מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה אַחַת, וְהִיא לִזְעֹק לִפְנֵי ה' בְּכָל עֵת צָרָה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁתָּבוֹא עַל הַצִּבּוּר. וּבֵאוּר מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּפְרָקִים אֵלּוּ.
הִלְכּוֹת תַּעְנִיּוֹת פֵּרֶק א
א מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה, לִזְעֹק וּלְהָרִיעַ בַּחֲצוֹצְרוֹת עַל כָּל צָרָה שֶׁתָּבוֹא עַל הַצִּבּוּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "עַל-הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם--וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם, בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת" (במדבר י,ט)--כְּלוֹמַר כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁיֵּצַר לָכֶם כְּגוֹן בַּצֹּרֶת וְדֶבֶר וְאַרְבֶּה וְכַיּוֹצֶא בָּהֶן, זַעֲקוּ עֲלֵיהֶן וְהָרִיעוּ
ב וְדָבָר זֶה, דֶּרֶךְ מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה הוּא: שֶׁבִּזְמָן שֶׁתָּבוֹא צָרָה וְיִזְעֲקוּ לָהּ וְיָרִיעוּ, יֵדְעוּ הַכֹּל שֶׁבִּגְלַל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים הֵרַע לָהֶן--כַּכָּתוּב "עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם, הִטּוּ-אֵלֶּה" (ירמיהו ה,כה) לָכֶם, וְזֶה הוּא שֶׁיִּגְרֹם לָהֶם לְהָסִיר הַצָּרָה מֵעֲלֵיהֶם
ג אֲבָל אִם לֹא יִזְעֲקוּ, וְלֹא יָרִיעוּ, אֵלָא יֹאמְרוּ דָּבָר זֶה מִמִּנְהַג הָעוֹלָם אֵרַע לָנוּ, וְצָרָה זוֹ נִקְרֹא נִקְרֵית--הֲרֵי זוֹ דֶּרֶךְ אַכְזָרִיּוּת, וְגוֹרֶמֶת לָהֶם לְהִדָּבֵק בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים, וְתוֹסִיף הַצָּרָה וְצָרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת: הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, "וַהֲלַכְתֶּם עִמִּי, בְּקֶרִי. וְהָלַכְתִּי עִמָּכֶם, בַּחֲמַת-קֶרִי" (ויקרא כו,כז-כח), כְּלוֹמַר כְּשֶׁאָבִיא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּשׁוּבוּ--אִם תֹּאמְרוּ שְׁהוּא קֶרִי, אוֹסִיף עֲלֵיכֶם חֲמַת אוֹתוֹ קֶרִי
In the Koteret, Rambam identifies a time (עֵת צָרָה גְּדוֹלָה) in which the community is obligated to respond in a specific manner-crying out before G (לִזְעֹק לִפְנֵי ה). At first glance this response would seem to be obvious, isn't it natural to cry out to God in a time of צָרָה גְּדוֹלָה? This notion is embedded in the story of Yonah, when the ship carrying the prophet was on the verge of foundering at sea.
The LORD, however, hurled a violent wind upon the sea, and in the furious tempest that arose the ship was on the point of breaking up. Then the mariners became frightened and each one cried to his god.
Upon deeper analysis however, we will see that, in fact, the Mitzva is not quite so obvious. Man naturally sees the world through the prism of entitlement. We expect a wonderful smile, without the bother of tooth care. A fit physique, without the bother of exercise. A successful business, without the bother of a solid strategy. The attitude of natural man can be reduced to a simple formula- easy access to the means of success is rightfully mine, without need for bothersome changes in lifestyle. In this framework, the very presence of a hostile environment is an intolerable affront. Much like how a self centered child relates to its parent, crying out to God consists of expressing frustration with a self evidently improper environment, to a loving divine authority. The psychic assumption is that the authority will note the child's frustration and out of love, rectify the situation. The difficulty with this approach is that it offers no means of reflecting upon our strategy in order to adapt to the realities of the environment. The thorns and thistles of the material world throw roadblocks in our way, at the best of times. How much more is this true at a time of עֵת צָרָה גְּדוֹלָה!
The "crying out" of natural man is, unfortunately, encouraged by the religions of the world. It extinguishes mature reflection and focus upon means of realistic change of derech on our part. Instead of reflection upon changing our derech, religion offers fantastical means of changing God's derech. In so doing, religion enslaves man in an immature world from which he must be redeemed by Torah.We see this redemptive process in the Mitzva of Taanit. Far from offering the instruments needed for manipulating a parental god figure, taanit demands teshuva from man. Teshuva is in essence a reflective process, one that facilitates constant re-evaluation of the nature of man and the consequent strategies of finding one's way in the Creation system. It most assuredly does not involve changing the ways of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment