The gemora (Yevomos 62b) says: "R' Akiva had twelve
thousand pairs of disciples." This implies that there were no
individuals among them; thus the sages specifically use the
word "pairs."
We have often mentioned that one must examine every word of
Chazal as carefully as one examines the Torah itself. Only
because of our limited intellect do we fail to understand
their words—the truth is that deep secrets lie behind
every word.
"They all died in one time period." We should
contemplate this point in depth. "All" means that not even
one was spared. "Because they did not treat each other with
due honor" — yet this fact leaves us unaroused. Could
there be any greater proof of how careful one must be where
the Torah's honor is concerned? Or greater proof of the
clarity and truth of this principle?
We indeed observe mourning all the days of the Sefira in
remembrance of this plague, exactly as if this event happened
yesterday. But if something like this happened in our time,
chas vesholom, how it would it waken us! Why don't we
contemplate this matter? We see how particular G-d is
concerning his close ones and how the punishment of
disrespect for bnei Torah is beyond comprehension.
"It was taught, they all died from Pesach until
Shavuos." The Maharsha explains that this was so that no
one should ascribe the plague to any other cause, because
this is the best and healthiest season of the year.
This too can be well understood in the light of our
shmuess on Shavuos. We said that the way G-d directs
the world is for the sake of the complete rosho as
well. G-d's actions leave no room for him to err, and only a
madman or a rebellious sinner can make any mistake.
In our case, even without the Maharsha's insight it was
impossible to ascribe the plague to any other cause because,
as we mentioned before, they all died — every one of
the twenty-four thousand — and all of the same disease.
Anyone would doubtless understand that it was a
punishment.
Nevertheless, G-d made the plague at this specific time so
that no rational person could entertain any other notion.
This is because of the insight we expressed.
"The world was desolate." Rashi explains that the
Torah became forgotten. This implies that there were no other
yeshivos at that time and that R. Akiva's yeshiva constituted
all the Torah in the world at that time. "Until R. Akiva came
to our sages in the south" — he had to once more
establish a new yeshiva in a new place.
But this entire episode seems extremely hard to understand.
How could an angel of G-d like R. Akiva fail to uproot the
plague that had visited his disciples?
We must certainly assume that their sin was the slightest of
the slightest. Chas vesholom to suspect that any
actual belittling of the Torah was involved. Their only sin
was that they did not behave with due honor towards each
other. There was some flaw in their care concerning the honor
befitting the bnei Torah of R. Akiva's beis midrash
who all certainly had ruach hakodesh.
But even if their sin was slight our question still remains
unanswered. R. Akiva once said, "Better that I die a death at
my own hand than transgress the words of my colleagues"
(Eruvin 21b), because he was so concerned about the
honor of his colleagues. And we find that his prayers for
rain were answered because of his quality of forbearance
(Taanis 21b). So how could he fail to sense his
disciples failings no matter how slight?
He must certainly have detected the problem and certainly did
his utmost to stop their negative behavior. Nevertheless, he
could not uproot the negative point sown in his disciples'
hearts and, despite all his efforts to influence them, he did
not succeed.
Afterwards he was forced to go "south" to a new place. It is
taught that he immediately instructed his new disciples about
this point so that they should pay attention to it straight
away, as soon as the yeshiva changed its location.
We learn from all this that we do not have the power to
uproot a fault that is entrenched, especially when a
community is involved!
The fundamental principle is that everything follows the
initial starting point. Once an initial preconception enters
someone's heart, he should realize that he will be unable to
change it without devoting work and much effort into making
room for new conceptions and making new beginnings. Then,
perhaps, with the passing of time, his first preconceptions
will become nullified.
The rule is: "Turn away from evil" (Tehillim 34:15).
Don't try to fight and conquer the old ideas. Just turn away
from them, ". . . and do good" (Ibid.). Use all your
strength to forget the old ideas you acquired from
contaminated sources, and strengthen the ideas you gain and
acquire now to embed them in your heart. Then the old ideas
will automatically decay and the new ones will flourish in
their place.
The same happens when one sows seeds. Those which one cares
for and nurtures bear fruit and flourish — and the
neglected ones decay. It is not a good idea to actively
uproot one's old ideas.
The Mishna (Ovos 1:6) says, "Judge every man [to be]
on the scale cup of merit." Rabbenu Yonah (Ibid.)
explains that this applies to an average person. But a
wicked person who has a bad root should be judged to be on
the scale cup of sin. Even if we superficially see no evil in
his action we should still say that it stems from an evil
force, as it says, "When his voice speaks with favor do not
believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart"
(Mishlei 26:25). He is certainly merely pretending to
do good.
Similarly it says in Mishlei, the tzaddik understands
the house of the wicked man, he slurs the wicked as evil
doers (Ibid. 21:11).
The tzaddik knows the rosho well and
understands that he possesses no good. The tzaddik
knows that everything the rosho does comes from a
contaminated source. Even though the tzaddik seems far
removed from the rosho, he nonetheless understands the
house of the wicked man. With his wisdom he identifies every
movement of the rosho and knows how to evaluate it.
Only those who leave the Torah, praise the rosho. Just
as it is dangerous to witness a rosho's evil deeds, so
too is it dangerous to perceive him as possessing any good.
However, even though R. Yonah says that a tzaddik may
even speak evil of the rosho, it is possible that we
who are not pure ourselves cannot actually speak against
him.
But we must nevertheless have the knowledge that even when
the rosho speaks nicely — there are seven
abominations in his heart. This is all because of the
fundamental idea we explained above: that it is impossible to
uproot an evil root and a preconceived assumption. The
tzaddik sees the first initial point. Similarly G-d
says, I am G-d who investigates the heart and examines the
kidneys — so hidden are these roots that they must be
searched for in the kidneys.
Thus the sages say: "In the future G-d will judge each person
according to what he is"—according to his root and his
initial starting point. This is because a man can live in
error all his days, thinking that all his actions stem from
righteousness and uprightness, while the truth is that they
all stem from a corrupted starting point and evil character
traits. Even though all his actions revolve around this
point, he himself does not know and is no longer aware that
the cause of all his deeds is an evil point resulting from an
initial preconception that settled in his heart.
Thus the verse says, Our youth (is revealed) in the light of
Your countenance (Tehillim 90:8)—all the initial
motives of our youth are revealed before You. You know and
recognize who walks before You in truth and purity.
(This is why there were sages who were truly afraid before
their deaths. For example R. Yochonon ben Zakai said: "I do
not know in which path they will lead me," and R. Avohu said:
"I do not know whether I will receive reward or punishment
for all my deeds." These holy men suspected that all their
deeds might stem from an initial point that was not pure and
proper. It is terrible and disturbing to contemplate how a
person should fear and tremble that even if he toiled in
Torah and mitzvos his whole life, all his deeds may all stem
from another source!)
*
In conclusion, one must realize and understand this
fundamental idea—that it is impossible to alter one's
nature, and an initial preconceived notion and all one's
activities follow one's initial direction. Thus we see some
bnei Torah who ultimately remain the same as when they
began. The person who opposed mussar still opposes
mussar, and the preconceptions he understood from his
cheder rebbe remain unaltered.
Each person should examine what he thinks and imagines
between the sedorim and during meals. As the sages
say: "A man is recognized by three things—his purse,
his cup, and his anger." He should recollect his past and
perceive his attitude towards the future and then he will see
where he stands!
The rule is that a person remains with his old conceptions.
In truth the entire creation is like this. As it says, There
is nothing new under the sun. Similarly, the nine latter
statements with which G-d created the world all emanated from
G-d's first statement of Creation. Everything is sustained by
the old, by the merit of our forefathers.
Nevertheless, we must constantly initiate new beginnings. (As
we say in Shacharis, "He constantly renews everyday
the works of Creation.") So we too must constantly make new
beginnings and foundations. This is why it has been
established to state before each mitzvah, "Behold I am ready
and prepared" — because everything depends on how one
begins. Similarly, one should become accustomed to start each
day by doing good and establish the day on a good footing.
Then the entire day will be good because everything follows
the initial starting point.
