Ethical Teachings of the Torah

THE CHALLENGE OF MONEY: ELUL

In the Chassidut of P’shischa they taught that preparation for mitzvot is almost as important as the mitzva itself and the parshiot that we read weekly, are often preparation for the chagim. Between Purim and Pesach we have the Four Parashiot detailing the mitzvot connected with them. During the Three Weeks we read Pinchas, Mattot-Masaei and Devarim describing the conquest and tribal allocation of the Land, the t’shuva for the sins that caused the destructions of this period. Now in Elul we had Shoftim and Ki Teitzei with 118 mitzvot dealing the imperatives for a just, moral and merciful society. They are followed by Ki Tavo with its blessings and curses that are the national rewards and punishment for non-observance of these divinely ordained imperatives. These parashiot in concert with the call of the Shofar and the reciting of S’lichot are fitting preparation for the judgement and atonement of the Yamim Noraim that follow.
Hashem is slow to anger and merciful to forgive mistakes and our sins; this knowledge provides the hope and faith for our t’shuva and atonement. Yet His long suffering of our sins only applies to those misdeeds against Heaven; those against man are punished swiftly and fully. Atonement for the latter requires first rectifying the deeds and appeasing the injured party, only then does He forgive. The arrogance against Heaven of Dor HaP’laga was punished only with dispersion and multiplicity of languages while the social sins of the five cities of S’dom brought utter destruction. Nineveh fasted and wore sackcloth yet in their t’shuva they never became more merciful of Israel nor did they relinquish idolatry, so what did they repent with? They returned the chamas that was in their hands. This restitution of chamas, money that is earned through violence or through scheming and devious methods, made their teshuva acceptable and earned them atonement. Punishment for the idolatry of the Eigel was postponed and meted out gradually, whereas Bayit Rishon and Sheini were destroyed for a multitude of social sins that disrupted the just, moral and merciful society called for in Shoftim and Ki Teitzei, as promised in Ki Tavo.
In essence, this just and merciful society requires a Jewish perspective on having and spending money, since uncontrolled and unrestrained wealth destroys any such society. “One who says mine is mine and yours is yours’, this is an average attribute; many say this is the attribute of S’dom” (Avot 5:13). Private property is a legitimate part of human nature and all the strata of government, law courts, judges and policing are meant to ensure that the rights, persons and property of the citizens are protected; this is the commencement of Parshat Shoftim. However, any concept of absolute and unlimited private property leads to selfishness and egoism; these are the attributes of S’dom which called for the destruction of that society. So the Torah then details all the mitzvot that come to inculcate the merits of mercy and kindness essential for the society that Israel is to construct in its Promised Land.
Human beings, created in the image of G-d, are the pinnacle of His creation and how they use everything in that creation will determine the degree of mercy and kindness in their societies. So Shoftim and Ki Tetzei came to extend our behaviour beyond the negation of damaging and harming others and their property that was taught in Mishpatim. For that, we require mercy and kindness in our dealings not only with people in our power or in difficulty, but even animals and trees, both in our possession and those outside of our property. Our kindness and mercy for G-d’s creation reflect His Chesed and Rachamim for us and all that He has created; the Chesed and Rachamim that we pray for and require on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.
All the 24 sins mentioned in Ashamnu, the vidui that we recite in the s’lichot, deal with financial and monetary sins that require forgiveness and Divine Atonement. Of the 11 verses in Ki Tavo describing the acts that bring blessings or curses upon the Jewish national society, five have to do with kosher money and four with sexual morality, twin foundations for the just and merciful society.
“These are the mitzvot whose fruits a person enjoys in this world while their principal remains for him for the world to come” (Shabbat 127a). These are all mitzvot requiring human justice and mercy that are doubly rewarded compared to all other mitzvot, rewarded only in the world to come.

• Other Ethical Teachings of the Torah
• Today is the Birthday of the World, whether as Children or as Servants [2] by Dr. Meir Tamari
• Funding Social Costs - Taxation [2]
• THE CHALLENGE OF MONEY - Funding Social Costs - Taxation [1]