Matt asks
Dear Rabbi Sacks,
In the introductory pasuk of Sefer ha'Mada, משוך חסדך, ליודעיך; וצדקתך, לישרי לב , what is the difference between יודעיך and ישרי לב, and why are the former the recipients of חסד and the latter the recipients of צדק?
Every mind receives the light of knowledge to the degree that it "turns its face" to see it. The
ישר לב has turned his face in the sense of ordering his derech in accord with derech hashem to the degree of halacha (the first stage of Ralbag in hakdama). He sees the principle via a legal prism known to mankind -(tzedek) and therefore receives tzedaka from the Sovereign.
This sounds formal and I am not happy with it. Ask questions so we can bring this idea to life.
2 comments:
1. Could you expound upon what "turning one's face to see it" refers to? (I missed part of the shiur.)Does it have something to do with seeking it for what it most essentially and truly is- beautiful principles which exist and happen to have certain material consequences(as opposed to a tool of my desires/ambitions)?
2. Matt's questions seem to presuppose that the pasuk refers to 2 different people- the yod'echa and the yishrei lev, each with a different request that's applicable to it- chesed or tzedek. Your answer doesn't seem to address this. Are you implying that the pasuk is really only referring to one person?
3. What is the principle you are referring to when you say, "He sees the principle via the legal prism.."?
4. Are you referring to halacha when you say, "a legal prism known to mankind? If so, in what sense is halachah tzedek?
Thanks.
Rabbi Sacks, thank you for the post.
I was thinking of some analogies to understand the question and one of these could be heliotropism exhibited by sunflowers:
"At sunrise, the faces of most sunflowers are turned towards the east. Over the course of the day, they follow the sun from east to west, while at night they return to an eastward orientation. This motion is performed by motor cells in the pulvinus, a flexible segment of the stem just below the bud. As the bud stage ends, the stem stiffens and the blooming stage is reached." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower)
In relation to the quote "Every mind receives the light of knowledge to the degree that it "turns its face" to see it." how could we understand this in light of Moses gazing at the burning bush?
Thank you.
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