There are different ways to toil. From ShemaYisroel.co.il, on this weeks parsha:
The Ha'amek Davar adds an additional dimension to the concept of 'Am Segulah'. Before Matan Torah, he explains, anyone was able to serve G-d, each in his own individual way. But once the Torah was given, this changed. There are many gentiles who are ready to become servants of Hashem, he explains. It is no longer possible to achieve this however, unless one converts to Judaism and accept the entire Torah. Which is what the Torah means when it concludes "because the whole world belongs to Me". Even though all the nations belong to Hashem, the Pasuk is saying, there is only one treasury - Yisrael, and there is no way of becoming treasured by Him, other than via that treasury.
The avodah chazal talk about, of course, is avodas hashem.
In other news, I did dance and sing yesterday. Have a good shabbos everybody!
2 comments:
Um, firstly as a help please include citations to your quotes. It sounds like the first quote is the "Anu ratzim ve'hem ratzim" but, slightly off. I am guessing it has a similar thrust though.
Chazal have many different ideas of avodah. To construct a one-to-one with avodah and avodat Hashem is a bit simplistic, to my mind. Besides, my point was the different emphesis of toil; irony, if you will (ya know what that is, boy?). If you did not understand it the first time, chances are you won't pick it up on the second either.
I can't believe you linked to the Shema Yisroel Torah Network on the blog! The Emek HaDavar quoted is slightly problematic in its own right, and that elitist banter is not attractive at all. I do not understand how it is relevant to the raysha at all. Finally halacha le'maise we don't actuall hold like that. We encourage people to become gerei toshav and not accept the taryag. You have had a hard week, I understand.
Finally (talking about elitist) check this out. It's (almost) all true. I wanted to click every choice. How sad. Who can choose, art or books? Life is tough.
i refrained from correcting this before, but since it's been specifically referenced, "ha-melacha" is merubah, not "ha-avodah." while i'm already being obnoxious (which I am really only doing b/c mimsquotes disrupt the heavenly spheres...), isn't it "Asher asah _lecha_ amalek.?"
in some ways, actually, melacha may be more like the arbeit in quetion than avodah. but again, it can be heaven-directed - with shabbos. shabbos-less melacha is destructive. funilly enough, this was what rav goldvicht talked about yesterday. perhaps more on that when i'm not at work...
Post a Comment