Words From Rabbi White

What? it’s already August? Wow! Parents begin thinking of school supplies (as you say in Quebec, the time of “rentrée scolaire.”) For my 46 years at U.T.T., it meant I had to begin thinking of content and teaching methods.

Back around 25 years ago, I was asked one year to start off the first teachers/administrators meeting of the year with a devar torah. Instead, I told the following story. Afterwards, many of the staff came over to me, and said that the story illustrated well what the philosophy of a school should be.

So I take the liberty of telling the story again. I think you will see how the story is a bit ahead of its time.

The Chafets Chayyim was known as one of the great sages in the period before and after WWI. He was held in great esteem and awe for both his knowledge of Jewish law, and for his righteousness. People came from far and wide to get his blessing. He was also head of an important yeshiva in Radin.

In 1886, the day-to-day functioning of yeshiva was placed in hands of his son-in-law, Rav Tsvi Hirsch Levinson. But final decisions remained in the hands of the Chafets Chayyim.

A certain student was not learning properly, would come late to minyan, etc. The principal wanted to expel him. The Chafets Chayyim didn’t agree, and said that the boy should be kept in the school.... 2 weeks later, a woman came to the Chafets Chayyim. She ran a small inn, gave room and board to a small number of students. [In those days, the yeshiva did not supply the students with food.] She complained: a certain student was hutspadiq [i.e., arrogant] to her. The matter was investigated, the woman was correct. The Chafets Chayim told the principal to expel the boy from yeshiva.

So, the principal asked: what’s the difference.  Why can the first boy stay, but the second has to leave?

The great rabbi answered: the boy who was not up to par: he is young, he will grow out of it. He’ll be OK. But the arrogant boy? In chapter 5 of Pirqei Avot, we learn: the arrogant go to hell. The great rabbi explained: why only the arrogant?  There are many sins. What is special about arrogance? Answer: when a person does a sin, he can always repent. But an arrogant person: he will never repent!! He’s always right. It’s beneath his dignity to admit that he did something wrong.

This idea can be connected with today’s parasha. The 1st aliya explains: how can we be successful in the Land of Israel?  The Torah says: "lo tavi’ to’eyva ‘el beitekha" “do not bring an abomination into your house.” What is the abomination referred to? According to peshat, probably refers to verse immediately above, referring to idolatry: don't be influenced by foreign values.

However, R. Levi Yitschak of Berditchev saw here a gezeira shava: that is, we interpret a word based on the way that word is used in another place in the Bible.  Proverbs 16:5 says to’avat haShem kol gevah lev: “HaShem despises the arrogant.”  So the verse in this week’s parasha means: “don’t bring arrogance into your house.”

Sadly, as we follow the news from Israel, we do not find many examples of compromise, tolerance, and patience.

We pray that the spirit of love, as we have just passed Tu be’av, can permeate our land of Israel “bimheirah beyameinu!” speedily in our days.

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Menahem White