Vayishlach: When Should the Righteous Bow Before the Wicked?
In this week's article we look at Yaakov's dealings with Eisav through the lens of Mishlei in an attempt to gain insight into Israel's present war with Hamas and our confrontations with antisemitism.
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Vayishlach: When Should the Righteous Bow Before the Wicked?
If you’re ever in need of a last-minute dvar Torah and you’re a fan of Sefer Mishlei, then have I got a pro tip for you! Each week, Rabbeinu Bachya ben Asher (1255-1340 C.E.) begins his commentary by expounding on a pasuk from Mishlei which he connects to the weekly Torah reading. For Parashas Vayishlach (Bereishis 32:4) he selects the following pasuk: “Like a trampled wellspring and a tainted fountainhead, so is a tzadik (righteous person) who falters before a rasha (evil person)” (Mishlei 25:26). Rabbeinu Bachya expounds:
Here Shlomo ha'Melech teaches us about the exalted level of the tzadik, that [even] when the tzadik falls and is given over into the hands of the rasha and falters before him, that faltering is only temporary; it will not last forever, and he will ultimately escape from it, as it is written: "for a tzadik falls seven times and gets up [again]" (Mishlei 24:16) – [that is,] he will ultimately return to his [former] stature and glory. He is likened to a wellspring, which is muddied and trampled underfoot and becomes temporarily sullied, but that sullying is impermanent and will not last forever, since it will ultimately return to its pristine state. So too, the rasha will not be able to diminish the glory of the tzadik nor dim the light of his virtuous countenance so as to negate his prior righteousness, just as no man can sully the waters of a wellspring in a manner which prevents their return to a state of clarity and purity ...
In the Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 75:2) [it is stated that] “‘[Like] a trampled wellspring and a tainted fountainhead, [so] is a tzadik who falters before a rasha’ – this is Yaakov, who called Eisav ‘my lord’ several times.” And even though he ultimately was saved from his hand and was restored to his clarity like a wellspring, nevertheless, we find that he faltered and was exceedingly subjugated before him, such that he needed to send him a tribute and messengers.
Rabbeinu Bachya’s citation of “for a tzadik falls seven times and gets up” suggests that he understands our wellspring pasuk to be about the tzadik’s integrity and resilience. The tzadik will remain committed to his principles even if the rasha temporarily hinders him. Since these principles are in line with God’s will (i.e. the design of the world), the tzadik’s commitment will be rewarded and he will ultimately flourish once again.
At the same time, Rabbeinu Bachya’s emphasis on the tzadik’s eventual return to “his maalah (stature) and kavod (glory)” implies that our pasuk is about the tzadik’s reputation in the eyes of others – something which the tzadik doesn't value intrinsically, but which nevertheless has an impact on his life and the lives of those around him. After all, the tzadik strives to be a beacon of righteousness in the world, and a tarnished reputation will impede that goal. Nevertheless, our pasuk teaches us that even though a rasha might temporarily sully a tzadik’s reputation, the tzadik will not allow the rasha to corrupt him. The “fountainhead” of his righteousness will continue to flow pure, and the muddied waters will eventually return to their pristine condition.
The question is: What are the parameters and limitations of the idea in this pasuk? Are all tzadikim immune to corruption in all scenarios simply by virtue of their virtue, or are there certain cases in which they endanger their righteousness or reputation by capitulating to a rasha?
Saadia Gaon (882-942 C.E.) answers this question (Mishlei 25:26). He explains that there are two cases of a tzadik “bowing” to a rasha: one in which the tzadik makes himself submissive in hope of obtaining some benefit from the rasha, and the other in which the tzadik acts submissively as a precaution, to protect himself from a potential harm at the hands of the rasha. Our pasuk is condemning the first case and approving the second.
Saadia Gaon cites Yehoshaphat ha'Melech as an example of the first category of capitulation. Yehoshaphat was a tzadik who "walked in the ways of Asa, his [righteous] father, and did not deviate from doing what is upright in the eyes of Hashem" (II Divrei ha'Yamim 20:32). However, towards the end of his reign: "he allied himself with Achaziah, king of Israel, who had acted wickedly" (ibid. 20:35). Yehoshaphat was condemned for this by the navi who declared: "Because you have allied yourself with Achaziah, Hashem has wrecked your undertakings" (ibid. 20:37) – and wreck them He did. This was a case of a tzadik bowing before a rasha to secure an advantage.
Saadia Gaon cites Yaakov as an example of the second category of capitulation. Yaakov was concerned that Eisav would kill his entire family out of revenge for being robbed of his birthright and his blessing. He took several precautionary measures to protect himself, his wives, and his children. One of his strategies was to behave in an obsequious manner towards Eisav. Yaakov sent him gifts, referred to himself as "your servant" (Bereishis 33:5) and to Eisav as "my lord" (ibid. 33:14), and literally bowed to him, as it is stated, "Then he himself went on ahead of them and bowed earthward seven times until he reached his brother" (ibid. 33:3). This was clearly a case of a tzadik bowing before a rasha out of precaution. Yaakov was not interested in obtaining any benefit from Eisav.
At the time of this article’s publication, we will have been at war with Hamas and the forces of evil for 56 days and counting. Our enemies have killed 1,200+ Israelis, wounded an additional 3,700+ more, and are still holding on to 140+ hostages. Even without knowing the myriad details that have not been disclosed to the public, it is reasonable to assume that Israel has had to make some of the most difficult choices in its 75-year history.
Regrettably, many of these choices involve the question of whether we ought to make concessions to our enemies – enemies who are the very embodiment of evil. I refer not only to the incredibly complex decisions in the effort to save the hostages, or to the strategic considerations involved with waging the ground war in Gaza, or to the need to work with other groups and nations with whom we have strained relations. I am also talking about the daily decisions faced by Jews around the world as the wave of global antisemitism continues to rise. When should we take a stand for Israel and when is it wiser to keep quiet? Is calling attention to instances of antisemitism a precautionary measure or are we just giving more power to those who seek to intimidate us? Should we refuse to compromise our positions on Israel if doing so jeopardizes our safety and the safety of our families? To what extent should we concern ourselves with Israel’s reputation? Is the reputational damage temporary or permanent?
I don’t know the answers to these questions. I doubt there is a single answer, rule, or policy that would obviate the need for a case-by-case analysis. But I do know one thing: that we should look to our Torah for guidance. Shlomo ha’Melech didn’t write that pasuk in Mishlei merely as an intellectual exercise. He wrote it so that we could learn how to make better decisions and hone our Mishleic intuition. Rabbeinu Bachya and Saadia Gaon didn’t cite Parashas Vayishlach for the sake of our literary enrichment. They pointed us towards the example of Yaakov so that we can emulate him when we find ourselves in similar circumstances. This single idea from Mishlei may not be sufficient to help us figure out what to do in every situation, but each idea we learn is another tool in our decision-making toolbox. Each idea increases the odds that we will do the right thing when called upon to act.
As for the present war, we have one more advantage that our enemies lack: we know which side will win, because we know which side Hashem supports. Granted, we don’t know what the outcome of this war will be, but we do know what the endgame scenario will look like, as this week’s haftarah – Sefer Ovadiah – concludes: “And saviors will ascend Mount Zion to judge the Mountain of Eisav, and the kingdom will be Hashem’s” (Ovadiah 1:21). But there’s a catch: we have to earn that Divine support by acting with righteousness and wisdom.
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