Aggadot from Hamivtar

by
Rabbi Yitzchak Blau

Although this forum emphasizes non-legal sections of the gemara, today’s citation comes from the halakhic realm. After all, Halakhic texts should also serve as a springboard for serious Jewish thought. The mishnah cited deals with the obligation of mikra bikkurim, the requirement to recite a particular Torah passage when bringing the first fruits. All the best, Y Blau

Avoiding Embarrassment at All Costs?

Initially, whoever knew how to read [the bikkurim passage] would read and whoever did not know how to read would repeat the words read to him by another. People stopped bringing bikkurim (as they were embarrassed to be identified as those who need help reading). They (the sages) established that both those who know and those who don’t know have another read to them first. (Bikkurim 3:7) 

It is easy to identify with and appreciate the theme of this mishnah. Not embarrassing others and making every Jew feel comfortable about coming to perform a mizvah are indeed worthwhile ideals. In fact, many commentaries extend this idea to explain a different halakhic phenomenon. In Talmudic times, each person who received an aliyah read from the Torah himself. Although some Yemenite and Sephardic communities maintain this original practice, most communities today have an official baal koreh who does all the reading. Employing the parallel to bikkurim, many rishonim suggest that this shift occurred to avoid embarrassing those who do not know how to read.

In a striking passage, Rosh (Megilla 3:1) rejects this explanation for the shift in practice. He argues that in the case of bikkurim, the sages had to take the initiative because the embarrassment was motivating many to stay home and not perform a particular mizvah. In the case of Torah reading, on the other hand, we could just announce that only the knowledgeable can receive an aliyah and read from the Torah. Those embarrassed by their lack of knowledge will become motivated to learn how to read so that they too can receive an aliyah. Rosh admits that his proposal does not work because the ignorant claim to be knowledgeable and fighting ensues over who can read. Therefore, there was a move to the baal koreh. In principle, however, he did not think that embarrassment was sufficient cause to change the accepted practice. 

According to Rosh, we learn about an important balance. On the one hand, we do want everyone to fell good about his or her ability to perform mizvot. This often involves taking active steps to insure that no one becomes embarrassed. Yet we can’t make allowing everyone to feel comfortable to become a battering ram that overcomes all other factors in our decision-making. Standards need to be maintained and demands need to be addressed to those who need improvement. Telling everyone that what they do Jewishly is good enough is in truth not a favor to them or to Judaism. Clearly, it is quite difficult to know when to apply the kind of reasoning found with regard to bikkurim and when not to. It requires real wisdom to understand when to make everyone feel comfortable and when to challenge people out of their complacency. May we keep these two important and sometimes opposing ideals in mind as we strive to maintain the appropriate balance.