Transgressions for a Noble Cause

On Shavuos night I spoke in our synagogue on the topic of Aveira Lishma, violating a transgression (an aveira) for a noble purpose. In the class, we discussed some of the parameters of this concept and its philosophical underpinnings. We analyzed a few examples of how and when it has been used in practice by various halakhic decisors and philosophically by the Chassidic masters.

Not surprisingly, this concept is fraught with spiritual danger. R' Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, for example, insists on two rules before transgressing even for an apparently noble purpose. First, the person can have no pleasure whatsoever from the transgression. Second, a sober calculation must be made as to the consequences, the benefits and losses, of this transgression. For example, though it is certainly wrong to start a communal argument, doing so may fall under the rubric of aveira lishma, if done with no malice or hope of gain, and after an analysis reveals that the argument will cause more good than harm (in fact, in a case brought before the R' Moshe Isserles, he allows publicly speaking ill of someone for the greater good of the community).

While I cannot think of a clear example of an aveirah lishma in the Chronicles of Narnia, it is one of C.S. Lewis’ main arguments used by the Devil in Perelandra, the second book of the Space Trilogy, to seduce the Queen to sleep overnight on Fixed Land  Interestingly, this same argument is put into the mouth of the serpent in the Garden of Eden by R' Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (the Devil, played by Weston in Perelandra, is of course, Lewis’ parallel to the serpent who seduces Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge).

Let us go step by step. Ransom, the protagonist of the first of Lewis’ Space Trilogy, “Out of the Silent Planet,” is sent to the young world of Perelandra (what we call Venus) by the Oyarsa (guardian angel) of Malacandra (Mars). There he finds the Queen, the native Eve (Tinidril) living a blissful life on a water planet of floating islands. This Eve awaits her reunion with the King, the native Adam (Tor) and has been commanded by Maledil (God) not to sleep on any fixed land.

It is not long before another Earth native lands on Perelandra. This is Weston, the antagonist of Ransom now clearly under the control of the Devil. Weston attempts to persuade Eve that she should violate the command of Maledil and sleep on the Fixed Land. He argues that though Maledil did command that Eve not sleep on Fixed Land, He did so secretly hoping that Eve would break the command. To sleep on Fixed Land would demonstrate “walking in your own way” and fully growing up:

If He told you to break what He commanded, it would be no true command, as you have seen. For you are right, He makes no jests. A real disobeying, a real branching out, this is what He secretly longs for: secretly, because to tell you would spoil all.

R’ Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843 - 1926) interprets the serpent’s argument to the (Earthly) Eve in this exact way:

The desire of the Creator is not to refrain from eating from [the Tree]. Rather, His desire is that you should eat from it and in this way come closer to being God-like such that you can overpower evil and destroy it… You should sacrifice both worlds (this and the World-to-Come) in order to achieve the honor of God and become close to Him. This is the path of a transgression for a noble purpose and, your doing so, is the true desire of God.

Of course, on Perelandra Ransom is able to counter the arguments of the Devil and the woman is saved. No such savior appeared in our world.