Parashat Vaethanan 5784

The phrase “going above and beyond” may conjure up images of the superstar friend, neighbor, or colleague who brings a smile to our face when we think about the ways that they have been there for us and others over the years. Rabbis, cantors, and Jewish leaders in particular so often go above and beyond in the time and energy that they dedicate to their sacred work. In fact, it has more or less become the norm that professional Jewish leadership extend themselves to do their utmost – especially in our post-pandemic, post-October 7^th world. And for those of you nodding in agreement, your initial smile for those going above and beyond may have dimmed a bit as we reflect on the ways in which going above and beyond has simply become… doing your job.

In an article published in 2022, Megan Tatum explored the shift from “going above and beyond” being the exception to becoming the expectation. She notes that “many employees routinely put in more hours and perform more tasks than their job description sets out” and “how normalised it’s become to expect workers to do more and more in the first place.” The process leading to this shift has slowly taken place over several decades and “these expectations are now so embedded and internalised by workers that many fear if they don’t go above and beyond, they’ll, at best, never get promoted; at worst they’ll be labelled slackers.” Especially people in vocational and purpose-driver careers are pushing themselves harder than ever and this can lead to burnout. So maybe going above and beyond isn’t so good after all?

Our parashah this week, Vaethanan, may give some insight into this observation. Deuteronomy 4:2 instructs that: “You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it…” (לֹא תֹסִפוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ). The Kli Yakar asks why it was necessary for the verse to explicitly tell us not to detract from the commandments since this is ostensibly obvious. Perhaps we might have thought it reasonable to add more to the commandments – to be extra zealous – hence it was necessary to prohibit additions. But it should be obvious that detracting from the divine commandments is forbidden and, in the rabbinic mind, the Torah never teaches us something blatantly obvious. So why does the Torah include this proscription? The Kli Yakar goes on to suggest that וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ is not a commandment in its own right, but rather an explanation of the preceding prohibition on adding: Do not add to the commandments so that you do not subtract. Or, according to the Talmudic adage, כל המוסיף גורע – whoever adds subtracts (Sanhedrin 29a). Thus, both clauses of this verse can be understood to emphasize the prohibition on augmenting the commandments – the phrase “do not add” makes the basic point and the clarifying phrase “do not subtract” suggests that by violating the prohibition on adding, we are actually subtracting.

So how does doing more actually subtract? In the case of going above and beyond, we can understand how consistently doing more leads to the assimilation of the extra into the expected. In the realm of the commandments, the common examples provided by the commentators are adding a fifth string to one’s tzitzit or a fifth parashah to one’s tefillin – essentially changing a ritual object such that it no longer is “kosher” and thus one who wears it does not fulfill the commandment. In these cases, the attempt to do more is self-defeating – by adding more one ends up not even fulfilling the basic commandment.

Many commentators contrast the examples of adding an extra string or parashah with the case of sleeping in a sukkah for an extra night. This situation, many rabbis suggest, does not detract since one has already completed their requirement of dwelling in the sukkah for 7 days. Therefore, subsequent days or nights spent in the sukkah do not negate what has already been done (מה שעשה עשוי). However, the commentator Gur Aryeh insists that intentionality is key: If one spends extra nights in the sukkah without intending those additional periods to be considered a mitzvah, there is no issue. But, if one spends extra time in the sukkah intending this to be commandment, then they have violated the prohibition on do not add (see Rosh Hashanah 28b). According to this paradigm, it is the conceptual conflation of the voluntary and the required that determines the validity of an action.

We are free to go above and beyond as long as we keep in mind that we are exceeding what is expected. But once we starting thinking about that extra time and energy we devote as required, we undermine the limits of our Jewish “job description” and set an unhealthy precedent for the future. Yet, in most cases, our intentions when going above and beyond are not clear to those around us. We may maintain a conceptual distinction between what we are required to do and the ways in which we go above and beyond, but others simply see our consistently elevated actions, collapsing the distinction. We may not be able to easily change how others perceive our actions, but we can start with how we look at those around us. Our parashah’s warning against adding to the requirements can serve as a reminder for us to notice and appreciate the ways in which those around us go above and beyond, without taking it for granted. As role models for our communities, perhaps our recognition of the ways others exceed expectations will help them to eventually apply this distinction for their clergy, leadership, and others around them. Then we can hope for a world of gratitude for one another and the many ways in which we go above and beyond for one another.
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Rabbi Dr. Matthew Goldstone serves as Assistant Academic Dean at AJR. Matthew has taught at The Jewish Theological Seminary, The University of Pennsylvania, and Hunter College. He has been the recipient of a number of fellowships and has received several awards for his scholarship and teaching. At AJR he teaches courses in Talmud and Jewish law, focusing on making ancient texts relevant for contemporary contexts. In his free time he enjoys hiking and Israeli dancing.