COSMIC RELATIONSHIPS: BOOKENDS FOR TRACTATE BERACHOS
· • The second chapterof Tractate Berachos teaches that, in certain circumstances, we must integratehuman relationships into our daily reading of the Shema. In other words, we areat times obligated to interrupt our declaration of our total commitment to Godin order to greet a human being.
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· • The final chapterof Tractate Berachos, conversely, teaches that we must integrate Hashem’spresence into our communication with people [שאלת שלום]. Here are the texts:
Mishnah Berachos 2:1
בפרקיםשואל מפני הכבוד ומשיב, ובאמצע, שואל מפני היראה ומשיב, דברי רבי מאיר. רבי יהודהאומר: באמצע שואל מפני היראה ומשיב מפני הכבוד, ובפרקים שואל מפני הכבוד ומשיבשלום לכל אדם.
When reciting the Shema and its blessings: between the paragraphs,one should greet another person in order to show him respect, and return hisgreeting. In the middle of a section, one may greet only someone who isintimidating and return his greeting…
Mishnah Berachos 9:5
והתקינושיהא אדם שואל את שלום חברו בשם, שנאמר: והנה בעז בא מבית לחם ויאמר לקוצרים: ה'עמכם, ויאמרו לו: יברכך ה'; ואומר: ה' עמך גבור החיל; ואומר: אל תבוז כי זקנה אמך;ואומר: עת לעשות לה' הפרו תורתך. רבי נתן אומר: הפרו תורתך משום עת לעשות לה'.
It was instituted that a person should greet his fellow man withthe name of God, as Scripture states (Ruth 2:4): “Boaz came from Bethlehem andsaid to the reapers, ‘Hashem is with you!’, and they answered him, ‘May Hashembless you’”
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Although many authorities have placed “interpersonal, ethical”mitzvos (מצוות בין אדם לחבירו) and “spiritual”mitzvos (מצוות בין אדם למקום) ) into separatecategories, I feel that this distinction is ultimately misleading. ConsiderAvraham Avinu''s declaration to Avimelech (Bereshis 20:1100:
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי רַ֚ק אֵין־יִרְאַ֣ת אֱלֹקים בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑הוַהֲרָג֖וּנִי עַל־דְּבַ֥ר אִשְׁתִּֽי.
Avraham said: “Because, I thought, there is no fear of Hashem inthis place, [therefore] they will kill me for my wife!”
Note as well God’s stress on Avraham’s devotion to ethics as thereason for revealing to Avraham His plan to destroy (Sodom Bereshis 18:19):
כִּ֣ייְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אַחֲרָ֔יווְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְקֹוָ֔ק לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְמַ֗עַןהָבִ֤יא יְקֹוָק֙ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו:
[Hashem said] “I love him [i.e., Avraham], for he will command hischildren and his household after him to keep the way of Hashem, doing charityand justice…
These verses indicate that Avraham, the progenitor of the ChosenPeople, understood that ethical behavior must be grounded in a life ofsubmission to God.
Aside from the realm of ethical behavior: the foregoingMishnayos teach that the act of Accepting the Yoke ofthe Kingdom of Heaven need not preclude the act of greeting another human being,and that, conversely, whenever we greet another human being, we mustacknowledge the Divine presence which is manifest in that person - indeed, ineveryone created in His image.
Furthermore, when the opportunity for an act of kindnessconflicts with a Divine visitation, it is Avraham Avinu who teaches us thathuman welfare takes precedence. Shabbos 127a notes that Avraham readily excuseshimself from a personal audience with Hashem in order to provide food andshelter for hot, weary travelers:
אמר רביהודה אמר רב: גדולה הכנסת אורחין מהקבלת פני שכינה
Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: [Avraham’s behavior hereteaches us that] the act of affording hospitality is greater than the act ofreceiving the Divine Presence.
The concept behind this principle is not simply that “humanismoverrides theism” - that mitzvos bayn adam lachaveiro takeprecedence to mitzvos bayn adam lamakom. Rather, thisprinciple views acts of lovingkindness as the highest form of connection withthe Divine, for by means of such acts we become His agents.
(For further analysis of this last concept, Please see, underChumash – Bereshis, the essay entitled VAYERA I: EPIPHANIES DIVINE AND HUMAN)