Rabbis have long spoken about building a fence around the Torah, which is the Jewish Law, encompassed in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. As Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, who at the time was Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, writes in his commentary to Pirke Aboth ("The Sayings of the Fathers"):
Surround it (Torah) with cautionary rules that shall, like a danger signal, halt a man before he gets within breaking distance of the Divine statute itself. On the Sabbath, for example, even the handling of work-tools is forbidden. [1]
Rabbinic thought proceeds from the desire to codify proper behavior in all aspects of religious life; it is the mirror-opposite of liberal Protestant thought, which proceeds from central principles (e.g., "Love thy neighbor") but allows maximum flexibility in the application of each principle. When practiced faithfully, both have produced vibrant, healthy spiritual communities.
Yet, this morning I find myself reflecting on some of the wisdom in the cautionary tone in Pirke Aboth. Build a fence around the Torah...Don't put yourself in a position where the next step is off the cliff. The alcoholic or former drug abuser who continues in the same circle of friends and pit-stops would do well to heed the rabbinic warnings about getting to close to points of danger. The same goes for the student who is always cramming for a test, or pulling an all-nighter to finish a massive research paper due the next morning. Ministers who prepare their Sunday talks on Saturday night also fit the category, and they are second only to that band of hardy (fool-hardy?) souls who show up at church with no preparation and let Spirit guide them as they wing their Sunday sermons, week after week. (I believe in letting Spirit guide me, but I find Spirit is much more articulate if I have done my homework first.)
Pirke Aboth is really talking about proper preparation as well as proper distancing from a source of distraction or temptation. This corresponds to that line which many people don't like in the Lord's Prayer: "Lead me not into temptation." (Most Unity ministers render this "Leave me not..." but I like "Lead me away from...")
The point is, think ahead. Take the danger spots seriously. And stop short of the place where you'll get yourself in trouble. Excellent advice. But who would expect otherwise from the Fathers of Israel?
[1] Joseph H. Hertz, Pirke Aboth: The Sayings of the Fathers (NY: Behrman House, 1945), 12.
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