On the night of Rosh Hashana, many Jewish families have a custom to eat the head of a fish (gummy candy fish in my house) and say a short prayer playing upon the symbolism of the head. We pray that it be G-d’s will that in the coming year “we should be at the ‘head’ and not the ‘tail.'” In truth, though, what does it matter? It’s common to take pride in the position of leadership, but both the leader and the followers all ultimately arrive at the same place. What difference does it make who leads or follows?
Rabbi Shimshon Pincus zt”l notes that the “head” houses the intellect, the ability to discern and make decisions, while the tail follows “mindlessly.” Many things people do stem from the environment in which they were raised, or the community, culture, or social group with which they identify. The prayer to be the head and not the tail expresses our desire to grow with personal conviction, rather than follow the pack wherever it leads us.
Here’s something to ponder: What value do high moral standards have, if maintaining those levels of virtue simply result from the influences of a positive moral environment?
Please post your comments!
Wishing you a Good Shabbos and a Shana Tova,
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org
Hi moral standards, even if they are simply the result of a positive environment, still afford protection from the harmful effects of moral sin. We are drawn to sin like a small child is often drawn to the bright red elements on a hot stove. If a parent needs to bar the child’s way though putting a barrier between he and the stove, at least until the child matures and understands the barrier is for his good, and the hot stove is going to hurt him…the end result is still that the child is protected and lives in safety. So while its best to obey the Law out of trust, love and in honour of its Giver…to obey the Law is ultimately our place of safety.
Thanks Marsha for your vivid example. I absolutely agree that such standards have value in the sense that you’ve described. I was actually questioning whether keeping those standards could be counted towards ones credit. Am I considered righteous if I’ve only exhibited righteousness as a result of the righteous environment that I’ve known my whole life? Who gets the credit if I don’t steal when it’s not much of a challenge to me since I was raised by parents who impressed upon me that stealing is abhorrent?
At first, I didn’t understand the question until Marsha gave her answer. Thanks, Marsha!
We ARE a product of our environment. This cannot be taken away. Although it also depends with which principles one grew up with. If you learnt that certain things are wrong and you agree with them, call it yiras shomayim, you will be stronger. Then, I found there is schut avot/schus ovois. They hold you in check.
We frum jews have a habit of setting our standards too high and beat ourselves and others up if we can`t live up to them. We simply have to try OUR best and not always try to be like someone else. We should respect our own limitations too. Otherwise we reach breaking point.
Dear Rabbi:
The human is endowed with a spiritual quality only given by G-d to Humankind alone. No other life form possesses such a quality. In addition, G-d gave the individual the ability to both build a world of variety and choice. Such an environment allows the individual the ability to the free choice of all that there is in his life and physical world. The environment is man made with the opportunity to freely choose what is best, right or wrong, in his world. The individual from such choices learns, develops, and changes in all directions from his free choices. The social environment does not determine an individual but grants the individual the opportunity to realize or even negate his spiritual essence. G-d gave humankind that ability soas to develop a quality of creation that expands and develops what G-d has created for HIS actualization. Thus the environment does not determine who or what man is or becomes, but in reality G-d provides the opportunity for man to choose to be whatever he wishes, and what G-d realizes through man’s choices. Only G-d knows the true value of the ultimate purpose and meaning of those choices.
Thanks for your eloquent comments. I would agree that Gd sends us many challenges, even when we’re in a positive environment. There’s plenty of opportunities to choose, to act on personal conviction. At the same time, I would argue that many of our actions in a positive environment are mindless, driven only by the fact that “in this Shul no one would think to talk during prayers”, or “in the streets of our community no one would dare wear immodest clothing.”
I don’t think it really matters, except in a personal relationship with G-d. I think that it’s more important to focus on maintaining the high moral standards regardless of their ‘circumstantial’ worth even if it means never finding out what the value is in such a comparative circumstance. Finding out the value may only be able to happen by losing the high moral standard. That would be too risky and some risks are simply too costly.
High moral standards serve a purpose regardless of whether or not they are maintained in a supportive environment or a challenging one. I think the idea of a benefit that accompanies challenge, or test, is a consideration in this kind of a deliberation. At the same time, some things are so precious, that to risk their damage or loss affects the ‘big picture’ and can have overreaching ramifications. The way I think about it is, better to keep the high moral standards anywhere they can be kept and let G-d worry about the value of one over the other.
Excellent points. I agree – the value IS in regard to our personal relationship with Gd, which is no small matter. There’s is obviously much value to high moral standards, as many have commented, but at what point is one considered following Gds will? When they mindlessly follow the standards of their society or when they choose to grow or overcome challenges?
In response to what you’ve asked, isn’t it all following G-d’s will? It seems like the difference that is being pointed out here is related to level and depth. Relationships can be deep, businesslike, friendly, distant, functional – I’m sure I don’t need to go through the whole list. High moral standards are a function of a relationship – a personal relationship and an agreement with something else. On the agreement side, they are a fence and with every fence that comes down another has the possibility of being breached. So in terms of the value of the standards themselves, they are in place for a reason, to keep , uphold and protect and in agreeing to that a person simply does it, mindless or not. That’s my understanding regarding one level of understanding about high moral standards and Torah. I don’t know if it’s correct. The kind of relationship that an individual has with those standards inside of that agreement, seems more to do with the personal side. And I think its possible to have a deep or shallow relationship all across the spectrum. Challenges have a way of presenting themselves and choosing to overcome them can never be a mindless process. Aren’t the challenges of those who ‘have it easy’ simply different? I also think in this ponder that there’s the distinction that can be made between the individual and the communal which is a whole conversation on its own. Long winded from my side…..apologies. Shabbat Shalom.
I dont see what is wrong with assimilating moral and religious values from a Torah environment. Aderaba every day we pray to Hashem to “save us from an evil neighbor”
The Torah explicitly commands us not to leave any of the Canaanite people alive so that we shouldn’t learn from their ways. Halevai that all Jews should live in religious communities.
Nothing wrong with it at all! As you said, there’s great value in living in an environment that’s conducive to high moral standards, and negative environments are to be avoided. We are influenced by our environment and it’s important to seek out an environment that promotes the standards you aim to live by. At the same time, credit is given to you for CHOOSING the appropriate environment. Additionally, once you’re in the environment growth through personal conviction should not stop. Growth results from positive DECISIONS, not by riding the waves of your environment.