Thursday, October 21, 2021

הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין

This is a bundle of original insights that I feel blessed to have thought of. But enough about my thoughts, what are your thoughts about my thoughts?
In Avot it says (or at least it’s usually translated as saying). To be patient while making judgment - הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין

I’m thinking about how the words actually mean to be patient in judgment (בַּדִּין/be’din). Maybe this means stay patient while inside of judgment, living and experiencing the Divine expression of judgment.

This could be seen as flowing to the next statement of this series of 3 statements, "and stand up many students" וְהַעֲמִֽידוּ תַּלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה. If you are patient while experiencing G-d's aspect of judgment (traditionally taken to mean a harsh, hard experience), then you should teach this trait to others. Alternatively, it can mean that you will automatically inspire others and make them upstanding in the is regard. 

This then flows to the third and last statement of the mishnah: And make a fence of protection around the Torah, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה. This can be taken as a consequence, that by creating a community of people who are patient with G-d's judgment, the Torah is protected. Or it can be an exhortation, persevere in this approach, in this revolution, in order to preserve the Torah. 

The way the use of the "beh" at the start of a word that is translated as regarding, but literally it means in, is something I've thought of before in regard to the words, נַפְשִׁי חָמְּדָה בְּצֵל יָדֶךָ, my soul longs to be in Your hand’s shade said at the start of Anim Zemirot (it's interesting to me that this prayer about the longing of the soul is in first person, which is rare, and one of the other examples of a prayer/song in first person also focuses on the longing of the soul- Yedid Nefesh). I think these words don't mean that my soul longs to be in Your hands shade, rather- my soul longs for you (while I am) in your hand's shade. 

Here are two thoughts I have regarding what it means to be in the shade of G-d's hand. It could mean being under G-d's hand, which is offering us shade and protection and comfort, or we are in the shade of G-d's hand which is approaching to reprimand us. This parallels the statement in the universally known 23rd psalm that "G-d's rod and staff comfort me," שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֜מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי which (I forgot who, maybe rabbi SR Hirsch, says) can be understood to mean that I take comfort from G-d's care, both in the form of his his shevet, used to chastise, and his staff, which literally means the stick he offers for leaning on.

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