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Parashah Insights

by

Rabbi Yaakov Hillel Rosh Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom

Parashat Shoftim

With Hashem Alone

Our Link with Hashem

“Be wholehearted with Hashem your G-d. For these nations that you will

dispossess listen to astrologers and diviners, and you, this is not the lot that Hashem

your G-d gave to you. A prophet from among your brothers, like me, Hashem your

G-d will make available for you, to him you will listen” (Devarim 18:13-15).

Rashi explains.

“‘Be wholehearted with Hashem your G-d’: walk with Him in full faith, and trust in

Him. Do not seek to inquire into the future. Instead, whatever He metes out to you,

accept faithfully, and then you will be with Him, and His portion.

“‘This is not the lot that Hashem your G-d gave to you’: to listen to the

astrologers and diviners, for He rested the Divine Presence on the prophets and on

the Urim V’Tumim.”1

The simple meaning of these verses is that we must rely solely on Hashem,

looking to Him alone and trusting in Him fully concerning all that befalls us. We

need know nothing of what the future holds, trusting that our lot lies strictly in the

hands of G-d. We have only to “throw our burden upon the Al-mighty” (Tehillim

55:23), depending on Him to grant us what is best for us. While the people of other

nations may have many ways of foretelling future events, we should not turn to them

to uncover these secrets. A legitimate Jewish prophet appointed by G-d is the only

one from whom we may accept predictions of the future. We are commanded to

“walk with Him in full faith, and trust in him,” without recourse to mysticism and

1 A form of Divine prophecy exclusive to the High Priest in the Tabernacle and Temple.

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clairvoyance. Instead, we rely implicitly on Him and what He has in store for us. This

wholehearted faith binds us to Hashem, and through it, we are “with Him, and His

portion.”

Practically speaking, however, error now runs rampant in this sensitive area. Many

attempt to discover the unknown through a variety of dubious individuals claiming

lofty spiritual stature and Divinely granted powers. Well-meaning but misguided

people are taken in by deceptive advertising which proclaims the unholy as holy,

showering them with undeserved titles and accolades. The masses are unable to

differentiate between impure and pure, genuine and imitation. To avoid this pitfall,

let us study the Torah’s commandment to “be wholehearted with Hashem your G-

d.”

I can attest personally to the truth of Rashi’s words, “walk with Him in full faith,

and trust in Him...and then you will be with Him, and His portion.” On a visit to the

Far East, a fortune teller once approached me and offered to foretell my future in

exchange for a few pennies. I told him that I would pay him double not to foretell my

future. It is only when we rely completely on Hashem and trust in Him to look after

us that we are His. There can be no greater privilege in all the world than living our

lives in perfect faith, trusting fully in Hashem that our future, whatever it may hold, is

in His Hands alone. This is the beauty of life as a believing Jew. With his pretense of

foretelling my fortune, this Far Eastern fraud wanted to sever my bond to the Al-

mighty. When man feels that his future has been revealed, he no longer looks

trustingly to Hashem, as he does when he faces the unknown. The field of fortune-

telling and revelations through the occult serves to weaken man’s tie to his Creator.

Achieving Spiritual Powers

At times we encounter a disconcerting phenomenon. Certain people somehow

seem to know things which there is no apparent way for them to know. They can tell

others in surprising detail exactly what they did in the utmost privacy of their homes

when there definitely was no one watching, and produce predictions of future events

which prove to be uncannily accurate, just like the great prophets of old.

We should not be impressed with these supposedly great and mighty wonders.

Omens, portents, predictions, miracles, and wonders are not the mark of true

greatness among the Jewish people. The world abounds with men of mystical

“powers,” and it is important for us to understand their source. Mere knowledge of

the unknown and the ability to predict the future are not an endorsement of

holiness, which is defined by other essential criteria.

There is a very clear, obvious path to holiness and elevated spiritual levels, one

which is open to any Jew: intensive, dedicated toil in Torah and service of Hashem

for many years, until he attains lofty levels of sanctity and becomes worthy of

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knowing secrets hidden from other people’s eyes (see Shaare Kedushah, Part 3,

Shaar Zayin). Even then, not everyone who seeks to attain this level will be found

worthy of it; only a few special individuals are chosen by Hashem for this role. This

principle is explicit in the words of the verse: “A prophet from among your brothers,

like me, Hashem your G-d will make available for you.” Bottom line, it is Hashem

alone Who selects His prophets. There are no shortcuts to true prophecy.

Pure or Impure?

On the other hand, however, the possibility does exist of a person linking up with

the Forces of the Occult by means of corrupt character traits and unworthy deeds, in

order to obtain special powers from these impure, evil forces. A prime example of

this is Bilam’s “prophetic” power, which came from impure sources (Zohar,

Parashat Balak p. 21b). This type of evil person is able to deceive others with his

great “spiritual capacities,” while in reality, his heart is utterly and despicably corrupt.

This is the exact opposite of the powers of a true prophet chosen by G-d, whose

prophetic insight comes from the Forces of Holiness.

It is essential to differentiate between those whose powers are derived from pure

sources and those who are empowered by the Forces of Impurity, G-d forbid. The

difference between the two can be so very subtle that even sincere and righteous

individuals are not always able to identify the source of their own spiritual powers.

Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac of Komarna, author of the Kabbalistic work Heichal

HaBerachah, related a telling statement he had heard from his uncle and rebbe,

Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditchov. Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, the author of the commentary

Ateret Tzvi on the Zohar, said that it was only when he reached the age of forty that

he felt sure that his success in prayer, imparting blessings, and bringing salvation to

fellow Jews was not drawn from the Forces of Evil. If this was true of a Torah scholar

and spiritual giant like the Ateret Tzvi, what can we say today? (See Heichal

HaBerachah, Shmot p.157a.)

Hassidim relate the story of a very pious rebbe, a holy man who worked many

wonders for his people. Hassidim would come to him from far and wide, seeking his

blessings, advice, and assistance. One of his hassidim was miserably, pathetically

poor; whatever he did, failed. He beseeched his rebbe time and time again for help,

to no avail.

On one occasion, while traveling through a forest, he met an old man who gave

him a coin as a gift, telling him that it would bring him good luck. From that day on,

the elderly stranger told him, whatever the poor hassid would undertake would be

blessed with great success. And so it was. After that fateful encounter, everything

changed. Suddenly and inexplicably, anything this lifelong pauper touched turned to

gold and he acquired fabulous, undreamed-of riches. Now a wealthy man, he went

to see his rebbe to ask for a blessing and leave a nice donation for charity. To his

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dismay, the rebbe refused to bless him or accept money from him. The rebbe told

his stunned hassid that the kindly old gentleman who had given him the coin was a

messenger of the Forces of Evil. As soon as he took the coin from him and was

blessed with wealth by this impure being, he became firmly attached to impurity.

Albeit unknowingly, he had sold his soul to Evil. Never in this life would he be able to

free himself from its tentacles, and even after death, he was doomed to the lowest

depths of perdition. The rebbe told him that there was one possible solution, which –

if he were fortunate – might save him. His sole hope was to return to the forest, find

the old man, and give him back every last penny he had gotten from him,

relinquishing his entire vast wealth. This was the only way he might possibly free

himself of his evil grip.

The hassid set out promptly for the forest, where he searched high and low for the

old man. When he finally tracked him down, he threw himself at his feet and pleaded

with him to take back everything he had given him. He literally begged for mercy,

until at last, the old man finally agreed to his request. There was only one condition,

he told the hassid. He would have to return to his rebbe and tell him that his own

spiritual powers also came from him, or in other words, from the Forces of Evil. No

doubt unhappily, the hassid complied. When the rebbe heard the old man’s

message, he was deeply shocked. He immediately retired from his position as a

rabbi and leader of the community. To atone for his sin, he took on self-imposed

exile and disappeared without a trace.

This story teaches a disturbing lesson. There are sincerely pious people who are

not even remotely connected to wickedness. They are by no means disciples of the

infamous Bilam, who engage in evil in order to gain supernatural powers through the

Forces of Impurity. Nonetheless, their power to perform wonders stems from impure

sources. The Ramhal explains that this can happen not only to those who sin in

order to connect with evil, hoping to draw down impure supernatural powers. It can

also happen to sincerely G-d-fearing people whose efforts to purify and perfect

themselves fall short of what is required of them. Hashem may test such people by

granting them supernatural powers from impure forces. We see, then, that even a

righteous person cannot be certain that his spiritual powers are not an exceptionally

difficult Divinely ordained test (Derech Hashem, Part 3, Chapter 4).

If this is the case, then who is reliable? How can we be sure that a given rabbi’s

accomplishments are the product of sanctity and a genuine attachment to Hashem,

making his prayers and blessings worth seeking? Is he – or is he not – one of those

of whom the Torah says, “to him you will listen?” We find one answer in the words

of the Zohar. The quality of an individual’s service of Hashem, the extent to which it

is pure, wholehearted, and totally dedicated and self-sacrificing, is an indication of

the source of his spiritual accomplishments (see Zohar, Parashat Terumah, p.128a).

If he is pure, his prayers and powers are also pure.

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Recognizing False Prophets

The Ma’or VaShemesh discusses the question of how to recognize a true and

trustworthy tzaddik as opposed to an appealing charlatan.

The Torah forbids us to listen to a false prophet (Devarim 13:2-6): “If there should

arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a

wonder, and the miracle comes about of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘let us

follow other gods which you did not know, and we will serve them.’ Do not listen to

the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams, for Hashem your G-d is

testing you, to know whether you love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and all

your soul. After Hashem your G-d you will follow, Him you will fear, His

commandments you will observe and to His Voice you will listen, and Him you will

serve, and to Him you will cleave. And that prophet and that dreamer of dreams will

die.”

In these verses, the Torah describes precisely the type of phony kabbalist to whom

the masses so easily fall prey. He produces miracles, wonders, omens, and charms

with ease. It all seems to work, so how can he be anything but holy? Little or nothing

is known of this gentleman’s past, and he has not built up a solid, long-term

reputation as a scholarly and pious Jew, but that does not matter. Naive individuals

are dazzled by the gimmicks, and they surround him with reverence and awe.

They are missing the point. We seek the company of tzaddikim to learn from their

example in Torah and fear of Heaven. Wonders and miracles are irrelevant; the

measure of a man is his caliber as a dedicated servant of G-d. Even if at present, the

miracle man does not seem to be leading his followers astray, the end will be as the

Torah warns us. Eventually, he will drag his trusting flock into the worst of sins,

telling them, “Let us follow other gods which you did not know, and we will serve

them.” This is where his tricks are leading.

The way to avoid this trap is by following the Torah’s instructions to strengthen

ourselves in Torah and mitzvot, and by attaching ourselves to truly pious Torah

scholars who walk in Hashem’s ways: “After Hashem your G-d you will follow, Him

you will fear, His commandments you will observe, and to His Voice you will listen,

and Him you will serve, and to Him you will cleave.” When this happens, “that

prophet and that dreamer of dreams will die.” Without a following, he will be

rendered powerless.

The greatness of a tzaddik is his dedication to Torah and mitzvot. If, in addition,

there are indications that he has Divine inspiration (Ruah Hakodesh), we may be

confident that it comes from pure sources. If all he has to his credit are a handful of

wonders and magic tricks, it may be that they come from the Forces of Impurity. If

we choose to attach ourselves to him, we too may be attaching ourselves to the

Forces of Impurity, G-d forbid.

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The Difficult Diagnosis

At times, it is no simple matter to differentiate between a genuinely legitimate

tzaddik and an imposter. It is easy enough to recognize a real Torah scholar, but

who can disprove the claims of a purportedly great kabbalist? It has been said rather

ironically that a Torah scholar is like a headache, and a kabbalist is like a

stomachache. Picture a child who is eager to wangle a day off from school. He tells

his mother that he has a terrible headache and has to stay home. His complaint is

quickly verified: she need only produce a thermometer and check his temperature. If

he registers normal he is fine, and she can hustle him off to school. A more

sophisticated youngster will claim a stomachache, which is not quite so easily

diagnosed. How can his mother prove him wrong? Just in case it’s true, she allows

him his longed-for day in bed.

A Torah scholar’s proficiency is easily tested by other Torah scholars; it only takes

a few minutes of learned conversation to show whether or not he is indeed

knowledgeable. But who can check out a self-styled mekubal? He affects all sorts of

exotic behaviors, and presumably, the stranger the habits, the bigger mekubal he

must be. Who can tell what he really is? Authentic mekubalim capable of testing his

qualifications are rare enough. And even then, our pretender can always find a safe

way out. If a colleague wants to test his knowledge of the Arizal’s school of

Kabbalistic thought, he can say that the methods of the earlier sources are in fact his

forte. If questioned on those teachings, he can say that he learns according to the

hassidic tradition in Kabbalah. There is always an escape hatch, making him as

difficult to diagnose as a truant schoolboy’s stomachache.

Who Says?

The Meshech Chochmah (Shmot 11:3) explains how we can distinguish a real

tzaddik from an imposter. Where did this tzaddik’s reputation originate? Did it come

from the bottom up, or from the top down? Who were the first to “discover” him, the

common people or the pious Torah scholars?

He writes that honor and fame can result either from great wisdom and refined, G-

dly conduct, or from the ability to work wonders which transcend nature. The wiser,

nobler elements of society value wisdom and character. With time, their admiration

will filter down to the masses as well, earning this special person fame and glory

even among the common folk.

The masses, on the other hand, appreciate showier accomplishments – they are

excited by miraculous deeds and supernatural stunts. A wonder worker’s reputation

will quickly spread among the humbler classes, and with time, the better classes will

also begin to think that there must be something to him.

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We learn this principle from Moshe Rabbenu himself, our nation’s first great

prophetic leader. Moshe was initially acknowledged by Pharaoh’s magicians, the

Egyptian elite. They were capable of appreciating his profound wisdom and

exceptional character, and not only the wonders that he performed. With time, the

masses also came to accept that he was a great man. We find this sequence in the

Torah’s words, “And the man Moshe was very great in the Land of Egypt, in the eyes

of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the nation” (Shmot 11:3). He first became

famous among the palace elite, and only afterwards among the commoners.

The Hidden Tzaddik

What are the hallmarks of our true tzaddikim? Greatness in Torah, humility, piety,

and integrity. In our times, many supposed “great mekubalim” engage in intensive

public relations, so that they are hailed far and wide as great and holy men. As their

reputation among the simple people swells, they are inundated with requests for

sage advice and pious blessings. In truth, however, these holy men are pitifully

empty of Torah – they know little or nothing of Scripture, Mishnah, and Gemara,

and certainly nothing of Kabbalah. Never in their lives have they put any serious

effort into learning, and they have never attended on great Torah scholars to learn

from their ways and middot. All their outlandish, dramatic behavior is nothing more

than fraud and deception.

The righteous have always been guided by the verse, “with the modest there is

wisdom” (Mishle 11:2). In my younger years, I had the great privilege of personally

knowing many of the great mekubalim of the previous generation, may their merit

protect us. Rather than seeking publicity and profit, they did everything in their

power to keep their deeds hidden, concealing their true greatness. They literally fled

from honor, and refused to take money or gifts from anyone for any reason. This is a

striking contrast to the modern genre of would-be kabbalists, who eagerly pursue

any shred of publicity, and charge hefty sums for their blessings and good luck

charms. Their way is definitely, unquestionably wrong.

What sort of person can hope to achieve esoteric knowledge and aspire to the

level of Divine inspiration? We may say with absolute certainty that a tzaddik’s

reputation is not earned by means of eye-catching, mass-media advertising and the

adulation of the ignorant; it comes from within the bet midrash. The only way to

achieve esoteric knowledge and aspire to the level of Divine inspiration is by years of

strenuous, intensive toil in Torah and mitzvot. A “tzaddik” is the special, dedicated

Torah scholar and servant of G-d who labors diligently, learning and teaching Torah

day and night, has good middot, and despises worldly pleasures and luxuries, living

a life of humility and shunning any form of publicity. If he has these qualifications, it

is possible that he may also have spiritual powers from pure sources which enable

him to bring salvation to those in need. We know that there have been many great

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Torah scholars who, after years of exertion in Torah study and mitzvot, merited this

special spiritual capacity. However, they never cashed in on their powers. On the

contrary, they made every effort to camouflage and conceal them from the public

eye.

In our times, it has become popular to invent stories about “hidden tzaddikim”

(tzaddikim nistarim) whose incredible holiness is so cleverly disguised that they

appear to be totally void of Torah and mitzvot. Overall, their behavior seems quite

strange and unacceptable, until in a flash, everything suddenly becomes clear. Their

puzzling conduct is deemed to be an act, intended to fool everyone around them. In

short, they are none other than hidden tzaddikim, fabulously pious, but only in

private where no one sees and knows. These exotic characters are reputed to have

the power to work miracles for all and sundry.

This is a tragic error, and it surely is not the meaning of the words tzaddik nistar.

A true hidden tzaddik is one whose deeds are impeccably proper and correct, and is

in fact known to be a tzaddik. What is hidden is the full extent of his elevated

spiritual standing, which he makes every effort to conceal. Whatever people do know

about him is nothing compared to what he really is in private. Away from the public

eye, he conducts himself with meticulous piety even beyond the obligations of

halachah. In this sense, he is a hidden tzaddik – it is clear that he is dedicated to

Hashem and His Torah, but no one knows how great he truly is.

We find this concept in the verse, “And what is hidden is for Hashem our G-d, and

what is revealed is for us and our children forever, to fulfill all the words of this

Torah” (Devarim 29:28). In order to gauge a given individual’s spiritual level, we

must base ourselves on information that is “revealed to us and to our children, to

fulfill all the words of this Torah.” First and foremost, does he study and fulfill the

Torah? Then we know that he is a tzaddik. But “what is hidden is for Hashem our G-

d.” Only He can plumb the depths of man’s heart and mind, and He alone knows

who is a real mekubal, and from where his supra-natural powers are derived.

I can personally testify that many of today’s phony “tzaddikim” carefully spread

stories of astounding hidden saints in generations past, who supposedly did great

and tremendous things hidden under a cloak of crudity and ignorance. They have a

distinct interest in spreading these stories: they cover their own shortcomings by

suggesting that they too belong to this fascinating legion of hidden tzaddikim who,

sad to relate, never really existed.

True and False

To protect us from these and other imposters, the Torah warns us, “a prophet

from among you like me He will make available for you.” “Like me” means like

Moshe Rabbenu, who was first recognized as Hashem’s messenger by the nation’s

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elders. From the elders, the knowledge of Moshe’s greatness spread to the masses,

reaching the entire nation. The Torah says, “He will make available for you.” A leader

and prophet is established by the Al-mighty alone, and not through gossip leaked by

the media.

This unfortunate situation is a very great stumbling block in our times. The

boundaries of right and wrong, pure and impure, are blurred and vague. We no

longer know how to distinguish truly great people from unscrupulous liars and

fakers. Matters have gone so far that innocent and well-meaning people with

questions and problems will actually weigh the words of great Torah authorities

known for their piety and expertise in halachah against those of kabbalistic

charlatans, and they have a hard time deciding whom to believe...

Communities abroad have asked my opinion concerning visiting kabbalists

seeking permission to speak in public. I usually tell these communities that they

should insist on a preliminary condition. Before addressing the public at large, the

guest mekubal should deliver a learned discourse on the Talmudic topic currently

being studied in the local yeshivot and kollelim. If the Torah scholars give him their

stamp of approval, he can then speak for the ordinary laymen. In some instances,

the community did not understand why I insisted on this, and pleaded with me to

relent.

Using humor to make my point clear, I suggested that they remove their children

from the Torah schools and yeshivot, an idea which they obviously found quite

shocking. I explained by citing our Sages’ teaching that of a thousand students who

enter yeshivah to learn Scripture, one hundred will be able to go on to study

Mishnah. Of those hundred, ten will go on to learn Talmud, and of those ten, only

one will emerge a halachic authority (Kohelet Rabbah 7:49). It makes sense, then,

that to become the spiritual leader of his generation, a Torah student would have to

be not just one in a thousand, but one in a million. Even among the rare halachic

authorities, only the most outstanding will become the gadol hador. If that is the

case, I say to them, why put their children through the arduous route of years of

yeshivah study? The maximum they can achieve in the yeshivah system is to

become fine halachic authorities. On the other hand, if they don’t bother to learn

and know nothing at all, they can go much farther, and attain fame and fortune as

kabbalistic pseudo-prophets. Why deprive them of the honor and glory attained by

the ignorant?

How can we guard against contemporary false prophets? By following the Torah’s

clear guidelines: “Be wholehearted with Hashem your G-d.” Let us not be taken in by

shows of clairvoyance and so-called miracles. Who are these people claiming to be

holy tzaddikim possessed of special, miraculous powers? Are their deeds, middot,

and service of Hashem exemplary, or are they something considerably less? These

are the criteria which define piety and closeness to Hashem; not miracles and

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wonders. May Hashem grant us the wisdom and discernment to cleave to His truly

righteous servants so that we can learn from them how to grow in Torah and

mitzvot.

This essay contains divre Torah. Please treat it with proper respect.