[Avodah] Threats Against A Judge

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 10:45:55PM -0500, T613K at aol.com wrote:
: You try to draw a parallel between Torah, avodah, gemilus chasadim
: on the one hand, and gilui arayos, A'Z and shefichus damim on the
: other. Two out of the three work but the first (Torah parallel to G'A)
: is strained.

Not I, the Maharal, Derekh haChaim on the mishnah.

All I try to do is explain the Maharal's stretchier point in modern
terms. Here's my translation of the Maharal on the same point:
    The glory of the Torah is that it is separated from the physical
    entirely. There is nothing that can separate man from the physical
    but the Torah of thought. The opposite is sexual immorality, which
    follows the physical [chomer] until one is thought of like an animal
    or donkey [chamor], it is a creature of its flesh's desires, in all
    things physical.

BTW, the Gra assumes a similar parallel. He writes in Even Sheleimah
2:1:
    The sum of all evil middos are ka'as[1] (anger), ta'avah (desire),
    and ga'avah[2] (egotism), which are "haqin'ah vehata'avah vehakavod
    -- jealousy, desire and honor".[3] Each includes two [parts]. Of
    ka'as: ra (evil) and mirma (duplicity). Ra is revealed, and mirmah
    is "echad bepeh ve'echad beleiv -- one thing in the mouth, and one
    thing in the heart".[4,5] Ta'avah: ta'avah and chemdah (longing):
    Ta'avah is [for] the pleasure of the body itself, such as eating,
    drinking, and the like. And chemdah is like [for] silver/money,
    gold, clothing and houses. In ga'avah [the two subspecies are] gei'ah
    (conceit) and ga'on (snobbery). Gei'ah is in the heart and ga'on is
    the desire to rule over others.

    All this is included in the tefillah of "E-lokai netzor leshoni meira
    usfasi midabeir mirmah."[6] "Velimkalilai nafshi sidom -- and may my
    soul be silent to those who curse me" is against ga'avah. "Venafshi
    ke'afar lakol tihyeh -- and may my soul be like dust before everyone"
    is against ga'on. "Pesach libi biSorasecha -- open my heart with
    your Torah" is the opposite of ta'avah, which wants to sit in his
    home in menuchah (rest) to fulfill his ta'avos, and also for Torah
    he needs to sit in menuchah. And they say in the medrash [7],
    "Before the person prays for Torah ideas that they should enter
    his innards, he should pray that food and drink shouldn't enter his
    innards." "Uvmitzvosecha tirdof nafshi -- and my soul chase after
    your mitzvos" is the opposite of the people of chemdah, because it
    is their way to constantly run ahead, "for a person doesn't die with
    [even] half of his ta'avah in hand.[8]"[9]

    Footnotes:
    1- Nedarim 22a, 22b; Pesachim 66b, 113b
    2- Sotah 4b, 5a; Sanhedrin 98a; Avos 4:2
    3- Avos 4:21
    4- Michlei 4:24
    5- Pesachim 113b; Bava Metziah 49b
    6- Beracho 17a
    7- Yalkum Shim'oni 830
    8- Koheles Raba 1:13
    9- C.f. Bei'ur haGr"a Mishlei 1:11; 2:12; 4:24; 7:5; 12:25; 23:27;
       24:11; 30:10

Note how the Gra assumes that Torah and taavah are opposites. Very
similar to the Maharal, no?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Rescue me from the desire to win every
micha at aishdas.org        argument and to always be right.
http://www.aishdas.org              - Rav Nassan of Breslav
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