The 15th chapter of Midrash Tehillim, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, offers a fascinating exploration of just that. It's not a simple checklist, but a weaving with the lives of our ancestors.
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) begins by unpacking Psalm 15, verse 2: "He who walks blamelessly and does righteousness and speaks truth in his heart." Each of these virtues, it suggests, is embodied by a different figure from our history.
"To be innocent," the text says, "this refers to Abraham," citing (Genesis 17:1), "Walk before Me and be innocent." Abraham, the father of our nation, whose very covenant with God rested on this foundation.
"And to do righteousness? This is Isaac," the son who willingly offered his life as a sacrifice. "whose actions were righteous and who gave his life for God."
And "to speak truth?" Well, that's Jacob, of course. As it says in (Micah 7:20), "You will give truth to Jacob, you will not lie to him." Truthfulness, a defining characteristic bestowed upon him by God.
But the Midrash doesn't stop there. It delves deeper, exploring more nuanced aspects of righteous behavior. Not speaking ill of one's neighbor is exemplified by Benjamin, who, though aware of his brothers' betrayal of Joseph, kept silent to spare his father the pain. Can you imagine that kind of restraint?
Then there's Joseph himself, who, despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, chose forgiveness over revenge. "He could have done evil to his brothers but did not," the text reminds us, "and did not bear disgrace for his relatives."
The Midrash continues, presenting Pinchas, Moses, David, Hezekiah, and Jehoshaphat. Each embodies a different facet of righteous living. Moses, disgusted by the humiliation of his people in Egypt, and preoccupied with the bones of Joseph, showed compassion and commitment. David honored those who feared God. Hezekiah despised what was disgusting in his eyes, even dragging his father's bones on a stretcher when he was wicked. Jehoshaphat, a king who revered wisdom so much that he honored wise disciples as his own teachers.
The text then turns to Boaz, who swore an oath to Ruth, ensuring her security. And then to Elisha and Elijah, whose unwavering commitment to God is highlighted by their declarations, "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand."
The Midrash even uses a story about Rabbi Akiva to illustrate the importance of ethical conduct in business. Just as the Torah distinguishes between permissible and forbidden foods (kashrut), it also delineates acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. He connects this idea to the story of Elijah, who refused to profit from providing for the prophets in hiding.
Finally, the Midrash circles back to Psalm 15, emphasizing that those who embody these virtues "shall never be moved." Rabbi Samuel initially struggled with this verse, until King Solomon explained that it refers to one who keeps the commandments and avoids wrongdoing even in difficult circumstances.
That Rabban Gamliel was brought to tears by this verse, overwhelmed by the difficulty of attaining such righteousness, while Rabbi Akiva found joy in it, seeing it as an encouragement to strive for greater spiritual heights.
What can we take away from all of this? Perhaps it's this: righteousness isn't a single act, but a lifelong journey. It's about striving to embody these virtues – innocence, righteousness, truth, compassion, and integrity – in every aspect of our lives, even when it's difficult. And even when we stumble, we can find encouragement in the stories of our ancestors and continue to strive towards a more righteous path.
Another thing is to be innocent. This refers to Abraham, as it is said (Genesis 17:1), "Walk before Me and be innocent." And to do righteousness. This is Isaac, whose actions were righteous and who gave his life for God. And to speak truth. This is Jacob, as it is said (Micah 7:20), "You will give truth to Jacob, you will not lie to him." And to not speak ill of one's neighbor. This is Benjamin, who knew of Joseph's sale and did not reveal it to his father, and did not do evil to his brother. And he did not bear disgrace for his relatives. This is Joseph, who could have done evil to his brothers but did not, and did not bear disgrace for his relatives. This is Pinchas, who was from the tribe of Levi and the son of a priest from the tribe of Shimon, and who stood up against evil and killed the offender. He was disgusted and disdained in his eyes. This is Moses, who despised the humiliation of his people in Egypt and was preoccupied with the bones of Joseph. And he honors those who fear God. This is David, as it is said (1 Samuel 30:26), "Here is a blessing for you." And he despises what is disgusting in his eyes. This is Hezekiah, King of Judah, who dragged his father's bones on a stretcher of ropes. And he honors those who fear God. This is Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, who, when he saw a wise disciple, stood up from his throne, hugged him, kissed him, and called him "my teacher, my teacher." He swore to do good. This is Boaz, who swore to his adversary (Ruth 3:13), "As the Lord lives, I will lay with you until morning." Another thing is Elisha son of Shaphat, as it is said (2 Kings 2:2), "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will not leave you." Another thing is Elijah, as it is said (1 Kings 17:1), "As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, if there is dew or rain these years." He did not take his money through dishonesty. Rabbi Akiva used to expound on the verse "these are the living creatures that you may eat" (Leviticus 11:2) and he would say that just as the Torah states that certain creatures are permitted to eat, so too it says that certain actions and behaviors are prohibited. This is based on the principle that the Torah uses similar language and concepts to teach us lessons and draw parallels between different areas of our lives. Another example of this principle is found in the verse "As the Lord lives, if there will be dew and rain in the next few years, I will not give you silver with interest" (1 Kings 17:1). This verse is connected to the story of Elijah the prophet, who hid the other prophets in a cave and provided them with food and drink. The verse emphasizes that Elijah did not take interest on the money he gave to support them. The verse "he who does these things shall never be moved" (Psalms 15:5) is also connected to the principle of similar language and concepts. Rabbi Samuel was unsure of what this meant until King Solomon explained that it refers to someone who keeps the commandments and avoids wrongdoing, even in difficult circumstances. Rabban Gamliel was moved to tears when he read this verse because he realized how difficult it is to achieve such a level of righteousness. However, Rabbi Akiva found joy in reading the same verse and others like it, because he understood that the Torah uses similar language and concepts to teach us important lessons and encourage us to strive for greater spiritual heights. Ultimately, the message is that we should strive to avoid all forms of wrongdoing and strive to keep the commandments in every aspect of our lives. Even if we fall short in one area, we can still strive to improve and follow the Torah's teachings to the best of our ability.
