The Sinner: A (Very) Brief Biography

What does Judaism say about sinning? Is it a necessary evil? Or at least understandable? Is it normal? Does Judaism understand that normal, good people sometimes fail?

Let's talk about a fellow named Chaim. He wants to build himself a new house, so he gets a loan from the bank and hires a construction crew. When the house is complete, he looks at it and slaps his forehead in consternation. If he's already building, he should build in a source of income-he could add a second story, rent it out, and then use that money to pay the mortgage. It sounds perfect. So he goes back to the construction foreman and tells him to add a second story. The man tells him it is impossible, the foundation was built for only one story and can not support two. Chaim begs and pleads, offers to pay double. The contractor says, "Listen, technically, yes, I can do it, I can lay more bricks. But it simply doesn't feel honest to build something that I know can't stand. I'm sorry." So Chaim fires the contractor and looks for another. The next one comes, examines the building, and tells him he is sorry, but what he wants cannot be done. He hires another and another. All examine the foundation and tell him that the house simply can not support another story. Finally, he finds one contractor who says, sure, whatever you want, I'll do. What color bricks should I use, how high do you want the walls?

When the construction is complete, Chaim easily finds a tenant and moves in. At the end of the first month, he receives the rent check and sends it directly as a mortgage payment. He feels like a genius; he has outsmarted all those guys, and look how great it is! Second month comes around, and the third, and Chaim's smile grows broader, his chest a little wider. Foundation, shmoundation. He got himself a free house. Then, in middle of the fourth month, the entire house collapses.

What would you and I call Chaim, if we put it frankly? A fool. Yes, we can understand the temptation of wanting a rent check to cover the mortgage, we could even understand wanting it really badly. But any intelligent person also understands that you can't mess with the rules of reality. If somebody thinks he can outsmart the facts, then he is, simply, a fool.

We read in this week's Parshah, Naso, about a woman suspected of adultery, called an "isha sotah." Sotah shares the same root as the Hebrew word shtus, which means foolishness or insanity; because, as the Talmud says: "A person only sins if a spirit of folly enters him."

When G-d created the world, he created reality, and thus no one knows its rules better than Him. The Torah describes the way reality works, with the mitzvot our guidelines for how to work within it. We can try to outsmart it, thinking that we can slip some things by and nobody will notice. But then, as the Talmud says, we're a shotah, a fool. Because you can't outsmart reality.