The articles in this column are transcriptions and adaptations of shiurim by Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, zt”l. The Rav’s unique perspective on Chumash permeated many of the shiurim and lectures he presented at various venues over a 40-plus-year period. His words add an important perspective that makes the Chumash in particular, and our tradition in general, vibrant and relevant to our generation.
The Torah emphasizes that all individuals, regardless of their social or financial status, should feel welcome and important. Parshas Vayikra presents various options for the korban Olah, a voluntary sacrifice. Rashi comments on the bird option that there is no worse scent than the odor of burning feathers. Yet the Torah went out of its way to ensure that the bird sacrifice, usually brought by a poor person, should fill the altar as much as possible, similar to the animal offering of a wealthier individual, in order to provide peace of mind to the poor person that his sacrifice is valued as that of his wealthy peer.
A similar concept is found in the Gemara (Berachos 17a):
An expression favored by the Rabbis of Yavneh: I am a creation and my fellow Jew is a creation. My work is in the city and his work is in the field. I rise early for my work and he rises early for his work. Just as he does not presume to do my work, so I do not presume to do his work. (Another interpretation is that as I do not flaunt my vocation, likewise he does not flaunt his vocation.) Will you say, I do much and he does little? We have learnt: One may do much or one may do little; so long as the individual directs his heart to heaven.
The Yavnehy Rabbis merited a special place in Jewish history. Their efforts ensured and preserved Torah study, especially the Oral Law, to this very day. They are easily recognizable among the greatest Jewish scholars. What possible connection could they have with the ignorant farmers of Galilee?
Historically, society has fought against aristocracy. In the middle ages, hereditary aristocracy, based upon bloodlines, meant that one did not have to develop any skills to attain wealth and power. He lived off the family name. Eventually people rebelled against this. Next was economic aristocracy, where the ability to produce and accumulate capital provided status, strength and influence. This type of influence could not be handed down. Even in democracies, where there is no family aristocracy, there is minimal economic aristocracy as capitalism requires skills and capabilities. However, chance sometimes plays a role in the economic success of certain individuals. There is some level of resentment associated with economic aristocracy.
The third form, intellectual aristocracy, is universally accepted. Someone with great intellectual capabilities can accomplish great things in science or art and achieve great status even if he doesn’t attain great economic status. Why should such a person not feel superior to less capable or accomplished individuals?
Judaism was so democratic that not only did it reject familial and economic aristocracy, it rejected intellectual aristocracy as well. We have many laws to honor Torah scholars. At the same time, Judaism demands that the same scholar recognize that he is insignificant (Berachos 6b). Rabbi Zeira says people are rewarded simply for going to the Torah discourse on Shabbos. The reward for attending the Kallah, the great academic assembly where the honor of Torah was on full display, was for enduring the massive crowd. Perhaps Abaye and Rava, the leaders and the greatest scholars at the Kallah event, deserved a greater reward than the attending masses. Yet simple Jews who probably could not comprehend the words of these great scholars, yet were drawn naturally, intuitively, to attend the Kallah event, were rewarded for enduring the crush of people. Judaism posits that some people are granted greater mental capabilities to understand difficult concepts. Perhaps someone who was born to a family of great scholars deserves less reward than one born to simple parents. The former almost can’t help but become a great scholar. The latter must work harder to overcome various obstacles to become a scholar.