The Law of the Excluded Middle

I would like to thank the many readers of Torah Tidbits who conveyed their good wishes for my speedy recovery, their kind words about Torah Tidbits, and their feedback on last week’s lead tidbit. With G-d’s help, you have greatly helped on the emotional side of the trauma, as several good doctors and nurses plus much Silverol and many bandages have helped tremendously on the physical side of the trauma. All in all, Baruch HaShem, there is steady improvement. - PC

Have you ever noticed how many mishnayot in Pirkei Avot give you both sides of a coin, when we might think that one can be derived from the other without spelling things out? He whose deeds are greater than his wisdom... but he whose wisdom is greater... A dispute that is for the sake of heaven... but a dispute that is not for the sake of heaven... One who finds favor in the eyes of others... but he who does not find favor... Two who sit together and there is no Torah between them... but two who sit and there is Torah between them... And many others like these. In many of these cases, the mishna might be telling us that there is no comfortable, wishy-washy, fence-sitting position in between the two behaviors described. We must keep pedalling the bicycle of life – there is no coasting. If you don’t make forward progress, then you are falling behind. There is no standing still. He who honors the Torah (in which case he will be honored among people. If you don’t, then it is the same as disrespecting the Torah (with the consequences of that kind of behavior). You respect the Torah... or the opposite. There is no middle ground. 

[Remember, this is a possible understanding - not the final word on the subject.]

We are supposed to do mitzvot, and avoid doing Aveirot. But that’s not the whole story. Not doing mitzvot (when one has the opportunity) is not PARVE. It too is an Aveira of sorts. The reason we exist is to serve HaShem and do mitzvot. There is no middle ground. 

And the same can be said for the central mitzvot of Parshat Emor. “Preserve the Mitzot and do them - I Am G-d. And you shall not desecrate My holy name And you shall sanctify Me among Bnei Yisrael, I Am G-d Who sanctifies you.” Kiddush HaShem and Chilul HaShem are opposite sides of the same coin. There are halachic guide- lines for what constitutes the differnt aspects of Kiddush HaShem. And similarly, for the opposite. And one must take the many opportunities pre- sented to “do” a Kiddush HaShem. So too must one meticulously avoid ever desecrating his Name. 

But there’s more. The Law of the Excluded Middle suggests that if one does not constantly sanctify G-d’s Name, then he is doing the opposite. What’s involved is more than “doing” a Kiddush HaShem. One must BE a Kiddush HaShem. This includes learn- ing and teaching Torah, doing mitzvot and chessed, always behaving in a way that brings honor to G-d. This is what G-d wants of us. Can we do less?