SUBTRACTING BY ADDING

Parashat Va’etchanan – Shabbat Nachamu

Av 11, 5783 / July 28-29, 2023

Torah: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1-26 (First Haftarah of Comfort)

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This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort, for the words of God and the prophet following Tisha B'Av (9 Av)

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This d'var torah is offered in memory of Sarah Labovitz Flom (my grandmother) and Martha Gottschalk Stern (Lynn's grandmother), whose yahrzeits fall Friday, July 28 (10 Av), and Sunday, July 30 (12 Av), respectively. Their memories are a blessing.

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This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Chanah Bella bat Kreina and Devorah bat Feigel.

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We're continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya'akov. On Monday, July 31, we'll be at BT Shabbat 105 (b), page 178 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 – - "אמר ר"ש בן פזי אמר ר'ב"ל ...."  " R. Simon b. Pazi said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi…”

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at: https://hebrewbooks.org/9630   
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
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Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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SUBTRACTING BY ADDING
 
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you subtract from it, that you may keep the commandments (mitzvot) of the Lord which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2
 
Jewish tradition understands that there are two general types of mitzvot: bein adam lamakom (between a human being and God) and bein adam l’chaveiro (between a human being and his/her fellow human). The Vilna Gaon taught that there was a third category: bein adam l’atzmo (between a human and him/herself). These divisions matter. 

"Moses Mosaic in the Jewish Quarter" (license - https://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/9700151014/)

Whether a person violates or makes stricter upon their self a mitzvah bein adam lamakom is strictly between them and God – God can reward or punish as God sees fit. Regarding a mitzvah bein adam l’atzmo – the only one affected is the person – no one else.
 
But, someone who alters or ignores or makes easier (for themselves) or makes stricter (for others) the mitzvot bein adam l’chaveiro regarding interpersonal relationships, damages others and society. (One could also frame this in the context of government and other leaders changing laws) For these mitzvot, the person doing the adding/subtracting must answer one simple question: Who benefits from my change to this mitzvah? If the answer is, “I do,” then one is upending their relationships and their society for their own ends, and could well be causing an otherwise preventable tragedy. This was the lesson of Tisha B'Av - the mistreatment or favoritism towards individuals because of their status in society, in violation of established norms, cascaded into the destruction of that society.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B’nai Hayim
.אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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