▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF BIAS.

 

"וישב בה עד מות הכהן הגדול" (במדבר ל"ה-כ"ה)

“He shall live in it [the city of refuge] until the death of the Kohen Gadol.” (Bamidbar 35:25).

The passuk speaks about a person who killed another person unintentionally. He can save his life by fleeing to a city of refuge. He must live there until the death of the Kohen Gadol. After the Kohen Gadol dies, the unintentional killer may return to his home.

The Mishnah,[1] states that since the unintentional killer can leave the city of refuge only when the Kohen Gadol dies, the mothers of the Kohanim Gedolim would provide these killers with food and clothing, in the hope that they would not pray for their sons to die.  By providing for these killers, the mothers hoped to prevail upon them not to pray for the death of their children, the Kohanim Gedolim. The mothers hoped that this bribe would persuade these killers not to daven for their sons to die.

This is mystifying. How is it at all possible that the mothers – by providing the killers with food and clothing – could think that they can possibly persuade the killers not to daven for the death of their children the Kohanim Gedolim? The entire focus of the lives of these killers – their dreams, hopes and aspirations – was to be able to leave the prison in which they were incarcerated (the city of refuge). Surely the killers would pray with all their hearts for the Kohen Gadol to die. Surely this bribe of the mothers would have no effect whatsoever on the killers at all.

How could receiving food and clothing be enough to stop them from davening for their freedom and change the entire focus of their lives? Is there anything in the world greater than obtaining one’s freedom?

We see from here the incredible power of bias. The food and clothing that the mothers would give to the killers could actually manipulate them and bribe them, and turn them away from the main goal and focus of their lives, to obtain their freedom.

The Gemara[2] mentions another version of the Mishnah which goes even further. It states that instead of the mothers trying to persuade the killers to refrain from davening that their sons should die, their purpose in giving food and clothing was rather to encourage the killers to daven that their sons, the Kohanim Gedolim, should continue to live.

This is unbelievable. Not only is the giving of food and clothing a way to persuade the killers to refrain from praying that the Kohanim Gedolim die, but the food and clothing could also bribe the killers to daven for the Kohanim Gedolim to live, in total contrast to the entire focus and goal of their lives to obtain their freedom. How could this possibly be?

We see from here the extent of what bias can do. It can distort someone’s entire thinking process to the point where they can totally forget the very main focus and goal of their lives. Not only could the food and clothing stop the exiles from praying that the Kohanim Gedolim should die, but it can make them pray for the Kohanim Gedolim to live.

In application to our very own lives, although we serve Hashem, we daven, we learn, and we do Mitzvos, we must nevertheless constantly be on the alert not to bribe and deceive ourselves, not to have to properly fulfill our obligations to Hashem. Not to seek personal gain in our serving Hashem. This bias can make us completely forget our entire purpose in life – our dreams, our goals, our aspirations and obligations to Hashem.

May Hashem help us to serve Him with truth.  May He purify our hearts and help us not to deceive ourselves. May we do what we really should be doing. Amen!

 

2 Ibid