Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
The Torah says that our relationship with God is like the relationship between a parent and a child. This appears a number of times in our parashah (like in verses 5, 18, 19, and 20). Just a few weeks ago, Parashat Re’eh also says: בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (you are children of God your Lord; Devarim 14:1).
The rabbis wondered about the idea of being God’s children. They were curious to know:
If we don’t act like God’s children (by not following the mitzvot), are we still considered God’s children?
"בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶם" – בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים. אֵין אַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים, אֵין אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים. דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.
רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר…"בָּנִים לֹא אֵמֻן בָּם" (דברים לב:כ).
“You are children of God your Lord” – When you act like children, you’re called children. But when you don’t act like children, you aren’t called children. This is what R. Yehudah says.
R. Meir says: Either way you’re called children, as it says:.. “children with no loyalty in them” (Devarim 32:20).
R. Yehudah thinks we’re only called children of God when we act like it.
R. Meir disagrees and uses a pasuk from our parashah to prove it. Part of Parashat Ha’azinu describes what happens when Benei Yisrael ignore the Torah and mitzvot:
וַיֹּאמֶר אַסְתִּירָה פָנַי מֵהֶם אֶרְאֶה מָה אַחֲרִיתָם
כִּי דוֹר תַּהְפֻּכֹת הֵמָּה בָּנִים לֹא אֵמֻן בָּם:
God said: I will hide My face from them, and see how they end up.
For they are a disobedient generation, children with no loyalty in them.
R. Meir is noticing something about this pasuk: The Torah says that Benei Yisrael are not obedient or loyal but still calls them God’s children! R. Meir also quotes other pesukim from the Tanakh to prove his point.
- Can you try to make an argument for each side?
- In what ways is our relationship with God similar to a relationship with a parent? How can this comparison help you better relate to God?
In disagreements between R. Yehudah and R. Meir, we usually follow the opinion of R. Yehudah. But the Rashba (750 years ago) wrote that, in this debate, we side with R. Meir (Shut HaRashba 1:194).
- In a halakhic debate, we choose a winner because we need to decide what to do or not do. But this debate is philosophical, not practical. Why do you think it’s important for there to be a “winner” for this debate?
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וּבֵין לְאַבָּיֵי וּבֵין לְרָבָא, הַאי ״בָּנִים אַתֶּם״, מַאי דָּרְשִׁי בֵּיהּ? הַאי מִיבְּעֵי לְכִדְתַנְיָא: ״בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם״, בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים – אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים, אֵין אַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים – אֵין אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.
The Gemara asks: And both Abaye and Rava, what do they derive from this verse: “You are the sons to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1)? According to the first explanation of Isi’s opinion, the exclusion of women is derived from this phrase, whereas they derive that halakha from a different source. The Gemara answers: This verse is necessary for that which is taught in a baraita: The verse: “You are the sons to the Lord your God,” indicates that when you act like sons and cleave to the Holy One, Blessed be He, you are called sons, but when you do not act like sons you are not called sons. This is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda.