To see the sight of the sota is a dramatic, frightening but also inspiring sight to see. An open miracle demonstrating the veracity of the torah and also the justice of Hashem, one who was fortunate to witness such an event most certainly would walk away in a state of awe. After the Torah discusses the subject of the sota, the Torah then discusses the subject of the nazir who would take upon himself to abstain from wine. The Gemara (Sota 2a) raises the question as to why the chapter of this nazir comes immediately after the chapter of sota. The Gemara explains that it’s meant to teach us that anyone who sees what happens to the sota should take upon himself to abstain from wine, since wine is the product that can lead to the incident of sota.
It’s apparent from the Gemara that abstaining from wine as a precautionary measure not to potentially come to transgression is a commendable practice. Not only that, but the Gemara specifically singles out someone who witnessed what happened to the sota to abstain from wine. We can ask, however, why is only such a person singled out? If abstaining from wine is a lauded practice, shouldn’t everyone—including those who may not have witnessed what happened to the sota—attempt to abstain from wine? Why specifically should the witnesser of such an event be expected to take on such a practice?
The Chofetz Chaim relates a parable that can perhaps explain our question above: A king hired two carpenters to build furniture for his new palace. He gave one carpenter a thousand golden coins and told him to buy wood and materials for closets, tables, chairs, etc. To the other carpenter the king gave a hundred gold coins, and asked him to do a smaller job, just to build a small dresser. The king set a date when he would come to see their progress. The carpenters were so excited to have money in their hands that they took advantage of the moment, spending it on vacationing and having a good time, totally forgetting about their obligations. As the day of the king’s inspection approached, they suddenly remembered their obligations and realized that they had to do at least something so the king should see some progress. But by now, one of them had only two hundred gold coins, while the other only had sixty. The carpenter with the two hundred gold coins said to his friend, “You’re in great trouble, because you only have sixty gold coins. I, at least, have two hundred.” The other carpenter corrected him, “No, you are the one who has a serious problem. I have sixty gold coins, which means I squandered forty of the king’s coins. But you wasted eight hundred gold coins! Your crime is far more severe.”
Rav Elimelech Biderman says that we learn from this parable the following: Everyone was given different intellectual abilities. Some have sharper minds, some have better memories, etc., and Hashem wants everyone to do the best they can, with the faculties they were given. The way to measure people isn’t by who knows more Torah, because there may be someone who knows more Torah but is very far from reaching his potential, while another person, who knows less, is closer to the mark that Hashem expects from him. For example, if a wise person knows two tractates of Gemara, but due to his intellectual abilities he should have known the entire Shas with Rishonim, he is guilty of wasting time. A person who knows less Torah may actually be in a better position and closer to the mark that Hashem set for him. The person with the two hundred gold coins may have had more coins indeed, but ultimately he will be taken in more to task, whereas the one who had sixty – although had less – didn’t squander as much relative to his friend. So too, someone who was given more potential and only reaches 20 percent, can be held more responsible than one who has less potential and only reached ten percent of it. Essentially, one who has more potential is expected to to strive greater and greater even though he may have already surpassed the masses.
This can perhaps answer our question above. The person who witnessed the sota became a totally different person after viewing such an event. The firsthand experience of such an enormous event raised his potential, for his awareness of Hashem has certainly been expanded. Therefore, it’s perhaps specifically such a person who now is expected to take upon himself to strive for even greater heights by abstaining from wine. However, a person who didn’t see such an event and whose potential is therefore not as great as the witnesser in this regard, he perhaps is not expected to reach for such a level.
Sometimes, when we experience and do great things and feel spiritually elevated, we can feel that we are greater than others. One way to overcome such a notion is to redirect the thought to ourselves and ask ourselves that if indeed we have reached such a high level, then that means we need to reach even higher levels since now we have realized and discovered a newfound potential within. While such times are times to celebrate our accomplishments, it also can be a time to take upon ourselves to strive for even more since now that is what may be expected of us.
Binyamin Benji is a graduate of Yeshivat Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan and Wurzweiler School of Social Work. He can be reached at [email protected].
