As A Jew
4 min read
The Torah discusses the creation of the Sun and the Moon: “And God made the two great luminaries, the greater luminary to dominate the day and the lesser luminary to dominate the night…”1
The Torah refers to both the Sun and the Moon as ‘great luminaries’ but then immediately states that the Sun was the greater of the two. The Talmud2 explains: Originally, the Sun and the Moon were created equal in size, but the Moon complained to God that it is not possible for two Kings to use one crown, meaning that they should not be totally equal in size.3 The implication of the Moon’s argument was that it should be the bigger luminary. God agreed with the Moon’s argument, but instructed the Moon itself to become smaller, while the Sun remained in its original size.
This is obviously a deep Rabbinic teaching and it has many interpretations.4 The Daat Zekeinim MiBaalei HaTosefos has a fascination understanding of this piece of Talmud and connects it to another, seemingly totally unrelated piece of Talmud: The Talmud in Yoma discusses the admirable quality of a person who is insulted or spoken to in an unpleasant manner, and yet remains silent: “About the one who is insulted and does not insult back (hane’elavin v’eino olvin), who hear their degradation and do not respond, of them the verse5 says, ‘And those who love Him are comparable to the going out of the Sun in its strength’.6 The Talmud means that a person who does not answer back to his degradation will go from strength to strength in the same way that the Sun is when it shines brightly at the height of day.7 However, the Daat Zekeinim sees a further aspect in the comparison to the Sun. He explains that the Talmud is comparing such a person to the Sun because the Sun also faced degradation and remained quiet, as we do not see that the Sun replied to the Moon’s argument. As a reward for its silence, the Sun was the one that became the bigger luminary.8
An obvious question arises as to the comparison between the story with the Sun and the Moon and the greatness of one who doesn’t reply to insults. We do not see anywhere that the Moon insulted the Sun. Rather, the Moon simply made a valid argument that there should not be two equally great luminaries – there was no shouting, insulting or degrading in the Moon’s words. Instead, the Moon was implying that the Sun should be made smaller, and the Moon should remain in its original size, but that does not constitute an insult.
It must be that the Daat Zekeinim understood that when someone tries to cause his fellow to be belittled, undermined or reduced in status in some way, that is also included in the category of insults and degradation. Consequently, if the ‘victim’ of this attempt to belittle or undermine him remains silent and does not defend himself, then he is also included in the exalted category of one who does not reply to his degradation and receives incredible reward.
It seems that an extension of this quality of not responding to attempts to belittle a person, is that when a person appears to be treated or viewed in a way that is not consonant with his true status, he remains silent and allows himself to be subtly belittled even if it is not the deliberate intent of the other person to belittle him.
Each person encounters situations in their lives when they may feel belittled or undermined. Yet we learn from the Daat Zekeinim’s explanation of the account of the creation of the Sun and the Moon, that remaining silent can enable one to be on the exalted level of one who does not respond to degradation. And even if one does not stand up for his perceived honor, he can also perhaps merit a similar description.
