Living in Exile: A Dangerous Net


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Anyone with intelligence must understand that all of chutz laaretz is truly a trap, a net in which must be very cautious not to become ensnared. As the great Yaavetz wrote: 154

Know that lust blinds people so that they cannot see the net open before them. I will provide you with an example from birds. Before a bird locates food, he is very careful about nets, realizing that they are a danger to him and designed to ensnare him. But once he sees food, even though it is in a net, his eyes become closed to the net, and he thinks it is there for no reason at all. This is the way of all those who scheme; their lust blinds their eyes and mind. 

This is "open rebuke." And for this reason, the Mishna warns, "Calculate the benefit you receive from a sin as opposed to the loss." For it is known that we are comprised of both matter (chomer) and form (tzurah); in terms of form, we are like angels, but in terms of matter, we are like animals – imprinted with the bad trait of living only for the present. This is why we must "calculate".  As King Solomon wrote at the beginning of his work Proverbs 155 (Mishlei), "For no heed is taken of the net…" – for there is no greater enticement than that.


How fortunate is he for whom this metaphor is always in his mind; may we always know that our residence in Exile is like living in a trap. Heaven forbid.


page 67

And so, when I the insignificant perceived the greatness of the commandment of settling the Land, and its importance to each and every one of the Children of Israel, and its outstanding value to the Nation of Israel – it is a commandment that is equal to all the other commandments together 156 – I girded my loins and gathered my strength to collect from among the various Rabbinic teachings on this matter, as the reader's eyes can clearly perceive.  I do not say "Accept my words!" - for they are not my words, but rather those of the Living G-d, handed down through our Sages of blessed memory and of great Torah giants. 


The main goal of the reader should be not to judge the one who is repeating these words, but rather the words themselves, as the saintly Satmar Rebbe wrote 157 on the words of Isaiah: "Who among you fears G-d and hearkens to the voice of His servant… look to the Rock from whence you are hewn." 158  The Satmar Rebbe asks why G-d is referred to as a "Rock," and how this is connected to one of the next verses, which talks about G-d's comforting and rebuilding of Zion.  After referring the reader to Rashi's commentary, the Rebbe explains as follows:

"The time for our Divine Redemption has already arrived; kalu kol hakitzin – all the designated 'ends' have come and gone - and the only thing on which it depends now is our repentance.  Therefore, whoever comprehends this fact must reprove his comrade and bring him back to the path of goodness – because, most unfortunately, the destruction and the Exile are the result of the fact that we do not reprove one another…  

But in fact there are two impediments causing us not to reprove and accept reproof. One is that the subject of the reproof tends not to want to hear, because he feels that he is greater than the one giving reproof. Regarding this, our Sages have said, ‘Who is wise? He who learns from every man.’ This means that he should not look at who is talking to him, but rather at what he is saying – words of the Living G-d, as is written, ה' יתן אומר, המבשרות צבא רב – G-d gives the word: The harbingers are a great host. 159 And King David, too, said, מכל מלמדי השכלתי – I have learned from all my teachers. 160 160

The second impediment is on the part of the one giving the reproof. For our Sages have taught us 161 that one must "decorate himself" before he tries to decorate others – i.e., he must be sure that he himself is free of sin – yet Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, I am pure of sin'? 162 This is truly an impediment, yet the solution is that one who truly wants to bring others to the correct path must, before he opens his mouth in public, repent in his heart and take upon himself to abandon the sinful paths he has taken. As King David wrote: I wished to do your will, O G-d… I delivered the message of justice among a large congregation, I will not imprison my lips, O G-d you know.  This means that when I wish to do Your will and deliver Your message of justice to others, I will not block my mouth from reproving others, because – or, when - You, G-d, know my true thoughts.



  1. 154.Avot chapter 2

  2. 155.1,17

  3. 156.see Sifri, Dvarim, 12:29

  4. 157.in his work Yitav Lev, on the Haftarah to Parashat Ekev, page 18c

  5. 158.Isaiah 50:10 – 51:1

  6. 159.Tehillim 68,12; see commentary of the Alshikh

  7. 160.Tehillim 119,99

  8. 161.Bava Metziah 107b

  9. 162.Mishlei 20,9






FOOTNOTES

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