This week, Rav Poupko asked: what is the true nature of the relationship between G-d and your average Jewish mentsch -- father/child, or master/servant? How are these different? Are we allowed to entreat our Father's assistance in our holy service of Him, or does our Master require and expect complete self-reliance from us in our service?
Shammai and Hillel embody these different relationships. The Talmud (Beitza 16) tells us that whenever Shammai would find a particularly yummy treat during the week, he'd hovel it aside to be enjoyed on Shabbes, and if he consequently happened to find an even MORE unbelievably taste-tempting goodie later, he would eat the first snack and save the new, better one he'd just found for Shabbes. Hillel, on the other hand, would eat every delectable scrap of nosherai he found during the week, hovelling-away not a single crumb, because (as Rashi tells us) he "trusted that Hashem would provide something pleasant for him on Shabbes."
These are obviously two completely different ways of relating to G-d. Shammai evidently believes that G-d provided the present yummy treat in order to serve Him (by enjoying on Shabbes), and does not rely on G-d to provide anything more than what is essential for him to fulfill his service, choosing to instead rely on his own free will. Hillel, alternatively, relies completely on G-d for helping him do his service, and is not ashamed to ask G-d for help in fulfilling his holy obligations.
According to Rav Poupko, Shammai's relationship seems to fit the master/servant model, because Shammai recognizes G-d's infinite mastery over the world, and his own pitiful insignificance within the grand glorious expansiveness of the cosmic plan, and knows that he can only be a servant to such greatness. Further, he acknowledges that a servant generally is requisitioned to do the tasks that his master needs him to do, and therefore a servant should not ask the master for assistance in the completion of the task; if someone hires you to scrub their floors, you generally don't ask them to fill up the bucket and squeeze out the rags and help you push the dirty water into the drain -- IT'S ON YOU TO DO IT YOURSELF, and asking your boss to do the job with you is simply inappropriate. Hillel's relationship, on the other hand, fits the father/son model, because Hillel recognizes G-d's loving influence over the whole world, and knows that it's never inappropriate to ask your Father for help when He asks you to do something, and He's always happy to help.
Our relationship to G-d contains elements of both of these; like it says in the book of Psalms, "The heavens belong to G-d, and He gave the earth to mankind." We are solely responsible to fix the world and do mitzvahs, and should do them independent of whatever external circumstance we find ourselves in. However, it would seem like an awful cold and unfeeling universe if we couldn't ask G-d once in a while for a little help, and let Him take control; after all, He does control everything. So the next time you come across some Mint Milanos at the store, meditate on what G-d really wants you to do with them -- is this your one opportunity this week to fulfill the mitzvah of making Shabbes holy, or will Hashem make your Shabbes holy regardless of whether you cram these cream-filled biscuits down your throat right now or not?
Jerry Silverman
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Jerry Silverman is a former student of Yeshivat Bat Ayin. He is working in new media, designing and managing media projects. He lives in Riverdale, NY with his wife Sarah and their two children. |