Wild Beasts Come Upon The World For Swearing Falsely And Profaning The Divine Name. Exile Comes To The World For Idolatry, For Prohibited Sexual Relations, For Murder, And For Not Leaving The Earth At Rest During The Sabbatical Year.
At Four Periods [Within The Seven-Year Agricultural Cycle] Pestilence Increases: In The Fourth Year, In The Seventh Year, In The Year Following The Sabbatical Year, And Annually At The Conclusion Of The Festival Of Sukkos.
In The Fourth Year For Not Having Given The Tithe For The Poor In The Third. In The Seventh Year For Not Having Given The Tithe For The Poor In The Sixth. In The Year Following The Sabbatical Year For [Not Observing The Laws Pertaining To] The Produce Of The Sabbatical Year. Annually, At The Conclusion Of The Festival Of Sukkos For Robbing The Poor Of Their [Harvest] Gifts.[44]
This teaches us that exile runs contrary to the very nature of the world. Were these four sins not to be committed - even if other transgressions were, heaven forbid - there would be no exile. Although the natural order of the world requires that G-dliness be concealed to a certain extent, the deeper hiddenness brought about by exile is unnatural.
Since exile runs contrary to nature, one may ask: Why did G-d give man the potential to bring about exile?[45] The answer reflects G-d's kindness. G-d desired that man reach a level of connection with Him that surpasses the limits of creation - an "unnatural" bond as it were. This will be realized in the Era of the Redemption. Moreover, in His kindness, G-d desired that man attain this level through his own efforts. For this to be possible, He employed a catalyst, exile. For exile also runs contrary to the natural order, but can be brought about by man's conduct.
(Sichos Shabbos Parshas Balak, 5744)
Since, as is frequently mentioned,
Pirkei Avos teaches
mili dechassidusa, pious behavior beyond the measure of the law, of what importance is the mention of these four sins? Even people who are not overly pious do not commit them.
The answer lies in the homiletic interpretation of these four transgressions. When mentioning idol worship, the mishnah does not refer merely to one who bows to a statue. The intent is to indicate anyone who even conceives of the existence of a power other than G-d. This, unfortunately, is a fault found in many. Is it not natural for a person to think, "It was my strength and the power of my hand which brought me this prosperity"?[46] And do not people make idols out of wisdom or achievement?
With regard to sexual impropriety, even a person who would never consider performing such acts may from time to time relax his standards of modesty. And with regard to murder, our Sages[47] equate embarrassing a person in public with homicide.
Similarly, with regard to the observance of the Sabbatical year, in addition to the implied geographic conception of Eretz Yisrael, there is also a spiritual conception, the reaffirmation of G-d's creation,[48] and the observance of the Sabbatical year in this context is relevant to all Jews, wherever and whenever they live.[49]
(Ibid.)
Notes:
- (Back to text) Vayikra 19:9-10; 23:22. Devarim 24:19-22.
- (Back to text) This question is based on the premise that exile comes because G-d gave man free choice, and man chose to commit these four severe sins. Nevertheless, since exile runs contrary to the nature of the world, one might ask why the ability to unleash such a catastrophe was given to man.
- (Back to text) Devarim 8:17.
- (Back to text) Bava Metzia 58b.
- (Back to text) See Sefer HaChinuch, mitzvah 84.
- (Back to text) The severity of the violation of the Sabbatical laws is reflected by the fact that they are grouped together with these three sins - sins so severe that, in contrast to all other sins mentioned in the Torah, if forced to choose between death and committing them, one should choose death (Sanhedrin 74a).
Chapter Five - Mishna 8