The Jew is constantly confronted with the endless struggle and conflict between the material and the spiritual world. On the one hand we are commanded to enjoy the world and to marvel at the beauty and the splendor of the Creator. Yet we are also charged not to over-indulge, to discipline ourselves, and to appreciate the spiritual aspects of our existence.
This concept is expressed in the portion of Bereishit and continues throughout the book of Bereishit. Initially we are presented with the first recorded murder in human history. Kayin and Hevel each offer sacrifices to G-d, Hevel from the best of his flock and Kayin from the fruits of the land. G-d accepts the offering of Hevel and denies Kayin’s offering. In anger and jealousy, Kayin kills Hevel.
What was the argument all about?
Rabbi Kook explains that it was predicated on the conflict between the spiritual forces of life and the material aspects. As a farmer, Kayin’s offering represented the supremacy of the material, for though a farmer must also depend on G-d for his sustenance, he still has the company of his wife and family.
Hevel’s sacrifice represented the dominance of the spiritual, for as a shepherd he was totally dependent on Almighty G-d; he was alone. Loneliness by definition brings one closer to G-d for it forces one to be more cognizant of his Creator – in short, more spiritual. In essence, then, Kayin wanted the material world to have precedence while Hevel believed that the spiritual world was more important.
This struggle is also apparent in the portion of Noach, where the generation of the flood was steeped in materialism which eventually caused their downfall.
We are taught in Judaism to temper each of these areas and to walk the middle road. To create a balance between these two seemingly opposing forces. Too much materialism is no good. Too much spiritualism also misses the mark.
Such conflict presents itself daily in our lives. In the United States and in Israel, the Jewish people are living in the greatest and most affluent society that Jews have ever known. In no other civilization has the Jew enjoyed such success, prosperity, and influence. However, this blessing is a double-edged sword, presenting serious challenges on how we educate our children and how we impart to them our priorities.
How do we use our money when we support our synagogues and our schools? Do we donate with humility, without expecting any recognition in return, or do we demand to be heard, indeed to be listened to, when we make suggestions? Do we use our influence to gain favors for our children, placing undue pressure on their schools? Do we demand in return for our support that the school pay extra attention to our children?
Too often we see people of means manipulate schools for their own personal agenda, a despicable behavior and ultimately a terrible example for their children. I was just told of a story of a very wealthy and influential family whose daughter attends a Day School; the parents announced to the girl’s teachers that she doesn’t need to do any school work because their family is a major donor in the school. What kind of a message are they teaching their daughter?
And how do we deal with television or cell phones or computers? One young rabbi, a teacher, called television “toilet vision” because of the negative influences it has on children. Do we have the courage to eliminate this unwanted guest from our homes? Can we create this balance between the spiritual and the material?
When my children were young, my wife and I decided that we would disconnect the television. We reasoned that though we enjoy listening to the news, there were stations whose content were inappropriate. Certainly if a guest would come into our house spewing forth the words that one hears on the TV, we would not tolerate such language or behavior. Why then should we allow our children to be exposed to such trash?
The first week or so was very difficult. Our children were angry and confused. After all, they enjoyed watching their favorite shows and suddenly they were denied this pleasure. After one week, however, the most amazing thing happened. We noticed that our children began reading books, talking and interacting with each other. There was quiet in our home, and for the first time we didn’t have to listen to the inappropriate language and subject matter that was emanating from the television.
We cannot completely isolate our children from everything in our society. But we must find the balance to insure the integrity of our morals and teachings – the very essence of being a Jew and following our Torah.
