When “Doing Because It’s Right” is Insufficient

Parshat Matos

[This is my sermon from last year - 2018]

When “Doing Because It’s Right” is Insufficient

I did a Google search on the sentence “do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Of course one of the top hits that came up was a page about “doing the right thing” quotations. Here are a few of them.

“The time is always right to do what is right.     - Martin Luther King, Jr

“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.” - Abraham Lincoln

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

“Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.” - John D. Rockefeller

“Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

          Some of these contain truths. I would argue with Eleanor Roosevelt that feelings don’t always translate to the right thing, because, for example, the Nazis felt they were doing the world a favor. And while Mr Rockefeller’s idea is a little funny, it also smacks of a bit of egoism. It’s like the people who make an “Anonymous” donation and want everyone to know that they are Mr. & Mrs. Anonymous.

          OK. How about this one?

The perfection of moral character consists in this, in passing every day as the last, and in being neither violently excited nor torpid nor playing the hypocrite. 

          That sounds mildly Rabbinic!

          I found that one by chance, and I’ll tell you its author in a minute. One article I clicked on had the following quote from a very old book.

When thou hast done a good act and another has received it, why dost thou look for a third thing besides these, as fools do, either to have the reputation of having done a good act or to obtain a return? 

          The article goes on to dissect the quote saying (subtitle - ) “What It Means”

“There are only two things that matter when it comes to doing good unto others: you doing the good deed, and another person benefitting from that good deed. It’s foolish to expect a third thing, like thanks, credit, or a favor in return.”

          The truth is, this is the embodiment of Chesed. Doing for another, expecting nothing in return. Easy to do when convenient, but even more of a Chesed is when it is inconvenient for me, and I get NOTHING in return.

          Because, if I get something in return, then it’s a transaction. And it’s no longer a chesed.

          The author of those last two quotes was Marcus Aurelius, and they are found in “Meditations Book 7.”

          And while I certainly think there’s what to be gleaned from sources like this, when they speak Emes, and when they have a good message, I think that even moreso, when the great Sages of the past teach us about our Jewish lives, what a life dedicated to God, to Torah and Mitzvos is about, we must accept the teaching, the reminder, and not only take it to heart, but be moved to adjust, at the very least, how we look at things and view the world, as we are always seeking to improve as people, and as the Eved Hashem and Amat Hashem each of us must strive to be.

         For those who were at the class on Wednesday, you’ve already heard some of this. But there’s always the possibility to flesh out an idea a little more.

          The Torah tells us the narrative of how the people of the tribes of Reuven and Gad approached Moshe to give them the land the nation had recently conquered on the Eastern side of the Jordan. Their argument – it’s a great land for animals, and we have lots of animals.

          Moshe’s response: You can’t just rest on laurels here and sit tight while the rest of the nation is conquering the Promised Land. You have to fight too!

         They agree. And the rest is history.

          But there is one phrase that Rabbi Yaakov Mecklenburg points out that Moshe emphasized, that they did not.

          I’m going to read 4 pesukim in Hebrew, and pay careful attention.

במדבר פרק לב

כ) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה אִֽם־תַּעֲשׂ֖וּן אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה אִם־תֵּחָ֥לְצ֛וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְקֹוָ֖ק לַמִּלְחָמָֽה:

(כא) וְעָבַ֨ר לָכֶ֧ם כָּל־חָל֛וּץ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן לִפְנֵ֣י יְקֹוָ֑ק עַ֧ד הוֹרִישׁ֛וֹ אֶת־אֹיְבָ֖יו מִפָּנָֽיו:

(כב) וְנִכְבְּשָׁ֨ה הָאָ֜רֶץ לִפְנֵ֤י יְקֹוָק֙ וְאַחַ֣ר תָּשֻׁ֔בוּ וִהְיִיתֶ֧ם נְקִיִּ֛ם מֵיְקֹוָ֖ק וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְ֠הָיְתָה הָאָ֨רֶץ הַזֹּ֥את לָכֶ֛ם לַאֲחֻזָּ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְקֹוָֽק:

(כג) וְאִם־לֹ֤א תַעֲשׂוּן֙ כֵּ֔ן הִנֵּ֥ה חֲטָאתֶ֖ם לַיקֹוָ֑ק וּדְעוּ֙ חַטַּאתְכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּמְצָ֖א אֶתְכֶֽם:

          It is plainly clear that while they talked about their children, their animals, and even their doing what’s right for their fellow country-men or co-Israelites, they forgot – PASHUT, FORGOT – to note that the things they were committing to do were also for Hashem.

          Moshe’s emphasis speaks volumes to them and they get it.

          We will do as you command/instruct.

במדבר פרק לב

(כו) טַפֵּ֣נוּ נָשֵׁ֔ינוּ מִקְנֵ֖נוּ וְכָל־בְּהֶמְתֵּ֑נוּ יִֽהְיוּ־שָׁ֖ם בְּעָרֵ֥י הַגִּלְעָֽד:

(כז) וַעֲבָדֶ֨יךָ יַֽעַבְר֜וּ כָּל־חֲל֥וּץ צָבָ֛א לִפְנֵ֥י יְקֹוָ֖ק לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲדֹנִ֖י דֹּבֵֽר:

          Rabbi Mecklenburg says the following

          “When you go and you lead the Israelites in battle, it’s not simply because of your nationalistic role, as if you are doing this for nation and country. You’re going לפני ה'! To do HIS WILL!! You’re NOT GOING BECAUSE THIS IS LOGICAL, RATIONAL, AND THE RIGHT THING TO DO! You’re doing this to HUMBLE YOURSELVES BEFORE GOD!! HE said to do this, and we must do His will! That is how you achieve והייתם נקיים מה' ומישראל. You FIRST HAVE to do what is good and proper in God’s eyes. And what follows in translation is that it will be good for Israel.”

          What an important perspective we must must have!

          The article that commented on the Marcus Aurelius quote said “There are only two things that matter when it comes to doing good unto others: you doing the good deed, and another person benefitting from that good deed”

          But I think in light of Haksav V’hakabbalah’s insight, we can add a very important 3^rd thing that matters to us, the Bnei Yisrael. And it matters because not only are we Bnei Yisrael. But BANIM ATEM LAMAKOM. We are also children of God. And just as we should want to maintain the reputation of our father Yisrael, and our father Yitzchak and our father Avraham, we should even moreso want to represent the legacy and the fine reputation of Avinu She’bashamayim, our Heavenly Father.

          Many mitzvos are good deeds that impact others. Many mitzvos help us refine our own character. Some are commandments we do because God said to do them.

          So I want to conclude with a few questions we can ask ourselves, based on a sampling of mitzvos that are actually meant to refine our character.

          Are we supposed to do Bikur Cholim because it’s the right things to do, or because God said so?

          In a civil society, do we avoid stealing, murdering, and all kinds of crimes of assault because that’s the law and it’s the right thing to do, or because God said so?

The Nine Days, which began yesterday, is always accompanied by a nationwide Machsom L’fi campaign from the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, reminding us that one of the reasons the Temple was destroyed was because of baseless hatred, which typically begins with Lashon Hora. So, are we to avoid speaking Lashon Hora, and many other sins of speech, because they are the right thing to do? Or because GOD SAID SO!!!

When we do Chesed, do we do it because it gives us a special feeling, and because it’s the right thing to do? Or because GOD SAID SO!

I could go on and on.

Do we follow the golden rule of loving our neighbor, of having Ahavas Yisrael, of not doing to others what is hateful to us, because it’s the right thing to do? Or because God said so!!!!!

The point Moshe was emphasizing is that if you do God’s will, unadulterated, in its purest form, and if you seek out to do mitzvos bein Adam Lachaveiro, our character, by default, gets refined. Sometimes the deed will be understandable or explainable to rational and reasonable people.

But the Eved Hashem, the Amat Hashem, does not need to rationalize, understand, explain. The servant of God says, MY JOB IS TO DO GOD’s WILL. And the rest will follow.

I’ll represent my tribe well, I’ll be successful in battle, I’ll be a mentch, etc. And if there end up being exterior benefits… maybe I’ll be hired for work, maybe those I honor will honor me back or respect me in kind.

BUT THAT IS NOT WHY I AM DOING IT. Unlike John D. Rockefeller’s line, the point is not to seek the accolade, not to do for the kavod. And if it doesn’t come, I must must must be OK with it. Because if I’m not, then I’m not doing God’s will.

Let us be blessed to fulfill God’s will at every level and every stage. And to remember, the rational mind, the humane society, the people who respect others’ personhood – all of this stems from Biblical ideals and Divine Instruction. It’s only rational because it was taught to humanity by God through Moshe as His messenger.

As Bnei U’Bnos Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov, and as Banim LaHakadosh Baruch Hu, this should be our goal in life. Do God’s will, and we should be blessed for all the good and bounty life has to offer to fall into place in the most blessed way for us all.