The disturbing and inexcusable stories of violence perpetrated by Jews in Israel this week are perfect examples of Chillul Hashem. The perpetrators (stabbing people at a gay-pride parade and arsonists) do not represent Jews who live in a civil society. Both kinds of criminals are guilty of "adding" to what they think is their "Torah." This shameful and despicable behavior is a disgrace to the Jewish people, and must be condemned at every turn.
Parshat Va'Etchanan
by Rabbi Avi Billet
Towards the beginning of the Torah portion, we are given Moshe’s reminder that we are not to add anything to the Torah, nor to detract from it. (4:2) This is the mitzvah of Bal Tosif, not to add, and Bal Tigra, not to take away.
Rashi quotes the Sifrei, saying do not add a 5th paragraph to the tefillin, and do not add a 5th specie to the Lulav bundle, while various Baalei Tosafot (as well as Rashi) mention not to add a fifth corner to tzitzit. Ramban and Rabbenu Bachaye bring another example of saying a fourth sentence when pronouncing the three-sentence Priestly blessing – Birkat Kohanim.
Some commentaries subscribe to the phrase “Kol hamosif go’rea,” that anyone who adds actually detracts from something that is perfect as it is. Think of what adding an ingredient to a chef's masterpiece entree or a baker's prize cake.
Other approaches of how to define Bal Tosif include warnings about the downsides of adding to the Torah – such as Ibn Ezra, who reminds us not to think that adding to the Torah is considered serving God.
But what is considered adding, and what is not?
Explaining Rashi, Rabbi Ovadiah MiBartenura says that fulfilling a mitzvah twice is not Bal Tosif. Though he does not give examples of what that might include, presumably wearing tefillin for double the normal amount of time, saying Shema twice, giving tzedakah a second time, visiting someone who is ill a second time, all of these are not considered a violation.
It is also not a violation of Bal Tosif if a Jew who is not obligated to fulfill a mitzvah nevertheless does so. He brings the example of Michal daughter of King Saul wearing tefillin, the wife of the prophet Yonah going to the Temple for the holidays (the mitzvah of being ‘oleh l’regel’), and that women are allowed, but not required, to put their hands on a korban (offering) when they would bring one.
Ramban questions whether eating in the sukkah 8 days violates Bal Tosif, while the Rosh indicates that since eating an “extra” day in the sukkah does not detract from the mitzvah (it does not fit in the category of ‘kol hamosif go’rea’) it is permissible.
The only adding which is considered allowed because it is not really adding, is what many commentaries refer to as “making a geder” (fence), making rules that help a person fulfill a mitzvah or not violate a mitzvah. The concept of “muktze” for example (not to touch things that are forbidden to be used on the Sabbath) is a fence. For example, If I am not allowed to make a fire, I don’t even touch a match. If I can’t drive a car, I don’t pick up my car keys. Ramban notes that with gedarim (fences), it is important to remember that it is not God’s word, but an effort to help us fulfill God’s word that we are indeed adding to our personal practice, but not to the Torah.
Seforno warns about removing from the Torah. Sometimes a person might rationalize that if the reason for the mitzvah is irrelevant that the mitzvah is irrelevant. King Solomon famously did this when he expanded his number of wives, his number of horses and his wealth far beyond what the Torah allows, saying that it would not steer his heart away from God. Of course, he was wrong. And his removing these mitzvot from his own tally demonstrated perfectly how things can go sour when a person, even as wise as Solomon, thinks he knows better than God.
Other commentaries take lessons from Moshe’s own life, and the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness, to show how he learned the important lesson of not adding and not subtracting from God’s word.
Focusing on Israel’s choices, Chizkuni has Moshe telling the people, “When I said go conquer the land, you added ‘Let’s send spies.’ That caused everyone to die in the wilderness. And when I said ‘Don’t go up,’ you disregarded the instruction and Amalek and Canaan came out to fight.”
Focusing on Moshe’s personal experiences, the Or HaChaim says that Moshe had added to God’s instruction when he hit the rock (Bamidbar 20), and he took away from God’s instruction when he did not act decisively in the face of Zimri’s rebellion, before Pinchas zealously took the law into his own hands (Bamidbar 25). Both of these incidents detracted from Moshe’s leadership role significantly.
Along similar lines, Kli Yakar notes that Moshe’s “adding” at the rock incident, hitting the rock when he was merely told to speak to it, caused a “lessening” of the faith of the people in God.
Sometimes the question of adding or subtracting refers to a specific mitzvah, and sometimes there's a lesson learned from adherence to divine instruction.
Where does this leave us? At a place where we are challenged to know and understand God’s rules as best as we can, and to do what we can to adhere to those rules. Not adding or subtracting can either be understood conceptually or based on experience, and is meant to inform our day-to-day practice. This Friday is the 15th of Av, a time when the Talmud at the end of Taanit says is one of the happiest days on the Jewish calendar. One of the reasons the Talmud gives for this is because in the times of the Temple, the people were freed up from collecting wood for the altar, and therefore had more time to study Torah.
May we utilize as much of our free time as possible to study more Torah, so we can be as knowledgeable as we can in what to do, what not to do, and how we can best fulfill our responsibilities as Jews without adding to or detracting from the Torah.
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