Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav Kook
Yeshivat Nechmat Rachel - 1st anniversary
This is the second part of the address made by HaRav Avraham Shapiro shlit"a, Rosh yeshivat Mercaz HaRav, on the first anniversary of the establishment of yeshivat Kever Rachel by Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav.
Yeshivat Nechmat Rachel - 1st Anniversary - Part One
Return to the Yeshivat Nechmat Rachel Home page
Rosh Chosed Adar, 5756
Kever Rachel - the Tomb of Rachel
[Part Two]
The legacy of Rachel Imenu, to us, herchildren, is tzniuth (spiritual modesty or humility). To thistzniuth may be credited all that Rachel and her children attained.
The Gemara writes (Megillah 13b): "R. Eliezer said: `He withdrawethnot His eyes from the righteous;' (Job 36:7) By virtue of thetzniuth that was Rachel's she was rewarded by being the ancestressof King Saul.To his tzniuth is attributed the birth of Estherthe queen, and so on..."
The kingship of Israel derives itsorigins from that power of tzniuth that was Rachel's. Saul hadin him this power of tzniuth. When he returned home from his encounterwith Samuel, Saul told his uncle what had happened to him concerningthe lost mules and the asses. But a very great thing had happenedto him - he was annointed king. And this he hid and did not tell."But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuelspoke, he told him not." (I Sam. 10:16) What was not necesssaryto be revealed, Saul kept within his heart. Esther, too, had thepower of tzniuth. Because she cared only for the good of the Peopleand not for her own welfare the miracle of Purim was brought about."...sowill I go in unto the king...and if I perish, I perish" (Esther4:16). And the Gemara reminds us that Saul and Esther were ofthe lineage of Rachel.
tzniuth is not simply a virtue. The Gemarawrites (Makhoth 24a):"Micah established three principles:`It hath been told thee, O man, what is good,/And what the L-rddoth require of thee:/Only to do justly, and to love mercy, andto walk humbly with thy G-d.' (Micah 6:8)"
While, indeed, the Torah in its entirety is the Taryag Mitzvoth, in this passagethe Sages wished to give us the essence of the Torah formulatedin a few tenets. The Gemara continues: "And Habakkuk establishedone principle: ` But the righteous shall live by his faith.' (Habakkuk2:4)"
The essence is faith. But its establishment is predicatedupon three principles. And what are they?
The first principle is - " do justly". The world is founded upon the existenceof justice (Heb. mishpath).
The second tenet is "love mercy"(Heb. hesed). In this there is an innovation. In reference tojustice the Prophet says "do justly". But the secondtenet is not "do mercy" but "love mercy".Justice must be implemented. In order for people to live in theworld there must be law and justice, for the world exists onlyby reason of law. But mercy must be loved. For even when deedsof mercy cannot be done, still this virtue - the love of mercy- can be developed and nurtured. For the love of mercy is in itselfa virtue. One must accustom oneself to love mercy. Then if anopportunity arises to perform some deed of mercy a person willseize the chance. If there is no opportunity for action yet still the love of mercy will endure.
The third principle is another innovation."Walk humbly" (Heb.hatzneh lekhet - it is here thatwe are made aware that tzniuth is not simply a virtue, but isone of the three essential principles of the Torah. tzniuth isthe element in which all that exists, all that a person attains,is preserved.
The Sages comment upon the Breaking of the Tablesof the Law (Rashi): " `And no man shall come up with thee...'(Exod. 34:3) that is, the first [Tables of Law] Given amidst cheeringsand acclamations and mass assembly came under the auspices ofthe Evil Eye: There is no virtue more beautiful than tzniuth."
The reason adduced for the failings of the People after they receivedthe First Tables is the public manner in which they were GivenTheSecond Tables were Given to the People of Israel in a modest anddiscreet manner. tzniuth will preserve these Tables forever.
All matters spiritual and material are sustained by tzniuth. If aperson acquires something, and he is not modest about it, it islikely not to endure. This is so, for example, in reference toa marriage. So too, all spiritual affairs must be carried forwardin a modest and discreet manner. Without tzniuth there is no powerto preserve and maintain that which should endure.
tzniuth preserves and maintains the Covenant.
tzniuth is a matter of inwardness.The Mahara'l in fact, states that tzniuth and inwardness are one.If there is no tzniuth there is no inwardness. All is external.And to preserve and to maintain that which should endure can beachieved only through inwardness.
The Rambam writes concerningtzniuth and the Torah (Hilkhoth Talmud Torah, Chap. 3): "Andall who labour hard in learning, with tzniuth, become wise, asis written , `When pride cometh, then cometh shame,/But with thelowly is wisdom.' (Prov. 11:2)"
There is a covenant of Torahfounded upon tzniuth. This is the special covenant of Torah whichtzniuth preserves and maintains: "...But with the lowly iswisdom".tzniuth must teach us not to be proud. After Samuelspoke to Saul about the kingship "Samuel called to Saul onthe housetop..." (I Sam9:26). The Sages explain that Samuelspoke to Saul concerning pride.That is, Samuel spoke to Saul oftzniuth and warned him against pride.At first glance there seemsto be a difficulty here. After all King Saul is generally consideredthe great exemplar of tzniuth and the very antithesis of pride(v. I Sam. 9:21) Why then was it necessary for Samuel to warnSaul against pride? But there are different degrees of pride.A man may say it is true, I am not worthy of being king - butI am worthy of commanding the army. True tzniuth avers - I amnot fit. I am like a broom that does whatever is needed and whateverit is given to do. If a king is needed - I am a king. If a commanderof the army is needed - I am a commander. If a soldier is needed- I am a soldier. If a rav is needed - I am a rav. This is theexplanation of "to the housetop". The meaning of tzniuthis that I am nothing. What will be done with me will be done.I do not exist.
tzniuth strengthens and augments and gives to ussiatah deshemayah (Heavenly Assistance).
Thus says the Rambam "...withthe lowly is wisdom." If a person wishes to live with wisdom,to attain wisdom, and to grow in wisdom, there is only one roadto wisdom.
The Rambam divides the Hilkhoth Talmud Torah in severalsections.In the first chapters the Rambam speaks of talmud torah(the learning of Torah) in general. Every Jew ought to learn Torah.To the question what is a yeshiva, the answer is, a yeshiva doesnot produce rabbanim. A yeshiva nurtures talmedei hakhamim (Torahscholars). For every Jew ought to be a talmid hakham.
Two yearsago I spoke at a Dinner given by a certain yeshiva. Present therewere the Prime Minister of Israel and the Commander-in-Chief ofthe Israel Defense Forces. I was asked to speak about yeshivoth.I said to them, you are mistaken if you think that a yeshiva existsto produce rabbanim. A yeshiva exists to nuture talmedei hakhamimbecause every Jew should be a talmid hakham. Whether he is a professoror a banker or a farmer. All Jews should be talmedei hakhamim.TheRambam discusss this precept in an entire chapter - "whetherone is rich or poor..." (Hilkhoth Talmud Torah 8). A primeminister, too, should be a talmid hakham; so too should the Commander-in-Chiefof the Army be a talmid hakham. One of the rabbanim who was sittingnext to me added out loud: A rav too, should be a talmid hakham.
This is the theme of the first two chapters of Hilkhoth Talmud Torah.But in the third chapter the Rambam writes of hilkhoth talmidhakham. There are degrees of talmedei hakhamim. There is one whodevotes himself completely to Torah. This is what the Rambam callsthe crown of Torah. There is Torah and there is the crown of Torah.The crown of Torah has other laws and other times of learning.The Rambam writes, "The Sages said, A covenant has been madethat he who labours to learn Torah in the Beth Midrash will notquickly forget [what he has won by his labour]. And he who labourshard to learn Torah with tzniuth grows wise, as is said "withthe lowly is wisdom"".
This is the way to achieve success inlearning Torah. "with the lowly is wisdom". This isnot just a passage in Proverbs. It is a covenant. It is written,"and the L-rd said unto Moses: `Write thou these words, forafter the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with theeand with Israel.'" (Exod. 34:27) That is, there is not justa covenant with Klal Israel. There is also a special covenant"with thee" - with Moses. A covenant has been madewith talmedei hakhamim. And part of this covenant is, "withthe lowly is wisdom." tzniuth preserves Torah and enlargesTorah. Without tzniuth there can be no talmedei hakhamim.
Klal Israel endures by the power of the tzniuth of Rachel Imenu whichwas her legacy to us. It is the shared heritage not only of Josephand Benjamin, but of all the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
In this place - Kever Rachel - we must reaffirm our knowledge of those principleswhich express the essence of Torah - "do justly" -"love mercy" - and that precept which was Rachel's giftto her Children - "and walk humbly with thy G-d."
Yeshivat Nechmat Rachel Home page
Yeshivat Nechmat Rachel - 1st Anniversary - Part One
Yeshivat Nechmat Rachel - 1st Anniversary - Part Two