rebellious nation that has rebelled
against Me … Say to them, ‘This is
what the Sovereign Lord says.
’ And
whether they listen or fail to listen—
for they are a rebellious people —
they will know that a Prophet has
been among them.
” Ez. 2:3-5
Ezekiel must take a public stand.
Once he has done that, he has
fulfilled his duty. The people will
have been warned, and if they fail to
listen, it will be their fault.
The Sages had a completely
different approach. First, they
understood the task of remonstrating
as belonging to everyone, not
just Prophets. That is how they
understood the verse, “You shall
surely rebuke your neighbor so you
will not share in his guilt” (Lev.
19:17). Second, they held that it
should be done not once but up
to a hundred times if necessary. In
fact you should keep reprimanding
a wrongdoer until they hit you or
curse you or scold you. All of this,
though, applies only if there is a
reasonable chance of making the
situation better. If not, then we apply
the rule: “Just as it is a mitzvah to say
something that will be heeded, so it is
a mitzvah not to say something that
will not be heeded.
”
Note the difference between
the two approaches. The Prophet
takes a heroic stand but does not
take responsibility for whether the
people listen or not. The Rabbis do
not take a heroic stand. In fact, they
democratize the responsibility for
rebuke so that it applies to everyone.
But they are ultra-sensitive to
whether it is effective or not. If there
is a chance of changing someone
for the better, then you must try a
hundred times, but if there is no
chance at all, better be silent. This
is not only a wise approach; it is a
highly effective one.
Now consider peace. No finer
visions of a world at peace have ever
been given than by Israel’s Prophets.
This is just one:
“The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the
goat, the calf and the lion and the
yearling together; and a little child
will lead them
“They will neither harm nor
destroy on all My holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea.
” Isaiah 11:6-9
Now consider rabbinic teachings:
“For the sake of peace, the poor of
the heathens should not be prevented
from gathering gleanings, forgotten
sheaves and corners of the field …
Our masters taught: for the sake
of peace, the poor of the heathens
should be supported as we support
the poor of Israel, the sick of the
heathens should be visited as we visit
the sick of Israel, and the dead of the
heathens should be buried as we bury
the dead of Israel.
”
Once again, the difference is
glaring. What for the Prophets
was a dazzling vision of a distant
future was, for the Sages, a practical
program of good community
relations, a way of sustaining
peaceful coexistence between the
Jewish community and its Gentile
neighbors. It was imaginative,
gracious and workable.
There are many other examples.
The Sages achieved something
extraordinary. Throughout the
biblical era, the Israelites were
constantly tempted by idolatry and
foreign ways. The Prophets were
often driven close to despair.
During the rabbinic era, Jews
became a people defined by religion,
commandments, learning and prayer,
sustained voluntarily and maintained
tenaciously against all pressures to
convert to the majority faith. That
is because the Rabbis did not focus
on distant visions. They devised
practical programs. These may have
lacked drama, but they worked.
The Sages, perhaps to their
surprise, realized this: Where the
Prophets failed, they succeeded. I
believe that institutions like prophecy
survive when they are translated
from utopian ideals into practical
policies.
The greatness of the Sages, still not
fully appreciated by the world, is that
guided by the visions of the Prophets,
they gave us the instructions for how
to get from here to there.
SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 | 35
Finding Comfort
I
t is an emotionally challenging time of year. This coming
week we will mark the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 while we
are also just one month away from commemorating the
Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
As the unknown future looms heavy, it presents a constant
fear and worry for us and especially for our brothers and
sisters in the State of Israel. As Jews in the
modern world, we are perpetually challenged to
transcend the tendency to live our lives in fear.
The truth inherent in the classic text message
from a Jewish parent is way too real: “Start
worrying. Details to follow.”
Fear and worry are simply part of our DNA.
It comes as no surprise that there are at least
970 occurrences of the word “fear” or “worry”
throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. To confront
the feelings of fear and uncertainty that were so
rampant among our biblical ancestors, our Torah
portion puts forth an established, professional
cadre of people
— magistrates (shoftim) and
community officials (shotrim) — whose job
involved establishing due justice while tending to
the pervasive concerns of the masses. In essence, these leaders
were called upon to address and respond to the trepidation
felt by each individual Israelite.
Upon entry into the Land of Israel, the prophets stepped
up to assume this holy task of taking on the people’s fears,
worries and concerns. And they took it to the next level.
Recognizing that comfort would not solely be found in the
human realm, the prophets encouraged the people to bring
their fears and worries to God, who would comfort them and
offer them hope that better times lay ahead.
In this week’s haftarah, Isaiah encourages the people that
God will console them: “I, I am He who comforts you … and
shelters you with My hand. I, who planted the skies and made
firm the earth and have said to Zion — You are My people!”
In these times of intense fear and worry, sadness and
darkness, we continue to search for comfort, wholeness and
healing. While God will meet us halfway, Isaiah also reminds
us that we must do our part and maintain faith to the best
of our ability. We must rouse ourselves to live our best lives,
even in the midst of numerous challenges, difficulties and
uncertainties.
In this new Hebrew month of Elul, a time devoted to self-
reflection and personal growth, may we awaken ourselves
to facing our fears head on. And may we find comfort and
support in the eternal words of Isaiah 52:12: “For the Lord is
marching before us, the God of Israel is our guard and our
guide.”
Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff is CEO of the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy
Network and author of ‘Never Long Enough: Finding Comfort and Hope Amidst
Grief and Loss.’
TORAH PORTION
Rabbi
Joseph
Krakoff
Parshat
Shoftim:
Deuteronomy
16:18-21:9;
Isaiah 51:12-
52:12.