It sometimes happens that the presence of opposition fuels a person’s passion and commitment. The flames of controversy often have the effect of igniting a passion and zeal that would not be felt otherwise.
We have noted Moshe’s warning to Benei Yisrael in Parashat Re’ei that they ensure not to embrace the pagan practices that they will observe among the Canaanite nations whom they would soon encounter:
When the Lord your God cuts down before you the nations whom you are going there to dispossess, and you dispossess them and reside in their land – guard yourself lest you be ensnared by them after they are destroyed…and lest you appeal to their gods, saying: The way these nations serve their gods – I shall do the same!” (12:29-30)
Curiously, Moshe emphasizes in these verses that the people may be tempted to imitate the pagans’ religious practices specifically after those nations’ destruction at the hands of Am Yisrael. It as after “the Lord your God cuts down before you the nations whom you are going there to dispossess,” and “after they are destroyed,” that Benei Yisrael might then say, “The way these nations serve their gods – I shall do the same!” A number of writers raised the question of why specifically the downfall of the Canaanite peoples would lead Benei Yisrael to seek to imitate their idolatrous rituals. Seemingly, the precise opposite should occur. Upon seeing the futility of pagan worship, and how the one, true God easily vanquished the followers of idolatrous deities, Benei Yisrael’s Torah commitment should, seemingly, be reinforced. Why was Moshe concerned that the people would look to embrace pagan rituals after the downfall of the pagan nations?
It sometimes happens that the presence of opposition fuels a person’s passion and commitment. Some people’s strongest religious feelings are reserved for those areas that have come under assault. The flames of controversy often have the effect of igniting a passion and zeal that would not be felt otherwise. The Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein shelit”a, once suggested explaining Noach’s drastic spiritual downfall along these lines. Before the flood, Noach represented the lone voice of morality in a world overrun by decadence. The presence of an opposing force fueled his commitment and charged him with the firm conviction to act in a more refined manner. After the deluge, however, when Noach found himself alone in the world and had no need to struggle against a corrupt world, he lowered his standards. Without the energizing effect of opposition, Noach no longer displayed the devotion to higher ideals that had driven him to stand out in a sinful society.
A similar concern may have prompted Moshe’s warning to Benei Yisrael here in Parashat Re’ei. Once the battle against the Canaanite nations ended, and Benei Yisrael were no longer exposed to the religious pressures of pagan peoples, their passionate rejection of idolatry might begin to cool. At this point, they may start looking more sympathetically upon the pagan practices observed by the Canaanite nations, until they are even prepared to consider adopting those practices.
The message of this warning, then, is that our commitment to Torah must grow out of a genuine recognition of its inherent value and importance, and not simply be the result of the exhilaration of controversy. If our religious devotion is fueled only by the desire to defend ourselves against our detractors, then our devotion will quickly subside once the battle is won. Moreover, our devotion will be limited to those areas subject to controversy, at the expense of the rest of Torah. Moshe therefore warns Benei Yisrael to remain committed to Torah observance even in the absence of opposition, to be sincerely devoted irrespective of the need to struggle and wage battles against our adversaries.
Courtesy of Yeshivat Har Etzion - www.etzion.org.il