What holds a nation together? Is it military might? Economic prowess? Or something more… intangible? Midrash Tehillim 12, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Psalms, wrestles with this very question, painting a vivid picture of a society struggling with its own moral compass.
The text begins with a plea, "Save us, O Lord, for we are godly," echoing (Micah 7:2). But is it a genuine cry, or just empty words? The story then introduces Andreas Shechik Tamia, who asks a fundamental question: on what merit does this nation stand? The answer comes quickly: pious men, righteous men, and men who toil in Torah. But almost immediately, a decree is issued to suppress Torah study. Why? Because the very qualities that supposedly sustain the nation are under threat.
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) illustrates this with a story of a pious man who finds a lost box of coins and returns it. Seems straightforward. But instead of gratitude, he faces suspicion and a curse. Why? Because his honesty is so unexpected, so out of sync with the prevailing culture, that it's seen as suspicious. "Faith had departed from men," the text laments. This isn't just about a lost box of coins; it's about a loss of trust, a decay of the moral fabric holding society together.
Rabbi Pinchas offers a glimmer of hope, saying, "Men may fail, but the angels do not fail." But what are these men actually doing? Speaking evil of one another. Ouch.
The Midrash then pivots to a tale of villagers and salt. Sounds simple, but stay with me. A group plans to buy salt to sell, but their leader, driven by greed, secretly goes ahead to corner the market. His rationale? If they all go together, the price will drop! This story, the Midrash tells us, illustrates the verse from (Jeremiah 9:7), "In vain do they talk to one another." Their words are empty, driven by selfish motives. There's no collaboration, no community, just individual gain at the expense of others.
And it gets even more personal. We hear a story about Rabbi Yonatan, who had lentils for sale. A relative asks for some, and Rabbi Yonatan promises him a good price. But then, Rabbi Yonatan, driven by the market price, sells lentils to someone else at a higher price, then sells it to his relative at the market price and justifies it. It seems that even learned men are subject to the temptation of greed, and the text is clear that this behavior goes against the values of honesty and integrity.
These seemingly simple stories, woven together, paint a portrait of a society where words have lost their meaning, where trust is eroded, and where self-interest trumps communal well-being. It's a stark warning about the dangers of hypocrisy and the importance of aligning our actions with our words.
The Midrash concludes by referencing the Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 58b, which teaches that some people speak with their lips, but their hearts do not agree. They say one thing and think another. So, what's the takeaway? Speak truthfully, with honesty, in both word and deed.
So, what does hold a nation together? According to this Midrash, it's not just grand pronouncements of piety or righteous deeds; it's the everyday acts of honesty, integrity, and genuine care for one another. It's about bridging the gap between what we say and what we do. It's about making sure our hearts and our words are in alignment. A challenge, perhaps, but one worth striving for, wouldn't you agree?
"May the conductor of the eighth be saved. Save us, O Lord, for we are godly; may the prophecy in Micah 7:2 be fulfilled. Andreas Shechik Tamia asked on what merit this nation stands. They said to him that it has pious men, righteous men, and men who toil in the Torah. Immediately he decreed and cast anger upon the land, so that they should not engage in Torah study. Therefore, David said, "Save us, O Lord, for we are godly." There was a story about a pious man who found a box full of coins that had been lost, and brought it to her. When they brought it to her, they said to her, "He does not know what it is, so he brought it to you." She said to them, "It is all gold, from one end to the other, and you say he does not know what it is?" They said to her, "He will return your loss to you." She cursed him, and they decreed that he should go in and out without permission. They found people engaged in that profession, and the same pious man turned them away. When he died, they recited over him, "Save us, O Lord, for we are godly," for faith had departed from men. Rabbi Pinchas said, "Men may fail, but the angels do not fail." And what were men engaged in? They spoke evil of one another. There was a story in a city that had no salt at all, and there was one group of donkeys. They said, "We will go and bring salt and sell it until others come." They had a leader, and they went to him and said, "We will go." He said to them, "I have to plow today and tomorrow, but wait for me until I plow, and the day after tomorrow we will go together." They said to him, "Yes." In the morning, what did he do? He said to his wife, "If I tell you, give me the yoke, give me the jug, give me the bag." What did he do? He put the bag on the donkey's back..." The neighbors told them that he had already left since last night. When they heard this, they went on their way and found him returning. They asked him why he did that. He said to them, "Don't you know that if we all went together, the price would have gone down? Now that I have brought some alone, by the time you come to me, it will be sold at a high price, and when you sell it, it will be beautiful." Therefore, it is said, "In vain do they talk to one another" (Jeremiah 9:7). There is a story about Rabbi Yonatan, who had lentils at an expensive price, and a relative of his came to him and asked him for lentils. Rabbi Yonatan said he had some, and told his relative the price, promising to sell it to him whenever he came. After a few days, Rabbi Yonatan went to his relative's house and asked his wife where he was. She told him that he was waiting for him in the field but he hadn't come back yet. Rabbi Yonatan asked someone if there were any lentils around, and the man told him there were none. Rabbi Yonatan then asked the man for lentils and agreed to pay the price that he had previously told his relative. When the relative arrived and complained to Rabbi Yonatan about the high price he had paid, Rabbi Yonatan said to him, "Perhaps you first asked for lentils?" The relative replied that he had. Rabbi Yonatan said, "If you had asked for wheat first, they would have said, 'Do you want lentils now?' But since you asked for lentils, they said, 'Do you want wheat now?' Therefore, it is said, 'In vain do they talk to one another.'"In addition, the Talmud teaches that there are those who speak with their lips but their hearts do not agree. They speak one thing but think another. Therefore, it is important to speak truthfully and with honesty, both in word and deed. [References:Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 58b, Jeremiah 9:7 (Tanakh)
