Lifelong Goal

The Chofetz Chaim, though, raised a glaring issue. Why didn’t the Malach HaMaves simply fulfill his mission while Rav Chisda was eating or sleeping? Rav Chisda was not an angel and surely had to spend time tending to these basic human needs; yet, apparently, that was not an option for the Malach HaMaves. The Chofetz Chaim explained that Rav Chisda lived an exalted life—the purpose of his entire life was to serve Hashem. Even Rav Chisda’s mundane actions were in reality mitzvos. Rav Chisda followed the instructions of the Rambam (third perek in Hilchos De’os):

“When involved in business dealings or while working for a wage, he should not think solely of gathering money. Rather, he should do these things so that he will be able to obtain that which the body needs—food, drink, a home, and a wife.

“Similarly, when he eats, drinks . . . he should take care to eat and drink only in order to be healthy in body and limb.

“Thus, whoever walks in such a path all his days will be serving G-d constantly; even in the midst of his business dealings . . . for his intent in all matters is to fulfill his needs so that his body be whole to serve G-d. Even when he sleeps, if he retires with the intention that his mind and body rest, lest he take ill and be unable to serve G-d because he is sick, then his sleep is service to the Omnipresent, blessed be He.”

Thus the Malach HaMaves could not attack Rav Chisda even while he was eating and sleeping. We learn a similar lesson from a discourse of Rebbe Akiva. The Midrash tells us that Rebbe Akiva was once sitting with his students when he noticed that they were falling asleep. He decided to wake them by changing the subject. “Why is it,” he asked, “that Queen Esther merited ruling over 127 countries?”

He went on to explain that this was in the merit of Sarah Imeinu. Sarah had lived for 127 years and her granddaughter ruled over 127 countries. Hearing this, the talmidim stopped dozing off. The Chiddushei HaRim asks why Rebbe Akiva picked this piece of Aggadata instead of a lesson from any other topic. Furthermore, what is the connection between Sarah living 127 years and Esther ruling over 127 countries? Apparently, for every year of Sarah Imeinu’s service to Hashem, she merited as a reward that her descendant ruled over another country. However, did Sarah Imeinu really serve Hashem for 127 years? Didn’t she spend at least a quarter of her life eating and sleeping? It is evident that Hashem counts the time that the she ate and slept also as Divine service. Sara Imeinu’s life was elevated such that all her mundane pursuits were considered mitzvos.

Rebbe Akiva was subtly delivering a message to his students: “Sarah Imeinu slept to be able to fulfill the will of her Creator. However, you students who are sleeping during class are certainly not fulfilling the will of your Creator! Such sleep is not a mitzvah.”

Although this concept of viewing all of life’s endeavors as being part of Divine service might seem too esoteric for many, it still deserves mentioning. The Torah discusses the tragic case of the ben sorer u’moreh. This gluttonous child is condemned to death. Although the Gemara opines that there never was an actual instance of this law, the Torah wanted us to learn life lessons from it. The Ramban says that the biblical ben sorer u’moreh transgressed two commandments. The first one is “You shall be holy” and the second is “And to cleave to Him.”

The import of these two mitzvos is to live all of one’s life in accordance with holy ideals. This thieving and gluttonous child failed to do so. He is condemned to death now, before he progresses to much more serious sins such as murder.

The problem is that most of us—if not all of us—have the same failings. We fail to live every second of life as if it were service of Hashem. So what is exceptional about the ben sorer u’moreh? Rav Henoch Leibowitz, zt’l, explained that all of us know these holy concepts and at least on some level have a goal of reaching that lofty ideal someday. The ben sorer u’moreh has no such goal. He is happy to live life with his only goal of fulfilling his desire for earthly pleasures.

The consequences of that approach can be devastating. It can even lead to murder. The rest of us should at least have the lofty goal of dedicating all of our actions for the sake of Hashem. Regardless of whether or not we reach that goal, just the yearning itself can have a powerful effect on our lives.