Toelet vs Taanug

In the previous post, I noted that Ralbag emphasizes a purposeful approach to life. This emphasis expresses itself in Ralbag's approach to mitzvot, which are founded on the notion of “toelet”, aiding man in his proper pursuit of benefit. This commitment to toelet underlies the distinction between abstaining vs not doing of melacha. Clearly, abstaining from melacha involves a shift to a superior focus rather than merely an absence of melacha behavior. What remains to be understood is the nature of this superior focus saught through abstention. What is this superior focus pursued on Shabbat?

To answer this, it is critical to note that Shabbat is one of the 10 dibrot, a mitzva that has a special role in the purposeful life. For Ralbag, the 10 dibrot are the archetypes of the purposeful life, collectively articulating the essential elements of Toelet for the Taryag system as a whole. Each and every one of the mitzvot, in some way, builds upon the life mission of toelet articulated in skeleton form in the 10 dibrot. Given his view of Dibrot, it is clear that Ralbag's understanding of Shvita memalacha lies at the very heart of the pursuit of toelet underlying the Mitzva system. As a dibrah, Shevita mimelacha is clearly fundamental to the pursuit of toelet. To understand Shabat then, presupposes insight into the role of “toelet” in human action generally.

Toelet is best understood in contrast with its alternative- Taanug. Taanug is the basis of action of the unreflective person whose motivation is limited to pursuit of pleasure alone. A wise person acts on the basis of Toelet - the richer sense of opportunity afforded by reflection. One who is motivated by Toelet has a much wider sense of functionality that includes sensory pleasure in proper measure among other human needs.

To understand this distinction, it is instructive to consider the case of the dieter. Clearly the overeater's over indulgence in food, is not simply ignorance in the area of calorie intake. One could provide the overweight person with a clear diet and still find them overeating on a regular basis. Overeating results from attraction to perceived benefits following from food pleasure, rather than a mere ignorance of calorie counts. In its extreme taanug form, the perceived benefit from food pleasure can be all encompassing. Lacking a realm of human function beyond the sensory, the pleasure of eating is called upon to compensate, leading to overeating. eating becomes the basis of comfort and celebration distraction and self reward. To succeed, the overeater must gain insight into the underlying fact that his notion of benefit is limited to taanug and learn to seek toelet.

The successful dieter therefore is not one with superior “will power”. Rather, the successful dieter must gain an insight into himself as an organism, come to appreciate his opportunities in the world at a deeper, richer level. This recognition of the possibility of a richer life of toelet is liberating. Toelet removes the act of eating from the framework of pleasure alone and opens up the possibility of considering it in a much broader sense of a broad based sense of human functionality.

Ralbag teaches that this process of insight allowing for the shift from sensory pleasure to the possibility of functionality is fundamental to human development generally. It is not only “eating” that can be limited by the pursuit of sensory entertainment for its own sake. Every human act begins as sensory entertainment, from eating and drinking to sexuality from play to art.

Insight into the functionality of human behavior is not a one time event. The release of the self from a habitual taanug orientation, does not give way to a fully formed sense of toelet- no exploration works in this way. What insight opens up is the possibility of growth in the toelet concept, there are many many stages in this process. As such, true success depends on an education that challenges man to seek ever more profound formulations of functionality. But where does this recognition of toelet begin? It is here that the notion of dibrot and Shabbat enter the picture. The next post will explore this extension of the notion of the toelet concept.