Yehudah Ben Tema Said: "Be Bold As A Leopard, Light As An Eagle, Swift As A Deer, And Strong As A Lion, To Carry Out The Will Of Your Father In Heaven."
He Used To Say: "The Brazen Is Headed For Gehinom, But The Shamefaced For Heaven.
"May It Be Your Will, L-Rd Our G-D And G-D Of Our Fathers, That The Beis Hamikdash Be Rebuilt Speedily In Our Days, And Grant Us Our Portion In Your Torah."
On the verse,
[71] "Instruct us from the beasts of the earth; grant us wisdom from the birds of the heaven," our Sages state
[72] that even were, (heaven forbid,) the Torah not to have been given, we could learn the positive traits it teaches by meditating on the qualities with which G-d endowed the animals.
As the Baal Shem Tov teaches:[73] "Everything which a person sees or hears should serve as a lesson for him in his divine service." When a person sees a beast or a bird - even a non-kosher species like a leopard or an eagle - he should realize that the purpose is to teach him positive qualities which he should employ in his divine service.
(Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXI, p. 284ff)
These two clauses appear to be contradictory. On one hand, the
mishnah is telling us to display boldness. On the other hand, it states that brazen behavior brings retribution.
This difficulty can be resolved by considering another seeming contradiction in the words of our Sages. In one source,[74] our Sages state that humility is one of the traits which distinguish the Jewish people. And yet, in another source,[75] they state that Jews are "the most bold of the nations."
Humility and boldness need not be contradictory. When it comes to a person's individual concerns, he should be humble and willing to compromise. With regard to his divine service, however, he should stand proud and boldly assert his rights, remaining unphased in the face of any and all who try to hinder him.
Indeed, this concept is so important that the Tur and the Alter Rebbe in his Shulchan Aruch chose to begin their compendiums of Jewish law with this directive.[76]
The scope of this directive extends beyond the individual sphere. When the Jewish people are pressured by gentiles with regard to the observance of the Torah and its mitzvos, or with regard to a matter concerning the welfare of the Jewish people, they need not be intimidated. Instead, they should proudly and boldly assert their position. When that position is based on the Torah, and presented as such, the gentiles will listen.
The above concepts are particularly appropriate in the present era, short moments before the coming of the Redemption, when G-d will lead us proud and upright to our land.[77] By anticipating the pride and self-esteem of the Redemption at the present time, we can precipitate its coming.
(Ibid., Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XV, p. 256)
The association of the two clauses in this prayer can be explained as follows: In the present era, much of our efforts are devoted to worldly activities. In the Era of the Redemption, when the
Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt, we will, by contrast, be able to devote all our energies to the study of Torah.
(Sichas Shabbos Parshas Re'eh, 5741)
Notes:
- (Back to text) Iyov 35:11.
- (Back to text) Eruvin 102b.
- (Back to text) Quoted in HaYom Yom, p. 52, Kesser Shem Tov, Hosafos, sec. 127.
- (Back to text) Yevamos 79a.
- (Back to text) Beitzah 25b.
- (Back to text) And if, heaven forbid, a person does not express boldness in his divine service, boldness will become manifest in an undesirable manner. To cite a parallel, our Sages (Shabbos 156a) state that a person born under the sign of Mars will become a murderer or a robber or a butcher or a mohel. In other words, the person has a tendency towards bloodshed, but the question is: how will he express it? Similarly, with regard to the matter at hand: Jews have boldness in their nature. The question is: In which avenues will they display this quality?
- (Back to text) Cf. Vayikra 26:13.
Chapter Five - Mishna 19