Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayikra 5769 by Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein

In the opening book of Plato's most famous dialogue, The Republic, the discussion turns to the nature of "justice". Polemarchos offers as its definition: "to render what is due". This definition is quickly rejected. Another participant, Thrasymachos muscles his way into the discussion, claiming that justice is whatever suits the strongest best, namely, "might is right", that is to say, the ruler is always just no matter what he does. Socrates rejects Thrasymachos' approach, claiming that even rulers make mistakes. Thrasymachos responds cynically that in so far as a ruler is mistaken, he is no ruler.

In the Jewish tradition, there is no room for the opinion of Thrasymachos. The Torah clearly puts the leaders of the people at the top of the list of those who along with all others bear responsibility for their actions and their failings, even when those failing are performed unwittingly. Power does not yield immunity from responsibility. Wrongdoing is not to be obscured by "spin". Sin is sin, whether it is performed by the lowliest community member or by the communal elite. And so the Torah commands not only: "nefesh ki-techeta vishgagah mikol mitsvot Adonai asher lo te'aseynah ve'asah me'achat mehenah" – When a person unwittingly incurs guilt to any of God's commandments about things not to be done…" This chapter also relates the same liability for the anointed or high priest and the chief or political leader. (see chapter 4)

We learn in a midrash: "The judgment of the Holy One Blessed be He is not like the judgment of flesh and blood. A king of flesh and blood shows favoritism to a group, and shows no favoritism to an individual. But the Holy One, Blessed be He treats all equally. The High Priest makes the same offering as the Nasi. The Nasi makes the same offering that the regular individual makes and the same offering as the community." (adapted from Vayikra Rabbah 5:3)

What distinguishes between the attitude of Thrasymachos and that of the Torah? Thrasymachos sees power as the determiner of what is just and what is right. The Torah, on the other hand, while recognizing the legitimacy of power sees in it the potential to lead man away from that which is just and right. Consequently, the powerful must be reigned in just like every other person, perhaps even more so. God is the determiner of what is right and the powerful are ultimately answerable to Him.