Learning from the Animals — Eruvin 100b
אמר רב חייא מאי יא]:דכתיב מלפנו מבהמות ארץ ומעוף השמים יחכמנו [איוב לה:... אמר רבי יוחנן אלמלי לא ניתנה תורה לישראל למדנו צניעות מחתול וגזל מנמלה ועריות מיונה ודרך ארץ מתרנגול
Had we not received the Torah we would have been able to learn various middos (character traits) from other sources. This Gemara gives four examples of animals whose traits and actions we could have learned just by observing them.
Hashem gave animals middos so that we would be able to learn from them (see Rashi here). All middos that we find in animals we can find in ourselves, as well. Hashem put these middos into them so that we should learn to utilize them properly (Mussar Chochmo, Mishlei 6:6). The Maharal explains that animals do not actually deliberately and consciously act, out of their personal wisdom. Rather, these middos are part of their nature. Animals act a certain way, but not because they understand what they are doing; their nature is to act this way. The ant is neither diligent in her work, nor abstinent from theft because possesses wisdom or the fear of Heaven. Rather, this is her nature.
What exactly is the purpose of this engrained nature?
The purpose is to teach us derech eretz — how we should act. Hashem teaches us derech eretz through the animals and birds. This is one of the reasons why they were created (ee Etz Yosef ad loc.). Neither the ant nor the dove avoided theft because its forbidden. Rather, they do so in order for us to learn to act like them.
Learning from the Animals? I'm surprised you haven't asked Nosson for some input.
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Can You put some Parsha Stuff on your BLOG
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im quite interested in which animals you can learn from. Why? the basis for one of the oldest martial arts in the world is based on what we learn from animals, Shaolin Kung Fu. (btw, shaolin is also based on Buddhims and Taoism)
ReplyDeleteThe basic teaching is:
animals are in harmony with nature and the world. for us to reach the stage of this harmony we can learn from the animals and in that way become one with the universe.
(just another similarity between the eastern thougths and judaism!)
OK JUST ONE THING HOW DID THE GEMURAH GET FROM ERIVUN TO BIAH WHATS THE CORRELATION IS THERE A CORRELATION?
ReplyDeleteALSO IS IT NETZ OR HANETZ HACHAMAH AND WHY?(RABBI REISMAN)
WHY DO CHASIDIM NOT DIFFRENTIATE BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS IN KRIAH MEANING HE AND WHO?(RABBI REISMAN)
WHY DO SFARDIM MOT DIFFRENTIATE BETWEEN KAMETZ AND PASACH SOMTHING THE BEN ISH CHAI COMPLAINS ABOUT IN HIS TIMES?(RABBI RISEMAN)
WHERE DOES THE TERM AM HARRETZ MEANING UNLEARNED COME FROM?(RABBI RISEMAN)
WHERE DOES THE TERM ZATZAL MEANING
A DEAD PERSON ONLY COME FROM?THER WAS APPRANETLY A MIKOR TO CALL SOMOMNE ZATZAL WHEN THEY WHERE ALIVE?(RABBI RIESMAN)
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANY INFO ON PEOPLE WHO ADRESS THE QUESTION SEFORIM OR OPTIMALY IF YOU WOULD GIVE THE ANSWERS AS I AM DOING THE YERUSHALMI BEROCHAS AND I REMEBER SOMTHING ABOUT THE NETZ QUESTION THERE BUT I CANT ISOLATE IT ALSO HE ALSO SAID MOSIACH COULD NOT BE FROM THE DEAD AND I KNOW THE GEMURAH IN YERUSHALMI SAYS OTHERWISE IS IT AN AGGADATAH AND HENCE IT IS NOT NOGAIH HALACHA LIMASSEH AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION HOW DO I KNOW WHEN A GEMURAH IS AN AGGADATAH WHEN IT IS NOT READILY APPARENT SNAKE WITH FOUR HEADS ATTACKING SHUL,ALSO NOW THAT BERASHIS IS OVER I WAS GOING THROUGHT THE MEAM LOEZ THROGHOUT AND THERE ARE SOME REALLY GREAT MIDRASHIM WITH WARS THAT READ LIKE COMIC BOOKS ARE THOSE TO BE TAKEN AT FACE VALUE MEANING DID NINTEY SOMTHING YEAR OLD YACOV REAALY KILLY EISAV ARMY WITH A BOW AND ARROW CAUSE HE REALLY HAD A GOOD SHOT OR IS IT ALLGORICAL?
THANK YOU RABBI OR ANYONE ELSE WHO CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS
I will try to do more on the parasha, IY"H.
ReplyDeleteReb Mo, Check the April 2005 archives for:
Sunday, April 03, 2005
My Daughter's Midrash Report
בס"ד
מלפנו מבהמות ארץ ומעוף השמים יחכמנו
(איוב לה:יא)
ANY ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS? ANYONE?
ReplyDelete>Animals act a certain way, but not because they understand what they are doing; their nature is to act this way.<
ReplyDeleteThen why were they punished with death, in the alleged mabul, for having sex with other species? Did they have bechira? And if they had enough bechira to choose not to have inter-species sex, then why were non-sinning animals--on a madrega that they have bechira--punished with death for the actions of others? Is it because they did nothing to stop the sinning animals?
This is a serious question, not a joke.
>WHY DO CHASIDIM NOT DIFFRENTIATE BETWEEN BOYS AND GIRLS IN KRIAH MEANING HE AND WHO?(RABBI REISMAN)
ReplyDeleteWHY DO SFARDIM MOT DIFFRENTIATE BETWEEN KAMETZ AND PASACH SOMTHING THE BEN ISH CHAI COMPLAINS ABOUT IN HIS TIMES?(RABBI RISEMAN)
These are components of natural developments in language due to sound shifts and they're usually isolated by geographical areas. It's why German Jews say (or said) Taurah, eastern European Jews said Toyre or Tayre, others say TOrah and others ToRAH. It's why some roll their reshes and some don't etc. Every Hebrew reading tradition--and there are many--has its own 'errors,' if we can actually speak of errors in terms of how speaking naturally develops.
THANK YOU MISSISIPI I UNDERSTAND THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS THE QUESTION IS IN THESE TWO EXAMPLES THERE IS A NEGATIVE EFFECT THAT WAS NOTED BY MANY RABBIS IN THAT IT EFFECTS THE MEANING OF THE WORD AS I SAID THE BEN ISH CHAI SAID IT WAS A MISTAKE IN HIS TIMES AND HE HOPES LHACZAR ATERET LROSHO TO RETURN THINGS TO THE WAY THEY WERE YET TODAY THEY CONTINUE WHY DONT THE RABBIS CORRECT THESE MISTAKES WHEN THE EFFECT LANGUAGE SO MUCH AGAIN I APPRECIATE ANY ANSWERS TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THANKS ALOT
ReplyDeleteIt's very difficult to impose how people should speak. How people speak is usually more organic. For example, try implementing the Gemara's rule that one who doesn't distinguishe betwen 'aleph and 'ayin cannot be a sheliach tzibur!
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