wicked are dead and righteous are alive
Torah Study this week ended with a quote regarding wicked vs righteous - further research traced it to Rashi - Berachot 18 (spelled differently in different places)
http://www.yhol.org.il
Rashi adds another interpretation: The wicked during their lifetime are considered as dead and are designated “dead”. The righteous on the other hand, are called “living” even after they die. There is proof from a verse in II Shmuel: “Benayahu son of Yehoyada was the son of a living man” (23: 20). His father was called a living man though he had died. (cf. Brachot 18a-b).
While this was quoted in Torah study in relation to capital punishment - the quote I found was related to Honoring ones Parent. It was a question regarding Abraham and his father.
These two interpretations should be seen as reflecting one idea. The obligation to honor your father exists as long as he lives. Terach, since he was a wicked person, is considered to have died even while alive, and therefore, Avraham is not obliged to honor him.
The verse should be understood as follows (Rashi’s interpretation): It was made clear to the world at large that Terach had died and that Avraham did not owe him any honor. This released Avraham both from any obligation he might have thought he had, and solved his particular problem of giving the impression that he was not concerned about his father’s honor.
I found it again at http://www.hgss.org.uk/
The Gemara in Berachot tells us cryptically that the righteous are alive even when dead and conversely, the wicked are dead even when alive. The Gemara can be understood perfectly using the approach of R. Sorotzkin. Someone whose life is not contributing to the world may be physically alive but in Torah terms he is very much dead, while the imprint that a righteous person leaves on the world continues long after he or she has passed on.
Again the commentary related mainly to Abraham and Sarah but emphasizing that they are still alive and with us. This does give us encouragement to remember and honor them and others from our past.
And again I saw reference to this in relation to the story of Noah (Noach)
And torah.org relates it to nourishment and studying Torah.
Amazing how one interpretation can be spread to enhance the meaning of so many different situations in the Torah and beyond.
Part of this statement brings a lot of comfort to remember those wonderful good people who are no longer with us and yet they are still alive within us.
The part about wicked being dead is a bit more difficult because the wicked cause physical and emotional harm to our community and their memories haunt us like bad dreams even after they are no longer among us.
Can it be that we can learn from the wicked as well as the righteous?
This is a very perplexing quote to end a discussion.
http://www.yhol.org.il
Rashi adds another interpretation: The wicked during their lifetime are considered as dead and are designated “dead”. The righteous on the other hand, are called “living” even after they die. There is proof from a verse in II Shmuel: “Benayahu son of Yehoyada was the son of a living man” (23: 20). His father was called a living man though he had died. (cf. Brachot 18a-b).
While this was quoted in Torah study in relation to capital punishment - the quote I found was related to Honoring ones Parent. It was a question regarding Abraham and his father.
These two interpretations should be seen as reflecting one idea. The obligation to honor your father exists as long as he lives. Terach, since he was a wicked person, is considered to have died even while alive, and therefore, Avraham is not obliged to honor him.
The verse should be understood as follows (Rashi’s interpretation): It was made clear to the world at large that Terach had died and that Avraham did not owe him any honor. This released Avraham both from any obligation he might have thought he had, and solved his particular problem of giving the impression that he was not concerned about his father’s honor.
I found it again at http://www.hgss.org.uk/
The Gemara in Berachot tells us cryptically that the righteous are alive even when dead and conversely, the wicked are dead even when alive. The Gemara can be understood perfectly using the approach of R. Sorotzkin. Someone whose life is not contributing to the world may be physically alive but in Torah terms he is very much dead, while the imprint that a righteous person leaves on the world continues long after he or she has passed on.
Again the commentary related mainly to Abraham and Sarah but emphasizing that they are still alive and with us. This does give us encouragement to remember and honor them and others from our past.
And again I saw reference to this in relation to the story of Noah (Noach)
And torah.org relates it to nourishment and studying Torah.
Amazing how one interpretation can be spread to enhance the meaning of so many different situations in the Torah and beyond.
Part of this statement brings a lot of comfort to remember those wonderful good people who are no longer with us and yet they are still alive within us.
The part about wicked being dead is a bit more difficult because the wicked cause physical and emotional harm to our community and their memories haunt us like bad dreams even after they are no longer among us.
Can it be that we can learn from the wicked as well as the righteous?
This is a very perplexing quote to end a discussion.
posted by Chavarah @ 11:53 AM
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