Being Yashar and the Attribute of Yashrut
Bein Adam
Le-chavero: Ethics of Interpersonal Conduct
By Rav Binyamin Zimmerman
Shiur
#19: Being Yashar and the Attribute of Yashrut
Introduction
In last week’s lesson, we learnt about the significance given to the verse in
Devarim (6:18) instructing us to “do the right (yashar) and the good
(tov) in God’s eyes.” We
noted the singular importance of the verse which, according to the Ramban and
others, is a general directive to ensure that all our actions, even those not
required or prohibited by any explicit commandment, be in line with the Torah’s
description of yashar and tov.
But what exactly is the definition of these two terms, “yashar”
and “tov”? Concerning the
former in particular, a specific definition will not only help us develop a
proper understanding of this all-important verse; it will also enlighten us to
appreciate the many other verses and statements of the Sages using this term.
The word yashar literally means “straight,” and it is generally
understood in metaphorical contexts as a reference to moral rectitude, “upright”
or “right”. The adjective (plural
form: yesharim) is also used to form different nouns, from the biblical
yosher and yeshara and the Midrashic yashrut to the modern
term yashranut. For a proper
understanding of the term and its implications, we must view it in context,
especially where it appears alongside other words or in their place.
The Mishna in Avot (6:1) lists the character traits that one who studies
Torah in its ideal form develops. It
states:
Rabbi Meir stated: “Whoever engages in Torah study for its own sake, merits many
things; furthermore, the creation of the entire world is worthwhile for his sake
alone… The Torah clothes him in humility and fear of God; it makes him fit to be
righteous, pious, right and faithful…”
The first two terms are familiar to us — the characters of the tzaddik
and the chasid we have explicated — but the question remains: what is
yashar? How does it differ from
the other positive traits mentioned in the passage? While some may view the
Mishna’s lengthy listing as mere poetry, a proper definition of these concepts
and the differences between them will allow us to understand and appreciate
their unique messages and directives for right behavior.
Yashrut
of God and Man
In more than one verse, God is described as a yashar and the teachings of
the Torah are referred to as yesharim.
The need to define yashar is made more pressing by the Torah’s
usage of the term in addition to more common descriptions of God; it seems to
add another divine characteristic.
An example of this phenomenon is found in Parashat Ha’azinu (Devarim
32:4) near the end of the Torah in its reference to God and His attributes.
The Rock! Perfect is His work, for
all His ways are justice; a God of faith without iniquity, righteous and
right is He.
Our forefathers are referred to as yesharim as well, as we will discuss
below. If yashar is a
description of God, then it makes sense that individuals who succeed in modeling
their life based on God’s teachings should achieve that similar distinction.
What is even more startling, is that yashar is not only a description of
God and the Torah, but is also used as the defining characteristic of man from
the time of his creation. The verse
in Kohelet (7:29), which we will analyze at length below, attests to
man’s being created yashar but failing due to his searching out
“reckonings”.
Yashrut
seems to be an essential character trait of mankind, and its absence or
suppression leads man to extreme troubles.
Thus, emulating the Patriarchs, who are known as yesharim, who
model God’s attribute of being yashar and retain man’s innate yashrut,
is clearly of utmost importance. It
therefore makes sense that the Ramchal entitles his classic work on spiritual
growth “Mesillat Yesharim” — the mesilla (path) of the
yesharim is the way for man to realize his potential.
As he maps out the levels described by
Rabbi Pinechas ben Ya’ir, he attempts to educate individuals to become
yesharim, not tzaddikim or chasidim. The overwhelming importance of
becoming yashar is self-evident from the fact that developing yashrut
essentially allows someone to return to his original inborn attribute.
Furthermore, the name of the Jewish people, Am Yisrael, may also indicate
the unique heritage of yashrut that is reserved for the Jewish people.
Let us now examine the details of how the term “yashar” is used in
Tanakh and the Sages’ writings.
Sefer Ha-yashar
The term “sefer ha-yashar” (the book of the right) is used in a number of
verses in Tanakh (Yehoshua 10:13, II Shemuel 1:18). The Talmud (Avoda Zara 25a)
records a dispute as to which book of
Tanakh referred to as sefer ha-yashar.
The first opinion states that sefer ha-yashar always refers to the Book
of Bereishit, which records the actions of the ancestors of the Jewish
people.
Rav Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: “This is the book of
Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, who are known as yesharim, as the verse
indicates (Bamidbar 23:10) “May my soul die the death of yesharim.”
The verse in Bamidbar is a quote from the Aramean prophet Bilam, who is
aware of the peaceful passing of the Patriarchs.
He, too, wishes to die a tranquil death, and he therefore declares his
desire to die painlessly, as they did.
His reference to the Patriarchs as yesharim is used by Rabbi
Yochanan as proof of the fact that sefer ha-yashar is the chronicle of
the right-living Patriarchs.
Bilam is not privileged to have God accede to his request. The verse states (Bamidbar
31:8) that Bilam dies by the sword of the Jewish people, a painful expiration. Evidently, Bilam is aware of the
yashrut of the forefathers, and he acknowledges that their righteous,
painless passing is a direct result of this attribute of theirs. Though he admires their final
moments, he is nevertheless unwilling to live his life in the way they did, and
therefore his passing and his eternal suffering are constant testaments to his
lack of yashrut. Thus, he is
undeserving of this honor.
Why does Bilam fail to act with the yashrut of the Patriarchs if he
recognized its importance? Bilam, after
all, is a wise individual? What is the
source of the disconnection between his knowledge and his actions? Understanding yashrut as
expressed in the acts of our ancestors will provide us the answer.
Bilam’s Downfall
The fact is that Bilam’s straying from the straight path of the Patriarchs
represents the challenge that all mankind faces; his failure demonstrates the
characteristics that might lead to one’s downfall.
While yashrut seems to be an attribute that must be acquired, as
presumably the Patriarchs did, it is also described, in the verse in Kohelet
referenced above, as being innate.
But, see this I did find: God has made man right, but they sought out many
reckonings. (Kohelet 7:29).
Man is created yashar, but he may lose that trait through his
pursuit of “reckonings”.
The Rambam posits, along these lines, that one who is aware that he has moral
deficiencies and fails to try to heal them as he would try to do for his
physical ailments is, in effect, leaving the path of yosher.
Similarly, those who are morally ill desire and love bad traits; they hate the
good path and are too lazy to follow it.
They find it exceedingly burdensome according to their sickness. Yeshayahu (5:20) the prophet speaks
of such people: “Woe to those who call the bad good, and the good bad, who take
darkness to be light and light to be darkness, who take bitter to be sweet and
sweet to be bitter.” Concerning them it
is stated (Mishlei 2:13) states:
“They leave the paths of yosher to walk in the ways of darkness.” (Rambam, Hilkhot Deot 2:1)
The Metzudat David understands the above verse in Kohelet in a similar
manner (though his explanation of the end is somewhat different).
“God has made man right” — this is because I know that God created man to be
yashar, i.e., to follow the middle path in character traits, such as anger,
sadness, mercy and the like, rather than go to either extreme; a person who
follows this behavior is recognizable as a yashar person...
However, human beings seek many designs,
at times turning to one extreme…
(Metzudat David, Kohelet 7:29)
Man is created to be yashar, morally straight and admirable; it is
his searching after various “reckonings” that move him in different directions.
In a lengthy piece near the end of his commentary on the Torah (Meshekh
Chokhma, Devarim 30:11), Rav Meir
Simcha of Dvinsk relates his thesis of the pure creation of man in the image of
God, with a sense of yashrut.
This is what is often referred to as sekhel ha-yashar, the right mind. When he refrains from overanalyzing,
man has an inner purified sense of justice and morality. This is similar to the idea of
natural morality, which we discussed at the beginning of this series. The only force that can destroy this
inner sense of moral judgment is man himself, attempting to acquire more than
his due, initiating schemes and reckonings and conniving to achieve things that
he does not really deserve, thereby corrupting his inner sense of Divine
morality, the legacy of his being created in the image of God.
The Rambam (Moreh Ha-nvukhim 3:12) relates a similar thesis in his
description of the true cause of most bad things in the world, and he too
references the verse in Kohelet cited above. The Rambam points out a grave
misunderstanding of man’s role in the trials and tribulations that befall
mankind:
Men frequently think that the evils in the world are more numerous than the good
things; many sayings and songs of the nations dwell on this idea. They say that
a good thing is found only exceptionally, whilst evil things are numerous and
lasting…
The Rambam goes on to delineate three classes of misfortune and explains that
while there are some evils which come about through natural disasters, most come
about by human hands:
The second class of evils comprises such evils as people cause to each other,
when, e.g., some of them use their strength against others. These evils are more
numerous than those of the first kind: their causes are numerous and known; they
likewise originate in ourselves, though the sufferer himself cannot avert them.
…
However, the Rambam continues, the greatest source of evil in the world and the
prime cause of harm is not the natural world or other people, but man harming
himself.
The third class of evils comprises those which each one causes to himself by his
own actions. This is the largest class, and it far outnumbers the second class.
It is especially of these evils that all men complain; few men are found that do
not sin against themselves by this kind of evil. Those that are afflicted with
it are therefore justly blamed in the words of the prophet, "This has been by
your means" (Malakhi 1:9). The
same is expressed in the following passage, "He that does it destroys his own
soul" (Mishlei 6:32). In reference to this kind of evil, Shelomo says,
"The foolishness of man perverts his way" (ibid. 19:3). As he has
already explained, this kind of evil is man's own work, as it says, "But,
see this I did find: God has made man right, but they sought out many
reckonings" (Kohelet 7:29), and these
inventions bring the evils upon him…
As the Rambam describes, when it comes down to it, man is often his own worst
enemy. He is born yashar and
has the perfect nature for success. Thus,
man’s perversion stem from his own devices; he alone is responsible for his
failures through his betrayal of his inner yashrut. The cause of this failure is
expressed effectively through an analysis of the differences between the first
of the yashar Patriarchs, Avraham, and his admirer but polar opposite,
Bilam. The mishna (Avot 5:19)
lists three character traits that define the differences between Avraham’s
disciples and Bilam’s disciples:
Anyone who has the following three traits is among the disciples of our
forefather Avraham, and whoever has three opposing traits is among the disciples
of the wicked Bilam.
Those who have a good eye, a humble spirit and an undemanding soul are the
disciples of our forefather Avraham.
Those who have an evil eye, an arrogant spirit and a greedy soul are the
disciples of the wicked Bilam.
How are the disciples of our forefather Avraham different from the disciples of
the wicked Bilam? The disciples of our forefather Avraham enjoy the fruits of
their good deeds in this world and inherit the World to Come… but the disciples
of the wicked Bilam inherit Gehenna and descend into the well of destruction…
The difference between Avraham’s disciples and Bilam’s disciples is
expressed in their character. Do
they feel that their achievements warrant that they receive special treatment,
or do they recognize their subservience to a higher cause? In fact, both Bilam and Avraham were
prophets for the nations of the world — Avraham for the simple reason that there
was no Jewish people yet. Avraham
achieved yashrut because of his clinging to proper and humble character
traits.
Sometimes it is specifically the bright individuals, or those who think they can
play the system, who fail to take heed; all too quickly, they start down the
path of neglecting their yashrut.
The right paths are travelled by those who do what they know is right
without questions. Rav Yitzchak
Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak, Kohelet 7:29) explains that sometimes the
search for intrigues and ingenuity causes a person to outsmart himself; in
trying to become overly wise, one loses his hallmark innate simplicity
The Maggid of Mezritch is quoted as explaining the need to see differences in
the disciples rather than the prophets themselves. Yosher is subverted when one
presents himself in a way different from his true nature. Bilam pretends to be a God-fearing
individual, but this is a façade, an exterior to hide his true feelings and lack
of rightness.
Likewise, a number of commentators on the verse in
Kohelet call our attention to the
verse’s explanation for what may lead one to lose his yashrut. The Alshikh explains that this verse
expresses the downfall of King Shelomo, who, though created yashar,
expounded the reason of the prohibition for a king to take too many wives.
Eventually, he permitted himself to marry
numerous wives, explaining that the reason did not apply to him. This was an act of seeking
reckonings, setting aside the Torah’s wisdom, and it caused him to veer from the
straight path.
The importance of yashrut is evident in a number of sources that explain
that yashrut is not only a positive character trait, but the defining
attribute for one who wants to act in accordance with the will of God. Rav Chayim Shmuelevitz says (Sichot
Musar, p. 347), “Yashrut is the most important attribute amongst all
others, and all other attributes require it.
Any deviation from the path of yashrut, even in the slightest
aspect, can cause death…”
Yashrut,
in essence, is the attribute necessary to ensure that one’s actions are true to
one’s inner knowledge. One who is
straight and yashar does not try to outsmart the system, and therefore he
is true to his inner knowledge and honest with himself. A life without yashrut is a
life where knowledge is compartmentalized and completely disconnected from
actions. Thus, Bilam’s life is the
antithesis of yashrut; his desire to die, rather than live, in the way of
yesharim effectively explains the source of his downfall. In his plea, he expresses his inner
knowledge of how essential and beneficial it is to be yashar, to walk the
straight and narrow path without trying to outmaneuver God, but his desire to
try to attain things that are not meant for him causes him to attempt to outwit
God and to be left with nothing.
The Netziv’s
Explanation of Sefer Ha-yashar
The Netziv, in his introduction to the first volume of the Torah, explains the
reason that Bereishit, the book of the Patriarchs, is called sefer
ha-yashar, the book of the right.
His explanation expresses the reason why yashrut is so essential,
especially for interpersonal behavior.
He writes:
The Book of Bereishit is called by the Prophets “sefer ha-yashar”, as explained in the
Talmud Avoda Zara (25a)… as of Rabbi Yochanan: “This is the book of
Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, who are known as yesharim, as the verse
indicates, “May my soul die the death of yesharim.”
One must understand, why is it that Bilam refers to our forefathers specifically
with the term yesharim, and not by another reference such as tzaddikim,
or chasidim? Secondly, why
is this book in particular referred to with the term “yesharim”? And why is Bilam’s prayer for his
end to be like the death of yesharim?
The Netziv continues by providing a unique explanation for the term yesharim,
based on the above-cited verse in Ha’azinu that refers to God as both
tzaddik and yashar.
The matter is explained by the verse in the Song of Ha’azinu (Devarim
32:4): “The Rock! Perfect is His work …
righteous and right is He.” The
specific praise of God as yashar is used to explain the righteousness of
God’s judgment in destroying the Second Temple because of “a crooked and
perverted generation” (ibid. v. 5).
We may explain that during the Second Temple, there were tzaddikim
and chasidim, as well as those who toiled in the words of Torah; however,
they were not yesharim in their dealings with others. Due to the baseless hatred in their
hearts towards each other, they suspected that those who disagreed with them on
religious matters were Sadducees or heretics. This brought them to bloodshed
under false pretenses and many other evils until the Temple was destroyed. This
is the justification for the destruction: for God is yashar and God could
not tolerate tzaddikim like these. Rather, [God prefers] people who act
in a way that is yashar even in worldly matters, not those who act
crookedly even for the sake of Heaven; this causes the destruction of creation
and the annihilation of the world’s population.
In the Netziv’s understanding, it is insufficient to be a tzaddik and
even a chasid, even to study Torah; as the Talmud explains, the people of
the generation of the Second Temple’s destruction had all of these qualities. If one lacks yashrut, the
direct simplicity of being straight and caring about others, then God cannot
stand or tolerate these “righteous” individuals.
The Patriarchs, he goes on to explain, were very different:
And this was the praise of the Patriarchs, that besides their being tzaddikim,
chasidim and lovers of God in the most perfect way, they were also
yesharim; that is, they conducted themselves towards others, even towards
despicable idol worshippers, with love; they cared about providing for their
benefit, as that keeps the world in existence.
Thus, we see that our patriarch Avraham prayed for the city of Sedom,
even though he hated them and their king with the utmost enmity due to their
evil ways, as is clear from his statement to the king of Sedom; still, he sought
their survival…
For this reason, the book of Bereishit, which delineates the actions of
the Patriarchs, is known as sefer ha-yashar. Bilam, in a moment of divine
inspiration, was not shocked by the evil of his ways, by his failure to be a
tzaddik or chasid along the lines of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov,
for he was a prophet for the nations of the world. Indeed, his head was steeped
in impurity… Nevertheless, it was
inappropriate for him to seek to uproot an entire nation, which is not the right
way to preserve the world. This is
why he cried out, “May my soul die the death of yesharim” — i.e., the
ones who preserve Creation.
This yashrut allows one to truly be righteous, for when one cares
about all of God’s creations, about all of mankind, one acts with them
accordingly. The Patriarchs serve as
the model. They cared even about their
enemies! How much more so must they have
cherished their neighbors and friends; thus, one must desire what is good for
others and follow in the Patriarchs’ path.
The concluding verse in Hoshea (14:10) states:
Who is wise and will understand these things, understanding and will know them?
For God’s ways are yesharim;
tzaddikim will walk in them and sinners will stumble over them.
The words of the Torah enable the truly righteous to follow the proper
path, as long as they understand that the words of Torah are yesharim;
God cannot be outsmarted or outwitted.
Quite the contrary, as we saw last week, the directive to do the right
and the good requires that one apply the proper set of behaviors that one knows
to be right, even when the literal, legal understanding allows one to act
differently.
The Rambam’s View of
the Tribe of Levi
What can enable one living in this world, pulled in numerous directions by
various reckonings, to succeed in staying on the straight path?
As we saw in the first source from Avot, the learning of Torah is
supposed to empower someone to be as yashar as he was when created;
studying God’s word allows one to continue improving his personality. This is actually explicitly mentioned
by the Rambam when he explains the power and achievement of one who decides to
dedicate his life to the study of Torah.
A cursory reading of the Rambam’s statement might lead one to believe
that he is using mere poetic imagery; however, in the work Ora Ve-simcha,
by the former head of Yeshivat Chevron in Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood, the
author points out that the Rambam’s imagery is built on the verse in Kohelet,
among other sources.
The Rambam, in discussing the special status of the tribe of Levi (Hilkhot
Shemitta Ve-yovel 13:13), asks:
Why did the tribe of Levi not receive a portion in the inheritance of the Land
of Israel and in the spoils of the area like their brethren?
Because they were set aside to serve God
and minister unto Him and to instruct the people at large according to His just
paths and righteous judgments, as it is stated (Devarim 33:10), “They
will teach Your judgments to Yaakov and Your Torah to Yisrael.”
Therefore, they were set apart from the
ways of the world…
The Rambam goes on to describe how the tribe of Levi was set aside from the
other tribes due to their duty of being the teachers of Torah for the masses. “They are God’s legion,” as the
Rambam says, and, therefore, they must be treated differently. Nevertheless, the Rambam continues,
this unique status is not limited to the tribe of Levi.
However, not only the tribe of Levi, but any one of the inhabitants of the world
whose spirit generously motivates him, so that his wisdom impels him to set
himself aside and stand before God, to serve Him and to minister to Him and to
know God, so that he walks in a yashar way, as God made him, and he
removes from his neck the yoke of the many reckonings which people seek, he
is sanctified as the Holy of Holies.
God will be His portion and heritage forever, and He will provide what is
sufficient for him in this world like He provides for the priests and the
Levites…
The Rambam depicts the one who dedicates his life to the service of God as being
able to walk in a yashar way, as God made him. This is a direct
quote of the verse in Kohelet. As the Rambam continues, he succeeds
by removing all the reckonings which can sway one from the straight path. It is the study of Torah and the
model of its heroes that enables and empowers man to arise above the petty
reckonings of life and behave in a yashar manner.
The Patriarchs were yesharim because their dedication to and their
relationship with God enabled them to keep their eye on the target and not lose
sight of their values by attempting to advance through devious reckonings. The Torah can empower us to act in
the same way and joyously, as the verse describes:
God’s directives are yesharim; they gladden the heart.
(Tehillim 19:9)
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