Parshat Breishit

Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (aka Netziv) was one of the leading Lithuanian Rabbis of the 19^th century. Below are some thoughts from his introduction to his commentary on Sefer Bereishit (the book of Genesis).

Sefer Bereishit is also known as Sefer Hayashar, the book of the upright (see Talmud Tractate Avoda Zara 25a for examples). The 'upright' are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, central characters in Sefer Bereishit who are referred to as yesharim. Why are they specifically called yesharim rather than, say, tzadikim (righteous people)?

Netziv answers that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were certainly tzadikim and other good things. However, the trait which the Talmud wishes to emphasise is yesharim as they excelled in being upright in their dealings with other people.

Netziv contrasts this with the generation of the Second Temple. People of that generation were righteous and scholarly. However, they were not yesharim in the way they behaved towards each other. Because they committed the sin of sinat chinam (causeless hatred), the Temple was destroyed in their generation (see Talmud Tractate Yoma 9b).

Netziv writes that part of this sinat chinam was a failure to accept that others could be right. Individuals felt they had the right to denigrate anybody who did not comply with their own religious standards, even though the other persons' actions were permitted by Jewish law. This failure caused sinat chinam and ultimately led to the destruction of the Temple. This is a salutary lesson for our times.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are praised as yesharim as they were righteous and upright both in their relationship with G-d and in their relationship with other people, not denigrating those who acted acceptably but did not maintain the same religious standards as themselves.

As we read through the stories of Sefer Bereishit, we should think about the behavioural examples of the characters that we encounter and how we can apply their teachings in our own lives, so that we too can aim to become yesharim.