Rav Shlomo Ganzfried writes in the opening to his first
chapter in the Code of Jewish Law which he authored – Kitzur Shulchan Arukh:
"I place God before me always" – this is a major principle in the
Torah and of the qualities of the righteous that walk before God.
The sentiment
expressed by Rav Ganzfried in this remark is not original to him (an
observation which holds true for most of the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, being
that it is anthologized from other, earlier sources, as evidenced in part by
its very name – "Kitzur" means abridged), but originates in this
wording in the inserted comments of Rav Moshe Isserles (Rema) to the Shulchan
Arukh (1:1).
What does it
mean to walk before God? There are two possible interpretations of this phrase.
“To walk before God” could mean to pass before him and the phrase could then be
understood as a parallel to that which is recorded in the Mishnah (Rosh
HaShanah 1:2), “On Rosh HaShanah, all the people of the world pass
before Him…” Applying this interpretation to Rema’s words would yield the idea
that the righteous of which we speak are those who are always conscious of the
fact that they are “walking before God,” that they are being observed by Him,
even scrutinized by God. If we adopt this interpretation, then the verse “I
place God before me always” is not an additional element in the lives of these
righteous people, it is rather a defining element in the lives of these
individuals; it is what makes them righteous ones that “walk before God.” The
context of this first paragraph would support such an interpretation as it
speaks of maintaining an awareness of being in God’s presence – “God is
standing over him and observing his behaviors.”
Alternatively,
the phrase could also mean to walk in front of, to lead the way, to blaze the
trail. In this interpretation, the idea of walking before God does not include
the concept of maintaining an awareness of God’s presence and the idea of being
inspected all the time. Instead it focuses on the independence asserted by
these individuals to forge ahead in their service of God. In this instance, “I
place God before me always” would add an element into the lives of these
righteous people – the element of maintaining an awareness of God at all times.
Of the two
theories presented, personally I prefer the second interpretation over the
first and not just because it is more inclusive. To elaborate:
While all of
humanity is meant to partner with God in perfecting the world,[1]
only the most righteous are given the divine freedom to take the initiative.[2]
There are some amongst the righteous who are trusted by God to walk the right
path and so He allows them to go to the forefront; He gives them a free hand
because He knows they will do what is right. Compare this idea to that
expressed in the Midrash Tanchuma (Noach 5) and by Rashi (Bereishit
6:9, s.v. et).
It is not our
purpose now to present a measure whereby we can determine who amongst us ranks
as such a righteous individual. It is not clear to me that it would even be
possible to prepare such a test. It may be that each person who achieves this
status will, if he or she is honest with themselves, know it instinctively. It
may be that the rest of us will recognize such a person if we open our eyes and
look carefully. That matters less for us right now than the message Rema
imparts to us in these words.
It seems to me
that Rema would like to tell us that even such righteous people, or especially
such righteous people, who walk and blaze a path before God, need to actively put
God at the forefront of their thoughts at all times. They are the ones who need
to think on God constantly. If they do not do so, if they allow God to "fall
back," to remain behind, they run the risk of becoming self-absorbed in
themselves and their own personal pursuits. The end result may be that after years
of trail-blazing they will turn around and see that God is no longer behind
them. God has long since stopped being behind them. What may have started out
as a way to serve God and to glorify Him in His world, has shifted over the
course of time. Yes, on the surface of things, they still speak the language,
they still speak of serving God, of studying Torah, of performing mitzvot, but
inside their thoughts are to expand their own influence. Inside, their thoughts
are to expand their own business and franchise. Inside, their thoughts are of
power, greed, or personal pleasure.
This is the
threat that the Evil Urge poses to the righteous. This is why they must
actively allow for God to have a firm presence in their lives even though He
has allowed them to take the lead. This is why this is a major principle in the
Torah and specifically of the qualities of the righteous that walk before God.
The Rema’s
message is directed at the rest of us too. Perhaps, in these few words, Rema
has provided us with the test I have spoken of before. It seems to me that Rema
is suggesting that when we look at our religious and spiritual leaders we need
to look a little beyond them also to see if God is there. It is incumbent upon
us to ask about where their interests lie, to investigate what truly prompts
them, to determine what motivates them. And as it is incumbent upon the
individual, the leader, to constantly strive to have God at the forefront of
his thoughts, so too must we constantly look to see if God is still behind that
individual. This is no easy task, and the questions raised are not easily
answered, but perhaps just by asking them we will receive some of the
information which we seek.
As a final
thought on this matter, it ought to be needless to say, but too many incidents
have occurred over the last number of decades where rabbis, spiritual leaders,
and community leaders have strayed from a proper course and have caused others
to be hurt. It is essential for every person to keep their wits about them and
to keep their eyes open. We as a people are not to follow our leaders blind but
are to scrutinize them at all times for thus is the age in which we live. And
so we have arrived at the following midrashic comment concerning the opening
verse of the Book of Rut – “And it was in the days of the judging of the
judges” –
Woe to the generation that judged its judges.
Not sufficing with that, though, the Midrash continues:
Woe to the generation whose judges need to be judged.
[1] The
concept of humanity partnering with God is developed in various sources: Midrash
Tanchuma, Tazria 5; Sefer HaChinukh 2 (Circumcision); Rav Yehudah
Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1905), Sefat Emet, Vayak’hel 5637; Rav Avraham
Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (1865-1935), Orot HaKodesh 2, p. 495 (#14), http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=37070&st=%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%9D&pgnum=189&hilite=39f1cfef-9c1c-4cf1-91bd-43240ab2b5d8.
[2] One may
suggest as an example of this that the one who designed to codify the Oral Law
was such a righteous individual, or closer to our own day and age, the one who
founded the chasidic movement.
