[Avodah] neglecting the law

[Joel Rich]

>From the recently published Aggadot HaRav
Thoughts?

There was another commandment at hand: Joseph, the old grandfather, had
commanded his family: “When God will indeed remember you, then you shall
bring my bones up out of here” (Gen. 50:25). Moses was fulfilling this
commandment.

Now a learned Jew with a sharp head would stroke his beard and say: Let us
see, which commandment should one preferably fulfill? The command to borrow
from Egypt is a Torah commandment, and a valuable one at that.

On the other hand, obeying the words of the deceased is a Rabbinic mitzvah.
Furthermore, according to some Rishonim, this applies only to the children
of the deceased; thus, more distant descendants may have been under no
obligation to fulfill Joseph’s request to be buried in the land of Israel………
As such, it appears that everyone was technically exempt from taking care
of Joseph’s bones. In contrast, borrowing from the Egyptians was a
full-fledged positive commandment incumbent upon everyone! …..
In a Torah lecture, it would be possible to prove unequivocally that the
borrowing should take precedence. Yet, of all people, it was Moses—the
greatest Torah authority ever—who was not going along with this line of
reasoning.
It is quite possible that Moses was not acting in keeping with Truth—the
law. It was the Jews who were cramming the spoils into their sacks who were
fulfilling the law. Nevertheless, Moses felt that he had to act in
accordance with Kindness, which dictated showing respect to Joseph.……….
Given Joseph’s role in preserving the Jewish people, Moses was willing to
risk being punished in Gehinnom for neglecting the law. Moses chose to act
according to the heart of the Torah, not the brain. This loyalty, this
kindness, that Moses demonstrated toward Joseph was a manifestation of the
remarkable personality of Moses—he personified the verse “The wise of heart
will seize good deeds.” This wisdom resides not in the head, but in the
heart. One can only acquire it if one engages in Torah study for its own
sake. Studying not for its own sake involves only the brain, not the heart.
Those who study with their heart sometimes have a different Shulḥan Arukh.
That is what Rav Safra prayed for.


KT
Joel Rich
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