Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Rebbe's Biurim to Pirkei Avos

I have spoken at length to my wife about my pet peeve, learning the Biurim of the Rebbe to Pirkei Avos. I love them but I can' sit through another Biur between Mincha and Maariv Shabbas afternoon. I thought at first that I didn't really like them but my wife clarified to me that the truth is that they are just presented so badly. Would we ever think of giving a shiur from Biurim L'Pirush Rashi Al HaTorah? Certainly there are some Sichas which are readily teachable but when you are being religious and going through the cycle for the second and third times it's a little much. And the worst part is that Pirkei Avos has a wealth of lessons that everyone can relate to, it is the second most elucidated book after the Haggadah, why are we closing everyone off from some of the stuff which relates to us so well.

An important lesson from the story of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash

אמר רבי יוחנן ענוותנותו של רבי זכריה בן אבקולס החריבה את ביתנו ושרפה את היכלנו והגליתנו מארצנו
Rashi translates ענוותנותו as tolerance סבלונותו.
I have to write this in such strong terms because I feel that we are in the same situation as in those days.
We understand all too well how we, the Rabbis, weren't (and aren't) able to protest to a wrong committed against another, but when a minority opinion argues for strict adherence to the letter of the law we follow like sheep.
And like the שיחה from פרשת פנחס where the Rebbe explains, the Rashi that explains the necessity in associating פנחס to his grandfather אהרן, is to stress that sometimes an act seems like an act of tolerance when in reality it is the most heartless thing one can do.
And where does such behaviour begin, by not protesting a public humiliation but making sure one is scrupulous in a religious law.
And there are numerous examples.
I don't mean to diminish the travesty propagated by בר קמצא but there is an entirely overlooked lesson on the same page. And perhaps we would do well if this is the lesson we emphasized when every school and Yeshivah learns this piece.