[Avodah] Using Bein Adam laMakom to Motivate Bein Adam laChaveiro

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Jan 15, 2020 at 06:42:12AM +0000, Toby Katz via Avodah wrote:
>> We are dealing with an Orthodoxy which, ba'avonoseinu harabbim,
>> thinks that the Torah is all about bein adam laMaqom....
> 
> This is the same accusation that Christians have been making against
> Jews for 2000 years and that Reform/secular Jews have been making against
> Orthodox Jews for 200 years...


And the Semag made against us 700 yearts ago, in asei #74. In explaining
why, lemaaseh, one does have to return an aveidas aku"m, he writes
<https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_Mitzvot_Gadol%2C_Positive_Commandments.74>,
tr. mine so see it in the original at the link:

     I already expounded to the exiled from Jerusalem who are in Spain
     and the rest of Goliyos Edom that now that the exile has gone on far
     too long, it is appropriate for Israel to separate from the vanities
     of the world and grab onto the signet of the Holy One, blessed be
     He, which is truth, and not to lie neither to Jew nor to gentile.
     Not to mislead them in any way. To sanctify themselves even in what
     is permitted to them, as it says, "The remnant of Israel do not
     commit sin, do not speak lies, and one won't find a false tongue in
     their mouths." (Tzefaniah 3:13) And when Hashem comes to save them,
     the nations will say, "It was done justly, for they are a people of
     truth and the Torah of truth is in their mouths." But if they act
     with the gentiles with trickery, they will say, "See what the Holy
     One, blessed be He did, that chose for His portion thieves and
     con-men." Also, it says, "I will plant her [the Jewish People] for
     myself in the land..." (Hosheia 2:25) A person doesn't plant a kur
     [of seed] but to produce numerous kurim. So too the Holy One,
     blessed be He, planted Israel among the lands so that converts will
     join them (Pesachim 87b) and every time that they conduct themselves
     with trickery, who will attach to them?

And R Breuer, 69 years ago, wrote "`Glatt Kosher -- Glatt Yoshor" because
he felt a need to remind people that the latter is more important than the
former (translation via RYL). To give just the closing:

   We would welcome a campaign to link a drive for "Glatt Kosher" with an
   equally intensive one for "Glatt Yoshor." This objective is given
   hopeful expression by the Prophet Zephaniah (3:13):

     "The remnants of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies,
     neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth."


As for the wonderful things our community does, a couple of
theories:

While my negative stereotype is truer than RnTK will admit to herself,
it is still just a generalization. The number of people running and
participating in those gema"chs, bikur cholim, the chevrah.... they
don't total anywhere near half of us.

Second, there is just being a religious community. Compare ourselves
to another Middle or Upper-Middle class religious community. Look
at chessed among actual aku"m like the Mormons.

And yet we have the Emes! And we have a system that shapes our lives
to inclucate that Emes, from what we eat to how we put on our shoes!

Third, bein adam lachaveiro also has a BALM aspect, and we do see signs
that it is that aspect that drives much of the chessed. Like the numerous
articles by BT, singles, people who rely on Shabbos hospitality, who so
often leave feeling like they served as an esrog, a cheftza shel mitzvah.

The Alter of Slabodka says something related, about the lishmah of BALC
(found quoted in Alei Shur vol II, tr. mine):

     "Ve'ahavta lereiakha komakha -- and you shall love your peers like
     yourself." That you should love your peer the way you love yourself.
     You do not love yourself because it is a mitzvah, rather, a plain
     love. And that is how you should love your peer."

To which Rav Wolbe notes, "This approach is entirely alien to frumkeit."

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 "As long as the candle is still burning,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   it is still possible to accomplish and to
Author: Widen Your Tent      mend."
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF        - Anonymous shoemaker to R' Yisrael Salanter