Two Minute Torah Podcast

Vayetzei 5770 by Rabbi Leonard Gordon

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving. My name is Leonard Gordon and I serve as rabbi at the Germantown Jewish Centre in Philadelphia. This March I will be leading discussions about Judaism and Social Justice at the KOACH Kallah and I hope to see you there. Welcome to KOACH's Two Minute Torah, a project of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism:

We all know that truth and truth telling rank among Judaism's highest values. EMET, the Hebrew word for truth is one of God's names.

But we learn from the lives of the matriarchs and patriarchs that truth is not an absolute value and that deception is sometimes validated as part of God's plan.

In this week's reading, Vayetzei, Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel and Jacob cries, ÒWhy did you deceive me?Ó Jacob then responds by secretly fleeing Laban's home with his family and property, including Laban's household idols, stolen by Rachel.

The rabbinic tradition, reading these stories with care, imagines a number of situations in which deception can be the preferred path. Reflecting on Rachel's decision to steal her father's idols a midrash comments, ÒHer purpose was a noble one, for she said, ÔWhat, shall we go and leave our father worshipping idols?'Ó (Genesis Rabbah 74:5)

Finally, we learn from a discussion in the Babylonian Talmud that a lie might be told to protect someone's feelings. The question is asked, ÒWhat does one say to a new bride?Ó The Students of Shammai said Òdescribe the bride as she is.Ó The Students of Hillel said, Òyou call her beautiful and graceful.Ó But what if she is graceless and not beautiful, do you still call her graceful and beautiful? Doesn't the Bible say, ÔKeep far from a falsehood?'Ó The Students of Hillel responded, ÒOne should always find something positive to say.Ó (based on Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 16b)

We learn from these traditions that morality is complex and situational. Moral decision making is about balancing competing values, not about following a path that is clearly laid out for us. That is one reason why the bible teaches through both stories and law.

Shabbat Shalom and have a refreshing and safe Thanksgiving vacation.