“The goal is to make/have a machlokes leshem shamayim (debate for the sake of heaven), but obviously we have to define those terms. Certainly the Mishna itself gives us an enormous insight in that. I’d like to begin with one very simple question. Chazal know how to say something is shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven). People are accused of doing things shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven). Korach, the Mishnah says, was shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven). Eishes Potiphar (Potiphar’s wife) was considered leshem shamayim (for the sake of heaven). What does that mean? I mean the Torah juxtaposes how handsome a young man Yosef was to the next sentence ‘the wife of his master, put her eyes on him.’ [What] follows is how he was yafe marei vyafei toar. Does that mean there was no lust involved? [Was it that] she just thought it was leshem shamayim (for the sake of heaven); [that] she was deluding herself? No, that Chazal called leshem shamayim. You mean that Korach didn’t have motives that are equally good as the wife of Potiphar, who sees this handsome young man, beautiful young man, brilliant young man, away from his family that she can sort of seduce, and that [the act of Potiphar’s wife] is considered leshem shamayim (for the sake of heaven)? And Korach, who is the greatest of all the Leviim- and that itself is an illustrious tribe-was shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven)? What does that mean? Korach didn’t have any good reasons? He articulates very good reasons. Amech kulam kedoshim, Lama tisnasu hakahal hashem, ‘I’d like to be a Kohen. I certainly can do the job of kehuna. Is there any question?’ What, [was he] deluded [that] he couldn’t do the job of Kehuna? So this is the first rule here in leshem shamayim, it’s a little bit of a shocker to I think all of us. Leshem shamayim doesn’t mean what your motive is. That’s not good enough to make it leshem shamayim. In fact, I would think that Korach’s motives, if we were judging his motives of wanting to serve HaShem, and all his 250 people to serve HaShem, maybe is even a little more holy than the wife of Potiphar, who certainly has the lust for a young, handsome, brilliant man. So why is she leshem shamayim (for the sake of heaven) and Korach is shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven)? Because the definition of leshem shamayim is not what my motive is. It is what is God’s interest here? Is this something that God wants, or something that I want? For example, did Korach in any way ever allude that Aaron is incapable of being a kohen? [He] can’t say anything against Aaron. He was standing at har sinai himself [Korach] when he saw Moshe go up to the mountain, and he saw right behind him Aaron, the rest of klal Yisrael when he says, kulam kedoshim, you’re mekabel the Torah. He saw that Aaron had a higher level than him. Aaron was at the top of the mountain. Well if Aaron is at the top of the mountain, he’s [Aron is] greater than him [Korach]. He [Korach] knows he’s [Aron is] greater than him. He doesn’t say that Aaron is less than him. He has nothing negative about Aaron. in fact, what he’s really saying is Aaron is overqualified. Yes, Aaron is, of course holy. He’s overqualified. You don’t need Aaron HaKohen to be a kohen. Amech kulam kedoshim-we could also be kohanim. And I would love to have him. All my friends would love to have, and are entitled to have this religious experience [of] being a kohen and serving the beis hamikdash this is a tremendous, tremendous spiritual elevation. We would all like to do that, and we’re all capable of doing that. In fact, he’s probably right. I have no reason to think that he’s wrong, that he’s [Aron is] not capable of that, [but you] don’t need to be Aaron. That’s his argument. You don’t need to be Aaron. Aaron, for sure, is good, but we’re also good, which means he’s [Korach is] not promoting God’s agenda. There’s nothing better for God that Korach does it, it’s just that Korach wants the religious experience-that is [what] Chazal is saying [is] shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven). They’re giving us an unbelievable definition. What does God get from you instead of Aaron? Is there any benefit to God over Aaron? I know it’s good for you. You want a religious experience. That’s shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven). Eishes (the wife of) Potiphar, she has plenty of lustful thoughts, too. The only thing is, she did see in astrological signs (she’s allowed to rely on astrological signs, she’s not Jewish) that she has to have a child with Yosef, and therefore God has an agenda. It’s good for God, the fact that I have some lust, so maybe it’s not on the highest level of leshem shamayim, but it’s certainly leshem shamayim. Maybe there’s a little personal benefit, but God has a benefit here. The stars say that there should be a child coming out between her and Yosef. She made a mistake. It’s from her descendant, not from her. That’s the definition of leshem shamayim, it’s a fascinating definition. Leshem Shamayim means it has to be better for God, it’s not my religious experience…I don’t remember what year the first reform synagogue was formed in New York, about 1880. You know, today, there’s not one Jewish linear descendant from any of the original charter members. It was in 150 years or so, 140 years, there’s not one linear Jewish descendant, not one from all the charter members. Anyone think that there was not an intention [to] make the synagogue more accessible, [to] make religion more accessible, [that] more people will show up? If you have music and all the different innovations? They were trying to make religion more accessible, more people will come to synagogue. Okay, they’ll take an iron train, railroad in Germany okay, but it will bring more people to synagogue. The Conservatives certainly had that feeling. It wasn’t built to destroy Judaism. They were trying to make it more accessible to everybody that’s all wonderful, but the problem is the fact that I want to be religious in any relationship, it doesn’t mean what I want to do for my Beloved, it’s what does the Beloved want? It’s a very insightful understanding. You know, “I want to do this for You. I want it.”-“Yea, but I don’t want that.” We have to find out what the person we love wants. What do they want, not what I want to do, what I would like them to have, what I want to give them. The first question is, what do they want? Am I doing what they want? Am I listening to what they’re saying, what their needs are, what would make them happy? The fact that I want a relationship with You, that doesn’t mean leshem shamayim, that’s the leshem (in the name of) my religious experience. And therefore, Chazal are telling us when something is leshem shamayim (in the name if heaven), it means God has to have an interest. In fact, it has to start with that. What is His interest? Just the same way, what is my beloved’s interest? The fact that I want to give you this and this, and she doesn’t want this, that’s not, that’s not a relationship, but the fact that I want to give this to her, that’s not, that’s what I want. But a real relationship is what starts with what she wants. So the definition of leshem shamayim is, what does the Almighty want from us? What is the Almighty’s agenda? What does He have in mind? Korach didn’t have the slightest thought, what would HaShem have benefited from him instead of Aaron? Obviously Aaron knows far beyond. Maybe Aaron’s overqualified, that could be, but Aaron has it. HaShem chose Aaron. He’s not doing anything better for HaShem, but I want a religious experience too. I also want a religious experience-that’s shelo leshem shamayim (not for the sake of heaven). That’s what I want. That’s not for leshem shamayim (the name of Heaven).” Rabbi Yochanan Zweig shlit’a
By gazing at my tzitzit during K’riat Shema, and reciting Ur’item oto, uzchartem et kol mitzvot Hashem, va’asitem otam (“And you will look at Him, and you will remember all the mitzvot of Hashem, and you will fulfill them”), I strive to internalize that my observance of the mitzvot become a pure expression of God’s will, and not a pursuit of my own.
Anonymous
Partners in Prayer
Michal
Mordakhay