Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating collection of early Jewish stories and interpretations, grapples with just that. Chapter 54 gives us some intriguing food for thought. It's a chance to really think about what constitutes true kindness and how we relate to the Divine.
Rabbi Meir starts us off with a pretty straightforward idea: "If a doctor visits someone bitten by a serpent and cures him, goodness is certainly shown." Seems obvious. Someone's in trouble, a doctor helps, good deed done. But is it really that exceptional?
Then Rabbi José chimes in, and things get more interesting. He uses the analogy of hiring a worker. "If a man hires a zealous workman and pays him his wages in full when he's discharged, what favor is he really doing?" In other words, the worker earned it! It's an obligation, not necessarily an act of remarkable generosity.
But then Rabbi José flips the script: "If he hires a lazy workman and still gives him his wages in full when he discharges him, verily he is giving him a real favor." Now we're talking! That's going above and beyond. It's unexpected kindness, a true gift.
So what's the connection to the Divine? Well, the text continues with Solomon speaking before the Holy One, blessed be He. Solomon says, "Sovereign of all the worlds! Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were zealous workmen. You gave them wages in full, of their own earnings You did give them." The patriarchs, those foundational figures of our faith, were diligent and righteous. God rewarded them fittingly. But Solomon continues, "But we are lazy workmen, and when You will give us our wages in full, and will heal us; verily, everyone will praise You and bless You."
The implication is powerful. We, unlike the patriarchs, are imperfect. We fall short. We’re the “lazy workmen.” And yet, if God, in His infinite mercy, still provides for us, if He heals us and gives us what we need despite our shortcomings, then that is an act of incredible grace. That’s when true praise and gratitude become truly meaningful.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Is our relationship with the Divine about earning rewards through perfect behavior? Or is it about recognizing the overwhelming kindness and mercy that we receive, even when we don't deserve it? Maybe true goodness isn't just about doing what's expected, but about exceeding expectations, especially when extending compassion to those who need it most, as God does for us. What does it look like to be a “lazy workman” who still receives grace? And how does that change how we view our obligations to others?