Decision Making

For now I am only writing roshei prakim

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai in Maseches Shabbos is said to have cried on his deathbed stating that "I don't know which way they will be leading me, to gan eden or not". He then saw Chizkiyahu Melech Yehuda coming to greet him at which point he was relieved to know that he would be going to gan eden with chizkiyahu.

This gemara needs basic explaining. How is it that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai one of our greatest sages would not know if he is going to the world to come. Why would, out of all people King Chizkiyahu be the one to come out to greet him.

I think that this is emes la'amitah shel torah:

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai lived during one of the most turbulent times in our nations history if not the most. He presided over the Jews in Jerusalem during the destruction of the second Bais Hamikdash. During the period right before the destruction there was know to be much political turmoil. We all know about the kana'im and the perushim and the internal debates regarding how best to deal with the Roman enemy. There seemed to be very valid arguments on both sides of the issue of whether to pacify the Romans or to fight them. Ultimately Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai, as leader of the Perushim, decided upon the pacifism approach. This was not an easy decision and had many detractors. Ultimately the decision seems to have been based on a fatalistic attitude that the Romans were destined to win the war anyway so let us try to save torah so that we can live to fight another day. The decision had severe ramifications as many people were killed and the churban occurred but Yavneh was saved.

Lets explore another interesting Historical moment in Jewish history. Chizkiyahu Hamelech was King of Yehudah in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was under siege by one of the strongest kingdoms known to the world at that time, the Kingdom of Sancherev. Chizkiyahu was asked to surrender Jerusalem and make peace otherwise the city would be destroyed. Chizkiyahu had a very trusted advisor who was the head of the Sanhedrin at the time know as Shevna. Chizkayahu told Shevna to send a belligerent message outside of the gates of the city to Sancherev telling him that we will not surrender. Shevna felt that the best approach at that time would be to surrender and to pacify Sancherev so he sent Sancherev a message that "I, Shevna, wish to make peace but Chizkiya does not". The Gemara in Sanhedrin states that Shevna had thousands more talimidim than Chizkiyah and that Chizkiyahu was worried that he was making a mistake until god sent him a message that he was right. Ultimately Sancherev and his army were struck down outside the gates of Jerusalem by God................................ Chizkiyahu was proven right..................................

We see to leaders in similar positions taking opposite approaches ostensibly due to the specific context of the time and place. We know that Chizkiyahu made the right decision as God brought about a miracle that showed indisputably that the decision was right. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai did not have the good fortune of being shown if he made the right decision or not. If he made the wrong decision he had caused the deaths of multitudes of Jews. Of course he made the decision in good faith but still.......

The fact that Chizkiyahu came out to greet him to meet the heavenly court was the best possible proof that he made the right decision. The statement was "Just like I made the right decision in deciding to fight here I am to greet you because you, like me, got it right for the Jewish people and are considered the savior of the Jewish people.

Sometimes leaders are thrust into situations where there is no middle ground, they will either be going way up based on their decision or way down. These people are not given the choice of just living normal average lives.