If you listen. . . I will give rain in the fields. . . take care, lest your heart be deceived. . . and God will become angry with you, and He will close the heavens and there will be no rain. . . and you will soon perish from the good land" (Deut. 11:13-17).This paragraph is very familiar to observant Jews because it is the second part of the Keriat Shema - the principal prayer in the daily morning and evening prayers.
The first part of Shema
The first part of Kriat Shema, which was read in last week's weekly portion, is the paragraph that starts with the famous "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" and continues with the verses known as "Ve'ahavta" -- "Love the Lord your God":
These two parts of the Kriat Shema are juxtaposed against each other in the daily prayers. What is the meaning of this juxtaposition? Essentially, they are two different interpretations of religious observance. Not only is there a major difference between the two perspectives, but, moreover, they represent two contrary views of the meaning of religion. The first part, "Hear O Israel" followed by "Love the Lord your God," is an absolute demand upon man: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength."Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands, and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Note that it is not presented as something which stems from certain facts or consequences, but is presented in terms of its inherent significance and importance. No reason is given for this commandment to love God, nor is it accompanied by sanctions. It does not say: "If you observe the following, it will be good for you, and if you do not observe it - you will be punished." This mitzva is valid in and of itself. In philosophical parlance, it is categorical.
The significance of this mitzva - which is not linked to any promise - is highlighted by the statement of one of the greatest figures in the world of the Oral Tradition, Rabbi Akiva, who offered the well-known commentary:
'With all your soul' - even if He takes away your soul (i.e. your life).
Contrast with Second Part of Shema
The second paragraph of Kriat Shema - the above-mentioned "If you will listen" part - is the exact opposite. In this passage, explanations and arguments are given for the mitzva to love God and to serve Him. This paragraph, too, mentions the love of God ("to love the Lord your God with all your hearts and with all your souls"), but here the Torah mentions a reason for this love, and the commandment to follow God's decrees is supported by the threat of sanctions. The very word "if" at the beginning of this section ("if you will listen"), and the word "lest" later on ("lest your heart be deceived") indicates that an alternative exists - violate this mitzva and certain things will result as a consequence. The acceptance of the Yoke of Heaven and the Yoke of Torah appears to be presented in a utilitarian manner: Follow God's laws - you will benefit from rain and an abundance of crops; violate God's laws - the heavens will dry up, and you will perish from the land.
Elisha Ben Avuya's Loss of Faith
If the first section of Kriat Shema presents the faith of Rabbi Akiva, who died sanctifying God's name, the second section would appear to present the view of a man who had once been Rabbi Akiva's colleague, Elisha Ben Avuya, but who had later become known as Aher, "the other." And a story, which is probably not historical but nevertheless has a deep meaning, explains how this Tanna, one who was a great Torah scholar, became Aher - "the other" - whose name is not mentioned anymore.
The Talumd recounts that once Elisha Ben Avuya was walking past an orchard, and saw the owner of the field tell his son to climb a tree to a certain bird's nest, where he was to send away the mother bird and take the eggs. The child did as commanded by his father. By doing so, he fulfilled two mitzvot: honoring one's father and sending away the mother bird - both of them mitzvot about which the Torah states that if you fulfill them "your days will be prolonged" (See Deuteronomy 5:16 and 22:6). Yet, the child fell from the tree and died.Elisha Ben Avuya then exclaimed: "Where is the long life of this child?"- and he lost his faith and became Aher, the other.
In contrast to Rabbi Akiva, Elisha Ben Avuya understood faith in terms of the way it seems to appear in the second section of Keriat Shema- the "If you will listen" passage. If you will listen to God's commandments - you will benefit, you will be rewarded. Yet the harsh reality contradicted this view: The child who had just fufilled the two commandments promising a long life - suddenly died.
Higher and Lower Level of Understanding of Mitzvot
The juxtaposition of the two passages and their inclusion in the mitzva of Kriat Shema relates to the two great concepts which exist in the Jewish faith, both of which are legitimate:
1. lishma - for its own sake
2. shelo lishma - not for its own sake, i.e. for reward or to avoid punishment
Both are ways to serve God, and the Torah recognizes both as legitimate forms of worship. In philosophical terms, we might say that lishma is a faith whose significance is deontological, and shelo lishma denotes faith that is based on consequentialism (the theory that human actions derive their moral worth solely from their outcomes or consequences).
The first section of the Shema is an expression of "Torah for its own sake" - love of God without instrumental significance. No reason is given, and no sanctions are mentioned. Had one been able to determine a benefit, a materialistic benefit derived from love of God, it would have lost its significance as a categorical command, as something a person accepts because he sees its value in itself.
But not every person is capable of that level of worship. Maimonides famously commented that the Torah permitted man to serve God and to observe the mitzvot with the hope of being rewarded, and to refrain from sin because of fear of punishment. Thus, the second passage of Shema is addressed to these people. Even a believing Jew, who observes Torah and mitzvot in the spirit of "If you will listen" of the second section of the Shema, is an upright Jew.
Many Rabbinic commentators throughout Jewish history attempted to explain the purpose of the mitzvot by providing various rationalizations, such as purifying the individual, or protecting the individual from harm (see, e.g. Nachmanides on Deuteronomy 22:6). But these explanations are based on the presumption that the performance of religious rituals will benefit people. As such, they are flawed because they address the populist level of understanding of the mitzvot. The much higher level of understanding is that the commandments are to be obeyed for their own sake. The purpose of faith is not to reward people with financial, medical or political benefits, but faith itself. That is what the first paragraph of the Shema expresses, and it is an idea that needs to be aggressively taught and repeated to today's religious Jews, particularly those who believe that Judaism grants them rights and privileges at the expense of others.
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Sources: Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Accepting the Yoke of Heaven, Urim Publications, 2002; Nachum Amsel, The Jewsih Encyclopedia of Moral and Ethical Issues, Jason Aronson Inc., 1994
