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Should religion and real life mix? By Rabbi Elazar Meisels
A challenge for the modern, thinking faithful
My religious friends consult with their rabbis on any number of issues. I can understand why a rabbi is consulted on matters of Jewish law, but why do they turn to rabbis to discuss their personal issues? Don't get me wrong, I have met many, very wise rabbis, and have no problem asking any wise person for advice. But it seems that they would sooner turn to a rabbi than to wise friends or family members. Does the religion somehow say that a rabbi's advice has special value? Thank you,
Fred S.
Dear Fred:
Your question is one that I'm sure many of our readers have thought about, and I appreciate the opportunity to explain.
There is no doubt that in biblical times, a person faced with a vexing problem would go to a prophet and seek advice which was obtained through Divine inspiration. An example of this is the incident in which the Matriarch Rebecca sought the counsel of Shem and Eber to resolve her confusion over the unusual activity of her fetus. "And the children clashed within her; and she said: 'If this is so, why did I desire this?' And she went to inquire of the Lord." The foremost commentator, Rashi, explains that she went to the study-house of Shem and Eber to discuss the matter with them.
It is clear that this was a common practice in later generations as well, as the verse in the Book of Samuel [9:9] says, "In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of G-d, he would say thus: 'Come and let us go to the seer,' for he that is now called a prophet, was beforetime called a seer."
However, this practice of inquiring of a prophet came to a halt with the destruction of the First Temple, but as the Talmud notes, it didn't cease entirely.
"Rav Avdimi of Chaifa said, 'From the day that the Holy Temple was destroyed, prophecy was taken from the prophets and given to the wise men.' Are wise men not prophets? This is what was intended by that statement, 'Although it was taken from the prophets, it was not also removed from the wise men.'" (Tractate Bava Basra 12a)
Rabbi Moshe Sofer, also known as the Chasam Sofer ,explains this to mean that although G-d no longer endowed prophets with clear Divine inspiration to convey His words and message, wise men are nonetheless still endowed with special insight to accurately perceive His will at times and use that to guide others.
This is part of what lies behind the tendency to discuss matters with a wise scholar, although not necessarily do all ordained rabbis meet this criteria. It is not a product of ordination per se, so much as it is a product of great scholarship, piety, and common sense.
However, there are other reasons as well, for this practice, a few of which I'll mention here.
1. Experience: A seasoned rabbi has dealt with numerous people in a wide variety of life situations, and as a result has a wealth of experience. Even if he himself is unsuited for the difficult task of counseling, a rabbi is often familiar with counselors who have proven themselves capable of meeting the unique needs of the Jewish community.
2. Objectivity: When seeking advice, one of the most important qualifications to seek in an advisor is objectivity. In fact, the Torah specifically prohibits one from offering advice that is not in the best interests of the one seeking it and refers to one who engages in such practice as a "devious evil-doer." A qualified rabbi, trained to distinguish between biased and unbiased opinions, is not the only source, but certainly a worthy source of objective opinions.
3. Truth: The study of Torah and specifically Talmudic law is essentially an exercise in thinking through issues on the deepest levels imaginable, in order to arrive at a logical and truthful conclusion. Even seemingly compelling and logical solutions are discarded in the face of the slightest challenge. This rigorous pursuit of the truth renders the rabbi an excellent advisor as he possesses the ability to help the advice-seeker separate fact from fiction.
4. Divine Assistance: Although rabbis are not prophets and cannot predict the future, it is traditionally believed that those who accept upon themselves the mantel of communal responsibility are recipients of an extra measure of Divine assistance which renders them capable of offering Divinely inspired advice. Of course, not all communal leaders are equally endowed with this inspiration, nor are their words foolproof by any means.
As a general rule, it is important to note that when seeking advice, one isn't merely choosing to discard his natural ability to rationalize and contemplate the situation. Rather, only after considering the matter at length and narrowing it down to its essential components, should advice be sought. Even then, it is crucial to ensure that the issue is well-presented to the rabbi to increase the likelihood of receiving sound and practical advice.
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Rabbi Elazar Meisels is founder of the Lidrosh Institute for Jewish Education. He serves as the Rabbi of The Michigan State University Hillel and Educational Director of The Partners In Torah Telepartners Division.
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