JHI Dvar Torah on Parshat Chukat

THE IMPORTANCE AND SANCTITY OF RESPECT

Our morning prayers contain the phrase, “The study of Torah is above all.” This means that Torah study is the most important of all of Hashem’s (G-d’s) Mitzvot. Nevertheless, the Midrash (Midrash Rabbah Vayikra 19:3) writes: “Derech eretz (respect) precedes Torah.” Despite the primacy of Torah study in the commandments of the Torah, respect is a necessary prerequisite before undertaking the study of Torah.

There are several different aspects to the trait of respect. Included in the meaning of derech eretz are speaking, acting, and dressing respectfully. All of these qualities are thus necessary if one wishes to pursue a deeper connection to Hashem’s Torah.


It is also true that the trait of respect is a supremely important virtue, in and of itself, in addition to the fact that it is a necessary prerequisite for the study of Torah. Parshat Chukat describes that when the Jews were finally preparing to enter the land of Israel, they were traveling eastward south of Israel. Due north of their position and separating them from Israel was the land mass of the nation of Edom, who were the descendants of Eisav (Eisau). Eisav was and remains to this day the sworn enemy of the Jews. If they would have been able to traverse the land of Edom, it would have facilitated their entry into Israel.

The Jews, therefore, sent a message to the king of Edom saying: “Let us pass through your land; we will not pass through field or vineyard, and we will not drink the water of the well; on the King’s Road we will travel - we will never veer right or left - until we pass through your border”(Parshat Chukat 20:17). The Jews also pledged that if they partook of any water, they would pay for it (ibid. 19). The request was refused, and they were made to continue traveling eastward, turn north, and then enter Israel by crossing the Jordan River westward at the city of Jericho.

The request that the Jews made contained the phrase: “We will not drink the water of the well.” At first glance, they appeared to be saying that when passing through, they would not take water from the wells without paying for it. This interpretation, however, is belied by the fact that the Jews said that they would not drink of “the well” – one single well. Seemingly, if they were passing through a sizeable country, they would be drinking from many wells. What then is the meaning of this phrase?

The commentary of Rashi explains that the phrase ‘the well’ refers to something other than the wells of Edom. This event occurred at the end of the 40 year journey in the desert that had been decreed as a result of the sin of the spies. Throughout that period, the Jews were miraculously sustained by the Almighty. Their food came in the form of Manna that fell from heaven, and water was supplied by a well that traveled with them.

What the Jews said to the king of Edom was that even though we have Manna and the Well, we will nevertheless not eat and drink from them. Rather, we will purchase these necessities from you when we are passing through. Rashi continues that this offer was based on a principle of derech eretz. Even when a guest has his own provisions, he should nevertheless purchase them from the host as a way of conferring benefit upon that host. Despite the fact that the the Jews had their own miracle-laden supply of food and water, Derech eretz required that had they passed through the land of Edom, they would have to buy their supplies from the Edomites as a way of conferring benefit to their hosts.

This calls for closer examination. Had the Jews traversed Edom, two food choices would have been available to them. One was the Manna and water that came to them in an outright miracle of G-d. The other choice was to purchase food from Edom, the sworn enemy of the Jews. In fact, the Torah teaches that the nation of Amalek, a family within Edom will eventually be completely destroyed by the Almighty (See Targum on Parshat Beshalach 17:16).

Seemingly, any G-d-fearing Jew would see it as being infinitely more “religious” to eat from the food of Hashem’s open miracles than from the food of the evil Amalek. Yet, the Torah is teaching that in this situation, proper Torah observance entails following the precepts of respect. This means disregarding Hashem’s ‘miracle food’ and instead paying money to benefit the evil Amalek and then partake of his food.

This demonstrates the extreme degree of importance the Torah attaches to acting respectfully - with derech eretz.

It should also be pointed out that in this case of Parshat Chukat, there was extremely valid justification for ignoring the niceties of respect. Their alternative was to ‘religiously’ partake of The Almighty’s Manna and water. Yet, the possibly distasteful duty to respect Amalek by benefiting him through food purchases and consumption was deemed a higher priority by the Torah. In almost all ordinary human interactions though, there is no such rationalization available to NOT act with respect. If so, in everyday situations the call of the Torah to always act with the derech eretz is all the more incumbent upon people.