחכמה והיא התורה ובמעלות המידות והן גמילות חסדים. So chochmah is Torah and the most high level of middos is gemilus chasadim. Well let's read the whole sentence and then we'll figure out how to translate. העניין שבחכמה והיא התורה ובמעלות המידות והן גמילות חסדים ובשמירת מצוות התורה הן הקרבנות להצמדת תיקון העולם וסידור מציאותו על דרך השלם.
So chochmah, the three things which will ensure hasmadas tikkun ha'olam, hasmadas tikkun ha'olam means to maintain the world in a refined way. So what's needed is chochmah. How do I know that? Because that's what the mishnah means when it says Torah. What's needed is that people should cultivate their middos. How do I know that? Rambam says because that's what the mishnah means when it says gemilus chasadim. And shmiras hamitzvos. How do I know that? That's what the mishnah means when it says avodah. So what's the difference here between the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yonah? Let's try to put our finger on this. What's the difference between the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yonah? In how they interpret Torah, Avoda, and Gemilus Chasadim. Take a minute and let's try to hit the nail on the head here. What's the difference between the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yona in terms of how they understand the Torah, Avoda, and Gemilus Chasadim? It's easiest to see with Avoda and Gemilus Chasadim. It's there with Torah also, but the Torah is very subtle. So look at Rambam and Rabbeinu Yona respectively in terms of how they interpret Gemilus Chasadim, how they interpret Avoda. What's the difference? Characterize the difference. It's from Hashem's perspective versus ours? The Avoda is Shmiras Hamitzvos versus Hashem choosing Am Yisrael. I see why you said that. Let's see why you said that. The Rambam says that Avoda is Shmiras Hamitzvos while Rabbeinu Yona says that it's just the actual Avoda. Excellent. Now let's go one step further. Characterize, understand. How does the Mishna, it says Avoda. How does the Rambam get from there to Shmiras Hamitzvos? How is that a cogent pshat in the Mishna? What you said is a hundred percent right. That's crucial, the difference between Rambam and Rabbeinu Yona. Now let's go a step further. How is that a cogent pshat? It says Avoda in the Mishna. Rambam says Avoda means Shmiras Hamitzvos. How does he get from A to B? Everyone hear the question? Yosef, you hear the question? Is it because Avoda is Shmiras Hamitzvos or Avoda is...? Yes, but just what you're saying is correct. You just need to flesh it out. It seems like from the Rambam in the Mishna that Avoda is a symbol for all Shmiras Hamitzvos. Ah! So the difference between the Rambam and Rabbeinu Yona in terms of this Mishna, Rabbeinu Yona says when the Mishna says Torah it means Torah, and when the Mishna says Avoda it means Avoda, and when the Mishna says Gemilus Chasadim it means Gemilus Chasadim. For the Rambam, let's leave Torah aside because there it's more subtle. Let's talk about Avoda and Gemilus Chasadim. When it says Avoda, in the Rambam, Avoda is representative of a much broader category. And when it says Gemilus Chasadim, it doesn't mean narrowly Gemilus Chasadim, it means Gemilus Chasadim as representative of something much broader. Do you hear that? Is it clear? So for Rabbeinu Yona, when the Mishna says that the olam is only on Avoda, it means Avoda, the Avoda in the Beis Hamikdash. For the Rambam, Avoda in the Beis Hamikdash is representative of a whole broader area. And what area is that? Shmiras Hamitzvos. And when the Mishna says that the Torah stands on Gemilus Chasadim, so for Rabbeinu Yona that means Gemilus Chasadim, means acts of kindness. And for the Rambam, no, Gemilus Chasadim again just like Avoda is representing, is illustrating a whole category. Do you hear that? Is it clear? Yes? Okay, good. Now the obvious very simple question, the fact that a question is simple doesn't mean it isn't good. The obvious simple question according to the Rambam. So now when it says Gemilus Chasadim, what does that mean? Let's switch to Gemilus Chasadim now. Well no, we'll stick with Avoda either way. When it says Avoda, what does it mean for the Rambam? Shmiras Hamitzvos. So what's the obvious question? Why doesn't it say Shmiras Hamitzvos? Yes! And when it says, exactly, excellent. And when it says Gemilus Chasadim, what does that mean according to the Rambam? Tikkun Hamiddos. It means Tikkun Hamiddos because when you engage in Gemilus Chasadim you are demonstrating, you are manifesting good middos, and Gemilus Chasadim here is just as a representative of that much broader area. So why not say it? What's gained by giving us this riddle of a middle to figure out that Avoda is illustrating mitzvos? mitzvos and gemilas chassadim is illustrating midos. Say it. Why not say על שלושה עניינים העולם עומד? Al, and again we'll bracket Torah for now. Al HaTorah, al kiyum hamitzvos, and v'al tikun hamidos. Why? So according to Rabbeinu Yonah the mishna said what it means. Because the mishna means not three—these are not three illustrations. No, the mishna means Torah, it means avodas hakorbanos, it means chassidus. But for the Rambam, avoda is just illustrating the whole area of shmiras hamitzvos. And gemilas chassadim is illustrating the whole area of character refinement, character development, tikun hamidos. Say it. You hear the question, Rabbeinu? Good? Yeah. Just that Rabbeinu Yonah does—he's more straightforward to the point as opposed to the Rambam who says it's describing something else. Doesn't that Rabbeinu Yonah specifically only, like, asserts avoda to avoda? Because within avoda there's, like, subtopics as well. Ein hachi nami, ein hachi nami. But you're right. So we're gonna be focusing more on the Rambam, but you are correct. Rabbeinu Yonah is not as simple as we're making it out to be. You are 100% correct. Let's work on the Rambam, Rabbeinu, that's what we're gonna try to do tonight. Now so let's begin perhaps with gemilas chassadim. So for the Rambam, just you're still on side one here, where it says that gemilas chassadim illustrates maylos hamidos. Right? Mayla, a mayla means a person should have certain virtues, and midos are character traits—ethical, moral character traits. So instead of saying maylos hamidos, the mishna instead gives us an example, an illustration. Right? Okay. And we want to figure out why that is. So now let's think a minute about midos. In what type of situations, in order for a person to behave properly, are midos relevant? Dilemmas? Dilemmas. Then it's sort of magnified 100%. Or another way—I'm saying that question was too—I had an answer in mind, so the question was sense to me, the question wasn't clear, I apologize. Are midos exclusively relevant to bein adam l'chavero? No. No. So give me an example of good midos which have nothing to do with bein adam l'chavero. What do you say, Rabbeinu? Example of midos which are—something over here says, something like shelo yevayesh, something about mistayeir, ein bo ra'ah, something like that. Excellent. Ayin tova is not limited to interacting with other people. Other examples of midos which are important, crucial, but have nothing to do with a bein adam l'chavero situation? Bein adam l'atzmo, like taking care of yourself? Yeah, well let's say the Rambam, if you take a look here towards the bottom of the first page. Do you see where it says Hilchos De'os aleph dalet? Do you see that? I can't blame you if you don't. But by some miracle you happen to be able to see it, it's the second to the last source here on the first side. Haderech hayeshara. Do you get me? You come with me? הדרך הישרה היא מדה בינונית שבכל דעה ודעה מכל הדעות שיש לו לאדם.
The straight way, right? Haderech hayeshara. The correct way, the straight way is the—is the middle path, right? Middle path, not the extremes that the Rambam illustrated before. And then the Rambam is going to—let's skip to line three where the Rambam gives us illustrations of the—so maybe line four where he gives us illustrations of the mida beinonis, of going in the middle path. So you see what it says: u'mipnei shehu sovei, line four, u'mipnei shehu sovei. וכן לא יהיה סובא וכן לא יסב אלא דברים שהגוף צריך להם ואי אפשר לחיות בלא הם כעניין שנאמר.
A person shouldn't, on the one hand, he shouldn't overeat. On the other hand, he shouldn't undereat. No, he should have a healthy appetite to maintain his health, to eat a nourishing diet. Shenemar, shenemar says צדיק אוכל לשובע נפשו. To satisfy what he needs. He doesn't need more, but he also doesn't need less. V'chein, וכן לא יהיה רודף להשיג דבר שאינו צריך לו. When he gets a job, he shouldn't be looking to amass riches. But on the other hand, he shouldn't not look to earn a living. He should be looking to be able to cover all his expenses. דבר שצריך לו לחיי שעה. Again, ki'inyan shenemar, tov me'at latzadik. Now the tzadik is content with being able to... he's not looking for luxuries. But on the other hand, he's not going to be content with some self-imposed poverty where he doesn't have what's needed. Let's look at one last example here. וכן לא יקפוץ ידו ביותר. He shouldn't be too stingy. On the other hand, v'lo yefazer memono. He shouldn't give away all his money, right? He shouldn't literally scatter his money. Else what should the person do? אלא נותן צדקה כפי מסת ידו ומלווה כראוי למי שצריך.
He should give tzedaka according to his means. Now, the first example here, does that have anything to do with bein adam l'chavero? No, let alone. The type of discipline that a person should have to maintain his health, the example you gave, we'll call it bein adam l'atzmo. It's got nothing to do with being in a social contact, something with bein adam l'chavero. The second example, of what a person wants in terms of what he aspires to in terms of earning, right? In terms of making a parnassa. He should aspire to enough, not to too little. But the third one already is an example in terms of tzedaka, how generous the person should be with other people. Right? So middos are relevant bein adam l'chavero, but there are also many middos which have got nothing to do with any kind of bein adam l'chavero situation. We can add to that the being punctual. Being punctual, coming to davening on time, coming to seder on time, even if it's not going to affect the tzibur having a minyan on time. Even if your chavrusa's not going to be there today, it's not going to affect someone else. It's an important mida even when it's not in a bein adam l'chavero context. Okay, now, of the two, what a person has to cultivate a mida or hold firm to demonstrate the right mida, which of those two is more challenging? Is it more challenging to have the right mida bein adam l'atzmo? Such as punctuality, orderliness, cleanliness, self-discipline in terms of diet, all these things which have nothing to do with other people, just you? Or in terms of being generous but not overly so? Which situation potentially can be the most trying and the most challenging? Bein adam l'atzmo or bein adam l'chavero? I would say it depends on the person because most people are driven to some values but other people think of them as mostly. care about the public image so it's going to be easier for them to do what's right when other people are watching. I personally then find it harder when no one's watching to do the things not on the up and up. Okay. So it's true. But it is true that being sensitive to public opinion is something that will at times have a healthy inhibitive influence on us. That's absolutely true. I think that bein adam lachaveiro is the harder mida because for example you're able to control yourself in not doing certain things to some extent, but bein adam lachaveiro you don't fully understand someone else so it's harder to, you can't control what they're going to do, so it's harder to do that. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. Here's a tale of two scenarios. Think of two scenarios. Doctor told me to go on a diet. And okay, so it's the first Shabbos since my diet began and my favorite dessert is being served. Okay, so that's one challenge. Whatever that is. Favorite dessert. Like my mom's apple cake. Apple cake. Okay, so apple cake for dessert, right? Apple cake for dessert. Because yesterday I was at the doctor and he said you know stay away from that, stay away from that stuff. Okay, that's one nisayon. Another nisayon is someone comes and gratuitously embarrasses me, disparages me, and the right mida is ne'elavim ve'einam olvim, is not to respond in kind. Not to respond in kind. For most people, which is the bigger challenge? The second one. Why? I think so also. Does everyone agree with that? Yeah. I think number two is the bigger challenge. Why is it the bigger challenge? If you try to unpack, and I think that's entirely correct, but unpack that. Why is number two the bigger challenge? Well because like with the cake example, it's much easier to eat it because no one's watching, it's just between yourself. But with the other one, it's like somebody else did it to you, so it's hard to control your emotions. Good. Excellent. Excellent. I think it's easier to love yourself than to love others. So when you're doing something for yourself, so then it's easy to sustain and hold yourself back from not eating the dessert. But when you're doing something to not to respond, to make others feel a certain way, it's a lot harder because it's no longer about yourself. Oh, excellent. I think it would be more to protect yourself you don't want to. Also correct. I actually have the opposite response about it. You had the first one as being harder? My goodness. Okay, let's hear it. Because the second one, you get the enjoyment of, if you don't talk back, you then know that you did the right, you feel more attached that you did the right thing. But the first one though, you're just going to think about all that that would have been so sweet. Why wouldn't you get the same satisfaction? That instead of the two-minute enjoyment of the apple cake, I have the, I can spend the rest of the day feeling good that I did... Because that's self, though, you won't have the same enjoyment. Because when it's somebody else, you get the enjoyment that you helped somebody, or you didn't hurt somebody. You don't have the enjoyment for yourself, just like that enjoyment that you helped him, but also being sensitive to him. So, yeah. I understand. That's different. Interesting. Interesting. But I think what your chaverim were saying, the common denominator of what you're saying also is that there's a natural tendency and temptation in bein adam lachaveiro to allow what the other person does to set the standard for how you should behave. And that's not what we're supposed to do. I'll say it again, right? There's a natural tendency if someone is being... unkindness and being rude taking advantage insulting etcetera. There's a natural tendency to measure what one should do in response by what he's doing, but is that really how it should be measured and determined? How should it be measured and determined? It should be measured and determined by is this proper behavior for me regardless of... now let's... now that may only be partially clear, but let's try to elaborate that a little bit. Take a look inside 2 here. You see the second source? It says Rambam. Okay, so Rambam. With regard to the expression tzedakah. Rambam's going to explain what that word means in... is it exclusively in Chumash? It's used at other points in Tanach as well. I'm thinking in Chumash. He's going to explain how that word tzedakah is used in Chumash. Go ahead. u-migzar min tzedek. He is commanded that... So minzar as a decree, but also means to be derived from. Right? So minzar, it's derived from, the word tzedakah is derived from the root tzedek. So the Rambam here is going to solve the following... it's somewhat kind of a paradox. What does the word tzedek? tzedek tzedek tirdof. What does it mean? Justice. What does tzedakah mean? Charity. Charity. Okay, so in one context it means justice and in the other context it means charity. And how can it mean both? So the Rambam is going to brilliantly and brilliantly explain that. Now הצדק הוא מתן מה שראוי לכל מי שראוי לו. To give to anyone who is ma sherauy le-chol. matan, giving, מה שראוי לכל מי שראוי לו. To give someone what he's entitled to. Let's say when an employer pays his employees, that's tzedek. He's not engaging in charity. They worked. He promised them a salary. So that's tzedek that he gives, he gives the person what's ra'uy lo, what the person's entitled to. ולתת לכל מצוי מן המצויים כראוי לו. And he gives to everyone down of basically what... what they're fit to get. Excellent. So therefore the Rambam says now in line 3, ve'ata, do you see in line 3, meshalem lasachir? Do you see that? Line 3, oh wait. The beginning of the fourth word in the line, fifth word in the line. ve'ata. ואם אתה משלם לשכיר את שכרו, if he pays the worker his salary or... or o para'ata chovecha, or he didn't withhold his obligation, or he repays a loan. You borrow a hundred dollars and then you repay that loan. אין זה נקרא צדקה. No, it's called tzedek. That's tzedek. I owe the hundred dollars. I borrowed a hundred dollars from him. I owe the hundred dollars because I hired him to... to work for me and and the salary that he's entitled to was a hundred dollars. What's tzedakah? אבל חוב המוטל עליך, rather the obligations that are placed on him. umipnei middot tovot, on the opposite. כמו רפוי שבורו של כל בעל שבר. Is like healing the bones of... of all people that have... a broken bones. Let's say a doctor treats patients for free. That's not tzedek, it's tzedakah. That's not tzedek, it's tzedakah. Now, how is that so? How does that work? Now take a look, you see the second paragraph, וכאשר אמרו בענין השנות משכו? וכאשר אמרו בענין השנות משכו.
Now, כי אם אתה הולך... Look at this line rabotai and... and see something extraordinary. כי אם אתה הולך... כי אם אתה הולך בדרכי המדות הטובות.
If someone walks on the path of good middot. אתה עושה צדק עם נפשך. You're doing... with your nefesh, כי אתה משלם לה את עמלה את עמלה. You're paying her for what you have. You're using your body. Listen to how the Rambam closed the gap, that the same root tzedek means justice, and then you add a hei and all of a sudden it seems to be the opposite of justice and means charity. How does that work? How did the Rambam close that gap? He said something brilliant. The Rambam says that al t'cheshav tzedakah, that what you do when you do tzedakah, you're doing justice for yourself. Oh, when you act with kindness to the other person, you're doing what your, you're doing right by your nefesh. The same way when you pay the employer, the employee the hundred dollars he earned, when you repay the hundred dollar loan that you took, so you're doing right by that other person. When the employer pays the employee, he's doing right by the other person, that's just, he's doing right by the other person. When you repay the bank the thousand dollars the bank lent you, you're doing right, you're doing justice by the bank. When you act with kindness to someone else, you're doing right by yourself. Brilliant Rambam's explanation. And that's how tzedakah derived from the word tzedek means kindness, means charity. Do you hear what the Rambam is saying? Do you hear the kinyan hanefesh? It's good for us. Anyone a doctor please? Anyone a doctor please? Is it possible, what I was thinking, and obviously I can't argue with the Rambam, but I was thinking that all that fruit and all the use of the money that you get, that my sevarah is really not yours, it's meant for you to give to other people, which would also be a way of doing justice. That's an excellent suggestion. But tzedakah is not limited to charity, it's used for every benevolent action. And I don't know if that's also what's about, that also makes it less about yourself and more about, you know, we are one. This kind of thing where the focus is you put it as other people because you're yourself and because you're in the community. I don't know if it's focusing on that, but let's go with your point. Now, what this Rambam illustrates for our purposes rabosai is the following. In any given bein adam l'chaveiro situation, so a person can measure what he should do, decide what he should do by well, given the way he's behaved, given who he is, so what's that mechayev me to do? Given who he is, given how he treats me, so how does what does that obligate me to do? That's one perspective. And sometimes that will dictate this person's been so good to me, I owe him such a great debt of gratitude I should do anything under the sun for him. But sometimes especially if you're dealing with maybe it's a total stranger, maybe it's less than a total stranger, maybe it's someone who I don't know is not so nice to you, is not such a nice person, he's not so nice to you, so then there's another lens through which we're supposed to look, which is what are the standards to which I hold myself? What do they dictate in terms of how I should treat this person? Let's say there's a famous story about Rav Kook. You know Rav Kook was a giant, he underwent a lot of opposition from certain elements in the Orthodox world, in the Torah world while he was the Rav of Yerushalayim and the Chief Rabbi. And they objected to whatever they objected. And some of his opponents they used to vilify him really in the very ugly ways. So the story goes, I'm not sure of the end, but the punchline is... One of his most outspoken, ruthless opponents who who never lost a chance to vilify him once had a sick relative and he needed a letter from Rabbi Kook to help them, of course, to raise money or to make a contact or whatever it was. And you know, just just imagine the scene, right? Here's this person who's been hanging up posters and doing everything possible to embarrass, humiliate him and accuse him of every terrible, terrible chet under the sun and now he's coming that Rav Kook should help him. And Rav Kook, of course, right away sits down to write the letter and what else can I do to help and does everything possible. So in that situation, so a person could decide what to do based on what does he deserve or what do my middos, the middos that I aspire to, middos that I think the Torah wants us to have, what does that tell me about how I should behave? Right? It's clear that those two perspectives would give different answers as to what to do, yes? So there is a tendency, again, let's circle back to the Rambam. There is a tendency, rabosai, when you think about it when we're in a bein adam l'chavero situation where we feel, and maybe correctly, that the other person is is acting unfairly, is taking advantage, is being cruel, is insulting, whatever the situation or combination might be. So there's a tendency to think that what's right to do is what that person deserves. What does he deserve? A person who's acting that way, what does he deserve? He certainly doesn't deserve that I should help him. If anything, he deserves that I should respond in kind. And yet tikkun hamiddos says, no, you have to measure what's right to do not only by what you think he deserves but not only by what tzedek is but by what tzidkus is. You have to measure it by what's the right way for you to behave, not necessarily what does he deserve but what's the right way for you to behave. But that's not an easy thing to do. It's very hard to do. If if you've ever been in that situation, if you can think back to such a situation, if you haven't been in such a situation, if you can imagine it, it's very, very challenging. It's much more difficult than passing out Mom's apple cake, as delicious as it is, not taking anything away from just how mouth-watering that apple cake is. But it it's hard. It's much harder. You with me on that? Now coming back, coming back to the Mishna, so we said to the Rambam, avoda and gemilus chasadim are not mentioned as specific items in the Mishna but they're mentioned as representing a whole category, right? So we said why? Why not just say middos? Why say gemilus chasadim? So based on this discussion, what what's the answer that that emerges, rabosai? Based on what we just discussed now, does that give us an answer for the Rambam? Think about it for a minute. Could be because for all middos are an act of kindness to other people and yourself. Okay, maybe, maybe. Gemilus chasadim is like the quintessential selfless thing that all middos are based off of. Gemilus chasadim. If you just say the Mishna is not just choosing some example, it's choosing a hardest example. And that helps deliver a message. To just say work on your middos, that's one thing. To say no, always act. In bein adam lachaveiro situations in a way that reflects midos tovos, that's not just telling you to work on your midos, that's telling you even in the most trying and challenging cases of midos. Did you hear the explanation? Just to summarize again, the question answered. The question is what we noticed, we began with the observation that for the Rambam when the mishna says gemilus chasadim, it doesn't mean just gemilus chasadim, it means gemilus chasadim as referring to the whole area of tikkun hamidos. Yes? That was step number one. Step number two, but why? Just say tikkun hamidos. Then we had the observation that to demonstrate midos tovos bein adam lachaveiro can be the most challenging, the most trying, more than it is bein adam lachatzmo. Step number four, and the answer, that's what the mishna means. That's why it's more effective, it's more powerful, it tells us more than just saying tikkun hamidos. No, tikkun hamidos means be like Rav Kook and do everything possible with maximum zerizus to help this person who's been trying to destroy you for the past five years. That delivers a message which is stronger than just saying tikkun hamidos, right? Good. Now for the question: How does the Rambam learn tikkun hamidos? If the mishna says specifically gemilus chasadim, just a specific case, then how does the Rambam learn out the klal of hamidos? And if someone tells you that you should remain calm even when, I don't know, if there's a siren going off, then presumably it means you should be calm even with lesser provocations and lesser challenges. Okay now let's do the same thing here. So how did the Rambam learn, let's just get to avoda and if we have time we'll circle back to the question. How did the Rambam learn out avoda? What does avoda mean again? To some, avoda means korbonos. The world says korbonos beis hamikdash. Rambam says no, avoda korbonos means what? Shemoneh Esrei. Again, same question. Why not just say shemoneh esrei? Why not just shemoneh esrei? Okay now, take a look, take a look on side two. You see the gemara in Yuma samech zayin? You see it over there on side two? Gemara in Yuma samech zayin, first line? Who's reading? You can pass if you prefer, whatever you want. תנו רבנן את משפטי תעשו. Tanu rabanan, so you should do my mishpatim. What are mishpatim? What type of mitzvos does the word mishpatim refer to? We understand them as דברים שאילו לא נאמרו בדין היה כדאי לכתבן. Even if the Torah hadn't written them, we would have understood on our own these mitzvos. On our own we would have known, ve'elu hein examples of this? עבודה זרה וגילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים וגזל וברכת השם. Virchas Hashem is euphemism for blasphemy, cursing Hashem. Now, es chukosai tishmoru the other type of mitzvah that the Torah refers to alongside mishpatim are chukim. What type of mitzvah do chukim denote? דברים שהשטן משיב עליהם. These are the Torah that the Satan, you know, it has a response to that, what are you doing? What difference does it make? Ve'elu hein? אכילת חזיר ולבישת שעטנז וחליצת יבמה וטהרת מצורע ושעיר המשתלח. ומשישתה מן העציץ קמה דטהרה וצורה ומסתורה ואשתאיה ומשתלה.
Umishtala. Umishtala. So the Ramban's response, we know that that distinction. Mishpatim and chukim. Mishpatim and those where Hashem gave us an intuition that we understand the mitzvah. We understand that it's wrong to kill, that it's wrong to steal. We understand that. We don't really have an intuition that it's okay to eat a cow but not okay to eat a horse. We don't really have an intuition for that. It seems arbitrary to us. We do have an intuition that it's wrong to steal, that it's wrong to kill. Okay, so of those two categories of mitzvot, which is the greater challenge to fulfill? Chukim, right? It comes naturally to us to fulfill mishpatim, but the yetzer hara pushes back. It really makes a difference. It really makes a difference. It really makes a difference on Shabbos whether I take the food that I want or I throw out what I don't want? When we don't have an intuitive, someone else lives in the world, right? But when we don't, but the yetzer hara will oppose that question. When we don't have an intuitive feel for the mitzvah, it's more of a challenge, right? To surrender to Hashem's will and fulfill the mitzvah, right? Now, let's take a look at one more Rambam. Do you see where it says Hilchos Me'ilah, Perek 8 Halacha 8? Yeah, on the first side, Hilchos Me'ilah Perek 8 Halacha 8. That's we're going to begin five lines from the bottom of that halacha. וכמה היה דוד המלך. Do you see that? וכמה היה דוד המלך? Five lines from the bottom, וכמה היה דוד המלך. וכמה היה דוד המלך מצטער מן המינים ומן העכו\"ם שהיו משיבין על החוקים.
And Dovid Hamelech was under a lot of tza'ar and he would argue from the response. They made fun and they would argue and they would make fun and they would ridicule the chukim. וכל זמן שהיו רודפין אותו בתשובות השקר שעורכין לפי קוצר דעת האדם היה מוסיף דבקות בתורה.
And the more they would, and the more that they would attack him with all their false arguments based on their puny understanding, so his response to that was to be even more davek, to cling to the Torah even more. Shene'emar, טפלו עלי שקר זדים אני בכל לב אצור פקודיך. What's my response to all the sheker is that I'm even more devoted to your mitzvos, Hashem. Vene'emar sham be'inyan, כל מצותיך אמונה שקר רדפוני עזרני. Your mitzvos are all true, Hashem. They're pursuing me with all kinds of arguments of sheker. Now, look at these next few words, the next line or two. וכל הקרבנות כולן מכלל חוקים הן. The Rambam says Avodas Hakorbanos is one big chok. We don't have an intuition for slaughtering animals and sprinkling the blood. We don't have a natural intuition for that. All of korbanos, says the Rambam, is one big area of chukim. וכל הקרבנות כולן מכלל חוקים הן. Amru chachamim. And precisely for that reason, what did the chachamim say? Amru chachamim. Where is this Chazal that the Rambam's quoting? Our Mishna, right? Our Mishna, the way that שבשביל עבודת הקרבנות העולם עומד. And this is the Rambam's pshat. That when... so now, with this Rambam Hilchos Me'ilah, let's circle back one more time. The Mishna says על שלשה דברים העולם עומד על התורה ועל העבודה ועל גמילות חסדים.
To the Rambam, the same way gemilus chasadim is an illustration, avoda is an illustration. It doesn't mean specifically, narrowly avoda. Avoda is illustrating something much wider and much more encompassing. Avoda is, for the Rambam, is representing what? Shemiras hamitzvos. Now, why not just say shemiras hamitzvos? So that's probably the answer based on what we just saw inside, including the shmiras hachukim which we say is specifically avodas hakorbanos. Or, same type of answer that we gave for midos and gemilus chasadim, right? The mishna's choosing the most difficult challenge within that category. Within mitzvos, what's most challenging, what requires the real surrender to Hakadosh Baruch Hu? It's not mishpatim. Mishpatim are intuitive. Chukim are equally true but they're not intuitive. Hakadosh Baruch Hu didn't give us the intuition to understand them. They're equally true but since we don't have the intuition to understand them, it's much more challenging. And nothing, says the Rambam, is more of a chok than the whole area of korbanos. Chukim are sort of the ultimate challenge and korbanos are the ultimate chok. So here too, again, it's the same type of pshat in why the mishna illustrates shmiras hamitzvos as why it illustrates the kinyan midos. So what does the world need? What the world needs, what the world needs is shmiras hamitzvos but a complete shmiras hamitzvos, even the most challenging mitzvos. על שלושה דברים העולם עומד for the world to function, for the world to prosper, for the world to be in its best condition, for it to be sustained, so there has to be shmiras hamitzvos. But not just in general, not just... no, the even most difficult, a complete, total, comprehensive shmiras hamitzvos even, even, even the chukim. Do you hear that rabosai? Which is the same type of explanation for why midos is illustrated with gemilus chasadim.