It's About Power

                                                            

In 2008 (before I put my weekly dvar Torahs in this blog), I wrote the following dvar Torah about Zimri's attitude towards Moshe in Parshat Balak + Pinchas.

I was reminded of it when I read Erica Brown's take on the recent rabbinic scandal, in which she wrote this: "It was a crime of power. Crimes of power happen when power is unchecked."

Power? Wasn't it about voyeurism? 

Nope. Power it was. She is so right (see below). Dr. Brown also concludes saying what very few bloggers have said - this is not a "rabbinic" problem. Most rabbis are wonderful people who care deeply about their congregants, and a scandal like this is not only nowhere near their radar screen, but would never even enter their minds. (here is Rabbi Efrem Goldberg relaying a similar message)

A wonderful rabbi I admire greatly has told me several times over the years of his view of where some rabbis fall.

Point #1: "A rabbi cannot have an ego." [Much longer discussion...]

Point #2 (WADR to physicians): "You know what is the difference between a doctor and a rabbi? A doctor saves a life, tells you when you're going to die. He thinks he's God! So if he is going to be arrogant, that's OK. He is God. But a RABBI thinks he represents God. And for this [role] one must hide under the table." In other words, the rabbi must learn from Moses, who was "the humblest of all men."

Since better writers than I have already said it all, and since I don't want to look like a Monday morning quarterback (a lot of people seem to have all the answers about what is wrong with rabbis, mikveh standards, conversion standards, and Judaism), I'll just share a Torah thought - unedited from 2008 (though I did put some parts in bold) - and you can understand where Dr. Brown and I agree.

Parshat Balak or Pinchas

How Not to Earn Respect

Rabbi Yochanan said, "He had five names: Zimri, Ben Salu, Shaul, Ben Ha'Canaanit, and Shlumiel ben Tzuri-shadai. Zimri because he was like a stale egg, Ben Salu because he caused people to speak of the sins of his family, Shaul because he lent himself ("hish'il") to sin, Ben Ha'Canaanit because he did a Canaanite act, and his real name was Shlumiel ben Tzuri-shadai." (Sanhedrin 82b)
While the Talmud clearly defines the names presented into five sections, there are those who would argue that Zimri is identified here as the same "Shaul ben Ha'Canaanit" who is identified as one of the sons of Shimon who came down to Egypt with Jacob and sons. (Breishit 46:10)    
A positive identification would indicate he somehow managed to survive 210 years of Egyptian living and bondage, another 40 years of wandering, and is now committing this act with Kozbi as a sprite and seasoned 250-year-old, if he's not even older. Not bad for a man his age.    
A 20th century rosh yeshiva or mashgiach (whose identity eludes me) offered the following response to this hypothetical age: "Ich bin an alter yid." ("I am an old Jew") The rabbi proceeded to explain that the act of defiance Zimri committed, for which Pinchas took his life as punishment, seems out of character for such an elderly man. He argued that there comes a time when the real desire an older person has is power and "kavod" — honor.

While some desires dissipate, some never go away (though they may remain in check), and some become increasingly important in our mind's eye. We have a very difficult time letting go. We want dignity. We don't want to be written off. We don't want to ride off into the sunset. We want to feel necessary and important. We want to feel as if we matter. And there's no reason why anyone should ever feel any other way.

The question becomes how we go about achieving that.    
Obviously Zimri's chosen course of action is not an option. While some public figures use Zimri's preferred expression of power to their benefit (or to the destruction of their reputation), this is not a markedly Jewish approach.

What is a key to achieving deserved honor? Mishlei (Proverbs) 15:33 says "Yirat Hashem Mussar Hokhma, v'lifnei kavod anavah" — Fear of G-d is the discipline that leads to wisdom, and honor must be preceded by humility.    
King Solomon (author of Proverbs) is telling us that one who desires the ability to achieve wisdom and to understand the Torah must have a fundamental base rooted in fear of G-d. More importantly, fear of G-d leads to humility, the key ingredient to truly becoming honored and revered.
    
In a preview to the previously quoted Talmudic passage, Sanhedrin 82a presents Zimri confronting Moshe: "[pointing at Kozbi, the Moabite] Son of Amram! Is she permissible to me or prohibited? If you say prohibited, who permitted you to marry the daughter of Yitro [the Midianite]?"    
His arrogant, disrespectful, flippant approach ultimately led to his destruction. His attempt to humiliate Moshe to prove an irrelevant point was beyond out of line. Moshe's marriage to Zipporah was before the giving of the Torah, when even his own identity was uncertain. Yet she clearly chose to join the Jewish people, as evidenced by her being one of the two most famous "mohels" in the Torah. (Shmot 4:25)

Zimri certainly should have known better, but humility played no role in his life as presented in this story. A person with fear of G-d, who seeks wisdom, who does not look for justification from others for his behavior, who is humble, is the one most deserving of respect.

No matter what picture is painted in other rabbinic sources of Zimri's knowledge and intentions, no amount of scholarship or position provides an excuse for his behavior.

While Pinchas's action worked in that time and place and was approved of by G-d, whose presence was known and felt in a more obvious way than now, Pinchas did teach us that when injustice is served by the flawed behavior of a leader, we have an obligation to stand up for what is right.


Through an important internal check-and-balance system, those who deserve respect will certainly earn it. And no one will stand for the shenanigans of those who do not.