Bowe Bergdahl is in American hands. He is free from the terrain of the Taliban and the confinement of his Haqqani captors. His parents in Hailey are elated.
But his release has sparked a heated debate about the prudence and ethics of releasing five Taliban prisoners to secure his freedom.
It’s clear that no matter the details of Bowe’s particular ordeal, in order to liberate a captive, there may need to be a swap. In this case there was a clear quid pro quo. The debate revolves around whether it was a worthwhile trade-off.
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But this also gives consideration to the question of whether it is always necessary to compromise in order to gain? Or, put in even deeper perspective, is it necessary to compromise in order to help others?
If I am to help someone else, must I sacrifice my own time, energy and personal benefit? We live in a largely capitalist society; one that preaches mutual benefit. But is there benefit to me when I do a favor for someone else? Isn’t there a price tag to that assistance?
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In this week’s parsha Behaalotecha, G-d commands Moshe to share of his spirit with the seventy elders. By delegating some of his own spirit, the burden on Moshe would be lessened.
But if Moshe gifts a portion of his spirit, doesn’t that diminish Moshe? As the saying goes, “You can't have your cake and eat it too.”
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The Midrash asks this very question: Was Moses’ prophecy perhaps diminished? No. This is comparable to a burning candle from which many candles are lit, yet its own light is not diminished. So, too, Moses lost nothing that was his.
The Midrash is clear that in this instance it was a win-win situation. We could argue that all spiritual gifts are win-win. When I teach Torah to my neighbor or help my friend light Shabbat candles, I have only gained by sharing.
Even the time and expertise I have given is really a gift to myself. My neshama has grown tremendously from sharing with another.
But let’s be honest. There are times when my spiritual gift comes at a price. To teach someone with less knowledge I need to minimize my perception and condense my explanation to the level of the recipient. There certainly is a moral impact on my psyche and soul when I constrain myself to share with others. And we have not even spoken of the lost potential for greater personal growth!
In fact, the Midrash teaches that there is another degree of spiritual gifting – one that indeed comes with a price tag. When Moshe installed Yehoshua (Joshua) as his successor, he also gave of his glory to Yehoshua. However, this time the Midrash compares it to pouring from one vessel into another vessel. The distinction is obvious: a candle may endure with the same intensity no matter how many subsequent candles are kindled from it. But the same cannot be said about substance that is discharged from one vessel into another.
So it turns out there are two types of giving. And therefore at times we will need to sacrifice and at times we will not. Doing the right thing doesn’t always pay dividends. There are times we indeed sacrifice something of ourselves for the benefit of a fellow.
But there are also times when we commit ourselves to our fellow so absolutely – when the gift comes from a place so deep and so true within us--that we only grow from the experience, no matter how much we give of ourselves.