The Eyes Have It | Rabbi Stewart Weiss | Beit Midrash

Torah Portion and Tanach
Re'e

קטגוריה משנית

Does Hashem really need a grammar lesson in dikduk - grammar?! The first pasuk in our Sedra Re’eh seems to be grammatically wrong: Re’eh ("see") is singular, yet the complimentary word lifneychem ("before you") is plural! It ought to read either R’u lifnechem, or Re’eh l’fanecha!

Let’s add to this another question: The Torah later says that we should do that which is "Good & Right, ha-tov v’ha-yashar," in the eyes of G-d. What differentiates "good" & "right?" And why davka does it reference the eyes of G-d?

Rashi enlightens us: "Tov" means good in the eyes of Heaven, while "Yashar" means right in the eyes of humanity. We have been given two eyes, rather than one, for a good reason: We must constantly look up to the Heavens for approval, checking that we are conducting ourselves in the way Hashem would want us to act. Yet it is not enough to seek approval for our actions solely in the Heavenly court. The way we act must also be palatable & pleasant to those around us; how others look upon our behavior is of no less importance than how G-d sees us.

This requires us to constantly check our actions. G-d may love it when we exuberantly sing out in prayer & loudly praise Hashem’s name, but how do the people davening next to us feel about it?! Are we perhaps impinging on their ability to pray with kavana - concentration? And while it is incumbent upon me (and all Jews!) to learn Torah, do I have the right to make others pay my expenses in order to do so? In other words, it may be "tov" in G-d’s eyes, but is it "yashar" in people’s?

And yes, it’s a very noble thing to speak out or march in support of a cause that we believe benefits the greater community. But if that march is on Shabbat, have we brought honor to Hashem’s name?! It may be Yashar, but is it Tov?!

Perhaps we can now answer our initial question about the unusual combination of the singular & the plural in the opening sentence of our sedra. Each of us has a personal, unique relationship with Hashem, a "one-on-one" that accompanies us every moment of our lives. And we have to be true to that singular dynamic, & appreciate just how special that makes each & every one of us to G-d.

But we must also recognize that we are not alone in this world; we are part of a greater whole, a community, a worldwide family. What we do affects not only ourselves; it extends far & wide. Because not only are we connected to G-d; we are joined at the Neshama with every other Jew. So we must look carefully in both directions, & be "right" and "good" at the same time.

The gematriya of Tov V’Yashar (533) equals "she’lo l’fached klal." If we follow this advice, we will have nothing whatsoever to fear from G-d - or Man.

Re'e