“And the chasida...” (11:19)
The Talmud teaches that each locale has a proclivity toward certain character traits or behaviors. Babylonia is noted for its high incidence of flattery, and as a source for this, the Talmud cites a verse found in the vision of the prophet Zecharia in which two winged women transport a measuring utensil to Babylonia. The Talmud interprets this to be an allusion to their bringing the trait of flattery to Babylonia.
Rashi explains the inference to flattery in this verse in the following manner: The Torah describes the women as having the wings of a “chasida” – stork. The Talmud explains that a chasida is so named because the stork performs acts of “chesed” – kindness for its friends. How does performing acts of kindness for its friends transform the stork into the symbol of flattery?
To begin answering the aforementioned question, we must first address another difficulty raised by the commentaries. The Ramban teaches that since the birds which we are prohibited to eat exhibit negative character traits, consumption of them would infuse a person with these traits. In light of this, it is difficult to reconcile the Ramban’s teaching with the Talmud’s explanation of the name “chasida”. Why would the Torah name an unclean bird with a positive trait? The Talmud is teaching us that what person does for his friends should be done out of commitment and obligation to the relationship. Viewing all that we do for friends as acts of kindness is a negative trait. Therefore, the chasida is being defined by a negative trait, not a positive one.
What motivates a person to view that which he does for his friends as acts of kindness? The Hebrew word for “friend” is “chaver”, which is a derivation of the word “chibur” – “to be joined with”. The closer a relationship is, the greater the loss of independence; commitment to a relationship is accompanied by obligations. A person must make himself available to accommodate his friend’s needs. When a person views that which he does for his friend as a kindness, he maintains a distance within the relationship, not allowing for a commitment that would require obligation. He seeks to maintain his independence, for this allows him to have a relationship on his terms. What he is doing in essence is retaining his control over the relationship.
The act of flattery is essentially the same as the behavior exhibited by the chasida. When a person resorts to flattery within a relationship, he is giving his friend a false sense of reality. This is a manipulative act, giving the flatterer control over the relationship. Again, the relationship is being dictated on his terms. This explains a statement made by the Talmud: The punishment of the flatterer is that he will fall into the hands of the one who he flattered. Since he attempted to control, the quid-pro-quo is that he will eventually be controlled.
