And you did what was right and good – morality?
The rabbi argued in dozens of places that “you did what was right and good in the sight of God.” This is a Torah instruction that we must act morally.
Perhaps if you read the three words, “And you shall do what is right and good,” this is the impression that is given, but it is clear from the context that this is not the intention – the entire chapter (Deuteronomy 6) is an encouragement of the Torah to keep the commandments, the previous verse, for example, is “Keep and keep the commandments of the Lord your God, his statutes.” The Torah repeats this in many formulations and styles, including “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord,” which is clear to any intelligent person that in this context the reference is to the commandments of the Torah (or at least to the will of the Lord as reflected in the Torah). There is also a similar expression in Deuteronomy 12, and there it is quite explicit – the Torah commands not to eat blood, and then: “You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you , because you will do what is right in the sight of the Lord ,” and several verses later (at the end of the commandments about blood) – “Keep and obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever , because you will do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord your God .” In the next chapter (Deuteronomy 13) the Torah commands about a remote city, this is the description of the Torah (I don’t think the Rabbi would define this as a very moral thing):
(16) You shall smite the inhabitants of that city with the sword of the uttermost part, you and all that is therein, and the beasts thereof with the sword: (17) And you shall gather all the spoil thereof into the midst of the open field, and burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof, utterly unto the LORD your God: and it shall be a heap for ever, never to be built again: (18) And there shall none of the devoted thing cleave unto your hand: that the LORD may turn from his fierce anger, and have mercy upon you, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as he swore unto your fathers: (19) If you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all his commandments which I command you this day. To do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.:
There are many other places in the Torah and the Bible where this is also explained, and there is no need to elaborate. [See, for example: Leviticus 10:19; Exodus 15:22; and also Jeremiah 24:6]. Not only is there not a shred of evidence in the Rabbi’s words that this is a command to act morally, but it is unequivocally clear that this is about the will of God as it is simply reflected in the Torah.
The rabbi is known as a person with quite good analytical skills. How could you understand the verse as a moral teaching?
The Ramban and the Maggid Mishnah also had good analytical skills, and they interpreted it this way. The Amoraim also had good analytical skills, and they also understood the verse this way (search all Chazal sources and you will see that this is the meaning. For example, in Dina, the story of Mitzra and the example of Sodom). So even my little self allows myself to join them and grasp the hem of their robes.
The context does not say much in this matter, as there are quite a few places in the Torah where a teaching is not related to its surroundings. There are places where the Talmud explicitly says this: a mixture of passages is mentioned here.
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