Our Oath to Hashem

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

Parshas Noach details the breakdown of society that eventually led to Hashem’s decree of destruction. ”The world was corrupt before G-d and the world became full of theft” (Bereishis 6:11). Rashi explains that ”corruption” refers to idolatry and immorality. It would seem that all three reasons led to the decree of the mabul (flood). Later, however, only the crime of theft is mentioned (ibid. 13). There, Rashi explains that ”their fate was sealed only over the crime of theft.”

This is puzzling. Theft is a sin, but its punishment is less severe than that of idolatry and immorality. For example, theft does not incur capital punishment for Jews, nor is it among the three cardinal sins that a Jew must be willing to give up his life in order not to transgress. Why is theft the ultimate reason given for the mabul, and not idolatry and immorality?

The Ramban (ibid.) answers that every human being understands that theft is wrong and forbidden, more so than the sins of idolatry and immorality. Furthermore, theft is a sin against both G-d and man. In the generation of the mabul, theft had become rampant — it had ”filled the world,” as the verse states. If such a basic concept of justice had become neglected by so many people, this showed the utter corruption of society. This is what brought about the mabul.

Rabbeinu Yona (Shaarei Teshuva 3:24) answers differently, that theft generates an outcry that brings punishment more quickly, more so than idolatry and immorality. Theft always has a victim, and what Hashem states about widows and orphans who are wronged applies to all cases of victimizing — “When they cry out to me, I will hear [i.e., and punish]” (Shemos 22:22).

The heavenly court operates in the same manner as worldly courts. The victim of theft files charges with the police and brings his case before the court. In the heavenly court as well, theft arouses the prosecuting angels, causing much swifter punishment. The crimes of idolatry and immorality may be worse, but because they do not arouse the prosecuting angels in the same way as theft, their punishment is not as swift. For this reason, theft was what sealed the fate of the generation of the mabul.

Rav Gedalia Shor explains (based on Reishis Chachma 2), that theft is at the root of every sin. This is because Hashem created man to do His will, and to take all of the gifts He gave us — such as our body, mind, talents, resources, etc. — and use them to serve Him. Using one’s G-d-given abilities to commit a sin is therefore theft. The sages (Brachos 35b) state this openly, that ”one who derives benefit from this world without first making a blessing steals from Hashem and from the congregation of Yisrael.” If forgetting to make a bracha is considered theft, then actively using Hashem’s gifts to defy His will is surely theft! When the verse singles out theft as the cause of mabul, it alludes to all sins as well.

In Niddah 16b, the sages state that before a fetus is conceived, an angel declares what sort of person will develop from it, how strong he will be, or wise, or wealthy. Every person is given his unique set of abilities. Some are brighter, others are granted greater wealth, etc. The sages go on to state (Niddah 30b) that before a person is born, he must take an oath in which he accepts upon himself to ”be a tzadik and not a rasha.” Rav Dessler explains that this oath requires each person to take his unique array of abilities and use them entirely in the service of Hashem. Being a ”tzaddik” means using one’s G-d-given abilities righteously, i.e., not channeling them to selfish pursuits, and also not wasting or ignoring them. A person blessed with great intelligence must use this to pursue greatness in Torah. A wealthy person must use his wealth to help the poor, etc.

This is what made Noach worthy of surviving the mabul. The Torah refers to him as a ”tzadik,” meaning he used the abilities Hashem gave him completely for righteous service of Him.

This is an important lesson, because there are many talented individuals who consider themselves upstanding Jews who fulfill mitzvos properly. However, are they truly using all the abilities that Hashem gave them to serve Him? If a bright individual devotes a certain amount of time to Torah study but channels most of his intelligence and creativity in the direction of parnassah or the pursuit of pleasure, he may be violating the oath he took at birth. He may be guilty of theft!

The opposite applies as well. Many people conclude that they do not have exceptional abilities and are therefore exempt from pushing themselves toward any accomplishments in avodas Hashem. Particularly in Torah study, how many talmidim feel justified in giving up on learning because they ”are not cut out for it.”

These people should realize that the oath they took at birth includes all abilities they were given, even if they seem to them to be very small. Hashem gave them these so-called ”small abilities” to use in service of Him as well, and they are expected to put in efforts to develop them as much as possible. If they make extensive efforts together with a rav, Hashem will surely help them to reach their potential.

When the European yeshivos were beginning to re-establish themselves in Eretz Yisrael, R’ Shlomo Lorincz approached the Chazon Ish with a question. In Europe, he said, there were various schools of thought as to what a yeshiva should offer. In Hungary, he said that yeshivos offered prodigies a way to develop into great rabbanim, while at the same time enabling less talented bachurim to gain a familiarity with the halachos they would need in life, and reach a basic level of learning at which they continued, in conjunction with a livelihood. In Lithuania, yeshivos were geared toward bringing out greatness in Torah.

”Perhaps it would be ideal to have both types of yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael, and we could channel the more talented bachurim to yeshivos of the Lithuanian approach, and less talented bachurim to the Hungarian approach?” asked R’ Lorincz.

The Chazon Ish was adamantly opposed. ”We have to give every bachur the opportunity to develop into a gadol, he said. We have no right to deprive them of this. Even if a bachur seems to you weak in his abilities, if he would want very much to develop, there is almost no limit to the greatness he too can achieve.

Once, the Chazon Ish was told of a bachur who had conclude that he lacked the ability to become a talmid chacham and was leaving his yeshiva. The Chazon Ish asked that this bachur be brought to him. The two learned together for an hour, and the Chazon Ish showed him that he was indeed capable of grasping the give-and-take of the Gemara. The bachur agreed, adding that he had felt satisfaction from this learning session, and decided to remain in yeshiva. Eventually, he developed into a talmid chacham.

May we use our abilities to the fullest in service of Hashem!