Parshas Vayechi
By Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace about a given problem and how they can improve it. Social commentary can be practiced through all forms of communication, from printed form, to conversations to computerized communication.
The Sages of the Talmud (otherwise known as the “Amoraim”) flourished in Babylon and the Land of Israel from (roughly) the years 200-500 in the Common Era. These great Torah scholars and Tzaddikim (righteous persons) whose names and opinions are quoted on nearly every one of the Talmud’s 2711 pages, never hesitated to offer their own social commentary on the issues of the day, particularly regarding Torah study and mitzvah observance (or the lack thereof). And what they said then applies very much in our days as well.
The following small snippet of social commentary that I would like to share with you today deals with the proper performance and reward of several mitzvos, and can be found in the Babylonian Talmud in the Tractate Berachos 6b. [Ed.note: I have added explanations in brackets when needed -dz]:
אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא :אַגְרָא דְפִרְקָא — רִהֲטָא. Rabbi Zeira said: The main reward one receives [in Heaven] for attending the lecture is for running. Since most individuals attending the Torah lecture did not fully understand the material taught [as evidenced by the fact that they could not repeat what they learned when they came home], the primary reward for attendance was given for their running to hear the lecture being taught.
אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: אַגְרָא דְכַלָּה — דּוּחְקָא. Similarly, Abaya said: The reward one receives for attending the Kallah is for the crowding. [Ed. note: The “Kallah” was a major, well-attended Torah lecture given on the Shabbos before the Festival to learn the laws of the Festival -dz] Due to the large crowd, study was very difficult, so the primary reward was given for their effort to hear the lecture while putting up with all the crowding.
אָמַר רָבָא: אַגְרָא דִשְׁמַעְתָּא — סְבָרָא. Similarly, Rava said: The reward one receives for learning the halachic traditions of the Talmud is for the logical analysis, as the primary reward for studying Talmud was not given for knowing the halachic conclusions, but for the logical reasoning that led to those conclusions. [Ed. note: In other words, the study of Torah is not just about amassing knowledge like other secular studies. Rather, it is primarily about understanding the sevara (deep logic) of G-d’s Torah and how He ‘thinks’ -dz].
אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: אַגְרָא דְבֵי טַמְיָא — שְׁתִיקוּתָא. Rav Pappa said: The primary reward one receives for attending a house of mourning [bei tamya] is for the silence, which is the optimal manner for those consoling the mourners to express their empathy. [Ed. note: When attending a shivah house and attempting to say something that will make the mourner feel better, often one says the stupidest thing. Best to be silent and to let the wisest person speak and console the morners. -dz]
אָמַר מָר זוּטְרָא: אַגְרָא דְתַעֲנִיתָא — צִדְקְתָא. Mar Zutra said: The primary reward one receives for fasting on a Public Fast Day is for the charity given to the poor at the end of the fast day (see Isaiah 58). [Ed. note: Ideally a fast day should be a time of reflection on our bad deeds and Teshuvah (repentance). However, for most people it doesn’t end up like that – but at least they give charity for the poor people who have fasted all day and who are now starving - and for this they receive reward. -dz].
אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: אַגְרָא דְהֶסְפֵּדָא — דַּלּוֹיֵי. Rav Sheshes said: The primary reward one receives for delivering a eulogy is for causing those in attendance to raise their voices and cry, as that increases the grief over the deceased. [Ed. note: The truth is that there is much more to the mitzvah of eulogizing than getting people to cry over the loss. For example, part of the eulogy includes mentioning the praises of the deceased so that people will emulate him. However, the primary reward is to at least bring the crowd to tears. -dz].
אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: אַגְרָא דְבֵי הִלּוּלֵי — מִילֵּי. Rav Ashi said: The primary reward for participating in a wedding is for the words, i.e., the good wishes with which the guests regale the bride and groom. [Ed. note: As there are many ways to make the bride and groom happy at the wedding, the primary reward is for the words that the guests say to make the newlywed couple happy with each other. -dz].
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