4:35 PM
Gil Student
R. Aharon Lichtenstein on how to relate to the apparent sins of our great forefathers:
However, although we cannot deny these sins, we must view them in light of Chazal’s overall attitude toward these personalities. Generally, Chazal and the Rishonim relate to Moshe with obvious reverence... Chazal exhibit the same respect and reverence for other gedolei Yisrael, as well, depicting them as giants of character and deed.
We must relate to these gedolim in the same manner as Chazal. Just as we have a tradition of Halakha, so too do we have a tradition regarding these matters. Just as we do not deviate even one iotafrom Chazal’s specifications regarding the four species on Sukkot, for example, so we may never stray from their approach towards the personality of King David. We must view Moshe, David and others as giants in the full sense of the term.
However, we cannot relate to them as superhuman beings, bereft of any emotion or human experience... Were Avraham not to have had any human emotions or drives, and would thus have taken his son to be sacrificed just as one would an animal, then akeidat Yitzchak would not have constituted as monumental a display of faith and religious resolve as it did; it would have lost its significance.
Thus, we cannot overlook the sins of several of gedolei Yisrael, but we must view them in the broader context of Chazal’s overall attitude towards these exceptional personalities. These are giants who sinned, but whose sins do not diminish their greatness.
Today, there are many people disloyal to the tradition of Chazal who focus only on the sins of gedolei Yisrael, rather than on their greatness. Therefore, specifically in our day and age, we must be sure not to take these sins out of their appropriate context, and must rather relate to our Biblical heroes in light of the attitude of Chazal and the Rishonim toward them.
