We Have No Control of Our Destiny

Full Summary

Rabbi Zweig analyzes Pirkei Avos 4:3 through Rashi (רש"י)'s challenging interpretation to reveal a profound spiritual truth about divine providence and human arrogance. The Mishnah (משנה) states not to despise any person or disdain any idea, "for there is no person who does not have his time, and no idea that doesn't have its place." While this could be read as recognizing everyone's unique value, Rashi offers a troubling interpretation: don't put anyone down because you may someday need that person, and they will get revenge. This seems to reduce ethics to mere pragmatism rather than true morality. Rabbi Zweig resolves this difficulty by connecting it to the Talmudic account in Gittin of three great Jewish cities destroyed through seemingly minor provocations: Jerusalem (through the Bar Kamza incident), Tur Malka (over a rooster and hen), and Betar (over wagon wheels used from wedding trees). The Gemara (גמרא) attributes these disasters to people hardening their hearts rather than being afraid. The key insight is that in each case, the Jews made logically sound decisions. Bar Kamza was just one unimportant person among hundreds at a party. Starting trouble with a small Roman platoon seemed manageable for a powerful city with warriors like Bar Deroma. Taking trees from Caesar's daughter's broken wagon wheel appeared to be a minor local matter. From a practical standpoint, none of these actions should have led to catastrophic consequences. However, the very fact that decisions were made based on "this can't hurt us" reveals a fundamental theological error. When we calculate that someone is too unimportant to matter, or that we're too powerful to face consequences, we're essentially declaring that we control our destiny rather than living in God's world. This attitude of control is itself immoral, regardless of whether our practical calculations are correct. God therefore orchestrates circumstances to demonstrate that He, not we, controls outcomes. Bar Kamza was given the opportunity and motivation for revenge. Bar Deroma was allowed to sin and lose his supernatural strength. The Roman leadership was influenced to overreact to minor provocations. These weren't natural consequences but divine responses to human arrogance about controlling destiny. Rashi's interpretation thus contains deep moral wisdom: don't put people down because "they can't hurt you" - not because you might be wrong about the practical calculation, but because making that calculation at all represents a rejection of divine providence. Even when we're logically correct that someone poses no threat, the very basis of that reasoning is spiritually corrupted. This principle applies broadly to how we treat customers, patients, students, or anyone we perceive as unable to affect our success. Most decisions we call "moral" are actually pragmatic calculations about potential consequences to ourselves. During the Three Weeks period of mourning for the Temple's destruction, we should examine relationships we've neglected simply because we calculated no downside to ourselves, recognizing that such thinking itself constitutes the sin that led to the destruction of Jerusalem.