If Plan A fails, there's always an alternative

The concept of a back-up plan is commonplace in modern culture—but did our ancient Sages understand it too? There is some evidence that they did. In Parashat Vayishlach (Bereishit 32:9, per Rashi) we learn how Jacob devised a threefold plan to counter the imminent threat of conflict with his alienated twin Esau: if gifts didn’t buy Esau’s favour and prayer didn’t secure Jacob’s safety, Plan C was to prepare for battle.

A recent post (“Mishnah, motive and mind-games: can you make the right decision?”, here) discusses the teaching of Akavyia ben Mahalalel at Avot 3:1:

עֲקַבְיָא בֶּן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר: הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים, וְאֵין אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַֽיִן בָּֽאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. מֵאַֽיִן בָּֽאתָ: מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה. וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ: לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה. וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן: לִפְנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הו

Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression. Know where you came from, where you are going, and before whom you will give an account of yourself. Where did you come from? A putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, worms and [other] worms. And before whom will you give an account of yourself? Before the supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

This is the second Mishnah in Avot to open with the words: “Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression”. We find them in the opening Mishnah to the second perek where Rebbi teaches:

הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים, וְאֵין אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, דַּע מַה לְּמַֽעְלָה מִמָּךְ, עַֽיִן רוֹאָה וְאֹֽזֶן שׁוֹמַֽעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ בְּסֵֽפֶר נִכְתָּבִים

Reflect upon three things, and you will not come to the hands of transgression: Know what is above you: a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds being inscribed in a book.

Many commentators have asked why Rebbi, who redacted the tractate, felt it necessary to include both his prescription for sin avoidance and that of his distinguished precursor, and there are many answers. I’ve just come across a fresh one, thanks to Rabbi Asher Weiss’s recently published two-volume set, Rav Asher Weiss on Avos. There he writes:

“It would seem that the method of Akavya ben Mahalalel does not apply at all times; it is only to be employed when a person’s yetzer hara seeks to overcome him. It is not recommended that a person constantly consider where he came from and where he is heading. Doing so will likely lead him to sadness. It is, moreover, only effective for a short period, while thinking about it constantly is likely to make it less effective. He should instead use this method only when his yetzer hara is about to overcome him and he cannot otherwise prevail against it.

By contrast, Rebbi’s advice offers a pathway upon which a person should treat constantly. He should remember that there is a ‘watchful eye, an attentive ear, and all your deeds are recorded in a book’—Hashem looks into his heart and soul at every moment…”

In other words, we are instructed to try Rebbi’s approach first. That’s Plan A and it’s for everyone. Plan B, Akavya ben Mahalalel’s prescription, is only applicable where the yetzer hara is particularly stubborn.

Pirkei Avot being full of mussar, it is unsurprising that it offers not only a Plan C but a Plan D, though they are not expressed in precisely the same terms. Plan C is to learn Torah for its own sake, which distances a person from sin (Avot 6:1, per Rabbi Meir). Then if that doesn’t work, Plan D is to carry on learning Torah but get stuck into one’s day job too. This should have the effect of making oneself so heavily engaged in one’s studies and discharging one’s work and family obligations that all thought of sinning is forgotten (Avot 2:2, per Rebbi’s son Rabban Gamliel).

Well, readers, which do YOU find the most efficacious—and why?

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Abraham and the three mysterious men

At the beginning of parashat Vayera the Torah tells of three men whose journey takes them past Abraham while he sits by the entrance to his tent. Who are these men? Are they Abraham’s righteous allies Aner, Eshkol and Mamre? Are they angels in disguise? Do they even exist outside Abraham’s consciousness, being no more than players in a profoundly important dream?

R’ Avraham Weinberg of Slonim, in his Bet Avraham, offers an unusual mussar-driven explanation, that the narrative is purely figurative. The three “men” are actually the three things a person should contemplate if he wishes to avoid falling into the grips of sin: the seeing eye, the hearing ear and the understanding that all his actions are stored on permanent record. These are the three things which Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi identifies at Avot 2:1.

How does Avraham react when he sees these “men”? He urges them “al no ta’avor me’al avodecha” (“Please don’t pass by your servant”). With God’s help we can keep these three ideas in the forefront of our minds; without that help we will fail.

Is this just a bit of airy-fairy chassidut? No. We should see it as a tactful reminder to us, when we learn Torah—and particularly Bereshit (Genesis)—that we should not just nod approvingly at the conduct of our forefathers but should make a positive effort to internalise the moral principles that underpinned their lives even before the Torah was given.

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