Core Jewish Values: Week #4-- Derech Eretz/ Common Decency

(16) Do not be a talebearer among your people. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the LORD.

(1) לא תלך רכיל, “do not walk around as a talebearer;” do not tell people who have been found guilty at court that if you had been the only judge in that litigation you would have declared the party found guilty as innocent. Seeing that you were in the minority, you regret that your voice was not heard. (Sifra) An alternate interpretation: [according to the interpretation that follows the absence of the letter ו before the word לא is of decisive significance. Ed.] Talebearing and standing by idly while your fellow Jew’s blood is being shed are part of the same sin. The Torah warns against talebearing as the next step would result in standing by idly while another Jew’s innocent blood is being shed. What started out as being “only” words, is liable to wind up as complicity in murder. The prophet Ezekiel 22,9 writing: אנשי רכיל היו בך, “there were talebearers amongst you, continues that verse by writing: “for the sake of bloodshed.” In other words: talebearing is no better that bloodshed. Still another interpretation of our verse: ordinarily the rule of not to go around and bear tales applies. However, if you became privy to a plot being hatched against an innocent person you must not plead this law as an excuse not to have warned the endangered party, or have reported it to the police. (2) לא תלך רכיל, “do not spread evil tales that have come to your attention, but be the one where this practice stops from gaining further ground.”

(1) לא תלך רכיל בעמיך, "Do not go about your people bearing tales." Our sages in the Zohar have already preceded me in drawing attention to the apparent duplication when the Torah speaks both about לא תלך, "do not go," and רכיל, "bearing tales." The latter word implies that one goes from one person to another. So why do we need the words: "do not go?" The Zohar's answer in Nasso subsection Idra Rabbah 128 is of a mystical dimension. I believe the plain meaning of the Torah is a warning to each individual not to become a vehicle for potential defamatory information about a second party. How does one prevent this? By not revealing any information even innocent information in the hearing of anyone who might use this information or part of it and turn it into something defamatory. If that were to happen then the person who merely related the original harmless-sounding story shares part of the guilt. The Torah purposely writes בעמיך, "amongst your own people," referring to people close to you who are indiscreet and blabber about any confidence they have heard or overheard. G'd adds: "I am the Lord" i.e. I am going to track down whence the defamatory remarks originated. (2) Another aspect of our verse is that the Torah warns that we must not associate with nor tolerate the presence of people who spread evil gossip. Providing such people with a home or otherwise assisting them makes the host an accessory to their sin, part of the cause. (3) לא תעמוד על דם רעך, "Do not stand idly by when your colleague's blood is being spilled." This part of the verse is a natural corollary of the prohibition to bear tales. When one becomes aware of an assassination attempt for instance, one has to warn the potential victim in order to enable him to save himself. The Torah writes the words: "Do not stand by idly, etc," to warn us that relaying a warning to a person of an attempt to assassinate him which one has overheard does not fall under the prohibition not to bear tales. Failure to warn the potential victim which results in the murder being carried out makes the party who did not issue the warning guilty of violating this commandment. Jeremiah 40,14 reports that Gedalyah ben Achikom was warned of an assassination attempt against him by a fellow Jew Ishmael ben Netanyah. Gedalyah's refusal to believe that he was in danger resulted in his death at the hand of assassins.

It is forbidden to speak demeaningly of one's friend, even if it be absolute truth. And this is termed everywhere by Chazal (the rabbinic sages) "lashon hara." (For if there were in his words an admixture of falsehood, by which his friend is demeaned even more, this is in the category of "motzi shem ra" [spreading a false report], in which his sin is far greater). And the speaker [of lashon hara] transgresses a negative commandment, viz. (Vayikra 19:16): "Do not go talebearing among your people." And this [lashon hara] is also in the category of rechiluth.

(1) It is forbidden to accept lashon hara according to the Torah, both in things "between man and his Maker" and things "between man and his neighbor." That is, we may not believe in our hearts that what is said is true. For, if we do, we will look down upon the one spoken of. And [this applies] even if he [the hearer] explicitly disagrees with what is said. For if not, he doubles the sin — speaking [(by being an accessory to the speaker)] and accepting. And the accepter transgresses (Shemoth 23:1): "You shall not bear a false report," concerning which Chazal (the rabbinic sages) have said in the Mechilta, that this is an exhortation against accepting lashon hara. And Chazal have said (Pesachim 118a) that all who accept lashon hara deserve to be cast to the dogs, it being written "You shall not bear a false report," preceded by (Ibid 22:30): "To the dog shall you cast it." And they have also said (Rambam, Hilchoth Deoth 7:13): "The punishment of the accepter is greater than that of the teller."

(5) How did they admonish witnesses in capital cases? They brought them in and admonished them, [saying], “Perhaps you will say something that is only a supposition or hearsay or secondhand, or even from a trustworthy man. Or perhaps you do not know that we shall check you with examination and inquiry? Know, moreover, that capital cases are not like non-capital cases: in non-capital cases a man may pay money and so make atonement, but in capital cases the witness is answerable for the blood of him [that is wrongfully condemned] and the blood of his descendants [that should have been born to him] to the end of the world.” For so have we found it with Cain that murdered his brother, for it says, “The bloods of your brother cry out” (Gen. 4:10). It doesn’t say, “The blood of your brother”, but rather “The bloods of your brother” meaning his blood and the blood of his descendants. Another saying is, “The bloods of your brother” that his blood was cast over trees and stones. Therefore but a single person was created in the world, to teach that if any man has caused a single life to perish from Israel, he is deemed by Scripture as if he had caused a whole world to perish; and anyone who saves a single soul from Israel, he is deemed by Scripture as if he had saved a whole world. Again [but a single person was created] for the sake of peace among humankind, that one should not say to another, “My father was greater than your father”. Again, [but a single person was created] against the heretics so they should not say, “There are many ruling powers in heaven”. Again [but a single person was created] to proclaim the greatness of the Holy Blessed One; for humans stamp many coins with one seal and they are all like one another; but the King of kings, the Holy Blessed One, has stamped every human with the seal of the first man, yet not one of them are like another. Therefore everyone must say, “For my sake was the world created.” And if perhaps you [witnesses] would say, “Why should we be involved with this trouble”, was it not said, “He, being a witness, whether he has seen or known, [if he does not speak it, then he shall bear his iniquity] (Lev. 5:1). And if perhaps you [witnesses] would say, “Why should we be guilty of the blood of this man?, was it not said, “When the wicked perish there is rejoicing” (Proverbs 11:10).]

(14) There is nothing that should stand before saving a life except for idol worship, forbidden sexual relationships, and shedding blood.

You have no matter that stands before saving a life, other than idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and murder. Only in those three cases, when faced with a choice between violating the prohibition and being killed, must one be killed rather than violate the prohibition.

(5) The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. (6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She had compassion for him and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.”

ותחמול עליו, "She had compassion for him"--seeing that he was such a beautiful baby, far too perfect a creature to simply throw into the river.

(17) ...Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: If there is no Torah, there is no derech eretz, if there is no derech eretz, there is no Torah. If there is no wisdom, there is no awe of God; if there is no awe of God, there is no wisdom. If there is no knowledge, there is no understanding; if there is no understanding, there is no knowledge. If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour.

(1) "if there is no derech eretz, etc.": in the end, he will forget his Torah learning and observance.

(1) Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: If there is no Torah, there is derekh erets: Meaning to say [that] one who does not know Torah is not complete in the traits of derekh erets; as most of the good traits that exist in the ways of the world are in the Torah - like "surely lend him" (Deuteronomy 15:8), "Surely award him" (Deuteronomy 15:14), "Just scales, just weights" (Leviticus 19:36), and many, many like these. If so, without Torah, his dispositions in derekh erets will not be complete.

(1) He means to say with this that each of these two - each one of the two of them - helps the existence of the other and completes the other one.

(2) Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi said: excellent is the study of the Torah when combined with a derech eretz, for both keep sin out of one’s mind; But [study of the] Torah which is not combined with derech eretz, in the end comes to be neglected and becomes the cause of sin.

(10) He who is familiar with Bible, Mishnah, and derech eretz will not easily sin, as it is said, “And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12.

(27) Do not be oblivious to the good that others do for you. Acknowledge even those who do something as simple as opening a door for you⁷Train your children to acknowledge other peoples’ kindnesses by always saying “thank you” or by making some other obvious gesture such as nodding or waving in appreciation to a driver who stopped for them at a crosswalk. The very first thing we do when we awake each morning is say the very words “Modeh Ani” thanking God for returning our souls to our quiescent bodies. Hakarat Hatov is fundamental to Torah Im Derech Eretz. - RB, which you surely could have done on your own.

Ben Zoma would say: How much effort did Adam the first man exert before he found bread to eat: He plowed, sowed, reaped, sheaved, threshed, winnowed in the wind, separated the grain from the chaff, ground the grain into flour, sifted, kneaded, and baked and only thereafter he ate. And I, on the other hand, wake up and find all of these prepared for me. Human society employs a division of labor and each individual benefits from the service of the entire world. Similarly, how much effort did Adam the first man exert before he found a garment to wear? He sheared, laundered, combed, spun and wove, and only thereafter he found a garment to wear. And I, on the other hand, wake up and find all of these prepared for me. Members of all nations, merchants, and craftsmen, diligently come to the entrance of my home, and I wake up and find all of these before me. Ben Zoma would say: A good guest, what does he say? How much effort did the host expend on my behalf, how much meat did the host bring before me? How much wine did he bring before me? How many loaves [geluskaot] did he bring before me. All the effort that he expended, he expended only for me. However, a bad guest, what does he say? What effort did the host expend? I ate only one piece of bread, I ate only one piece of meat and I drank only one cup of wine. All the effort that the homeowner expended he only expended on behalf of his wife and children.

(3) "The rain which comes continuously makes people tired of it, whilst they welcome it with gratitude as soon as it is kept back."

Come and hear: Great is human dignity, as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah.

Rav Ḥisda (replied to Rabba bar Rav Sheila): He said to him: It (the answer to the question you are asking) is permitted; great is human dignity as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah.

They raised a dilemma before Rabba: If a person who is restricted to an area of four cubits needed to relieve himself and no secluded spot is available, what is the halakha? He said to them: The Sages established a principle that great is human dignity, which even supersedes a negative precept of the Torah, and therefore a person is permitted to overstep the Shabbat limit fixed by the Sages in order to relieve himself modestly.

Rava raised a dilemma: If one must choose between reading the Megilla and tending to a met mitzva, which of them takes precedence? Does reading the Megilla take precedence due to the value of publicizing the miracle, or perhaps burying the met mitzva takes precedence due to the value of preserving human dignity? After he raised the dilemma, Rava then resolved it on his own and ruled that attending to a met mitzva takes precedence, as the Master said: Great is human dignity, as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah. Consequently, it certainly overrides the duty to read the Megilla, despite the fact that reading the Megilla publicizes the miracle.

(8) These were the rules they laid down because of the ways of peace:A priest is called up first to read the Torah and after him a Levite and then an Israelite, because of the ways of peace. An “eruv” is placed in the room where it has always been placed, because of the ways of peace. The cistern which is nearest to the channel is filled first, because of the ways of peace. [Taking of] beasts, birds and fishes from traps [set by others] is robbery, because of the ways of peace. Rabbi Yose says that it is actual robbery. [Taking away] anything found by a deaf-mute, an idiot or a minor is robbery, because of the ways of peace. Rabbi Yose says that it is actual robbery. If a poor man strikes [down olives] on top of an olive tree, [taking the fruit] that is beneath him is robbery. Rabbi Yose says that it is actual robbery. Poor Gentiles are not prevented from gathering gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corners of the field, because of the ways of peace.