Interpretations of the Weekly Torah Readings and Festivals Vol. 2 - Kehot Publishing

The Chassidic Dimension

Interpretations of the Weekly Torah Readings and the Festivals

Based on the Talks of The Lubavitcher Rebbe

Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson

Vol. II

Compiled by Rabbi Sholom B. Wineberg Edited by Sichos In English

THE CHASSIDIC DIMENSION

VOL. II

Published and Copyrighted by "KEHOT" PUBLICATION SOCIETY

770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213 Tel. (718) 493-9250, 778-0226

5755 • 1995

Printed in the U.S.A.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schneersohn, Menahem Mendel, 1902

[Likute Sihot, English Selections] The Chassidic dimension vol. 2: interpretations of the weekly Torah readings based on the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson/compiled by Sholom B. Wineberg: edited by Sichos In English.

p. 304 15 X 22 1/2 cm. Translation of: Likute sihot. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8266-0684-9

1. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch—Commentaries. 2. Hasidim. 3. Habad. I. Wineberg, Sholom B. (Sholom Ber) II. Gale, Gershon. III. Title. BS1225.3.S362513 1995 222'.107—dc20 90-4076

CIP

Table of Contents Publisher's Foreword XI

Sefer Bereishis Bereishis

"Who Knows Ten?" 3 Creation — A Lesson in Time Management 5

Noach Blessed Waters 8 In Praise of Noach 10

Lech Lecha Three Altars 13 "Down Is U p " 15

Vayeira Two Forms of Kindness 18

Vayeira & Chof Cheshvan The Crucial Decision 21

Chayei Sarah Immediately Answered Prayers 24 Aging Gracefully 27

Toldos To Give and Give Again 30 Sowing the Physical and Reaping the Spiritual 32

Vayeitzei The Jewish People — Sons and Sheep 35 Shabbos — A n Unlimited Heritage 37

Vayishlach "Today I Become a Man" 40 " A n Abode for G-d in the Nethermost Levels" 42

Vayeishev A Jewish treasure hunt 45 How To Increase Your Luck 47

Mikeitz Fighting Famine 50

Chanukah "This is Chanukah" 53

Vayigash Completing the Count 56 Tears and Deeds 58

Vayechi "Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another." 61 Yaakov Lives 63

V

Table of Contents Sefer Shmos

Shmos Children — Large and Small 69 Counting by Name 71

Va'eira The Matzos and Four Cups of Wine 74 Believers and Sons of Believers 76

Bo Sanctifying Time 79 Remembering the Exodus and the Shabbos 81

Beshallach The Manna — Enhancing Belief & Trust in G-d 84 Waging War Against Amalek 86

Yisro Achieving Unity in Mind, Heart and Deed 89 Obligation and Subservience 91

Mishpatim Productive Use of Time 94 A Tale of Two Portions 96 The Jewish Indentured Servant 98

Terumah Constructing the Mishkan — A Common Task 101 Three Forms of Terumah — Three Forms of Spiritual Service 103 The Aron, Kapores and the Keruvim 105

Tetzaveh Ephod, Breastplate & Robe — Three Unique Vestments 108 The Two Altars 110

Tetzaveh & Zayin Adar Moshe's Demise 113

K i Sisa The Golden Calf — Entree to Repentance 116 Breaking The Luchos — A Break for the Jewish People 118

Vaykhel-Pekudei " I n A l l Their Journeys" 121

Vayakhel Offerings for the Mishkan — The Superior Quality of the Jewish Woman 123

Pekudei A n Eternal Resting Place 126

V I

Table of Contents Sefer Vayikra

Vayikra The Wood Offering 131 The Additional Fifth 132

Tzav "Speak," "Say," and "Command" — Three Types of Mitzvos 135 Day People Vs Night People 137

Pesach Passover — Season of our Freedom & Festival of Matzos 140 The First and Final Redemption 142 Vaulting, Bounding and Leaping 144

Shemini Two Brothers — Two Worlds 147 "When In Doubt...." 149

Tazria-Metzora Circumcision — Always a Timely Act 152

Tazria The Purpose of Punishment 154

Metzora Purification of the Metzora — A Lesson in Repentance 157

Acharei-Kedoshim Holy and Holier 160

Acharei The Kohen Gadol's Home 162

Kedoshim Two Forms of Ahavas Yisrael 165

Emor Weekdays, Sabbaths & Festivals 168 G-d as Kohen and Kohen Gadol 169

Behar Mitzvos — The General and the Particular 172 Spiritual Buying and Selling 174

Bechukosai Toiling in Torah 177

V I I

Table of Contents Sefer Bamidbar

Bamidbar "Everyone Counts" 183 A Most Revealing Count 185

Shavuos Mattan Torah 188

Naso Shabbos — "Before and After" 191 G-d Makes Himself Heard 193

Behaalos'cha Two Passovers — Two Methods of Service 196 The Most Humble of Men 198

Shlach A Natural Mistake — The Error of the Spies 201 Increasing the Might of the Divine Name Adnay 203

Korach "It's the Thought that Also Counts" 206 A Lesson in Priesthood 208

Chukas-Balak Defying Rationality 211 The Mitzvos As Chukim 213

Pinchas Jewish Leadership — Torah and Royalty 216 A Commensurate Reward 218 Division By Lot 220

Matos-Masei Console the Father — Console the Child 223 On The Move 225

V I I I

Table of Contents Sefer Devarim

Devarim Gad & Reuven — Going Ahead of the Jewish People 231 From G-d's Mouth to Moshe's 233

Vaes'chanan Shema and Torah Study — Together, Yet Worlds Apart 236 Lessons of Tefillin 238

Eikev The Healing Effect of "Heeling" 241 "Heels Over Head" 243

Re'eh Three Torah Portions and their Haftoros 246 "Cleave to H i m " 248

Shoftim Two Forms of Witnesses 251 Emotions — A Tree of the Field 253

Seitzei A New Home and its Guard-Rail 256 Marriage & Divorce — Divine Style 258

Savo The Connection Between Savo and Chai Elul 261 The Bikurim Offering and Declaration 263

Nitzavim Freedom of Choice, and Choosing Freely 266 Motivations for Repentance 268

Rosh HaShanah Coronation, Teshuvah and Shofar 271

Vayeilech Vayeilech and Yom Kippur — Revealing Divine Kingship and Jewish Unity 274

Ha'azinu Teshuvah, Torah, and Mitzvos — Essence, Heaven, and Earth ..277 The Teshuvah of Shabbos Teshuvah 280

Sukkos Yom Tov, Chol HaMoed & Shabbos Chol HaMoed 283 Sukkos — Revealing the Concealed 285

Berachah & Simchas Torah Shehecheyanu for Torah 288

I X

Publisher's Foreword ב״ה

The Rebbe has stressed o n numerous occasions that one of the best ways to be Mekushar, b o u n d u p a n d connected, w i t h h i m is b y s t u d y i n g his Torah. I f th is was v i t a l at a l l t imes, h o w m u c h more so after Gimmel Tammuz.

Surely, the Rebbe's magnum opus is Likkutei Sichos, f r o m w h i c h the essays i n The Chassidic D i m e n s i o n are cu l led . They t ransmi t , albeit w i t h m u c h b rev i t y , kernels and gems of t hough t on the To rah por t ions a n d the Festivals that are f o u n d at greater leng th a n d w i t h m u c h more p r o f u n d i t y i n Likkutei Sichos p roper .

I t is our fervent hope that the s tudy of the Rebbe's Torah as comp i l ed i n The Chassidic D i m e n s i o n w i l l serve as a step i n hasten ing our generat ion — " the f i na l generat ion of exile a n d the f i rst generat ion of r e d e m p t i o n " — to once again mer i t ve r y speedi ly the Rebbe o f fe r ing us wonde rs f r o m his Torah , " a ' n e w ' Torah shal l come fo r t h f r o m M e . "

Vaad L'Hafotzas Sichos

Chai Elul , 5755

X I

ספר בראשיתBereishis

" W H O K N O W S T E N ? " 3

Bereishis , בראשי

"Who Knows Ten?"

The Torah p o r t i o n of Bereishis speaks about the creat ion of the w o r l d . A l l of creat ion came about , as the Mishnah states i n Avos,1 as the result of ten D i v i ne utterances. Indeed, cont inues the Mishnah, creat ion cou ld have resul ted f r o m a single ut terance, were i t no t for G-d's desire to offer man¬k i n d more oppor tun i t ies for r e w a r d and pun ishment .

So s igni f icant is the n u m b e r ten — " the complete n u m -be r " 2 — that the Mishnah enumerates other t imes the n u m b e r occurs, such as the ten tests of A v r a h a m a n d the ten miracles pe r f o rmed for our forefathers i n Egypt .

But w h y does the Mishnah fa i l to m e n t i o n that the Torah itself was g i ven i n Ten Commandments? O u r Sages note, 3

after a l l , that the ten D i v i ne utterances of creat ion corre¬spond to these Commandmen ts !

The signif icance of the n u m b e r ten lies i n the fact that G-d , h a v i n g b rough t about Creat ion t h r o u g h ten utterances, thereby i m b u e d the w o r l d w i t h a nature such that ten un i t s s ign i fy a complete state, co r respond ing to the ten superna l Sefiros f r o m whence the mater ia l un iverse emanates. The n u m b e r ten is thus considered a "comple te n u m b e r " because i t signif ies a complete state.

H o w e v e r , th is i n no w a y imp l ies that G-d f o u n d the n u m b e r ten to be an indispensable characterist ic of comple¬t ion ; i t is mere ly that G-d chose the n u m b e r ten to indicate comple t ion . G-d cou ld have emp loyed a d i f ferent n u m b e r of superna l Sefiros, a n d thus a d i f ferent f igure — cor respond ing to that n u m b e r of Sefiros — w o u l d s ign i fy comple t ion .

1. Avos 5:1. 2. See Pardes, Shaar 2, chapters 1-2; Then Ezra, Shmos 3:15. 3. Zohar I, p. 11b; see also Zohar II, p. 43a, 93b.

4 BEREISHIS

The relevance of the n u m b e r ten to the Torah's Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s can be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

The Midrash states 4 that the T o r a h served as G-d's blue¬p r i n t for creation. Unders tandably , this b l u e p r i n t conta ined a l l of creation's parameters , i n c l u d i n g the fact that its state of c o m p l e t i o n f i n d s expression i n the n u m b e r ten.

Thus , the fact that the T o r a h w a s g i v e n i n Ten Com¬m a n d m e n t s is n o t a f u n c t i o n of this n u m b e r per se. Rather, the opposite is the case: ten is " the complete n u m b e r " o n l y because the T o r a h was g i v e n i n the f o r m of Ten C o m m a n d ¬ments . This i n t u r n l e d to a universe that f i n d s f u l f i l l m e n t t h r o u g h the n u m b e r ten.

Hence, the Mishnah c o u l d n o t poss ib ly l is t the Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s as one of the th ings ref lect ing the consum¬mate state of ten, for the fact that the T o r a h was g i v e n t h r o u g h Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s does not serve to indicate the complete state of Torah . Rather, because the T o r a h contains the aspect of ten — the Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s — the impor¬tance of the other th ings enumerated i n the Mishnah is es¬tabl ished.

But even t h o u g h G - d decided that the n u m b e r ten w o u l d constitute a c o m p l e t e d state w i t h i n creat ion, H e is i n n o w a y l i m i t e d b y this . For i n a s m u c h as G - d defies any a n d a l l l i m i ¬tations, H e is not l i m i t e d even b y H i s o w n actions, a n d can create th ings whose states of c o m p l e t i o n do n o t f i n d expres¬sion i n the aspect of ten at a l l .

This is s imi lar to those miracles that change the ordered nature of existence; a l t h o u g h the w o r l d obeys the " l a w s of n a t u r e , " i t does so o n l y because, a n d o n l y for as l o n g as, G - d desires i t to do so. H e can just as easily suspend these l a w s i n order to p e r f o r m miracles. Thereby G - d a m p l y demon¬strates that even after H e has established the rules b y w h i c h nature operates, H e is b y n o means l i m i t e d b y t h e m .

This concept is indica ted i n the Mishnah w h e n i t states that the w o r l d need not have been created w i t h ten D i v i n e utterances; i t c o u l d have been created w i t h o n l y one. The

4. Beginning of Bereishis Rahhah.

" W H O K N O W S T E N ? " 5

M i s h n a speaks not o n l y of G-d's a b i l i t y to create the u n i ¬verse w i t h one utterance, b u t i n f o r m s us that even after H e created the w o r l d u s i n g ten utterances, H e is s t i l l ent i re ly capable of changing the rules.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Bereishis 5747

Creation — A Lesson in Time Management

I n t e l l i n g the story of Creat ion , the T o r a h relates that " G - d f i n i s h e d o n the seventh d a y H i s w o r k w h i c h H e h a d done, a n d H e rested o n the seventh d a y f r o m a l l H i s w o r k w h i c h H e h a d d o n e . " 1

I n c o m m e n t i n g o n the w o r d s " G - d f in i shed o n the sev¬e n t h d a y , " Rashi notes: " R a b b i S h i m o n says, ' A h u m a n b e i n g can never be sure of the exact t i m e , thus he m u s t supplement the h o l y [day of Shabbos] b y a d d i n g to i t f r o m the m u n d a n e [ w e e k d a y ] . G - d , h o w e v e r , w h o k n o w s H i s exact m o m e n t s a n d seconds, can enter i n t o i t [Shabbos] b y a h a i r b r e a d t h . ' I t thus seemed as i f the w o r k was conc luded o n that d a y . "

Rashi goes o n to g ive another explanat ion : " W h a t was the w o r l d lacking? T r a n q u i l l i t y . W h e n Shabbos a r r i v e d , t r a n q u i l l i t y came as w e l l . The w o r k was t h e n conc luded a n d comple te . "

To indicate a t i n y a m o u n t of space, the t e r m " h a i r b r e a d t h " is appropr ia te . H o w e v e r , a phrase l ike " the b l i n k of an eye" seems m o r e applicable w h e n one is speak¬i n g about a m i n u s c u l e u n i t of t i m e . W h y does Rashi use the f o r m e r expression rather t h a n the latter i n e x p l a i n i n g that G - d labored o n the seventh d a y for o n l y "a ha i rbreadth"?

" A h a i r b r e a d t h " describes s o m e t h i n g so inconsequent ia l that i t is n o t perce ived i n a n d of itself. A single s t rand of ha i r is so f ine that i t is a lmost invis ib le ; i t is o n l y w h e n m a n y hairs are close together that they can r e a d i l y be seen.

1. Bereishis 2:2.

6 BEREISHIS

Rashi therefore uses the expression "a h a i r b r e a d t h " to e x p l a i n that G-d's " l a b o r " o n the seventh d a y cannot be con¬strued as p r o h i b i t e d w o r k . For w h e n "everything was [already] done o n the s ix th d a y , " 2 the labor done o n the sev¬e n t h was b u t "a h a i r b r e a d t h , " i.e., were i t n o t for the abso¬lute completeness of the w o r k done o n the s ix th day , the seventh day's " l a b o r " w o u l d n o t have been discerned at a l l . This is i n d e e d " l a b o r " that is p e r m i t t e d o n Shabbos.

The f o l l o w i n g quest ion, h o w e v e r , begs to be asked: G r a n t e d that labor of a mere " h a i r b r e a d t h " is p e r m i t t e d o n Shabbos, w h y was i t necessary for G - d to labor so l o n g a n d h a r d that H e entered even "a h a i r b r e a d t h " i n t o Shabbos; w h y n o t complete i t all o n the s ix th day?

This was done i n order to teach m a n a priceless lesson concerning the va lue of t i m e : A s l o n g as an i n d i v i d u a l has the o p p o r t u n i t y to f u l f i l l the purpose for w h i c h he f i n d s h imse l f i n this w o r l d , he is to do so to the best of his a b i l i t y a n d u n t i l the last possible m o m e n t .

For " G - d created n o t h i n g w i t h o u t a p u r p o s e . " 3 Each a n d every t h i n g w h i c h G - d created — i n c l u d i n g every iota of t i m e a n d space — has a purpose . I f G - d grants an i n d i v i d u a l a measure of t i m e for the f u l f i l l m e n t of T o r a h s t u d y a n d the performance of mitzvos, a n d the person does not make f u l l use of i t , this u n u s e d t i m e — be i t o n l y a t w i n k l i n g — is considered wasted .

The preciousness of every m o m e n t is emphasized to an even greater degree b y Rashi's a d d i t i o n a l quest ion: " W h a t was the w o r l d lacking? T r a n q u i l l i t y . W h e n Shabbos a r r i v e d , t r a n q u i l l i t y came as w e l l . The w o r k was t h e n conc luded a n d complete." U n t i l the actual a r r i v a l of Shabbos a n d the concur¬rent " h a i r b r e a d t h " of labor, a l l that h a d been achieved w a s considered " i n c o m p l e t e " a n d " l a c k i n g . "

This teaches us that u s i n g every m o m e n t w i s e l y a n d w e l l is so crucia l that i f an i n d i v i d u a l has occasion to do b u t an¬other " h a i r b r e a d t h " a n d wastes the o p p o r t u n i t y , he is lack-

2. As indicated ibid. verse 1:31. 3. Shahhos 77b.

C R E A T I O N — A LESSON I N T I M E M A N A G E M E N T 7

i n g c o m p l e t i o n i n a l l those aspects of the w o r k a n d service w h i c h he has f u l f i l l e d u n t i l then.

W h e n a l l our m o m e n t s , l ike G-d's , are so precious that none of t h e m are w a s t e d , w h e n a l l are f i l l e d w i t h pos i t ive accomplishments , then , l ike H i m , w e are able to enjoy the t r a n q u i l l i t y that comes f r o m k n o w i n g w e d i d our best.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. V, pp. 24-34.

8 N O A C H

Noach נח

Blessed Waters

The Midrash states: 1 " A t the ve ry beg inn ing of the

w o r l d ' s creat ion, G-d's praise came solely f r o m the waters

W h e n the generat ion of the F lood arose and rebel led against

H im . . . G-d said: 'Let these [rebels] be r e m o v e d a n d the for¬

mer [i.e., the waters] arise a n d come [ in thei r stead]. ' Hence

i t is w r i t t e n : ' A n d the ra in was u p o n the ear th 40 days a n d

40 n igh ts . ' "

Acco rd ing l y , i t is to be unders tood that the w o r l d ' s

status at the t ime of the F lood was s imi lar to the exal ted state

i t en joyed at the ve ry beg inn ing of creat ion, w h e n i t was

"one mass of wa te r , " 2 ent i re ly i n v o l v e d i n p ra is ing G-d.

H o w can th is Midrash be reconci led w i t h the fact that the

waters of the F lood were clear ly meant to "des t roy a l l f l esh 3 "

— just the opposi te of p ra is ing G-d?

It has been no ted b y our Sages 4 that " T o r a h preceded the

w o r l d , " i.e., a l t hough Torah as s tud ied i n th is phys ica l w o r l d

is to be unders tood i n its p l a i n context, 5 i t preceded the

w o r l d . For every letter of Torah also possesses inner a n d

esoteric mean ing . Such mean ing emanates f r o m the s tudy of

Torah i n the h igher sp i r i tua l realms — w o r l d s that t ranscend

phys ica l i ty .

Unders tandab ly , th is appl ies no t on l y to the Torah 's

commandmen ts , b u t to its stories; a l t hough a l l the stories

recounted actua l ly t ransp i red i n a l l thei r deta i l , s t i l l , since

Torah preceded the w o r l d , w e mus t perforce say that these

1. Bereishis Rabbah 5:1; see also Eichah Rabbah 1:52. 2. Ibid. 5:2. 3. Bereishis 6:17. 4. Shabbos 88b; Pesachim 54a; Bereishis Rabbah 1:4, et al. 5. Shabbos 63a.

BLESSED WATERS 9

tales also conta in meanings f o u n d i n the h igher , s p i r i t u a l w o r l d s . 6

This gives rise to the f o l l o w i n g inescapable conclusion: Since " N o e v i l sojourns w i t h Y o u , " 7 w e m u s t say that even t h o u g h the T o r a h contains th ings that i n their s imple context seem undesirable — such as misdeeds, p u n i s h m e n t s , a n d the l ike — i n the w o r l d above, w h e r e i t is impossible for e v i l to reside, these selfsame events are u n d e r s t o o d as b e i n g ent i re ly desirable, h o l y a n d g o o d . 8

This p r i n c i p l e w i l l he lp us u n d e r s t a n d a seemingly inexplicable p h e n o m e n o n associated w i t h the r e a d i n g of the Passage of A d m o n i t i o n ( i n the p o r t i o n of Savo) b y the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Z a l m a n of L i a d i :

The Alter Rebbe used to serve as a T o r a h reader. I t once h a p p e n e d that he was not i n t o w n d u r i n g the Shabbos of Savo, so his son, the Mitteler Rebbe, h e a r d the T o r a h read b y another. H i s a n g u i s h u p o n hear ing the maledic t ions i n the Passage of A d m o n i t i o n was so great that i t p r o f o u n d l y affected his heal th .

W h e n the Mitteler Rebbe was asked: " B u t d o n ' t y o u hear this r e a d i n g every year?" he responded: " W h e n father reads, one does n o t hear any m a l e d i c t i o n s . "

Surely, w h e n the Alter Rebbe read the T o r a h the p l a i n text was heard . W h a t , then , d i d the Mitteler Rebbe m e a n w h e n he said "one does n o t hear any maledic t ions"? H o w c o u l d he have fa i l ed to discern the s imple m e a n i n g of the verses?

I n l i g h t of the above, the matter is r e a d i l y understand¬able: Maled ic t ions exist i n the T o r a h o n l y as i t is s t u d i e d i n this corporeal w o r l d . I n a comple te ly h o l y w o r l d , u t t e r l y d i ¬v o r c e d f r o m e v i l (and thus also f r o m the p u n i s h m e n t that stems f r o m e v i l behavior ) , even such th ings as maledic t ions are ent i re ly h o l y a n d represent blessings.

6. See Likkutei Torah, Tazria 23b and onward. 7. Tehillim 5:5. See also Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 3c. 8. See Sefer HaMa'amarim 5679 (p. 515ff), where this concept is discussed at

length.

1 0 N O A C H

Thus , w h e n the Alter Rebbe w o u l d read the Torah , his level of in f l ec t ion was such that his son c o u l d perceive even the Section of A d m o n i t i o n as i t existed A b o v e — i n complete goodness a n d blessing.

The same is t rue w i t h regard to the c o m m e n t of the Midrash concerning the F lood: That the f loodwaters came i n order to p u n i s h the people of that generat ion was o n l y so i n this w o r l d . Since the inc ident of the F l o o d is related i n the Torah, i t f o l l o w s that the event also t r a n s p i r e d " a b o v e , " i n the s p i r i t u a l w o r l d that is w h o l l y g o o d a n d u t t e r l y r e m o v e d f r o m any vestige of e v i l , s in, a n d p u n i s h m e n t .

The Midrash thus i n f o r m s us that the F l o o d was (also) ent i re ly g o o d a n d h o l y , s imi lar to the " v e r y b e g i n n i n g of the w o r l d ' s c reat ion , " w h e n the entire w o r l d was b u t "one mass of w a t e r " a n d "G-d ' s praise came solely f r o m the w a t e r s . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Noach 5747.

In Praise of Noach

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Noach begins w i t h the w o r d s : "These are the c h i l d r e n of N o a c h . N o a c h was a r ighteous i n d i v i d -u a l . . . . " 1 But o n l y i n the second verse does the T o r a h m e n t i o n his three c h i l d r e n , Shem, C h a m a n d Yafes.

Rashi2 explains this seeming i n c o n g r u i t y b y n o t i n g that the phrase " N o a c h was a r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l " is a paren¬thet ical statement inserted i n the f i rs t verse — "Since he [Noach] is m e n t i o n e d , his praises are exto l led , for i t is w r i t -t en , 3 ' the m e n t i o n of a r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l s h o u l d be ac¬c o m p a n i e d b y his praise. ' "

This , h o w e v e r , gives rise to the f o l l o w i n g quest ion: Noach's name w a s a lready m e n t i o n e d i n Bereishis;4 seem-

1. Bereishis 6:9. 2. Ibid. 3. Mishlei 10:7. 4. 5:29-30; 5:32; 6:8.

I N PRAISE OF N O A C H 1 1

i n g l y , i t is there that his name s h o u l d have been accompa¬n i e d b y praise. W h y does the T o r a h r e f r a i n f r o m p r a i s i n g h i m u n t i l the p o r t i o n Noach?

A d d i t i o n a l l y , w h a t is the reason for a n d the benef i t of l a u d i n g the v i r tues of a r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l ?

The Gemara5 i n f o r m s us that Lashon Hara, slander, h a r m s n o t o n l y the teller a n d the listener, b u t the person b e i n g t a l k e d about as w e l l .

N o w i t is qui te understandable that s p i r i t u a l h a r m be¬falls b o t h the speaker a n d the hearer of slander, for b o t h are engaged i n an act w h i c h our Sages l i k e n to the c o m b i n e d sins of i d o l a t r y , incestuous re lat ionships a n d m u r d e r . 6 But w h y is the object of the slander s p i r i t u a l l y affected? W h y s h o u l d he suffer w h e n he h a d n o p a r t i n this sin?

Consider. Speech reveals that w h i c h was p r e v i o u s l y con¬cealed as t h o u g h t . Speaking of another 's e v i l m a y thus have a d e t r i m e n t a l effect o n the s landered person; i f the person's e v i l h a d n o t been spoken about , i t m i g h t have r e m a i n e d "concealed" a n d n o t come to real izat ion.

The reason this is so is that man 's every act ion — espe¬cia l ly speech, whose purpose is to reveal the concealed — has an effect. This m a y be felt either i n a phys ica l sense or o n a s p i r i t u a l plane, w h e r e the damage is perce ived w i t h h igher a n d m o r e r e f i n e d senses.7

Thus i t is re la ted 8 that a person was once q u a r r e l i n g w i t h another i n the Baal Shem Tov's shul. I n the heat of the mo¬m e n t , one of the d isputants shouted that he w o u l d tear the other to pieces. The Baal Shem T o v revealed to his disciples h o w this act of d i s m e m b e r m e n t actual ly t o o k place o n a s p i r i t u a l plane.

Yet "a g o o d at t r ibute is far m o r e efficacious t h a n a harm¬f u l one . " 9 I f speaking of another 's e v i l has a d e t r i m e n t a l ef¬fect, then surely speaking of another 's g o o d qualit ies has a

5. Erchin 15b. 6. Ibid. 7. HaYom Yom p. 100. 8. Ibid. 9. Sotah 11a.

1 2 N O A C H

salutary effect o n the person b e i n g spoken of; he is m o r e l i k e l y to realize his g o o d l y p o t e n t i a l a n d qualit ies .

I f this is so w i t h regard to praise b y h u m a n beings, h o w m u c h m o r e so w i t h regard to G-d's praise of an i n d i v i d u a l , especially w h e n this praise is i n c l u d e d i n the T o r a h itself!

This is w h y " the m e n t i o n of a r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l s h o u l d be accompanied b y his praise" ; b y p r a i s i n g a person, one is ac tual ly assisting h i m i n his r ighteous behavior .

The reason w h y N o a c h is f i r s t pra ised i n the p o r t i o n Noach rather t h a n i n Bereishis w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accord¬i n g l y :

W h i l e i t is t rue that Noach's name is m e n t i o n e d earlier, i t is specif ically i n the p o r t i o n Noach that the T o r a h speaks of N o a c h w i t h regard to the g o o d deeds a n d s p i r i t u a l service he at ta ined o n his o w n , as opposed to that w i t h w h i c h he was f a v o r e d f r o m A b o v e .

Since the reason for p r a i s i n g a r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l is to assist h i m i n his d i v i n e service, a n d since Noach's service begins i n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Noach, i t f o l l o w s that i t is here that his name be "accompanied b y his praise . "

The lesson to be d e r i v e d i n terms of our o w n service is obvious : A Jew s h o u l d do his u t m o s t to perceive the good¬ness of his f e l l o w , a n d speak of his g o o d traits a n d qualit ies . By d o i n g so, he assists i n reveal ing the goodness of the other, a n d at the same t i m e helps the other i n his s p i r i t u a l passage t h r o u g h l i fe .


THREE ALTARS 1 3

Lech Lecha לך לך

Three Altars

The To rah p o r t i o n of Lech Lecha relates that A v r a h a m

b u i l t three altars to G-d . 1 Rashi, bas ing his commenta ry on

the Midrash2, explains that A v r a h a m b u i l t the f i rst altar

" u p o n hear ing G-d's p romise that he w o u l d have ch i l d ren ,

a n d that they w o u l d inher i t the l and of Is rae l . " 3

Rashi goes on to state that he erected the second altar —

i n the v i c i n i t y of Ai — because "he saw i n h is p rophecy that

h is p rogeny w o u l d s tumble there t h r o u g h the s in of Achan .

He therefore p rayed for t h e m there . " 4

Howeve r , no exp lanat ion is g i ven b y Rashi as to the rea¬

son for A v r a h a m ' s t h i r d altar, since A v r a h a m b u i l t i t out of

h is s imple love of G-d u p o n his a r r i va l i n the c i ty of Chev¬

ron .

o u r Sages i n f o r m us 5 that " G - d gave A v r a h a m a s ign

that a l l that t ransp i red w i t h h i m w i l l t ranspire w i t h h is chil¬

d ren as w e l l . " This is so because the actions of the Patr iarchs

serve as an antecedent a n d a catalyst fo r the subsequent ac¬

t ions of thei r descendants.

Thus , the altars b u i l t b y A v r a h a m e m p o w e r e d his prog¬

eny to successful ly b r i n g of fer ings u p o n the altars i n the

Mishkan a n d the f i rst a n d second Beis HaMikdash.

H o w d i d A v r a h a m accompl ish the b u i l d i n g of these

three altars?

The Gemara relates 6 that the altars pe r f o rmed three pr i¬

m a r y funct ions: they p r o v i d e d sustenance to the ent ire

1. Bereishis 12:7, 12:8, 13:18. 2. Bereishis Rabbah, conclusion of ch. 39. 3. Rashi, Bereishis 12:7. 4. Ibid. 12:8. 5. Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 9; similarly in Bereishis Rabbah 40:6. 6. Kesuvos 10b.

1 4 L E C H L E C H A

w o r l d ; they negated any harsh decrees against the Jewish people b y b r i n g i n g about atonement for their sins; a n d they caused the Jewish people to be l o v e d b y G - d .

These three funct ions correspond to the three general categories of offerings: Olah — w h i c h were w h o l l y con¬s u m e d u p o n the altar; Chatos — atonement offer ings; a n d Shelamim — peace offer ings:

The Shelamim — parts of w h i c h were eaten b y those w h o b r o u g h t t h e m — symbol ize the altar's f u n c t i o n of p r o v i d i n g the w o r l d w i t h sustenance; just as the owners were able to phys ica l ly sustain themselves b y eat ing parts of the offer¬ings, so too is the "ent i re w o r l d sustained i n the m e r i t of the o f fer ings . "

Chatos — offer ings that b r o u g h t atonement — served to negate any a n d a l l harsh decrees, a n d caused the Jewish people to be f o r g i v e n for their sins.

The w h o l l y consumed Olah, o f fered " e n t i r e l y for G-d's g l o r y , " 7 w i t h o u t any u l t e r i o r m o t i v e , served to make the Jews even m o r e l o v e d b y G - d .

The b r i n g i n g of offer ings was deemed to be so i m p o r t a n t that the generic t e r m "service" (Avodah) is a p p l i e d to i t . 8 I t thus f o l l o w s that i n our day- to -day service to G - d , w h i c h m i r r o r s the "service of o f fer ings , " w e w i l l also f i n d the three above-ment ioned categories:

First a n d foremost is the o n g o i n g service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos — s imi lar to the Shelamim o f f e r i n g — w h i c h con¬t i n u a l l y p r o v i d e s a Jew w i t h his phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l sus¬tenance.

The second general aspect of D i v i n e service — s imi lar to the Chatos o f f e r i n g — is that of repentance a n d atonement; even w h e n one — G - d f o r b i d — transgresses, one is able to g a i n forgiveness t h r o u g h repentance a n d atonement.

H o w e v e r , a Jew achieves to ta l u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h a n d at¬tachment to G - d o n l y t h r o u g h the service of mesirus nefesh —

7. Midrash Tadsheh; Sefer Raziel HaMalach. 8. See commentaries on Avos 1:2.

THREE ALTARS 1 5

complete , absolute a n d selfless dedica t ion , s imi lar to the w h o l l y consumed Olah o f fer ing .

I n this state, a person dedicates h i m s e l f to G - d n o t for the sake of phys ica l or even s p i r i t u a l r e w a r d , b u t solely for the sake of G-d's g l o r y , w i t h no t h o u g h t of self. By act ing i n such a m a n n e r a Jew becomes "ever the m o r e l o v e d b y G - d . "

A v r a h a m ' s b u i l d i n g of three altars a n d their effect o n his p r o g e n y can be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly : he thereby l a i d the f o u n d a t i o n s for the three general aspects of D i v i n e service pract iced b y the Jewish people t h r o u g h o u t h i s tory .

The f i rs t altar — b u i l t u p o n h e a r i n g G-d's promise about c h i l d r e n a n d the l a n d — relates to the phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l sustenance achieved t h r o u g h the o n g o i n g service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos.

The second altar — w h e r e i n he p r a y e d that the s in of A c h a n be f o r g i v e n — involves repentance, atonement a n d forgiveness.

The t h i r d altar — for w h i c h Rashi p r o v i d e s no reason at a l l — symbolizes that aspect of service w h i c h transcends reason: the service of mesirus nefesh.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Lech Lecha 5747

"Down Is U p "

The name of a T o r a h p o r t i o n is, of course, indica t ive of its general content, i n a s m u c h as the t i t le applies equal ly to a l l its verses. This is also t rue r e g a r d i n g Lech Lecha, " G o for y o u r o w n sake" — a t i t le that i m p l i e s a c o n t i n u a l m o v i n g f o r w a r d .

The general m e a n i n g of f o r w a r d m o v e m e n t i n the l i fe of a Jew, p r e f i g u r e d b y the j o u r n e y of A v r a h a m — the f i rs t Jew — is a constant s p i r i t u a l e levat ion t h r o u g h d i v i n e service, the reason for w h i c h m a n was created. 1

1. Conclusion of tractate Kiddushin.

1 6 L E C H L E C H A

The b e g i n n i n g of Lech Lecha describes h o w A v r a h a m f u l f i l l e d G-d's c o m m a n d to " m o v e f o r t h f r o m y o u r l a n d , b i r thplace a n d father's h o m e , " 2 b y c o m p l e t i n g his father's j o u r n e y to Eretz Yisrael . I t t h e n goes o n to chronicle h o w A v r a h a m c o n t i n u e d to j o u r n e y i n the d i r e c t i o n of Jerusalem a n d the Beis HaMikdash.3

The above facts thus deta i l A v r a h a m ' s constant s p i r i t u a l c l i m b , forever a t t a i n i n g m o r e subl ime s p i r i t u a l levels.

H o w e v e r , soon a f terwards the T o r a h relates h o w a fam¬ine i n Eretz Yisrael forced A v r a h a m to descend to Egypt , a l a n d whose s p i r i t u a l degradat ion was such that is was cal led the " a b o m i n a t i o n of the e a r t h . " 4

H o w does this descent c o n f o r m w i t h a t i t le that refers to c o n t i n u a l s p i r i t u a l ascent?

O u r Sages i n f o r m us 5 that " A l l the events that t r a n s p i r e d w i t h the Patriarchs serve as a s ign to their p r o g e n y . " This means that not o n l y w e r e these events the forerunners of s imi lar ones i n v o l v i n g the Jewish n a t i o n , b u t also that the t r a i l b l a z i n g of the Patriarchs brought about those ensuing events.

Thus the Zohar says 6 that A v r a h a m ' s descent to Egypt l e d to the subsequent exile of the Jewish people there, a n d unders tandably , A v r a h a m ' s ensuing ascent f r o m E g y p t made possible the Jewish people's subsequent exodus a n d elevat ion. S i m i l a r l y , since A v r a h a m left E g y p t " h e a v i l y laden w i t h l ivestock, si lver a n d g o l d , " 7 the Jewish people w o u l d leave E g y p t w i t h great w e a l t h .

A c c o r d i n g l y , i t is to be u n d e r s t o o d that the ultimate m e a n i n g of A v r a h a m ' s descent i n t o E g y p t is i n d e e d a l l u d e d to i n the t i t le Lech Lecha; his descent i n t o E g y p t w a s a neces¬sary prerequis i te to his subsequent ascent, " h e a v i l y l a d e n

2. Bereishis 12:1. 3. Bereishis Rabbah 39:24. 4. Bereishis 42:9. 5. See Tanchumah, Lech Lecha 9; Bereishis Rabbah 40:6. 6. Zohar, Lech Lecha. 7. Bereishis 13:2.

" D O W N IS U P " 1 7

w i t h l ivestock, si lver a n d g o l d . " Therefore, this descent w a s p a r t a n d parcel of his later ascent.

The same h o l d s t rue w i t h regard to our o w n s p i r i t u a l debasement i n the present Exile — an exile r o o t e d i n the E g y p t i a n exile, the source of a l l later exiles. 8

The u l t i m a t e in tent of this exile is the enab l ing the Jewish people — t h r o u g h their s p i r i t u a l service u n d e r the most t r y i n g circumstances — to reach an even lof t ier level t h a n that a t ta ined d u r i n g the t ime of the Beis HaMikdash.9 Thus , the present descent is i n itself t r u l y p a r t of the c o m i n g ascent.

The above helps i m m e a s u r a b l y i n terms of our o w n s p i r i t u a l service. w h e n one ponders the current state of the w o r l d , one m a y w e l l despair of ever v a n q u i s h i n g the spiri¬t u a l darkness a n d i l l u m i n a t i n g the w o r l d w i t h the l i g h t of T o r a h a n d mitzvos.

I n t r u t h , h o w e v e r , a l l these descents a n d concealments are m e r e l y external . O n a m o r e subl ime level , since G - d con¬ducts the w o r l d according to H i s w i l l a n d since H e desires that a l l creat ion a t ta in s p i r i t u a l perfect ion, even those th ings that seem to indicate darkness a n d a h e a d l o n g f a l l are b u t a prerequis i te for ref inement , i l l u m i n a t i o n a n d soaring ascent.

Thus , since the present state of affairs is t r u l y p a r t a n d parcel of the c o m i n g ascent. The w o r l d overa l l is i n d e e d be¬c o m i n g hol ier d a y b y day, a n d u l t i m a t e l y w i l l a t ta in com¬p l e t i o n as a w h o l l y f i t d w e l l i n g place for G - d .


8. See Likkutei Sichos IX, p. 178, fn. 28. 9. See Pesachim 87b; Torah Or, 6a; Or HaTorah, Lech 86a.

1 8 VAYEIRA

Vayeira וירא

Two Forms of Kindness

The Torah p o r t i o n of Vayeira begins b y re la t ing that G-d

appeared to A v r a h a m at the entrance of h is tent. Bu t w h e n

A v r a h a m observed three strangers s tand ing nearby, he got

u p , asked G-d to wa i t , a n d ran to greet the strangers a n d

offer t h e m hosp i ta l i t y . 1

Thus, for the sake of hosp i ta l i t y to strangers, A v r a h a m

left G-d w a i t i n g . Indeed, our Sages g lean f r o m A v r a h a m ' s

conduct that "Hosp i t a l i t y to wayfarers is even greater than

rece iv ing the D i v i ne Presence." 2

Such hospi table behav ior has become an in tegra l pa r t of

Jewish conduct — another example of the abovement ioned

pa t te rn descr ibed b y our Rabbis.

Yet A v r a h a m h imse l f h a d no such commandmen t . w h a t

led h i m to feel that i t was p roper to forsake G-d for the sake

of strangers?

Kindness t o w a r d others can be m o t i v a t e d b y either

m a g n a n i m i t y or h u m i l i t y : 3

A n example of the fo rmer w o u l d be the favor s h o w n b y a

great k i n g or wea l t hy i n d i v i d u a l . Thei r feel ings of se l f -wor th

a n d impor tance lead t h e m to act i n a generous a n d

benevolent manner , " s h o w e r i n g beneficence on a l l . "

A n example of k indness that results f r o m h u m i l i t y is the

char i ty exh ib i ted b y A v r a h a m , w h o said of h imsel f : " I a m

mere ear th a n d ashes." 4 Because he fel t h imse l f to be less

1. Bereishis 18:1-5 and commentary of Rashi. 2. Shavuos 35b. 3. See Likkutei Torah, Eikev 17c and onward; Toras Chayim, Toldos 4a and onward;

Or HaTorah, Vayeira 90a and onward; Ma'amar Kotonti 5679. 4. Bereishis 18:27.

T W O FORMS OF KINDNESS 1 9

s ignif icant t h a n a l l others, he fel t i t n a t u r a l to extend k i n d ¬ness a n d h o n o r to a l l . 5

Kindness that results f r o m such self-effacement is supe¬r i o r to that w h i c h emanates f r o m m a g n a n i m i t y i n t w o i m ¬p o r t a n t w a y s :

Kindness that comes f r o m the fee l ing that everyone else is m o r e w o r t h y w i l l cause an i n d i v i d u a l to g ive e v e r y t h i n g a w a y to others, susta ining h imse l f o n their leavings. But kindness that stems f r o m m a g n a n i m i t y w i l l see the g iver k e e p i n g the l ion 's share for himsel f , g i v i n g o n l y the leavings to others.

M o r e o v e r , m a g n a n i m o u s kindness is o n l y extended w h e n the benefactor w i l l n o t suffer f r o m his o w n generosity. Self-effacing kindness , o n the other h a n d , w i l l inspire a per¬son to g ive even w h e n d o i n g so causes h i m suf fer ing a n d d e p r i v a t i o n .

Because A v r a h a m ' s kindness a n d h o s p i t a l i t y s temmed f r o m h u m i l i t y a n d self-effacement, he n o t o n l y p laced his phys ica l l i fe i n j e o p a r d y b y b a t t l i n g m i g h t y k ings to save the l ives of others, 6 b u t was even p r e p a r e d to p u t his spiritual l i fe i n j e o p a r d y — s o m e t h i n g m u c h m o r e i m p o r t a n t to h i m t h a n his phys ica l l i fe .

This superior b r a n d of kindness is w h a t m o t i v a t e d A v r a h a m to leave G - d w a i t i n g w h i l e he w e n t to greet pass¬i n g strangers.

The above sheds l i g h t o n a saying of our Sages, w h o note 7 that : " I n the m e r i t of our father A v r a h a m saying ' I a m mere earth a n d ashes,' his c h i l d r e n m e r i t e d the command¬ments of the ashes of the Red Hei fer a n d the earth of Sotah [used i n the r i t u a l of e x a m i n i n g a suspected adulteress] . "

I t is axiomatic that " G - d r e w a r d s measure for measure . " 8

A s i d e f r o m the innocuous connect ion of the w o r d s " e a r t h " a n d "ashes," w h a t inner re la t ionship exists b e t w e e n A v r a -

5. See places cited in fn. 3. 6. Bereishis 14:14-17. 7. Sotah 17a; Chulin 88b. 8. See Sotah 8b and onward.

2 0 V A Y E I R A

ham's statement a n d the t w o abovement ioned command¬ments?

The connect ion is as f o l l o w s : the performance of b o t h these c o m m a n d m e n t s is b o u n d u p w i t h the h u m i l i t y a n d s p i r i t u a l self-sacrifice that come f r o m the awareness that one is " m e r e ear th a n d ashes."

The ashes of the Red Hei fer , used to p u r i f y i n d i v i d u a l s d e f i l e d b y contact w i t h the dead, caused some of those in¬v o l v e d i n its p r e p a r a t i o n to themselves become m i l d l y de-f i l e d . 9 Thus , p u r i f y i n g an i n d i v i d u a l w i t h the ashes of a Red Hei fer necessitated a s p i r i t u a l self-sacrifice u p o n the p a r t of those w h o d i d the p u r i f y i n g .

The ashes of Sotah were also used i n a ceremony that ne¬cessitated s p i r i t u a l self-sacrifice, for the r i t u a l r e q u i r e d the erasing of the D i v i n e N a m e . For the sake of b r i n g i n g peace be tween h u s b a n d a n d w i f e , the T o r a h indicates that G-d's name m a y be erased 1 0 — an act of self-sacrifice that echoes the kindness of A v r a h a m .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXV, pp. 79-83.

9. Mishnayos Parah conclusion of ch. 4; Bamidbar Rabbah beginning of ch. 19; Rambam, Hilchos Parah Adumah beginning of ch. 5.

10. Shabbos 116a.

T H E CRUCIAL DECISION 2 1

Vayeira

Chof Cheshvan כ׳ חשון

וירא

The Crucial Decision

w h e n Rabbi Sho lom Ber of Lubav i t ch was four or f ive years o l d , h is mo ther escorted h i m to see his grandfa ther , the Tzemach Tzedek, on the Shabbos of the To rah p o r t i o n Vayeira, i n order for h i m to receive his grandfather 's b i r t h d a y blessing.

u p o n enter ing his grandfather 's r o o m the ch i l d began to cry. w h e n his grandfather asked h i m w h y he was c ry ing , he answered that he h a d learned i n Cheder that G-d appeared to A v r a h a m . He was c r y i ng because he cou ld not unders tand w h y G-d appeared to A v r a h a m b u t does no t appear to us.

The Tzemach Tzedek responded: " W h e n a Jew at the age of 99 decides that he shou ld circumcise h imsel f , he is deserv¬i n g that G-d shou ld appear to h i m . "

The lesson of the Tzemach Tzedek's statement is that even a person w h o has engaged u n r e m i t t i n g l y i n d i v ine service for 99 years — as d i d A v r a h a m — mus t also circumcise h im¬self, i.e., he mus t take precaut ionary measures to g u a r d against the cover ings a n d concealments of the corporeal w o r l d a n d seek to remove them.

There is an add i t i ona l factor i nvo l ved : A d a m was g i ven six mitzvos, N o a c h received a seventh, and A v r a h a m was g i ven the mitzvah of c i rcumcis ion. Since th is mitzvah began w i t h A v r a h a m , i t can be unders tood that i t app l i ed to h i m i n par t icu lar .

Thus , A v r a h a m ' s decis ion at the age of 99 to circumcise h imse l f no t on l y i n v o l v e d a re f inement i n h is manner of service, b u t made h i m realize that even after a l l those years he was st i l l l ack ing someth ing v i ta l . Moreover , f r o m this

2 2 V A Y E I R A & C H O F C H E S H V A N

t i m e o n a l l his deeds w o u l d be accomplished i n a h igher manner .

This is i n l ine w i t h the c o m m e n t of our Sages o n the verse, " a n d be u n b l e m i s h e d , " 1 that G - d t o l d A v r a h a m that as l o n g as he was u n c i r c u m c i s e d he was considered b l e m i s h e d . 2

I t is obvious that the difference be tween b e i n g b l e m i s h e d a n d u n b l e m i s h e d a p p l i e d to a l l aspects of A v r a h a m , a n d n o t o n l y to his " b l e m i s h e d " organ.

o n e of the meanings of " A l l the events that t r a n s p i r e d w i t h the Patriarchs serve as a s ign to their p r o g e n y " is that the conduct of the Patriarchs i n their performance of mitzvos p a v e d the w a y a n d p r o v i d e d the f o r t i t u d e for the Jewish people to p e r f o r m the mitzvos after the T o r a h was g iv e n .

I n order that the mitzvos p e r f o r m e d b y the Patriarchs be connected w i t h those p e r f o r m e d b y the Jewish people after the T o r a h was g i v e n , there h a d to be at least one mitzvah that was s imi lar to those p e r f o r m e d b y their c h i l d r e n . This w a s the mitzvah of c i rcumcis ion .

A s opposed to A v r a h a m ' s per formance of other mitzvos, this mitzvah was c o m m a n d e d b y G - d . Therefore the sanctity of the mitzvah r e m a i n e d i n the phys ica l object w i t h w h i c h i t was p e r f o r m e d , s imi lar to the sanctity r e m a i n i n g i n objects w i t h w h i c h mitzvos are p e r f o r m e d subsequent to the g i v i n g of the Torah .

The c o m m a n d m e n t of c i r cumcis ion was thus the one mitzvah that connected all the mitzvos p e r f o r m e d b y the Pa¬triarchs w i t h the mitzvos p e r f o r m e d b y their p r o g e n y after the T o r a h was g i v e n . I t was specif ically this mitzvah that made i t possible for the mitzvos p e r f o r m e d b y the Patriarchs to p r o v i d e f o r t i t u d e to their c h i l d r e n .

A c c o r d i n g l y , i t is to be u n d e r s t o o d that A v r a h a m ' s deci¬sion to circumcise h imse l f after 99 years of s p i r i t u a l service i n v o l v e d m u c h m o r e t h a n the rea l izat ion that he was miss¬i n g someth ing v i t a l , a n d that f r o m n o w o n a l l his actions w o u l d be w h o l e a n d u n b l e m i s h e d .

1. Bereishis 17:1. 2. Rashi ibid. See also Nedarim 32a.

T H E CRUCIAL DECISION 2 3

For i t also i n v o l v e d the rea l izat ion that a l l his previous actions w e r e lack ing ; i t was necessary that he circumcise h imse l f so as to t r a n s f o r m a l l his p r e v i o u s mitzvos as w e l l , m a k i n g t h e m complete a n d u n b l e m i s h e d .

There is a lesson here: A person m u s t k n o w that n o mat¬ter h o w great he m a y be, he has yet to p e r f o r m that degree of service w h i c h w i l l render a l l his p r e v i o u s labors w h o l e a n d complete .


2 4 C H A Y E I SARAH

Chayei Sarah חיי שרה

Immediately Answered Prayers

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Chayei Sarah w e read 1 h o w A v r a -

h a m sent h is servant, Eliezer, to f i n d a w i f e for Yi tzchak.

A r r i v i n g i n A r a m N a h a r a y i m , Eliezer p rayed that h is mis¬

sion be c r o w n e d w i t h success. The Torah goes on to say: 2

" H e h a d no t yet f in ished speaking w h e n R ivkah ap¬

peared "

Regard ing the a lacr i ty w i t h w h i c h Eliezer's prayer was

answered, the Midrash states: 3 "There were three i nd i v i dua l s

whose prayers were answered immed ia te ly : Eliezer the ser¬

van t of A v r a h a m , Moshe , and Sh lomoh.

"El iezer — [as wr i t ten : ] 'He h a d no t yet f in ished speak¬

i n g w h e n R ivkah appeared ' ; Moshe — [as w r i t t e n ] : 4 ' N o

sooner h a d he f in ished speaking these w o r d s [ that the ear th

w o u l d spl i t and s w a l l o w u p Korach's rebels i f he, Moshe ,

was indeed G-d's messenger] , than the ear th spl i t ; Sh lomoh

— [as w r i t t e n ] : 5 ' A n d as Sh lomoh conc luded p r a y i n g [ that

the D i v i ne Presence grace the Beis HaMikdash], a f i re de¬

scended f r o m Heaven ' "

I n l i gh t of the fact that Eliezer's prayer was l i kened to the

prayers of such giants as Moshe and Sh lomoh, a n d that

other i nd i v i dua l s of great stature d i d not have their prayers

answered w i t h such d ispatch, w e m u s t perforce say that the

immed ia te response was no t so m u c h dependent on the per¬

son d o i n g the p r a y i n g as on the uniqueness of the prayers.

1. Bereishis 24:1-14. 2. Ibid. verse 15. 3. Bereishis Rabbah 9:4; Yalkut Shimoni, Remez 108. 4. Bamidbar 16:31. 5. II Divrei HaYomim, 7:1.

IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED PRAYERS 2 5

I n w h a t w a y were these prayers so exceptional that they , a n d they alone, were answered w i t h such speed?

The a m o u n t of t ime i t takes for s o m e t h i n g to be trans¬ferred f r o m one person to another depends ent i re ly o n the distance be tween the giver a n d the recipient ; w h e n they are u t t e r l y u n i t e d , the transfer takes n o t i m e at a l l . I t thus fol¬l o w s that the p e t i t i o n of one ent i re ly u n i t e d w i t h G - d w i l l result i n an i m m e d i a t e response.

Just as the degree of closeness to G - d w i l l affect the swiftness of response to one's prayer , so too w i l l the content of the prayer have a direct effect o n the speed of the answer — the m o r e the prayer emphasizes the concept of u n i t y a n d closeness to G - d , the m o r e i m m e d i a t e the response.

I n l i g h t of the above w e can u n d e r s t a n d the uniqueness of the three abovement ioned prayers : they encompass the three general manners w h e r e b y G-dliness is u n i t e d w i t h creat ion — w i t h i n the world, w i t h i n man, a n d w i t h i n Torah.

The p r o o f that G-dliness abides w i t h i n the w o r l d was the mani fes ta t ion of the D i v i n e Presence i n the Beis HaMikdash.6

There i t was possible for the n a k e d eye to perceive that the m a t e r i a l w o r l d was n u l l i f i e d before G-dliness, so m u c h so that phys ica l space transcended f in i te boundar ies , as our Sages state: 7 "The space of the A r k was n o t [capable of be¬i n g ] m e a s u r e d . "

It was for this measure of u n i f i c a t i o n a n d reve la t ion of G-dliness w i t h i n the w o r l d that S h l o m o h p r a y e d at comple¬t i o n of the Beis HaMikdash, a n d that is w h y his prayer w a s answered i m m e d i a t e l y .

The revela t ion of G-dliness t h r o u g h u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h man f i n d s expression i n prophecy . This state is achieved w h e n a p r o p h e t cleaves to G - d , 8 m e r i t i n g to have G-d's w o r d s re-

6. See Or HaTorah, Vayeitzei 178a and onward; Maamar Reb Brachya 5643, chs. 2¬3, 14 and onward; Maamar Padah B'Shalom 5680 and 5687.

7. Yoma 21a. 8. See Rambam, Hilchos Yesodai HaTorah 7:1.

2 6 C H A Y E I S A R A H

vealed to h i m c lo thed i n his o w n intel lect , i n his t h o u g h t a n d speech. 9

Moshe's prayer i n response to the rebels' c lamor : 1 0 " W h y are y o u sett ing yourselves above G-d's congregat ion?" ad¬dressed itself to this issue, as the verse states: 1 1 " T h i s shal l demonstrate to y o u that G-d sent me to do a l l these deeds, a n d I d i d n o t make u p a n y t h i n g m y s e l f . "

Because Moshe's prayer dealt w i t h the cr i t ica l issue of u n i t i n g w i t h G - d t h r o u g h p r o p h e c y , G-d's response was instantaneous.

The t h i r d m a n n e r of reve la t ion of G-dliness — i n a man¬ner of complete u n i f i c a t i o n — is the D i v i n e reve la t ion w i t h i n Torah, for T o r a h a n d G - d are ent i re ly one. 1 2

W h e n G - d gave the T o r a h to the Jewish people , H e b r o u g h t about the u n i f i c a t i o n of the highest w i t h the lowest — transcendent G-dliness u n i t i n g w i t h the phys ica l w o r l d — thereby m a k i n g i t possible for parchment , for example , to become a sacred object.

The inc ident that p a v e d the w a y for the u n i f i c a t i o n of the most l o f t y w i t h the most base was the marr iage of Yi tzchak to R i v k a h , for the actions of the Patriarchs serve as an ante¬cedent to the actions of their p r o g e n y . 1 3 Yi tzchak's marr iage to R i v k a h m i r r o r e d the j o i n i n g of the most h i g h w i t h the most l o w .

M a r r i a g e is the highest f o r m of u n i o n . I n order for R i v k a h (a c h i l d of the nefar ious idolater Besu'el a n d sister of the i n f a m o u s s w i n d l e r Lavan) to m a r r y Yi tzchak (a l i v i n g "sacred o f f e r i n g , " 1 4 the u l t i m a t e i n holiness), a t rue u n i o n of the loft iest a n d l o w l i e s t h a d to be achieved. This marr iage served as the forerunner of the u n i o n represented b y the Torah .

9. Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah conclusion of ch. 2, quoting the Ari Z"l. 10. Bamidbar ibid. verse 4. 11. Ibid. verse 28. 12. Tanya chs. 4 and 23 quoting the Zohar. 13. See source cited in Likkutei Sichos V, p. 79, fn. 20. 14. Bereishis Rabbah 64:3.

IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED PRAYERS 2 7

I t was for this u n i o n that Eliezer p r a y e d . L i t t l e w o n d e r , then , that " H e h a d n o t yet f i n i s h e d speaking w h e n R i v k a h appeared . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XX, pp. 91-96.

Aging Gracefully

I n c h r o n i c l i n g the l i fe of A v r a h a m , w e are t o l d i n the p o r t i o n Chayei Sarah tha t 1 " A v r a h a m was o l d , w e l l advanced i n days, a n d G - d blessed A v r a h a m i n a l l t h i n g s . "

Seemingly, " o l d " a n d " w e l l advanced i n d a y s " are syn¬o n y m o u s . W h y does the verse repeat itself?

O u r Sages in terpre t the qualit ies of " o l d " — zakein — a n d " w e l l advanced i n d a y s " — ba bayamim — i n the f o l l o w i n g manner : " O l d " al ludes to the acquis i t ion of k n o w l e d g e , 2

w h i l e " w e l l advanced i n d a y s " refers to the f i l l i n g of each a n d every d a y w i t h the performance of mitzvos.3

" O l d " a n d " w e l l advanced i n d a y s " thus a l lude to t w o dis t inct th ings : " O l d " relates to the superior q u a l i t y of A v r a h a m ' s soul, for he acquired m u c h w i s d o m a n d ins ight ; " w e l l advanced i n d a y s " relates to A v r a h a m ' s accomplish¬ments w i t h regard to the w o r l d as a w h o l e , since the w o r l d is a composite of t i m e a n d space.

This is i n k e e p i n g w i t h the general difference be tween T o r a h a n d mitzvos.4 Torah , G-d's w i s d o m , is b o t h inte l lec tual a n d s p i r i t u a l . By a c q u i r i n g this w i s d o m , one enhances the q u a l i t y of one's soul . Mitzvos, o n the other h a n d , are c lo thed i n phys ica l th ings , a n d their m a i n purpose is n o t so m u c h to enhance a person's s p i r i t u a l s tanding as to i l l u m i n a t e the phys ica l w o r l d a n d t r a n s f o r m i t i n t o a d w e l l i n g f i t for G - d .

1. Bereishis 24:1. 2. Kiddushin 32a. 3. See Zohar I 224a; Torah Or 16a, 79b. 4. See Tanya chapters 23, 37. Iggeres HaKodesh conclusion of section 20.

2 8 C H A Y E I S A R A H

Thus , w i t h regard to g a i n i n g w i s d o m the t e r m " a c q u i s i t i o n " is used, for a person acquires w i s d o m . W i t h regard to p e r f o r m i n g mitzvos, h o w e v e r , the t e r m " d a y s " is used, as i t indicates the effect that mitzvos have o n the w o r l d at large.

H e r e i n lies the special q u a l i t y of A v r a h a m . H e was able to h a r m o n i o u s l y combine the a b i l i t y to perfect h imse l f a n d the a b i l i t y to perfect a n d elevate the w o r l d . M o r e o v e r , A v r a -h a m accompl ished b o t h i n a f lawless m a n n e r — he w a s "blessed i n all t h i n g s , " " o l d " a n d " w e l l advanced i n days . "

A n a d d i t i o n a l mat ter n o w becomes clear. The Gemara relates 5 that the 2,000-year p e r i o d of T o r a h began w i t h A v r a h a m , for A v r a h a m ' s m a n n e r of service was such that i t served as a p r e p a r a t i o n for the g i v i n g of the Torah . W h a t aspect of A v r a h a m ' s service served as a forerunner to Mattan Torah?

The Midrash6 i n f o r m s us that p r i o r to Mattan Torah, p h y s i c a l i t y a n d s p i r i t u a l i t y were separate entities. The n o v e l q u a l i t y of Mattan Torah was that f r o m then o n i t became possible to fuse the phys ica l w i t h the s p i r i t u a l t h r o u g h the performance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos.

The process of b l e n d i n g the sacred a n d the m u n d a n e be¬gan w i t h A v r a h a m ' s per fec t ing of his o w n s p i r i t u a l i t y w h i l e per fec t ing the s p i r i t u a l i t y of the w o r l d as a w h o l e , to the de¬gree that the w o r l d c o u l d a t ta in such perfec t ion p r i o r to Mat-tan Torah.

A s w i t h a l l accounts i n the Torah , there is a lesson 7 here for our o w n s p i r i t u a l service:

There are i n d i v i d u a l s w h o constant ly b u s y themselves w i t h r e c t i f y i n g a n d i m p r o v i n g the w o r l d , yet forget about their o w n se l f - improvement . T h e n there are others w h o are ent i re ly i m m e r s e d i n per fec t ing themselves a n d do n o t h i n g to i l l u m i n a t e the w o r l d a r o u n d t h e m . A v r a h a m ' s m a n n e r of service teaches that w e m u s t combine the t w o .

5. Avodah Zarah 9a. 6. Shmos Rabbah 12:3. 7. See Zohar III 53b.

A G I N G GRACEFULLY 2 9

A l t h o u g h b o t h these aspects of service are necessary, greater emphasis is p laced o n i l l u m i n a t i n g a n d i m p r o v i n g the w o r l d . W h y ?

Creator a n d created are separated b y an i n f i n i t e gul f . Perfecting oneself enhances the q u a l i t y a n d increases the j o y of created beings; per fec t ing the w o r l d at large a n d f u l f i l l i n g G-d's desire of t r a n s f o r m i n g i t i n t o a d w e l l i n g place for H i m t h r o u g h the performance of mitzvos causes G-d pleasure a n d de l ight .

I t is thus understandable that no mat ter h o w great the pleasure an accompl ishment b r i n g s to created beings, i t can i n n o w a y compare to the d e l i g h t a n d gladness of the Crea¬tor H i m s e l f . 8

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III , pp. 773-778.

8. See Hemshech V'Kachah 5637 ch. 12.

3 0 TOLDOS

Toldos תולדות

To Give and Give Again

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Toldos w e read of the blessings

that Y i tzchak bes towed u p o n his son Yaakov, beg inn ing

w i t h the w o r d s : 1 " A n d m a y G-d g ive you. . . . " Comments the

Midrash:2 " M a y He g ive y o u , a n d M a y He g ive y o u aga in . "

M a n is inherent ly l i m i t e d , so his gi f ts are inheren t l y l im¬

i ted. Even i f a person were to g ive as m u c h as he can, h is g i f t

w o u l d be l i m i t e d , a n d thus he m a y a d d to h is g i f t b y g i v i n g

once again.

G-d , however , is t r u l y l imi t less. Surely, H is o r ig ina l g i f t ,

emanat ing as i t does f r o m his in f in i te k indness, is also w i th¬

out l im i t . W h a t possible need cou ld there be for G-d to g ive

a n d then g ive again?

The t ransmiss ion of know ledge f r o m teacher to student

can be achieved i n one of t w o ways : a) the student m a y un¬

derstand his master 's teachings, b u t no t t h o r o u g h l y enough

to ar r ive at nove l concepts; b) the discip le m a y comple te ly

master h is teacher's discourse, so that he is able to a m p l i f y

on these teachings and come u p w i t h nove l thoughts of h is

o w n .

Examples of the above are f o u n d i n the Mishnah,3 where

R. Yochanan ben Z a k k a i speaks of the qual i t ies of h is disci¬

ples, compar i ng R. Eliezer ben Horkenus to "a cemented cis¬

tern w h i c h does no t lose a d r o p " a n d R. Elazar ben A r a c h to

a " f o u n t a i n w h i c h f l ows w i t h ever- increasing s t rength . "

It is read i l y apparent that the latter s tudent is super ior to

the former . Thus A b b a Shaul goes on to say i n the name of R.

Yochanan ben Zakka i : " I f a l l the Sages of Israel, i n c l u d i n g

1. Bereishis 27:28. 2. Bereishis Rabbah 66:3. 3. Avos 2:9 (according to the Alter Rebbe's version in his Siddur).

T O GIVE AND GIVE A G A I N 3 1

even Eliezer ben H u r k n u s , were o n one side of a scale, a n d Elazar b e n A r a c h were o n the other, he w o u l d o u t w e i g h t h e m a l l . "

The reason for this s u p e r i o r i t y lies i n the fact that even i f " n o t a d r o p " of k n o w l e d g e is lost, such a disciple w i l l never have m o r e t h a n he received f r o m his master.

H o w e v e r , a s tudent w h o " f l o w s w i t h ever-increasing s t r e n g t h " w i l l be able to use his master's teachings as a s p r i n g b o a r d to ga in ever-increasing a m o u n t s of k n o w l e d g e .

Nevertheless, i t goes w i t h o u t saying that even the stu¬dent w h o " f l o w s w i t h ever-increasing s t r e n g t h " owes his gains to the teachings of his master. A f t e r a l l , i t is u p o n those teachings that his subsequent k n o w l e d g e is based. I n fact, this a b i l i t y i n his s tudent represents a teacher's c r o w n i n g achievement, for the u l t i m a t e objective of a teacher is to get his students to t h i n k for themselves.

H e r e i n lies the m e a n i n g of " M a y H e give y o u , a n d M a y H e g ive y o u aga in" : G-d's blessings are so s p l e n d i d that n o t o n l y is the person blessed w i t h u n l i m i t e d b o u n t y f r o m A b o v e , b u t he is i n s p i r e d to make use of these blessings o n his o w n , thereby g a i n i n g yet again.

I n terms of man 's s p i r i t u a l service, these t w o types of students correspond to the r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l a n d the peni tent :

The r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l f o l l o w s the p a t h of T o r a h a n d mitzvos as they w e r e t r a n s m i t t e d f r o m A b o v e , w h i l e the peni tent , h a v i n g devia ted f r o m the p a t h , t ransforms i n i q u i t y i n t o m e r i t . 4 H i s m e t h o d of service uses his p o w e r of repen¬tance — the arousal of w h i c h is also granted to h i m b y G - d 5

— to p e r f o r m an a d d i t i o n a l measure of service, a service not r e a d i l y available to the r ighteous.

F u r t h e r m o r e , just as the s tudent w h o is l i k e n e d to "a f o u n t a i n that f l o w s w i t h ever-increasing s t r e n g t h " is supe¬r i o r to a s tudent w h o is s imi lar to "a cemented cistern w h i c h does n o t lose a d r o p , " so too is the service of the peni tent

4. Yoma 86b; see also Tanya ch. 7. 5. See Chagigah 15a; Berachos 3a; Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6c.

3 2 TOLDOS

superior to the service of the r ighteous . O u r Sages express i t t h u s : 6 " O n the level that penitents s tand, the comple te ly r ighteous are unable to s tand . "

Their s u p e r i o r i t y is s imi lar to that of the preeminent stu¬dent: just as he is capable of endlessly increasing his k n o w l ¬edge, so too is the penitent 's m a n n e r of service o n an i n f i n i t e level , w h i l e the service of the r ighteous , h o w e v e r excellent, is m e r e l y f in i te . The peni tent thus serves i n a m a n n e r of " M a y H e give y o u , a n d M a y H e give y o u a g a i n . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. X, pp. 80-83.

6. See Berachos 34b.

Sowing the Physical and Reaping the Spiritual

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Toldos w e r e a d 1 that " Y i t z c h a k s o w e d that l a n d , a n d reaped that year a h u n d r e d f o l d . " The Midrash notes 2 that Yi tzchak measured the y i e l d i n order to t i the his crops.

I n Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer,3 h o w e v e r , w e f i n d the f o l l o w i n g comment : " C a n i t be that Yi tzchak p l a n t e d g r a i n , H e a v e n forfend?! Rather, he t o o k a t e n t h of a l l his w e a l t h a n d i m ¬p l a n t e d tzedakah — he d i s t r i b u t e d i t to the p o o r . "

W h y does Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer f i n d i t so d i f f i c u l t to imagine Yi tzchak p l a n t i n g crops? Commentar ies e x p l a i n 4

that since the Patriarchs w e r e shepherds a n d w a n d e r e d f r o m place to place, i t w o u l d have been i m p r a c t i c a l for any of t h e m to sow seeds, as that requires r e m a i n i n g i n one area for a considerable t ime .

1. Bereishis 26:12. 2. Bereishis Rabbah 64:6. 3. Beginning of ch. 33. 4. Biur HaRadal ibid.

S O W I N G THE PHYSICAL A N D R E A P I N G THE SPIRITUAL 3 3

B u t even i f this w e r e so, w h a t is so devastat ing about the idea of Yitzchak's p l a n t i n g crops that the expression " H e a v e n f o r f e n d ! " is used?

M o r e o v e r , w e see that according to the Midrash, Y i tzchak d i d i n d e e d p l a n t crops. Even i f w e w e r e to say that these are t w o d i f ferent o p i n i o n s , they cannot be d iametr i ca l ly o p -posed. 5 H o w is i t possible that according to the Midrash Yitzchak d i d p l a n t crops, w h i l e according to Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer, " C a n i t be that Yi tzchak p l a n t e d g r a i n , Heaven for-fend?!"

W e m u s t perforce say that according to Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer as w e l l , the s imple m e a n i n g of the verse is that Yi tzchak p l a n t e d crops, for a verse can a lways be under¬stood i n its s imple context . 6

W h e n Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer states " C a n i t be that Yi tzchak p l a n t e d g r a i n , H e a v e n forfend?! Rather, he... i m p l a n t e d tzedakah" i t in tends to reveal the inner content a n d purpose of Yitzchak's p l a n t i n g :

W i t h regard to the Patriarchs i t is stated: 7 "The Patriarchs are t r u l y the [ D i v i n e ] C h a r i o t , 8 for a l l their organs were comple te ly holy a n d detached f r o m m u n d a n e matters. T h r o u g h o u t their l ives they served as vehicles for the D i v i n e W i l l . "

Thus , w i t h regard to our Patr iarch Yi tzchak, Heaven for-fend that the u l t i m a t e purpose of his p l a n t i n g was m e r e l y to raise crops. Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer therefore states that al¬t h o u g h Yitzchak's phys ica l actions w e r e surely those of p l a n t i n g crops, his inner purpose was to t i the the harvest a n d d is t r ibute tzedakah.

Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer, h o w e v e r , does n o t pose its quest ion concerning the Patriarchs' chief phys ica l occupat ion ; i t never asks " W e r e the Patriarchs shepherds, H e a v e n for fend? ! " They chose to become shepherds for the v e r y fact that shep-

5. Tosfos, Beitza 13a. See also Darkei Shalom, Klalei HaShas, Klal 415. 6. Shabbos 63a. 7. Tanya ch. 23. 8. Bereishis Rabbah 47:6; 82:6.

3 4 TOLDOS

h e r d i n g is not t a x i n g , a n d they were thus able to concentrate o n their service to G - d . 9

F a r m i n g , h o w e v e r , is b o t h p h y s i c a l l y a n d m e n t a l l y tax¬i n g , someth ing that i n itself inh ib i t s d i v i n e service. I t is thus necessary to i n f o r m us that Yitzchak's labor was not , H e a v e n f o r f e n d , one of s imple f a r m i n g , b u t a p r e p a r a t i o n for the mitzvah of t i t h i n g , since tithes m u s t be g i v e n f r o m one's o w n crops. 1 0 Yi tzchak's p l a n t i n g w a s thus not one of " p l a n t i n g g r a i n " b u t t r u l y that of " i m p l a n t i n g tzedakah."

Yitzchak's phys ica l p l a n t i n g of crops m a y i n d e e d be l i n k e d to the statement i n the Mishnah11 that i f one carries out f o o d o n Shabbos i n a vessel h o l d i n g less t h a n the a m o u n t necessary to incur g u i l t for c a r r y i n g f r o m a p r i v a t e d o m a i n to a p u b l i c d o m a i n , he is t h e n n o t o n l y guilt less of c a r r y i n g the f o o d , b u t is also guilt less of c a r r y i n g the vessel; since the vessel is w h o l l y subordinate to the f o o d i t ho lds , i t is considered as i f he d i d n o t carry i t at a l l .

Yi tzchak's phys ica l p l a n t i n g , too, was so subordinated to the s p i r i t u a l goal of tzedakah that he d i d n o t " p l a n t g r a i n , " rather he " i m p l a n t e d tzedakah" — t h r o u g h o u t their l ives, the Patriarchs served as "vehicles for the D i v i n e W i l l . "


9. See Toras Chayim, Vayechi 102b. 10. Rambam, Hilchos Ma'asar 2:2. 11. Shabbos 93b.

T H E JEWISH PEOPLE — SONS A N D SHEEP 3 5

Vayeitzei ויצא

The Jewish People — Sons and Sheep

The p o r t i o n of Vayeitzei relates at l eng th h o w Yaakov,

w h i l e so journ ing w i t h Lavan , was i n v o l v e d w i t h sheep. He

was b o t h shepherd a n d sheep owner , for he received sheep

as paymen t for some of h is years of service.

Every deta i l i n Torah serves as an eternal lesson for a l l

Jews at a l l t imes and i n a l l places. This is especial ly so w i t h

regard to the actions of the Patr iarchs, since these serve as an

antecedent to the sp i r i tua l service of thei r o f fspr ing . 1

Surely th is is so regard ing the leng thy story of Yaakov 's

i nvo l vemen t w i t h sheep. W h a t sp i r i tua l lesson is to be

gleaned f r o m sheep?

The Midrash2 speaks of the re la t ionship be tween G-d a n d

the Jewish people i n the f o l l o w i n g manner : " H e is un to me a

father, a n d I a m un to H i m as a son; He is un to me a shep¬

h e r d a n d I a m u n t o H i m as sheep."

Obv ious l y , the re la t ionship be tween father a n d son goes

far b e y o n d the re la t ionship be tween a shepherd a n d his

f lock. Once the Midrash states that Jews are l ike G-d's chil¬

d ren , w h a t add i t i ona l b o n d is the Midrash h i n t i n g at w h e n i t

states that G-d loves the Jewish people as a shepherd loves

his sheep?

Descr ib ing Jews as G-d's ch i l d ren imp l ies that they are

l ooked u p o n as a d is t inct ent i ty . 3 A l t h o u g h every Jewish soul

is inseparably b o u n d to G - d 4 — un l i ke a phys ica l fa ther -and-

son re la t ionsh ip , w h i c h can be b roken — the ve ry fact that a

1. See Likkutei Sichos V p. 69ff. 2. Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:16 (1). 3. See Or HaTorah, Re'eh pp. 784-785, p. 795ff. 4. Likkutei Torah, Rosh HaShanah 62d.

3 6 V A Y E I T Z E I

Jew is cal led " s o n " i m p l i e s that he is another e n t i t y — he is n o t the Father.

Therefore, w h i l e as " c h i l d r e n " of G o d our existence a n d our love for our H e a v e n l y Father is i m p o r t a n t to H i m , w e r e m a i n created beings; ent i re ly d i f ferent f r o m the ineffable Presence that is G - d . W i t h regard to this essential state the verse states: 5 " H e has n o son "

This unbr idgeable g u l f is better described b y l i k e n i n g the Jewish people's re la t ionship w i t h G - d to that b e t w e e n a shepherd a n d his sheep; there is n o c o m p a r i s o n at a l l .

Nevertheless, this latter re la t ionship also serves as an i l ¬lus t ra t ion ; there is a fondness be tween the Shepherd a n d H i s f lock. But i n this context, our belovedness stems f r o m the intens i ty of our self-nullification rather t h a n f r o m our state of being.

This self-effacement is a l l u d e d to i n the m e t a p h o r of sheep, for w e observe that sheep possess a greater degree of self-effacement t h a n do other animals .

The t w o descript ions of the Jewish people — sons a n d sheep — a l lude to t w o f o r m s of s p i r i t u a l service:

The level of " s o n " results f r o m the service of T o r a h s tudy , w h i c h involves an i n d i v i d u a l ' s comprehension. T h o u g h increased T o r a h l e a r n i n g b r i n g s increased closeness to G - d , i t also b r i n g s increased awareness of the fundamen¬t a l a n d unbr idgeable distance be tween created a n d Creator.

The leve l of "sheep" is a t ta ined b y p u r i f y i n g , r e f i n i n g a n d e levat ing the phys ica l w o r l d . For the H e b r e w w o r d for sheep, tzon, is related to the w o r d yetziah, or depar ture , 6 re¬f e r r i n g to the " d e p a r t u r e " f r o m one's inte l lec tual self a n d the occupat ion of one's b o d y w i t h w o r l d l y matters i n order to t r a n s f o r m the w o r l d i n t o a d w e l l i n g f i t for G - d .

I t is specif ically this m a n n e r of service that evokes t rue se l f -nul l i f i ca t ion to G - d , for i n this f o r m of service, the Jew serves not for his o w n benef i t a n d s p i r i t u a l e levat ion, b u t

5. Koheles 4:8. 6. Torah Or, Vayeitzei 23c; Toras Chayim, Vayeitzei 38b.

T H E JEWISH PEOPLE — SONS A N D SHEEP 3 7

str ic t ly for the sake of r e a l i z i n g the D i v i n e goal of t ransform¬i n g this w o r l d i n t o a d w e l l i n g place for G - d .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XV, pp. 252-254.

Shabbos — An Unlimited Heritage

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Vayeitzei, G - d blesses Yaakov, de¬c l a r i n g to h i m : 1 " Y o u shall spread out to the west , to the east, to the n o r t h a n d to the s o u t h . " The Gemara comments : 2

" W h o e v e r del ights i n the Shabbos receives an u n l i m i t e d heritage, as is w r i t t e n : 3 'Then y o u shal l d e l i g h t i n G-d . . . a n d I w i l l n o u r i s h y o u w i t h the heritage of Yaakov , ' of w h o m i t is w r i t t e n : ' Y o u shall spread out to the west , to the east....' "

The r e w a r d for the performance of a mitzvah is, of course, measure for measure. 4 W h a t aspect of the mitzvah of Shabbos causes its r e w a r d to be " a n u n l i m i t e d heritage"?

Shabbos di f fers f r o m a l l other mitzvos i n that the per¬formance of other mitzvos is achieved t h r o u g h labor a n d ac¬t i o n . There are thus differences b e t w e e n the m a n n e r i n w h i c h a v e r y r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l w i l l p e r f o r m a mitzvah a n d the m a n n e r i n w h i c h i t w i l l be p e r f o r m e d b y a s imple person.

For example, tefillin are to be placed opposite the heart a n d u p o n the head so as to " b i n d " the head a n d heart to G - d . Unders tandably , there is a vast difference be tween the s p i r i t u a l head a n d heart of a t r u l y r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l a n d that of a less r ighteous one. The same is t rue w i t h regard to other mitzvos.

O b s e r v i n g Shabbos, h o w e v e r , consists of a cessation f r o m labor. W i t h regard to " n o t d o i n g , " a l l Jews can be equal .

1. Bereishis 28:14. 2. Shabbos 118a. 3. Yeshayahu 58:14. 4. See Sotah 8b, 9b. See also Tanya ch. 39: "From its reward one knows its es¬

sence...."

3 8 V A Y E I T Z E I

A l t h o u g h the cessation of labor of s imple f o l k involves r e f r a i n i n g f r o m m e n i a l tasks w h i l e the cessation of labor of the l o f t y involves a pause i n the s p i r i t u a l re f inement of the phys ica l w o r l d , these people o n l y d i f fer w i t h regard to the m a n n e r of labor they are rest ing f r o m ; w i t h regard to the resultant cessation of labor, a l l Shabbos-observant Jews are equal . 5

Superf ic ia l ly , i t w o u l d seem that the same w o u l d be t rue r e g a r d i n g all p r o h i b i t i v e c o m m a n d m e n t s ; l ike Shabbos, they i n v o l v e not d o i n g something . But u p o n closer ref lect ion, the difference b e t w e e n the cessation of labor o n Shabbos a n d the k e e p i n g of negative c o m m a n d m e n t s is obvious :

P r o h i b i t o r y c o m m a n d s are a direct o u t g r o w t h of pos i t ive ones. For example , the p r o h i b i t i o n against i d o l a t r y stems f r o m the pos i t ive c o m m a n d that a Jew is to have f a i t h a n d k n o w l e d g e o n l y of G - d ; the p r o h i b i t i o n of eat ing non-kosher animals is a direct result of the mitzvah of kashrus, etc.

The cessation d e m a n d e d b y Shabbos, o n the other h a n d , is the actual a n d entire c o m m a n d m e n t , as the verse states: 6

" Y o u shal l n o t do any w o r k . . . For [ in] six days G - d made the heavens a n d earth. . . a n d rested o n the seventh d a y . "

The reason w h y a l l Jews are ent i re ly equal w i t h regard to the mitzvah of cessation of labor o n Shabbos stems f r o m the fact that the mitzvah of Shabbos touches the essence of the Jewish soul . Differences b e t w e e n one Jew a n d another exist o n l y o n an external level ; w i t h regard to their essence, they are a l l equal .

This , too , is the m e a n i n g of the statement i n the Minchah prayer of Shabbos: " M a y Y o u r c h i l d r e n recognize a n d k n o w that f r o m Y o u is their rest, a n d b y their rest they sanctify Y o u r N a m e . " Shabbos rest derives f r o m G-d's v e r y Essence — " f r o m Y o u . " This causes each Jew's rest to be b o u n d u p w i t h the essence of his soul .

5. See Ma'amar Atah Echad of the Mitteler Rebbe. 6. Shmos 20:10,11.

SHABBOS — A N U N L I M I T E D HERITAGE 3 9

I t is also f r o m this level of essential soul that a Jew f i n d s the s t rength to offer his l i fe for the sancti f icat ion of G-d's N a m e — a p o w e r f o u n d i n a l l Jews equal ly .

Thus , b o t h Shabbos rest a n d u l t i m a t e self-sacrifice arise f r o m the same source. I t thus f o l l o w s that " b y their rest" i.e., b y the v e r y p o w e r that enables a l l Jews to rest equal ly o n Shabbos, comes the a b i l i t y to "sanct i fy Y o u r N a m e . "

The connect ion b e t w e e n the blessing " A n d y o u shal l spread out. . . " a n d Shabbos w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly . " A n d y o u shall spread out. . . " is an unlimited heritage that derives f r o m G-d's l imit less Essence. This is achieved t h r o u g h observing Shabbos, for Shabbos too stems f r o m G-d's Essence.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XV, pp. 226-229.

4 0 V A Y I S H L A C H

Vayishlach וישלח

"Today I Become a Man"

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Vayishlach w e read about D inah 's

bro thers , Sh imon a n d Lev i : "each man took his s w o r d , " 1 i n

order to avenge thei r sister's v i o l a t i on b y Shechem. Sh imon

a n d Lev i were at that t ime 13 years o l d . 2

Acco rd i ng to some op in ions, 3 since at the age of 13 Shi¬

m o n a n d Lev i were deemed " m e n " — a t e r m that denotes

m a t u r i t y , as the verse states: 4 "S t rengthen yourse l f and be¬

come a m a n " — w e der ive the l a w that "a t the age of 13 one

becomes obl igated to p e r f o r m the mitzvos."5

I n other w o r d s , b y the age of 13 one has acqu i red the in¬

tel lectual characteristics a n d at t i tudes of an adu l t — matur¬

i t y of intel lect a n d discernment. I t is for th is reason that a per¬

son is then obl igated to p e r f o r m a l l the commandments .

A l t h o u g h i t is possible to be in te l lec tua l ly acute even be¬

fore the age of 13, m a t u r i t y is s t i l l l ack ing , b o t h w i t h regard

to the dearness a n d mer i t of p e r f o r m i n g mitzvos, as w e l l as

w i t h regard to the severi ty of the sin i n thei r non -pe r f o rm-

ance. 6 Acco rd ing l y , a pre-teen is no t he l d responsible for h is

conduct and act ions, and the ob l iga t ion of mitzvos cannot be

p laced u p o n h i m .

Acco rd i ng to another op in i on , however , the source for

the ob l iga t ion to p e r f o r m mitzvos at age 13 is a dictate

1. Bereishis 34:25. 2. Bereishis Rabbah 80:10; Midrash Lekech Tov and Sechel Tov on this verse. 3. Rashi, Nazir 29b; Bartenura, Avos 5:21; Machzor Vitri ibid. 4. Melochim I, 2:2. See also Sefer HaShorashim of the Radak under the heading Ish. 5. Avos ibid.; Rambam, Hilchos Shevisas Asor 2:10. 6. See Kuntres HaTefillah ch. 5, p. 15ff.; Sefer HaMa'amarim 5670, p. 115; Hemshech

5672III, p. 1227.

"TODAY I BECOME A M A N " 4 1

h a n d e d d o w n b y G - d to Moshe at Sinai . 7 A s such, i t f o l l o w s a l o n g the lines of other supra-ra t ional edicts r e g a r d i n g measurements a n d amounts . A c c o r d i n g to this o p i n i o n , the o b l i g a t i o n to p e r f o r m mitzvos at 13 has n o t h i n g to do w i t h m a t u r i t y or discernment ; i t is a supra-ra t ional l a w .

One of the Halachic differences be tween these t w o opin ions is the age at w h i c h a non-Jew becomes obl igated to observe the Seven N o a h i d e Laws .

I f the o b l i g a t i o n of mitzvos at the age of 13 is dependent o n the age at w h i c h (most) people reach m a t u r i t y , t h e n i t s h o u l d a p p l y to Jew a n d non-Jew equal ly . I f , h o w e v e r , i t is one of the supra-rat ional L a w s of Measures — w h i c h do n o t a p p l y to non-Jews 8 — t h e n the age at w h i c h non-Jews' are obl igated to p e r f o r m their seven c o m m a n d m e n t s depends ent i re ly o n i n d i v i d u a l m a t u r i t y . 9

I n terms of s p i r i t u a l service, the difference b e t w e e n these t w o op in ions relates to the manner i n w h i c h a Jew is to ap¬p r o a c h the per formance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos:

A c c o r d i n g to the f i rs t o p i n i o n , the approach is one of serv ing G - d log ica l ly ; i f the age at w h i c h one becomes obli¬gated to p e r f o r m mitzvos depends o n one ' inte l lec tual matur¬i t y , i t is understandable that the service commences w i t h logic a n d comprehension.

A c c o r d i n g to the second o p i n i o n , h o w e v e r , the obliga¬t i o n to b e g i n p e r f o r m i n g mitzvos at 13 is supra-ra t ional — because G - d has so c o m m a n d e d . I t therefore f o l l o w s that the approach to the performance of mitzvos involves the supra-r a t i o n a l acceptance of the D i v i n e Yoke.

Nevertheless, even those w h o h o l d the f i rs t o p i n i o n — that the age for b e g i n n i n g one's service is gleaned f r o m the verse "each man t o o k his s w o r d " — also agree that the per¬formance of mitzvos is b o u n d u p w i t h mesirus nefesh, i.e.,

7. Responsa of the Rosh, beginning of general principle 16; Responsa of the Ma-Haril, sect. 51; second comment of Rashi in Avos ibid.

8. Rambam, Hilchos Melochim 9:10. 9. Responsa of the Chasam Sofer, Yoreh Deah, sect. 317.


serving G - d i n a self-sacrificial m a n n e r that transcends the b o u n d s of intellect .

That this is i n d e e d so is a m p l y d e m o n s t r a t e d 1 0 b y the fact that those w h o h o l d this o p i n i o n der ive i t f r o m the verse "each m a n t o o k his sword" — an act ion that demands self-sacrifice.

This i n n o w a y contradicts the earlier statement that this m a n n e r of service demands comprehens ion a n d intel lect , for t h o u g h they m a i n t a i n that the act ion s h o u l d be p e r f o r m e d w i t h u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d discernment , they agree that the foundation of D i v i n e service lies i n acceptance of the D i v i n e Yoke. Then, a n d o n l y then , can a person be assured that he w i l l no t be blinded b y his o w n logic , a n d that his performance of mitzvos w i l l be done i n an ent i re ly p r o p e r manner .


10. See Likkutei Sichos V, p. 162 fn. 74; ibid. p. 421.

" A n Abode for G-d in the Nethermost Levels"

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Vayishlach begins b y r e l a t i n g h o w Yaakov sent messengers to his brother Esav. 1 H i s u n d e r l y i n g purpose i n d o i n g so was to rect i fy a n d elevate Esav b y re¬v e a l i n g the g o o d concealed w i t h i n h i m . 2

This is s imi lar to the m i s s i o n entrusted to every Jew, for a l l Jews are G-d's messengers, 3 charged w i t h the m i s s i o n of " m a k i n g an abode for G - d i n the nethermost l eve ls " 4 — this phys ica l w o r l d .

I n order for a Jew to be able to t r a n s f o r m the phys ica l universe i n t o an abode for the c r e a t o r , G - d caused T o r a h

1. Bereishis 30:4. 2. See Torah Or and Toras Chayim portion Vayishlach. 3. See Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 1c. 4. See Tanchuma, Naso 15; Tanya, beginning of ch. 36.

" A N ABODE FOR G - D IN THE NETHERMOST LEVELS" 4 3

a n d mitzvos to descend to this w o r l d . 5 By s t u d y i n g Torah , p e r f o r m i n g m i t z v o s a n d spreading their l i g h t , a Jew is able to p e r f o r m his miss ion .

To make an abode for G - d " i n the nethermost levels ," h o w e v e r , t w o seemingly opposite th ings are necessary:

First a n d foremost , an i n d i v i d u a l m u s t be comple te ly self-effacing, aware that he is m e r e l y G-d's emissary, a n d as such m a y not , Heaven f o r b i d , act i n a m a n n e r contrary to G-d's desire as expressed i n the Torah , even w h e n he t h i n k s that b y d o i n g so he can have a greater effect o n his environ¬ment . I f an emissary acts contrary to the dictates of the one that a p p o i n t e d h i m , he ceases to be an emissary. 6

O n the other h a n d , i n order for an i n d i v i d u a l to succeed i n d isseminat ing the l i g h t of Judaism a n d i n f l u e n c i n g others, he m u s t use his own intel lect — the opposite of self-efface¬ment . This a b i l i t y to use one's o w n faculties is also a pre¬c o n d i t i o n to b e c o m i n g an emissary, as i t is c learly stated 7

that an emissary m u s t be m e n t a l l y competent . These t w o attr ibutes , so essential to the m i s s i o n of

" m a k i n g an abode for G - d i n the nethermost levels ," reflect the t w o components of that miss ion : " a n abode" a n d " i n the nethermost levels ."

The concept of " a n abode" stresses that the reve la t ion of G-dliness i n this w o r l d m u s t have the same qualit ies as a person i n his o w n h o m e . W h e n a person is a m o n g others he is constrained a n d cannot be t r u l y h imsel f ; w h e n he is at h o m e the restraints are l i f t e d a n d he reveals h imse l f f u l l y .

The concept of " i n the nethermost levels" emphasizes that this reve la t ion is so intense that i t permeates the v e r y essence of the nethermost levels . 8

This also explains w h y there are t w o aspects to the mis¬sion of " m a k i n g an abode for G - d i n the nethermost levels" :

5. See Tanchuma, Vayigash 6; Tanya ch. 5. 6. Rambam, Hilchos Shluchin v'Shutfin 1:2 and onward; Shulchan Aruch, Choshen

Mishpat 182:2 and onward. 7. Gitin 23a. 8. See Maamar Tik'u 5667; Likkutei Sichos XII, p. 73, XV, p. 88ff and fn.


O n the one h a n d , a l l Jews are entrusted equal ly w i t h this m i s s i o n ; o n the other, each has his specific tasks to f u l f i l l .

W i t h regard to the p r e p a r a t i o n of an "abode , " a l l Jews are ent i re ly equal , i n that they each possess a soul that is " t r u l y a p a r t of G - d above," 9 a n d are thus G-d's emissaries. Therefore every g o o d deed p e r f o r m e d b y a Jew serves to re¬vea l G-d's essence, h e l p i n g make an " a b o d e " for H i m .

H o w e v e r , i n order to permeate the m a n y entities that consti tute the "nethermost levels" w i t h this intense degree of holiness, i t is necessary that actions be u n d e r t a k e n appro¬priate to each e n t i t y a n d level . Here , each Jew has his o w n m i s s i o n t h r o u g h w h i c h he p u r i f i e s a n d elevates his p o r t i o n i n the w o r l d .

I n l i g h t of the above, w e can r e a d i l y u n d e r s t a n d w h y i t is necessary to d isp lay b o t h complete self-effacement a n d in¬dependent t h o u g h t i n order to " m a k e an abode for G - d i n the nethermost levels . "

I n order to be a p r o p e r emissary, a person m u s t be w h o l l y dedicated a n d n u l l i f i e d before G - d , for G - d resides o n l y a m o n g the h u m b l e . 1 0 A t the same t i m e , i n order to bet¬ter inf luence the "nethermost levels" a person m u s t be able to reach out to t h e m — s o m e t h i n g that requires a p p l i e d in¬telligence.

Based on Sefer HaSichos 5748, pp. 138-143, Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXV, p. 364.

9. Tanya ch. 2. 10. Yeshayahu 57:17. See also Sotah 5a: "G-d says of the arrogant individual, 'He

and I cannot reside in the same world.' "

A JEWISH TREASURE H U N T 4 5

Vayeishev וישב

A Jewish treasure hunt

The To rah p o r t i o n of Vayishlach concludes b y b r i e f l y l i s t ing the k ings of E d o m — the descendants of Esav — a n d thei r sett lements. This is f o l l o w e d b y the p o r t i o n of Vayei-shev, i n w h i c h w e are t o l d h o w Yaakov sett led i n Canaan, a n d where the story of h is p rogeny is re lated at great length .

The connect ion be tween Vayeishev a n d the conclus ion of Vayishlach is exp la ined b y our Sages w i t h the f o l l o w i n g par-able: 1

" I t is analogous to a k i n g w h o h a d a pear l that was cast i n ear th and thorns. The k i n g h a d to probe the ear th and thorns i n order to recover the pear l . A s soon as the k i n g re¬covered the pear l he d iscarded the ear th and thorns a n d oc¬cup ied h imse l f w i t h h is t reasure."

Here, too, i t was impossib le to describe Yaakov 's set t l ing i n c a n a a n a n d te l l the story of h is ch i ld ren w i t h o u t f i rst s u m m a r i z i n g the section about E d o m , the descendants of Esav.

W h y , indeed , was such a preface necessary? A lso , the parable seems to i m p l y that Jacob was " h i d d e n " a m o n g Esav's descendants, yet a lmost a l l the Edomi tes come on the scene after Yaakov 's passing. A d d i t i o n a l l y , w h y was the " p e a r l " f o u n d i n the m i d s t of b o t h " e a r t h " a n d " thorns"?

The purpose of Yaakov 's set t l ing i n c a n a a n was not on l y so that he and h is ch i l d ren m i g h t inhab i t Eretz Yisrael , b u t also, as Yaakov t o l d Esav, so that he m i g h t rema in w i t h i n reach of h is bro ther " u n t i l I come to [ you ] , m y l o r d , i n Seir ," 2

w h i c h refers — as Rashi expla ins 3 — to the f u l f i l lmen t of the

1. Tanchuma, Vayeishev 1. 2. Bereishis 33:14. 3. Ibid.

4 6 VAYEISHEV

promise "a t the t i m e of Mashiach's coming . . . that 'de l iverers 4

w i l l go u p to M o u n t T z i o n to j u d g e the m o u n t of Esav.' " I t is this that our Sages i m p l y w i t h the parable of the

pear l : The a l lu s ion is n o t m e r e l y to Yaakov's set t l ing i n Eretz Yisrael , b u t to Yaakov's u l t i m a t e goa l — " c o m i n g to Seir." Since this can be a t ta ined o n l y b y w o r k i n g w i t h i n " the set¬tlements of Esav a n d his p r o g e n y , " i.e., p u r i f y i n g a n d elevat¬i n g the sparks of holiness concealed w i t h i n phys ica l i ty , Yaakov's p e a r l is described as b e i n g concealed w i t h i n the " e a r t h a n d t h o r n s " of Esav.

H e r e i n lies a v i t a l lesson for Jews d u r i n g t imes of exile: The purpose of a l l exiles, a n d p a r t i c u l a r l y of this f i n a l Exile, the exile of E d o m , is to p u r i f y a n d elevate the sparks of hol i¬ness (the pearls) f o u n d i n phys ica l t h i n g s 5 — the earth a n d thorns .

W i t h i n p h y s i c a l i t y itself there are t w o dis t inct categories, a l l u d e d to b y our Sages as " e a r t h " a n d " t h o r n s : "

" E a r t h " denotes permissible th ings that m e r e l y conceal sparks of holiness f o u n d w i t h i n t h e m . A Jew is able, t h r o u g h his s p i r i t u a l service, to p u r i f y these sparks a n d elevate t h e m .

" T h o r n s , " h o w e v e r , refer to m a t e r i a l th ings that are p r o h i b i t e d , a n d that so p r o f o u n d l y conceal the holiness w i t h i n t h e m that i n the n o r m a l course of events they m u s t be cast aside.

Moreover , even after a person "recovers the p e a r l , " he m u s t " d i s c a r d the e a r t h . " I.e., i t is necessary for the person to indicate that the phys ica l th ings i n a n d of themselves are of n o importance . H e occupies h imse l f w i t h t h e m only so that he m a y g a i n access to the sparks of holiness concealed w i t h i n .

This is w h y " d i s c a r d i n g the e a r t h " is necessary i n order to obta in the pear l : A s l o n g as p h y s i c a l i t y itself is i m p o r t a n t to the seeker, n o t o n l y w i l l he be unable to p r o p e r l y extricate

4. Conclusion of Ovadiah. 5. Torah Or, beginning of Lech; ibid. 117b. See also Likkutei Sichos III, p.826.

A JEWISH TREASURE H U N T 4 7

the pear l , b u t i t is quite possible that his occupat ion w i t h phys ica l matters w i l l l ead to his s p i r i t u a l d o w n f a l l . 6

O n l y w h e n a person's every phys ica l act is p e r f o r m e d i n a m a n n e r such that he that he disregards their corporeal i ty w i l l he be able to elevate the sparks of holiness concealed w i t h i n matter . By d o i n g so a person's o w n s p i r i t u a l stature is i m m e a s u r a b l y enhanced as w e l l .


6. See Likkutei Torah, Naso 26c, Balak 72a, Pinchas 79d, et al.

How To Increase Your Luck

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Vayeishev relates at l e n g t h 1 about Yo-sef's tr ials a n d t r i b u l a t i o n s i n Egypt , f i rs t b e i n g forced i n t o slavery a n d then incarcerated i n an E g y p t i a n p r i s o n . I n b o t h instances G - d was w i t h Yosef, blessing h i m w i t h g o o d for¬tune.

The Torah , h o w e v e r , c learly dist inguishes b e t w e e n his g o o d f o r t u n e as a slave a n d his g o o d for tune as a pr isoner : W i t h regard to the f o r m e r , the verse states: 2 " a n d G - d made i t so that a l l he d i d was f a v o r e d w i t h g o o d for tune — matzli-ach — i n his h a n d . " W i t h regard to Yosef's fortunes as a pr isoner , the verse m e r e l y states: 3 " a n d that w h i c h he d i d , G - d f a v o r e d w i t h g o o d f o r t u n e , " de le t ing the t e r m " i n his h a n d . "

W h y do the verses differ? The Tzemach Tzedek expla ins 4 that the w o r d matzliach

means g o o d f o r t u n e — someth ing g r a n t e d as a g i f t f r o m above, independent of a person's o w n labor . 5

1. Bereishis 39:1 and onward. 2. Ibid., verse 3. 3. Ibid., verse 23. 4. Or HaTorah, Vayeishev 278a-b. 5. See Moed Katan 28a; Zohar, Vayeishev 181a.

4 8 VAYEISHEV

There are, h o w e v e r , t w o k i n d s of " l u c k " : One is real ized within a n d through a man 's actions. For example , a person w h o succeeds at whatever he does owes his c o n t i n u e d success to G-d's o n g o i n g g i f t .

There is, h o w e v e r , an even greater k i n d of l u c k , w h e r e i n the r e w a r d for a person's labor is so out of p r o p o r t i o n to the ef for t expended that one can i m m e d i a t e l y perceive G-d's h a n d at w o r k .

H e r e i n lies the difference b e t w e e n Yosef's t w o k i n d s of luck : D u r i n g the t i m e that he was a slave, the verse states: 6

" G - d was w i t h Yosef, a n d he was a man of g o o d f o r t u n e " ; the success was ascribed to Yosef. W h e n Yosef was j a i l ed , h o w e v e r , the verse states: " a n d that w h i c h he d i d G-d fa¬vored w i t h g o o d f o r t u n e " ; whenever Yosef w o u l d do some¬t h i n g , his success was so a s t o u n d i n g that G-d's h a n d w a s i m m e d i a t e l y discernible.

W h y was i t that w h e n Yosef was m e r e l y a slave his l u c k was of a l o w e r order , yet w h e n he u n d e r w e n t the f u r t h e r degradat ion of b e c o m i n g a pr isoner his l u c k became greater?

The prerequis i te for supernatura l success is self-abnega¬t i o n , as the verse states: 7 " T o this one I w i l l l o o k — to one w h o is p o o r a n d of crushed s p i r i t . " The less cognizant a per¬son is of his o w n ego, the m o r e G - d w i l l be w i t h h i m , a n d the m o r e w i l l G-d's m i g h t be perce ived i n his actions.

H e r e i n lies the basic difference be tween slavery a n d in¬carceration. W h i l e a slave is w h o l l y subjugated to his master, he s t i l l retains a sense of d i g n i t y a n d self; he is able to accompl ish m e a n i n g f u l w o r k , a n d so on .

A pr isoner , h o w e v e r , is n o t h i n g m o r e t h a n a n u m b e r , a n d cannot develop or even e m p l o y his talents; a pr isoner loses a l l sense of self-esteem.

Yosef's s lavery enabled h i m to achieve an a p p r o p r i a t e l y p r o f o u n d state of h u m i l i t y . I n t u r n , " G - d was w i t h Yosef a n d he was a m a n of g o o d for tune . . . a n d G - d m a d e i t so that a l l he d i d was f a v o r e d w i t h g o o d for tune i n his h a n d . "

6. Bereishis 39:2. 7. Yeshayahu 66:2.

H O W T O INCREASE YOUR LUCK 4 9

Nonetheless, since Yosef the slave s t i l l re ta ined a sense of self, his success was l i m i t e d to such d i v i n e g o o d f o r t u n e as was c lo thed i n , a n d thus necessarily b o u n d e d b y , " h i s h a n d " a n d actions.

Yosef's incarcerat ion, h o w e v e r , created a state of ut ter n u l l i f i c a t i o n before G - d , to the degree that he lost a l l fee l ing of personal ego. The success he t h e n enjoyed was therefore ent i re ly s u p e r h u m a n — " a n d that w h i c h he w o u l d do G-d would favor w i t h g o o d f o r t u n e . "

Yes, Yosef's success even n o w r e m a i n e d based u p o n his actions, b u t since Yosef exhib i ted to ta l self-abnegation, his actions i n no w a y i m p e d e d his luck . Thus , the r e w a r d s were n o longer l i m i t e d b y the h a n d of a l i m i t e d be ing , b u t were d i v i n e l y boundless .

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXV, pp. 213-216.

5 0 MIKEITZ

Mikeitz מקץ

Fighting Famine

The Torah p o r t i o n of Mikeitz relates h o w Yosef distr ib¬

u t e d f ood to the s ta rv ing people of the "ent i re ea r t h " d u r i n g

a t ime of famine . 1 He was able to do so because i n the pre¬

ced ing years of p len ty , "he p laced f ood i n the cit ies; the f ood

g r o w i n g a r o u n d each c i ty he p laced ins ide i t . " 2

A t f i rst glance w e m a y conclude that he p laced f ood in¬

side the c i ty next to w h i c h i t g rew. But th is conc lus ion raises

the f o l l o w i n g d i f f icu l t ies:

W h y does the verse have to emphasize that Yosef p laced

the f o o d i n the nearest c i ty ; w o u l d w e t h i n k he h a d trans¬

po r t ed i t to a more distant one?! Moreover , w h y does the

Torah f i n d i t necessary to te l l us where he p laced the food?

Rashi3 answers b y exp la in ing that " the f o o d g r o w i n g

a r o u n d each c i ty he p laced ins ide i t " means the f o l l o w i n g :

"Each k i n d of soi l is best su i ted for certain types of p roduce ,

therefore ear th f r o m the area [where the p roduce was

g r o w n ] was p laced together w i t h the p roduce , keep ing the

f ood f r o m ro t t i ng . "

Thus , "he p laced ins ide i t " refers no t to p lac ing f ood in¬

side the c i ty next to w h i c h i t g rew , b u t rather to p reserv ing

the f ood b y p lac ing soi l f r o m the area i n w h i c h i t g rew to¬

gether w i t h the p roduce itself — " ins ide i t . "

There is a lesson i n th is Rashi:

A Jew's p r i nc i pa l " p r o d u c e " consists of the Torah he

learns a n d the mitzvos he per fo rms. W h e n a Jew amasses a

huge amoun t of " p r o d u c e , " he mus t k n o w that i n order for i t

1. Bereishis 41:57. 2. Ibid. verse 48. 3. Ibid.

F I G H T I N G F A M I N E 5 1

to be " p r e s e r v e d , " he m u s t s u r r o u n d i t w i t h "earth f r o m that place ."

" E a r t h " symbolizes self-abnegation, as w e say at the conclusion of the Amidah:4 " L e t m y soul be [so h u m b l e that i t is] as earth to a l l . " This fee l ing of h u m i l i t y a n d self-efface¬m e n t makes possible the actions of the next verse: " O p e n m y heart to Y o u r Torah , a n d let m y soul eagerly pursue Y o u r c o m m a n d m e n t s . "

There is an a d d i t i o n a l lesson a l l u d e d to b y Rashi: the " e a r t h " m u s t be f r o m the place i n w h i c h the produce g r e w . This means to say that a person's h u m i l i t y m u s t be " i n place ."

Being so h u m b l e as to be defenseless before the blan¬dishments of one's e v i l i n c l i n a t i o n , or b e i n g so servile that one is s tepped u p o n b y a l l — n o t least b y one's o w n e v i l i n c l i n a t i o n — is described as misp laced h u m i l i t y .

I n this regard , a person m u s t be "f ierce as a l eopard a n d courageous as a l i o n " — a statement f o u n d at the v e r y be¬g i n n i n g of the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish L a w , a n d thus cruc ia l to its f u l f i l l m e n t .

W i t h regard to T o r a h a n d mitzvos as w e l l , i f one is so meek that he avoids l e a v i n g his f a m i l i a r s u r r o u n d i n g s to spread T o r a h l e a r n i n g for fear that the outside w o r l d m a y have an u n d u e inf luence o n h i m , his h u m i l i t y too is ent i re ly out of place.

O n the other h a n d , b e i n g h u m b l e d b y the fact that the T o r a h is G-d's W o r d , a n d as such so comple te ly transcends comprehens ion that i n order for a created b e i n g to succeed i n his studies he m u s t constant ly be aware of the Giver of T o r a h — that is h u m i l i t y that is " i n place."

Here the T o r a h teaches us yet another v i t a l lesson: Yosef sustained the "ent i re e a r t h " d u r i n g the t i m e of

famine . This means that i n a t i m e of spiritual famine — a pe¬r i o d of ignorance of T o r a h a n d th ings Jewish — i t is incum¬bent u p o n each a n d every Jew (every Jew b e i n g s p i r i t u a l l y

4. This text is originally found in Berachos 17a.

5 2 MIKEITZ

t e r m e d "Yosef " ) 5 to p r o v i d e even those outside his i m m e d i ¬ate s u r r o u n d i n g s w i t h s p i r i t u a l sustenance.

Here Rashi teaches us that the s p i r i t u a l f o o d w h i c h one gives a f e l l o w Jew m u s t be of a permanent nature ( "keeping the f o o d f r o m r o t t i n g " ) ; he m u s t see to i t that the lessons w i l l sustain the recipient a l l the days of his l i fe .


5. Tehillim 80:2, and commentary of Rashi and Metzudas Dovid ibid.; see also Likkutei Sichos XXV, p. 252ff.

" T H I S IS C H A N U K A H " 5 3

Chanukah vfubj

"This is Chanukah"

The f i n a l d a y of C h a n u k a h is cus to mar i ly cal led Zos Chanukah, " T h i s is C h a n u k a h . " 1 The s imple reason for this name is that the T o r a h r e a d i n g for the last d a y of C h a n u k a h is "Zos chanukas hamizbeiach," " T h i s is the dedica t ion of the a l t a r . " 2

H o w e v e r , since Jewish cus tom is itself Torah , 3 the saying is to be u n d e r s t o o d as m e a n i n g that this day, as the name i m p l i e s , " is C h a n u k a h , " i.e., the last d a y of C h a n u k a h con¬tains w h a t C h a n u k a h is a l l about.

W h y is the e i g h t h d a y of C h a n u k a h so significant? W e f i n d 4 that Bais Shamai a n d Bais Hillel d i f f e r e d w i t h re¬

g a r d to the manner of k i n d l i n g the C h a n u k a h l ights . Bais Shamai m a i n t a i n e d that the l ights s h o u l d be l i t i n descending order — o n the f i rs t n i g h t , e ight l ights are l i t , o n the second n i g h t seven, a n d so o n u n t i l the f i n a l n i g h t , w h e n o n l y one l i g h t is l i t .

Bais Hillel, h o w e v e r , main ta ins that the l ights are l i t i n ascending order — o n the f i rs t n i g h t one is l i t , o n the second t w o , etc., u n t i l o n the f i n a l n i g h t a l l e ight l ights are l i t . The Halacha favors Bais Hillel.

The reason for the disagreement is as f o l l o w s : 5 Bais Sha-mai is of the o p i n i o n that w e l o o k at matters as they are i n their p o t e n t i a l state. Thus , o n the f i rs t d a y of C h a n u k a h eight

1. See Maamar Boruch Sh'Asah Nissim, Or HaTorah, Bereishis Vol. V, p. 957 and onward, conclusion of ch. 4.

2. Bamidbar 7:84,88. 3. See Tosafos titled Nifsal, Menachos 20b; MaHaril, quoted in Ramah, Yoreh Deah

376:4 4. Shabbos 21b. 5. See also Likkutei Sichos VI, p. 73ff.

5 4 C H A N U K A H

l ights are l i t , for this day encompasses, i n p o t e n t i a l , a l l the days of C h a n u k a h that w i l l f o l l o w .

Bais Hillel, h o w e v e r , mainta ins that w e l o o k at th ings as they exist i n actual i ty . Therefore, the n u m b e r of l ights l i t is i n accord w i t h the actual n u m b e r of days of C h a n u k a h — the f i rs t d a y o n l y one l i g h t is l i t , for i n ac tual i ty i t is b u t the f i rs t d a y of the fest ival , a n d f r o m that d a y o n an a d d i t i o n a l l i g h t is l i t each day.

O u r Sages relate 6 that C h a n u k a h is an a c r o n y m for " E i g h t l ights are to be l i t , a n d the l a w is i n accordance w i t h the o p i n i o n of Bais Hillel." That the name of the h o l i d a y itself is said to emphasize the o p i n i o n of Bais Hillel c learly i n d i ¬cates that o n C h a n u k a h par t i cu lar emphasis is p laced o n the actual rather t h a n o n the potent ia l .

W h y ? The a r g u m e n t as to w h e t h e r one s h o u l d lean t o w a r d s

p o t e n t i a l i t y or ac tual i ty is i n t r u t h a dispute r e g a r d i n g T o r a h a n d mitzvos. G - d gave the Jewish people H i s T o r a h a n d mitzvos. T o r a h a n d mitzvos therefore reflect aspects of b o t h the Giver a n d the recipient . W e thus f i n d that T o r a h is n o t subject to i m p u r i t y even w h e n s t u d i e d b y an i m p u r e i n d i ¬v i d u a l , for i t remains G-d's T o r a h . 7 O n the other h a n d , a T o r a h master m a y forego his o w n h o n o r , for the T o r a h is considered to be his p r o p e r t y . 8

A s a result , there are t w o w a y s i n w h i c h T o r a h is f o u n d w i t h i n this w o r l d : re f lect ing the perspective of the Giver , or ref lect ing the f r a m e w o r k of the receiver, the Jewish people.

Bais Shamai h o l d s the f o r m e r v i e w . They therefore say that matters of T o r a h a n d mitzvos s h o u l d a lways be v i e w e d i n their p o t e n t i a l state, since f r o m the perspective of the Giver , the actual exists w i t h a n d w i t h i n the potent ia l .

Bais Hillel, h o w e v e r , is of the o p i n i o n that the most i m ¬p o r t a n t considerat ion is that T o r a h a n d mitzvos affect the Jew as an imperfec t created be ing . Therefore, u n t i l a matter has

6. Avudraham, Seder Hadlokas Neir Chanukah. 7. See Berachos 22a. 8. Kiddushin 32a.

" T H I S IS C H A N U K A H " 5 5

reached f u l f i l l m e n t , n o t h i n g has been accomplished — w e m u s t l o o k at matters of T o r a h a n d mitzvos as they exist i n actual i ty .

I f this is so r e g a r d i n g a l l other aspects of T o r a h a n d mitz-vos, h o w m u c h m o r e so w i t h regard to C h a n u k a h , for Cha-n u k a h is p a r t i c u l a r l y connected w i t h the recipient . This is because C h a n u k a h di f fers f r o m a l l other T o r a h festivals i n that i t is of h u m a n , Rabbinic o r i g i n . Thus , C h a n u k a h i n par¬t icular reflects T o r a h a n d mitzvos f r o m the perspective of the recipient — the aspect of the actual rather t h a n the potent ia l .

I t is for this reason that i t is o n l y o n the f i n a l d a y of Cha-n u k a h — w h e n a l l e ight days have been actual ized — that w e say: " T h i s is C h a n u k a h . "

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXV, pp. 243-250.

5 6 V A Y I G A S H

Vayigash adhu

Completing the Count

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n of Vayigash w e read h o w Yaakov a n d his f a m i l y descended to Egypt . W e are i n f o r m e d that "The n u m b e r of i n d i v i d u a l s i n Yaakov's h o u s e h o l d w h o came to E g y p t was 70." 1 But w h e n w e a d d u p the actual n u m b e r of Yaakov's descendants l i s ted as g o i n g to Egypt , w e f i n d o n l y 69.

M a n y T o r a h commentators , 2 as w e l l as one o p i n i o n i n the Midrash,3 e x p l a i n that Yaakov was i n c l u d e d i n the count — thus m a k i n g the to ta l 70. A c c o r d i n g to Pirkei d'Rebbe Eliezer,4

a n d yet another o p i n i o n i n the Midrash,5 " G - d entered a m o n g t h e m . "

W h a t is the reason for the difference i n opinion? O u r Sages te l l u s 6 that "The Patriarchs are t r u l y the

[ D i v i n e ] char io t , " for " a l l their l i m b s w e r e comple te ly h o l y a n d detached f r o m m u n d a n e matters , a n d t h r o u g h o u t their l ives they served as n o t h i n g b u t a vehicle for the D i v i n e W i l l . " 7 Because of their l o f t y state, the D i v i n e Presence w a s o p e n l y revealed to t h e m . 8

M o r e o v e r , because of the l o f t y s p i r i t u a l level w h i c h they at ta ined, they m e r i t e d that a l l their p r o g e n y also enjoy some measure of their s p i r i t u a l i t y . 9 This f i n d s expression, for ex-

1. Bereishis 46:27. 2. Iben Ezra ibid.; verse 23; Rashbam ibid., verses 15, 26; Raboseinu Ba'alei HaTosa-

fos ibid., verse 27; Ralbag ibid., verse 23; Abarbanel ibid.; et al. 3. Bereishis Rabbah 94:9. 4. Ch. 39. 5. Bereishis Rabbah ibid. 6. Bereishis Rabbah 47:6; 82:6. 7. Tanya ch. 23. 8. Torah Or, 24a. 9. Tanya ibid.

C O M P L E T I N G THE C O U N T 5 7

ample , i n the p u r e a n d s imple f a i t h of today 's Jew i n G - d a n d H i s l imit less abi l i t ies . 1 0

I n order for such an exalted state to be d r a w n d o w n to each a n d every Jew, an intermediate state w a s necessary, a b r i d g e to span the gap b e t w e e n the l o f t y heights of the Pa¬triarchs a n d the m u c h l o w e r level of some of their descen¬dants.

Yaakov's direct descendants — the 12 tribes a n d the 70 souls of his h o u s e h o l d — served this purpose perfect ly , i n that they were nei ther o n the exalted level of the Patriarchs, n o r o n a l o w l y s p i r i t u a l level .

A t the same t i m e , i n order that the exalted state of the Patriarchs be d r a w n d o w n to each a n d every Jew i n subse¬quent generations, i t was necessary for Yaakov's i m m e d i a t e descendants to f i n d themselves i n Egypt , a l a n d w h e r e G-dliness is concealed, a n d for t h e m to overcome the spiri¬t u a l d i f f i cu l t ies of that l a n d a n d reveal their f a i t h i n G - d .

Indeed, the Jewish people were u p to the task. D u r i n g the E g y p t i a n exile " the Jews b e l i e v e d " 1 1 that G - d w o u l d re¬deem t h e m ; n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the seemingly i n s u r m o u n t a b l e barr iers that s tood i n the w a y of l ibera t ion , the people h a d a p u r e a n d s imple f a i t h that obstacles s i m p l y d i d n o t exist for G - d .

This is at the core of the saying of our Sages: 1 2 " O u r fore¬fathers w e r e redeemed f r o m Egypt o n l y i n the m e r i t of their f a i t h . " Rather t h a n f a i t h b e i n g m e r e l y a means to an e n d , that f a i t h a n d its reve la t ion was the e n d — the u l t i m a t e pur¬pose of the exile.

W h a t w a s i t that gave the Jews i n E g y p t the s t rength to w i t h s t a n d the s p i r i t u a l degradat ion of that country? H e r e i n enter the t w o abovement ioned opin ions as to w h o c o u n t e d for the 70th soul .

10. See Likkutei Sichos XVI, end of p. 53ff. 11. Shmos 4:31. 12. Mechiltah, Beshallach 14:31; Yalkut Shimoni, ibid. Remez 240.

5 8 V A Y I G A S H

A c c o r d i n g to the f i rs t o p i n i o n , i t w a s Yaakov's spir i tual¬i t y that enabled the Jews to overcome the s p i r i t u a l d i f f i cu l¬ties of Egypt .

The second o p i n i o n h o l d s that Yaakov was too far re¬m o v e d f r o m s p i r i t u a l exile; h a d his level been m a i n t a i n e d b y his descendants, they w o u l d n o t have been subject to spiri¬t u a l exile. Were this to be so, the purpose of the exile c o u l d n o t have been accomplished.

The second o p i n i o n therefore mainta ins that G - d H i m s e l f was i n c l u d e d i n the count . G - d is so transcendent that H e can be w i t h H i s people even i n exile, thus e m p o w e r i n g t h e m to overcome the s p i r i t u a l concealment of Egypt , b u t at the same t i m e r e m a i n i n g separate a n d apart — n o t felt b y t h e m . 1 3

This made i t possible for the Jewish people to ac tual ly experience s p i r i t u a l exile a n d yet accompl ish the purpose of that exile b y reveal ing their a b i d i n g f a i t h i n G - d .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Volume XX, pp. 218-223.

13. See Likkutei Sichos IX, p. 194.

Tears and Deeds

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Vayigash, i n descr ibing the p o i g n a n t r e u n i o n of Yosef a n d B i n y a m i n , relates: 1 " A n d he [Yosef] f e l l o n the neck of his brother B i n y a m i n a n d he w e p t , a n d B i n y a m i n w e p t o n his [Yosef's] neck. "

The Gemara comments : 2 "Yosef w e p t for the t w o H o l y Temples that were dest ined to be i n the t e r r i t o r y of B i n y a m i n a n d were fated to be destroyed; B i n y a m i n w e p t for the Tabernacle of Sh i loh that was dest ined to be i n the t e r r i t o r y of Yosef a n d fated to be d e s t r o y e d . "

1. Bereishis 45:14. 2. Megilah 16b.

TEARS A N D DEEDS 5 9

W h y d i d Yosef lament the fate of the Temples i n Ben-y a m i n ' s t e r r i t o r y a n d B i n y a m i n b e m o a n the dest iny of the Tabernacle i n Yosef's t e r r i t o r y ; w o u l d n ' t i t have been m o r e appropr ia te for each to cry about the des t ruct ion of their o w n Temples or Tabernacle? A f t e r a l l , a person loves h i m s e l f m o r e t h a n a l l others. 3

M o r e o v e r , a person's o w n l i fe takes precedence over the l i fe of another. This is w h y , i f one possesses o n l y e n o u g h water for the s u r v i v a l of one person, so that b y g i v i n g i t to or shar ing i t w i t h his f e l l o w traveler he h imse l f w i l l surely die , he s h o u l d keep i t for himsel f , for " y o u r o w n l i fe takes prece¬dence over the l i fe of y o u r f r i e n d . " 4

The Zohar5 comments o n the verse, 6 " A n d he [Yosef] f e l l o n his [Yaakov's] neck a n d w e p t , " that Yosef w e p t about the des t ruct ion of the H o l y Temples a n d the f i n a l exile. W h y d i d o n l y Yosef w e e p a n d n o t Yaakov?

O u r Sages note 7 that Yaakov d i d n o t w e e p because he was i n the m i d d l e of rec i t ing the Shema. But h o w c o u l d Yaakov have been so u n m o v e d b y the des t ruct ion of the Temples a n d the f i n a l exile as to be able to recite the Shema w i t h devotion?

A person weeps m a i n l y i n order to feel better. Thus w e observe that w h e n one cries because s o m e t h i n g troubles h i m , the c r y i n g i n n o w a y changes the s i tuat ion; one does, h o w e v e r , feel better about th ings after a g o o d cry.

u n d e r s t a n d a b l y , i f a person is able to solve the p r o b l e m that is causing h i m so m u c h p a i n , t h e n rather t h a n c r y i n g he s h o u l d extricate h imse l f f r o m his d i f f i c u l t circumstances — "Better a single act ion t h a n a t h o u s a n d s ighs . " 8

W h e n an i n d i v i d u a l witnesses the s p i r i t u a l des t ruct ion of a f r i e n d — a des t ruct ion of that i n d i v i d u a l ' s H o l y Temple , since every Jew is a Temple to G - d — he feels for h i m a n d

3. Sanhedrin 9b. 4. Bava Metzia 62a. 5. I , 211a. 6. Bereishis 46:29. 7. See Rashi ibid. 8. HaYom Yom p. 35.

6 0 V A Y I G A S H

cries. A s a f r i e n d he can t r y to assist his comrade b y g e n t l y a d m o n i s h i n g h i m a n d p r a y i n g for his wel fare . I n the f i n a l analysis, h o w e v e r , the r e b u i l d i n g of his f r iend 's s p i r i t u a l state depends o n the f r i e n d himsel f .

W h e n an i n d i v i d u a l has done a l l he can to he lp his f r i e n d , a n d observes that his f r iend 's s p i r i t u a l state is s t i l l i n disrepair , then he w i l l c ry for h i m .

H o w e v e r , w h e n a person sees that h is own " H o l y Tem¬p l e " is devastated, he cannot m e r e l y s igh a n d shed tears; he m u s t set about r e b u i l d i n g t h r o u g h repentance a n d s p i r i t u a l service.

M o r e o v e r , at t imes c r y i n g can actual ly h i n d e r the re¬b u i l d i n g of his s p i r i t u a l status, as he m a y t h i n k to h imse l f that he has already accomplished s o m e t h i n g b y c r y i n g about i t .

Yosef a n d B i n y a m i n thus b o t h w e p t about the destruc¬t i o n of their brother ' s Temples a n d Tabernacle; w i t h regard to their o w n Temples a n d Tabernacle they w e r e d o i n g a l l they c o u l d to avert the t ragedy, for even after a heavenly decree has been issued, i t is possible — t h r o u g h p r o f o u n d s p i r i t u a l service — to n u l l i f y i t . 9

Yaakov, too, d i d n o t c ry over the destruct ion of the Tab¬ernacle a n d Temples , for as the father of a l l the Jewish peo¬ple , b o t h the Tabernacle as w e l l as the Temples were i n his " t e r r i t o r y . " H e therefore occupied h imse l f i n a t t e m p t i n g to preserve t h e m b y rec i t ing the Shema.

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. X, pp. 146-149.

9. Rosh HaShanah 16b.

" B E STRONG, BE STRONG, & LET US STRENGTHEN O N E A N O T H E R " 6 1

Vayechi hjhu

"Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another."

The f i rs t of the f ive books of the T o r a h concludes w i t h the p o r t i o n of Vayechi. I t is cus tomary 1 that w h e n the T o r a h reader concludes a b o o k of the Torah , the entire congrega¬t i o n exclaims: "Be s trong, be s trong, a n d let us strengthen one another [ i n the T o r a h ] . " This p r o n o u n c e m e n t thus rein¬forces the T o r a h as a w h o l e .

H o w e v e r , since this p r o c l a m a t i o n comes at the conclu¬sion of a par t i cu lar b o o k , p o r t i o n , a n d verse of the Torah , i t also f o l l o w s that i t is p a r t i c u l a r l y germane to that specific b o o k , p o r t i o n a n d verse.

The c o n c l u d i n g verse 2 of Bereishis reads: "Yosef d i e d at the age of 110 years; he w a s e m b a l m e d a n d placed i n a c o f f i n i n E g y p t . "

This gives rise to a most p e r p l e x i n g matter . H o w is i t possible to ga in s t rength — "Be s trong, be s trong, a n d let us strengthen one another" — f r o m : a) Yosef's demise, a n d b) f r o m his i n t e r m e n t i n Egypt, a l a n d k n o w n as " the abomina¬t i o n of the earth"? 3 Yosef's father, Yaakov, h a d begged that he n o t be b u r i e d i n E g y p t . 4

I t is obvious that before Jews enter a state of exile, they are i n need of f o r t i f i c a t i o n a n d encouragement. Once they are strengthened i n this manner they are able to overcome the tr ials a n d t r i b u l a t i o n s of exile a n d r e m a i n steadfast i n

1. Avudraham, Seder Hotzaas Sefer Torah; Responsa MaHaram Mintz sec. 85; Aruch HaShulchan, Orach Chayim 139:15: Keser Shem Tov (Gagin), 1:38.

2. 50:26. 3. Bereishis 42:9; ibid., verse 12; See also Koheles Rabbah, conclusion of 1:4. 4. Ibid. 47:29.

6 2 V A Y E C H I

their f a i t h , T o r a h s t u d y , performance of mitzvos, a n d general service to G - d .

Thus i t f o l l o w s that before the o p e n i n g verse of the sec¬o n d b o o k of the T o r a h — "These are the names of the Jewish people w h o came to E g y p t " — descr ib ing the descent of the Jews i n t o exile a n d servi tude , 5 i t was necessary for the Jew¬ish people to receive the s t rength needed to w i t h s t a n d the ordeal .

Indeed, the contents of Bereishis serve this purpose w e l l , for its m a i n theme is the s tory of the Patriarchs, whose serv¬ice a n d personalit ies p r o v i d e i n s p i r a t i o n a n d encouragement to their p r o g e n y at a l l t imes.

A m o n g the encouraging narrat ives of Bereishis are the promises made b y G - d to the Patriarchs that the Jews w o u l d leave exile i n a m o r e exalted state t h a n w h e n they entered i t — " t h e y w i l l then leave [exile] w i t h great w e a l t h . " 6

M o r e o v e r , the f u r t h e r one advances i n the b o o k of Berei-shis, the m o r e s t rength one f i n d s b e i n g g i v e n to the Jews, w h o w o u l d eventua l ly be exi led i n Egypt . This encourage¬m e n t reaches its h i g h p o i n t i n the c o n c l u d i n g p o r t i o n of Vayechi, w h e r e i n Yaakov blesses his c h i l d r e n , d r a w i n g d o w n suff ic ient s trength for each tr ibe a n d its p r o g e n y that they w i l l be able to w i t h s t a n d the test of exile.

W i t h i n the f i n a l p o r t i o n of Vayechi itself, Yosef b r i n g s the blessings a n d w o r d s of encouragement closer to h o m e b y assuring the Jews that " G - d w i l l surely remember y o u a n d b r i n g y o u out of this l a n d , to the l a n d that H e swore to A v r a h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Y a a k o v . " 7

The greatest degree of s t rength a n d f o r t i t u d e for Jews about to enter exile, h o w e v e r , comes i n the v e r y last verse of the p o r t i o n : "Yosef d ied . . . he was e m b a l m e d a n d placed i n a c o f f i n i n E g y p t . "

5. See Shmos Rabbah 1:4; Torah Or, beginning of Shmos. 6. Bereishis 15:14. 7. Ibid. 50:24.

" B E STRONG, BE STRONG, & LET US STRENGTHEN ONE ANOTHER" 6 3

The fact that Yosef's c o f f i n r e m a i n e d w i t h the Jewish people i n Egypt enabled t h e m to have the courage n o t o n l y to w i t h s t a n d the exile, b u t to u t i l i z e i t for g o o d . This was s imi lar to — a n d d e r i v e d its s t rength f r o m — Yosef, w h o w h i l e i n Egypt achieved a s tanding such that " w i t h o u t y o u n o m a n shall l i f t a h a n d or foot i n a l l E g y p t . " 8


8. Ibid. 41:44.

Yaakov Lives

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Vayechi begins b y saying: 1 " A n d Yaakov l i v e d . " W h y does i t b e g i n i n this m a n n e r w h e n the entire p o r t i o n deals w i t h Yaakov's demise a n d the events s u r r o u n d i n g it? A d d i t i o n a l l y , since the t i t le of a T o r a h por¬t i o n relates to the entire p o r t i o n , 2 w h y the t i t le " A n d he l i v e d , " i f the w h o l e p o r t i o n speaks of dy ing?

The t rue m e a n i n g of l i fe is eternal. This is w h y t rue l i fe exists o n l y i n re la t ion to G - d , as the verse states: 3 " G - d , the L - r d is T r u t h , H e is the L i v i n g G - d . "

T r u t h is not subject to change; i f someth ing is genuine ly True i t w i l l r e m a i n so forever. Since G - d is T r u t h , never ceasing a n d never changing , H e is also the t rue aspect of l i fe .

Created beings, h o w e v e r , are n o t true entities, for they do n o t exist i n a n d of themselves; they h a d to be created, a n d as such are i n t r i n s i c a l l y subject to change a n d decay. O n l y b y c leaving to a n d u n i t i n g w i t h G - d can they be invested w i t h t rue l i fe .

Indeed, the Jewish people are cal led " a l i v e " 4 precisely for this reason, as the verse states: 5 " A n d y o u w h o cleave to the

1. Bereishis 47:28. 2. See Likkutei Sichos V, p. 57ff. 3. Yermiyahu 10:10.

6 4 V A Y E C H I

L - r d y o u r G - d are a l l al ive t o d a y " — the Jewish people are a l ive i n an eternal m a n n e r o n l y because of their u n i t y w i t h G - d .

H o w e v e r , i n order for this d i m e n s i o n of " l i f e " to be per¬ceived i n a phys ica l w o r l d , i t is necessary to encounter ob¬stacles to one's at tachment to G - d a n d nevertheless r e m a i n steadfast a n d w h o l e i n the performance of T o r a h a n d mitz-vos. O n l y t h e n is one's t rue " l i f e " f u l l y revealed, for i t is then obvious that n o t h i n g can stand i n one's p a t h a n d affect one's u n i t y w i t h G - d .

The connect ion of " A n d Yaakov l i v e d " to the entire por¬t i o n , as w e l l as the reason for the w h o l e p o r t i o n b e i n g t i t l e d " A n d he l i v e d " — a l t h o u g h its m a i n theme is Yaakov's de¬mise — w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

D u r i n g a l l of Yaakov's years before his descent i n t o E g y p t i t was n o t clearly seen that h is existence w a s one of t rue " l i f e , " a l i fe of " A n d y o u w h o cleave... are a l l a l i v e . " For the p r i n c i p l e of " D o n o t be sure of yourse l f u n t i l the d a y y o u d i e " 6 applies even to the v e r y r ighteous . 7 Thus Yaakov's de¬gree of at tachment to G - d t h r o u g h o u t his l i fe was not suffi¬cient p r o o f of " l i f e . "

Even the fact that Yaakov's conduct caused his c h i l d r e n a n d g r a n d c h i l d r e n to be r ighteous as w e l l does not p r o v e that he was t r u l y " a l i v e , " for Yaakov a n d his entire f a m i l y l i v e d i n the H o l y L a n d ; a n d one c o u l d n o t be sure about their conduct i n a coarser c o u n t r y .

O n l y w h e n Yaakov approached the t i m e of his death, h a v i n g m e a n w h i l e descended u n c o r r u p t e d w i t h his f a m i l y to Egypt , was i t revealed that his entire l i fe , a l t h o u g h exter¬n a l l y f i l l e d w i t h p a i n a n d suf fer ing , was t rue l i fe — " A n d Yaakov lived."

4. See Avos d'Rebbe Nassan conclusion of ch. 34: "Ten are called 'alive,' G-d, Torah, Jews "

5. Devarim 4:4. 6. Avos 2:4; Berachos 29a. 7. See Berachos ibid.; Zohar III, 285a.

Y A A K O V LIVES 6 5

This also explains w h y the p o r t i o n is t i t l e d " A n d he l i v e d , " n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the fact that i t describes Yaakov's demise a n d the events that t r a n s p i r e d a f terwards :

The Gemara states: 8 " O u r father Yaakov d i d not die; as his p r o g e n y l ives on , he too l ives o n . " Since the t rue aspect of l i fe is eternal , Yaakov's existence can o n l y be j u d g e d after observing its p e r p e t u a l effect.

This effect is perce ived w h e n one realizes that n o t o n l y d i d Yaakov's o w n soul cont inue to cleave to G - d , b u t that his c h i l d r e n pursue the t rue l i fe l e d b y their father.

The above p r o v i d e s an a d d i t i o n a l reason for the T o r a h p o r t i o n b e i n g t i t l e d " A n d he l i v e d . " The t i t le n o t o n l y em¬phasizes that even after Yaakov's passing i t is s t i l l possible to say that he l ives, b u t that i t is specifically after Yaakov's demise that one can say he l ives on .

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XV, pp. 427-430.

8. Taanis 5b.

,una rpx Shmos

C H I L D R E N — L A R G E A N D S M A L L 6 9

Shmos ,una

Children — Large and Small

The f i rs t t i m e the Jewish people are referred to as "G-d ' s c h i l d r e n " is i n the T o r a h p o r t i o n of Shmos, w h e r e the verse states: " Israel is M y son, M y f i r s t b o r n . " 1 The t e r m " f i r s t b o r n , " as Rashi explains , 2 denotes m a t u r i t y .

I n m a n y other instances, h o w e v e r , w e f i n d that Jews are considered G-d's c h i l d r e n because of their extreme y o u t h -fulness. Thus w e f i n d the verse, 3 "For Israel is b u t a l a d a n d [therefore] I love h i m . " This is f u r t h e r expla ined b y our Sages, w h o offer the parable of a k i n g w h o h a d m a n y chil¬d r e n , b u t l o v e d the youngest most of a l l . 4

Since the love for a y o u n g c h i l d is m o r e palpable t h a n the love for an older one, w h y does the verse i n Shmos i m p l y that Jews are older chi ldren?

W h a t , exactly, causes a parent to manifest a greater de¬gree of love for a y o u n g c h i l d t h a n for an older one?

A n older c h i l d , w h o has a lready m a t u r e d inte l lec tual ly a n d e m o t i o n a l l y , w i l l n o t a lways be l o v e d b y his parents m e r e l y because he is their c h i l d . The parents m a y also come to love the older c h i l d because of his w i s d o m or f ine charac¬ter. This k i n d of love is g r o u n d e d i n logic.

The love of a parent for a v e r y y o u n g c h i l d , h o w e v e r , is an elemental love — one that transcends reason — since an extremely y o u n g c h i l d does n o t d i s p l a y any par t i cu lar qualit ies for w h i c h he s h o u l d be l o v e d ; the love that ema-

1. Shmos 4:22. 2. Ibid. 3. Hosheah 11:1; See at length Or HaTorah, Beshallach p. 382ff; Ki Naar Yisrael,

5666, Sefer HaMa'amarim 5678 p. 159ff. 4. Devarim Rabbah 5:7.

7 0 SHMOS

nates f r o m parents to y o u n g c h i l d r e n derives ent i re ly f r o m the fact that the parents a n d the c h i l d are essentially one.

The love for a g r o w n c h i l d , a l t h o u g h also an essential love , is i n t e r m i n g l e d w i t h feelings that have a basis i n logic. This logica l f o u n d a t i o n conceals the e lemental love be tween parent a n d c h i l d .

Just as this is so r e g a r d i n g the love of h u m a n parents , so too w i t h regard to G-d's love for H i s c h i l d r e n , the Jewish people. Here too, there exist t w o manners a n d degrees:

W h e n Jews serve G - d a n d thus reveal their s ter l ing qualit ies , H i s ever-present love for us is m i n g l e d w i t h a love dic tated b y logic — s imi lar to the love fel t b y parents for an older c h i l d .

H o w e v e r , G - d also shows H i s e lemental love for the Jewish people — a love that springs f r o m the fact that every Jew is " t r u l y a p a r t of G - d above. " 5 This love — s imi lar to that felt b y parents for a v e r y smal l c h i l d — does n o t d e p e n d at a l l o n the q u a l i t y of the Jews' s p i r i t u a l service.

This e lemental love is revealed w h e n Jews serve G - d i n the m a n n e r of a smal l c h i l d ; w h e n they feel smal l a n d h u m ¬ble i n G-d's presence, a n d obey H i m as a smal l c h i l d obeys his parents — out of a sense of inherent l o y a l t y , even w h e n they f a i l to u n d e r s t a n d G-d's reasoning.

This , h o w e v e r , does not m e a n to i m p l y that w h e n Jews serve G - d inte l lec tual ly a n d e m o t i o n a l l y H i s in tr ins ic love for t h e m is n o t revealed, for a Jew's inte l lec tual a n d s p i r i t u a l state is in t r i ca te ly connected to his degree of self-nullif ica¬t i o n .

A Jew realizes the necessity of inte l lec tual t o i l to under¬stand Torah , a n d that his emotions m u s t be permeated w i t h en joyment of T o r a h a n d mitzvos. This rea l izat ion is a direct result of the fact that such en joyment is G-d's desire.6

The reason the verse states " Israel is M y son, M y first¬born" w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

5. Tanya, beginning of ch. 2. 6. Cf. Tanya ch. 38 (p. 50b and onward).

C H I L D R E N — L A R G E A N D S M A L L 7 1

W h e n seeking to indicate G-d's essential love for the Jewish people in and of itself, the m e t a p h o r used is that of a v e r y smal l c h i l d , for i n that instance the e lemental love is fel t naturally.

W h e n , h o w e v e r , one seeks to convey the essential quali¬ties of the Jewish people , t h e n the t e r m "Israel is M y son, M y firstborn" is used, for i t indicates that the Jews' essentially c h i l d l i k e nature permeates even their intel lect a n d emotions .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXI, pp. 20-26.

Counting by Name

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Shmos begins b y saying: 1 " A n d these are the names of the c h i l d r e n of Israel w h o came to Egypt " Rashi comments : 2 " A l t h o u g h H e counted t h e m b y name w h i l e they were al ive , H e counted t h e m again after their passing i n order to make k n o w n ( a n d demonstrate) his love for t h e m ; for they are l i k e n e d to the stars, w h i c h H e takes out a n d b r i n g s i n b y their n u m b e r s a n d names

If Rashi s i m p l y desired to p r o v e that s o m e t h i n g l o v e d is c o u n t e d b y n u m b e r as w e l l as b y name, he w o u l d have s i m p l y stated that they are " l i k e the stars w h i c h H e takes out a n d b r i n g s i n b y n u m b e r a n d n a m e . " Rashi's statement, " f o r they are likened to the stars," serves to i m p l y that because the c h i l d r e n of Israel possess the same q u a l i t y as the stars, they are therefore c o u n t e d i n a l ike manner .

W h a t is this " s ta r " qual i ty? A l t h o u g h love of someth ing is evinced t h r o u g h c o u n t i n g

as w e l l as t h r o u g h n a m i n g , c o u n t i n g a n d ca l l ing b y name emphasize t w o di f ferent aspects of that w h i c h is b e i n g counted or called:

C o u n t i n g emphasizes the commonalty of th ings — w h o l l y disparate entities cannot be i n c l u d e d i n the same

1. Shmos 1:1. 2. Ibid.

72 SHMOS

count . A name, o n the other h a n d , emphasizes the individu¬ality of each t h i n g .

Rashi indicates th is w h e n he states " f o r they are likened to the stars," for stars possess b o t h these aspects. O n the one h a n d , they a l l share the fact of s tar -hood, a n d are c o u n t e d precisely because each star is i m p o r t a n t . O n the other h a n d , each star possesses u n i q u e qualit ies , for w h i c h reason each has i t o w n name.

Each Jew, w h o is " l i k e n e d to the stars," shares the essen¬t i a l q u a l i t y of Jewishness, a n d is " t r u l y p a r t of G - d above . " 3

I n a d d i t i o n , each possesses qualit ies u n i q u e to the i n d i v i d ¬u a l .

G-d's love for the Jewish people thus f i n d s expression i n t w o w a y s : B y c o u n t i n g t h e m H e manifests H i s love for their essential Jewishness, a n d b y ca l l ing each b y name H e dem¬onstrates H i s love for the u n i q u e quali t ies of each a n d every one.

H o w e v e r , w h e n G - d desired to s h o w love for i n d i v i d u a l Jews, H e c o u l d have done so i n any n u m b e r of w a y s . W h y d i d H e specif ical ly choose to count t h e m b y name?

G-d's in t r ins ic love for the Jewish people serves as the template for a l l parenta l love . 4 W i t h h u m a n parents also, w e f i n d that m e n t i o n i n g a chi ld ' s name arouses a degree of love that cannot be e l ic i ted b y other means, such as b y g i v i n g the c h i l d a g i f t , s h o w e r i n g h i m w i t h w o r d s of love , or even h u g g i n g a n d k iss ing h i m .

G i v i n g a c h i l d a g i f t or l o v i n g w o r d s depends o n the ch i ld ' s age: I f a parent gives his g r o w n son or daughter a g i f t f i t for a v e r y y o u n g c h i l d , then rather t h a n i t b e i n g seen as an expression of love i t m a y be taken i n the opposite w a y . W o r d s of love , too, m u s t be geared to the i n d i v i d u a l ch i ld ' s level .

Since gif ts a n d l o v i n g t a l k m u s t be t a i l o r e d to the age a n d comprehens ion of each c h i l d , i t is clear that love mani¬fested t h r o u g h these vehicles is l i m i t e d . I t thus cannot be an

3. Tanya ch. 2, 4. See discourses titled Atta Echad 5702, 5729.

C O U N T I N G BY N A M E 73

elemental love for the essence of the c h i l d , since e lemental love is n o t l i m i t e d b y the chi ld ' s intel lect , m a t u r i t y , etc.

Even hugs a n d kisses, w h i c h can be g i v e n to b o t h younger a n d older c h i l d r e n , are l i m i t e d , for they can o n l y be bes towed w h e n the recipient is close at h a n d . Essential love is n o t l i m i t e d b y t ime or space.

The o n l y evocat ion of love that is t r u l y u n l i m i t e d is the m e n t i o n i n g of a ch i ld ' s name: i t matters n o t w h e t h e r the c h i l d is y o u n g or o l d , near or far, b r i g h t or d i m , etc.

Thus , w h e n G - d desired to s h o w H i s essential love for the Jewish people , H e " c o u n t e d t h e m b y name."

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, pp. 1-10.

74 V A ' E I R A

Va'eira ואלא

The Matzos and Four Cups of Wine

A t the beg inn ing of the Torah p o r t i o n Va'eira, f ou r ex¬

pressions are used w i t h regard to the redemp t i on f r o m

Egypt : " I w i l l release you. . . I w i l l save you. . . I w i l l l iberate

you. . . I w i l l take y o u " 1 O u r Sages no te 2 that the fou r cups

of w i n e w h i c h w e d r i n k d u r i n g the Pesach Seder cor respond

to these fou r expressions.

Acco rd ing l y , the f o l l o w i n g quest ion arises: Bear ing i n

m i n d that w e eat ma tzah on Pesach "because our ancestors

were l iberated f r o m Egyp t , " 3 w h y do w e no t eat fou r matzos,

just as w e d r i n k fou r cups of w ine? 4 W h y do w e take on l y

three matzos to the Seder?

Ev iden t l y , there mus t be t w o aspects to the exodus f r o m

Egypt , one that is composed of three detai ls and one that is

made u p of four. W h a t are these t w o aspects?

A t the t ime the Jewish people depar ted f r o m Egyp t they

were no t yet sp i r i tua l l y w o r t h y of redempt ion . 5 I n fact, h a d

they rema ined one more m o m e n t i n Egypt , they w o u l d have

become forever m i r e d i n i m p u r i t y .

N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g thei r state of deprav i t y , G-d i n H is in¬

f in i te k indness revealed H imse l f to t h e m and redeemed

them.

This is w h y the completion of the exodus came about on l y

w h e n the Jews received the Torah , 6 for complete l ibera t ion

1. Shmos 6:6-7. 2. Yerushalmi, Pesachim 10:1; Bereishis Rabbah 88:5; Shmos Rabbah 6:4. 3. Text of the Haggadah. 4. See Mordechai, Pesachim — "Tosefes m'Arvei Pesachim"; Matei Moshe section 607. 5. See Tzror Hamor, Bo 12:40. See also Zohar Chadash beginning of the portion

Yisro. 6. See Shmos 3:12.

T H E M A T Z O S A N D FOUR CUPS OF W I N E 75

f r o m E g y p t r e q u i r e d that the n e w b o r n n a t i o n r i d itself of E g y p t i a n i m p u r i t y .

This was accomplished as the Jews p r e p a r e d themselves i n the days be tween the exodus a n d the rece iv ing of the T o r a h ; 7 they achieved such heights that b y the t i m e the T o r a h was g i v e n they c o u l d j u s t i f i a b l y be cal led a " h o l y na-t i o n . " 8

The difference be tween the s y m b o l i s m of " m a t z a h " a n d " w i n e " w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

M a t z a h emphasizes the aspect of the exodus that came about as a result of G-d's r e d e m p t i o n f r o m the i m p u r i t y of Egypt . I t is for this reason that m a t z a h is cal led " i m p o v e r i s h e d b r e a d " 9 — bread that lacks taste — for i t is a remembrance of s p i r i t u a l i m p o v e r i s h m e n t .

"Taste" refers t o 1 0 s o m e t h i n g a person can appreciate i n some w a y . Since the l i b e r a t i o n f r o m E g y p t o r i g i n a t e d f r o m Above rather t h a n f r o m the s p i r i t u a l p r e p a r a t i o n of the Jew¬ish people , i t is understandable that i t lacked " taste" — the Jews w e r e c o m p e l l e d to leave.

W i n e , h o w e v e r , has taste a n d is enjoyable. I t is a " remembrance of the l i b e r a t i o n a n d freedom"11 u l t i m a t e l y achieved b y the Jews, i.e., i t w a s t h r o u g h their own service that they were redeemed f r o m the e v i l of Egypt .

The reason for three matzos vis-a-vis f o u r cups of w i n e n o w becomes clear:

There is a difference be tween the f i rs t three expressions of l ibera t ion a n d the f o u r t h , i n that the f i rs t three — " I w i l l release y o u . . . I w i l l save y o u . . . I w i l l l iberate y o u " — are as¬pects of r e d e m p t i o n that t o o k place i m m e d i a t e l y u p o n the departure f r o m Egypt ; they came f r o m A b o v e .

The f o u r t h expression — " I w i l l take y o u u n t o M e as a N a t i o n " — h o w e v e r , depended o n the Jewish people; they

7. See Zohar Chadash ibid.; Ran conclusion of Pesachim; See also Likkutei Sichos XXII, p. 114.

8. Shmos 19:6. 9. Devarim 16:3.

10. See Likkutei Sichos XVI p. 124ff and sources cited there. 11. Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim 472:14.

7 6 V A ' E I R A

h a d to become w o r t h y of b e i n g cal led G-d's n a t i o n . This was accomplished w h e n they received the Torah .

Thus , m a t z a h is equated w i t h the n u m b e r three, corre¬s p o n d i n g to the f i rs t three expressions of l ibera t ion , inas¬m u c h as m a t z a h commemorates the r e d e m p t i o n as i t came f r o m A b o v e .

The cups of w i n e , h o w e v e r , a l lude to the l i b e r a t i o n ac¬c o m p l i s h e d b y a n d w i t h i n the Jewish people. The cups are therefore equated w i t h the n u m b e r f o u r , for they denote the f o u r t h expression of r e d e m p t i o n — " I w i l l take y o u u n t o M e as a N a t i o n . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXVI, pp. 43-46.

Believers and Sons of Believers

A t the b e g i n n i n g of the T o r a h p o r t i o n Va'eira the verse states: 1 " A n d the L - r d [Elokim, the N a m e symbol ic of strict justice] spoke to Moshe a n d said to h i m : ' I a m G - d . ' "

Rashi comments : " G - d spoke s ternly to Moshe because he [Moshe] was severe i n speaking a n d saying [to G - d ] : ' W h y have y o u dealt b a d l y w i t h this nat ion? ' "

M o r e o v e r , Rashi,2 q u o t i n g the Midrash o n the verse 3 " A n d I revealed M y s e l f to A v r a h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Yaakov. . . " w r i t e s that G - d said to Moshe : " A l a s for those w h o have passed o n a n d whose l ikes are n o t to be f o u n d . I m o u r n the passing of the Patriarchs They d i d not quest ion M y actions as y o u quest ion M y act ions."

H o w is i t possible to say that Moshe , the "select of m a n -k i n d , " 4 quest ioned G-d's actions, a n d to compare h i m unfa¬v o r a b l y w i t h the Patriarchs?

1. Shmos 6:2. 2. Ibid. verse 9. 3. Ibid. verse 3. 4. Pirush HaMishnayos of the Rambam, chapter of Cheilek, in the Seventh Princi¬

ple.

BELIEVERS A N D SONS OF BELIEVERS 7 7

Rashi comments o n the statement " A n d I revealed M y ¬self" a n d says: " T o the Patriarchs." M a n y commentators o n Rashi ask: w h a t does Rashi add? The verse itself goes o n to say that G - d appeared " t o A v r a h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Yaakov"?

By stat ing " T o the Patriarchs," Rashi is i n effect saying that the clear a n d u n e q u i v o c a l reve la t ion of G-dliness to A v r a h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Yaakov — for w h i c h reason they d i d n o t quest ion G-d's actions — s temmed f r o m the v e r y fact that they were the Patriarchs of the Jewish people . 5 I n other w o r d s , such revelat ions were granted these three i n order that they bequeath t h e m 6 to their descendants, for " A father bequeaths his son... w i s d o m . " 7

A c c o r d i n g l y , the quest ion becomes even greater: Since every Jew enjoys the revela t ion of G-dliness as an inheri¬tance f r o m the Patriarchs, h o w was i t possible for Moshe to be cr i t ica l of G-d's actions?

O u r Sages te l l us that the exodus f r o m Egypt came about i n the m e r i t of a n d as a r e w a r d for the Jews' belief i n G - d . 8

This means that the reve la t ion w i t h i n the Jewish people of this essential aspect of their Jewishness made t h e m w o r t h y of r e d e m p t i o n .

Even i n the m i d s t of the most severe E g y p t i a n oppres¬sion, the Jews w e r e cal led "believers, the c h i l d r e n of bel iev-ers." 9 But this i n h e r i t e d , a lmost unconscious belief — this "baseline be l ie f " — was n o t yet f u l l y deve loped a n d re¬vealed w i t h i n t h e m . I n order to be redeemed i n their o w n m e r i t , i t was necessary that the Jews' n a t u r a l belief i n a n d u n i t y w i t h G - d be consciously recognized — that i t become w h o l l y theirs.

This is w h a t Moshe was able to accomplish, for here in lay the difference be tween h i m a n d the Patriarchs: A s be¬queathed b y the Patriarchs, the essential h a l l m a r k s of Jew-

5. See Likkutei Sichos III, p. 855ff. 6. See Torah Or, Va'eira. 7. Ediyos 2:9. 8. Mechiltah, Beshallach 14:31; Yalkut ibid., Remez 240. 9. Shmos 4:31; Shabbos 97a. See also commentary of Rashi on Shmos 4:2.

7 8 V A ' E I R A

ishness are s o m e t h i n g every Jew has as a n a t u r a l conse¬quence of b e i n g a c h i l d of A v r a h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Yaakov . 1 0

Moshe, h o w e v e r , i n a d d i t i o n to b e i n g one of the "Seven Shepherds that d r a w s d o w n v i t a l i t y a n d G-dliness to a l l Jewish souls ," is also the " s u m of t h e m a l l , a n d is cal led the F a i t h f u l Shepherd . " 1 1 Moshe causes the f a i t h possessed b y every Jew to permeate a l l aspects of his be ing .

Moshe's quest ion: " W h y have y o u dealt b a d l y ? " a n d G-d's response: " I have revealed M y s e l f to the Patr iarchs" w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

Since the t ime for the Jews' l ibera t ion f r o m E g y p t was fast approach ing , a n d Moshe w a s act ing as G-d's emissary to redeem t h e m , i t was necessary that the people 's i n h e r i t e d belief i n G - d come to permeate t h e m complete ly .

Moshe's quest ion " W h y have y o u dealt b a d l y ? " e l ic i ted G-d's revelatory response — va'eira — w h i c h b r o u g h t the Jews to so believe i n G - d that f a i t h penetrated every f ibre of their be ing . Even the l o w e r levels of their intel lect — the levels that g ive rise to doubts — w o u l d n o w be permeated w i t h u n q u e s t i o n i n g belief i n G - d .

The r e d e m p t i o n came about as a result of Moshe 's ques¬t i o n a n d G-d's response.

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVI, pp. 47-55.

10. See Tanya chs. 18-19. 11. Tanya ch. 42.

SANCTIFYING T I M E 79

Bo בא

Sanctifying Time

I n the Torah p o r t i o n Bo w e read that , " G - d said to Moshe

a n d A h a r o n i n Egypt : 'Th is m o n t h shal l be the head m o n t h

to y o u ; i t shal l be the f i rst m o n t h of the year . ' " 1 W e learn

f r o m here that i t is a mitzvah to "sanct i fy mon ths , set leap

years, a n d establ ish the fest ivals of the year accord ing to the

de te rmined sanct i f ica t ion. " 2

O u r Sages note 3 that the ent i re Torah m i g h t have b e g u n

w i t h th is commandmen t , " f o r i t is the first mitzvah that the

Jewish peop le 4 were c o m m a n d e d . " 5

The ve ry fact that of a l l 613 commandmen ts the Torah

chose to beg in w i t h th is one indicates that th is mitzvah con¬

tains an element f undamen ta l to a l l the rest.

W h a t is so special about th is commandment?

The p r i m a r y f unc t i on of the mitzvos is to enable m a n to

permeate the w o r l d w i t h goodness a n d hol iness. Thus a l l

mitzvos i nvo lve the t rans fo rmat ion of phys ica l objects in to

mitzvah-objects, enti t ies of hol iness.

Th is , too, is the overa l l theme of the c o m m a n d m e n t to

sanct i fy the n e w m o n t h : The cour t sanctif ies 6 a certa in day

a n d declares i t to be Rosh Chodesh, the beg inn ing of the

m o n t h — not an o rd ina ry w o r k i n g day, 7 a n d one w h i c h es¬

tablishes w h e n the ho l idays shal l be celebrated.

1. Shmos 12:1-2. 2. Chinuch, beginning of Mitzvah 4. 3. See Tanchuma (Buber) Bereishis 11; Yalkut Shimoni, Shmos 12:2 (Remez 187). 4. "As opposed to Milah and Gid HaNashaeh... that were commanded to indi¬

viduals, and were not considered commands so long as all Jews were not so commanded." (Commentary of Reb Eliyahu Mizrachi on Rashi cited in fn. 5.)

5. Rashi, Bereishis 1:1. 6. See Shmos Rabbah 15:24. 7. Yechezkel 46:1.

8 0 BO

I n a d d i t i o n to the above, this c o m m a n d m e n t is inher¬ent ly f i rs t i n theme a n d content: A l t h o u g h the w o r l d is a composite of b o t h space a n d t i m e , 8 a n d t i m e is b o u n d u p w i t h space, 9 nevertheless, t i m e precedes space. For a l l of Creat ion , i n c l u d i n g space, i m p l i e s an aspect of change — present condi t ions are c o m p a r e d to the past, i.e., to condi¬tions prior to creation.

Thus , before a n y t h i n g w a s created, i n c l u d i n g space, there a lready existed an e n t i t y subject to change — t i m e . Therefore the s tar t ing p o i n t of a l l creat ion is t i m e .

This is t rue i n terms of man 's experience as w e l l . First comes the actual day , a n d o n l y t h e n can m a n make an i m ¬pact o n that day b y t r a n s f o r m i n g phys ica l objects.

Sanctif icat ion of the n e w m o n t h is thus the f i rs t com¬m a n d m e n t , for sanctity is f i rs t i m b e d d e d i n t ime — the be¬g i n n i n g of existence — a n d o n l y t h e n comes man's interac¬t i o n w i t h phys ica l objects — the aspect of space.

There is yet another al l -encompassing aspect to this mitzvah: A l l of creation was b r o u g h t about i n order to be sanctif ied t h r o u g h the Jewish people's performance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos.10 This is a theme that affects a l l of creat ion at a l l t imes a n d i n a l l places.

A Jew's service consists of ac tua l iz ing a n d reveal ing the u l t i m a t e purpose w i t h i n a l l th ings . W h e n a Jew p e r f o r m s a mitzvah w i t h a par t i cu lar object, he thereby fulfills the object's reason for be ing , a n d the object becomes a mitzvah-object.

For example , w h e n a Jew transforms an animal ' s h i d e i n t o parchment for a Sefer Torah, tefillin, or mezuzos, that animal ' s h i d e attains the purpose for w h i c h i t was created — the h i d e has n o w become i m b u e d w i t h holiness.

Since t i m e , too, is created, i t is read i ly understandable that i t is meant to f u l f i l l the same purpose as the rest of creation.

8. Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah ch. 7 (82a). 9. Likkutei Torah, Berachah 98a.

10. See Rashi, Bereishis ibid.

SANCTIFYING T I M E 8 1

H e r e i n lies the a d d i t i o n a l significance of this most i m ¬p o r t a n t c o m m a n d : T h r o u g h the Jewish people's sanctification of m o n t h s — Rosh Chodesh a n d festivals — they reveal that the t rue purpose of t i m e is to be sanctif ied.

For i n rea l i ty the sanct i f icat ion of any one m o n t h affects n o t o n l y the establishment of Rosh Chodesh a n d the festivals i n that m o n t h , b u t alters the entire t i m e c o n t i n u u m , so that a l l of t ime becomes permeated w i t h the rea l izat ion that i t is to be f i l l e d w i t h goodness, holiness, a n d mitzvos.


Remembering the Exodus and the Shabbos

The Rambam w r i t e s 1 that " O n the n i g h t of the f i f t eenth of Nissan i t is a pos i t ive c o m m a n d of the T o r a h to relate the miracles a n d w o n d e r s that t r a n s p i r e d w i t h our forefathers i n Egypt , for i t is w r i t t e n : 2 'Remember this d a y o n w h i c h y o u w e n t out of E g y p t , ' [ a n d the m e a n i n g of ' r emember ' here is] s imi lar to that w h i c h is w r i t t e n 3 'Remember the d a y of Shab-bos. ' "

W h y does the Rambam f i n d i t necessary to l i k e n the m a n n e r i n w h i c h w e remember the Exodus to the w a y i n w h i c h w e remember the Shabbos? W h y doesn't the verse "Remember this d a y o n w h i c h y o u w e n t out of E g y p t " s tand alone?

A t the b e g i n n i n g of the laws of Shabbos the Rambam states: "Rest ing f r o m labor o n the seventh d a y is a pos i t ive c o m m a n d , for i t is w r i t t e n , 4 ' O n the seventh d a y y o u shal l rest. ' W h o e v e r p e r f o r m s labor at that t i m e negates a pos i t ive c o m m a n d a n d transgresses a p r o h i b i t i v e c o m m a n d m e n t . "

1. Hilchos Chametz U'Matzah beg. of ch. 7. 2. Shmos 13:3. 3. Shmos 20:8. 4. Ibid. 23:12.

8 2 BO

Thus Shabbos involves b o t h the pos i t ive aspect of rest a n d the negative aspect of n o t p e r f o r m i n g labor.

The fact that the Rambam begins the laws of Shabbos w i t h the pos i t ive c o m m a n d , n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the fact that most of the laws of Shabbos deal w i t h p r o h i b i t i o n s of vari¬ous f o r m s of labor, indicates that the m a i n aspect of Shabbos observance lies i n this pos i t ive aspect.

B o t h the negative a n d pos i t ive aspects of Shabbos der ive f r o m t w o sections i n the Torah : I n the section descr ib ing Creat ion the verse states: 5 " H e rested o n the seventh d a y from all His labor w h i c h H e h a d done. A n d G - d blessed the sev¬e n t h d a y a n d m a d e i t h o l y , for on it He rested from all His la¬bor..." — e m p h a s i z i n g that o n this d a y there was b o t h rest a n d cessation f r o m labor.

I n the section descr ib ing G-d's g i v i n g of the Torah , w h e r e the Jews are t o l d : "Remember the day of Shabbos," the verse goes o n to state: 6 "For [ in ] six days the L - r d made the heavens, the earth, the sea, a n d a l l that is i n t h e m , and rested on the seventh day."

I n other w o r d s , here w e are t o l d that Shabbos is u n i q u e n o t o n l y i n that G - d ceased o n i t f r o m the labor of the Six Days of Creat ion, b u t m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y , that Shabbos is G-d's d a y of rest.

Thus , the m o r e i m p o r t a n t p a r t of " R e m e m b e r i n g the d a y of Shabbos" is the pos i t ive sense of rest rather t h a n the mere negat ion of labor, as our Sages state 7 that after the comple¬t i o n of the Six Days of Creat ion the w o r l d was l a c k i n g rest a n d t r a n q u i l l i t y . O n l y w h e n Shabbos began d i d rest a n d t r a n q u i l l i t y arr ive . O r as the Rambam expresses i t : 8

" 'Remember i t ' — a remembrance of praise a n d sanctifica-t i o n . "

5. Bereishis 2:2-3. 6. Shmos 20:11. 7. Commentary of Rashi, on Bereishis 2:2 and on Megillah 9a. (See also Bereishis

Rabbah 10:9). 8. Beginning of ch. 29 of Hilchos Shabbos.

REMEMBERING THE EXODUS A N D THE SHABBOS 8 3

W i t h regard to the exodus f r o m E g y p t as w e l l , w e f i n d t w o aspects: 9 the release of the Jewish people f r o m servi tude , a n d the fact that w e became a free, independent people .

This is s imi lar to the c o n d i t i o n achieved b y every freed slave: H i s master's d o m i n i o n over h i m ceases; as a free m a n he becomes w h o l l y his o w n person.

By connect ing the tale of the Exodus o n the f i f teenth of Nissan to remembrance of the Shabbos, the Rambam is i n d i ¬cat ing that w i t h regard to re la t ing the events of the Exodus too, the m a i n aspect is the pos i t ive step of b e c o m i n g free.

For just as r e m e m b e r i n g the Shabbos involves n o t so m u c h the negat ion of labor as the pos i t ive theme of rest, so too the ob l iga t ion to relate the tale of the Exodus involves n o t so m u c h the reca l l ing of our release f r o m slavery as the r e c o u n t i n g of h o w w e became free m e n .

Thus the Rambam goes o n to say i n the f o l l o w i n g l a w that even w h e n one relates the tale of the Exodus to a son w h o is a m i n o r or s i m p l e t o n he s h o u l d say: " O n this n i g h t G - d redeemed us a n d t o o k us out to freedom," thereby em¬p h a s i z i n g that G - d enabled us to become free.

Consequent ly , the Rambam goes o n to say 1 0 that " A n in¬d i v i d u a l is obl igated to conduct h imse l f as i f he h imse l f h a d just gone out of E g y p t " — "as i f y o u yourse l f were enslaved, a n d you went out to freedom and were redeemed."

One s h o u l d conduct h i m s e l f o n this n i g h t as a free m a n .

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXI, pp. 68-73.

9. See also Likkutei Sichos, XII, p. 47. 10. Halachah 6-7.

8 4 BESHALLACH

Beshallach בשלח

The Manna — Enhancing Belief & Trust in G-d

The Torah p o r t i o n of Beshallach recounts the story of the

heavenly f ood that n u r t u r e d the Jewish people i n the desert

for 40 years, u n t i l they a r r i ved at the border of Canaan.

The Tur states 1 that i t is benef ic ia l to recite the passage

about the manna da i ly . The salutary effect of th is repet i t ion

is t w o f o l d :

a) I t strengthens bel ief 2 i n G-d , h e l p i n g m a n realize that

a l l h is sustenance der ives f r o m Providence. This was clear ly

ev ident w i t h the manna: h u m a n act iv i ty h a d absolute ly no

effect on the amoun t G-d deemed f i t to p rov i de each ind i¬

v i d u a l — " the one w h o h a d taken more d i d no t have any

extra, a n d the one w h o h a d taken less d i d no t have too l i t -

t l e . " 3

b) I t helps st rengthen man 's t rus t 4 i n G-d. N o t on l y is a

person p r o m p t e d to recognize that h is subsistence der ives

f r o m G-d , b u t equa l ly impo r tan t , m a n comes to rely on G-d ,

t rus t i ng that H e w i l l p rov ide . The da i l y col lect ion of manna

a m p l y deve loped this aspect of t rust , for G-d p r o v i d e d i t on

a constant a n d ongo ing basis. Thus Jews were able to be¬

come aware of the fact that every l i v i n g t h i n g relies com¬

ple te ly on G-d for its food .

A l t h o u g h bel ief i n G-d and t rust i n H i m seem to be

s imi lar , they are t w o d i f ferent t ra i ts, each possessing quali¬

ties that the other lacks. W h a t are the major differences be¬

tween these t w o attr ibutes?

1. Orach Chayim 1; also in Shulchan Aruch ibid. sub-section 5. 2. See commentary of Beis Yosef on Tur ibid.; Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein,

Mehadura Kamma 1:8. 3. Shmos 16:18. 4. Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Mehadura Tenyana 1:8.

T H E M A N N A — E N H A N C I N G BELIEF & TRUST I N G - D 8 5

Belief is a constant — i t is the nature of the D i v i n e soul to express an innate belief i n G - d . For example , the absolute confidence that one's sustenance w i l l be p r o v i d e d b y G - d is f o u n d w i t h i n every believer at a l l t imes; i t makes no sense to say a m a n believes this o n l y w h i l e ac tual ly earn ing his live¬l i h o o d .

But w h i l e belief is unceasing, i t is p e r i p h e r a l , a n d does n o t necessarily translate i n t o act ion. Thus the Gemara5 in¬f o r m s us that i t is possible for a thief to p r a y that his t h i e v e r y w i l l be successful; the p u r i t y of his f a i t h is n o t affected b y the i m p u r i t y of his deeds.

I n contrast, man 's t rust i n G - d is aroused o n l y i n t imes of need. 6 Yet a l t h o u g h man 's t rust is not i n the same constant state of reve la t ion as is his belief, w h e n t rust is aroused i t penetrates every f iber of his be ing .

This w i l l be better u n d e r s t o o d b y o f f e r i n g a m o r e acute example:

W h e n a person f i n d s h imse l f — H e a v e n f o r f e n d — i n a l i fe - threatening s i tua t ion a n d sees no w a y of s u r v i v i n g b y n a t u r a l means, he w i l l n o t despair, for he trusts that G - d w i l l he lp h i m , since H e is the Master of nature a n d able to change i t at w i l l . 7

The a b i l i t y to p u t one's t rust i n G - d , to be conf ident that H e w i l l rescue one f r o m extreme di f f i cul t ies — " n a t u r a l " phys ica l rea l i ty n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g — indicates that such t rust comple te ly permeates a person.

M o r e o v e r , this v e r y t rust serves as the vessel that d r a w s d o w n D i v i n e assistance a n d blessing:

W h e n a Jew displays absolute t rust i n G - d a n d is confi¬dent that G - d w i l l release h i m f r o m his d i re straits — al¬t h o u g h this seems to f l y i n the face of reason — this causes G - d to act t o w a r d this i n d i v i d u a l i n a l ike manner ; G - d helps that person b y f ree ing h i m i n a supernatura l manner .

5. Berachos 63a. 6. See Nesivos Olam of the Meharal, beginning of Nesiv HaBetachon. 7. See Rabbeinu Yonah, quoted in Kad HaKemach entry Betachon. See also Likkutei

Sichos III, p. 833.

8 6 BESHALLACH

This also explains h o w i t is possible for m a n to possess such absolute t rust i n G - d : Since w e k n o w that G - d responds to m a n measure for measure, 8 w e are able to feel certa in 9 that b y p l a c i n g our i m p l i c i t t rust i n G - d , H e w i l l surely he lp us i n our t i m e of need.

Based on Likkutei Sichos XXVI, pp. 95-97.

8. See Mishnah Sotah (8b). 9. See Chovas HaLevavos introduction to Shaar HaBetachon.

Waging War Against Amalek

A t the conclusion of the p o r t i o n Beshallach,1 the T o r a h relates that Moshe a p p o i n t e d Yehoshua to lead the Jews against the a t tacking Amaleki tes . D u r i n g the entire batt le Moshe's hands w e r e raised i n prayer that the Jews be victo¬r ious . A s l o n g as Moshe's hands were raised, the Jews pre¬v a i l e d .

The T o r a h goes o n to say that w h e n Moshe's arms g r e w w e a r y , a stone w a s taken a n d placed u n d e r h i m . Rashi2

comments : "Because he was s luggish i n p e r f o r m i n g the c o m m a n d m e n t [of l e a d i n g the Jews i n batt le] a n d a p p o i n t e d another i n his stead, his hands became h e a v y . "

W h y does the T o r a h te l l us that Moshe's hands g r e w heavy as a result of his s l o t h f u l a t t i tude — someth ing en¬t i r e l y u n c o m p l i m e n t a r y — w h e n the T o r a h does not even speak d i rec t ly of the s t igma of an unclean animal? I t seems i n a p p r o p r i a t e for the T o r a h to speak b a d l y of Moshe , the "select of m a n k i n d . "

H e r e i n lies an inva luable lesson to a l l Jews i n a l l places a n d t imes w i t h regard to their s p i r i t u a l batt le w i t h the Amalek i tes of every generat ion.

1. Shmos 17:8-13. 2. Ibid., verse 12.

W A G I N G W A R A G A I N S T A M A L E K 8 7

A m a l e k was o n l y able to affect the Jews w h o straggled so far b e h i n d s p i r i t u a l l y that as a result of their sins they were evic ted f r o m the Jewish encampment a n d the C l o u d s of G l o r y . 3 Those w h o r e m a i n e d w i t h i n the camp w e r e not at a l l affected b y the Amaleki tes .

I n our t imes as w e l l , most Jews f i n d themselves spir i tu¬a l l y w i t h i n the " Jewish c a m p , " w i t h i n the f r a m e w o r k a n d p r o t e c t i o n of the " C l o u d s of G l o r y " of T o r a h a n d mitzvos, w h i c h protect t h e m f r o m a l l i l l w i n d s 4 — especially f r o m A m a l e k ' s f r i g i d a t t i tude t o w a r d T o r a h a n d mitzvos.5

There are, h o w e v e r , Jews w h o for w h a t e v e r reasons f i n d themselves " o n the o u t s i d e " — their l i festyle is n o t yet w h o l l y i n k e e p i n g w i t h Torah. A m a l e k — whose n u m e r i c a l equivalent is " d o u b t " 6 — is therefore able to attack t h e m b y causing t h e m to d o u b t G-d's l imit less a b i l i t y , a n d b y m a k i n g t h e m " c o o l " t o w a r d s matters of holiness.

I t is therefore possible that a Jew w h o f i n d s h imse l f " w i t h i n the e n c a m p m e n t " s h o u l d quest ion his re la t ionship w i t h those outside, reasoning that since they have n o con¬nect ion w i t h h i m , he doesn't w a n t a n y t h i n g to do w i t h t h e m .

Such an i n d i v i d u a l m i g h t w e l l t h i n k that l e a v i n g his w a r m nest of T o r a h a n d mitzvos to search for Jews lost i n the was te land of d o u b t is out of the quest ion.

H e r e i n is the lesson p r o v i d e d b y the f i rs t w a r the Jews h a d to wage after their exodus f r o m Egypt , their batt le w i t h A m a l e k :

W h e n A m a l e k starts u p w i t h a Jew w h o is "outs ide the e n c a m p m e n t , " even i f h is b e i n g there is a result of his o w n misdeeds, the Jews " w i t h i n the c a m p " m u s t leave i t i n order to protect their weaker brother . I n fact, o n l y G-d- fear ing Jews have the a b i l i t y to v a n q u i s h A m a l e k . Thus w e f i n d that

3. See Devarim 25:18 and commentary of Rashi there. 4. See Mechiltah, Beshallach on verse 13:21. 5. See Torah Or, 85a and onward, Maamar VHayah Ka'asher Yarim 5680 ch. 3. 6. Sefer HaMa'amarim 5679 p. 294; 5709 pp. 40, 65.

8 8 BESHALLACH

i t was Yehoshua, an i n d i v i d u a l " w h o never left the t e n t " 7 of Torah , w h o was placed i n charge of the batt le .

The T o r a h goes fur ther : Even Moshe , w h o essentially l e d the w h o l e w a r — i t was he w h o a p p o i n t e d Yehoshua as his emissary to lead the batt le , a n d i t was Moshe w h o s p i r i t u a l l y l e d the f i g h t b y p r a y i n g for the wel fare of the Jewish people — s h o u l d have par t i c ipa ted i n the actual batt le . H i s fa i lure to do so was considered slothfulness.

H e r e i n is a lesson for even the greatest: S p i r i t u a l part ic i¬p a t i o n i n the o n g o i n g batt le against A m a l e k is n o t enough . M e r e l y p r a y i n g for the wel fare of those attacked b y A m a l e k , or sending one's emissary, is nei ther adequate nor accept¬able; the person himself m u s t do w h a t e v e r is necessary to keep his f e l l o w Jews f r o m the clutches of A m a l e k .

Compiled from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXI, pp. 89-99.

7. Shmos 33:11.

A C H I E V I N G U N I T Y I N M I N D , H E A R T A N D DEED 8 9

Yisro יתרו

Achieving Unity in Mind, Heart and Deed

W e read i n the To rah p o r t i o n Yisro that " I n the t h i r d

m o n t h after the Exodus of the ch i ld ren of Israel f r o m the

l and of Egyp t , on that day, they came to the w i lderness of

Sinai... a n d Israel encamped there before the m o u n t a i n . " 1

The Mechilta comments : 2 "Eve rywhere else i t is w r i t t e n

'They traveled.. . they encamped ' [ in the p lu ra l ] . That is to

say ' they t rave led ' w i t h d issent ing op in ions a n d ' they en¬

camped ' w i t h d issent ing op in ions. Here, however , [ i t is

w r i t t en ] ' and Israel encamped, ' [ i n the s ingular , fo r ] a l l were

equa l ly of one hear t . "

The Mechilta thus i n fo rms us that a l t hough i t is ent i re ly

na tu ra l for the members of a m u l t i t u d e to have d issent ing

op in ions , w h e n the Jews encamped i n p repara t ion to receive

the Torah , a l l were " o f one hear t . "

This was a result of the Torah 's ab i l i t y to b r i n g complete

peace a n d u n i t y , as the Rambam states: 3 "The ent ire Torah

was g i ven i n order to b r i n g peace in to the w o r l d . " Therefore

the Jews' encampment before M t . Sinai b rough t complete

un i t y ; they s topped b icker ing .

W h a t p r o p e r t y does Torah possess that enables i t to

b r i n g about such peace and u n i t y that a l l are " o f one hear t "?

I n fact, the a rgumen t cou ld be made that Torah fosters dis¬

sonance, for i t is replete w i t h d issent ing and disparate

op in ions w i t h regard to var ious po in ts of Jewish l a w , etc.

A n d w h i l e i t is t rue that once a de f in i t i ve j u d g m e n t is

rendered a l l part ies mus t act st r ic t ly i n accordance w i t h the

1. Shmos 19:1-2. 2. Ibid. 3. Conclusion of Hilchos Chanukah, quoting Sifrei, Naso 6:26. See also Likkutei

Sichos XVIII, p. 349ff.

9 0 YISRO

halacha, i t w o u l d seem that p r i v a t e inte l lec tual disagreement m u s t r e m a i n .

H o w t h e n can T o r a h be said to cause a l l Jews to be " o f one heart," w h i c h i m p l i e s that i t uni tes Jews not o n l y i n ac¬t i o n b u t also i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d feeling?

The T o r a h stresses that the Jewish people 's encampment " w i t h one h e a r t " t o o k place d u r i n g " the third m o n t h after the Exodus . " E v i d e n t l y the people's u n i t y resul ted not o n l y f r o m their locat ion "oppos i te the m o u n t , " b u t also f r o m the fact that this t o o k place d u r i n g the t h i r d m o n t h .

W h a t is so special about three, a n d h o w does i t foster u n i t y ; i f a n y t h i n g , u n i t y seems m o r e d i rec t ly related to the n u m b e r one.

The difference b e t w e e n the n u m b e r s one, t w o a n d three are as f o l l o w s : " O n e " stresses that f r o m the v e r y outset there exists b u t one t h i n g ; " t w o " is indica t ive of divisiveness — the antitheses of u n i t y . "Three , " h o w e v e r , sees a u n i t i n g of disparate entities — m a k i n g " o n e " out of " t w o . "

This aspect of " t h r e e " is s imi lar to the statement of our Sages4 that " W h e n t w o Bibl ica l passages contradict each other, the m e a n i n g can be d e t e r m i n e d b y a third B ib l ica l text, w h i c h reconciles t h e m . "

W e see here the remarkable q u a l i t y of the " t h i r d . " W i t h ¬out the t h i r d verse the t w o verses i n d e e d contradict each other. T h e n the t h i r d reconciles the seemingly irreconcilable. M o r e o v e r , i t does so not b y " t a k i n g sides," i.e., agreeing w i t h one verse a n d disagreeing w i t h the other, b u t b y s h o w i n g that the f i rs t t w o verses are ac tual ly i n consonance.

Since T o r a h is inextr icably b o u n d u p w i t h the concept of " t h r e e , " as our Sages state: 5 "Blessed is G - d w h o gave the three-part T o r a h to the three-part N a t i o n . . . i n the t h i r d m o n t h , " i t is understandable that T o r a h as a w h o l e has char¬acteristics s imi lar to those of the n u m b e r three.

This results i n the fact that even w h e n T o r a h l a w is seemingly a r r i v e d at n o t t h r o u g h a reconci l ing v i e w , b u t b y

4. Sifra, Introduction. 5. Shabbos 88a; Tanchuma, Shmos 10.

A C H I E V I N G U N I T Y I N M I N D , H E A R T A N D D E E D 9 1

agreeing w i t h one o p i n i o n a n d disagreeing w i t h another, those i n i t i a l l y opposed agree n o t o n l y w i t h the a d j u d i c a t i o n b u t also w i t h the logic that resul ted i n the verd ic t — a l l are peaceful ly u n i t e d " w i t h one hear t . "


Obligation and Subservience

The Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s b e g i n w i t h the verse, 1 " I a m G - d y o u r L - r d w h o b r o u g h t y o u out of the l a n d of Egypt , f r o m the place of s lavery . " I n c o m m e n t i n g o n the w o r d s , " w h o b r o u g h t y o u out of the l a n d of E g y p t , " Rashi notes: 2

" T a k i n g y o u out of Egypt is suff ic ient reason for y o u to be subservient to M e . "

W h a t d i f f i c u l t y does Rashi seek to resolve w i t h his re¬mark?

Some commenta tors 3 o n Rashi e x p l a i n that the d i f f i c u l t y lies i n the verse's s tat ing " I a m G - d y o u r L - r d w h o b r o u g h t y o u out of the l a n d of E g y p t " rather t h a n " I a m G - d y o u r L - r d w h o created heaven a n d e a r t h . " Rashi thus explains, they say, that the Exodus was m e n t i o n e d rather t h a n crea¬t i o n since i t was because G - d b r o u g h t the Jews out of s lavery that they became H i s servants a n d H e became their G - d .

This explanat ion , h o w e v e r , is somewhat lacking : I n the s imple context of the verse there is absolutely n o reason w h y i t s h o u l d conclude w i t h the statement " w h o created heaven a n d e a r t h , " i n a s m u c h as the latter p a r t of the verse gives the reason for G - d b e c o m i n g "your L - r d " — the G - d of the Jew¬ish people.

This b e i n g so, i t stands to reason that the explanat ion s h o u l d be germane to the re la t ionship be tween G - d a n d the Jews rather t h a n to that b e t w e e n G - d a n d the universe .

1. Shmos 20:2. 2. Ibid. 3. See Gur Aryei and Devek Tov ibid.

92 YISRO

A n d so the explanat ion of w h y the Exodus is g i v e n as the reason for G - d b e c o m i n g the G - d of the Jewish people is obvious — G-d's l ibera t ion of the Jews f r o m slavery is w h a t made i t possible for H i m to g ive us H i s T o r a h a n d mitzvos o n Sinai.

M o r e o v e r , the fact that G - d t o o k the Jews out of E g y p t i n order for t h e m to serve H i m was already m e n t i o n e d several t imes i n the T o r a h ; 4 i n none of those places d i d Rashi f i n d i t necessary to e x p l a i n that this " is suff ic ient reason for y o u to be subservient to M e . " W h a t d i f f i c u l t y is there i n this par¬t icular verse?

The d i f f i c u l t y w h i c h Rashi addresses is related to this v e r y issue: Since the Jews were a lready w e l l aware that the u l t i m a t e goal of the Exodus was the receipt of the T o r a h a n d submiss ion to G - d , w h a t was the need to m e n t i o n yet again that G-d's declarat ion: " I a m G - d y o u r L - r d " is the conse¬quence of H i s b e i n g the One " w h o b r o u g h t y o u out of the l a n d of Egypt"?

Rashi therefore explains that " w h o b r o u g h t y o u out of the l a n d of E g y p t " is nei ther a reason n o r an explanat ion for " I a m G - d y o u r L - r d . , " Rather, i t is a w h o l l y dis t inct matter — " T a k i n g y o u out of E g y p t is suff ic ient reason for y o u to be subservient to M e . "

" I a m G - d y o u r L - r d " i m p l i e s the acceptance of G-d's r e i g n . 5 The Jews accepted G - d as their k i n g a n d ru ler , a n d thereby obl igated themselves to obey a l l H i s commands . G - d t h e n a d d e d an a d d i t i o n a l matter — m e r e l y accepting G - d as k i n g does n o t suffice; Jews m u s t be w h o l l y subservient to H i m .

A c c e p t i n g a k i n g ' s d o m i n i o n does n o t prec lude the pos¬s i b i l i t y of a p r i v a t e l i fe ; i t o n l y means d o i n g w h a t the k i n g c o m m a n d s a n d a v o i d i n g those th ings w h i c h the k i n g pro¬hibi ts . H o w e v e r , b e i n g "subservient to M e " means a Jew has n o personal f reedom; all his actions a n d possessions are sub¬servient to G - d .

4. Shmos 3:12, 6:6-7, 19:4-6. 5. See Mechiltah, Shmos 20:3; Rashi, Vayikra 18:2; Ramban, Shmos 20:2.

O B L I G A T I O N A N D SUBSERVIENCE 93

P e r f o r m i n g T o r a h a n d mitzvos is u n l i k e heeding the c o m m a n d s of a f lesh-and-blood k i n g , since i t is done i n a state of complete subservience. Every m o m e n t of a Jew's l i fe involves some aspect of T o r a h a n d mitzvos.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXVI pp. 124-128.

94 MISHPATIM

Mishpatim משפטים

Productive Use of Time

The T a l m u d relates 1 that the great Sage R. Yochanan ben Zakka i w e p t before his death, saying: "There are t w o paths st retching before me , one to Gan Eden [Heaven] a n d one to Gehinom. I k n o w not on w h i c h I shal l be l e d . "

It goes w i t h o u t say ing that R. Yochanan ben Z a k k a i was concerned as to whe ther he h a d at ta ined a suff ic ient leve l of hol iness to enter Gan Eden. W h y d i d he voice his apprehen¬sion on ly on his deathbed? H is sp i r i tua l status shou ld have been an ongo ing concern.

Every Jew is ent rusted w i t h a un ique D i v i ne miss ion that he is to accompl ish d u r i n g his l i fe t ime. He is a l lo t ted a spe¬cif ic t ime i n w h i c h to accompl ish that task — no t one day more a n d no t one day less. 2

W h e n a Jew fai ls to make use of a day , an hou r , or even a m o m e n t , i n pu rsu i t of h is miss ion , he not on l y fai ls to achieve his fu l lest sp i r i tua l po ten t ia l , b u t more impo r tan t l y , he has fa i led — d u r i n g those moments — to accompl ish his ent rusted task.

R. Yochanan ben Z a k k a i spent every m o m e n t of h is l i fe to ta l l y immersed i n h is m iss ion , so m u c h so that he s i m p l y d i d not have t ime to pause and contemplate his o w n spir i¬tua l level . I t was on ly at the conclusion of h is m iss ion — just p r i o r to h is demise — that he was able to ponder h is o w n status.

The impor tance of absolute ded icat ion to one's m iss ion is also a l l uded to i n the Torah p o r t i o n of Mishpatim, w h e r e i n Scr ipture states: 3 " Y o u w i l l serve G-d... N o w o m a n w i l l m is -

1. Berachos 28b. 2. See Zohar I 224a. 3. Shmos 23:25-26.

PRODUCTIVE USE OF T I M E 9 5

carry or r e m a i n childless i n y o u r l a n d ; I w i l l make y o u l ive out f u l l l ives . "

I n s p i r i t u a l terms, the above verses m e a n t h a t 4 w h e n per¬f o r m e d w i t h p r o p e r in tent , D i v i n e service leads to ever greater s p i r i t u a l heights — i t "bears c h i l d r e n . " W h e n , how¬ever, a person is self-satisfied i n his service, i t fails to pro¬duce the desired results — he "miscarr ies " a n d is s p i r i t u a l l y " b a r r e n . "

One can g u a r d against this b y " l i v i n g out a f u l l l i f e . " I.e., a person s h o u l d realize that he is granted a specific n u m b e r of years. Every m o m e n t w a s t e d o n s o m e t h i n g other t h a n his a p p o i n t e d task constitutes an act of rebe l l ion against G - d , w h o entrusted h i m w i t h h is sacred miss ion .

W h e n a person realizes th is , he w i l l g l a d l y sacrifice a l l sense of ego, a n d concentrate solely o n c o m p l e t i n g his as¬signment . Eventua l ly he w i l l become so absorbed that he w i l l even forget that i t is he w h o is f u l f i l l i n g i t ; the m i s s i o n i n general a n d the task at h a n d w i l l f i l l his m i n d complete ly .

W h e n someone else inquires about such a Jew's s p i r i t u a l state, he w i l l respond: " H o w can I poss ib ly t h i n k about my¬self w h e n I have been granted o n l y a l i m i t e d n u m b e r of days i n w h i c h to f u l f i l l m y purpose i n life? I m u s t constantly be o n g u a r d to assure that n o t one precious m o m e n t is lost; I s i m p l y do not have t ime to t h i n k about m y s p i r i t u a l achievements!"

W h e n a Jew attains this level of self-abnegation, G - d blesses h i m w i t h "a f u l l l i f e " ; even i f there were days i n w h i c h he d i d n o t f u l f i l l his miss ion , or worse yet, acted i n a c o u n t e r p r o d u c t i v e manner , G - d promises h i m that the m i s s i n g days w i l l be m a d e u p . U l t i m a t e l y , a l l his days be¬come w h o l e .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVI pp. 271-274

4. See discourses titled Lo Sihyeh Mishakeilah in Torah Or, Toras Chayim and Or HaTorah.

9 6 M I S H P A T I M

A Tale of Two Portions

A t the conclusion of Mishpatim — after a lmost an entire T o r a h p o r t i o n that addresses matters n o t d i rec t ly re lated to Mattan Torah, the g i v i n g of the T o r a h — Moshe is t o l d : " G o u p to G - d . " 1 Rashi explains 2 that this t o o k place o n the f o u r t h of Sivan, p r i o r to Mattan Torah.

M o s t of the preparat ions for Mattan Torah are described at l e n g t h i n the p o r t i o n of Yisro. The fact that a d d i t i o n a l de¬tails are p r o v i d e d i n Mishpatim indicates that a purpose m u s t be served b y descr ib ing Mattan Torah i n t w o por t ions . W h a t is that purpose?

Mattan Torah accompl ished t w o things : a) G - d gave the T o r a h — its c o m m a n d m e n t s a n d laws — to the Jewish peo¬ple ; b) G - d thereby entered i n t o a "covenant of observance" w i t h the Jews — " A n d y o u shal l keep M y covenant . " 3 Jews thus became H i s servants, as the verse states: 4 " Y o u shal l serve the L - r d u p o n this m o u n t a i n , " a n d as Rashi notes, 5 the Jewish people t h e n became subjugated to G - d .

H e r e i n lies the difference r e g a r d i n g the preparat ions for Mattan Torah as described i n Yisro a n d the preparat ions de¬scribed i n Mishpatim:

Yisro deals m a i n l y w i t h G-d's g i v i n g of the Ten Com¬m a n d m e n t s . That is w h y the tale of the Jewish people 's p r e p a r a t i o n as related i n Yisro deals w i t h the commands that G - d gave t h e m to prepare for Mattan Torah.

Mishpatim, h o w e v e r , deals w i t h the covenant a n d servi¬t u d e to G - d that resulted f r o m Mattan Torah. This came about t h r o u g h the events described i n this p o r t i o n , 6 n a m e l y , the Jewish people's acceptance of the T o r a h b y pre fac ing " W e shall d o " to " W e shall hear" a n d w r i t i n g the " B o o k of the Covenant."

1. Shmos 24:1. 2. Commentary of Rashi ibid. 3. Ibid. 19:3. 4. Ibid. 3:12. 5. Ibid. 20:2. 6. Ibid. 24:3ff.

A TALE OF TWO PORTIONS 9 7

There is an even m o r e p r o f o u n d reason for the details re la t ing to Mattan Torah to be g i v e n i n t w o separate por t ions :

The Midrash notes 7 that at the t i m e of Mattan Torah, t w o th ings were accomplished: "Those A b o v e descended b e l o w " — " G - d descended o n M t . S inai , " 8 ; a n d "Those b e l o w as¬cended A b o v e " — " A n d to Moshe H e said: 'Ascend to G - d . ' " 9 M a n ascended to G-dliness.

The f i rs t p o r t i o n speaks m a i n l y about Mattan Torah f r o m the perspective of those " A b o v e " — " G - d descended," " A n d G - d spoke." Mishpatim, h o w e v e r , addresses the event f r o m the perspective of those " b e l o w " — " A s c e n d to G - d , " " W e shall do a n d w e shall hear ," etc.

The difference b e t w e e n these t w o aspects of Mattan Torah is this : The t remendous degree of D i v i n e reve la t ion that descended f r o m A b o v e at the t i m e of Mattan Torah was t e m p o r a r y ; the ascent of the Jewish people , h o w e v e r , — be¬c o m i n g G-d's servants a n d thereby b e c o m i n g s p i r i t u a l l y elevated — was permanent .

The reason w h y the second aspect of Mattan Torah en¬d u r e d was because i t came about as a result of man 's o w n service. I t therefore became p e r m a n e n t l y e m b e d d e d w i t h i n the Jewish people's psyche.

A c c o r d i n g l y , w e are able to u n d e r s t a n d w h y the com¬m a n d of b u i l d i n g the Tabernacle — m e n t i o n e d i n the next p o r t i o n of Terumah — f o l l o w s the second aspect of Mattan Torah. For the special q u a l i t y of D i v i n e revela t ion that re¬sul ted f r o m the construct ion of the Mishkan m i r r o r e d the service of m a n : 1 0

The reve la t ion of G-dliness w i t h i n the Mishkan came about t h r o u g h the accompl ishment of the Jewish people — " Y o u shall make for M e a Mishkan."11 Just as the Jewish peo¬ple's service at Mattan Torah resul ted i n their permanent

7. Shmos Rabbah 12:3; Tanchuma, Va'eira 15. 8. Shmos 19:20. 9. Ibid. 24:1.

10. See Likkutei Sichos XXI p. 150ff. 11. Shmos 25:8.

9 8 M I S H P A T I M

s p i r i t u a l e levat ion, so d i d the D i v i n e reve la t ion that resul ted f r o m the m a k i n g of the Mishkan p e r m a n e n t l y sanctify its phys ica l structure.


The Jewish Indentured Servant

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Mishpatim i m m e d i a t e l y f o l l o w s Yisro, the section that describes G-d's g i v i n g of the Torah , w h i c h t o o k place shor t ly after the Exodus a n d the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. I t f o l l o w s that G - d w o u l d relate i n Mishpatim the c o m m a n d s that were most germane to the Jewish people at that t ime .

I n f u l f i l l m e n t of H i s promise to A v r a h a m that the Jews w o u l d leave Egypt w i t h great w e a l t h , 1 G - d saw to i t that the f o r m e r slaves left that c o u n t r y laden w i t h g o l d a n d si lver . 2

Then, at the crossing of the sea, the Jews received even m o r e b o o t y ; 3 each a n d every Jew was r i ch .

Nevertheless, Mishpatim begins 4 w i t h the laws of an in¬d e n t u r e d servant — a Jew whose i m p o v e r i s h e d state obliges h i m to sell h imse l f i n t o servi tude , 5 or one w h o lacks the means to make r e s t i t u t i o n for a theft a n d is therefore so ld i n t o s lavery b y the cour t . 6

W h y does the p o r t i o n b e g i n w i t h these l a w s w h e n a l l Jews w e r e t h e n weal thy?

The i n d e n t u r e d slave was to serve for o n l y six years, or u n t i l the Sabbatical year, at w h i c h t i m e he was to be freed. But " I f the servant declares, ' I love m y master... I do n o t

1. Bereishis 15:14. 2. See Shmos 12:35-36. 3. See Rashi ibid. 15:22. 4. Shmos 21:2. 5. See Vayikra 25:39. 6. See Shmos 22:2.

T H E JEWISH INDENTURED SERVANT 9 9

w a n t to go free'.. . his master shall pierce his ear w i t h an a w l a n d the servant shall serve u n t i l the Jubilee Year." 7

O u r Sages c o m m e n t : 8 " W h y w a s the ear chosen for p i e r c i n g rather t h a n another organ? Because i t was the ear that heard o n M t . Sinai, 'For u n t o M e are the C h i l d r e n of Is¬rael servants, they are M y servants, ' 9 yet i t t h r e w off the heavenly yoke a n d replaced i t w i t h the yoke of m a n , so the verse says: ' let the ear be pierced, for i t d i d not c o m p l y w i t h w h a t i t h e a r d . ' "

W i t h other c o m m a n d m e n t s , w e do n o t f i n d any stress p u t o n the connect ion be tween the r e w a r d for observance a n d the m a n n e r of that observance. For example, h o n o r i n g one's parents is r e w a r d e d w i t h l o n g e v i t y . 1 0 There is n o obvi¬ous connect ion b e t w e e n the r e w a r d a n d the f u l f i l l m e n t of that c o m m a n d .

The same is t rue w i t h regard to the p u n i s h m e n t s for s in — lashes, excision a n d the l ike . The nature of the punish¬ments has n o obvious connect ion to the sins w h i c h beget t h e m .

W i t h regard to the i n d e n t u r e d servant, h o w e v e r , our Sages clearly indicate h o w the p u n i s h m e n t is i n k e e p i n g w i t h the cr ime — the ear h e a r d f r o m M t . Sinai a n d d i d not c o m p l y , therefore i t is pierced.

The reason w h y the p o r t i o n w h i c h f o l l o w s the g i v i n g of the T o r a h describes the l a w of the i n d e n t u r e d servant is thus r e a d i l y understandable , for the p u n i s h m e n t of p i e r c i n g the ear is d i rec t ly connected to w h a t the ear heard o n Sinai.

The connect ion becomes even m o r e apparent i n l i g h t of the fact that the entire purpose of g i v i n g the T o r a h was to p u r i f y a n d elevate the phys ica l w o r l d t h r o u g h the p e r f o r m ¬ance of mitzvos. Therefore, the f i rs t c o m m a n d m e n t i n Mish-patim c learly demonstrates h o w T o r a h affects the phys ica l w o r l d .

7. Ibid. 21:5-6. 8. Tosefta, Bava Kama Ch. 6. 9. Vayikra 25:55.

10. Shmos 20:12.

100 M I S H P A T I M

This is p a r t i c u l a r l y t rue according to the Chassidic ex¬p l a n a t i o n of the phrase " Jewish i n d e n t u r e d servant , " v i z . , one w h o t ransforms " s e r v i t u d e " to his a n i m a l soul a n d phys ica l desires i n t o " Jewish" s p i r i t u a l service.

Such a t r a n s f o r m a t i o n demonstrates the effect of T o r a h i n this w o r l d — to so change one's animal is t ic tendencies a n d the w o r l d at large that they are able to enter the d o m a i n of holiness.

Practiced b y every Jew i n every w a l k of l i fe , such trans¬f o r m a t i o n s w i l l become so w i d e s p r e a d that the i n d i v i d u a l a n d e v e r y t h i n g related to h i m w i l l become a ver i table d w e l l i n g for G - d .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVI, pp. 251-257.

CONSTRUCTING THE M I S H K A N — A C O M M O N TASK 1 0 1

Terumah תרומה

Constructing the Mishkan — A Common Task

The Torah p o r t i o n of Terumah tells h o w the Jewish peo¬

ple were c o m m a n d e d to erect the Tabernacle, the Mishkan, so

that G-d m a y " d w e l l a m o n g t h e m . " It also tel ls h o w the Jews

w e n t about f u l f i l l i n g th is c o m m a n d b y dona t i ng the

necessary i tems.

There are three op in ions of fered b y our Sages regard ing

the t ime at w h i c h th is took place:

One o p i n i o n 1 is that b o t h the c o m m a n d to b u i l d the

Mishkan a n d the Jews' donat ions occurred soon after the

Torah was g i ven , and prior to the s in of the Go lden Calf.

A second o p i n i o n ho lds that b o t h the c o m m a n d a n d the

b r i n g i n g of gi f ts took place after G-d forgave the Jewish

people on Yom Kippur for the s in of the Go lden Calf , "so that

a l l the nat ions w o u l d k n o w that they [the Jewish people]

were fo rg i ven for the s in of the Ca l f . " 2

The t h i r d o p i n i o n is that G-d's c o m m a n d came to Moshe

before the s in of the Go lden Calf , b u t that he passed i t on to

the people on l y after Yom Kippur.3

The T a l m u d in fo rms u s 4 that a l t hough there m a y be di¬

vergent op in ions a m o n g our Sages, " A l l are equa l ly the

w o r d s of the l i v i n g G -d . "

Thus , i t is unders tood that a l t hough the const ruc t ion of

the Mishkan a n d the b r i n g i n g of donat ions h a d to have hap¬

pened i n accordance w i t h on l y one of these three schedules,

a l l three op in ions are t rue as they relate to the sp i r i tua l

Mishkan w i t h i n the heart of every Jew.

1. Zohar II 224a. 2. Tanchuma, Terumah 8. See also commentary of Rashi, Shmos 31:18, 33:11. 3. Zohar II 195a; Ramban beginning of Torah portion of Vayakhel. 4. Eruvin 13b and places cited there.

102 TERUMAH

I n w h a t regard are they a l l true? F o l l o w i n g G-d's g i v i n g of the Torah , a n d before the s in

of the G o l d e n Calf , the Jewish people were o n the level of tzaddikim, the t r u l y r ighteous . T h e n they c o m m i t t e d the s in of the G o l d e n Calf. W h e n they were f o r g i v e n o n Yom Kippur, they at ta ined the level of ba'alei teshuvah, penitents .

H e r e i n lies the difference b e t w e e n the abovement ioned opin ions : A c c o r d i n g to the o p i n i o n that the c o m m a n d to b u i l d the Mishkan a n d the g i v i n g of donat ions occurred soon after the g i v i n g of the T o r a h a n d p r i o r to the s in of the G o l d e n Calf , the Mishkan was constructed b y tzaddikim.

A c c o r d i n g to the o p i n i o n that the c o m m a n d to construct the Mishkan came o n Yom Kippur, its erect ion was the w o r k of penitents .

A c c o r d i n g to the o p i n i o n that the s in of the G o l d e n Calf t o o k place be tween the t i m e of the c o m m a n d to make the Mishkan a n d its actual construct ion , even the w i c k e d — those w h o s inned w i t h the G o l d e n Calf — were able to part ic ipate i n the construct ion of a Sanctuary for G - d .

The lesson is as f o l l o w s : A Jew o n the l o f t y plane of a tzaddik m a y m i s t a k e n l y t h i n k that h a v i n g at ta ined so h i g h a level he s h o u l d i n v o l v e h imse l f w i t h p u r e l y s p i r i t u a l mat¬ters, a n d that m a k i n g a phys ica l d w e l l i n g place for G - d s h o u l d be left to those s t i l l s t r u g g l i n g w i t h the corporeal w o r l d .

H e r e i n comes the lesson of the f i rs t o p i n i o n : The com¬m a n d to construct the Sanctuary was g i v e n to tzaddikim. Since the tzaddik s t i l l exists w i t h i n this phys ica l w o r l d , f a i l i n g to elevate the m u n d a n e b y t r a n s f o r m i n g i t i n t o a Mishkan can lead to a s p i r i t u a l d o w n f a l l .

W e m a y t h i n k that this m a n n e r of service applies o n l y to a tzaddik, w h o never h a d to confront a n d v a n q u i s h e v i l . The peni tent , h o w e v e r , has achieved this v i c t o r y , a n d m a y t h i n k that he need n o t occupy h i m s e l f any longer w i t h phys ica l service. W e therefore have the second o p i n i o n , w h i c h in¬f o r m s us that the c o m m a n d to construct the Sanctuary was g i v e n to penitents .

CONSTRUCTING THE M I S H K A N — A C O M M O N TASK 103

T h e n w e have the t h i r d o p i n i o n : I t teaches us that repen¬tance is not a prerequis i te to d o i n g g o o d deeds. Even some¬t h i n g as sacred as a Sanctuary for G - d m a y be b u i l t b y sin¬ners w h o have n o t yet repented.

Begin d o i n g g o o d at once, secure i n the k n o w l e d g e that repentance w i l l surely f o l l o w !

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VI , pp. 153-156.

Three Forms of Terumah — Three Forms of Spiritual Service

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Terumah, the Jews are c o m m a n d e d to b r i n g Terumah, of fer ings , for use i n the Mishkan. The c o m m a n d is repeated three t imes: " T h e y shall take u n t o M e Terumah;" " y o u shall take M y Terumah;" " T h i s is the Terumah that y o u shall take . " 1

O u r Sages c o m m e n t 2 that the T o r a h is r e f e r r i n g here to three di f ferent offer ings: The f i rs t reference is to the o f f e r i n g used i n const ruc t ing the sockets for the Mishkan's beams; the second refers to the d o n a t i o n of si lver half-shekels for the purchase of c o m m u n a l offerings; the t h i r d refers to general offer ings for the construct ion of the Mishkan.

O f these three, o n l y the last is described here i n deta i l ; the f i rs t t w o are o n l y h i n t e d at, a n d are described at l e n g t h i n later p o r t i o n s . 3 Since a l l three Terumah of fer ings were for the sake of the Mishkan, w h y w e r e they not a l l described here i n detail?

The Mishkan was b u i l t i n order to p r o v i d e a d w e l l i n g place for G - d i n this w o r l d — " A n d y o u shall b u i l d for M e a Sanctuary so that I m a y d w e l l i n y o u r m i d s t . " 4

1. Shmos 25:2-3. 2. Yerushalmi, Shekalim 1:5. 3. The first Terumah in Pekudei, 38:25ff; the second Terumah in Sisa, 30:13ff. 4. Shmos 25:8.

104 TERUMAH

The b u i l d i n g of a Mishkan foreshadows the transforma¬t i o n of the entire w o r l d i n t o a d w e l l i n g place for G - d . This is accomplished t h r o u g h Torah , D i v i n e service, a n d deeds of kindness — the " three p i l l a r s " u p o n w h i c h the w o r l d stands. 5

Since the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of the w o r l d i n t o a Mishkan is connected to the b u i l d i n g of the phys ica l Mishkan, i t can be u n d e r s t o o d that these three p i l l a r s p l a y e d a p a r t i n the con¬st ruc t ion of the Mishkan as w e l l .

T o r a h is the root a n d f o u n d a t i o n of a l l s p i r i t u a l service. Every level a n d manner of serv ing G - d t h r o u g h mitzvos a n d g o o d deeds is r o o t e d i n a n d based u p o n Torah , for every as¬pect of Judaism has its f o u n d a t i o n a n d b e g i n n i n g i n Torah .

I n the construct ion of the Mishkan, T o r a h is a l l u d e d to b y the Terumah for sockets, since they served as the u n d e r p i n ¬nings of the entire s tructure , just as T o r a h serves as the un¬d e r p i n n i n g of a l l Judaism.

The Terumah used for the purchase of c o m m u n a l sacri¬fices relates to D i v i n e service, for " D i v i n e service" involves sacrif icial o f fer ings 6 a n d prayer — prayer h a v i n g been sub¬st i tuted for of fer ings . 7

The general Terumah for the Mishkan, w h i c h i n c l u d e d g o l d , si lver, copper, etc., corresponds to the service of mitz-vos — a l l of w h i c h are k n o w n b y the t e r m "deeds of k i n d -ness" 8 — for they are p e r f o r m e d w i t h phys ica l objects simi¬lar to those used i n construct ing the Mishkan. This t h i r d m a n n e r of service — "deeds of k i n d n e s s " — possesses a q u a l i t y l a c k i n g i n the f i rs t t w o . T o r a h a n d prayer relate to an i n d i v i d u a l ' s s p i r i t u a l occupat ion w i t h himself . Conse¬q u e n t l y , they are o n l y able to affect the i n d i v i d u a l ; u n i t i n g a person w i t h G-d's w i s d o m .

"Deeds of k i n d n e s s " — the service of mitzvos — how¬ever, requires one to be i n v o l v e d w i t h phys ica l matter . Here

5. Avos 1:2. 6. Commentary of Rashi and Bartenura et al, Avos ibid. 7. Berachos 26b; See also commentary of Rabbeinu Yonah to Avos ibid. 8. Likkutei Torah, Reeh 23c.

THREE FORMS OF T E R U M A H — SPIRITUAL SERVICE 1 0 5

a person is able to t r a n s f o r m phys ica l th ings — b y u s i n g t h e m i n the per formance of mitzvos — i n t o h o l y objects.

I t is specif ically t h r o u g h man 's t r a n s f o r m i n g of the w o r l d i n t o a Mishkan that the D i v i n e in tent of creat ion is f u l f i l l e d , for " G - d earnestly desired a d w e l l i n g place i n the nethermost l e v e l , " 9 i.e., this l o w l y phys ica l w o r l d . 1 0 But i n order for this m a n n e r of service to be p r o p e r a n d complete , m a n m u s t also possess the attr ibutes of T o r a h a n d prayer .

Since a l l aspects of s p i r i t u a l service are reflected i n the Mishkan, the T o r a h p o r t i o n details o n l y the general Terumah — man's service of mitzvos — for that is the u l t i m a t e intent .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVI, pp. 292-297.

9. Tanya ch. 36, based on Tanchuma, Naso 16. 10. Ibid.

The Aron, Kapores and the Keruvim

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Terumah contains the c o m m a n d to make the Aron, (the A r k ) , the Kapores (the l i d for the A r k ) , a n d the K e r u v i m (the Cherubs that j u t t e d out f r o m the edges of the l i d ) . 1

A c c o r d i n g to Rashi, the A r k a n d its l i d were t w o dis t inct enti t ies , 2 w h i l e Ramban ma in ta ins that the A r k ' s c o v e r i n g was p a r t a n d parcel of the A r k ; o n l y w h e n the Kapores was u p o n the A r k c o u l d i t be cal led the Aron.3

W h y do they differ? A c c o r d i n g to the Ramban, the m a i n reason for G-d's de¬

s i r i n g a Mishkan was to have a place for the i n d w e l l i n g of the D i v i n e Presence. 4 This was accomplished b y p l a c i n g the

1. Shmos 25:10-22. 2. See Rashi ibid. verse 21. 3. See commentary of Ramban on verses ibid. 4. See ibid. 25:1.

106 TERUMAH

" T e s t i m o n y " w i t h i n an A r k that h a d u p o n i t the Kapores a n d the Keruvim.

A c c o r d i n g to Rashi, h o w e v e r , the purpose of the Aron was for the storage of the Torah , 5 w h i l e the Kapores h a d a d i f ferent f u n c t i o n . " I shal l make M y s e l f k n o w n to y o u a n d I shall speak to y o u f r o m above the Kapores, f r o m b e t w e e n the t w o Keruvim."6

This leads to yet another disagreement be tween Rashi a n d the Ramban: A c c o r d i n g to Rashi, the Keruvim w e r e p a r t of the Kapores, w h i c h was , as m e n t i o n e d p r e v i o u s l y , w h o l l y dis t inct f r o m the Aron, w h i l e according to Ramban the Keru-vim together w i t h the Kapores a n d Aron served one purpose — they were a place w h e r e the D i v i n e Presence res ided. 7

I n l i g h t of the above, the reason for yet another differ¬ence be tween Rashi a n d the Ramban becomes clear: Accord¬i n g to Rashi, the Keruvim l o o k e d l ike h u m a n infants , 8 w h i l e according to the Ramban they resembled the D i v i n e Char io t seen b y Yechezkel . 9

Since according to Ramban the Keruvim served as a resi¬dence for the D i v i n e Presence, its f o r m was symbol ic of that Presence — the D i v i n e Char iot . A c c o r d i n g to Rashi, h o w e v e r , w h o mainta ins that the Kapores a n d Keruvim were w h o l l y dis t inct f r o m the A r k , they resembled h u m a n infants , thereby e m p h a s i z i n g G-d's love for the Jewish people , as the verse states: "For Israel is b u t a l a d , a n d therefore I love h i m . " 1 0

Thus , according to Rashi the Aron w i t h its " T e s t i m o n y " denoted the Torah , w h i l e the Kapores a n d the Keruvim, serv¬i n g as the place w h e r e G - d made H i s w i l l k n o w n , empha¬sized G-d's love for the Jewish people .

O n a m o r e esoteric level , the difference b e t w e e n the t w o sages lies i n the f o l l o w i n g :

5. See commentary of Rashi ibid. verse 16. 6. Ibid. verse 22 and see commentary of Rashi. 7. Commentary of Ramban ibid. verse 22. 8. Rashi ibid. verse 18. 9. Ramban ibid. verse 21.

10. Hosheiah 11:1.

T H E A R O N , KAPORES A N D T H E K E R U V I M 107

The Aron, c o n t a i n i n g as i t d i d the " T e s t i m o n y , " is sym¬bol ic of Torah . Thus the Ramban notes 1 1 that a l l the Jews t o o k p a r t i n m a k i n g the A r k "so that they a l l m e r i t T o r a h . " 1 2

I t thus f o l l o w s that according to the Ramban, w h o main¬tains that the Kapores a n d Keruvim were one w i t h the Aron, the phrase " I shal l make M y s e l f k n o w n to y o u . . . a n d speak to y o u f r o m above the Kapores b e t w e e n the Keruvim" relates ent i re ly to the Torah , w h i l e according to Rashi the Aron re¬lated to T o r a h w h i l e the Kapores a n d Keruvim re lated to G-d's love for the Jews.

The reason for this difference b e t w e e n Ramban a n d Rashi is as f o l l o w s : Ramban speaks i n a revealed m a n n e r about esoteric matters of Torah. H i s c o m m e n t a r y therefore deals w i t h th ings as they are seen to exist. I n this state, "Jews are b o u n d to T o r a h a n d T o r a h is b o u n d to G - d " 1 3 — o n l y t h r o u g h T o r a h can the Jewish people be b o u n d to G - d .

The c o m m e n t a r y of Rashi, h o w e v e r , speaks of the simple m e a n i n g of the verses, a n d as such addresses the essential aspect of the Jew — w h o l l y one w i t h G-d's s i m p l i c i t y . 1 4 This direct connect ion of a Jew w i t h G - d transcends the connec¬t i o n achieved t h r o u g h T o r a h . 1 5

A c c o r d i n g l y , Rashi states that the Keruvim, w h i c h i n d i ¬cated G-d's love for the Jewish people , w e r e i n the shape of infants , for the essential love of a father for his c h i l d is n o t dependent o n a n y t h i n g ; i t stems f r o m the s imple fact that father a n d c h i l d are one. A n d i t was this love that was re¬vealed b y the shape of the Keruvim.


11. Shmos 25:10. 12. Shmos Rabbah 34:2. See also Rabbeinu Bachya and Abarbanel on the verse ibid. 13. See Zohar III 73a. 14. See Likkutei Dibburim III, 491b. 15. Bereishis Rabbah 1:4; Tanna d'Vei Eliyahu Rabbah ch. 14. See also Likkutei Torah,

Shir HaShirim 19:b-c; Hemshech 5666, maamar titled Vayidabeir... b'Midbar Sinai.

108 TETZAVEH

Tetzaveh תצוה

Ephod, Breastplate & Robe — Three Unique Vestments

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Tetzaveh the pr ies t ly vestments

are descr ibed at length . A m o n g the garments w o r n b y the

H i g h Priest were the ephod, the breastplate, a n d the me'il, the

robe. A f te r the commands concern ing the m a k i n g of each,

the verse tel ls us w h a t purpose each served:

W i t h regard to the ephod the verse states: 1 "Place the t w o

stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as remembrance

stones for the ch i l d ren of Israel; A h a r o n shal l carry thei r

names on his t w o shoulders before G-d as a remembrance. "

A t the conclus ion of the c o m m a n d of the breastplate the

verse states: 2 " A h a r o n w i l l thus carry the names of the chil¬

d ren of Israel on the decis ion breastplate over h is heart w h e n

he enters the Sanctuary; i t shal l be a constant remembrance

before G -d . "

Concern ing the robe the verse states: 3 " A h a r o n shal l

wear i t w h e n he pe r fo rms the service; the sound [of the bel ls]

shal l be heard w h e n he enters the Sanctuary before G-d , a n d

w h e n he leaves "

Thus , each vestment accompl ished its purpose — re¬

membrance, etc. — b y the ve ry fact that A h a r o n entered the

Sanctuary w h i l e w e a r i n g it . This was no t the case w i t h the

other vestments w o r n w h i l e p e r f o r m i n g the service — they

accompl ished n o t h i n g i n a n d of themselves. 4

W h e n the H i g h Priest entered the Sanctuary garbed i n

the e ight vestments a n d p e r f o r m e d the d iv ine service, t w o

1. Shmos 28:12. 2. Ibid. verse 29. 3. Ibid. verse 35. 4. See ibid. verses 41 and 45.

EPHOD, BREASTPLATE & ROBE — THREE U N I Q U E VESTMENTS 109

th ings w e r e thus accomplished: The entry i tself accom¬p l i s h e d remembrance, etc., b y his b e i n g garbed i n the three special vestments. T h e n there w a s that w h i c h was accom¬p l i s h e d t h r o u g h his actual service, this b e i n g dependent o n his w e a r i n g a l l h is vestments.

The H i g h Priest served as an emissary 5 of the Jewish people. H i s task w a s to u n i t e the Jews w i t h G - d . Thus , the H i g h Priest's entry a n d service correspond to accomplish¬ments of the Jewish people.

A Jew's u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h G - d is t w o f o l d : a) t h r o u g h his service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos; b ) as a result of his in tr ins ic re la t ionship , for he is considered G-d's c h i l d or servant even p r i o r to his service.

These t w o th ings are a l l u d e d to i n the H i g h Priest's service: First comes his entry i n t o the Sanctuary, indica t ive of the Jews' remembrance before G - d ( independent of their service). O n l y t h e n begins the service of the H i g h Priest, symbol ic of the s p i r i t u a l service of each a n d every Jew.

The reason w h y the ent ry of the H i g h Priest was con¬nected to the three abovement ioned garments w i l l be under¬stood accordingly , for these garments h i n t at the var ious categories of Jews:

The gemstones o n the shoulder straps of the e p h o d a n d i n the breastplate w e r e inscr ibed w i t h the names of the Tribes of Israel — the Jewish people. This refers to the lof t ier k i n d of Jew, w i t h i n w h o m m a y be f o u n d the " revealed a n d i n s c r i b e d " Judaism.

The robe, o n the other h a n d , descending as i t d i d close to the g r o u n d , al ludes to a less l o f t y category of Jew. The f r inge of the robe featured bells a n d pomegranates, for " E v e n the 'emptiest ' Jew is as f u l l of mitzvos as a pomegranate [is f u l l of seeds]." 6

The "remembrance before G - d " was accompl ished b y the H i g h Priest's e n t r y w e a r i n g a l l three vestments; s h o u l d even one category of Jew be miss ing , the priest 's act ion lacks

5. See Nedarim 35b. 6. See Eruvin 19a; conclusion of Tractate Chagigah.

1 1 0 T E T Z A V E H

significance. For the u n i t y of the Jews w i t h G - d defies d i v i ¬s ion — i t encompasses a l l Jews equal ly .


The Two Altars

A t the conclusion of the p o r t i o n Tetzaveh1 the T o r a h c o m m a n d s that an altar be b u i l t a n d placed w i t h i n the Tab¬ernacle for the sole purpose of o f f e r i n g incense. This In ter ior A l t a r supplemented the Exterior A l t a r (placed i n the court¬y a r d of the Mishkan), u p o n w h i c h a l l other offer ings, liba¬tions, etc., were b r o u g h t .

W h y w e r e t w o altars necessary, one i n the c o u r t y a r d a n d l i m i t e d to offer ings , the other w i t h i n the Mishkan i tself a n d l i m i t e d to incense; w h y w o u l d one altar n o t suffice?

Chassidus expla ins 2 that the t w o altars corresponded to t w o levels of D i v i n e revelat ion: the In ter ior A l t a r to the in¬terna l reve la t ion that transcends creation, the Exterior A l t a r to the m o r e overt a n d less revelatory level of G-dliness that descends w i t h i n creation.

The External A l t a r — corresponding as i t d i d to the m o r e external level of G-dliness — was thus i n a less sacred sec¬t i o n of the Mishkan, w h i l e the Inter ior A l t a r — corresponding as i t d i d to the m o r e i n t e r n a l level of G-dliness — was f o u n d w i t h i n the m o r e sacred p o r t i o n .

I n terms of man's s p i r i t u a l service, w e f i n d t w o general categories as w e l l : a) that of r e f i n i n g a n d separating g o o d f r o m e v i l a n d e levat ing the g o o d to holiness — a f o r m of service k n o w n as birurim; b ) a h igher level , w h e r e one does n o t have to combat e v i l , rather one strives to achieve a greater degree of u n i t y w i t h G - d .

The Exterior A l t a r , cor responding as i t d i d to the G-dliness f o u n d w i t h i n creat ion — w i t h creation c o n t a i n i n g

1. Shmos 30:1ff. 2. Toras Chayim, Shmos 443a and onward; Derech Mitzvosecha 86b.

THE TWO ALTARS 1 1 1

aspects of b o t h g o o d a n d e v i l — was l i m i t e d to the less su¬per ior f o r m of service, that of e levat ing the phys ica l t h r o u g h sacrif icial offerings: the service of birurim.

The Inter ior A l t a r , o n the other h a n d — corresponding to G-dliness as i t transcends e v i l — was for the s p i r i t u a l l y su¬per ior service of incense, or ketores, e t y m o l o g i c a l l y re lated to kotar, or c leav ing 3 — achiev ing a greater degree of c leaving to G - d .

Parallels to the t w o altars are also to be f o u n d w i t h i n a l l Jews, for the Mishkan as a w h o l e is f o u n d w i t h i n the heart of every Jew, as our Rabbis c o m m e n t 4 o n the verse, 5 " T h e y shal l make for M e a Sanctuary a n d I w i l l d w e l l i n t h e m " — " I t does not say ' I w i l l d w e l l i n i t ' rather, ' I w i l l d w e l l i n t h e m ' — i n the 'heart ' of each a n d every Jew."

Here , too, the In ter ior a n d Exterior A l t a r correspond to the i n t e r n a l a n d external levels of the Jewish heart : 6 the ex¬terna l level of a Jew's service — the external level of his heart — is occupied i n the service of birurim, w h i l e the i n t e r n a l level is occupied i n achiev ing a greater degree of c leaving to G - d .

S i m p l y stated, a Jew is supposed to occupy h imse l f n o t o n l y i n the s t u d y of T o r a h a n d the per formance of mitzvos, b u t also i n permissible th ings such as eat ing, d r i n k i n g a n d the l ike . H o w e v e r , this is not to say that such m u n d a n e mat¬ters are i n d u l g e d i n for their o w n sake; the intent s h o u l d be to use the a c t i v i t y for a sacred p u r p o s e 7 — " A l l one's actions s h o u l d be for the sake of H e a v e n . " 8

A person m a y m i s t a k e n l y be l e d to t h i n k that since his i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h the phys ica l is ent i re ly for a s p i r i t u a l p u r -

3. Similar to the saying in Zohar III , p. 288a: "with one perfect union have I cleaved to you."

4. See Likkutei Sichos III, and places cited there. See also Toras Chayim ibid. 5. Shmos 25:9. 6. Toras Chayim and Derech Mitzvosecha ibid. See also Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 78b;

Shemini Atzeres 86d et al. 7. See Likkutei Sichos III, pp. 907, 932. 8. Avos 2:12.

1 1 2 T E T Z A V E H

pose, he m a y therefore i n v o l v e n o t o n l y the heart 's external level , b u t its i n t e r n a l level as w e l l .

But since these are, after a l l , physical actions, one s h o u l d e m p l o y o n l y the external aspect of the heart i n p e r f o r m i n g t h e m ; the i n t e r n a l a n d m o r e p r o f o u n d level — one's In ter ior A l t a r — s h o u l d be reserved for matters of a p u r e l y h o l y nature .

H o w e v e r , i n order to achieve this superior f o r m of serv¬ice, a person m u s t f i rs t e m p l o y his Exterior A l t a r i n the service of birurim, i m b u i n g a l l his phys ica l thoughts , w o r d s a n d deeds w i t h sacred purpose . O n l y t h e n can he u t i l i z e his Inter ior A l t a r to achieve a greater degree of c leaving to G - d .

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI , pp. 185-187.

MOSHE'S DEMISE 1 1 3

Tetzaveh תצוה

Zayin Adar ז׳ אדר

Moshe's Demise

D u r i n g most years, the seventh of A d a r — the day of

Moshe Rabbeinus demise — occurs i n close p r o x i m i t y to the

read ing of Tetzaveh. O u r Sages no te 1 that there is an a l lus ion

to Moshe's demise i n Tetzaveh, i n that th is is the on ly Torah

p o r t i o n ( f r om the t ime of Moshe's b i r t h u n t i l the Book of De-

varim2), i n w h i c h he is no t men t i oned b y name.

This m u s t be unders tood . O n l y Moshe's name is no t

men t i oned i n th is po r t i on ; there are, however , a m u l t i t u d e of

passages that relate to h i m , beg inn ing w i t h the f i rst verse of

the po r t i on : 3 " A n d y o u [i.e., Moshe] shal l c o m m a n d "

Moreover , no t m e n t i o n i n g the name of a d y i n g tzaddik

seems to n u l l i f y the ve ry mean ing of h is demise; the passing

of a tzaddik i n no w a y affects h is g o o d name and deeds —

they l ive on forever — on ly the b o d y passes f r o m this w o r l d .

H o w , then, can w e say that Moshe 's demise is a l l uded to

i n a p o r t i o n that does no t m e n t i o n his name?

In a d d i t i o n , the commands d i rected to Moshe i n Tetzaveh

are g i ven d i rec t ly — " A n d y o u shal l c o m m a n d , " " A n d y o u

shal l d o , " " A n d y o u shal l t ake" — whereas i n m a n y other

Torah por t ions Moshe is referred to on l y e l l ip t ica l ly : " A n d to

Moshe He said. . . , " 4 etc., as i f Moshe were no t present!

1. Ma'or Einayim, Tetzaveh. See also Likkutei Sichos XVI, p. 342 fn. 5 and sources cited there.

2. See commentaries of Rosh and Tur on portion Tetzaveh. 3. Shmos 27:20. 4. Ibid. 24:1.

1 1 4 T E T Z A V E H & Z A Y I N A D A R

The Zohar states 5 that " A tzaddik that has passed o n is f o u n d i n a l l w o r l d s [ i n c l u d i n g this phys ica l w o r l d ] to an [infinitely] greater degree t h a n w h e n he was a l i v e . " 6

The A l t e r Rebbe expla ins 7 that the reason w h y a dead tzaddik is f o u n d i n a l l w o r l d s to an i n f i n i t e l y greater degree t h a n a l i v i n g one is t w o f o l d : W h i l e the tzaddik was al ive his l ife-force was c lothed i n a phys ica l b o d y , so o n l y a g l i m m e r c o u l d be perceived. H o w e v e r , after his demise this l i m i t a t i o n ends a n d i t is possible to receive f r o m his essence.

I n a d d i t i o n , the demise of a tzaddik involves the e levat ion of his sp i r i t a n d soul to its First Root a n d Source; this eleva¬t i o n is then reflected i n a l l w o r l d s , i n c l u d i n g this phys ica l p lane . 8

The reason w h y Moshe's demise is a l l u d e d to b y n o t m e n t i o n i n g his name i n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Tetzaveh w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

A person's name has l i t t l e to do w i t h his essence; a name is needed o n l y so that other people can call o n h i m ; a person as he exists for h i m s e l f needs n o name. 9

The p r o n o u n " y o u , " h o w e v e r , relates to the essence of a person — w h e n one turns to another a n d says " y o u , " one is r e f e r r i n g to the entire i n d i v i d u a l .

So too w i t h regard to Moshe . The name " M o s h e " w a s g i v e n to h i m quite some t ime after his b i r t h ; u n t i l t h e n he h a d got ten b y qui te w e l l w i t h o u t a name. M o r e o v e r , this name was not even g i v e n to h i m b y his parents, b u t b y Pharaoh's daughter , "For I d r e w h i m — mashe — f r o m the w a t e r . " 1 0

H e r e i n lies the a l lus ion to Moshe's demise. A t the t i m e of Moshe's passing he ascended to a leve l far lof t ier t h a n can be encompassed b y a name. Thus at the t i m e of his demise, he is n o t re ferred to b y name.

5. III 71b. See also Iggeres HaKodesh 27 and its exposition. 6. See Iggeres HaKodesh ibid. 7. Ibid. 8. See also Siddur im Dach, Sha'ar HaLag B'Omer p. 304b-c. 9. See Torah Or beginning of portion Terumah. See also Likkutei Torah, Behar 41c.

10. Shmos 2:10.

MOSHE'S DEMISE 1 1 5

Nevertheless, he c o n t i n u e d to lead w i t h his entire es¬sence even at the m o m e n t of death. Moshe is therefore in¬deed to be f o u n d i n the p o r t i o n Tetzaveh, a n d moreover , he is addressed there i n a m a n n e r that relates to his essence,1 1 for his demise caused that essence to permeate a l l w o r l d s to an even greater degree t h a n w h e n he w a s al ive .


11. See commentary of Klei Yakar, beginning of portion Tetzaveh. See also Likkutei Sichos XXI pp. 174, 177ff.

1 1 6 K I SISA

Ki Sisa כי תשא

The Golden Calf — Entree to Repentance

The T a l m u d relates 1 that the Jewish people were inca¬

pable of c o m m i t t i n g the s in of the Go lden Cal f on thei r o w n ,

for they h a d mastered thei r ev i l inc l ina t ion . 2 Rather, the sin

was "a decree of the K i n g , so as to p rov i de an open ing to

peni tents. For a sinner m i g h t t h i nk that repentance is of no

ava i l . He is therefore s h o w n that G-d accepted the penance

of even those w h o c o m m i t t e d the he inous s in of the Go lden

Cal f . " 3

"So as to p rov i de an open ing to pen i ten ts " refers not

on l y to later generat ions; i t also a f fo rded the Jews of that

t ime the o p p o r t u n i t y of ach iev ing repentance. 4

Repentance is no t a manner of service that a sinless per¬

son can choose. Qu i te the contrary: " H e w h o says, ' I shal l s in

a n d then repent ' is no t a f fo rded the opportunity to repent . " 5 I t

is on l y after a person has s inned that he is p r o v i d e d w i t h the

o p p o r t u n i t y to repent.

Nonetheless, the service of repentance is so great that i t

contains certain mer i ts w h i c h are lack ing even i n the service

of the t r u l y r ighteous, as our Sages say: 6 "The level a t ta ined

b y peni tents cannot be achieved b y the comple te ly r ight¬

eous."

I n order for the Jews w h o exper ienced the g i v i n g of the

Torah , and consequent ly became t r u l y r ighteous, to also ex¬

perience repentance, i t was necessary that there be a "decree

of the K i n g . " O n l y th is enabled the ev i l i nc l ina t ion to ga in

1. Avodah Zarah 4b and commentary of Rashi. 2. Rashi, ibid. 3. Ibid. 4. See also Likkutei Sichos IX p. 240 and fn. 28 ibid. 5. Mishnah conclusion of Tractate Yoma. 6. Berachos 34b; Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 7:4. See Likkutei Sichos ibid. fn. 29.

T H E G O L D E N C A L F — ENTREE TO REPENTANCE 1 1 7

t e m p o r a r y dominance over t h e m ; they c o u l d then experience the t remendous e levat ion of penitence.

One of the qualit ies of repentance that is l a c k i n g i n the service of the comple te ly r ighteous arises f r o m the fact that a r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l is o n l y capable of e levat ing those sparks of holiness that lie w i t h i n permissible matters . H i s approach to e v i l is one of negat ion; i t is impossible for h i m to t r a n s f o r m i t i n t o holiness.

H o w e v e r , a sinner can, t h r o u g h complete repentance, ef¬fect the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of misdeeds i n t o m e r i t s . 7 Thus , he n o t o n l y negates e v i l , b u t is able to elevate the holiness that was t r a p p e d w i t h i n i t .

This difference be tween the service of a comple te ly r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l a n d the service of a peni tent results not o n l y f r o m the fact that the r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l s i m p l y lacks sins to t r a n s f o r m ; i t is also related to the difference be tween their methods of d i v i n e service.

The service of the t r u l y r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l is that of re¬v e a l i n g G-dliness w i t h i n the w o r l d . Since e v i l as i t exists w i t h i n the w o r l d conceals a n d opposes G-dliness, the r ight¬eous i n d i v i d u a l negates i t .

H o w e v e r , the service of the peni tent elevates the physi¬cal w o r l d i n t o the r e a l m of the h o l y . H e is thus cognizant of the w o r l d n o t as s o m e t h i n g that opposes G-dliness, b u t rather as i t is l o o k e d u p o n f r o m A b o v e .

The same is t rue r e g a r d i n g e v i l : penitents realize that G-d's u l t i m a t e in tent is not m e r e l y the negat ion of e v i l , b u t the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of i t — t h r o u g h repentance — i n t o g o o d , thereby e levat ing the d i v i n e spark concealed w i t h i n .

G-d's g i v i n g of the T o r a h revealed G-dliness i n a m a n n e r that transcended the corporeal w o r l d ; a Jew's repentance engages the corporeal w o r l d a n d t ransforms i t i n t o G-dliness.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVI pp. 412-414.

7. Yoma 86b.

1 1 8 K I SISA

Breaking The Luchos — A Break for the Jewish People

The Midrash o n the p o r t i o n of Sisa relates 1 that Moshe was distressed that as a result of the s in of the G o l d e n Calf he h a d to break the Luchos, the Tablets u p o n w h i c h were in¬scribed the Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s .

G - d t o l d h i m , continues the Midrash, that he need n o t be o v e r l y upset , for the f i rs t Luchos conta ined o n l y the Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s , w h i l e the tablets that were to be g i v e n as a result of the shat ter ing of the f i rs t Luchos w o u l d also possess, " L a w s , Midrash a n d Aggados" — the O r a l Torah .

The Midrash thus reveals that o n l y b y b r e a k i n g the f i rs t Luchos c o u l d the " L a w s , Midrash a n d Aggados" be received; i f they c o u l d have been received w i t h o u t the loss of the f i rs t Luchos, Moshe 's anguish w o u l d have been j u s t i f i e d .

W h y , indeed , was i t necessary for the f i rs t Luchos to be b r o k e n i n order for G - d to give the " L a w s , Midrash a n d Ag-gados"; c o u l d H e n o t have done so w i t h o u t h a v i n g Moshe shatter the Tablets?

The s t u d y of T o r a h is w h o l l y u n l i k e other inte l lec tual discipl ines , whose mastery requires o n l y a keen m i n d a n d an i n q u i s i t i v e intellect . To be successful i n the s t u d y of G-d's Torah , h u m i l i t y a n d self-effacement are necessary.

W e f i n d this concept expressed i n the prayer Elokai Net-zor, at the conclus ion of the Amidah:2 " L e t m y soul be [so h u m b l e that i t is] as earth to a l l . O p e n m y heart to Y o u r Torah. . . " ; i.e., o n l y w i t h h u m i l i t y a n d self-abnegation can one succeed i n the s t u d y of Torah .

This is because the T o r a h is G-d's w i s d o m ; just as H e is i n f i n i t e a n d thus complete ly b e y o n d the inte l lec tual grasp of any created be ing , so too is H i s T o r a h . 3 A n d t h o u g h G - d condensed H i s w i s d o m i n the T o r a h as g i v e n to us so that even mor ta l s can grasp i t , T o r a h remains G-d's w i s d o m .

1. Shmos Rabbah 46:1. 2. The text is originally found in Berachos 17a. 3. See Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah conclusion of ch. 5; Tanya I, ch. 2, Tanya II, ch. 7.

BREAKING T H E L U C H O S — A BREAK FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE 1 1 9

Thus , for a person to t r u l y c o m p r e h e n d the T o r a h he m u s t f i rs t achieve to ta l se l f -nul l i f i ca t ion , thereby assuring that his " b e i n g " w i l l no t h i n d e r h i m f r o m b e c o m i n g attached to G-d's be ing , w h i c h i n t u r n enables h i m to c o m p r e h e n d G-d's w i s d o m .

One of the th ings that helps us realize that even as T o r a h exists b e l o w i t remains G-d's w i s d o m is its l imitlessness — " I t s measure is longer t h a n the earth a n d broader t h a n the sea." 4 This i n f i n i t e q u a l i t y is specif ically revealed i n " L a w s , Midrash a n d Aggados" — the O r a l Torah . 5

The W r i t t e n T o r a h is s t r ic t ly del ineated; i t m a y conta in o n l y the n u m b e r of w o r d s that comprise its 24 books. W i t h regard to the O r a l Torah , h o w e v e r , w e are t o l d to "increase i t , " 6 i.e., w e are charged to come u p w i t h n e w a n d n o v e l T o r a h thoughts , etc. I t is n o t a b l y this p a r t of T o r a h that k n o w s n o b o u n d s .

This is w h y the O r a l T o r a h c o u l d be g i v e n o n l y after the b r e a k i n g of the Luchos.

A t the t i m e G - d gave the T o r a h to the Jewish people , H e clearly declared that H e h a d "chosen us f r o m a m o n g a l l na-t i o n s " 7 a n d " l i f t e d us u p f r o m a m o n g a l l tongues . " 8 u n d e r ¬standably, w h e n Jews were i n such an exalted state i t was ent i re ly u n n a t u r a l for t h e m to experience such ut ter h u m i l i t y that they felt " l i k e dust to a l l . "

For w h i l e i t is t rue that the D i v i n e revela t ion at Sinai caused the Jews to be h u m b l e d , they h a d just been "chosen" a n d " u p l i f t e d . " M o r e o v e r , the h u m i l i t y they d i d experience resul ted f r o m the t remendous reve la t ion f r o m A b o v e ; they d i d n o t feel ins igni f i cant i n a n d of themselves.

4. Iyov 11:9. 5. See Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:5. 6. Zohar I 12:b. See also Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Hilchos Talmud Torah

2:2; Iggeres HaKodesh 145a. 7. Text of Blessing preceding Krias Shema; and as explained in Shulchan Aruch

Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim conclusion of ch. 64 (gleaned from the Ramoh) that this refers to Mattan Torah.

8. Text of Festival Amidah and Kiddush.

120 K I SISA

Moshe's b r e a k i n g of the Luchos before their eyes, how¬ever, made t h e m comple te ly hear tbroken a n d abjectly h u m ¬ble. I t was this ut ter state of se l f -nul l i f i ca t ion that enabled t h e m to receive the i n f i n i t e O r a l T o r a h that accompanied the second Luchos.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVI, pp. 249-252.

" I N A L L THEIR JOURNEYS" 1 2 1

Vayakhel-Pekudei ויקהל-פקתי

"In All Their Journeys"

The book of Shmos concludes w i t h the w o r d s " i n a l l thei r j ou rneys . " The theme of the b o o k is the story of h o w , as the Midrash says: 1 " the Jewish people depar ted f r o m darkness to l i gh t . " I t stands to reason that the theme of Shmos shou ld f i n d expression i n the w o r d s " i n a l l thei r j ou rneys , " inas¬m u c h as "eve ry th i ng fo l l ows the conc lus ion . " 2 W h a t con¬nect ion is there be tween " i n a l l thei r j ou rneys , " a n d "depa r t i ng f r o m darkness to l i gh t "?

The above-quoted Midrash mus t also be unders tood : Shmos begins b y re la t ing h o w the Jews entered Egypt , no t h o w they left i t . W h y then does the Midrash describe the book as one whose theme is " d e p a r t i n g f r o m darkness to l i gh t "?

The s imple mean ing of " i n a l l thei r j ou rneys " refers no t to the actual journeys , b u t to the encampments be tween journeys . 3 The t e r m jou rney is used, expla ins Rashi,4

"because they repeatedly j ou rneyed on f r o m their rest ing places."

Th is , too, mus t be unders tood : The Gemara5 says that every stop made b y the Jews i n the desert was considered the f i na l one, since i t was G-d w h o c o m m a n d e d t h e m to stop. This be ing so, h o w is i t possible to consider these stops as par t of thei r journey?

W e mus t perforce say that the stops are cal led journeys because each one — serv ing as i t d i d as a s tepp ing stone to

1. Bereishis Rabbah 3:5. 2. Berachos 12a. 3. See Shmos 40:35. 4. Ibid. verse 38. 5. Eruvin 55b.

122 V A Y A K H E L - P E K U D E I

the j o u r n e y that f o l l o w e d — possessed n o t o n l y permanence b u t also foreshadowed the f u t u r e journey . Since each stop fac i l i tated the ensuing j o u r n e y , therefore i n an i n t e r n a l a n d concealed manner the stops themselves became part of that j o u r n e y .

The Alter Rebbe explains the verse 6 "These are the jour¬neys of the Jewish people w h o left E g y p t . . . " i n the f o l l o w i n g m a n n e r : 7 A l t h o u g h phys ica l ly the Jews left Egypt b y d i n t of their f i rs t j o u r n e y f r o m Ramses to Sukkos, the p l u r a l " j o u r n e y s " is used b y Scripture to indicate that as l o n g as the Jews h a d not yet reached the Promised L a n d they were s t i l l " i n E g y p t " — the w o r d E g y p t b e i n g e t y m o l o g i c a l l y related to "straits a n d l i m i t a t i o n s . " Thus , every j o u r n e y o n the w a y to the Promised L a n d was a " j o u r n e y f r o m E g y p t . "

W e can n o w u n d e r s t a n d that the difference b e t w e e n the " j o u r n e y s " a n d the " s t o p s " was the difference be tween exile a n d l ibera t ion ; W h i l e the Jews were actual ly c o m i n g closer to Eretz Yisrael they w e r e i n the process of l e a v i n g Egypt — l ibera t ion ; w h i l e they encamped, their j o u r n e y to the Prom¬ised L a n d was " p u t o n h o l d " — a p a r t i a l r e t u r n to the state of exile.

S t i l l a n d a l l , the verse also deems the " s t o p s " to be p a r t of the " j o u r n e y s , " for the w h o l e purpose of exile is the sub¬sequent revela t ion of r e d e m p t i o n .

The use of the phrase " i n a l l their j o u r n e y s " to describe the stops thus makes i t clear that as even as the Jewish peo¬ple began their descent i n t o E g y p t — described i n the o p e n i n g of Shmos — they were b e g i n n i n g their liberation f r o m exile.

The w h o l e b o o k t h e n is one of " d e p a r t i n g f r o m darkness i n t o l i g h t . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VI pp. 235-239.

6. Bamidbar 33:1. 7. Likkutei Torah, Masei 88c and onward.

OFFERINGS FOR THE M I S H K A N 123

Vayakhel ויקהל

Offerings for the Mishkan — The Superior Quality of the Jewish Woman

W i t h regard to the general of fer ings for the const ruc t ion

of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the Torah tel ls us i n Vayakhel

that " a n y person inc l ined to g ive an o f f e r i ng " 1 cou ld do so.

This of course i nc luded b o t h m e n a n d w o m e n . I n fact, the

Torah goes on to re late 2 that " the m e n accompanied the

w o m e n , " w h i c h our Sages 3 in terpre t to mean that , i n g i v i n g ,

the m e n were subservient to the w o m e n .

This be ing so, w h y is i t that i n the earl ier p o r t i o n of

Terumah, w h e n discussing the dona t ion of these gi f ts , the

Torah says: 4 " f r o m any man whose heart moves h i m to g i v e "

— an expression that seems to exclude women?

One of the aspects i n the re la t ionship be tween m e n and

w o m e n is that of g iver a n d recipient. This is w h y the u n i o n

be tween G-d a n d the Jewish people is l i kened to that be¬

tween g r o o m a n d br ide .

This is also w h y the W r i t t e n Torah is cal led the " m o r a l

exhortat ions of you r father,"5 w h i l e the O ra l Torah is cal led

" the Torah of you r mother."6

The dif ference be tween the W r i t t e n a n d Ora l Torah is

that the W r i t t e n To rah was t ransmi t ted ent i re ly f r o m the

1. Shmos 35:5. 2. Ibid. verse 22. 3. Ramban ibid. See also Ibn Ezra and Rabbeinu Bachye ibid. 4. Shmos 25:2. 5. Mishlei 1:8. 6. Ibid. Iggeres HaKodesh 29, quoting the Zohar; Torah Or, Vayakhel 88c; Likkutei

Torah, Shemini Atzeres 85b.

124 V A Y A K H E L

Giver A b o v e , w h i l e the r e v e l a t i o n 7 of the O r a l T o r a h is t h r o u g h the Jewish people — the recipient , the w o m a n .

This aspect f i l ters d o w n to phys ica l m a n a n d w o m a n as w e l l , a n d is observed w i t h i n the Jewish people; w o m e n are m o r e s p i r i t u a l l y receptive t h a n m e n . W e therefore observe that w o m e n need not be exhorted as of ten as m e n r e g a r d i n g their observance of Judaism, the reason b e i n g that their f a i t h is ins t inc t ive ly m o r e revealed a n d their fear a n d awe of G - d is greater t h a n men 's . 8

W e f i n d this to be so as w e l l w i t h regard to the Torah's f i rs t c o m m a n d m e n t , to "be f r u i t f u l a n d m u l t i p l y " 9 — a c o m m a n d i n c u m b e n t o n m e n b u t not w o m e n . W h y are w o m e n n o t so commanded?

The reason is that a m a n m u s t be c o m m a n d e d to "be f r u i t f u l a n d m u l t i p l y , " for his innate nature m i g h t n o t oth¬erwise m o v e h i m to reproduce.

A w o m a n , h o w e v e r , is not i n need of this c o m m a n d , for fee l ing as she does that her m i s s i o n is to establish f u t u r e generations, she does so of her o w n v o l i t i o n .

This is also one of the reasons w h y , i n p r e p a r i n g the Jews to receive the Torah , G - d ins t ruc ted Moshe to i n f o r m the w o m e n about the f o r t h c o m i n g event i n a gentle tone, w h i l e the m e n were to be t o l d i n a harsh m a n n e r . 1 0 Even a gentle tone suff iced to prepare the w o m e n ; their character was such that they s t rongly desired to receive i t . The m e n , h o w e v e r , h a d to be t o l d i n a harsher fashion, as they w e r e n o t as receptive to the idea of h a v i n g to f o l l o w a l l the com¬m a n d m e n t s .

This difference also came i n t o p l a y r e g a r d i n g the gif ts for the Mishkan: Jewish w o m e n excelled i n the offer ings that h a d n o established cri ter ia as to a m o u n t , o b l i g a t i o n , etc. These

7. Although this, too, was given on Sinai, for " A l l the mitzvos given to Moshe were given with their commentary" — Rambam, beginning of his introduction to Yad HaChazakah.

8. See Or HaTorah, Tehillim p. 432; ibid. Nach II, p. 927. 9. Bereishis 1:28.

10. Shmos 19:3 and Mechiltah ibid.

OFFERINGS FOR THE M I S H K A N 1 2 5

gifts came str ic t ly because the donors w e r e m o v e d to g ive . I n this aspect the w o m e n were clearly superior .

The earlier p o r t i o n of Terumah, h o w e v e r , concentrates o n the t w o offer ings w h i c h the Jews were o b l i g e d to b r i n g be¬cause G-d had so commanded. That was not the place to em¬phasize the u n i q u e qualit ies of w o m e n i n re la t ion to f r e e - w i l l gi f ts .

I t is specif ically i n the p o r t i o n of Vayakhel, w h e r e the T o r a h emphasizes the eagerness w i t h w h i c h the Jews gave their v o l u n t a r y gi f ts , that i t is most germane to stress the su¬per ior q u a l i t y of the Jewish w o m e n .

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVI, pp. 266-268.

126 PEKUDEI

Pekudei פקודי

An Eternal Resting Place

The Zohar on the p o r t i o n Pekudei1 speaks of the Mishkan, the Beis HaMikdash, a n d the p lac ing of the A r k i n the Beis HaMikdash's H o l y of Hol ies. W h e n the A r k was p laced there, says one o p i n i o n i n the Zohar, the A r k said: 2 "Th is is m y eternal rest ing place; here I shal l d w e l l , fo r I desire i t . "

Acco rd i ng to another op in i on , th is verse was reci ted b y the Jewish people w h e n the Beis HaMikdash was comple ted a n d the A r k was p laced i n the H o l y of Hol ies. There is yet a t h i r d op i n i on , name ly , that " G - d recites th is verse regard ing the Jewish people w h e n they obey H is w i l l . "

Since a l l three op in ions are men t i oned i n the Zohar i n con junc t ion w i t h its discussion of the Mishkan, Beis HaMik-dash, a n d the p lac ing of the A r k , i t f o l l ows that a l l three op in ions relate i n some w a y to the Mishkan a n d Beis HaMik-dash.

H o w does the f i na l o p i n i o n relate to the Zohar's earl ier d iscussion regard ing the Mishkan, etc., w h e n accord ing to th is in te rpre ta t ion the verse is speaking of G-d eternal ly d w e l l i n g w i t h i n the Jewish people? Moreover , w h y the dif¬ference of o p i n i o n as to w h o recites th is verse?

The dif ference be tween these three v i ews stems f r o m dif¬ferent at t i tudes regard ing the p r i m a r y purpose of the Mish-kan and Beis HaMikdash:

The f i rst o p i n i o n ma in ta ins that the p r i nc ipa l purpose of, a n d desire for , the Mishkan was i n order that there be a rest¬i n g place for the D i v i ne Presence, as i t d w e l l e d w i t h i n the A r k . 3 Thus i t says that the A r k reci ted th is verse.

1. 222b. 2. Tehillim 132:14. 3. See Ramban beginning of portion Terumah.

A N ETERNAL RESTING PLACE 1 2 7

The second c o m m e n t h o l d s that the m a i n purpose of the Mishkan a n d Beis HaMikdash was to g ive the Jewish people an established place i n w h i c h to serve G - d . 4 This was ac¬c o m p l i s h e d u p o n the c o m p l e t i o n of the Mishkan a n d Beis HaMikdash a n d the placement of the A r k i n the H o l y of Ho¬lies. I t therefore h o l d s that the Jewish people reci ted the verse.

The t h i r d o p i n i o n contends that the chief purpose of the Mishkan a n d Beis HaMikdash was that the D i v i n e Presence reside a m o n g the Jewish people 5 — G-d's " r e s t i n g place" is dependent u p o n the Jewish people . Thus i t was G - d w h o reci ted this verse r e g a r d i n g the Jewish people .

The three v i e w s , h o w e v e r , are i n basic agreement; a l l three considerations are of p r i m a r y impor tance for the Mish-kan a n d Beis HaMikdash; they m e r e l y refer to d i f ferent t i m e per iods .

The structures i n v o l v e d represent several dis t inct phases: the Mishkan, the f i rs t a n d second Beis HaMikdash, a n d the f u t u r e Beis HaMikdash.

The Mishkan f i rs t a n d foremost a l l o w e d for the d w e l l i n g of the D i v i n e Presence w i t h i n the A r k . M o r e o v e r , the per¬m a n e n t " r e s t i n g place" of the A r k was p r i m a r i l y i n the Mishkan, for the second Beis HaMikdash was w i t h o u t the A r k 6

w h i l e the f i rs t Beis HaMikdash was p a r t i a l l y d e p r i v e d of i t . 7

The f i rs t o p i n i o n thus refers to the t i m e of the Mishkan. The f u l l m e a n i n g of "a rest ing place ," h o w e v e r , cannot

be a p p l i e d to the Mishkan, for i t m o v e d f r o m place to place. B o t h the f i rs t a n d second Beis HaMikdash were stat ionary. The Jewish people c o u l d therefore realize their d r e a m of a permanent place for the service to G - d o n l y i n re la t ion to the Beis HaMikdash, a n d n o t the Mishkan.

4. See Rambam, beginning of Hilchos Beis HaBechirah and Sefer HaMitzvos, Posi¬tive Command 20.

5. See Shmos Rabbah ch. 33:1, 34:3; Tanchuma (Buber), Bechukosai 5, Naso 19. 6. Yoma 21b. 7. Divrei HaYomim II 35:3; Yoma 52b.

128 PEKUDEI

But b o t h the f i rs t a n d second Beis HaMikdash were de¬stroyed because of the in iqui t ies of the Jewish people . Thus , i n terms of " G - d rec i t ing this verse r e g a r d i n g the Jewish people w h e n they obey H i s w i l l , " this c o u l d n o t a p p l y to the f i rs t a n d second Beis HaMikdash.

I t is o n l y w i t h regard to the t h i r d ( a n d everlast ing) Beis HaMikdash that G - d recites the verse. For t h e n the Jews w i l l f u l l y obey H i s w i l l , a n d the D i v i n e Presence w i l l w h o l l y u n i t e w i t h , a n d reside w i t h i n t h e m . G - d w i l l thus be able to say of the Jews: " T h i s is M y eternal res t ing place; here I shall d w e l l , for I desire i t . "


ספר ויקראVayikra

T H E W O O D OFFERING 1 3 1

Vayikra ויקרא

The Wood Offering

I n the commenta ry of Toras Kohanim on the Torah por¬t i on of Vayikra, our Sages note that a g i f t of w o o d for use u p o n the altar m a y const i tute a v a l i d sacri f ic ial o f fer ing. 1

H o w can a mere adjunct to the actual of fer ings const i tute a v a l i d o f fer ing i n itself?

The Ramban expla ins the signif icance of of fer ings i n the f o l l o w i n g manner : 2 The person w h o br ings an an ima l sacri¬fice m u s t realize that a l l those th ings be ing done to the ani¬m a l shou ld b y r i gh t have been done to h i m . It is on l y be¬cause of G-d's mercy that an an ima l is subst i tu ted.

Thus , the in tent of one b r i n g i n g an an ima l sacrifice shou ld be to offer himself to G-d. This also serves to exp la in w h y every sacrifice h a d to be consumed together w i t h the w o o d of the altar:

There are var ious types of sacrifices, each possessing i ts o w n laws as to the manner i n w h i c h i t is to be of fered. Ac¬co rd ing to the Ramban, w e m a y unders tand the differences i n the laws accord ing to the effect the par t icu lar o f fer ing has u p o n the i n d i v i d u a l w h o br ings it . This depends, of course, on the reason the o f fe r ing is b rough t — whe the r i t is an ex¬p ia t i on o f fe r ing , a f ree -w i l l o f fe r ing , etc.

O n the other h a n d , the essence of every sacrifice is the o f fe r ing of the person himself; the person m u s t be p repared to dedicate h imse l f ent i re ly to G-d. It is on l y then that each f o r m of o f fe r ing fu l f i l l s its purpose.

That a l l of fer ings share th is a t t r ibute is symbo l i zed b y the w o o d that is consumed together w i t h every sacrifice: the

1. Vayikra 2:1. 2. Vayikra 1:9.

132 V A Y I K R A

w o o d p r o v i d e s the constant subtext of every o f f e r i n g — that the person offers h imse l f to G - d .

The T o r a h tells us that " M a n is a tree of the f i e l d . " 3 M a n ' s o f f e r i n g of h imse l f to G - d is thus expressed b y means of w o o d . One of the differences b e t w e e n man's "general of¬f e r i n g " that f i n d s expression i n the c o n s u m p t i o n of w o o d u p o n the altar, a n d the " p a r t i c u l a r o f f e r i n g " of man 's i n d i ¬v i d u a l p o w e r s ( s y m b o l i z e d b y the var ious sacrifices) is the f o l l o w i n g :

W h e n a person offers a par t i cu lar p a r t of h imsel f , he cannot free h imse l f ent i re ly of his ego, for his self-abnegation a n d d e v o t i o n to G - d refer o n l y to this par t i cu lar p a r t of himsel f . The r e m a i n i n g components i n every personal i ty conceal a n d h i n d e r a person's selfless d e v o t i o n to G - d .

W h e n a person realizes that , regardless of the par t i cu lar nature of his sacrifice, he is offering himself totally to G-d, there is n o t h i n g left w i t h i n h i m to act as a barr ier . The person t h e n can dedicate h imse l f i n a m a n n e r that transcends intel lect or e m o t i o n — even h o l y intel lect a n d e m o t i o n . 4

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXII pp. 7-12.

3. Devorim20:19. See also Taanis la. 4. See Sefer HaMa'amarim 5659 p. 23ff; Likkutei Sichos XX p. 176ff.

The Additional Fifth

A t the conclusion of the T o r a h p o r t i o n Vayikra w e learn 1

that i f a person c o m m i t s a robbery , w i t h h o l d s f u n d s , etc., a n d denies i t b y s w e a r i n g falsely, he m u s t — w h e n seeking to atone for his cr ime — make res t i tu t ion of the p r i n c i p a l p l u s an a d d i t i o n a l 20%

O u r Rabbis e x p l a i n 2 that the reason for the a d d i t i o n a l f i f t h is "because the m o n e y w e n t for n a u g h t w h i l e i n his

1. Vayikra 5:21-24. 2. Klei Yakar ibid.

T H E A D D I T I O N A L FIFTH 133

possession": M o n e y is used to earn m o n e y . I n seeking to make res t i tu t ion , the thief m u s t therefore r e t u r n not o n l y the p r i n c i p a l b u t a s u m suff ic ient to make u p for this loss of po¬tent ia l p r o f i t .

W e f i n d , h o w e v e r , i n Tanya3 that w h e n an i n d i v i d u a l acts b a d l y t o w a r d another, the i n d i v i d u a l w h o was w r o n g e d s h o u l d n o t be angered at the person w h o w r o n g e d h i m , for the damage that he suffered h a d been foreordained ; the h a r m w o u l d have been done i n any case, even i f n o t com¬m i t t e d b y that par t i cu lar agent.

A l t h o u g h the perpetra tor is subject to p u n i s h m e n t for his cr ime, for he c o u l d have chosen n o t to h a r m the other , 4 ( a n d the H e a v e n l y decree w o u l d have come about i n another manner , since " G - d has m a n y messengers,") this r e c k o n i n g applies o n l y to the person w h o caused the damage, a n d does n o t i n v o l v e the i n j u r e d p a r t y .

Indeed, i f this damage h a d n o t been p r e o r d a i n e d , then the person w o u l d n o t have suffered at a l l , even i f a w r o n g ¬doer wanted to h a r m h i m : M a n ' s free choice applies o n l y to those acts that relate to himsel f ; n o i n d i v i d u a l can damage another w i t h o u t D i v i n e consent.

A c c o r d i n g l y , the f o l l o w i n g quest ion arises: The v e r y fact that the thief stole a s u m for a certain p e r i o d indicates that this loss was p r e o r d a i n e d . Thus , even i f the theft h a d n o t occurred, the v i c t i m w o u l d i n any case be l a c k i n g the m o n e y for this p e r i o d . This b e i n g so, w h y does the thief have to a d d a f i f t h w h e n he makes rest i tut ion?

I n t r u t h , the same quest ion applies even to the p r i n c i p a l : Since H e a v e n decreed that the v i c t i m w o u l d lose the use of this m o n e y , a n d since this decree w o u l d have been real ized even w i t h o u t the theft , w h y does the thief have to r e t u r n the m o n e y to the victim at all? W h y n o t g ive i t to char i ty or the like?

The answer is obvious : The fact that the person h a d this m o n e y stolen f r o m h i m does n o t necessarily indicate that he

3. Igeres HaKodesh XXV. 4. See Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah conclusion of ch. 6.

134 V A Y I K R A

was to lose i t p e r m a n e n t l y . W h e t h e r i t was decreed that the person lose the m o n e y t e m p o r a r i l y of p e r m a n e n t l y o n l y be¬comes clear u p o n its r e t u r n ; i f the thief gives back the m o n e y , then i t is obvious that the loss was to be o n l y tempo¬rary ; i f the stolen goods are never r e t u r n e d , w e w i l l then k n o w that the decree was for a permanent loss.

Since w e cannot k n o w the nature of the decree, c learly the thief has no r i g h t to keep the m o n e y (or even delay its r e t u r n ) w i t h the specious a r g u m e n t that b y d o i n g so he proves that the v i c t i m was meant to suffer a permanent loss. I n the same w a y , i t is w r o n g to h u r t another person a n d jus¬t i f y this act ion w i t h the a r g u m e n t that the v i c t i m was meant to suffer.

The same is t rue w i t h regard to the a d d i t i o n a l f i f t h : Since a d d i n g this f i f t h means that the v i c t i m suffers n o m o n e t a r y loss, i t is ent i re ly possible that the v i c t i m w a s to lose this a d d i t i o n a l f i f t h o n l y u n t i l the t ime of its r e t u r n .

The above discussion contains an invaluable lesson i n in¬terpersonal relat ionships: W h e n someone acts b a d l y t o w a r d s another, he m a y be t e m p t e d to t h i n k that since the person was dest ined to suffer a n y w a y , he need n o t ask his forgive¬ness.

The answer is that b y ask ing forgiveness, one lessens the other's p a i n . A person does n o t have the r i g h t to i n f l i c t even greater p a i n b y not ask ing forgiveness, for there is n o p r o o f that the other person was decreed to suffer that m u c h . One m u s t do a l l he can to lessen the p a i n of others.

Based of Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VII, pp. 9-16.

"SPEAK, " " S A Y , " & " C O M M A N D " — T H R E E TYPES OF M I T Z V O S 135

Tzav צו

"Speak," "Say," and "Command" — Three Types of Mitzvos

W h e n G-d t o l d Moshe to re lay var ious mitzvos to the Jewish peop le , He used the expressions: "speak to the chil¬d ren of Israel , " "say to the ch i ld ren of Is rae l " or "command the ch i l d ren of Is rae l . " 1

A l l commandmen ts , even those conveyed w i t h the ex¬pressions "speak" or "say , " are te rmed mitzvos, roo ted i n the w o r d tzavei — " c o m m a n d . " Thus , a l l are considered com¬mands a n d decrees. Nevertheless, the use of the expression " c o m m a n d " concern ing specific mitzvos indicates that the idea of c o m m a n d p lays a larger role w i t h these than i t does w i t h mitzvos i n t roduced w i t h the terms "speak" or "say . "

This is w h y our Sages state i n Toras Kohanim, at the be¬g i n n i n g of the Torah p o r t i o n of Tzav ( " C o m m a n d " ) , that " c o m m a n d " indicates an " u r g i n g on w i t h a lacr i ty , b o t h n o w as w e l l as for c o m i n g generat ions."

Chassidus expla ins 2 that the w o r d mitzvah — command¬men t — der ives f r o m the expression tzavsa v'chibur, "c leav ing and at tachment , " for the u n d e r l y i n g purpose of a l l mitzvos is that t h r o u g h t h e m one becomes b o u n d a n d "a t tached" to G-d.

W e thus unders tand that a l t hough b i n d i n g a n d attach¬men t appl ies to a l l mitzvos, a greater degree of at tachment is achieved t h r o u g h those mitzvos re layed to us w i t h the ex¬pression "tzav — c o m m a n d , " for th is expression more clear ly indicates at tachment.

The dif ference be tween "speak, " "say , " and " c o m m a n d " is that w h e n one is mere ly spoken to , or is mere ly t o l d to do

1. See Rashi, beginning of Vayikra; See also Toras Kohanim ibid. 2. Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 45c, et al.

136 T Z A V

something , he is ent i re ly free to do as he wishes . This is n o t the case w h e n one is commanded to do something . The issu¬i n g of a c o m m a n d presupposes that the one d o i n g the com¬m a n d i n g has some degree of dominance over the i n d i v i d u a l b e i n g c o m m a n d e d . For example , an a r m y officer can com¬m a n d a subordinate ; he cannot issue c o m m a n d s to one of the same r a n k as h i m s e l f — he can "speak" to h i m , b u t can¬n o t " c o m m a n d " h i m .

Thus , a person is less free to ignore mitzvos conveyed w i t h the t e r m " c o m m a n d " t h a n he is to ignore those re layed w i t h the w o r d s "speak" or "say" ; i n the f o r m e r instance, i t is as i f the person w e r e coerced to obey.

A c c o r d i n g l y , " speak" a n d " s a y " mitzvos — obedience to w h i c h is left u p to the hearer — accomplish most of their " c l e a v i n g a n d a t tachment" w h e n a Jew actual ly f u l f i l l s t h e m .

N o t so w i t h mitzvos conveyed w i t h the w o r d " c o m m a n d " : Since there is a greater certainty that the person w i l l f u l f i l l t h e m , their " c l e a v i n g a n d a t tachment" is f u l l y ac¬c o m p l i s h e d at the m o m e n t the c o m m a n d is issued.

W h i l e " c o m m a n d " mitzvos achieve " c l e a v i n g a n d at¬t a c h m e n t " at an earlier stage t h a n do other mitzvos, a l l mitz-vos accompl ish this sooner or later. H o w so?

The p r e v i o u s Lubavi tcher Rebbe offers the f o l l o w i n g parable : 3 A n inte l lec tual g iant whose w h o l e l i fe revolves a r o u n d k n o w l e d g e w i l l ignore a person w h o has n o t h i n g to do w i t h matters of intel lect — the s i m p l e t o n is not negated; he s i m p l y does n o t exist i n the genius's w o r l d . The simple¬t o n , too, w i l l feel h i m s e l f to be nonexistent i n compar i son to the p r o d i g y .

H o w e v e r , w h e n the wise m a n c o m m a n d s the s imple one to do s o m e t h i n g for h i m , s u d d e n l y the s imple person exists to the wise m a n . A s w e l l , the s imple person becomes aware of his o w n importance .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VII pp. 30-34.

3. HaTamim I, p. 25ff.

D A Y PEOPLE V S N I G H T PEOPLE 1 3 7

Day People Vs Night People

I n the o p e n i n g verse of the p o r t i o n Tzav w e read that "The b u r n t - o f f e r i n g shal l r e m a i n o n the f i r e w o o d o n the al¬tar a l l n i g h t u n t i l m o r n i n g . " 1 Rashi comments : 2 " T h i s teaches us that the fat a n d the l i m b s m a y be b u r n e d the entire n i g h t . "

A l t h o u g h the priests were to endeavor to do the b u r n i n g b y day — this b e i n g the most appropr ia te t i m e 3 — they c o u l d also do i t t h r o u g h o u t the n i g h t , i n order to obey the c o m m a n d " D o n o t a l l o w the fat of M y o f f e r i n g to remain . . . u n t i l m o r n i n g . " 4

The Ramban states 5 that the o f f e r i n g of an a n i m a l u p o n the altar was able to achieve atonement for a sinner because the person realizes that e v e r y t h i n g t r a n s p i r i n g w i t h the a n i m a l s h o u l d have been h a p p e n i n g w i t h h i m , were i t n o t that G - d i n H i s kindness p e r m i t t e d the subs t i tu t ion .

I t is thus understandable that a l l aspects of an o f fe r ing , i n c l u d i n g the b u r n i n g of fat a n d l i m b s , f i n d corollaries i n terms of man 's s p i r i t u a l service.

H o w does " b u r n i n g the f a t " a p p l y to our s p i r i t u a l lives? Fat is indica t ive of pleasure. 6 The lesson here is: " A l l fat

is to be of fered to G - d " 7 — a l l of a Jew's pleasure a n d satis¬fact ion s h o u l d be of fered to G - d .

This is w h y the m a i n purpose of b u r n i n g the fat is achieved b y day. " D a y " a n d " n i g h t " symbol ize man's spiri¬t u a l states: d a y is the c o n d i t i o n i n w h i c h one's soul shines w i t h i n its b o d y ; n i g h t refers to a person w h o lacks this spiri¬t u a l i l l u m i n a t i o n .

The " d a y p e r s o n " feels G-dliness n o t o n l y w h i l e engaged i n T o r a h s t u d y a n d mitzvah per formance , b u t the w h o l e d a y

1. Vayikra 6:1. 2. Ibid. 3. Menachos 72a; Rambam, Hilchos Ma'aseh HaKarbanos 4:3. 4. Shmos 23:18. 5. Commentary on Vayikra 1:9. 6. See Gittin 56b. 7. Vayikra 3:16.

138 T Z A V

t h r o u g h — even w h i l e engaged i n m u n d a n e affairs. For this i n d i v i d u a l is sensitive to the G-dliness that permeates the w o r l d . H e is thus able to serve G - d even w h i l e engaged i n m u n d a n e actions — " I n all your ways y o u shall k n o w H i m . " 8

The " n i g h t p e r s o n " lacks this s p i r i t u a l sensi t iv i ty a n d i l l u m i n a t i o n . Thus , this person m u s t struggle w h i l e engaged i n m u n d a n e affairs to see that such actions are done " f o r the sake of h e a v e n " a n d n o t for selfish pleasure. I t goes w i t h o u t saying that u n l i k e the " d a y p e r s o n , " the " n i g h t person 's " m u n d a n e actions are n o t elevated to holiness.

M o r e o v e r , the " n i g h t p e r s o n " m u s t be o n g u a r d even w h i l e engaged i n the s t u d y of T o r a h a n d the per formance of mitzvos: Since T o r a h is c lo thed i n h u m a n intel lect a n d mitzvos are garbed i n the phys ica l w o r l d , a person w h o lacks s p i r i t u a l i l l u m i n a t i o n m u s t t o i l m i g h t i l y to be sure that his T o r a h s t u d y is done p u r e l y for the sake of Torah , a n d not for the inte l lec tual pleasure i t causes. A n d so too w i t h his per¬formance of mitzvos.

Thus , w h i l e each k i n d of i n d i v i d u a l sacrifices his pleas¬ure to G - d , " d a y p e o p l e " do so i n a pos i t ive m a n n e r — their entire d e l i g h t i n even m u n d a n e affairs is that of G-dliness. " N i g h t p e o p l e , " h o w e v e r , cannot t r u l y say that their entire pleasure is G - d l y . Their s p i r i t u a l t o i l lies m o s t l y i n s u b d u i n g their baser instincts , a n d i n seeing to i t that w h a t e v e r they do s h o u l d at least be " f o r the sake of heaven. " Thus , their p r i m a r y m a n n e r of service is the negat ion a n d suppression of e v i l .

This is w h y " o f f e r i n g the fat to G - d " — dedica t ing one's pleasure to holiness — is achieved p r i n c i p a l l y b y those o n the level of " d a y , " w h i l e the b u r n i n g of fat b y n i g h t reflects the fores ta l l ing of transgression t h r o u g h the negat ion a n d s u b d u a l of e v i l .

A l t h o u g h l a c k i n g the s p i r i t u a l in tens i ty of a soul unen¬c u m b e r e d b y the b o d y , the service of the average soul — s t r u g g l i n g to elevate the b o d y a n d the w o r l d — contains

8. Mishlei 3:6.

D A Y PEOPLE V S N I G H T PEOPLE 139

elements superior to the soul's service p r i o r to its incarna¬t i o n .

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III , pp. 948-952.

140 PESACH

Pesach פסח

Passover — Season of our Freedom & Festival of Matzos

The fest iva l of Passover is c o m m o n l y referred to i n our

prayers as the "Season of our F reedom" and the "Fest iva l of

Ma tzos . " These names relate to aspects of Passover that are

germane at a l l t imes a n d i n a l l places.

The other names of th is ho l i day — "Passover" a n d the

" sp r i ng t ime fes t i va l " — app l y on l y to d is t inct t imes and

places: The name "Passover" is re lated to the Passover offer¬

ing , w h i c h cou ld be b r o u g h t on l y w h e n the H o l y Temple

stood; " sp r i ng t ime fes t i va l " refers on l y to the N o r t h e r n

Hemisphere , for i n the Southern Hemisphere Pesach occurs

i n the fa l l .

Unders tandab ly , the fest ival 's message for the ent ire

year 1 can best be gleaned f r o m those t i t les that a p p l y at a l l

t imes and i n a l l places. The t e r m "Season of our F reedom"

al ludes to more than just the Jews' f r eedom f r o m enslave¬

men t i n Egypt thousands of years ago: i t invokes the t rue

f reedom of each and every Jew i n a l l t imes a n d places.

The u l t imate purpose of the Exodus f inds expression i n

the verse: 2 " U p o n you r t ak ing out the na t i on f r o m Egypt

they shal l serve G-d on th is m o u n t a i n , " i.e., the experience of

rece iv ing the To rah at Sinai. For the Jewish people cou ld not

be t r u l y free of the phys ica l bondage of Egypt u n t i l they

were sp i r i tua l l y free as w e l l . 3

1. See Likkutei Torah, Berachah 98b. 2. Shmos 3:12. 3. See Avos 6:2; See also Shmos Rabbah 41:7; Vayikra Rabbah 18:3; Zohar II 113b and

onward.

PASSOVER—SEASON OF OUR FREEDOM & FESTIVAL OF M A T Z O S 1 4 1

S p i r i t u a l enslavement — the H e b r e w w o r d for E g y p t b e i n g e t y m o l o g i c a l l y re lated to "straits a n d l i m i t a t i o n s " 4 — can come about f r o m w i t h o u t as w e l l as f r o m w i t h i n : A per¬son m a y be enslaved to the mores of his society, or he m a y be a slave to his o w n passions. True f r e e d o m f r o m this k i n d of enslavement can be achieved o n l y t h r o u g h T o r a h a n d mitzvos — " s e r v i n g G - d o n this m o u n t a i n . "

But w h a t specif ically is the f r e e d o m seeker to do? H e r e i n comes the lesson of the festival 's other name — the "Fest ival of M a t z o s . "

The "Fest ival of M a t z o s " consists of t w o parts : the obli¬g a t i o n to eat m a t z a h a n d the p r o h i b i t i o n of eat ing chametz, leavened p r o d u c t s . The o b l i g a t i o n to eat m a t z a h is l i m i t e d to a specific a m o u n t at a specif ied t i m e — a q u a n t i t y the size of an ol ive m u s t be eaten o n the f i rs t n i g h t of Passover. 5 H o w ¬ever, the p r o h i b i t i o n against chametz k n o w s di f ferent l i m i t s ; the t iniest part ic le of chametz is f o r b i d d e n t h r o u g h o u t the h o l i d a y . 6

The n a t u r a l differences be tween chametz a n d m a t z a h , a n d the consequent differences be tween eat ing m a t z a h a n d r e f r a i n i n g f r o m chametz p r o v i d e a valuable lesson i n the quest for s p i r i t u a l f r e e d o m . 7

Leavened d o u g h rises c o n t i n u a l l y . M a t z a h is the v e r y antithesis thereof — the d o u g h is n o t p e r m i t t e d to rise at a l l .

O u r Rabbis e x p l a i n 8 that chametz is symbol ic of haught i¬ness a n d conceit — traits so deleterious that they are at the root of a l l negat ive traits . This is one of the reasons w h y even

4. See Torah Or, Yisro 71c and onward. 5. Tur and Shulchan Aruch and Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim

475. [The size of one "olive" in Halachah is 28 grams, or 1 ounce.] 6. Pesachim 30a; Rambam, Hilchos Chametz u'Matzah 1:5; Tur and Shulchan Aruch

and Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim beginning of section 447; Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim beginning of sections 431 and 445.

7. See Likkutei Torah, Tzav first maamar titled Sheishes Yamim, ch. 3; Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 14d and onward, et al.

8. See places cited in previous footnote.

142 PESACH

the m i n u t e s t a m o u n t of chametz is f o r b i d d e n — haughtiness a n d conceit m u s t be completely n u l l i f i e d . 9

R i d d i n g oneself of the traits represented b y chametz a n d p e r f o r m i n g the mitzvah of eat ing m a t z a h enable the Jew to overcome his o w n faul ts a n d the b landishments of the m u n ¬dane w o r l d . H e is t h e n able to free h imse l f f r o m s p i r i t u a l exile, a n d enjoy this f r e e d o m t h r o u g h o u t the year.


9. See Rambam, Hilchos Deos 4:3; commentary of R. Yonah on Avos 4:4.

The First and Final Redemption

The last d a y of Passover, k n o w n as Acharon Shel Pesach, concludes the theme of l ibera t ion a n d r e d e m p t i o n f r o m ex¬ile. W h i l e the f i rs t n i g h t of Passover commemorates the re¬d e m p t i o n f r o m exile i n Egypt , the f i n a l d a y celebrates the f u t u r e R e d e m p t i o n , w h i c h G - d w i l l b r i n g about t h r o u g h Moshiach . 1

The connect ion b e t w e e n the f i rs t a n d the last redemp¬tions is also gleaned f r o m the verse: 2 " A s i n the days w h e n y o u left Egypt , I shall s h o w y o u w o n d e r s [ d u r i n g the f i n a l R e d e m p t i o n ] . "

O u r Rabbis ask: 3 W h y does the verse say " A s i n the days w h e n y o u left E g y p t , " w h e n the Exodus t o o k place o n one day, as the verse states: 4 "Remember this d a y o n w h i c h y o u left E g y p t . "

O n the d a y the Jewish slaves left E g y p t they achieved the status of free people . 5 This t rans i t ion , h o w e v e r , is an o n g o i n g experience that requires constant m e d i t a t i o n o n the concepts

1. See Sefer HaSichos 5700 p. 72. 2. Michah 7:15. 3. Zohar III 176a; maamar titled Kimei Tzeischa 5708. 4. Shmos 13:3. 5. Gevuras HaShem ch. 61.

T H E FIRST A N D F I N A L REDEMPTION 143

of s lavery a n d f reedom. A person's r u m i n a t i o n s m u s t have a salutary effect o n his d a i l y conduct .

This is w h y s p i r i t u a l r e d e m p t i o n f r o m a l l straits a n d l i m i t a t i o n s that consti tute s p i r i t u a l E g y p t i a n exile is an on¬g o i n g process, n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the fact that the Jews' physi¬cal Exodus t o o k o n l y one day.

This is expressed b y our Sages w h e n they state: 6 " I n each a n d every generat ion a n d o n each a n d every day, every m a n is obl igated to see h imse l f as i f he h a d gone out f r o m Egypt o n that v e r y d a y . " M a n ' s v i e w i n g the Exodus f r o m Egypt as a cont inuous process w i l l lead to d a i l y i m p r o v e m e n t i n con¬duct as w e l l — as befits a free m a n .

B o t h the f i rs t a n d the f i n a l r e d e m p t i o n i n v o l v e the lib¬erat ion of a l l the Jewish people. Just as the Exodus encom¬passed the entire n a t i o n a n d resul ted f r o m the Jews' collec¬t ive service, so w i l l the f u t u r e R e d e m p t i o n liberate a l l Jews f r o m exile, a n d i t too w i l l result f r o m our collective efforts.

This collective l ibera t ion a n d ef fort came about d u r i n g the Exodus as a result of the ef fort of each Jew, w h o f i rs t l ib¬erated h i m s e l f f r o m his o w n s p i r i t u a l exile. A n d so w i t h the f i n a l l ibera t ion : the efforts of each a n d every Jew i n redeem¬i n g h imse l f f r o m s p i r i t u a l exile w i l l result i n the collective r e d e m p t i o n of a l l Jews f r o m the f i n a l exile.

I n pract ical terms, the lesson f r o m the above is that each a n d every Jew is entrusted b y G - d w i t h a u n i q u e m i s s i o n that he, a n d o n l y he, is capable of accompl ish ing . H e cannot re ly o n someone else to f u l f i l l that m i s s i o n for h i m , for the other i n d i v i d u a l is entrusted w i t h his own miss ion .

O n the other h a n d , each person m u s t also realize that he is p a r t of a collective — the Jewish n a t i o n . H i s m i s s i o n is thus of v i t a l impor tance not o n l y to h imse l f b u t to a l l the Jewish people. F u l f i l l i n g his miss ion as an i n d i v i d u a l thus helps the Jewish people f u l f i l l their m i s s i o n as a collective w h o l e . U l t i m a t e l y , each Jew's personal r e d e m p t i o n f r o m

6. Pesachim 116b, Tanya ch. 47.

144 PESACH

s p i r i t u a l exile leads to the collective r e d e m p t i o n of a l l Jews f r o m the f i n a l exile.


Vaulting, Bounding and Leaping

The name of the h o l i d a y Pesach, or Passover, derives f r o m the H e b r e w w o r d s m e a n i n g " a n d G - d w i l l leap over . " 1

Rashi2 explains fur ther : "The fest ival is cal led Pesach because of [G-d's] leaping. . . . Therefore p e r f o r m a l l its aspects i n a m a n n e r of b o u n d i n g a n d l e a p i n g . "

W h a t is the par t i cu lar re lat ionship be tween the h o l i d a y that celebrates the Exodus, a n d b o u n d i n g a n d leaping?

The Jewish people l i v e d i n Egypt for m a n y generations, eventua l ly descending to a state of slavery. Some became so m i r e d i n slavery that w h e n the t i m e came for their l ibera t ion they d i d not w a n t to leave E g y p t ! 3

D u r i n g the p e r i o d that the Jews w e r e i n Egypt , the coun¬t r y was considered to be the most c u l t u r a l l y advanced of its t i m e i n terms of k n o w l e d g e , art , technology a n d p h i l o s o p h y 4

— the th ings people c o m m o n l y refer to w h e n they speak of " c u l t u r e " a n d " c i v i l i z a t i o n . " But i n terms of m o r a l i t y a n d ethics, E g y p t was the most d e p r a v e d , degenerate a n d i m ¬m o r a l of lands, 5 so m u c h so that i t was k n o w n as the " a b o m i n a t i o n of the e a r t h . " 6

I t was f r o m a l a n d such that the Jewish people h a d to at¬t a i n complete phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l f r e e d o m , so that soon a f t e r w a r d they w o u l d be able to l i f t themselves to the heights necessary for rece iv ing G-d's Torah . For the m a i n purpose of the Exodus was the receipt of Torah , as G - d t o l d

1. Shmos 12:23. 2. Ibid. 12:11. 3. See Shmos Rabbah 14:3; Tanchuma, Va'eira 14. 4. See commentaries of our Sages on I Melachim 5:10. 5. See Toras Kohanim, Acharei 18:3. 6. Bereishis 42:12.

V A U L T I N G , B O U N D I N G A N D L E A P I N G 145

Moshe: " W h e n y o u w i l l take the n a t i o n out of Egypt , they shall serve G - d u p o n this m o u n t a i n [of S i n a i ] . " 7 Indeed , Rashi notes 8 that i t was i n m e r i t of their eventual service to G - d at Sinai that the Jewish people were redeemed f r o m ex¬ile.

Receiving the T o r a h f r o m G - d i n v o l v e d the acceptance of a l l i ts decrees, b e g i n n i n g w i t h the Ten C o m m a n d m e n t s , the f i rs t of w h i c h was: " I a m the L - r d y o u r G - d , y o u shal l have n o other gods , " a n d the last of w h i c h was : " Y o u shal l n o t covet... a n y t h i n g that belongs to y o u r f e l l o w m a n . " 9 These themes of G-d's absolute u n i t y a n d the highest degree of ethics a n d m o r a l i t y i n terms of man 's re la t ionship w i t h his fe l lows s tood i n stark contrast to the d e p r a v i t y of E g y p t i a n " c u l t u r e " a n d " c i v i l i z a t i o n . "

Clear ly , d e p a r t i n g f r o m such an abject state a n d achiev¬i n g t rue inner f r e e d o m to the extent of accepting T o r a h a n d mitzvos before f u l l y c o m p r e h e n d i n g t h e m 1 0 r e q u i r e d the m i g h t y leap of "Pesach — i n a m a n n e r of b o u n d i n g a n d l e a p i n g . "

A l l this began w h i l e the Jews were s t i l l i n Egypt , w h e n G - d t o l d t h e m about the Passover service, i n c l u d i n g the in¬s t ruc t ion that the entire service be done " i n a manner of b o u n d i n g a n d l e a p i n g . "

This v a u l t i n g manner of service c u l m i n a t e d o n the f i rs t n i g h t of Pesach, w h e n G - d H i m s e l f leapt over the bonds a n d fetters of exile, revealed H i m s e l f to the Jewish people w h i l e they were s t i l l i n Egypt , released t h e m f r o m their c a p t i v i t y a n d established that f r o m t h e n o n their inner state w o u l d be one of s p i r i t u a l f reedom.

This Passover theme of v a u l t i n g a n d l e a p i n g is funda¬m e n t a l to Jews a n d Judaism at a l l t imes a n d i n a l l places, a n d is to be carr ied t h r o u g h the rest of the year.

7. Shmos 3:12. 8. Ibid. 9. Ibid. 20:2-14.

10. See ibid. 24:7; Shabbos 88a.

146 PESACH

W e f i n d ourselves ex i led i n a phys ica l w o r l d , w i t h a pre¬ponderance of our t i m e r e q u i r e d for phys ica l acts such as eat ing, d r i n k i n g , s leeping, earn ing a l i v i n g , etc. The t i m e r e m a i n i n g for s p i r i t u a l affairs such as T o r a h s t u d y , prayer a n d the per formance of mitzvos is thus severely restricted.

Nevertheless, Pesach tells us that as Jews w e are expected a n d e m p o w e r e d to " leap o v e r " a l l phys ica l a n d corporeal l i m i t a t i o n s to a t ta in t rue s p i r i t u a l f r e e d o m the w h o l e year t h r o u g h .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XII, pp. 160-164.

TWO BROTHERS — TWO WORLDS 147

Shemini שמיני

Two Brothers — Two Worlds

The Torah p o r t i o n of Shemini relates 1 h o w Aharon ' s elder

sons, N a d a v and A v i h u , were consumed b y a heaven ly f i re

w h e n they b rough t an unau tho r i zed o f fe r ing on the A l ta r .

A s a resul t , Aha ron ' s r ema in ing sons, as w e l l as A h a r o n

h imsel f , felt i t was imp rope r to eat the sin o f fer ing presented

at that t ime. Th is sacrifice is also b rough t every Rosh Chodesh.

They d i d , however , eat the special one-t ime s in of fer ings.

W h e n Moshe d iscovered thei r abstent ion " H e was angry

w i t h Aha ron ' s s u r v i v i n g sons " and said to them: " " W h y

d i d y o u not eat the [Rosh Chodesh] s in of fer ing.. .?" A h a r o n

exp la ined that since th is was a regular o f fer ing a n d such a

terr ib le t ragedy h a d befa l len t h e m that day, i t w o u l d have

been inappropr ia te for t h e m to eat i t . " W h e n Moshe heard

th is , he a p p r o v e d . "

Moshe unders tood that there was no dif ference be tween

regular and one-t ime of fer ings, w h i l e A h a r o n a n d his t w o

s u r v i v i n g sons felt that there was.

W h y d i d they dif fer?

Fur thermore , since Moshe o r ig ina l l y ma in ta ined that no

dif ference existed be tween regular a n d one-t ime of fer ings,

w h a t caused h i m to change his m i n d w h e n he heard

Aharon ' s response; seemingly A h a r o n supp l i ed no innova¬

t ive reasoning?

The di f ference be tween Moshe a n d A h a r o n is expressed

b y our Sages thus ly : 2 "K indness — that is Aharon. . . T r u t h —

that is Moshe . " T r u t h is no t subject to change — at a l l t imes

a n d i n a l l places i t remains the same. 3 K indness, however ,

1. Vayikra Ch. 10; See also commentary of Rashi. 2. Shmos Rabbah 5:10. 3. See Tanya Ch. 13; Likkutei Torah, Masei 93b, et al.

148 S H E M I N I

m u s t consider the circumstances of the recipient . Since n o t w o people a n d no t w o circumstances are ever ent i re ly al ike , i t f o l l o w s that there are differences i n the beneficence radi¬ated b y the a t t r ibute of kindness .

Moshe's logic , r esu l t ing as i t d i d f r o m the v i e w p o i n t of T r u t h , dic tated that w h e n e v e r an issue was i n d o u b t , there s h o u l d be n o change f r o m one t ime a n d circumstance to the other. H e therefore saw n o difference be tween regular a n d one-t ime offer ings.

A h a r o n ' s t ra i t of kindness resul ted i n his b e i n g ".. . a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, a lover of creatures, [a person] w h o d r e w t h e m close to the T o r a h . " 4 I.e., A h a r o n ' s d e v o t i o n to his f e l l o w Jew was such that he dedicated h imse l f even to those i n d i v i d u a l w h o c o u l d o n l y be described as "creatures ." A h a r o n saw to i t that even such people s h o u l d have their needs met according to their level a n d status.

H e therefore said there w a s a difference be tween "sacred one-t ime o f fe r ings" a n d "sacred regular o f fer ings . " F r o m the perspective of the beneficiaries w h o are i n need of the k i n d ¬ness r esu l t i ng f r o m a sacred o f fe r ing , i t is impossible to ex¬pect that sanctity w i l l come i n the same m a n n e r a n d degree for a l l people at a l l t imes.

Moshe , h o w e v e r , in f luenced the Jewish people b y caus¬i n g holiness to descend u p o n t h e m f r o m A b o v e , so that i t was fel t b e l o w w i t h the same in tens i ty w i t h w h i c h i t was felt A b o v e . 5 Relat ing to the Jewish people i n this m a n n e r caused h i m to feel that the same degree of sanctity c o u l d be show¬ered u p o n a l l Jews at a l l t imes a n d i n a l l places.

A h a r o n then expla ined to Moshe that w h i l e Moshe's in¬tentions were surely the best a n d the noblest, Jews i n this phys ica l w o r l d d i f fer f r o m each other, as do their s p i r i t u a l levels; i t w o u l d p r o v e n i g h impossible for t h e m to a l l be permeated w i t h the same degree of sanctity.

4. Avos 1:12. 5. Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 2d and onward, et al.

TWO BROTHERS — TWO WORLDS 149

W h e n Moshe perce ived A h a r o n ' s reasoning he readi ly agreed.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVII pp. 113-114.

"When In Doubt...."

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Shemini concludes: 1 " T o d i s t i n g u i s h b e t w e e n the unclean a n d the clean " Rashi expla ins 2 this to mean: to d i s t i n g u i s h be tween a kosher a n i m a l that h a d o n l y ha l f its w i n d p i p e severed d u r i n g r i t u a l slaughter, ( thus ren¬d e r i n g i t non-kosher , or r i t u a l l y unclean) , a n d an a n i m a l that h a d the m a j o r i t y of its w i n d p i p e severed (thus r e n d e r i n g i t kosher, or r i t u a l l y clean).

Thus , the conclusion of Shemini i n f o r m s us that such an i n f i n i t e s i m a l difference m o r e t h a n suffices to b r i n g about a d i s t i n c t i o n be tween tameh a n d tahor, unc lean a n d clean.

The t i t le of a T o r a h p o r t i o n applies to a l l i ts verses. 3 I n fact, because "The b e g i n n i n g is e m b e d d e d i n the e n d a n d the e n d i n the b e g i n n i n g , " 4 the t i t le is p a r t i c u l a r l y reflected i n a p o r t i o n ' s conclusion.

This b e i n g so, w e m u s t u n d e r s t a n d the connect ion be¬t w e e n the conclusion of the p o r t i o n w h i c h deals w i t h the concept of clean a n d unclean a n d the t i t le Shemini, " E i g h t h " — the d a y that f o l l o w e d the seven days of the Tabernacle's consecration.

Especially so since " e i g h t " signifies a concept that far transcends the n u m b e r s one t h r o u g h seven, for as the Keli Yakar explains, 5 a l l aspects of creation f a l l w i t h i n the cycle of " seven" — the "Seven Days of C r e a t i o n " — w h i l e " e i g h t " is

1. Vayikra 11:47. 2. Ibid. Toras Kohanim ibid. 3. See Likkutei Sichos VII, p. 25 fn. 40. 4. Sefer Yetzirah 1:7. 5. Beginning of Torah portion Shemini; see also Rabbeinu Bachya, loc. cit.; Re-

sponsa of the Rashba I-9.

150 S H E M I N I

" u n i q u e to G - d H i m s e l f . " Indeed, this is w h y this e i g h t h day "rece ived ten c r o w n s . " 6

A s f u r t h e r e luc idated b y our Sages,7 the cycle of " seven" includes not o n l y those th ings encompassed b y creation, b u t also the degree of G-dliness vested w i t h i n creation. " E i g h t , " h o w e v e r , al ludes to a level of G-dliness that transcends creation.

Since Shemini relates to so l o f t y a level , concerning w h i c h the verse states: 8 " E v i l does n o t d w e l l w i t h Y o u , " h o w does the " u n c l e a n " enter the picture?

The difference be tween unclean a n d clean dealt w i t h at the conclusion of Shemini is minuscule : sever exactly ha l f the w i n d p i p e a n d the a n i m a l is non-kosher; a n y t h i n g m o r e t h a n that a n d the a n i m a l is kosher.

I n such a s i tuat ion i t is easy to err a n d t h i n k that unclean is clean. I n order to be able to determine an unclean state a n d cast i t aside one needs the a b i l i t y w h i c h emanates f r o m the exalted level of Shemini:

W h e n an i n d i v i d u a l is aware of o n l y the l i m i t e d degree of G-dliness that descends w i t h i n creation, t h e n w h e n i n d o u b t concerning a f ine p o i n t he m a y easily err. The per¬son's e v i l i n c l i n a t i o n m a y say to h i m that since he has the o p p o r t u n i t y of e levat ing the d i v i n e spark f o u n d i n the d o u b t f u l l y kosher object, w h a t r i g h t does he have to cast i t aside?

The e v i l i n c l i n a t i o n m a y w e l l go o n to say there is n o need to w o r r y about the object or a n i m a l b e i n g non-kosher i n such an instance, for u s u a l l y w h e n an a n i m a l is slaugh¬tered the slaughter is p r o p e r l y p e r f o r m e d a n d the a n i m a l is kosher. Is i t r i g h t that such a m i n u t e d o u b t s h o u l d cause one to cast aside an a n i m a l a n d miss e levat ing the d i v i n e spark f o u n d w i t h i n it?

6. Seder Olam Rabbah ch. 7; quoted by Rashi beginning of Torah portion Shemini. 7. See Maamarim titled Vayehi Bayom HaShemini of the years 5704 and 5705. See

also Likkutei Sichos III, p. 974. 8. Tehillim 5:5.

" W H E N I N D O U B T . . . . " 1 5 1

H o w e v e r , w h e n a Jew is sensitive to the G-dliness that transcends creation, he w i l l be l o a t h to deviate f r o m the D i ¬v i n e W i l l i n even the slightest w a y . M o r e o v e r , this desire to be h o l y is so p o w e r f u l that i t w i l l t ranscend the intellect . I t enables a Jew to rise above a l l b landishments of the e v i l in¬c l ina t ion , for a Jew's essential desire to be one w i t h G - d is far stronger t h a n any doubts generated b y his e v i l i n c l i n a t i o n .

Thus i t is specif ically the qualit ies of Shemini that enable a person " t o d i s t i n g u i s h b e t w e e n the unclean a n d the clean."

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VII , pp. 65-73.

152 TAZRIA-METZORA

Tazria-Metzora תזליע-מצלע

Circumcision — Always a Timely Act

The Torah p o r t i o n Tazria opens b y say ing: 1 " W h e n a w o m a n conceives a n d gives b i r t h to a boy.... O n the e igh th day, [the chi ld] . . . shal l be c i rcumcised. " Th is is so on l y i f the in fan t is heal thy; i f the ch i l d is no t comple te ly w e l l , milah (the r i t ua l of c i rcumcis ion) is de layed u n t i l he is f u l l y recov¬ered.

The Rambam explains w h y on ly a hea l thy ch i l d is cir-cumcised: 2 " A threat to l i fe sets eve ry th ing else aside; i t is possible to circumcise later on , b u t i t is impossib le to r e tu rn a Jewish sou l [to i ts b o d y after its pass ing] . "

The Rambams expos i t ion — " i t is possible.. ." — indicates that he is p r o v i d i n g t w o reasons:

"The threat to l i fe sets eve ry th ing else as ide" means that even i f the mitzvah of c i rcumcis ion can never be pe r f o rmed because of " a threat to l i fe , " i t is to be forever fo r fe i ted , since "a threat to l i fe sets eve ry th ing else aside."

The second reason — " i t is possible to circumcise later o n " — suggests that w h e n milah is de layed because of i l l -hea l th , n o t h i n g is rea l ly lost. W e thus unders tand that per¬f o r m i n g the mitzvah of milah at a later date affects the previ¬ous days as w e l l , so m u c h so that , ret rospect ive ly , i t is equal to c i rcumcis ion on the e igh th day.

H o w can an act ion so affect the past? W e mus t also unders tand the f o l l o w i n g : A t the conclu¬

sion of the second reason of " i t is possible to c i rcumcise later o n " the Rambam adds: " b u t i t is impossib le to ever r e tu rn a Jewish sou l . " Seemingly, these w o r d s are more closely re-

1. Vayikra 12:2-3. 2. Hilchos Milah 1:18.

CIRCUMCISION — ALWAYS A TIMELY ACT 153

la ted to the f i rs t reason of " A threat to l i fe sets e v e r y t h i n g else aside"?

Chassidus expla ins 3 that milah a l lows the d r a w i n g d o w n of a D i v i n e i l l u m i n a t i o n far greater t h a n man 's service alone c o u l d accomplish; the i l l u m i n a t i o n reflects an "arousa l f r o m A b o v e . " So l o n g as a person is unc i rcumcised , his state acts as a barr ier to this l i g h t . Milah removes this barr ier .

The same is t rue r e g a r d i n g the " e n t r y of the h o l y s o u l " accomplished t h r o u g h c i rcumcis ion : 4 The r i t u a l d r a w s d o w n a level of soul that transcends intel lect . 5 This , too, cannot be real ized t h r o u g h man 's service alone — i t f o r m s an essential p a r t of every male Jew, a n d is m e r e l y revealed t h r o u g h milah.

Since c i rcumcis ion m e r e l y exposes a pre-exis t ing spiri¬t u a l state, i t is able to affect the past as w e l l . I f milah is never p e r f o r m e d , t h e n the s p i r i t u a l state remains concealed. But once milah is p e r f o r m e d a n d the pre-exis t ing state is re¬vealed, i t influences the past as w e l l .

A c c o r d i n g l y , the Rambam states: " b u t i t is impossible to ever r e t u r n a Jewish s o u l " after b o t h reasons, i n order to ex¬p l a i n h o w milah p e r f o r m e d " later o n " is considered as i f i t were done o n t i m e .

A Jew's connect ion w i t h G - d transcends a l l b o u n d s , a n d is a lways w h o l e . " I t is impossible to ever r e t u r n a Jewish s o u l " thus means that the b o n d w i t h G - d can never be " r e t u r n e d , " i.e., severed.

This b e i n g so, a l l that is r e q u i r e d is for this b o n d to be revealed. This is accomplished b y milah even " later o n " — even then , its effect is the same as that of milah p e r f o r m e d i n its p r o p e r t i m e .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. III pp. 979-983.

3. Likkutei Torah, Tazria 21a; Derech Mitzvosecha 9b. 4. Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein Mehadura Basra 4:2. 5. See Basi LeGani 5713.

154 TAZRIA

Tazria תזריע

The Purpose of Punishment

The t i t les g i ven to Torah por t ions do more than dist in¬

gu ish one f r o m another; they reflect the theme and overa l l

content of each. 1

W h a t possible connect ion is there then be tween the t i t le

of Tazria ( "Conceive") a n d the contents of th is p o r t i o n ,

w h i c h deal m a i n l y w i t h the leprous- l ike a f f l i c t ion of tzora'as

— u n k n o w n nowadays — that resul ted f r o m ev i l gossip,

Lashon HaRah.

N o t on l y does the t i t le Tazria seem to have no connect ion

w i t h tzora'as, they are seemingly ant i thet ical :

Tazria, "Conce ive , " refers to b i r t h a n d n e w l i fe , as the

verse states: 2 " W h e n a w o m a n conceives and gives b i r th . . . , "

w h i l e tzora'as indicates the ve ry opposi te, as our Sages state: 3

" O n e af f l ic ted w i t h tzora'as is considered as i f dead . "

The concept of Reward and Pun ishment is one of the

foundat ions of Jewish fa i th . The Rambam states i t thus ly : 4

"The e leventh f undamen t is that G-d rewards those w h o

obey the Torah 's commandmen ts a n d punishes those w h o

transgress t h e m "

Since the Torah is replete w i t h verses that indicate that

G-d is compassionate a n d merc i f u l , i t f o l l ows that H i s pun¬

ishments are not for the sake of revenge 5 — Heaven f o r b i d

— b u t are for the sinners benef i t . 6

Howeve r , i t is no t pa ten t ly obv ious that most of the

Torah 's pun ishments benef i t the i n d i v i d u a l d u r i n g his l i fe-

1. See previous essay. See also sources cited in Likkutei Sichos XXI, p. 250 fns. 1-2. 2. Vayikra 12:1. 3. Nedarim 64b. 4. Commentary to the Mishnah, Introduction to Chapter Cheilek. 5. See Berachos 5a. 6. See Kuzari II-45; Ikrim IIII-38.

T H E PURPOSE OF P U N I S H M E N T 155

t i m e . This was not the case r e g a r d i n g tzora'as; i t was clearly revealed that this benef i ted the person:

The Rambam w r i t e s : 7 " T h i s a l terat ion [of tzora'as] that af¬fects c l o t h i n g a n d d w e l l i n g s was n o t a n a t u r a l phenome¬n o n . Rather, i t was a s ign a n d a w o n d e r that affected the Jewish people i n order to keep t h e m f r o m speaking Lashon HaRah. For he w h o speaks Lashon HaRah w i l l have the beams of his house al tered [by tzora'as].

" I f he repents, t h e n the house becomes u n d e f i l e d . . . I f he does not . . . u l t i m a t e l y the person h imse l f w i l l become af¬f l i c ted w i t h tzora'as, a n d w i l l have to be separated f r o m oth¬ers u n t i l he ceases o c c u p y i n g h imse l f w i t h e v i l speech, scoff ing a n d Lashon HaRah."

Thus , G - d reordered nature to keep i n d i v i d u a l s f r o m en¬g a g i n g i n Lashon HaRah. Tzora'as w o u l d f i rs t af f l ic t a person's h o m e , t h e n his c l o t h i n g , a n d f i n a l l y his person, i n order to t e l l the sinner, g e n t l y at f i rs t a n d t h e n m o r e severely, to stop i n d u l g i n g i n Lashon HaRah.

Even the p u n i s h m e n t of the person himsel f , w h i c h re¬q u i r e d that he " s i t alone; outside the camp shall be his d w e l l i n g , " 8 was for the purpose of seeing to i t that he "cease o c c u p y i n g h i m s e l f i n e v i l speech, scof f ing a n d Lashon HaRah."

The reason w h y this p o r t i o n is t i t l e d Tazria w i l l be un¬derstood accordingly : Tazria, "Conce ive , " is the b e g i n n i n g of l i fe . The tzora'as itself, as w e l l as the person's d w e l l i n g alone, are n o t so m u c h meant as a p u n i s h m e n t , b u t as a means of rect i f icat ion a n d hea l ing , enabl ing one to b e g i n a n e w life¬style free of Lashon HaRah.

A l l aspects of T o r a h serve as a lesson. Tzora'as, then , was clearly for the benef i t of the i n d i v i d u a l . The same is t rue of a l l p u n i s h m e n t s i n the Torah ; they are a l l for the rect i f icat ion of the sinner, that he r e t u r n to the p r o p e r p a t h i n l i fe .

7. Conclusion of Hilchos Tumas Tzora'as, and similarly in his Commentary on the Mishnah, Negaim 12:5; Moreh Nevuchim III-47.

8. Vayikra 13:46.

156 TAZRIA

A n d w h y is this lesson specif ically gleaned f r o m tzora'as? Because the suf fe r ing of tzora'as — b e i n g considered as i f dead a n d c o m p e l l e d to exist i n absolute sol i tude — is one of the most severe i n the Torah .

I f i n this instance w e can clearly see the benef i t — b e i n g r e b o r n anew, Tazria — then surely this is so w i t h other p u n ¬ishments : they are a l l p a r t of a sinner's s p i r i t u a l rehabilita¬t i o n , thus h e l p i n g make a n e w b e g i n n i n g possible.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXII, pp. 70-73.

PURIFICATION OF THE METZORA — A LESSON I N REPENTANCE 157

Metzora מצלע

Purification of the Metzora — A Lesson in Repentance

The Torah p o r t i o n Metzora begins b y stat ing: "Th is shal l be the l a w of the metzora: he shal l be b rough t to the kohen, the pr ies t . " 1 The verse then goes on to say, 2 "The kohen shal l go out of the c a m p " a n d inspect the metzora.

Since the metzora cou ld no t poss ib ly come to the kohen, (for u n t i l he was declared free of tzora'as he was p roh ib i t ed f r o m enter ing the Jewish encampment ) , w h a t are w e to make of the verse "he shal l be b rough t to the kohen"?

A d d i t i o n a l l y , w h y does the Torah use the expression "he shal l be b rough t to the kohen," rather than "he shal l come to the kohen"? The fo rmer phrase seems to i m p l y that the met-zora a) is b rough t fo rc ib ly , or b) that h is appearance before the kohen is inevi table.

The leprous- l ike a f f l i c t ion of tzora'as was a pun i shmen t for speaking Lashon Hora, s landerous a n d ev i l gossip. A s par t of the pun i shmen t , the metzora was to "s i t alone; outs ide the c a m p . " 3

The Gemara4 explains that since the metzora's gossip caused a separat ion be tween one person and another, he is pun i shed b y be ing separated f r o m others.

I n a more sp i r i tua l sense, to cause separat ion a n d stri fe is to oppose hol iness, one characterist ic of w h i c h is un i t y . Th is was w h y the metzora was ban ished f r o m even the lowest of Jewish encampments , for h is actions were t h o r o u g h l y un¬ho ly .

1. Vayikra 14:2. 2. Ibid. verse 3. 3. Ibid. 13:46. 4. Erachin 16b.

158 M E T Z O R A

H o w e v e r , even a person w h o c o m m i t t e d such a das¬t a r d l y act w i l l eventua l ly atone, 5 for " G - d devises means so that even he w h o is banished shall n o t be outcast f o r e v e r . " 6

The o p e n i n g verse of our T o r a h p o r t i o n thus assures us that even an i n d i v i d u a l a f f l i c ted w i t h tzora'as w i l l eventua l ly "be b r o u g h t to the kohen " — he w i l l repent a n d r e t u r n to holiness.

A n d this is so even i f the person has absolutely n o desire to repent, for G - d desires his repentance. Therefore, w i l l i n g l y or u n w i l l i n g l y , he w i l l surely "be b r o u g h t to the kohen."

G - d , h o w e v e r , doesn't w a n t anyone's repentance to be forced u p o n h i m f r o m A b o v e ; every sinner s h o u l d desire to repent. This is w h y , after the verse says "he shall be b r o u g h t to the kohen," i t goes o n to a d d that " the kohen shal l go out of the c a m p " :

The f i rs t step i n achiev ing repentance for one w h o has no desire to repent comes about because of a desire f r o m A b o v e . A s such, i t does n o t permeate the sinner.

The verse indicates this f i r s t step b y saying: "he shall be b r o u g h t to the kohen," m e a n i n g that the person is trans¬p o r t e d f r o m his o w n status a n d is f o r c i b l y b r o u g h t to a s i tua t ion that he w o u l d n o t have chosen o n his o w n — re¬pentance is fo is ted u p o n h i m f r o m A b o v e .

Thereafter comes the second stage, w h e r e i n " the kohen shall go out of the c a m p . " This means to say that the urge to repentance m u s t be f r a m e d i n the m i n d s e t i n w h i c h the met-zora f i n d s himsel f , so that repentance is done w i l l i n g l y .

M o r e o v e r , w h e n the p u r i f i c a t i o n of the metzora, i.e., the act of repentance, comes about i n the same place i n w h i c h the metzora f i n d s h i m s e l f — outside the pale of holiness — then the sinner's v e r y in iqui t ies are t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o mer i t s .

This causes a person to rise to such an exalted level that he can a t ta in a degree of holiness w h i c h is impossible for

5. See Hilchos Talmud Torah, l'Rabbeinu HaZakein, 4:3; conclusion of ch. 39 of Tanya.

6. II Shmuel 14:14.

PURIFICATION OF THE M E T Z O R A — A LESSON I N REPENTANCE 159

those r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l s w h o have never been banished "outs ide the c a m p . " 7

Based on Likkutei Sichos Volume VII , pp. 100-103.

7. See Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 7:4.

160 A C H A R E I - K E D O S H I M

Acharei-Kedoshim אחלי־קדושים

Holy and Holier

The Torah por t ions of Acharei a n d Kedoshim are un i que l y re lated i n terms of content. This is m i r r o r e d b y the fact that i n most years the t w o are read together.

Acharei begins b y descr ib ing the service of the High Priest i n the Holy of Holies d u r i n g Yom Kippur — the c o m i n g to¬gether of the most sacred aspects of space (the H o l y of Ho¬lies), the hol iest m o m e n t i n t ime (Yom Kippur), a n d the hol i¬est person (the H i g h Priest).

This hol iness is also pa ramoun t i n the p o r t i o n of Ke-doshim, beg inn ing as i t does w i t h the verse, 1 " Y o u shal l be ho l y , for I a m h o l y , " and stat ing near the conc lus ion: 2 " Y o u shal l be h o l y un to M e , for I, the L - rd , a m h o l y . "

Moreover , the name of the p o r t i o n itself, Kedoshim, means h o l y — separate f r o m the mundane .

Indeed, a Jew's sanct i ty can be so lo f ty that i t bears some compar ison w i t h G-d's, as the verse states: " Y o u shall... be ho l y , for I... a m h o l y . "

But h o w is i t possible for corporeal m a n to reach such heights? The verse addresses i tself to th is quest ion w h e n i t states " f o r I, the L- rd you r G-d , a m h o l y . " Since G-d is ho l y , each a n d every Jew can a n d m u s t be h o l y as w e l l , for a l l Jews "are t r u l y par t of G-d above. " 3

The measure of sanct i ty w h i c h each a n d every Jew is ca¬pable of ach iev ing m a y best be appreciated w h e n one real¬izes that the sanct i ty w e are t o l d to aspire to i n Kedoshim f o l l ows that p rev ious l y achieved i n Acharei. I n that p o r t i o n , the passing of N a d a v a n d A v i h u is descr ibed as the resul t of

1. Vayikra 19:2. 2. Ibid. 20:26. 3. Tanya, beginning of Ch. 2.

HOLY AND HOLIER 1 6 1

their souls ' extreme l o n g i n g for G - d . So great was their love that their bodies c o u l d no longer conta in their souls, w h i c h l i t e r a l l y expired .

The p o r t i o n of Kedoshim i n f o r m s every Jew that he is ca¬pable of even greater heights. For the p u r s u i t of holiness is never -ending , one level a lways f o l l o w i n g another, the reason b e i n g that holiness emanates f r o m G - d , w h o is t r u l y i n f i n i t e — " f o r I a m h o l y . "

H e r e i n lies a lesson for each a n d every Jew: Even a Jew w h o has achieved a great measure of sanctity m a y not rest o n his laurels; he m u s t constant ly str ive to a t ta in even greater holiness. M o r e o v e r , he m u s t progress b o l d l y , so that each e levat ion is i n f i n i t e l y h igher t h a n the preceding one.

The p o r t i o n s of Acharei a n d Kedoshim are general ly read o n the Sabbaths b e t w e e n Passover a n d Shavuos, i.e., d u r i n g the days that are b o u n d u p w i t h the Exodus, the rece iv ing of the T o r a h o n Shavuos b e i n g the c u l m i n a t i o n of that Exodus. W h a t connect ion is there b e t w e e n these T o r a h p o r t i o n s a n d the Exodus?

A c c o r d i n g to the above, the connect ion is r e a d i l y dis¬cernible: The Exodus was a l eav ing of phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l servi tude i n favor of phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l f reedom. This involves a radica l e levat ion. M a n ' s quest for holiness, ex¬pressed i n these T o r a h p o r t i o n s , also entails this quest for radica l e levat ion.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. 12, pp. 91-94.

162 A C H A R E I

Acharei אחלי

The Kohen Gadol's Home

I n descr ib ing the service of the H i g h Priest on Yom Kip-pur, the To rah p o r t i o n Acharei tel ls us that the Kohen Gadol "sha l l atone for h imse l f a n d for h is h o m e . " 1 O u r Sages ex-p l a i n 2 that "h i s h o m e " means his w i f e .

By stat ing that the Kohen Gadol is to atone for b o t h h im¬self and his w i f e , the verse imp l ies that the H i g h Priest mus t be mar r i ed .

Howeve r , the requ i rement that the Kohen Gadol be mar¬r ied is germane on ly to Yom Kippur; d u r i n g the rest of the year a Kohen Gadol m a y serve even i f he is u n m a r r i e d .

Yom Kippur represents the acme of sp i r i tua l service, w h e n the hol iest of the Jewish people — the Kohen Gadol — served i n the most h o l y place — the H o l y of Hol ies — on the hol iest day of the year.

W h y was i t necessary for the Kohen Gadol to be m a r r i e d i n order to p e r f o r m this most sacred service? This is even more p u z z l i n g i n l i gh t of the fact that i t was necessary for the Kohen Gadol to separate f r o m his w i f e d u r i n g the week preced ing Yom Kippur.3

The fact that the Torah refers to the Kohen Gadol's w i f e as "h i s h o m e " rather than s imp l y "h i s w i f e " shows that no t on l y m u s t the Kohen Gadol be m a r r i e d , b u t also that at the t ime of h is service on Yom Kippur he m u s t also have a w i f e that is "h i s h o m e . "

But w h a t super ior qua l i t y makes a w i f e one's " h o m e " ? Fur the rmore , w h a t exact ly do w e mean that the Kohen Gadol's w i f e was his " h o m e " ?

1. Vayikra 16:6. 2. Opening Mishnah of tractate Yoma. 3. Ibid.

T H E K O H E N G A D O L ' S H O M E 163

The great Sage Rabbi Yossi once sa id : 4 " I have never re¬ferred to m y spouse as ' m y w i f e , ' b u t rather as ' m y h o m e . ' " R. Yossi's statement about h o w he w o u l d refer to his w i f e was one of a n u m b e r of statements concerning h o w careful he was to conduct h i m s e l f i n an exemplary fashion. W h a t was so special about his a lways r e f e r r i n g to his w i f e as " h i s home"?

I n r e f e r r i n g to his w i f e i n this manner , R. Yossi sought to indicate his awareness that the u l t i m a t e purpose of marr iage is to f u l f i l l the c o m m a n d m e n t "be f r u i t f u l a n d m u l t i p l y " — to establish a Jewish h o m e f i l l e d w i t h c h i l d r e n . H e therefore saw his spouse n o t as " h i s w i f e " b u t as " h i s h o m e . "

Rabbi Yossi's conduct d i f f e r e d f r o m the other Rabbis ' w h o w o u l d refer to their spouses as their w i v e s . The other Sages w o u l d not relate to their spouses o n l y as " t h e i r homes , " for they real ized that to have a w i f e — even w i t h o u t c h i l d r e n to make her "one's h o m e " — is a desirous e n d i n itself.

Thus w e f i n d that d u r i n g the f i rs t year of marr iage — w h e n there are n o c h i l d r e n — a h u s b a n d is exempt f r o m m i l i t a r y service so that he m a y " g l a d d e n his w i f e . " 5 So too, a h u s b a n d is f reed f r o m certain obl igat ions d u r i n g festivals so that he w i l l be able to " g l a d d e n his w i f e . "

Clear ly , the T o r a h recognizes the va lue of the relation¬ship be tween h u s b a n d a n d w i f e i n a n d of itself.

R. Yossi's degree of sanctity, h o w e v e r , was such that his v i e w of m a r r i e d l i fe centered a r o u n d the fact that marr iage w o u l d enable h i m to have c h i l d r e n . Thus , w h e n t h i n k i n g of his w i f e he w o u l d envis ion the result of his marr iage — a Jewish h o m e replete w i t h c h i l d r e n .

O n Yom Kippur the Kohen Gadol was charged w i t h the awesome respons ib i l i ty of achiev ing atonement n o t o n l y o n his o w n behalf a n d o n behalf of his " h o m e , " b u t — most i m p o r t a n t l y — o n behalf of a l l Israel . 6

4. Shabbos 118b. 5. Devarim 24:5. 6. Vayikra ibid.

164 A C H A R E I

u n d e r s t a n d a b l y , i n order to accompl ish this he h a d to rise to the greatest of s p i r i t u a l heights . Part of this process lay i n sanct i fy ing h imse l f to the degree that he — l ike R. Yossi — v i e w e d his w i f e solely as " h i s h o m e . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVII, pp. 172-176.

T W O FORMS OF A H A V A S YISRAEL 1 6 5

Kedoshim קדושים

Two Forms of Ahavas Yisrael

One of the commandmen ts i n the p o r t i o n of Kedoshim is

Ahavas Yisrael — l o v i n g one's fe l l ow as one loves oneself. 1

There are t w o famous comments regard ing th is c o m m a n d .

R. A k i v a said: "Th is is an impo r tan t p r i nc i pa l of the T o r a h . " 2

H i l l e l no ted: "Th is is the entire Torah ; the rest is commen-

ta ry . " 3

H i l l e l l i ved m a n y generat ions before R. A k i v a . Since the

statement h a d a l ready been made that Ahavas Yisrael is the

entire To rah , w h a t d i d R. A k i v a seek to accompl ish b y stat ing

that Ahavas Yisrael is " [mere l y ] an impo r tan t p r i nc ipa l of the

Torah"?

There is a statement i n the Midrash that "G-d ' s thoughts

about the Jewish people preceded a l l e lse," 4 even c o m i n g

before H i s thoughts about the Torah. I.e., the Jewish people

are sp i r i tua l l y super ior even to Torah.

O n the other h a n d , the Zohar says 5 " the Jewish people

b i n d themselves to Torah , and Torah [cleaves] to G -d . " This

statement seems to i m p l y that Torah is sp i r i tua l l y super ior to

the Jewish people.

H o w are w e to reconci le these seemingly cont rad ic tory

statements?

The exp lanat ion is as fo l l ows : 6 The souls of the Jewish

people as they exist at their source are indeed sp i r i tua l l y su¬

per io r to Torah. Howeve r , w h e n Jewish souls descend in to

1. Vayikra 19:18. 2. Toras Kohanim, ibid. 3. Shabbos 31a. 4. Bereishis Rabbah 1:4; Tanna d'Vei Eliyahu Rabbah ch. 14. 5. See Zohar III, 73a. 6. See Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 16:4; Hemshech 5672, ch. 76; Ma'amar Az Yashir

5700, ch. 3ff.

166 K E D O S H I M

this w o r l d , the T o r a h is s p i r i t u a l l y superior to t h e m ; their r e u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h G - d can come about o n l y t h r o u g h Torah .

This gives rise to t w o opposite extremes i n the Jewish personal i ty : O n the one h a n d , n o matter h o w m u c h a Jew sins, h is Jewishness remains u n a l t e r e d , 7 for his eternal rela¬t i o n s h i p w i t h G - d transcends his service of T o r a h a n d mitz-vos.

O n the other h a n d , because a Jew's re la t ionship w i t h G - d is so p r o f o u n d , even the greatest sinner is assured of even¬t u a l l y r e t u r n i n g to the p a t h of righteousness.

The above also gives rise to opposite extremes w i t h re¬g a r d to Ahavas Yisrael:

The essence of a Jew's love for his f e l l o w Jew derives f r o m the essential u n i t y of a l l Jews at the eternal root a n d source of their souls 8 — a b o n d that transcends the stipula¬tions a n d strictures of Torah . K e e p i n g i n m i n d this essential u n i t y , a l l Jews s h o u l d be l o v e d equal ly , even those w h o are distant f r o m G - d a n d s p i r i t u a l service, for o n the most fun¬d a m e n t a l level i t is impossible to di f ferent iate be tween a r ighteous Jew a n d any other.

H o w e v e r , since a Jew's m o r t a l i n this w o r l d is b o u n d u p w i t h a n d subservient to Torah , Ahavas Yisrael — even of the degree that emanates f r o m the root a n d source of their souls — is b o u n d u p w i t h T o r a h as w e l l .

This b e i n g so, i t is se l f -understood that this love is sub¬ject to the laws of the Torah , e.g., one m a y n o t compromise T o r a h for the sake of Ahavas Yisrael. Thus the Mishnah says: 9

" L o v e y o u r f e l l o w creature a n d d r a w h i m closer to T o r a h ; " l o v i n g one's f e l l o w is to be achieved b y ra i s ing h i m to Torah , n o t b y p u l l i n g T o r a h d o w n to his level .

The di f ferent expressions of R. A k i v a a n d H i l l e l regard¬i n g Ahavas Yisrael w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

Rabbi A k i v a speaks of the pract ical level of Ahavas Yisrael — the level b o u n d b y the dictates of Torah . H e therefore

7. See Sanhedrin 44a. 8. See Tanya ch. 32. 9. Avos 1:12.

T W O FORMS OF A H A V A S YISRAEL 1 6 7

cannot poss ib ly say that Ahavas Yisrael is the "ent i re T o r a h , " for i f this were so, T o r a h w o u l d be interchangeable w i t h , a n d c o u l d be set aside for , Ahavas Yisrael. Rather, Ahavas Yisrael is an i m p o r t a n t p r i n c i p a l of the Torah , subject to its rules a n d regulat ions .

H i l l e l , h o w e v e r , speaks of Ahavas Yisrael i n re la t ion to the Jews' source — the level at w h i c h every Jew precedes Torah . O n this level , a l l of T o r a h is for the sake of the Jewish people , for i t is the observance of T o r a h that reveals the nat ion 's u n i q u e qualit ies.

Since the essential q u a l i t y of the Jewish people is re¬vealed i n the c o m m a n d of Ahavas Yisrael, i t thus f o l l o w s that " T h i s is the entire T o r a h — the rest is c o m m e n t a r y . "


168 EMOR

Emor אמור

Weekdays, Sabbaths & Festivals

A t the beg inn ing of the section of Emor — i n w h i c h the festivals and thei r laws are enumera ted — the verse says: 1

"Six days shal l y o u w o r k , a n d the seventh day is a Sabbath of Sabbaths... y o u shal l p e r f o r m no labor . "

Rashi comments : 2 " W h a t is Sabbath d o i n g a m o n g the festivals? To teach y o u that whoeve r desecrates the festivals is considered as i f he desecrated the Sabbath, a n d whoeve r observes the festivals is considered as i f he observed the Sabbath."

Rashi's comment needs to be unders tood : W h a t is i t about the festivals that makes thei r observance (by not labor¬ing) or thei r non-observance (by labor ing) tan tamoun t to observ ing or desecrat ing the Sabbath?

Thephrase"s ix days " refers no t on l y to six i n d i v i d u a l days, b u t to a u n i t of t ime that is six days long. Thus , w h e n the Torah states "S ix days shal l y o u w o r k " i t imp l ies that G-d made a d is t inct pe r i od of t ime d u r i n g w h i c h , and only d u r i n g w h i c h , labor is to be pe r fo rmed . Labor is thus prohib¬i ted d u r i n g any a n d a l l t imes that do no t f i t i n th is weekday f r a m e w o r k of six m u n d a n e days.

By pre fac ing the fest iva l section w i t h "Six days shal l y o u w o r k , " the To rah def ines t w o general t ime per iods w i t h re¬gard to labor: a) six days d u r i n g w h i c h w o r k shou ld be done; b) any other t ime , d u r i n g w h i c h labor is p roh ib i t ed .

W e thus unders tand that b y imp l i ca t i on , "whoeve r dese¬crates the festivals is considered as i f he desecrated the Sab¬bath ; whoeve r observes the festivals is considered as i f he observed the Sabbath." For a l t hough the pun i shmen t for

1. Vayikra 23:3. 2. Ibid.

WEEKDAYS, SABBATHS & FESTIVALS 169

p e r f o r m i n g labor d u r i n g the festivals is less severe t h a n that for w o r k i n g o n the Sabbath, the general g r o u n d s for the p r o h i b i t i o n d u r i n g a fest ival is the same as o n the Sabbath — neither t ime p e r i o d is i n c l u d e d w i t h i n the six days d u r i n g w h i c h w o r k is p e r m i t t e d .

O u r Sages say i n the Mechilta that the phrase "Six days shall y o u w o r k " is a pos i t ive c o m m a n d m e n t . Thus , not o n l y is labor permitted d u r i n g the six weekdays , i t is a mitzvah. This is i n k e e p i n g w i t h the verse: 3 " G - d y o u r L - r d w i l l bless y o u i n all you do," i.e., each person is to make of h imse l f a n a t u r a l receptacle for G-d's blessings.

H o w e v e r , this manner of conduct pertains o n l y to the phys ica l b o d y , a n d to the Jew's soul as i t is c lo thed w i t h i n his b o d y . T h o u g h the b o d y tends to conceal the eternal qualit ies of the G - d l y soul , the T o r a h c o m m a n d s every Jew to conduct h imse l f according to nature . This is i n accord w i t h the sayings of our Sages: " O n e s h o u l d n o t re ly o n mirac les , " 4 "The l a w s of the l a n d are v a l i d l a w s , " 5 etc.

But w i t h regard to the soul itself, labor is superf luous ; the soul f u l f i l l s its purpose w h i l e en joy ing the s p i r i t u a l " res t " of Sabbaths a n d Festivals.

So t w o opposite aspects are r e q u i r e d i n the s p i r i t u a l service of each a n d every Jew: D u r i n g the "s ix d a y s " i n w h i c h a person is to labor, labor becomes a pos i t ive com¬m a n d . But w h e n i t comes to the Sabbaths a n d festivals, a Jew's soul shines f o r t h i n a l l its g l o r y . H e m u s t t h e n tran¬scend the b o d y a n d its needs.

U n d e r s t a n d a b l y , w h i l e i n such a state m u n d a n e w o r k is anathema.


3. Devarim 15:18. 4. See Pesachim 64b; Zohar I 111b, 112b. 5. Gittin 10b.

G-d as Kohen and Kohen Gadol The T o r a h p o r t i o n Emor begins w i t h the precept that a

Kohen, a priest , m a y n o t r i t u a l l y defi le h imse l f b y c o m i n g

170 EMOR

i n t o contact w i t h a dead b o d y , except i n the case of a close relat ive , such as a son, daughter , etc. 1

The Midrash states 2 that G - d H i m s e l f p e r f o r m s a l l the mitzvos that H e c o m m a n d e d the Jewish people to p e r f o r m . Unders tandably , this also applies to g u a r d i n g against r i t u a l def i lement : Since " G - d is a Kohen,"3 H e guards against " d e f i l e m e n t " as w e l l .

Thus Tosefos4 explains that G - d was " p e r m i t t e d " to " d e f i l e " H i m s e l f w h e n H e personal ly b u r i e d Moshe Rabbeinu, i n a s m u c h as Jews are G-d's c h i l d r e n , as i t w e r e , a n d a father w h o is a Kohen m a y defi le h i m s e l f w h i l e b u r y i n g his c h i l d .

G - d , h o w e v e r , is n o t m e r e l y a Kohen, b u t a Kohen Gadol, a H i g h Priest. 5 A s such, H e m a y n o t defi le h imse l f b y c o m i n g i n t o contact even w i t h the b o d y of a deceased c h i l d . 6 H o w , then , was G - d able to " d e f i l e " H i m s e l f b y b u r y i n g Moshe Rabbeinu?

Each a n d every deta i l of creation has its s p i r i t u a l coun¬terpart . Thus , the differences w i t h i n created beings derives f r o m differences i n their sources A b o v e .

This is w h y created beings can serve as a g u i d e to their s p i r i t u a l source; a t h o r o u g h u n d e r s t a n d i n g of a par t i cu lar b e i n g gives us some u n d e r s t a n d i n g of its s p i r i t u a l counter¬p a r t A b o v e .

Nevertheless, the inherent l i m i t a t i o n s of a l l created be¬ings do n o t a p p l y to their source a n d root A b o v e . Thus , w h i l e created beings m a y serve as an analogy to the r e a l m of the s p i r i t u a l , they can do so to o n l y a l i m i t e d extent. Thus w e say that just as the sun's rays do not effect any change i n the sun itself, so too , creat ion does n o t effect any change the Creator. 7 Unders tandably , this analogy does n o t a p p l y i n its

1. Vayikra 21:1-4. 2. Shmos Rabbah 30:9. See also Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah 1:3. 3. Sanhedrin 39a. 4. Ibid. 5. See Zohar III, 17b. 6. See Vayikra ibid., verse 11. 7. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 14c, et al.

G - D AS K O H E N A N D K O H E N G A D O L 1 7 1

ent i re ty , for the sun — itself a created b e i n g — has inherent l i m i t a t i o n s , w h i l e G - d is n o t b o u n d i n any w a y . 8

The same is t rue w i t h regard to the appel lat ions Kohen a n d Kohen Gadol as a p p l i e d to their counterparts A b o v e : W h i l e a Kohen Gadol of f lesh a n d b l o o d is analogous to the Kohen Gadol A b o v e , this is so s tr ic t ly w i t h regard to the ad¬d i t i o n a l measure of p r i e s t h o o d a n d sanctity that is to be f o u n d w i t h i n a Kohen Gadol c o m p a r e d to a regular Kohen.

Those attr ibutes of a phys ica l Kohen Gadol that are f o u n d w i t h i n h i m p u r e l y because he is encumbered b y a phys ica l b o d y do not , of course, a p p l y to the Kohen Gadol A b o v e .

The inherent sanctity of a Kohen Gadol is such that he is separated a n d r e m o v e d f r o m any a n d a l l i m p u r i t y .

The fact that he is subject to r i t u a l def i lement a n d i m p u ¬r i t y — thus the p r o h i b i t i o n against d e f i l i n g h imse l f even for " h i s father a n d m o t h e r " 9 — stems n o t f r o m his b e i n g a High Priest, b u t f r o m the fact that he is l i m i t e d b y his phys ica l i ty . Thus , w i t h regard to the leve l of Kohen Gadol as i t exists A b o v e , the w h o l e concept of def i lement s i m p l y does not exist.

This , h o w e v e r , is n o t so w i t h regard to the s p i r i t u a l counterpart of a regular Kohen, for the fact that a regular Ko-hen can defi le h imse l f for a close relat ive is p a r t a n d parcel of his pr ies thood ; he is p e r m i t t e d (and required)10 to defi le h i m ¬self for a close relat ive.

Thus , there is n o p r o b l e m w i t h G - d as H i g h Priest defi l¬i n g H i m s e l f for Moshe Rabbeinu, for o n H i s level there s i m p l y is no i m p u r i t y . The o n l y quest ion is, h o w G - d as s p i r i t u a l counterpart of the s imple Kohen c o u l d do so. Here the an¬swer is that Jews are H i s c h i l d r e n , a n d a Kohen m a y defi le h imse l f i n i n t e r r i n g his c h i l d .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VII , pp. 153-156.

8. See Hemshech 5666, p. 477. 9. Vayikra, ibid.

10. Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 373:3.

172 BECHUKOSAI

Behar בהל

Mitzvos — The General and the Particular

The Torah p o r t i o n of Behar begins b y say ing: 1 " G - d spoke

to Moshe on M o u n t Sinai.. . ." I t then detai ls the laws of

Shemitah, the Sabbatical year. Rashi, quo t i ng Toras Kohanim

asks: 2 " W h a t [par t icu lar ly ] has Shemitah to do w i t h M o u n t

Sinai; all the commandmen ts were g i ven o n Sinai . ! " H e an¬

swers: "Just as the general , specif ic, a n d most m i n u t e l y de¬

ta i led laws of Shemitah were re lated at Sinai , so too, a l l [the

mitzvos] were re lated, general ly , specif ical ly a n d most mi¬

nu te l y at S ina i . "

This comment is i n accord w i t h the o p i n i o n of Rabbi

A k i v a that "The general as w e l l as the specific laws were

g i ven at S ina i " 3 ; i t negates the o p i n i o n of Rabbi Y ishmael ,

w h o main ta ins that on l y " the general pr inc ip les were g iven

at S ina i , " and " the specific laws were re lated i n the Taber-

nac le . " 4

W h y do Rabbis A k i v a a n d Y ishmae l disagree; w h a t lies

at the roo t of thei r argument?

R. Y ishmael , w h o was a H i g h Priest, served G-d i n the

pr ies t ly manner of " h o l y of ho l i es " 5 — the service of the

comple te ly r ighteous tzaddikim, w h i l e R. A k i v a , w h o de¬

scended f r o m proselytes, served i n the manner of peni tents . 6

This expla ins w h y R. A k i v a said concern ing the self-sac¬

r i f i c ia l manner of service k n o w n as mesirus nefesh,7 "All my

1. Vayikra 25:1. 2. Ibid. 3. Chagigah 6a; Sotah 37b; Zevachim 115b. 4. Ibid. 5. I Divrei HaYomim 23:13. 6. See Likkutei Sichos, VI p. 123ff; XI p. 107. 7. Berachos 61b.

M I T Z V O S — T H E GENERAL A N D THE PARTICULAR 173

days I agonized. . . . w h e n w i l l the o p p o r t u n i t y [ for actual me-sirus nefesh] present itself so that I w i l l be able to p e r f o r m i t ? "

The service of tzaddikim is such that the fee l ing of mesirus nefesh is r e q u i r e d o n l y at the b e g i n n i n g of the day, at the t i m e of the reci tal of the Shema; d u r i n g the rest of the d a y they go about their service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos w i t h b u t a r e m n a n t of that e m o t i o n .

H o w e v e r , he whose service is i n the m a n n e r of repen¬tance — a manner of s p i r i t u a l service that transcends a l l l i m i t a t i o n s — w i l l f i n d h imse l f i n the state of mesirus nefesh "all his days," i.e., the w h o l e d a y t h r o u g h .

I t was this difference i n approach to s p i r i t u a l service that caused R. Y ishmael to disagree r e g a r d i n g w h e t h e r the spe¬cific l a w s were g i v e n o n Sinai or i n the Tabernacle:

The difference b e t w e e n Sinai a n d the Tabernacle was that the Tabernacle was constructed i n a most o r d e r l y fash¬i o n , w i t h separations b e t w e e n its var ious parts , w i t h a pro¬gression f r o m c o u r t y a r d to Sanctuary, a n d w i t h i n the Sanc¬t u a r y itself, f r o m the h o l y to the H o l y of Hol ies . A s such, i t s y m b o l i z e d o r d e r l y a n d progressive s p i r i t u a l service.

Sinai, h o w e v e r , was i n the desert. I t w a s not a place of order a n d settlement. I t was thus representative of s p i r i t u a l service that transcends order — transcendent mesirus nefesh.

H e r e i n lies the basis of their disagreement: For the serv¬ice of tzaddikim — R. Y ishmael — i t suffices that the general pr inc ip les were g i v e n at Sinai. I.e., w h e n w e speak of mitzvos i n their general state (i.e. the u n d e r l y i n g f o u n d a t i o n of a l l mitzvos) w e presuppose the state of Sinai — mesirus nefesh. H o w e v e r , w h e n w e speak of their deta i led a n d specific f u l ¬f i l l m e n t , the o r d e r l y m a n n e r of service s y m b o l i z e d b y the Sanctuary is requi red .

R. A k i v a , h o w e v e r — d i s p l a y i n g the service of penitence that transcends o r d e r l y progress ion — mainta ins that i t is possible as w e l l as necessary to experience mesirus nefesh — Sinai — even as one goes about p e r f o r m i n g the specific de¬tails of mitzvos, a n d i n d e e d d u r i n g a l l of one's activit ies.


174 BECHUKOSAI

Spiritual Buying and Selling

I n this week's T o r a h p o r t i o n of Behar, the verse states: 1

" W h e n y o u b u y or sell [ land] to y o u r ne ighbor , do n o t cheat one another . " The Rambam says 2 that i m p l i c i t i n this verse are the laws of b u y i n g a n d sel l ing.

A m o n g these laws is the p r i n c i p a l that " O n e cannot sell s o m e t h i n g that has n o t yet come i n t o existence." 3 Thus , w h i l e se l l ing a tree's ex is t ing f r u i t is a s imple matter , se l l ing the tree's future p r o d u c e can o n l y be done b y sel l ing " the tree itself for its f r u i t " — the tree a lready b e i n g i n existence. 4

There are thus three d i f ferent types of acquis i t ion: ac¬q u i r i n g the t h i n g itself — a tree, for example; a c q u i r i n g the p r o d u c e — the tree's f r u i t ; a n d a c q u i r i n g " the tree itself for its f r u i t . "

H o w are w e to u n d e r s t a n d a l l this i n terms of man 's s p i r i t u a l service?

The overa l l q u a l i t y of D i v i n e service is that of se l l ing a n d acquis i t ion — a Jew so t o t a l l y b i n d s h i m s e l f to G - d that his entire b e i n g is u n d e r G-d's d o m i n i o n a n d o w n e r s h i p . This is accompl ished w h e n a l l of one's thoughts , w o r d s a n d deeds are i n consonance w i t h G-d's desire.

This f o r m of s p i r i t u a l acquis i t ion can take place i n one of t w o w a y s : acquis i t ion of the object itself, or acquis i t ion of [the object's] produce .

I n terms of a h u m a n be ing , the " a c t u a l " object refers to the person's soul a n d b o d y a n d their p o w e r s , i n c l u d i n g in¬tellect, emot ions , a n d the p o w e r s of t h o u g h t , speech a n d ac¬t i o n .

" P r o d u c e " al ludes to the results of man 's soul a n d b o d y a n d their p o w e r s — the actual thoughts , w o r d s a n d deeds that are a direct o u t g r o w t h of man 's intel lect , emot ions a n d other p o w e r s .

1. Vayikra 25:14. 2. Sefer HaMitzvos, Mitzvas Asei 245. 3. Rambam, Hilchos Mechirah, beginning of ch. 22. 4. Rambam, ibid.

SPIRITUAL B U Y I N G A N D SELLING 175

" A c q u i s i t i o n of the p r o d u c e " thus refers to a Jew w h o dedicates a l l his thoughts , speech a n d actions to G - d , b e i n g sc rupulous ly observant i n assuring that they are a l l i n ac¬cordance w i t h G-d's w i l l .

H o w e v e r , i n such a person the "object i tsel f , " i.e., the es¬sence of his intel lect , emotions a n d other p o w e r s , have n o t become G-d's acquis i t ion. I n other w o r d s , the person's m i n d a n d heart have not been l iberated f r o m their capacity to t h i n k e v i l thoughts a n d harbor s i n f u l desires; the person m e r e l y vanquishes these t h o u g h t s a n d desires, p r e v e n t i n g t h e m f r o m c o m i n g to f r u i t i o n i n t h o u g h t , w o r d or deed. 5

" A c q u i s i t i o n of the object i tsel f , " h o w e v e r , refers to the service of a t r u l y r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l whose intel lect , emo¬tions a n d very being have become G-d's acquis i t ion; he has r i d h imse l f of a l l vestiges of e v i l , so a l l his desires are h o l y .

W e can n o w u n d e r s t a n d i n s p i r i t u a l terms the concept that " O n e cannot sell s o m e t h i n g that has n o t yet come i n t o existence." A n i n d i v i d u a l w h o is o n l y able to make his thoughts , w o r d s a n d deeds i n t o G-d's acquis i t ion m u s t k n o w that he can guarantee o n l y his present thoughts , w o r d s a n d deeds; he has n o t ga ined e n o u g h mastery over h imse l f to "se l l s o m e t h i n g that has n o t yet come i n t o exis¬tence."

Thus , w h e n such a person resolves to do s o m e t h i n g g o o d a n d h o l y i n the f u t u r e , that " a c q u i s i t i o n " has n o t yet taken place, for since he m u s t constantly strive against his e v i l i n c l i n a t i o n , his f u t u r e actions m a y n o t be i n accord w i t h his g o o d resolutions.

H o w e v e r , even such an i n d i v i d u a l can offer G - d " the tree itself for its f r u i t , " i.e., he can " s e l l " his f r u i t — his f u t u r e g o o d thoughts , etc. — that has yet to come i n t o existence b y l e t t i n g G - d acquire his b o d y itself, s imi lar to the t r u l y r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l .

For d u r i n g prayer even the i n d i v i d u a l w h o is m e r e l y o n the level of " a c q u i s i t i o n of the p r o d u c e " can elevate h imse l f

5. See Tanya ch. 12.

176 BECHUKOSAI

to the p o i n t w h e r e his e v i l w i l l l ie d o r m a n t , 6 thereby ena¬b l i n g h i m to offer G - d " the tree itself for its f r u i t . "

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXVII, pp. 176-179.

6. See Tanya ibid. and also ch. 13.

TOILING IN TORAH 177

Bechukosai בחקתי

Toiling in Torah

The Torah p o r t i o n Bechukosai opens w i t h the w o r d s " I f y o u w i l l f o l l o w M y statutes (bechukosai)...."1 Rashi, quo t i ng Toras Kohanim,2 expla ins that since the verse goes o n to say " a n d y o u w i l l observe M y commandmen ts , " " I f y o u f o l l o w M y statutes" mus t therefore mean " tha t y o u t o i l i n the s tudy

of To rah . " H o w does the w o r d bechukosai ( M y statutes) — w h e n

used i n the context of Torah s tudy — express no t on l y the concept of Torah s tudy b u t also "toil i n the s tudy of Torah"?

As ide f r o m the generic t e r m mitzvos, w h i c h appl ies to a l l commandmen ts equal ly , there are specific appel lat ions that app l y to the three categories of commandments :

Eidos, or Test imonies, refer to mitzvos l ike Shabbos a n d tefillin that serve as a wi tness a n d tes t imony to events such as Creat ion a n d the Exodus. Mishpatim, or Rat ional Com¬mandmen ts , a l lude to those commandmen ts that cou ld have been a r r i ved at b y m a n on his o w n .

The t h i r d category, Chukim, or Statutes, denotes com¬mands that have no basis i n logic — they are clear ly D i v i ne edicts.

The w o r d chukim is roo ted i n the w o r d chakikah,3 w h i c h means to h e w out or engrave. W h a t is the connect ion be¬tween suprara t iona l commandmen ts and engraving?

Engrav ing requires m u c h more ef for t t han s imp l y wr i t¬ing . Suprara t iona l commandmen ts , commands that no t on l y are no t unders tood b u t of ten f l y i n the face of logic, are so m u c h harder to p e r f o r m than other mitzvos that observ ing

1. Vayikra 26:3. 2. Ibid. 3. Likkutei Torah, beginning of Torah portion Bechukosai.

178 BECHUKOSAI

t h e m is l i k e n e d to the d i f f i c u l t y of e n g r a v i n g as opposed to w r i t i n g .

W e thus u n d e r s t a n d that w h e n the w o r d bechukosai — r o o t e d as i t is i n chakikah — is used w i t h regard to T o r a h s tudy , i t refers to "toiling i n the s t u d y of T o r a h . "

Since the t e r m used to denote t o i l i n g i n T o r a h — chukah — is the same at that used for suprara t iona l c o m m a n d m e n t s , w e are also g i v e n to u n d e r s t a n d that t o i l i n g i n T o r a h in¬volves the t ranscending of r a t i o n a l t h o u g h t .

This seems d i f f i c u l t to u n d e r s t a n d : A s expla ined i n the Zohar,4 " I f y o u w i l l f o l l o w M y statutes" addresses itself spe¬ci f ica l ly to t o i l i n g i n the s t u d y of the O r a l Torah , d u r i n g w h i c h one m u s t u t i l i z e one's intellect . So i t is that w i t h re¬g a r d to the O r a l Torah , an i n d i v i d u a l m a y n o t recite the blessing made over T o r a h s t u d y i f he fails to c o m p r e h e n d w h a t he is s t u d y i n g . H o w , then , is this aspect of T o r a h s t u d y related to the suprarational?

I n t r u t h , b o t h the actual t o i l i n s t u d y i n g T o r a h as w e l l as the results of that t o i l m u s t go b e y o n d the student 's r a t i o n a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g :

" T o i l i n g i n the s t u d y of T o r a h " m u s t necessarily exceed the degree that the person t h i n k s is r e q u i r e d ; i f a person o n l y strives to the degree i n d i c a t e d b y his intel lect , i t is not considered t o i l , for intel lect dictates that a person t o i l m e r e l y to satisfy his inte l lec tual cur ios i ty . T r u l y t o i l i n g i n T o r a h s t u d y w i l l lead a person to u n d e r s t a n d that even those mat¬ters that he comprehends inte l lec tual ly are, i n t r u t h , b e y o n d his intellect . For G - d a n d H i s T o r a h are one, 5 a n d just as a created being's intel lect cannot poss ibly c o m p r e h e n d its Creator, so too, i t is incapable of c o m p r e h e n d i n g H i s wis¬d o m .

This is i n accord w i t h the saying concerning k n o w l e d g e of G - d , that "The u l t i m a t e w i s d o m is that w e do n o t k n o w

4. Bechukosai (113a); see also Likkutei Levi Yitzchak, ibid.; Divrei David on Vayikra 26:14.

5. Rambam Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 2:10; Hilchos Teshuvah, conclusion of ch. 5.

TOILING I N TORAH 179

Y o u . " 6 A n d just as this is so w i t h regard to G - d , so too w i t h regard to H i s Torah , for T o r a h is u t t e r l y u n i t e d w i t h H i m .

Therefore, i f a person says he unders tands T o r a h com¬plete ly , i t is a clear s ign that he hasn't t o i l e d i n i t ; were he to have t r u l y t o i l e d he w o u l d have recognized that T o r a h far transcends his l i m i t e d intellect . The p r o p e r approach to T o r a h m u s t be bechukosai — " t o i l i n g . "


6. See Bechinos Olam 7:2; Ikarim 2:30; Shaloh 191b.

ספר במדברBamidbar

"EVERYONE C O U N T S " 183

Bamidbar במדבר

"Everyone Counts"

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Bamidbar w e learn that G-d com¬

m a n d e d Moshe to take a census of the ent i re c o m m u n i t y b y

tr ibes. 1 G-d also t o l d Moshe that w h i l e conduc t ing th is cen¬

sus "a longs ide h i m there shal l be one m a n for each t r i be . " 2

Rashi expla ins that Moshe was ins t ruc ted " tha t w h e n y o u

count t hem, there shal l be w i t h y o u the pr inces of each

i n d i v i d u a l t r ibe . " Thus , each t r i ba l leader assisted Moshe no t

on l y i n coun t i ng his o w n t r ibe, b u t i n t a l l y i ng the other tr ibes

as w e l l .

The general objective of th is census — coun t i ng the Jews

i n order to k n o w their overa l l n u m b e r — requ i red that i t be

done b y someone connected to a l l Jews equal ly ; Moshe f i t

that b i l l perfect ly . Acco rd ing l y , i t w o u l d have suf f iced for

Moshe to conduct th is count s ing le-handedly , as he h a d

p rev ious counts.

The s ingular aspect of th is count — that of f i rst coun t i ng

each t r ibe separately — requ i red that the leader of every

t r ibe take par t i n the count of h is o w n tr ibe. But w h y was i t

necessary for the t r iba l leaders to assist i n the count of the

other tr ibes as wel l?

A t the ve ry beg inn ing of the To rah p o r t i o n , Rashi ex¬

pla ins that because the Jewish people were ve ry dear to G-d ,

He counted t h e m f requent ly . By d o i n g so, G-d revealed thei r

qual i t ies. A s the Shaloh explains: 3 coun t ing the Jewish people

1. Bamidbar 1:1-2. 2. Ibid., verse 4. 3. 347a and onward.

184 BAMIDBAR

gave t h e m importance ; i t made t h e m " a n object w o r t h y of n u m e r a t i o n — that cannot become n u l l i f i e d . " 4

The p r e v i o u s counts, i n w h i c h a l l Jews were n u m b e r e d as one e n t i t y — revealed the Jews' general quali t ies a n d en-dearedness that transcends i n d i v i d u a l differences: the es¬sential q u a l i t y of the Jewish soul , i n regard to w h i c h a l l Jews are exactly al ike.

The count i n the T o r a h p o r t i o n of Bamidbar was i n t e n d e d to reveal the Jews' i n d i v i d u a l mer i t s as w e l l . This is w h y i n the latter count each tr ibe is t a l l i e d separately, for each of the 12 tribes h a d its o w n dis t inct ive l i festyle , manner of D i v i n e service, etc.

Yet, even w h i l e cons ider ing the par t i cu lar qualit ies of the i n d i v i d u a l , every Jew remains a p a r t of a single w h o l e . This indicates 5 that there was an aspect i n this count i n w h i c h a l l were equal — n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g that they were c o u n t e d ac¬c o r d i n g to their par t i cu lar qualit ies a n d meri ts .

W e are thus presented w i t h an anomaly : A l t h o u g h this count w a s connected w i t h the par t i cu lar qualit ies of i n d i ¬v i d u a l Jews — w i t h the inevi table result of h i g h l i g h t i n g those disparate qualit ies a n d mer i t s — nonetheless, every Jew was c o u n t e d as equal to a l l other Jews.

The reason for this is the f o l l o w i n g : C o u n t i n g the Jews i n order to reveal the par t i cu lar mer i t s of each — c o u n t i n g ac¬c o r d i n g to tribes — not o n l y served to emphasize i n d i v i d u a l qualit ies in and of themselves, b u t these quali t ies taken as a w h o l e comprise one t o t a l i t y — the Jewish people.

I t was thus necessary for the t r i b a l leaders to be i n v o l v e d i n the census of the other tribes as w e l l , for i t was necessary to r e m i n d t h e m that their i n d i v i d u a l t r ibe const i tuted p a r t of the Jewish people as a w h o l e .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXIII pp. 3-7.

4. Beitzah 3b, and citations ad loc; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 110:1; Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim 447:20.

5. See Likkutei Sichos VII p. 3ff.

A M O S T R E V E A L I N G C O U N T 185

A Most Revealing Count

The m a j o r i t y of the T o r a h p o r t i o n Bamidbar revolves a r o u n d the census of the Jewish people o n the " f i r s t d a y of the second m o n t h [lyar] of the second year of the E x o d u s , " 1

at w h i c h t i m e G - d c o m m a n d e d that the n a t i o n be counted . Rashi2 notes that G-d's love for the Jewish people causes

H i m to count t h e m at every o p p o r t u n i t y . Thus H e counted t h e m a) w h e n they depar ted Egypt ; b ) after the sin of the G o l d e n Calf a n d p r i o r to the erect ion of the Mishkan; c) w i t h the erect ion of the Mishkan H e counted t h e m yet again, " f o r the Mishkan was erected o n the f i rs t of Nissan a n d H e c o u n t e d t h e m o n the f i rs t of Iyar" — exactly one m o n t h later.

Surely G - d k n e w h o w m a n y Jews there were w i t h o u t a census. W h y , then , H i s repeated requests to count them?

Fur thermore , w h i l e G - d chose to count the Jewish people three t imes i n a l i t t l e over a year, w e do n o t f i n d H i m com¬m a n d i n g a subsequent count for the next 38 years. W h a t rea¬son d i d H e have for c o u n t i n g t h e m at these three specific points?

The census of the Jewish people saw a l l c o u n t e d equal ly ; the greatest was c o u n t e d as no m o r e t h a n one, the least sig¬ni f i cant was c o u n t e d as no less t h a n one.

A s such, i t is understandable that G-d's love for the Jewish people — a love that f i n d s expression i n H i s c o u n t i n g t h e m at every o p p o r t u n i t y — is not the result of their par¬t icular mer i t s ( w h i c h d i f fer f r o m one Jew to another) b u t be¬cause of their quintessential Jewishness, i n w h i c h a l l Jews are equal .

Since the quintessential aspect of a Jews' Jewishness transcends reve la t ion , G - d c o m m a n d e d that the Jewish people be c o u n t e d — a l t h o u g h H e surely k n e w their exact n u m b e r — i n order to reveal this aspect, for " c o u n t i n g " re¬veals this essential level .

1. Bamidbar 1:1. 2. Ibid.

186 BAMIDBAR

W h e n this q u a l i t y is i n v o k e d w i t h i n a Jew, he w i l l read¬i l y g ive his v e r y l i fe i n order not to be sundered f r o m G - d . M o r e p a r t i c u l a r l y , the revela t ion of a Jew's essential Jewish-ness w i l l general ly have one of three effects:

a) I t is possible that a l t h o u g h this q u a l i t y is revealed w i t h i n a Jew, i t w i l l n o t have an o n g o i n g i m p a c t o n his intel¬lect, emot ions , speech a n d actions.

Thus , w h i l e as a ru le even the most s i n f u l Jew w i l l face m a r t y r d o m rather t h a n d e n y G-d's u n i t y , 3 this same person m a y v e r y w e l l transgress i n other areas, the reason b e i n g that this q u a l i t y d i d not inf luence his intel lect , emot ions , etc.

b) A l t e r n a t e l y , this essential q u a l i t y m a y n o t permeate a n d t r a n s f o r m h i m , b u t rather o v e r p o w e r a n d o v e r w h e l m h i m . 4

c) F inal ly , the quintessential aspect of the person's Jew-ishness m a y so permeate the i n d i v i d u a l that a l l his p o w e r s a n d faculties are t r a n s f o r m e d a n d act i n t a n d e m w i t h this essential q u a l i t y .

H e r e i n lies the reason for the three counts: A t the t i m e of the Exodus, the Jews' s imple f a i t h i n G - d was revealed. H o w e v e r , i t d i d n o t affect their inner p o w e r s — the count affected t h e m o n l y o n the most e lementary leve l . 5

The Mishkan was then to be erected i n order for G - d to reveal H i m s e l f a n d reside " w i t h i n t h e m " 6 — w i t h i n each a n d every Jew. 7 For this to t ranspire , yet another count w a s necessary, so that their essential q u a l i t y w o u l d be revealed i n a m a n n e r that affected their inner p o w e r s as w e l l .

Yet this reve la t ion too came about as a result of G-d's desire to d w e l l w i t h i n t h e m , a n d as such d i d n o t t r a n s f o r m the Jews themselves. Once the mishkan was erected a n d G - d res ided w i t h i n t h e m as a result of their own service, the t h i r d

3. See Tanya ch. 18ff. 4. See Siddur Im Dach, beginning of Shaar Lag BOmer. 5. Thus the reason for the Jewish people having to flee Egypt in great haste. See

Tanya ch. 31. 6. Shmos 25:8. 7. See Likkutei Sichos III, p. 906 and places cited there.

A M O S T R E V E A L I N G C O U N T 187

count p e r m i t t e d the Jews' essential q u a l i t y to permeate a n d t r a n s f o r m their entire be ing .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VIII, pp. 1-6.

1 8 8 SHAVUOS

Shavuos שבועות

Mattan Torah

The fest ival of Shavuos commemorates Mattan Torah, G-d's g i v i n g of the Torah to the w o r l d . Since, as the Gemara i n fo rms us, " O u r forefathers i n Egypt never ceased s t u d y i n g To rah , " 1 the Jewish people ev iden t l y possessed Torah before i t was f o rma l l y g i ven on Sinai. Wha t , then, is nove l about Mattan Torah?

The accompl ishment of Mattan Torah l ies i n the fact that " G - d gave us H is To rah " 2 : Pr ior to Mattan Torah, To rah was mere ly " t a k e n " b y m a n accord ing to h is inheren t l y l i m i t e d in te l lectual capacity. W h e n G-d gave the Torah , however , He gave i t to us u t te r l y and complete ly , i n accordance w i t h H i s in f in i te capacity.

Moreover , th is was not s imp l y a one-t ime event. Rather, at the t ime of Mattan Torah G-d w h o l l y " i n c o r p o r a t e d " H i m ¬self w i t h i n Torah. Thus w e f i n d that G-d says w i t h regard to Torah: " I have w r i t t e n and p laced [ w i t h i n Torah] M y ve ry ' sou l ' a n d Essence" 3; whenever a person studies Torah , G-d says: " Y o u are actua l ly c lu tch ing M e . " 4

This , then, was the nove l aspect of G-d's reveal ing H i m ¬self i n Torah: Mattan Torah achieved someth ing so nove l that Torah as i t existed p r i o r to Mattan Torah bore absolute ly no compar ison to Torah as g i ven at Mattan Torah:

Prior to Mattan Torah, To rah s tudy was l i m i t e d to man 's restr icted intel lect, etc. unde rs tandab l y , man 's achievement i n Torah was l i m i t e d to w h a t a f in i te be ing is capable of un¬ders tand ing of an in f in i te G-d's w i s d o m .

1. Yoma 28b. 2. Text of Blessing of the Torah. 3. Shabbos 105b. 4. Tanchuma, Emor 17. See also Shmos Rabbah 33:1; Tanya ch. 47.

M A T T A N T O R A H 189

H o w e v e r , w i t h the g i v i n g of the Torah , T o r a h s t u d y b r i n g s a s tudent n o t o n l y to comprehens ion of Torah , b u t to a u n i t y w i t h the Giver of T o r a h Himse l f .

W h i l e differences existed be tween Jews i n their degree of comprehens ion of T o r a h as i t existed p r i o r to Mattan Torah, these differences d i d n o t a p p l y to Jews as they s t u d i e d T o r a h as i t existed after Mattan Torah; the aspect of " Y o u are ac tual ly c l u t c h i n g M e " is the same a m o n g a l l Jews w h o s t u d y Torah , w h e t h e r i t be the greatest scholar or the sim¬plest Jew.

Mattan Torah thus b r o u g h t about n o t o n l y an extraordi¬n a r y degree of u n i t y be tween the Jewish people a n d G - d , b u t also a m o n g the Jewish people themselves — they w e r e a l l equal i n " c l u t c h i n g " G - d .

This q u a l i t y of Mattan Torah was so potent that w h e n the n a t i o n encamped opposite M t . Sinai, even before the T o r a h was g i v e n , i t d i d so "as one m a n w i t h one hear t . "

For the fact that G - d w a s about to g ive the T o r a h to the Jewish people revealed w i t h i n t h e m the quintessential aspect of their Jewishness, s o m e t h i n g that resides i n a l l Jewish hearts equal ly : a f a i t h i n G - d that transcends logic; a p o w e r that enabled a l l Jews — t h r o u g h T o r a h — to equal ly grasp G-d's essence.

The loftiness of this degree of Mattan Torah n o t w i t h ¬s tanding , T o r a h is u l t i m a t e l y to be s t u d i e d a n d learned w i t h one's intellect . For the purpose of Mattan Torah is n o t o n l y that G-d's Essence be revealed i n Torah , b u t that the student so t h o r o u g h l y unites h imse l f w i t h T o r a h that T o r a h becomes his v e r y reason for existence.

W h e n one unders tands someth ing w i t h one's o w n intel¬lect, t h e n that concept is so t h o r o u g h l y grasped that i t be¬comes p a r t a n d parcel of one's s p i r i t u a l be ing , to the same degree that f o o d becomes t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o p a r t of one's phys ica l b e i n g . 5

This is the u l t i m a t e intent of Mattan Torah: To a l l o w m a n to grasp G - d H i m s e l f — a re la t ionship that w h o l l y t r a n -

5. See Tanya ch. 5.

190 SHAVUOS

scends intel lect — yet be able to assimilate the Torah's les¬sons a n d have t h e m permeate the h u m a n intel lect , so that the i n d i v i d u a l actual ly becomes one w i t h Torah .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Rosh Chodesh Sivan, 5746.

SHABBOS — "BEFORE A N D AFTER" 1 9 1

Naso נשא

Shabbos — "Before and After"

The Torah p o r t i o n Naso is c o m m o n l y read on the Shab-

bos f o l l o w i n g Shavuos. Since the festivals are re lated to the

Torah por t ions i n whose t ime they fa l l , 1 i t is unders tandable

that w i t h i n Naso there is an a l lus ion to the special qual i t ies of

th is Shabbos.

W h a t is special about th is Shabbos; where is i t a l l uded to

i n the p o r t i o n of Naso?

Before G-d gave the Torah at Mattan Torah, there was a

" r i f t " be tween Heaven a n d earth: "Those w h o were on h i g h

cou ld not descend be low; those w h o were b e l o w cou ld not

ascend on h i g h . " 2 Mattan Torah healed th is r i f t ; Heaven a n d

ear th cou ld then be un i t ed . Thus , the mitzvos pe r f o rmed be¬

fore Mattan Torah lacked the qua l i t y of the mitzvos pe r f o rmed

af terwards. 3

The same ho lds t rue for the c o m m a n d m e n t of Shabbos.

A l t h o u g h the Jews observed Shabbos even before Mattan

Torah,4 thei r observance then cou ld not compare to thei r ob¬

servance once the Torah was g iven.

Since a l l past events are " r e a w a k e n e d " at the t ime of

year d u r i n g w h i c h they f i rst occurred, 5 w e unders tand that

the Shabbos f o l l o w i n g Shavuos is an echo of the first Shabbos

after Shavuos, to w i t : i t is the f i rst complete Shabbos observed

as a resul t of Mattan Torah.

Before Mattan Torah, " o n h i g h " h a d yet to descend

" b e l o w , " and the per formance of mitzvos was l i m i t e d b y a

1. See Shaloh, Cheilek Torah She'Biksav, beginning of the Torah portion Vayeishev. 2. Shmos Rabbah 12:3; Tanchuma, Va'eira 15. 3. See Likkutei Sichos I p. 41; III p. 757ff; V p. 316ff. 4. Sanhedrin 56b. 5. See Ramaz in Tikkun Shovavim, quoted and explained in Lev David of the Chida,

ch. 29.

192 NASO

person's i n d i v i d u a l capacity. A s a result , i t w a s impossible to infuse the objects w i t h w h i c h one p e r f o r m e d mitzvos w i t h the i n f i n i t y of holiness.

W h e n G - d gave the T o r a h to the w o r l d , the mitzvos ema¬nated f r o m H i s essence. " O n H i g h descended b e l o w " a n d m a n became able to p e r f o r m mitzvos w i t h G-d-given p o w e r . Consequent ly , the phys ica l objects used i n the performance of mitzvos themselves become G - d l y — " b e l o w ascends o n H i g h . "

This is p a r t i c u l a r l y germane to Shabbos: The intr ins ic q u a l i t y of Shabbos — even p r i o r to Mattan Torah — is lof t ier t h a n creation, for Shabbos commemorates the cessation of creative labor. This is w h y a Jew is g r a n t e d o n Shabbos "a s imple love for G - d that transcends inte l lec t . " This love is m u c h lof t ier t h a n the r a t i o n a l w e e k d a y love that g r o w s f r o m toil a n d labor.6

This h igher degree of love t ransforms a person a n d his a n i m a l soul , so that he ceases to desire those th ings he de¬sires d u r i n g the rest of the week .

Thus , Shabbos is i n t r i n s i c a l l y l o f t y i n t w o aspects: Shab-bos is itself " o n h i g h , " i.e., Shabbos is i l l u m i n e d b y a degree of holiness that cannot be a t ta ined t h r o u g h man 's service alone; a n d w i t h regard to " b e l o w , " o n Shabbos even the animal sou l is t rans formed.

These inherent qualit ies n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g — qualit ies r e m a r k a b l y s imi lar to the achievement of M a t t a n T o r a h — there is s t i l l n o compar i son be tween the sanctity of Shabbos before Mattan Torah a n d the sanctity i t achieves a f terwards .

This u n i q u e q u a l i t y , m i r r o r e d every year i n the Shabbos f o l l o w i n g Shavuos, is a l l u d e d to i n the p o r t i o n of Naso, w h i c h states at the outset: " C o u n t Gershon's descendants. . . . 7 "

The name Gershon is e t y m o l o g i c a l l y re la ted 8 b o t h to the b r i n g i n g out of p r o d u c e 9 — i n s p i r i t u a l terms, revea l ing

6. Torah Or 87b. 7. Bamidbar 4:22. 8. Likkutei Torah, Naso 24b, c. 9. " U'mimeged geresh yerachim ".

SHABBOS — "BEFORE A N D A F T E R " 193

one's latent love for G - d — a n d to the "chas ing a w a y " of e v i l . 1 0 These t w o actions bear a remarkable s i m i l a r i t y to w h a t transpires o n Shabbos.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. VIII pp. 49-60.

10. "Vayigarsheihu vayeilech."

G-d Makes Himself Heard

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Naso concludes b y re la t ing that w h e n Moshe w o u l d enter the Mishkan, he w o u l d hear G-d's voice ema n a t ing f r o m between the t w o Keruvim. The p o r t i o n con¬cludes b y stat ing once again: " T h u s w o u l d G - d speak to h i m . " 1

Rashi2 explains that the verse reiterates " T h u s w o u l d G - d speak to him," to i n f o r m us that a l t h o u g h A h a r o n m a y have been i n the Mishkan at the t i m e , o n l y Moshe w o u l d hear G-d's voice.

This was no o r d i n a r y occurrence, for as Rashi goes o n to say, G-d's voice was as p o w e r f u l t h e n as i t was w h e n i t spoke at Sinai. Rather, i t w a s a mirac le that i n the Mishkan o n l y Moshe w o u l d hear i t .

This gives rise to the f o l l o w i n g quest ion: Since G-d's voice was so p o w e r f u l , w h y d i d Moshe have to enter the Mishkan at all? A n d i f G - d desired that o n l y Moshe hear H i m , H e c o u l d have done so, just as w i t h i n the Mishkan o n l y Moshe h e a r d H i m speak.

Rashi concludes b y stat ing that " w h e n the voice reached the entrance of the Mishkan i t w o u l d cease, a n d w o u l d n o t emanate outside the Mishkan." Thus , i n order for Moshe to hear G - d speaking, i t was necessary that he be w i t h i n the Mishkan.

1. Bamidbar 7:89. 2. Ibid.

194 NASO

But this , too, m u s t be u n d e r s t o o d : Since b y r i g h t the voice s h o u l d have been heard outside the Mishkan, w h y d i d i t stop at the entrance, thus c o m p e l l i n g Moshe to enter i n order to hear it?

This w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d i n l i g h t of Rashi's explanat ion that G-d's voice was " the same voice that spoke to h i m at S inai . "

W e f i n d that " the voice that spoke to h i m at S ina i " also was subject to cessation, albeit no t a cessation i n space (as was the case w i t h the voice i n the Mishkan), b u t a cessation i n time. For after Mattan Torah, " w h e n the ram's h o r n s o u n d e d a l o n g b las t , " 3 the " D i v i n e Presence depar ted a n d the voice ceased." 4

The reason for the cessation of the voice is clear: Were i t to have c o n t i n u e d f o l l o w i n g Mattan Torah i t w o u l d have p r e c l u d e d D i v i n e service predica ted o n man's f r e e d o m of choice; w h e n G-d's m i g h t y voice i n its f u l l g l o r y proc la ims " I a m G - d y o u r L - r d , " 5 there is n o r o o m for choosing a n y t h i n g other t h a n G-d's w i l l .

Just as this is so r e g a r d i n g the cessation of the voice i n t i m e , i t is t rue w i t h regard to G-d's voice ceasing i n space — at the entrance of the Mishkan.

Since this voice was " the [ v e r y same] voice that spoke to h i m at S i n a i " — w i t h the same degree of reve la t ion a n d sanctity — i t is understandable that were i t to have been d r a w n d o w n o n an o n g o i n g basis outside the Mishkan, then the w h o l e w o r l d w o u l d have automat ica l ly been trans¬f o r m e d i n t o a Mishkan, a n d once again the a b i l i t y to freely choose to serve G - d w o u l d have been t h w a r t e d .

M o r e o v e r , " G - d earnestly desired to have a d w e l l i n g place [specif ically] i n the nethermost l e v e l " 6 — i n the crass phys ica l w o r l d . I t was i n such a w o r l d that G - d desired that

3. Shmos 19:13. 4. Rashi ibid. 5. Ibid. 20:2. 6. Tanchuma, Naso 16.

G - D M A K E S HIMSELF H E A R D 1 9 5

H i s voice be d r a w n d o w n a n d revealed as man's service t r a n s f o r m e d this w o r l d i n t o a d w e l l i n g for H i m .

Were this w o r l d to be constantly i n u n d a t e d b y G-d's voice, then i t w o u l d nei ther be a l o w l y w o r l d , nor w o u l d m a n be needed to accompl ish its t r a n s f o r m a t i o n , since i t w o u l d be G - d l y i n its o w n r i g h t .

There is a lesson here: W e s h o u l d n o t be satisfied w i t h enclosing ourselves i n our o w n pr iva te Mishkan of T o r a h s t u d y , w h e r e G-d's voice is constantly heard , a n d neglect ing the rest of the w o r l d . Rather, man's m a i n service is to let the w o r l d outside the Mishkan k n o w that w h i c h was revealed, thereby t r a n s f o r m i n g the planet i n t o a d w e l l i n g place for G - d .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XIII, pp. 20-23.

196 BEHAALOS'CHA

Behaalos'cha במעלתן

Two Passovers — Two Methods of Service

The To rah relates i n Beha'alosecha that w h e n the Jews b rough t the Paschal o f fe r ing i n the desert, some i nd i v i dua l s cou ld no t par t ic ipate because they were r i t ua l l y impu re . I n response to thei r cry , " W h y shou ld w e lose the p r iv i lege of b r i n g i n g the o f fe r ing , " G-d said that those w h o were unable to b r i n g the o f fe r ing at the appo in ted t ime cou ld do so one m o n t h later. 1 This " m a k e u p " o f fe r ing is k n o w n as Pesach Sheni, i n contrast to the regular Pesach Rishon.

A m o n g the differences be tween Pesach Rishon and Pesach Sheni: a) d u r i n g Pesach Rishon, leavened produc ts are prohib¬i ted i n the person's d o m a i n , on Pesach Sheni, however , the person m a y have such p roduc ts i n h is house; 2 b) Pesach Ri-shon extends for the seven days of Passover, w h i l e Pesach Sheni lasts on l y one day. 3

Since Pesach Sheni serves as a " m a k e u p " for Pesach Ri-shon, one m i g h t t h i nk i t w o u l d be s imi lar i n a l l aspects; w h y do they d i f fer so radical ly?

The Pesach Rishon o f fe r ing is i n accord w i t h the o rde r l y pa t te rn of To rah — i t is b rough t i n i ts t ime. Pesach Sheni in¬volves an o f fe r ing that is not . This is ak i n to the dif ference be tween the service of a w h o l l y r ighteous i n d i v i d u a l , a tzaddik, a n d a peni tent . A tzaddik serves G-d i n an o rde r l y manner — i n h a r m o n y w i t h the order of Torah. A peni tent , however , h a v i n g b y de f in i t i on transgressed the o rder l y pat¬tern of Torah , is a f fo rded the o p p o r t u n i t y to make u p for that w h i c h he is lack ing.

1. Bamidbar 9:6-11. 2. Mishnah, Pesachim 95a. 3. Tosefta, Pesachim 8:3.

T W O PASSOVERS — T W O M E T H O D S OF SERVICE 197

The service of a peni tent , h o w e v e r , contains a q u a l i t y that a tzaddik's service lacks. The tzaddik's service deals solely w i t h permissible matters ; his experience w i t h e v i l is l i m i t e d to s u b d u i n g or negat ing i t . Consequent ly , the tzaddik is un¬able to t r a n s f o r m e v i l i n t o holiness. A peni tent , h o w e v e r , re turns to G - d out of love , a n d is able to t r a n s f o r m e v i l — his past in iqui t ies — i n t o m e r i t s . 4

This explains the differences be tween Pesach Rishon a n d Pesach Sheni: Pesach Rishon — the service of the tzaddik — has n o t h i n g to do w i t h e v i l . Leavened p r o d u c t s — symbol ic of e v i l — are thus n o t to be f o u n d . This is also w h y Pesach Ri-shon lasts seven days: the o r d e r l y a n d progressive s p i r i t u a l service of the tzaddik consists of "seven d a y s " — a complete cycle.

Pesach Sheni, h o w e v e r — the service of the peni tent — can t r a n s f o r m e v i l i n t o holiness; leavened p r o d u c t s are thus p e r m i t t e d to exist, for they can be t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o g o o d . Fur thermore , the h o l i d a y lasts b u t one day, for the service of the peni tent transcends l i m i t a t i o n a n d d i v i s i o n , a n d this is s y m b o l i z e d b y the i n d i v i s i b l e "one d a y " — a level that tran¬scends d i v i s i o n a n d o r d e r l y progression.

I n pract ical terms, Pesach Sheni teaches us: a) that i t is never too late 5 — even an i n d i v i d u a l whose

s p i r i t u a l i m p u r i t y resul ted f r o m a conscious desire to exist i n that state can s t i l l rec t i fy his error;

b) that "one d a y " suffices, or as the Zohar p u t s i t : 6 repen¬tance can be accomplished i n an instant .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVIII pp. 118-122.

4. Yoma 86b. 5. See HaYom Yom, 14th of Iyar; Likkutei Sichos XVIII p. 126ff. 6. Zohar I 129a.

1 9 8 B E H A A L O S ' C H A

The Most Humble of Men

One of the greatest at tr ibutes possessed b y Moshe was his h u m i l i t y , as the T o r a h attests i n the p o r t i o n Beha'alosecha: " M o s h e w a s extremely h u m b l e , m o r e so t h a n any other per¬son o n the face of the e a r t h . " 1

O f a l l the Jewish people , G - d selected Moshe to lead the Jews out of Egypt . T h e n G - d chose h i m , a n d h i m alone, to receive the Torah , a n d learned w i t h h i m for 40 days a n d n i g h t s . 2

M o r e o v e r , i n the p o r t i o n Beha'alosecha the T o r a h states that Moshe was able to converse w i t h G - d whenever he w i s h e d 3 ; that he shared his sp i r i t w i t h the 70 elders a n d lacked n o t because of i t ; 4 a n d that his re la t ionship w i t h the Jewish people was that of a nurse c a r r y i n g an i n f a n t . 5

H o w was i t possible for an i n d i v i d u a l w h o was so great to be so u t t e r l y h u m b l e . Was Moshe not aware of his stature? Especially so, since k n o w i n g one's t rue stat ion is a pre¬requisite to p r o p e r service of G - d . For a person m u s t serve G - d according to his rank , a n d i n order to do so one m u s t be aware of b o t h his v i r tues a n d his faults .

Moshe was i n d e e d aware of his u n i q u e p o s i t i o n , a n d that he far surpassed other m e n . Nevertheless, this d i d n o t prevent h i m f r o m b e i n g the most h u m b l e of m e n . For Moshe t h o u g h t to h i m s e l f that w e r e another i n d i v i d u a l to have been blessed w i t h his talents, that person w o u l d have deve loped t h e m to an even greater degree t h a n he h a d . This w a s the cause of Moshe's h u m i l i t y . 6

H o w e v e r , this s t i l l remains to be u n d e r s t o o d : The t h i n g w h i c h set Moshe apart f r o m a l l other people was his pro¬phetic a b i l i t y , i n that G - d revealed H i m s e l f to h i m "face to face, i n a v i s i o n n o t c o n t a i n i n g a l legory, so that he saw a t rue

1. Bamidbar 12:3. 2. Nedarim 38a; Shmos Rabbah 41:6; commentary of Rashi, Shmos 31:18. 3. Rashi 9:7, quoting the Sifrei. 4. Ibid. 11:17, quoting the Sifrei. 5. Bamidbar 11:12. 6. See Sefer HaMaamarim 5710 p. 236. See also Zachor 5665, ch. 8.

T H E M O S T H U M B L E OF M E N 199

pic ture of G - d . " 7 So great was his sp i r i t of p r o p h e c y that the T o r a h testifies: "There has never again arisen i n Israel a p r o p h e t l ike M o s h e . " 8

Prophecy is n o t s o m e t h i n g that an i n d i v i d u a l attains b y d i n t of his o w n s p i r i t u a l service, rather i t is a revealed q u a l i t y granted f r o m above. Thus , i t is impossible to say that con¬cerning the a t t r ibute of p r o p h e c y Moshe t h o u g h t that an¬other i n d i v i d u a l w o u l d have deve loped this t ra i t to a greater degree, for p r o p h e c y does n o t d e p e n d o n the i n d i v i d u a l .

H o w was i t , then , that Moshe was the most h u m b l e of m e n , w h e n his m a i n a t t r ibute — his degree of prophet i c v i ¬sion — c o u l d be repl icated b y n o b o d y else?

W e f i n d i n the Gemara9 a discussion as to w h e t h e r h u m i l ¬i t y is a greater or lesser t ra i t t h a n b e i n g a G-d- fear ing i n d i ¬v i d u a l . O u r Sages e x p l a i n 1 0 that there are t w o levels of hu¬m i l i t y , one of t h e m superior a n d the other in fe r ior to the t ra i t of b e i n g a G-d- fear ing i n d i v i d u a l :

The in fe r ior level of h u m i l i t y is based u p o n reason, e.g., h u m i l i t y based u p o n the t h o u g h t that h a d another person been blessed w i t h the same talents, that i n d i v i d u a l w o u l d have deve loped t h e m to an even greater degree. The supe¬r i o r level of h u m i l i t y is h u m i l i t y that is an i n t e g r a l p a r t of the person's essence. The p r o o f that this latter degree of h u m i l i t y — h u m i l i t y that transcends logic — i n d e e d exists, can be ascertained f r o m the fact that the t ra i t is ascribed to G - d H i m s e l f , as our Sages say: 1 1 " I n the v e r y same place that y o u f i n d G-d's greatness y o u also f i n d H i s h u m i l i t y . "

Surely, w i t h regard to G - d the h u m i l i t y based u p o n the a s s u m p t i o n that someone else w o u l d have done better, etc., s i m p l y cannot exist. W e m u s t therefore say that there is a degree of h u m i l i t y that surpasses logic.

7. Bamidbar 12:8. 8. Devarim 34:10. 9. Avodah Zarah 20:b.

10. Likkutei Torah, Matos 81d and onward; Or HaTorah, Vayeishev 259b. 11. Megillah 31a.

2 0 0 B E H A A L O S ' C H A

Moshe possessed b o t h degrees of h u m i l i t y : Regarding those qualit ies that he a t ta ined t h r o u g h his o w n s p i r i t u a l service, he fel t that h a d another person been granted his tal¬ents, that person w o u l d have deve loped t h e m to an even greater degree.

W i t h regard to his h u m i l i t y n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the fact that o n l y he was granted such an o u t s t a n d i n g degree of p r o p h ¬ecy, the t ra i t s t emmed f r o m Moshe's innate character as " the most h u m b l e m a n u p o n the face of the e a r t h . "


A N A T U R A L MISTAKE — T H E ERROR OF THE SPIES 2 0 1

Shlach שלח

A Natural Mistake — The Error of the Spies

The Torah p o r t i o n of Shlach relates h o w the m e n sent to

spy out Eretz Yisrael re tu rned a n d repor ted that the coun t r y

was unconquerable. The Jewish people, they said, w o u l d be

unable to enter the l and , since "The inhabi tants of the l and

are m i g h t y . " 1

Fur thermore , say our Sages,2 the spies w e n t so far as to

say that even G-d w o u l d no t be able to wres t the l and f r o m

its inhabi tants. Thei r w o r d s caused great consternat ion

a m o n g the Jews, w h o feared that they w o u l d be unable to

enter Eretz Yisrael.

H o w was i t possible for the spies to m is lead the Jewish

people a n d convince t h e m that even G-d cou ld no t he lp

t hem, w h e n the Jews themselves h a d constant ly w i tnessed

the miracles pe r f o rmed on thei r behal f , e.g., G-d p r o v i d e d

thei r da i l y f ood a n d d r i n k i n a m i racu lous manner — manna

f r o m heaven a n d water f r o m M i r i a m ' s w e l l .

The Jewish people also exper ienced supernatura l victo¬

ries over thei r enemies: w h e n they were pu rsued b y the

Egypt ians, G-d H imse l f spl i t the sea for them. They shou ld

have unders tood that just as G-d h a d pe r f o rmed miracles for

t h e m i n thei r w a r w i t h Egypt , H e w o u l d also p e r f o r m mira¬

cles for t h e m i n their bat t le for Canaan.

Chassidus expla ins 3 that the spies d i d not want to enter

Eretz Yisrael , p re fe r r i ng to rema in i n the desert, because they

d i d no t w a n t to descend in to the rea lm of the mater ia l a n d

occupy themselves w i t h the mundane .

1. Bamidbar 13:28. 2. Sotah 35a. 3. Likkutei Torah, beginning of Torah portion of Shlach.

2 0 2 S H L A C H

W h i l e the Jews were i n the desert they were cut off f r o m the m a t e r i a l w o r l d ; even their f o o d a n d d r i n k transcended m a t e r i a l i t y , a n d their c l o t h i n g g r e w a l o n g w i t h t h e m . 4

H o w e v e r , u p o n ent ry i n t o Eretz Yisrael the m a n n a ceased a n d they were forced to eat phys ica l bread , w h i c h i n v o l v e d phys ica l labor such as p l o w i n g , s o w i n g , etc. A t that t i m e they also ceased rece iv ing their water f r o m M i r i a m ' s w e l l . The spies pre fer red the w h o l l y s p i r i t u a l l i festyle of the desert.

Despite their l o f t y idea l i sm, the spies' aspirations were misplaced: The intent of the Jew's creat ion is to make a d w e l l i n g place for G - d w i t h i n the nethermost l evel b y trans¬f o r m i n g the phys ica l i n t o a vessel for G-dliness. This they c o u l d o n l y do i n Eretz Yisrael, for i t was o n l y there that the p r i m a r y manner of s p i r i t u a l service consisted of p e r f o r m i n g physical mitzvos.

The change i n l i festyle w h i c h the Jews w o u l d have to u n d e r g o i n order to enter Eretz Yisrael explains the logic un¬d e r l y i n g the spies' c l a i m that even G - d c o u l d n o t conquer the l a n d for t h e m : They reasoned that the miracles G - d h a d p e r f o r m e d o n behalf of the Jewish people w h i l e they l i v e d i n a supranatura l state w o u l d n o t cont inue s h o u l d they e m b a r k o n a l i festyle w h i c h deals w i t h the m a t e r i a l w o r l d i n a natural manner .

Seemingly, the logic of the spies was impeccable; w h e r e d i d they err?

The spies m i s t a k e n l y t h o u g h t that o n l y t w o k i n d s of conduct are possible — the n a t u r a l a n d the supernatura l — a n d that these are m u t u a l l y exclusive. I n t r u t h , G - d is n o t b o u n d to these t w o paths , for H e equal ly transcends b o t h the n a t u r a l a n d the supernatura l ; f u r t h e r m o r e , H e is quite capable of c o m b i n i n g the t w o .

Therefore, since G - d desired that the Jews p r o v i d e H i m a d w e l l i n g place b y p e r f o r m i n g phys ica l mitzvos i n Eretz Yis-rael , the Jews h a d n o t h i n g to fear f r o m the inhabi tants ; al¬t h o u g h the w o r l d retains its n a t u r a l characteristics, G - d

4. Yalkut Shimoni, Devarim 8:4.

A N A T U R A L M I S T A K E — T H E ERROR OF THE SPIES 2 0 3

w o u l d guarantee the Jewish people — as they exist i n a n a t u r a l state — success that is t r u l y supernatura l .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Volume IV, pp. 1041-1044.

Increasing the Might of the Divine Name Adnay

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Shlach relates 1 that G - d w a s upset w i t h the Jewish people for b e l i e v i n g the repor t of the spies. 2

The p o r t i o n then goes o n to relate that Moshe sought to obta in forgiveness for the n a t i o n b y saying to G - d : " A n d n o w G - d , increase the m i g h t of Y o u r D i v i n e N a m e Adnay"3

so that- as the Midrash explains 4 — " Y o u r A t t r i b u t e of M e r c y w i l l o v e r w h e l m Y o u r A t t r i b u t e of Justice."

Since Moshe was t r y i n g to arouse G-d's A t t r i b u t e of M e r c y , he s h o u l d have asked G - d to increase the m i g h t of the D i v i n e N a m e Havayah (the name that symbolizes M e r c y ) , rather t h a n seeking to increase the p o w e r of the name Adnay — L - r d — w h i c h is re lated to the A t t r i b u t e of Justice.

A l s o , h o w c o u l d the spies a n d the Jewish people t h i n k that G - d c o u l d n o t he lp t h e m conquer the l a n d , w h e n they h a d already been the beneficiaries of m a n y miracles?

The spies a r g u e d as f o l l o w s : G-d's supernatura l manner of conduct w i t h regard to the Jewish people c o u l d o n l y con¬t inue w h i l e the Jews f o u n d themselves i n the desert, w h e r e their w h o l e m a n n e r of existence was b e y o n d the b o u n d s of nature — manna f r o m heaven, etc.

They therefore reasoned that the miracles p e r f o r m e d o n behalf of the Jewish people w h i l e they existed i n this state c o u l d n o t be expected to cont inue w h e n the Jews entered Eretz Yisrael, w h e r e they were to e m b a r k o n a l i festyle that w o u l d deal w i t h the m a t e r i a l w o r l d i n a natural manner .

1. Bamidbar 14:12. 2. Sota 35a. 3. Ibid. 14:17. 4. Bamidbar Rabbah 16:22.

2 0 4 S H L A C H

The spies were t ragica l ly mistake. A l t h o u g h G - d or¬d a i n e d that the w o r l d s h o u l d exist i n a n a t u r a l manner , H e is i n n o w a y b o u n d to this m a n n e r — H e can change the course of nature at w i l l .

M o r e o v e r , since Jews are " t r u l y a p a r t of G - d above , " 5

they too are n o t b o u n d b y the l i m i t a t i o n s of nature , a n d w h e n necessary can p o s i t i o n themselves above a n d b e y o n d its constraints.

The D i v i n e name Adnay — " L - r d of the w h o l e e a r t h " — governs the conduct of nature , as this name a n d a t t r ibute of K i n g s h i p is responsible for creat ing a n d susta ining the w o r l d i n a m a n n e r w h e r e b y the w o r l d appears to be a w h o l l y separate a n d independent en t i ty , ent i re ly g o v e r n e d b y the laws of n a t u r e . 6

A t the same t i m e , the D i v i n e name Adnay, " L - r d of the w h o l e e a r t h , " indicates that G - d is master of the planet , a n d as such is able to change nature 's rules whenever H e so de¬sires.

Thus , w h e n the spies c l a i m e d that G - d was l i m i t e d b y the constraints of nature , they were i n effect casting asper¬sions o n the D i v i n e name Adnay, w h i c h refers to G-d's mas¬tery over creation.

Moshe therefore beseeched G - d to increase the m i g h t of the D i v i n e N a m e Adnay — that the t rue p o w e r of Adnay be revealed — to s h o w that G - d has f u l l a n d complete c o n t r o l over nature .

The spies' lack of u n d e r s t a n d i n g of Adnay — G-d's mas¬tery over creat ion — s temmed i n p a r t f r o m their i n a b i l i t y to recognize the qualit ies of the Jewish people — that even t h o u g h Jews f i n d themselves w i t h i n the w o r l d , they are n o t shackled b y its laws .

The spies m i s t a k e n l y t h o u g h t that the Jews' re la t ionship w i t h G - d was l i m i t e d to their o t h e r w o r l d l y actions — pray¬i n g , s t u d y i n g T o r a h a n d p e r f o r m i n g mitzvos; w h i l e occupied

5. Tanya, beginning of ch. 2. 6. See Tanya II, ch. 7.

INCREASING THE M I G H T OF THE D I V I N E N A M E A D N A Y 2 0 5

i n n o r m a l , n a t u r a l affairs — they t h o u g h t — there w o u l d be n o difference be tween Jew a n d non-Jew.

Since they fa i led to realize that the Jewish people exist supernatura l ly even w h i l e f u n c t i o n i n g i n the n a t u r a l w o r l d , they also fa i l ed to perceive h o w a G-dliness that transcends nature exists w i t h i n nature . By " i n c r e a s i n g " — i.e., revea l ing — the m i g h t of the D i v i n e N a m e Adnay, their mistake was rect i f ied.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XVIII, pp. 171-174.

2 0 6 K O R A C H

Korach קרח

"It's the Thought that Also Counts"

The To rah p o r t i o n of Korach relates h o w Korach a n d a b a n d of 250 m e n rebel led against Moshe a n d A h a r o n . This revo l t took place after the inc ident of the Meraglim1 sent b y Moshe to spy out Canaan, a n d w h o re tu rned w i t h a pessi¬mist ic repor t regard ing the ab i l i t y of the people to conquer the land .

The e levat ion of A h a r o n to the H i g h Pr iesthood was w h a t touched off Korach's revol t . But th is e levat ion took place at least a year before the inc ident of the Meraglim. W h y d i d Korach w a i t so l ong before revol t ing?

The Meraglim con tended 2 that i t was impo r tan t for the Jewish people to be separate f r o m the mater ia l w o r l d . I n that w a y they w o u l d no t be h i nde red i n c leav ing to G-d t h r o u g h the s tudy of Torah. They therefore desi red that the Jews re¬m a i n i n the desert, where they w o u l d be freer of w o r l d l y distract ions. Moshe, however , rep l ied that the phys ica l per¬formance of the mitzvos is v i t a l , since i t is t h r o u g h such per¬formance that Jews make a d w e l l i n g place for G-d i n th is w o r l d .

The dif ference be tween Torah s tudy a n d pract ica l mitzvos is the f o l l o w i n g : Comprehens ion is a f undamen ta l aspect of Torah , i n w h i c h there are diverse levels. Some people un¬derstand more and some less.

This is no t so i n the case of the mitzvos. I n th is regard , a l l Jews are equal ; the d o n n i n g of tefillin pe r f o rmed b y Moshe was exact ly the same as the d o n n i n g p e r f o r m e d b y the sim¬plest Jew. Moshe a n d the s imple Jew m a y d i f fer i n in tens i ty

1. Seder Olam Rabbah, ch. 8; quoted in Rashbam and Tosafos B. Basra 119a. 2. See previous essay.

"IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT ALSO COUNTS" 2 0 7

of concentrat ion w h i l e p e r f o r m i n g the mitzvah, b u t they d i d n o t d i f fe r i n the phys ica l act.

This is w h y Korach's rebe l l ion t o o k place o n l y after the inc ident w i t h the Meraglim: Korach was aware that Moshe a n d A h a r o n far outdis tanced other Jews i n comprehens ion of Torah , for Moshe received the T o r a h d i rec t ly f r o m G - d a n d then proceeded to teach i t to A h a r o n . Korach's com¬p l a i n t " W h y are y o u sett ing yourselves above G-d's congre-g a t i o n " 3 re lated to that i n w h i c h a l l Jews are equal — the performance of mitzvos.

Thus , i t was o n l y after the Meraglim h a d expressed the desire to devote themselves exclusively to s p i r i t u a l service a n d w e r e i n f o r m e d that the phys ica l per formance of mitzvos is most i m p o r t a n t that Korach fel t j u s t i f i e d i n his c o m p l a i n t . For w i t h regard to the phys ica l performance of mitzvos, a l l Jews are i n d e e d equal .

Where d i d Korach err? G - d desires not o n l y the phys ica l performance of mitzvos,

b u t also the p r o p e r s p i r i t u a l intent . A d w e l l i n g place for G - d m u s t p r o v i d e a h o m e for G-d's essence, a n d H i s essence m u s t be i n a revealed state; i t m u s t be a luminous d w e l l i n g . Just as a phys ica l s tructure m u s t be i l l u m i n a t e d i n order to be habit¬able, so too, G-d's d w e l l i n g m u s t be made habitable b y pro¬v i d i n g i t w i t h i l l u m i n a t i o n .

I n order for G-d's d w e l l i n g to be i l l u m i n a t e d , i t is neces¬sary that the mitzvos themselves be p e r f o r m e d w i t h the p r o p e r in tent i n order to i l l u m i n a t e the person h imse l f a n d the s u r r o u n d i n g w o r l d .

Thus , w h i l e Moshe's a n d A h a r o n ' s actual performance of mitzvos i n n o w a y d i f f e r e d f r o m that of the simplest Jew, the in tent w i t h w h i c h the mitzvos were p e r f o r m e d v a r i e d great ly .

G - d considers the in tent as w e l l as the deed.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. IV, pp. 1048-1054.

3. Bamidbar 16:3.

2 0 8 K O R A C H

A Lesson in Priesthood

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Korach w e read h o w K o r a c h l e d a b a n d of 250 m e n i n a rebe l l ion against Moshe a n d A h a r o n . U n d e r l y i n g their revol t against A h a r o n ' s H i g h Priesthood was the charge: " A l l the people i n the c o m m u n i t y are h o l y a n d G - d is i n their m i d s t ; w h y are y o u sett ing yourselves above G-d's congregat ion?" 1

F r o m Moshe's response, 2 " . . . a n d y o u seek p r i e s t h o o d as w e l l , " w e r e a d i l y perceive that K o r a c h a n d his b a n d desired to become priests. This b e i n g so, their a r g u m e n t that " A l l the people.. .are h o l y , " a n d n o b o d y can set h imse l f above any¬b o d y else seems to contradict their desire to be above others b y o b t a i n i n g pr ies thood .

The Kohanim, the p r i e s t l y class, d i f f e r e d f r o m the rest of the Jewish people i n that the Kohanim were w h o l l y dedicated to s p i r i t u a l matters . This w a s especially t rue w i t h regard to the Kohen Gadol, the H i g h Priest, w h o was c o m m a n d e d " n o t to leave the Sanctuary." 3

Their apartness f r o m the general populace n o t w i t h s t a n d ¬i n g , the Kohanim i n general , a n d the Kohen Gadol i n part icu¬lar, i m p a r t e d their level of sanctity to all the Jews. Thus w e f i n d that A h a r o n ' s service of l i g h t i n g the M e n o r a h i n the Sanctuary i m p a r t e d sanctity to a l l Jews, a n d enabled t h e m to reach A h a r o n ' s level of service a n d love of G - d . 4

Korach , h o w e v e r , a r g u e d that just as Kohanim w e r e re¬m o v e d f r o m w o r l d l y matters — a q u a l i t y l a c k i n g i n the rest of the Jewish people — the rest of the people possessed a q u a l i t y that the Kohanim lacked: the a b i l i t y to occupy them¬selves w i t h w o r l d l y matters a n d t r a n s f o r m phys ica l objects i n t o vessels for G-dliness.

M o r e o v e r , since G-d's m a i n intent is for this nethermost w o r l d to be t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o a d w e l l i n g place for H i m b y e levat ing i t to holiness, K o r a c h m a i n t a i n e d that i t was spe-

1. Bamidbar 16:3. 2. Ibid. verse 10. 3. Vayikra 21:12. 4. See Likkutei Torah, beginning of portion Beha'alosecha.

A LESSON IN PRIESTHOOD 2 0 9

c i f ica l ly the populace as a w h o l e w h o were accompl i sh ing this task — not the Kohanim, w h o were separate a n d aloof f r o m m u n d a n e matters .

Since the Jewish people as a w h o l e possessed quali t ies that Kohanim lacked, K o r a c h therefore rebel led against the t h o u g h t that Kohanim i n general a n d A h a r o n i n par t i cu lar c o u l d set themselves apart f r o m the rest of the people be¬cause of their a b i l i t y to i m p a r t holiness to t h e m .

K o r a c h a n d his band's c o m p l a i n t that " A l l the peo¬ple...are h o l y , " h o w e v e r , d i d n o t contradict their o w n desire for p r i e s t h o o d , for they desired a manner of p r i e s t h o o d to¬t a l l y r e m o v e d f r o m the rest of the congregat ion.

This m a n n e r of p r i e s t h o o d w o u l d n o t cause t h e m to feel superior to the rest of the Jewish people , a s u p e r i o r i t y that resul ted f r o m their i m p a r t i n g holiness to t h e m , for i n their scheme of th ings they w o u l d n o t i m p a r t holiness to other Jews — they w o u l d r e m a i n t o t a l l y separate a n d apart .

But Korach a n d his b a n d were b a d l y mis taken : I t is t rue that there are d i f ferent categories of service — Jews w h o are solely occupied w i t h s p i r i t u a l matters , a n d other Jews whose task i t is to p u r i f y a n d elevate the phys ica l w o r l d t h r o u g h the service of " A l l y o u r actions s h o u l d be for the sake of heaven , " 5 a n d " I n a l l y o u r w a y s y o u shal l k n o w H i m . " 6

Nevertheless, i t is necessary for the Kohanim to bes tow their sanctity u p o n the Jewish people so that they too m a y aspire to the level of " p r i e s t h o o d , " i.e., that d u r i n g certain p o r t i o n s of the day, even the " r e g u l a r " Jew w i l l occupy h i m ¬self w i t h T o r a h s t u d y a n d d i v i n e service, to the exclusion of a l l else.

O u r Sages i m p l y this w h e n they say, 7 " M i n i m i z e y o u r business activit ies a n d occupy yourse l f w i t h T o r a h . " A busi¬ness person s h o u l d n o t o n l y "set aside certain p o r t i o n s of the d a y a n d n i g h t for T o r a h s t u d y , " 8 b u t s h o u l d also "steal

5. Avos 2:12. 6. Mishlei 3:6. 7. Avos 4:10. 8. Hilchos Talmud Torah of the Alter Rebbe, 3:4.

2 1 0 K O R A C H

a w a y " t i m e f r o m his business affairs — minimize his business activit ies — a n d dedicate that t i m e to " p r i e s t h o o d , " to the s t u d y of T o r a h a n d d i v i n e service.


DEFYING RATIONALITY 2 1 1

Chukas-Balak חקת-בלק

Defying Rationality

The Torah p o r t i o n of Chukas takes i ts name f r o m the w o r d chukas, suprara t iona l D i v i ne decree, that appears at the outset of th is p o r t i o n i n reference to the laws of the Red Hei fer .

The w o r d chukas i tself is e tymolog ica l l y re lated to chaki-kah, to engrave and h e w out . 1 W h a t is the connect ion be¬tween suprara t iona l D i v i ne decrees a n d engraving?

Mitzvos are d i v i d e d in to three categories: Eidos, Testi¬monies; Mishpatim, Laws ; a n d Chukim, Decrees. Eidos are commandmen ts that serve as a tes t imony and remembrance of impo r tan t events. Mishpatim are laws d ic ta ted b y h u m a n intel lect as w e l l as b y D i v i ne intel lect. Chukim are decrees that have no ra t iona l exp lanat ion.

A Jew ins t inc t ive ly desires to p e r f o r m G-d's w i l l . 2 This desire emanates f r o m the essence of the Jewish sou l , w h i c h transcends intel lect. This inst inct most of ten f inds expression i n the per formance of Chukim.

W h e n a person per fo rms Eidos and Mishpatim, the soul 's essential desire is no t f u l l y revealed, since the in te l lectual aspect of these mitzvos c louds the soul 's pu re l y supra-ra¬t iona l desire to f u l f i l l G-d's w i l l . Chukim, however , do no t have the "excess baggage" of logic. Therefore, per formance of the Chukim reveals the soul 's essence.

The connect ion be tween Chukim a n d engrav ing lies i n the fact that the super io r i t y of Chukim over Eidos a n d Mish-patim is s imi lar to the super io r i t y of engrav ing over w r i t i n g :

W r i t i n g is accompl ished b y j o i n i n g i n k to paper. Since the i n k and the letters f o r m e d b y i t r ema in a separate en t i ty

1. Likkutei Torah beginning of portions of Chukas and Bechukosai. 2. See Rambam conclusion of ch. 2 of Hilchos Geirushin.

2 1 2 C H U K A S - B A L A K

f r o m the paper u p o n w h i c h they are w r i t t e n , they therefore conceal that p a r t of the paper u p o n w h i c h they appear. H o w e v e r , engraved letters are composed of the v e r y sub¬stance u p o n w h i c h they are engraved, a n d therefore do n o t conceal i t .

Since intel lect tends to conceal the soul's essence, the performance of Eidos a n d Mishpatim is s imi lar to w r i t i n g , i n that the intel lect conceals the soul's essential desire to f u l f i l l G-d's w i l l just as w r i t t e n letters conceal the paper u p o n w h i c h they are w r i t t e n .

Chukim, h o w e v e r , are p e r f o r m e d i n a w h o l l y supra-ra¬t i o n a l manner ; there is n o t h i n g about t h e m that w o u l d t e n d to obscure G-d's w i l l a n d desire. They are therefore l i k e n e d to engraved letters.

Chassidus explains 3 that there are ac tual ly t w o f o r m s of e n g r a v i n g : letters engraved i n a n o r m a l fashion a n d letters f o r m e d b y h e w i n g the m a t e r i a l clear t h r o u g h . I n the f o r m e r , the letters i n some smal l w a y do i m p e d e the br i l l iance of the stone i n w h i c h they are engraved, a n d i n this they are somewhat s imi lar to w r i t t e n letters; i n the latter, this i m ¬p e d i m e n t does n o t exist.

W i t h i n Chukim, too , w e f i n d t w o manners of Chukim: those that have some re la t ionship to intel lect — s imi lar to an engraved letter; or chukah such as the c o m m a n d m e n t of the Red Hei fer , that has n o re la t ionship to intellect — s imi lar to a letter f o r m e d b y h e w i n g the stone t h r o u g h a n d t h r o u g h .

W e thus u n d e r s t a n d that the performance of those Chukim that have some re la t ionship to intel lect lacks the de¬gree of reve la t ion f o u n d i n the per formance of the chukah of the Red Heifer . I t is o n l y i n p e r f o r m i n g the latter k i n d of de¬cree, w h e r e intel lect does n o t enter the p i c t u r e , that the soul's essence is revealed i n a l l its g l o r y .


3. Maamar Ain Omdin5667; BaSukkos5710.

T H E M I T Z V O S A S C H U K I M 2 1 3

The Mitzvos As Chukim

The o p e n i n g section of the T o r a h p o r t i o n Chukas de¬scribes the p u r i f i c a t i o n r i t u a l of the Parah Adumah, the Red Hei fer , one of the foremost suprara t iona l c o m m a n d m e n t s — Chukim — of the Torah .

A t the b e g i n n i n g of the p o r t i o n , the verse says: 1 " T h i s [the laws of the of Parah Adumah] is the chukah of the Torah . . . . " O u r Sages ask: 2 W o u l d i t n o t have been m o r e ap¬p r o p r i a t e for the T o r a h to state " T h i s is the chukah 'of the Parah Adumah,' " rather t h a n " o f the Torah"?

They answer 3 that the verse's t e r m i n o l o g y indicates that the suprarat ional decree of Parah Adumah is i n d e e d " the T o r a h " — i t is a f o u n d a t i o n a n d chukah for the entire Torah , i n that a l l mitzvos are to be v i e w e d as Chukim.

This is so because a l l mitzvos are i n essence G-d's W i l l , a n d as such transcend h u m a n logic; even mitzvos that are logica l are manifestat ions of D i v i n e W i l l that have been d r a w n d o w n a n d c lothed i n reason.

This is w h y all c o m m a n d m e n t s , i n c l u d i n g the e m i n e n t l y logical , are to be p e r f o r m e d n o t out of any r a t i o n a l impera¬t ive b u t s i m p l y because G - d has decreed t h e m . This is re¬flected i n the text of the blessing made for a l l mitzvos, " . . . a n d H e has commanded u s . "

Thus , b y s tat ing " T h i s is the chukah of the Torah...," the verse is i n f o r m i n g us that a l t h o u g h mitzvos are general ly d i v i d e d i n t o ra t iona l a n d suprara t iona l c o m m a n d m e n t s , the essential component of all mitzvos is suprarat ional i n nature .

The above enables us to u n d e r s t a n d the advice of the Mishnah i n Avos:4 "Be as careful i n [the per formance of] a m i n o r mitzvah as of a major one "

A person m a y w e l l ask: H o w is i t possible to p e r f o r m "a m i n o r Rabbinic r e g u l a t i o n , " as s c r u p u l o u s l y as the most major of commandments? Especially so, w h e n the T o r a h i t -

1. Bamidbar 19:2. 2. Likkutei Torah, beginning of Chukas. 3. See Likkutei Torah ibid.; commentary of Or HaChayim on this verse. 4. 2:1.

2 1 4 C H U K A S - B A L A K

self — the " T o r a h of Truth" — classifies one c o m m a n d m e n t as major a n d the other as m i n o r .

A c c o r d i n g to the above, h o w e v e r , the answer is clear: W i t h regard to the logica l aspect of mitzvos, there do i n d e e d exist differences i n c o m m a n d m e n t s — r a t i o n a l a n d suprara-t i o n a l , major a n d m i n o r , etc. H o w e v e r , w i t h regard to the essence of the mitzvos, they are a l l expressions of the D i v i n e W i l l ; no differences exist. They are a l l suprarat ional , a l l ma¬jor .

Just as this is so w i t h regard to the mitzvos themselves, so too r e g a r d i n g the effect they have o n the person w h o per¬f o r m s t h e m . 5 F u l f i l l i n g any of these expressions of D i v i n e W i l l — n o matter h o w seemingly m i n o r — u t t e r l y uni tes the i n d i v i d u a l w i t h G - d ; g o i n g against any expression of D i v i n e w i l l — n o matter h o w seemingly m i n o r the i n f r a c t i o n — has a major d e t r i m e n t a l effect o n the person's at tachment to H i m .

W h a t enables the Jew to feel that the observance of even a seemingly m i n o r c o m m a n d m e n t has an effect o n his overa l l connect ion w i t h G-d?

It derives f r o m the essence of the Jew's soul , an essence that itself w h o l l y transcends logic . 6 This f i n d s expression i n the famous saying: 7 " A Jew neither desires nor is able to be separated f r o m G-dl iness . " 8

u n d e r s t a n d a b l y , i t is a lmost impossible to expect that the u n i t y felt b y the essence of a person's soul be consciously perce ived t h r o u g h o u t the year. Nevertheless, w h e n this fee l ing is roused d u r i n g special t imes of the year, i t leaves an impress ion o n the person's o n g o i n g level of ra t iona l s p i r i t u a l service, so that the person is able to be aware of the pos i t ive or negative i m p o r t of his every act ion.

There is a lesson here w i t h regard to one's efforts i n h e l p i n g a fe l low-Jew: I t is n o t e n o u g h to m e r e l y he lp one's

5. See Tanya Ch. 24; Kuntres U'Mayon 3:3ff. 6. See Likkutei Sichos IV, p. 1056ff; Volume VIII, p. 129ff. 7. HaYom Yom p. 73. 8. See Tanya Ch. 18 and onward.

T H E M I T Z V O S A S C H U K I M 2 1 5

f e l l o w p e r f o r m the " m a j o r " mitzvos; one m u s t realize that all mitzvos are major , a n d the performance of even a seemingly " m i n o r " one can carry a person to the greatest heights .


2 1 6 PINCHAS

Pinchas פינחס

Jewish Leadership — Torah and Royalty

The Torah p o r t i o n of Pinchas1 recounts h o w Moshe asked

G-d to " a p p o i n t a m a n over the c o m m u n i t y " to be its next

leader, so that the Jewish people w i l l no t become " l i ke sheep

that have no shepherd . " G-d rep l ied to Moshe: "Take Ye-

hoshua... a n d lay you r hands u p o n h i m . "

I n exp la in ing h o w a Jewish k i n g is appo in ted , the Ram-

b a m states: 2 "The f i rst k i n g of a dynasty cannot be appo in ted

save b y the cour t of 70 [-one] elders a n d a p rophe t , as was

the case w i t h Yehoshua, w h o was appo in ted b y Moshe a n d

his cour t [of 70 e lders ] . " The Rambam is thus of the o p i n i o n

that Yehoshua was invested as a k i ng .

Acco rd ing l y , the f o l l o w i n g mus t be unders tood : 3 The

Rambam ru les 4 " W h e n a k i n g is appo in ted , he is to be

ano in ted w i t h ano in t i ng o i l . " W h y then d i d Moshe mere ly

lay his hands on Yehoshua and not ano in t h im?

The Midrash5 notes that Moshe h a d ant ic ipated that h is

ch i l d ren w o u l d inher i t h is mant le . G-d , however , t o l d h i m :

" 'He w h o p lants the date p a l m [mer i ts that he] eats i ts

f ru i t s . ' 6 Your ch i l d ren d i d no t occupy themselves i n Torah.

Yehoshua since he served y o u w i t h a l l h is m i g h t , is wor¬

t h y of serv ing the Jewish peop le . "

H o w was i t possible for Moshe to assume that h is sons

w o u l d inher i t the mant le of leadership w h e n he k n e w they

were gu i l t y of " n o t occupy ing themselves i n Torah"?

1. Bamidbar 27:15-23. 2. Hilchos Melachim 1:3. 3. This question is asked by the Minchas Chinuch in his glosses to Rambam ibid. 4. Hilchos Melachim ibid. 5-7. 5. Bamidbar Rabbah 21:14; Tanchuma Pinchas 11. 6. Mishlei 27:18.

JEWISH LEADERSHIP — T O R A H A N D ROYALTY 2 1 7

O u r Sages e x p l a i n 7 that Moshe h o p e d to be succeeded b y two leaders, one to serve as k i n g a n d m i l i t a r y c o m m a n d e r , a n d the other to lead i n Torah . I t was i n the f o r m e r p o s i t i o n that he h o p e d to be succeeded b y his c h i l d r e n . G - d , h o w e v e r , rep l i ed : " O n l y one w i l l lead them. . . Yehoshua w i l l be their k i n g . . . a n d [be the ir ] preeminent T o r a h scholar, for ' T w o kings cannot make use of the same c r o w n . ' " 8

The reason Moshe's request for t w o leaders was rejected m u s t be u n d e r s t o o d . W h i l e i t is t rue that " T w o k ings cannot make use of the same c r o w n , " Moshe desired that his posi¬t i o n be d i v i d e d i n t o t w o distinct " c r o w n s " — the c r o w n of r o y a l t y a n d the c r o w n of T o r a h scholarship. W h y c o u l d they n o t be separated, w i t h the c r o w n of r o y a l t y b e i n g i n h e r i t e d b y Moshe's chi ldren?

The t rue f u n c t i o n of a Jewish k i n g is described b y the R a m b a m . 9 N o t o n l y m u s t the k i n g p r o v i d e the Jewish people w i t h their m a t e r i a l needs, 1 0 b u t his goa l m u s t be to " u p l i f t the t rue r e l i g i o n , " i.e., to see to i t that the l a w s of the T o r a h are carr ied out .

Thus , i n the Jewish context, regency is an extension of the Jewish h i g h court , whose purpose is to be " the p i l la rs of T o r a h l a w for a l l the Jewish p e o p l e . " 1 1 The k i n g m u s t ensure that the T o r a h laws issued b y the h i g h cour t are obeyed b y the populace . 1 2

This is w h y i n the Jewish scheme of th ings , k i n g s h i p a n d T o r a h leadership cannot be v i e w e d as t w o dis t inct entities. Rather, they are one c o n t i n u u m ; s p l i t t i n g r o y a l t y a n d T o r a h scholarship results i n " t w o k ings u t i l i z i n g the very same c r o w n . "

The reason Yehoshua's a p p o i n t m e n t to leadership came about t h r o u g h Moshe's l a y i n g o n of hands a n d not t h r o u g h a n o i n t m e n t w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

7. Megaleh Amukos, Ofen Alef. Quoted in Yalkut Reuvaini, Bamidbar 27:15. 8. Chulin 60b. 9. Conclusion of ch. 4 of Hilchos Melachim.

10. See Berachos 3b. 11. Rambam, beg. of Hilchos Mamrim. 12. See Likkutei Sichos XIX p. 166ff.

2 1 8 P I N C H A S

The regal aspect of Yehoshua's leadership was a direct result of, a n d w h o l l y secondary to , his T o r a h leadership. I t therefore f o l l o w e d that the mant le of T o r a h leadership, a mant le t r a n s m i t t e d t h r o u g h semichah13 — the l a y i n g o n of hands — t o o k precedence; a n o i n t m e n t was ent i re ly unnec¬essary.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXIII, pp. 198-205.

13. See Sanhedrin 14a; Rambam Hilchos Sanhedrin beg. of ch. 4.

A Commensurate Reward

I n c o m m e n t i n g o n the verse 1 "Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of A h a r o n b e h e l d this . . . a n d he t o o k a spear i n his h a n d , " Rashi notes: " H e saw w h a t was t r a n s p i r i n g a n d re¬m i n d e d h imse l f of the l a w that zealous i n d i v i d u a l s m a y at¬tack one w h o is i n t i m a t e w i t h a heathen w o m a n . "

The T o r a h goes o n to say that as a r e w a r d for his zeal-ousness, G - d granted Pinchas "e terna l p r i e s t h o o d , to h i m a n d his descendants after h i m . " 2

H o w was i t possible for Pinchas to receive the p r i e s t h o o d as a r e w a r d for his actions? W h i l e Pinchas no d o u b t deserved a great r e w a r d , the p r i e s t h o o d is seemingly not s o m e t h i n g that can be g i v e n as a r e w a r d , rather i t is a natu¬r a l state of be ing .

U p u n t i l then , Pinchas was n o t a priest , for "The priest¬h o o d was o n l y g i v e n to A h a r o n a n d his sons w h o were a n o i n t e d w i t h h i m , a n d their p r o g e n y w h o w o u l d be b o r n subsequent to their a n o i n t m e n t . " 3 Pinchas, h o w e v e r , was b o r n earlier a n d thus was not i n c l u d e d i n the pr ies thood . Since Pinchas was exc luded f r o m the p r i e s t h o o d , h o w d i d he s u d d e n l y become a priest?

1. Bamidbar 25:7. 2. Ibid. verse 13. 3. Zevachim 101b.

A COMMENSURATE REWARD 2 1 9

The s in of i l l i c i t re lat ionships is harsher t h a n other sins i n that i t occupies the i n d i v i d u a l ent i re ly a n d involves the person's essence. A s harsh as this s in is, the s in of i n t i m a c y w i t h a heathen w o m a n is even harsher. The reason for this is because other i l l i c i t re lat ionships do not cross the boundar ies that G - d established b e t w e e n the Jewish people a n d other nat ions , w h i l e i n t i m a c y w i t h a heathen w o m a n does, i n a s m u c h as the c h i l d b o r n as a result of such a re la t ionship is n o t Jewish. Thus , a person w h o is i n v o l v e d i n this type of re la t ionship takes his a b i l i t y to procreate — a p o w e r that stems f r o m his soul's essence — a n d ut i l izes i t to father a non-Jewish c h i l d !

W e m u s t , h o w e v e r , u n d e r s t a n d the f o l l o w i n g : Since the d i v i s i o n be tween Jew a n d non-Jew is a b o u n d a r y that was placed w i t h i n creation, h o w is i t possible for a Jew to — H e a v e n f o r f e n d — overstep this b o u n d a r y b y b e i n g i n t i m a t e w i t h a heathen w o m e n a n d f a t h e r i n g a non-Jewish chi ld?

A Jew's a b i l i t y to choose freely results f r o m " M a n ' s be¬i n g s imi lar to U s " — he is l i k e n e d , as i t were , to G - d . Just as G - d can do whatever H e pleases, so too can the Jew choose to d o as he w i l l s . 4

Since G - d is n o t at a l l l i m i t e d b y laws of nature (so m u c h so that the H e is n o t l i m i t e d to the separation be tween Jew a n d non-Jew, for i t was H e that chose to make that separa¬t i o n i n the f i rs t place), so too can a Jew u t i l i z e his f r e e d o m of choice to choose that w h i c h is the opposite of holiness — fa¬t h e r i n g a non-Jewish c h i l d .

This is also w h y Pinchas was r e w a r d e d for his actions w i t h "e ternal p r i e s t h o o d , " even t h o u g h p r i e s t h o o d is a natu¬r a l state of be ing . Since the s in that e l ic i ted Pinchas' zealous response was one that consisted of breaching the boundar ies be tween Jews a n d non-Jews, therefore he was r e w a r d e d — measure for measure — w i t h a p r i e s t h o o d that c o u l d come about o n l y b y a D i v i n e e l i m i n a t i o n of the n a t u r a l barr iers Pinchas faced i n o b t a i n i n g the pr ies thood .


4. Likkutei Torah, Emor 38b.

2 2 0 P I N C H A S

Division By Lot

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Pinchas,1 G - d tells Moshe that Eretz Yisrael is to be a p p o r t i o n e d to the tribes b y lot . D i v i s i o n b y lot was deemed to be so i m p o r t a n t that this m e t h o d w a s chosen t h o u g h i t resul ted i n d ispropor t ionate a l lotments of l a n d . 2

W h a t is so special about d i v i s i o n b y lot? There are three dis t inct aspects r e g a r d i n g the Jews' pos¬

session of T o r a h : 3

a) T o r a h is considered the inheritance of the Jewish peo¬ple , as the verse states: 4 "The T o r a h c o m m a n d e d to us b y Moshe is the heritage of the congregat ion of Jacob"; b ) T o r a h is the acquisition of the Jewish people , as our Sages say: 5 " G - d said, ' I have so ld y o u the T o r a h ' " ; c) the T o r a h was granted to us as a gift — " G - d gave the Jewish people three f ine gifts . . . Torah , Eretz Yisrael, a n d the W o r l d to C o m e . " 6

That the T o r a h can be at the same t i m e an inheri tance, a purchase a n d a g i f t can be u n d e r s t o o d i f one considers the differences b e t w e e n these three things .

Inheritance has n o t h i n g to do w i t h the qual i t ies or s tanding of the person that inher i t s ; 7 y o u n g a n d o l d , r i c h a n d p o o r , great a n d smal l i n h e r i t equal ly .

W h e n a person purchases something , h o w e v e r , he m u s t p a y for the object.

I n b o t h instances the receiver m u s t have some tangible connect ion to the object received: an i n h e r i t o r m u s t be re¬lated to the legator, w h i l e a purchaser m u s t p a y for the i t e m that is so ld to h i m .

1. Bamidbar 26:52-56. 2. See Rashi ibid., verse 54. 3. Cf. Hemshech V'Kochah 5637 chs. 66,68; Ma'amar, Torah Tzivah, 5654; 5702. 4. Devarim 33:4. 5. Shmos Rabbah 33:1. See also Berachos 5a. 6. Berachos ibid. See also Bereishis Rabbah 6:5. 7. See Niddah 43b.

D I V I S I O N BY L O T 2 2 1

This is n o t so w i t h regard to a g i f t . N o re la t ionship is necessary be tween a g iver a n d a receiver; gi f ts can be s i m p l y an expression of the giver 's kindness.

The same is t rue w i t h regard to these three th ings as they relate to the Jews' possession of Torah :

Each a n d every Jew is p a r t of the " congregat ion of Ja¬cob," a n d as such T o r a h is his or her r i g h t f u l heritage. Thus w e f i n d that every Jew "possesses" a letter i n the T o r a h that is u n i q u e l y h i s . 8 This also explains w h y the o b l i g a t i o n to s t u d y T o r a h applies equal ly to a l l Jews, for T o r a h is every Jew's heritage, a n d as such can a n d s h o u l d be s t u d i e d or re¬ci ted b y a l l Jews, w h a t e v e r their s tat ion i n l i f e . 9

The " a c q u i s i t i o n " of T o r a h refers to that p a r t of T o r a h w h i c h is acquired t h r o u g h the ef for t of cogi tat ion. A s such, i t is s imi lar to an object acquired i n exchange for s o m e t h i n g else of va lue . Concern ing this level of T o r a h i t is w r i t t e n : 1 0

"Prepare yourse l f for the s t u d y of Torah , for i t does n o t come to y o u t h r o u g h inher i tance . "

W i t h regard to this level of Torah , differences be tween Jews i n d e e d exist, for each person's inte l lec tual capacity dif¬fers f r o m that of h is ne ighbor , 1 1 so that the degree of T o r a h u n d e r s t a n d i n g varies f r o m i n d i v i d u a l to i n d i v i d u a l .

C a l l i n g the T o r a h a " g i f t " refers to those aspects of i t that are b e y o n d any man 's grasp, a n d therefore m u s t be granted as a g i f t f r o m G - d .

Thus , this concept of the T o r a h as g i f t di f fers f r o m b o t h the descr ipt ion of i t as a heritage received as a result of a Jew's — f in i te — r i g h t of inheri tance, a n d as an object " p u r c h a s e d " b y man 's — f in i te — comprehension.

This t h i r d level of T o r a h is also referred to as " l o t " ; just as a g i f t depends w h o l l y o n the g iver , so too the outcome of

8. See Im Ruach HaMoshel 5695. 9. See Rambam, Hilchos Talmud Torah 1:8; Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach

Chayim, beginning of Ch. 155. 10. Avos 2:12. 11. See Sanhedrin 38a.

2 2 2 P I N C H A S

a lo t depends s t r ic t ly o n G-d's choice. 1 2 " L o t " thus al ludes to that w h i c h transcends man 's intellect .

The q u a l i t y of Eretz Yisrael is such that "G-d ' s eyes are o n i t at a l l t i m e s " 1 3 — G-dliness is revealed there to a degree n o t f o u n d i n the rest of the w o r l d . That such a state exists w i t h i n this phys ica l w o r l d cannot be the result of man 's l i m i t e d service; i t is a g i f t f r o m above.

Eretz Yisrael thus h a d to be d i v i d e d b y lo t , re f lect ing ac¬t i o n at a l eve l that emanates w h o l l y f r o m A b o v e .


12. See Teshuvos HaGeonim — Jerusalem, 5720 — Sect. 60; Responsa Chavas Yair, Sect. 61.

13. Devarim 11:12.

CONSOLE THE FATHER — CONSOLE THE C H I L D 2 2 3

Matos-Masei מטות-מסעי

Console the Father — Console the Child

The Torah por t ions of Matos and Masei are comb ined a n d

read on the same Shabbos i n t w o cases: w h e n that Shabbos

precedes the m o n t h of Menachem Av (and is thus the day

d u r i n g w h i c h the m o n t h is blessed), or w h e n that Shabbos is

i tself the f i rst Shabbos of Menachem Av.

O u r Rabbis comment that a l l the To rah por t ions are con¬

nected to the t ime p e r i o d d u r i n g w h i c h they are read. 1 I t

f o l l ows that the por t ions of Matos a n d Masei are connected

w i t h the m o n t h of Menachem Av.

This connect ion is even more germane than the l i n k be¬

tween these por t ions a n d the three-week p e r i o d of quasi-

m o u r n i n g k n o w n as Bein HaMitzarim, w h e n these t w o por¬

t ions are inva r iab ly read. 2

I t is the Jewish cus tom — Jewish cus tom itself be ing

considered as sacred as To rah 3 — to refer to the m o n t h of Av

(wh i le b lessing th is n e w m o n t h ) b y the name Menachem Av.

The l i te ra l mean ing of "Menachem Av" is "Conso l i ng the

Father." The Jewish people console thei r Father i n Heaven,

as i t were. A n d G-d , our Father, is i n need of consolat ion, i n

l i gh t of the statement of our Sages 4 that G-d says: " W o e to

the Father w h o ex i led H is ch i l d ren . "

The connect ion be tween Menachem Av and the Torah

por t ions of Matos a n d Masei w i l l be unders tood accord ing ly .

A Jew wishes for consolat ion d u r i n g th is m o n t h . But he

wan ts consolat ion not so m u c h for h imse l f as for h is Father.

1. Shaloh, Cheilek Torah SheBiksav, 297a. 2. See Shaloh p. 366ff. 3. See Yerushalmi Pesachim 4:1; Tosafos titled Nifsal, Menachos 20b; et al. 4. Berachos 3a.

2 2 4 M A T O S - M A S A I

This concept is stressed i n the p o r t i o n of Matos as w e l l as i n the p o r t i o n of Masei:

The T o r a h p o r t i o n of Matos relates h o w G - d c o m m a n d e d Moshe to batt le the M i d i a n i t e s , saying: "Exact the r e t r i b u t i o n of the people of Israel f r o m the M i d i a n i t e s . . . . " 5 H o w e v e r , w h e n Moshe re layed this c o m m a n d to the Jewish people he said: " . . . to exact the r e t r i b u t i o n of G-d f r o m M i d i a n . " 6 C o m m e n t s the Sifri:7 Moshe said to the Jewish people: " Y o u are n o t a v e n g i n g f lesh a n d b l o o d ; y o u are a v e n g i n g He who spoke and the world came into being."

This theme is m i r r o r e d i n the p o r t i o n of Masei, w h e n the verse states: 8 " Y o u shal l n o t defi le the land . . . i n w h i c h I d w e l l ; for I , G - d , d w e l l a m o n g the Jewish p e o p l e . " Says the Sifri:9 "Jews are l o v e d [by G - d ] . Even w h e n they are d e f i l e d , the Shechinah is i n their midst . . . Jews are l o v e d [by G - d ] ; w h e r e v e r they are ex i led the Shechinah is w i t h them. . . a n d w h e n they r e t u r n , the Shechinah re turns w i t h t h e m . "

Thus , exile affects n o t o n l y the Jewish people; the Shechi-nah, too, is i n exile, as i t were . The Jews' r e d e m p t i o n is thus a r e d e m p t i o n for the Shechinah as w e l l . u n d e r s t a n d a b l y , the r e d e m p t i o n of the Shechinah is of greatest i m p o r t . This is w h y Menachem Av — " C o n s o l a t i o n of the Father" empha¬sizes G-d's consolat ion.

S t i l l , w e m u s t u n d e r s t a n d w h y i t is that Menachem Av does n o t m e n t i o n the sons' consolat ion — the consolat ion of the Jewish people.

This is because a Jew is r o o t e d so deeply i n G - d that his w a n t s , desires, state of exile, etc., are not considered his alone; i f he is ex i led , his Father is automat ica l ly i n a state of exile, as i t were . Conversely, the Father's consolat ion is the consolat ion of H i s c h i l d r e n . There can therefore be n o

5. Bamidbar 31:2. 6. Ibid. verse 3. 7. Ibid.; see also Rashi ibid.; Bamidbar Rabbah 22:2; Tanchuma, Matos 3. 8. Bamidbar 35:34. 9. Ibid.

CONSOLE THE FATHER — CONSOLE T H E C H I L D 2 2 5

greater consolat ion for the c h i l d r e n t h a n Menachem Av — the " C o n s o l a t i o n of the Father."


On The Move

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Masei begins b y s tat ing: 1 "These are the journeys of the C h i l d r e n of Israel w h o left Egypt . . . . " The T o r a h then goes o n to recount a l l the places w h e r e the Jews res ided d u r i n g their 40-year t rek f r o m Egypt to the Promised L a n d .

O u r Sages2 ask: By r e c o u n t i n g the places w h e r e the Jew¬ish people c a m p e d rather t h a n the journeys themselves, the T o r a h is i n d i c a t i n g that the rest ing places are m o r e impor¬tant t h a n the journeys . This b e i n g so, the verse s h o u l d have stated: "These are the encampments...," rather t h a n "These are the journeys..." Especially so, since the Jews spent the major¬i t y of these 40 years i n their encampments , a n d n o t i n t ravel .

The u l t i m a t e purpose of b o t h the Jews' travels a n d en¬campments was , of course, to enter Eretz Yisrael. The en¬campments were therefore also t e r m e d " j o u r n e y s , " for they served n o purpose i n a n d of themselves.

I n c o m m e n t i n g o n the verse, "These are the journeys of the C h i l d r e n of Israel w h o left Egypt . . . . " the Baal Shem T o v notes 3 that the 42 journeys of the Jewish people f r o m Egypt to Eretz Yisrael are m i r r o r e d i n the 42 s p i r i t u a l journeys un¬dertaken b y each a n d every Jew f r o m the t i m e of his b i r t h — his personal departure f r o m " E g y p t " — to his a r r i v a l at the edge of the " L a n d of L i f e . "

u n d e r s t a n d a b l y , the "rest s tops" a n d " e n c a m p m e n t s " a l o n g the w a y refer to the var ious stages of s p i r i t u a l g r o w t h to be experienced d u r i n g life 's j o u r n e y .

1. Bamidbar 33:1. 2. Alshich ibid. See also Klei Yakar and Orach Chayim ibid. 3. Quoted in Degel Machne Efrayim, beginning of portion Masei.

2 2 6 M A T O S - M A S A I

But the p r e v i o u s quest ion reoccurs: Surely, since the em¬phasis is o n man's accomplishments — his " e n c a m p m e n t s " — the verse s h o u l d have stated "These are the encampments," rather t h a n "These are the journeys"?

I n order for m a n to accompl ish a l l that he is capable of, he m u s t be constantly " o n the m o v e . " W e thus f i n d the fol¬l o w i n g difference b e t w e e n " s t o p p i n g " a n d " m o v i n g " i n terms of man 's service: 4

Even w h e n a person rises f r o m level to level , i f the n e w level is comparable to the p r e v i o u s one, the i n d i v i d u a l has n o t t r u l y depar ted f r o m the l o w e r level , a n d is considered to be " s t a t i o n a r y . "

" O n the m o v e " means there is n o c o m p a r i s o n b e t w e e n a person's f o r m e r state a n d his present one — the i n d i v i d u a l has t o t a l l y depar ted f r o m his p r e v i o u s level .

The verse therefore emphasizes " the journeys," i n d i c a t i n g that a Jew s h o u l d never be satisfied w i t h m o v i n g f r o m one level to a comparable one. Rather, he m u s t constant ly " j o u r n e y " i n a manner w h e r e b y his next stage is i n f i n i t e l y h igher t h a n his current one.

This latter m a n n e r of " t r a v e l " contains t w o elements: de¬parting f r o m the p r e v i o u s level a n d attaining the i n f i n i t e l y h igher one. A s l o n g as there has n o t been a complete depar¬ture f r o m the f o r m e r level , the h igher leve l cannot be at¬ta ined.

This , then , is the m e a n i n g of "These are the journeys of the C h i l d r e n of Israel who left Egypt...." W h y was i t necessary for there to be m a n y " j o u r n e y s " i n order to leave Egypt ; i t w o u l d seem that w i t h the f i rs t j o u r n e y the Jewish people a lready depar ted Egypt? 5

Egypt is symbol ic of s p i r i t u a l l i m i t a t i o n s . Thus , the " e n c a m p m e n t s " — the s p i r i t u a l achievements en route — d i d n o t constitute complete r e d e m p t i o n f r o m " E g y p t . " I n order to arr ive at the Promised L a n d , there h a d to be a total depar-

4. See Likkutei Torah, Shlach 38d; Tze'enah ll'ri'enah 5660; Sefer HaMa'amarim 5671 p. 69ff.

5. See Likkutei Torah, Masei 88c.

O N T H E M O V E 2 2 7

ture f r o m p r e v i o u s " e n c a m p m e n t s , " for each s t o p p i n g — n o matter h o w l o f t y the w a y s t a t i o n — itself represented a l i n ¬g e r i n g w i t h i n the state of " E g y p t . "


ספר דבריםDevarim

G A D & REUVEN — G O I N G A H E A D OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE 2 3 1

Devarim דברים

Gad & Reuven — Going Ahead of the Jewish People

A t the conclus ion of the To rah p o r t i o n of Devarim, Moshe

relates h o w he t o l d the tr ibes of Reuven and G a d that thei r

wa r r i o r s were to "go f o r t h ahead of thei r Jewish b r e t h r e n " 1

a n d lead t h e m i n batt le. Rashi expla ins: 2 "Since they were

m i g h t y , they w o u l d go f o r t h ahead of the Jewish people i n

bat t le a n d the enemies w o u l d succumb to t hem, as is

w r i t t e n : 3 'he tears as p rey the a r m and head. ' "

The tr ibes of Reuven and G a d w e n t " a h e a d " of the Jew¬

ish people i n t w o ways : a) they fo rged ahead of the other

Jews as a separate a n d d ist inct ent i ty ; b) they also p laced

themselves at the head of the Jewish a rmy .

I n terms of man 's sp i r i tua l service, these t w o methods of

d o i n g batt le represent t w o w a y s of vanqu i sh ing the enemy

— the ev i l inc l ina t ion : 4

By " g o i n g f o r t h ahead of thei r Jewish b r e t h r e n " the

wa r r i o r s of Reuven a n d G a d p laced themselves at m u c h

greater r isk than the rest of the na t i on — evidence of mesirus

nefesh, to ta l self-sacrifice. I n sp i r i tua l terms, th is translates

in to d i v ine service that transcends intel lect — a manner of

service that emanates f r o m the soul 's core.

The other tr ibes, however , d i d no t place themselves at

par t icu lar r isk. I n sp i r i tua l terms this relates to a lesser de¬

gree of d i v ine service — service l i m i t e d to one's compre¬

hens ion, a n d w h i c h reflects the soul 's more extr insic levels.

This expla ins w h y the ch i ld ren of G a d w o u l d " tear as

p rey the a r m a n d head , " i.e., w i t h one b l o w they w o u l d

1. Devarim 3:18. 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 33:20. 4. Bereishis Rabbah 54:1.

2 3 2 D E V A R I M

sever the enemy's a r m a n d head. W h e n logic is one's o n l y w e a p o n i n the battle against e v i l , i t is impossible to n u l l i f y a l l the forces of darkness w i t h one b l o w , for a par t i cu lar m a n n e r of service is r e q u i r e d i n order to defeat each e v i l p o w e r .

But w h e n one calls u p o n the al l -encompassing s p i r i t u a l p o w e r of self-sacrifice, a p o w e r so great that i t obliterates every aspect of e v i l , then i t is possible to v a n q u i s h all the e v i l — the " a r m a n d h e a d " — at one b l o w .

u l t i m a t e l y , even mesirus nefesh alone does n o t suffice; i t is necessary for mesirus nefesh (i.e. the tribes of G a d a n d Reu-ven) to inf luence the intel lect , e m o t i o n , speech a n d act ion (i.e. the other tribes) as w e l l . This is accomplished i n t w o w a y s :

a) Mesirus nefesh clothes itself i n intel lect , e m o t i o n , etc., so that one's per formance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos is fue led b y i t . 5 The m a i n aspect of an i n d i v i d u a l ' s s p i r i t u a l service re¬mains the day- to -day s t u d y of T o r a h a n d per formance of mitzvos; mesirus nefesh is i n v o k e d m e r e l y as a means to en¬hance this service, a n d n o t as an e n d i n i tself . 6

b) Mesirus nefesh becomes an e n d u n t o itself: be i t i n a s i tua t ion that requires actual self-sacrifice, or one that re¬quires mesirus nefesh i n potentia, such as d u r i n g the Ne'ilah prayer of Yom Kippur.

This aspect of mesirus nefesh too, a l t h o u g h n o t c lo thed i n intel lect a n d e m o t i o n , has the a b i l i t y to affect t h e m . For, as expla ined i n Tanya,7 w h e n the p o w e r of mesirus nefesh is aroused, i t automatically affects one's intel lect , emot ions , speech a n d action.

These, then , are the t w o manners i n w h i c h the tribes of G a d a n d Reuven w e n t to w a r : A t the outset of s p i r i t u a l service they placed themselves at the head of the Jewish a r m y , i.e., mesirus nefesh m e r e l y served as the " h e a d " a n d conductor of the intel lect a n d emotions , etc.

5. See Tanya conclusion of ch. 25. 6. Cf. Likkutei Sichos IV p. 1022ff. 7. Ch. 19.

G A D & R E U V E N — G O I N G A H E A D OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE 2 3 3

Thereafter came the h igher degree of mesirus nefesh, w h e r e i n these t w o tribes w o u l d forge ahead o n their o w n . That is, mesirus nefesh was aroused as an e n t i t y u n t o itself.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. IX, pp. 1-13.

From G-d's Mouth to Moshe's

A t the b e g i n n i n g of the Book Devarim the verse states: " I n the f o r t i e t h year, o n the f i rs t d a y of the e leventh m o n t h , Moshe spoke to the C h i l d r e n of Israel r e g a r d i n g a l l that G - d h a d c o m m a n d e d h i m for t h e m . " 1

W h a t , exactly, d i d Moshe say? The Seforno expla ins 2 that Moshe repeated a l l the T o r a h

g i v e n u p to that t i m e . Indeed, this is one of the reasons w h y the Book of Devarim is also k n o w n as "Mishneh Torah," the "Repetition of the T o r a h . " 3

O u r Sages note 4 that the Book of Devarim d i f fers f r o m the f i rs t f o u r Books of the T o r a h i n that the latter are " f r o m G-d's m o u t h , " w h i l e Devarim is " f r o m Moshe's m o u t h . "

This does n o t — Heaven f o r f e n d — i m p l y that the w o r d s i n Mishneh Torah are n o t G-d's . Rather, as Rashi explains: 5

" M o s h e d i d n o t say Mishneh Torah to the Jews o n his o w n , b u t as he w o u l d receive i t f r o m G - d he w o u l d repeat i t to t h e m . "

Since the w o r d s of Mishneh Torah too are not Moshe's w o r d s b u t G-d's , w h y are the f i rs t f o u r Books of the T o r a h considered to be f r o m "G-d ' s m o u t h " w h i l e the Book of De-varim is considered to be f r o m "Moshe 's m o u t h " ; w h a t dif¬ference is there b e t w e e n the f i rs t f o u r Books a n d the f i f th?

1. Devarim 1:3. 2. Ibid. 3. See Chagigah 6b; Commentary of Rashi beginning of Torah Portion Behar. 4. See Zohar III, 261a. See also Megillah 31b; Shach and Or HaChayim beginning of

Devarim. 5. Sanhedrin 56b.

2 3 4 D E V A R I M

The inherent sanctity of T o r a h is such that i t comple te ly transcends this phys ica l w o r l d ; 6 i n order for i t to descend w i t h i n this w o r l d an i n t e r m e d i a r y is necessary — one w h o is b o t h h igher t h a n this w o r l d yet w i t h i n i t . This i n t e r m e d i a r y br idges the gap b e t w e e n the sacred T o r a h a n d this corporeal w o r l d .

Moshe served as the i n t e r m e d i a r y , i n a s m u c h as he com¬b i n e d aspects of this w o r l d w i t h h igher levels. H i s h u m i l i t y was t r u l y o t h e r w o r l d l y ; concurrent ly , he at ta ined the highest degree of completeness possible for an ear th ly b e i n g . 7

I n f o r m a t i o n f l o w s t h r o u g h an i n t e r m e d i a r y i n one of t w o w a y s : 8

a) The i n f o r m a t i o n passes t h r o u g h b u t does not become u n i t e d w i t h the i n t e r m e d i a r y ; a l l he does is b r i n g about its descent.

b) The c o m m u n i c a t i o n becomes so w h o l l y u n i f i e d w i t h the i n t e r m e d i a r y that i t is refashioned — personal ized — b y its passage t h r o u g h h i m . This , i n t u r n , enables the recipients to receive the i n f o r m a t i o n according to their o w n personal levels of intellect .

A n example: W h e n intel lect is t r a n s m i t t e d t h r o u g h one's f ingers , e.g., w h e n one jots d o w n an idea or paints a p i c t u r e , the f ingers do n o t refashion the t h o u g h t . H o w e v e r , w h e n a t h o u g h t is d r a w n d o w n w i t h e m o t i o n , the e m o t i o n w i l l color a n d change the intel lect accordingly . 9

H e r e i n lies the difference b e t w e e n the f i rs t f o u r Books of the T o r a h a n d Mishneh Torah: I n the f i rs t f o u r , Moshe served as a go-between i n the f i rs t manner , a n d T o r a h r e m a i n e d a c o m m u n i c a t i o n " f r o m G-d's m o u t h , " w h i l e i n Mishneh Torah H i s w o r d s were c lo thed w i t h i n Moshe's intel lect , a n d are therefore considered to be " f r o m Moshe's m o u t h . " 1 0

6. See Midrash Tehillim 90:3; Bereishis Rabbah 8:2; Zohar II, 49a. 7. See Devarim Rabbah 11:4; Commentary of the Rambam to Cheilik — Seventh

Fundament. 8. See Or HaTorah, Shemini, Maamar titled Yayin v'Sheichar ch. 6, Panim b'Panim

5659 (pp. 194-195); Oteh Or 5700. 9. See Ma'amar titled Yayin v'Sheichar mentioned above; Hemshech 5666, p. 425.

10. See also Tiferes Yisrael of the MaHaral, ch. 43.

F R O M G-D'S M O U T H TO MOSHE'S 2 3 5

W h a t is the advantage of h a v i n g T o r a h c lo thed i n Moshe's intellect? Seemingly, this involves a descent i n sanctity.

W h e n a f l o w of d i v i n e k n o w l e d g e is n o t c lo thed i n the intel lect of a h u m a n i n t e r m e d i a r y , i t eludes comprehension, for such k n o w l e d g e is b y d e f i n i t i o n b e y o n d the grasp of the receiver, a n d the i n t e r m e d i a r y d i d n o t h i n g to make i t m o r e accessible.

Thus , were T o r a h to have been t r a n s m i t t e d o n l y i n the m a n n e r of the f i rs t f o u r Books (i.e. " f r o m G-d's m o u t h " ) , i t w o u l d have been impossible for the Jews to t r u l y compre¬h e n d i t . W h e n Moshe , h o w e v e r , repeated the T o r a h to t h e m i n his o w n w o r d s (i.e. " f r o m Moshe's m o u t h " ) , i t became comprehensible .

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XIX, pp. 9-12.

2 3 6 V A E S ' C H A N A N

Vaes'chanan ואתחנן

Shema and Torah Study — Together, Yet Worlds Apart

The To rah p o r t i o n of Vaes'chanan contains the com¬mandmen ts to recite Shema and s tudy Torah . 1 A l t h o u g h b o t h commands are f o u n d i n the same verse, they are ve ry differ¬ent.

The d u t y to recite the Shema invo lves rec i t ing i t tw ice da i l y , " w h e n y o u l ie d o w n a n d w h e n y o u r ise." Each recita¬t i on is an ent i ty un to itself, the p roo f be ing that the blessing for i ts rec i ta t ion is i tself reci ted tw ice da i l y , i n the m o r n i n g a n d i n the evening.

The ob l iga t ion to s tudy Torah , however , is no t d i v i d e d in to the t w o separate t imes, b u t is a single, ongo ing obliga¬t i on that cont inues t h roughou t the day and n igh t . This is w h y the blessing for To rah s tudy is reci ted on ly once a day.

Seemingly, the ve ry opposi te shou ld be the case: To rah s tudy is b o u n d u p w i t h comprehens ion a n d comprehens ion varies accord ing to t ime — w h e n a person is rested he w i l l t h i n k more clear ly, etc. Since comprehens ion is affected b y t ime , i t w o u l d be log ica l to l i n k the c o m m a n d of Torah s tudy — an act that requires comprehens ion — to t ime , a n d to i ts d i v i s i on of day a n d n igh t .

The mitzvah of rec i t ing the Shema, however , requires a constant and unalterable acceptance of the yoke of the Heav¬en ly K i n g d o m a n d G-d's Un i t y . Thus , i t stands to reason that th is c o m m a n d shou ld no t be subject to the changes that result f r o m the d i v i s i on of n i gh t a n d day.

1. Devarim 6:7.

S H E M A & T O R A H STUDY — TOGETHER, Y E T W O R L D S A P A R T 2 3 7

Nonetheless, w e f i n d that the c o m m a n d m e n t of Shema is l i n k e d to t i m e , w h i l e the c o m m a n d to s t u d y T o r a h defies the d iv is ions of t ime .

W h y is this so? M a n ' s l i fe is subject to the d i v i s i o n of days, for " D a y s

separate one f r o m the o t h e r " 2 — days d i v i d e t i m e i n t o dis¬t inct entities. To have a complete " d a y , " n i g h t a n d d a y m u s t be c o m b i n e d , as the verse states, 3 " . . . there was e v e n i n g a n d there was m o r n i n g , one d a y . "

This also h in t s at the u l t i m a t e purpose of man 's service — to t r a n s f o r m this nethermost w o r l d i n t o a d w e l l i n g place for G - d . The i m p l i c a t i o n is that m a n s h o u l d not negate phys ica l i ty , b u t rather that this l o w l y w o r l d , seemingly separate f r o m the s p i r i t u a l realms, s h o u l d become a d w e l l ¬i n g place for G - d .

This is accompl ished w h e n the phys ica l o r g a n i s m itself comes to realize that its w h o l e essence derives f r o m G - d . W h e n this connect ion is fel t b y a corporeal be ing , G-d's ab¬solute u n i t y is revealed.

A n a l l us i o n to this concept can be f o u n d i n the T o r a h w h e n i t states: " . . . there was evening a n d there was morning, one d a y . " The i m p l i c a t i o n is that the D i v i n e in tent is to combine a n d u n i t e the darkness a n d corporea l i ty of " e v e n i n g " w i t h the l u m i n o s i t y a n d ethereal i ty of " m o r n i n g , " so that together they f o r m one day.

This idea of u n i t y w i t h i n d i v e r s i t y lies at the heart of the Shema, w h e r e i n the Jew declares: "Shemah Yisrael... the L - r d is One," thus " c r o w n i n g G - d a n d m a k i n g H i m r e i g n 'above, b e l o w a n d o n a l l f o u r s ides ' " 4 b y reveal ing H i s l i g h t a n d oneness w i t h i n this phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l l y d a r k w o r l d .

Thus , connect ing the mitzvah of Shema w i t h the t i m e pe¬r iods of d a y a n d n i g h t emphasizes the u n i f i c a t i o n of l i g h t a n d darkness, phys ica l a n d s p i r i t u a l , so that together they

2. Nazir la.. Cf. Zohar III, 94b: "Each and every day does its own [particular] work."

3. Bereishis 1:5. 4. Berachos 13b.

2 3 8 V A E S ' C H A N A N

f o r m "one d a y " — the revela t ion of G-d's u n i t y w i t h i n this w o r l d .

Torah , h o w e v e r , is l i k e n e d to f i re , as the verse states: 5

" M y w o r d s are l ike f i re , says the L - r d . " O u r Sages e x p l a i n : 6

"Just as f i re is i m p e r v i o u s to [ r i tua l ] i m p u r i t y , so too is T o r a h i m p e r v i o u s to [ s p i r i t u a l ] i m p u r i t y . " I n other w o r d s , w h i l e T o r a h clothes itself i n m a t e r i a l rea l i ty a n d deals w i t h phys ica l matters , i t remains detached f r o m phys ica l i ty .

Since T o r a h v i e w s the w o r l d f r o m its o w n perspective rather t h a n b e c o m i n g one w i t h creation, i t f o l l o w s that the o b l i g a t i o n to s t u d y T o r a h is n o t subject to the l i m i t a t i o n s of n i g h t a n d day.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XIV, pp. 21-23.

5. Yermiyahu 23:29. 6. Berachos 22a.

Lessons of Tefillin

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Vaes'chanan the c o m m a n d m e n t of tefillin is conveyed i n the f o l l o w i n g manner : " Y o u shall b i n d t h e m as a s ign u p o n y o u r h a n d , a n d they shal l be for a re¬m i n d e r be tween y o u r eyes." 1

Because the verse begins b y saying, " Y o u shall b i n d t h e m as a s ign u p o n y o u r h a n d , " a n d o n l y then goes o n to say, " a n d they shal l be for a r e m i n d e r be tween y o u r eyes," the Gemara2 gleans that the h a n d tefillin are to be d o n n e d before the head tefillin.

The Gemara goes o n to say that w i t h regard to r e m o v i n g the tefillin the order is reversed: f i r s t the head tefillin are re¬m o v e d a n d o n l y t h e n are the h a n d tefillin r e m o v e d . For " a n d they shal l be for a r e m i n d e r be tween y o u r eyes" indicates that " w h e n e v e r the head tefillin are w o r n there m u s t be t w o "

1. Devarim 6:8. 2. Menachos 36a.

LESSONS OF TEFILLIN 2 3 9

— b o t h h a n d a n d head tefillin; i n e v i t a b l y , then , the head te-fillin are r e m o v e d f irst .

Since "The entire T o r a h is l i k e n e d to tefillin,"3 i t f o l l o w s that just as the t e r m tefillin refers to b o t h the h a n d a n d head tefillin, so, too, w i t h i n the service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos there are aspects of b o t h the h a n d a n d head tefillin.

The h a n d tefillin, p laced u p o n the biceps opposite the heart, is indica t ive of service of the heart , fear of G - d a n d ac¬ceptance of the D i v i n e yoke , w h i l e the head tefillin, w h i c h is p laced adjacent to the b r a i n , symbolizes the service of the m i n d .

This concept is also stressed i n the Shulchan Aruch, w h i c h emphasizes that the c o m m a n d m e n t of tefillin entails " p l a c i n g t h e m u p o n the biceps opposite the heart a n d u p o n the head adjacent to the b r a i n , so that w e remember the miracles a n d w o n d e r s that H e has done for us, these miracles i n d i c a t i n g G-d's u n i t y , a n d that i t is H e w h o possesses the m i g h t a n d p o w e r " 4

M o r e o v e r , an in tegra l p a r t 5 of the mitzvah of tefillin is that w e " s u b m i t to G-d's service our soul , w h i c h is i n the brain, as w e l l as the desires a n d thoughts of the heart. B y d o n n i n g tefillin a person w i l l be m i n d f u l of the blessed Creator a n d restrict his pleasures." 6

I n a m o r e general sense there are t w o overa l l aspects: The h a n d tefillin relate to feelings a n d emot ions — fear a n d awe of G - d , a n d pract ical mitzvos; the head tefillin relate to intel lect a n d Torah .

H e r e i n lie t w o i m p o r t a n t lessons: The fact that the h a n d tefillin are to be d o n n e d f i rs t indicates that fear a n d awe of G - d m u s t precede T o r a h k n o w l e d g e . This is i n k e e p i n g w i t h the d i c t u m of the Mishna:7 " A n y o n e whose fear of s in comes before his w i s d o m , his w i s d o m w i l l endure ; b u t anyone

3. Kiddushin 35a. 4. Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, Orach Chayim 25:11. 5. See Bach on Tur, Orach Chayim 268, titled VeYechavein. 6. Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZakein, ibid. 7. Avos 3:9.

2 4 0 V A E S ' C H A N A N

whose w i s d o m precedes his fear of s in , his w i s d o m w i l l n o t e n d u r e . " O r as the Zohar states: 8 "Fear of G - d is the d o o r w a y to w i s d o m . "

This t h o u g h t is elaborated o n i n Tanya,9 w h e r e i t states: " O n e m u s t constant ly bear i n m i n d that the b e g i n n i n g of d i v i n e service, as w e l l as its core a n d root. . . requires f i rs t a rous ing the innate fear w h i c h lies h i d d e n i n the heart of every Jew n o t to rebel against the Supreme K i n g of K i n g s , the H o l y One, blessed be H e . "

T h e n comes the second lesson: " W h e n e v e r the head te-fillin — the service of intel lect a n d T o r a h s t u d y — are ' w o r n ' there m u s t be t w o ; the h a n d tefillin, fear of G - d , m u s t be pre¬sent as w e l l . "

For fear a n d awe of G - d is n o t o n l y a prerequisite to the s t u d y of Torah , b u t m u s t also be f o u n d alongside a n d to¬gether w i t h the inte l lec tual p u r s u i t of T o r a h a n d G-dliness. O n l y t h e n can a person be assured that " h i s w i s d o m w i l l e n d u r e . "

A c t i n g i n such a manner enables an i n d i v i d u a l to reach that level of Supernal fear a n d awe that is the h a l l m a r k of the sanctity achieved t h r o u g h T o r a h s t u d y . 1 0

I t is w i t h regard to this lof t ier level of fear that our Sages state: 1 1 " I f there is n o w i s d o m , there is n o fear of G - d , " a n d concerning w h i c h the verse states: 1 2 " H e has c o m m a n d e d us to observe a l l the statutes so that w e m a y fear H i m . "


8. Zohar I 7b. 9. Ch. 41.

10. Tanya, conclusion of ch. 23; ch. 43; Likkutei Torah, Vaes'chanan 9c and onward. 11. Avos 3:17. 12. Devarim 6:24.

THE HEALING EFFECT OF "HEELING" 2 4 1

Eikev עקב

The Healing Effect of "Heeling"

The Torah p o r t i o n of Eikev is n a m e d for the w o r d "eikev"

i n the po r t i on ' s f i rst verse: "Because (eikev) y o u l is ten to

these laws and safeguard and keep them. . . . " 1 Eikev also

means "hee l . " This gives rise to a n u m b e r of commentar ies

b y our Sages. A m o n g them:

a) Eikev refers to those mitzvos that people treat l i gh t l y

a n d " t read u p o n w i t h their heels , " 2 or " toss under thei r

heels . " 3 The verse thus imp l ies that those commandmen ts ,

too, shal l be obeyed.

b) Eikev a l ludes to the t ime just before the c o m i n g of

Mosh iach — " O n the heels of Mosh iach . " The verse is thus

te l l i ng us that close to Mashiach 's c o m i n g Jews w i l l surely

obey G-d's commands. This is i n keep ing w i t h the Torah 's

assurance 4 that p r i o r to Mashiach 's c o m i n g the Jews w i l l

r e tu rn to G-d. 5

W h e n there are several commentar ies on the same verse

i n the Torah , a n d especial ly on the same w o r d , the explana¬

t ions are in ter re la ted. 6 W h a t then is the re la t ionship be tween

the t w o above-ment ioned comments on Eikev?

Immed ia te l y f o l l o w i n g the w o r d s "Because (eikev) y o u

l is ten to these laws a n d safeguard and keep t h e m , " the

Torah goes on to state: " G - d you r L- rd w i l l [ therefore] keep

his covenant a n d k indness that He swore to y o u r fathers."

D i v i ne beneficence m a y come about i n one of t w o man¬

ners:

1. Devarim 7:12. 2. Rashi ibid. 3. Tanchuma ibid. 4. Devarim 30:2. See also Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah 7:5. 5. Or HaTorah beginning of Eikev; ibid. p. 491; ibid. p. 504. 6. See Likkutei Sichos III, p. 782.

2 4 2 EIKEV

a) I t m a y be engendered as a result of a person's g o o d actions (i.e. he earns i t ) , or i t m a y be p u r e l y an act of G-d's kindness , w h e r e b y H e showers goodness even u p o n the u n w o r t h y .

b) G - d acts i n a beneficent m a n n e r t o w a r d s the Jewish people because of his covenant w i t h our forefathers, for w h i c h reason Jews m u s t receive a l l m a n n e r of g o o d , even i f they are — H e a v e n f o r f e n d — u n w o r t h y , a n d even i f G - d is n o t " f e e l i n g " p a r t i c u l a r l y w e l l - d i s p o s e d t o w a r d s t h e m .

It w o u l d seem that i n this instance G - d has no choice, as i t were , i n the matter ; H e m u s t p r o v i d e the Jewish people w i t h a l l m a n n e r of g o o d because of the "covenant a n d k i n d ¬ness that H e swore to y o u r fathers . "

This b e i n g so, h o w is i t that the verse makes G-d's "covenant a n d k i n d n e s s " dependent o n the Jews' g o o d be¬h a v i o r — "Because y o u listen... ."? A f t e r a l l , the w h o l e p o i n t of the covenant is that H e w i l l act k i n d l y t o w a r d the Jews even w h e n their behavior is w a n t i n g ?

Conversely , w h e n Jews do i n d e e d " l i s t e n to these l a w s , " p e r f o r m i n g even those mitzvos that m a y be taken l i g h t l y , t h e n i t f o l l o w s that they w i l l earn G-d's beneficence. A t such t imes i t becomes unnecessary for G - d to p r o v i d e H i s benevo¬lence because of H i s "covenant , kindness a n d o a t h . " 7

M a n enjoys that w h i c h he w o r k s for . Present a person w i t h a g i f t that is w h o l l y u n e a r n e d a n d the recipient w i l l ac¬cept i t w i t h a sense of shame, aware that he has done noth¬i n g to make h imse l f w o r t h y of the g i f t . Since G - d desires to p r o v i d e the Jewish people w i t h complete goodness, H e there¬fore established that all D i v i n e beneficence s h o u l d come as a " r e w a r d " for service.

For this reason, even that goodness w h i c h every Jew re¬ceives as a result of the "covenant a n d kindness that H e s w o r e " m u s t also be engendered b y s p i r i t u a l t o i l . Further¬m o r e , w h e n a person does i n d e e d " l i s t e n to these l a w s " he receives D i v i n e beneficence that is t r u l y l imit less — i n k e e p i n g w i t h G-d's i n f i n i t e "k indness that H e s w o r e , " rather

7. See Klei Yakar, Devarim 7:12.

THE HEALING EFFECT OF "HEELING" 2 4 3

t h a n a r e w a r d commensurate w i t h the person's l i m i t e d service.

The m e r i t of service is p a r t i c u l a r l y fel t at the conclusion of the Exile, w h e n Jews are " o n the heels of the M o s h i a c h . " For t h e n the darkness of exile is p a r t i c u l a r l y intense a n d the Jews' s p i r i t u a l m i g h t is w a n i n g ; at that t i m e Jews p e r f o r m mitzvos n o t out of any sense of personal de l ight , b u t out of self-sacrifice to G - d .

This q u a l i t y f o u n d at a t i m e w h e n Jews are " o n the heels of the M o s h i a c h " also f i n d s expression i n the per formance of those c o m m a n d s that a person tends to take l i g h t l y .

W h e n a person p e r f o r m s mitzvos ou t of a sense of self, he w i l l n a t u r a l l y di f ferent iate be tween those that he deems m o r e i m p o r t a n t — the level of " h e a d " — a n d those that he deems of lesser importance — at the leve l of " h e e l . " W h e n , h o w e v e r , mitzvos are p e r f o r m e d solely because G-d has so c o m m a n d e d , t h e n " h e a d " mitzvos a n d " h e e l " mitzvos w i l l be p e r f o r m e d w i t h equal intensi ty .


"Heels Over Head"

The T o r a h p o r t i o n Eikev begins w i t h the verse, "Because (eikev) y o u l is ten to these l a w s a n d safeguard a n d keep t h e m , G - d y o u r L - r d w i l l keep H i s covenant a n d kindness that H e swore to y o u r fathers . " 1

The H e b r e w w o r d eikev n o t o n l y means "because," b u t also " h e e l . " Thus Midrash Tanchuma2 explains that "these l a w s " refers to mitzvos that seemingly lack significance, so that people t e n d to " i g n o r e t h e m a n d cast t h e m u n d e r their heels."

Superf ic ia l ly , i t w o u l d seem that the M i d r a s h is i n f e r r i n g that these seemingly u n i m p o r t a n t c o m m a n d m e n t s are

1. Devarim 7:12. 2. Ibid.

2 4 4 EIKEV

treated so l i g h t l y b y some i n d i v i d u a l s that they do n o t ob¬serve t h e m at a l l .

H o w e v e r , i f this were i n d e e d so, w h a t is the connect ion be tween their non-per formance a n d their b e i n g "cast u n d e r the h e e l " — i f they are not p e r f o r m e d at a l l then they are "cast out e n t i r e l y , " n o t m e r e l y "cast u n d e r the heel"?

T r u l y , the Midrash is n o t r e f e r r i n g to people w h o main¬t a i n that these " i n s i g n i f i c a n t " mitzvos need n o t be p e r f o r m e d , a n d surely i t does not a l lude to those i n d i v i d u a l s w h o defi le t h e m b y casting t h e m u n d e r their heels.

Rather, the Midrash is m a k i n g reference to those persons w h o recognize that a l l mitzvos are to be p e r f o r m e d , no matter h o w inconsequent ia l they m a y seem, o n l y that these i n d i v i d u a l s p r i o r i t i z e the order of their per formance , delay¬i n g the performance of mitzvos that they treat l i g h t l y — they cast their performance " u n d e r their heels."

These persons m a i n t a i n that they w i l l f i r s t see to i t that the " h e a d , " i.e., the most i m p o r t a n t a n d str ingent matters , w i l l be p e r f o r m e d p r o p e r l y . A f t e r w a r d they w i l l see to those mitzvos that are i n close p r o x i m i t y to the head — mitzvos that are s l ight ly less major . O n l y at the v e r y last w i l l they t h i n k about observing "hee l mitzvos," a n d surely g o i n g above a n d b e y o n d the letter of the l a w t h r o u g h the beaut i f i ca t ion a n d enhancement of these mitzvos w i l l be p u t off to the v e r y end.

Such i n d i v i d u a l s contend that one cannot poss ib ly b e g i n w i t h the " h e e l " ; order dictates that one m u s t f i r s t do those th ings that are of greatest i m p o r t a n d o n l y t h e n can one be¬g i n to t h i n k about deeper p i e t y , enhanced per formance , beaut i f i ca t ion of mitzvos, etc.

A l t h o u g h such t h i n k i n g has a certain v a l i d i t y , 3 i t is abso¬l u t e l y v i t a l that d i v i n e service b e g i n w i t h f a i t h a n d accep¬tance of G-d's yoke , n o t w i t h the dictates of logic. A n d the Jewish f a i t h exhorts the i n d i v i d u a l to be as s c rupulous ly ob¬servant of the seemingly m i n o r mitzvos as the major ones.

3. See Mo'ed Kattan 9a.

" H E E L S OVER H E A D " 2 4 5

For the quintessential aspect of a l l mitzvos is that they u n i t e the i n d i v i d u a l w i t h G - d . 4 This applies to a l l the mitzvos, w i t h o u t the slightest difference be tween " m a j o r " a n d " m i n o r " mitzvos, " h e a d mitzvos" or "heel mitzvos." I t is there¬fore out of place to t h i n k about a sequential order to the per¬formance of mitzvos.5

Thus w e also observe that the c o n d i t i o n w h i c h enabled the Jewish people to receive the T o r a h a n d become a n a t i o n was their pre fac ing " W e shall d o " to " W e shall hear" — a to ta l ly i l log ica l sequence. 6

For a Jew's s p i r i t u a l b e g i n n i n g , s imi lar to the b e g i n n i n g of the Jewish n a t i o n as a w h o l e , m u s t be w i t h f a i t h a n d ac¬ceptance of the d i v i n e yoke a n d n o t w i t h intellect ; even those matters that are readi ly understandable m u s t be p e r f o r m e d out of a sense of f a i t h a n d G - d l y submission.

So too, c h i l d r e n — people at the b e g i n n i n g of their l ives — s h o u l d k n o w not o n l y about the n a t u r a l , i.e., logical , events that t r a n s p i r e d w i t h the Jewish people , b u t the m i ¬raculous, i.e., f a i t h a n d belief, as w e l l . This inst i l l s a f i r m f o u n d a t i o n of f a i t h i n G - d .

This manner of conduct is especially i m p o r t a n t i n t imes of exile, w h e n the Jewish people are " l i k e a sheep sur¬r o u n d e d b y 70 w o l v e s " 7 : W h e n w e transcend our self-im¬posed order a n d are equal ly fervent i n our performance of a l l c o m m a n d m e n t s , then G - d too foregoes the " o r d e r " of n a t u r a l events, a n d the "Great Shepherd protects H i s sheep," 8 a n d a b u n d a n t l y p r o v i d e s t h e m w i t h c h i l d r e n , hea l th a n d sustenance.


4. Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 45c; Rebbe Omer 5700, conclusion of ch. 1 and on¬ward.

5. See Kuntres UMayon p. 22. 6. See Shabbos 88a. 7. Tanchuma, Toldos; Esther Rabbah 10:11; Pesikta Rabosi ch. 9. 8. Tanchuma, Toldos; Esther Rabbah, ibid.

2 4 6 RE'EH

Re'eh יאה

Three Torah Portions and their Haftoros

The N i n t h of Av marks the dest ruc t ion of b o t h H o l y Temples. Three Haftoros, k n o w n as "The Three [Haftoros] of Pun ishment , " are read on the three Shabasos that precede the N i n t h of A v . Then , on the Shabbos f o l l o w i n g the N i n t h of A v , there begins the series of "The Seven [Haftoros] of Con¬sola t ion. "

The f i rst Haftorah of consolat ion is Nachamu, w h i c h ac¬companies the Torah p o r t i o n of Vaes'chanan. The Haftorah of VaTomar Tzion f o l l ows the week after, a n d is read i n con¬junc t i on w i t h the p o r t i o n Eikev. Th is , i n t u r n , is f o l l o w e d b y the Haftorah of Aniyah So'arah that is read i n connect ion w i t h Re'eh.

A l l matters re la t ing to Torah are precise. Surely, the jux¬tapos i t ion of these par t icu lar Torah por t ions w i t h these par¬t icular Haftoras is no t mere happenstance. W h a t is the rela¬t ionsh ip be tween these por t ions and thei r Haftoros?

The dest ruct ion of b o t h H o l y Temples caused m u c h more than mere phys ica l ann ih i la t ion ; i t also caused G-dl iness to depart , as i t were , f r o m this w o r l d . 1 This occur¬rence is annua l l y re l i ved on the N i n t h of Av — a n d fo l low¬i n g th is occurrence i t is necessary to beg in sp i r i tua l service anew.

Every n e w beg inn ing , par t i cu la r l y a n e w sp i r i tua l be¬g i n n i n g , mus t f i rst be e m p o w e r e d b y G-d and receive H i s b lessing — an "a rousa l f r o m A b o v e that precedes the arousal f r o m b e l o w . " 2 This is w h y w e read Vaes'chanan on the f i rs t Shabbos after the N i n t h of Av . It is then that spir i¬tua l service begins anew, a n d i t is then that w e ask for G-d's

1. See Zohar I, 210a; ibid. III, 20b, 75a. 2. See Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 2b.

THREE TORAH PORTIONS AND THEIR HAFTOROS 2 4 7

blessing i n this quest — a plea i m p l i c i t i n the w o r d Vaes'chanan. O u r Sages e x p l a i n that Vaes'chanan means a plea for " a n undeserved g i f t , " 3 i.e., a g i f t n o t necessarily commensurate w i t h our s p i r i t u a l efforts.

A p p r o p r i a t e l y , then , w e also read the H a f t o r a h of Nachamu: "Be consoled, be consoled M y people , says y o u r G - d " 4 — a f o r m of blessing a n d consolat ion that comes en¬t i r e l y f r o m A b o v e .

H o w e v e r , m e r e l y rece iv ing G-d's g i f t does n o t suffice; i t is necessary for m a n to rouse h imse l f — " a n arousal f r o m b e l o w " — a n d serve G - d as w e l l . This second stage is al¬l u d e d to i n the p o r t i o n of Eikev, w h i c h i n f o r m s us that even man 's lowest level of eikev — a level that does n o t perceive G-dliness at a l l 5 — is sub l imated to G-dliness, so that i t too " l i s tens" a n d hearkens to G-d's w o r d .

This concept is f u r t h e r buttressed b y the Haftorah of Eikev, VaTomar Tzion, w h e r e i n the Jewish people — " forsaken a n d f o r g o t t e n " — b i t t e r l y lament their estrange¬m e n t f r o m G - d . A n d this heartfel t l ament is w h o l l y a result of the Jews' o w n s p i r i t u a l service, a manner of service that heightens their s p i r i t u a l sensi t iv i ty a n d causes t h e m to m o u r n their lack of closeness w i t h the Creator.

W h i l e the degree of service that " l i s tens" to G - d is laud¬able, i t is n o t the u l t i m a t e . I n the highest f o r m of service, a person attains so raref ied a level that he is able n o t m e r e l y to hear, b u t also to see, G-dliness. I t is this t h i r d stage that is h i n t e d at b o t h i n the T o r a h p o r t i o n as w e l l as i n the Haftorah of Re'eh.

The o p e n i n g w o r d s of this p o r t i o n are: "Re'eh Onochi — See [that] I [ G - d ] . . . . , " 6 this means that a Jew is to see a n d be¬h o l d G - d Himse l f . A n y t h i n g less t h a n that , the Jew s h o u l d f i n d w h o l l y unsatisfactory.

3. Sifri, Devarim Rabba, Tanchuma and commentary of Rashi on Devarim 3:23. 4. Yeshayahu 40:1. 5. See previous essay. 6. Devarim 11:26.

2 4 8 RE'EH

This gives rise to the lament i n the Haftorah of Re'eh, Ani-yah So'arah, w h e r e i n the Jewish people express their anguish at their " tempestuous [ sp i r i tua l ] i m p o v e r i s h m e n t that can f i n d no conso la t ion" 7 m e r e l y t h r o u g h the w o r d s of the prophets , for they desire to be u n i t e d w i t h a n d consoled b y G - d Himse l f .

Indeed, G - d accedes to their request a n d assures t h e m , " I t is I , a n d I alone, w h o shall console y o u . " 8 G r a n t i n g their request is G-d's response to the Jews' service — " a n arousal f r o m A b o v e that f o l l o w s the arousal f r o m b e l o w . "

This also explains w h y Eikev is a lways read d u r i n g the m o n t h of Av a n d Re'eh is read either o n the Shabbos that blesses the m o n t h of Elul or o n Rosh Chodesh Elul itself. Av is the m o n t h d u r i n g w h i c h G - d gave v e n t to H i s D i v i n e w r a t h ; 9

Elul is the m o n t h d u r i n g w h i c h H e expresses H i s D i v i n e m e r c y . 1 0 D u r i n g the f o r m e r m o n t h w e feel m o s t l y the dis¬tance, g l o o m a n d concealment e p i t o m i z e d b y eikev. W h e n the m o n t h of Elul comes, d u r i n g w h i c h the Thir teen A t t r i b ¬utes of D i v i n e M e r c y are d o m i n a n t , t h e n G - d is seen i n a l l H i s g l o r y , for : " I t is I , a n d I alone, w h o consoles y o u . "


7. Yeshayahu 54:11. 8. Ibid. 51:12. 9. Zohar, Shmos 12a.

10. See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 581; Likkutei Torah, Re'eh 32a and onward.

"Cleave to H i m "

W e are t o l d i n the T o r a h P o r t i o n Re'eh,1 " F o l l o w G - d y o u r L - r d , fear H i m , observe H i s c o m m a n d m e n t s , hearken to H i s voice, serve H i m a n d cleave to H i m . " O n the w o r d s "cleave to H i m , " Rashi explains: "Cleave to H i s w a y s , per-

1. Devarim 13:5.

" C L E A V E TO H I M " 2 4 9

f o r m acts of l o v i n g kindness , b u r y the dead, v i s i t the sick, just as G - d has d o n e . "

Rashi's c o m m e n t m u s t be u n d e r s t o o d : Since, according to Rashi, the verse means to t e l l us that w e s h o u l d cleave to G-d's w a y s a n d act as H e does, w h y doesn't the verse explic¬i t l y state "cleave to H i s w a y s " rather t h a n "cleave to H i m ? "

M o r e o v e r , since the c o m m a n d to cleave to G-d's w a y s is stated as "cleave to Him," i t is understandable that the u l t i ¬mate u n i t y w i t h G - d is accompl ished specif ically t h r o u g h f o l l o w i n g G-d's example a n d p e r f o r m i n g acts of loving kind¬ness.

I n other w o r d s , the highest f o r m of c leaving to G - d can o n l y be accomplished t h r o u g h these latter actions, a n d n o t b y p e r f o r m i n g the actions a n d c o m m a n d m e n t s referred to earlier w h e n the verse declared "obey H i s c o m m a n d m e n t s . "

This , too, m u s t be u n d e r s t o o d : Al l mitzvos b r i n g about an attachment b e t w e e n m a n a n d G - d ; w h a t greater at tachment is achieved b y d o i n g those th ings that f a l l u n d e r the h e a d i n g of " c l e a v i n g to G-d"?

G - d c o m m a n d e d us to p e r f o r m Mitzvos, a n d w e p e r f o r m t h e m because w e are so obl igated. I t therefore f o l l o w s that the at tachment achieved b y p e r f o r m i n g mitzvos is one i n w h i c h the p e r f o r m e r is c o n t i n u o u s l y aware of his o w n self; i t is he w h o is b e c o m i n g attached to G - d t h r o u g h his p e r f o r m ¬ance.

This is n o t so w i t h regard to " c l e a v i n g to G - d . " A l t h o u g h " c l e a v i n g to G - d " begins as the result of a c o m m a n d , the performance , c o m p l e t i o n , a n d t o t a l i t y of the c o m m a n d in¬volves the to ta l loss of any sense of self, for the person is w h o l l y e n g u l f e d w i t h i n H i m — he cleaves to H i m .

The difference be tween mitzvos i n general a n d p e r f o r m ¬i n g those actions that result i n " c l e a v i n g to H i m " is thus the difference be tween "a t tachment to G - d " a n d " c l e a v i n g to G - d " : 2

" A t t a c h m e n t to G - d " — the state achieved t h r o u g h the regular performance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos — is s imi lar to

2. See L'ma'an Tizkeru 5568; VHaya Eikev 5673.

2 5 0 RE'EH

at taching t w o separate objects one to another a n d t y i n g t h e m together. Even after the objects have become b o u n d together, they are s t i l l v i e w e d as t w o th ings . " C l e a v i n g to G - d , " h o w e v e r , is so s t rong a f o r m of u n i f i c a t i o n that there are no t w o separate entities — they are t r u l y one.

W e thus u n d e r s t a n d that the same act — e x t e n d i n g a loan for example — w h e n p e r f o r m e d w i t h the in tent of " c l e a v i n g to G - d " is i n f i n i t e l y greater t h a n the same act per¬f o r m e d as a separate mitzvah; the latter lacks to ta l loss of self a n d o n l y attains at tachment — n o t c leaving — to G - d .

This also explains w h y the verse states "cleave to H i m . " A l t h o u g h this requires " c l e a v i n g to H i s w a y s , " no act ion is specif ied, for the in tent here is n o t to speak of the act itself — " H i s w a y s " — b u t the result of the act; w h e n one is so at one w i t h G - d , f o l l o w i n g i n H i s w a y s w i l l come as a matter of course.

Thus i t is t o l d of the Alter Rebbe that o n Fridays t o w a r d s e v e n i n g he w o u l d automatically f a l l asleep, since i t was t h e n a t i m e of sleep A b o v e . 3 I.e., his c leaving to G - d was so intense that the p r o p e r actions — " w a y s " — f o l l o w e d sponta¬neously .

A c t i n g i n such an u n p r o m p t e d a n d u n p r e m e d i t a t e d m a n n e r i n consonance w i t h G-d's desires reveals the tre¬m e n d o u s degree of innate c leaving that a Jewish soul has to G - d . W h e n the T o r a h c o m m a n d s us to "cleave to G - d , " i t e m p o w e r s a l l of us to reveal our latent qualit ies.


3. Toras Sholom p. 13.

T W O FORMS OF WITNESSES 2 5 1

Shoftim שפטים

Two Forms of Witnesses

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Shoftim w e learn: "The tes t imony

of one wi tness does no t s tand against a person w i t h regard

to any s in or i n i q u i t y that he m a y have commi t t ed ; a case

can be establ ished [on ly ] t h r o u g h the tes t imony of [at least]

t w o or three wi tnesses." 1

Specif ical ly, there are t w o categories of witnesses: a)

witnesses w h o ve r i f y specific facts or events; 2 b) witnesses

w h o were themselves an in tegra l pa r t of the events. 3

A n example of the f i rst category are witnesses to a loan ,

whose sole purpose is to ve r i f y the deed. They have no par t

i n the legal t ransact ion; even i f the loan were transacted

w i t h o u t witnesses the bo r rower is no less ob l igated to repay

the lender.

A n example of the second category are witnesses to a

marr iage; thei r presence consti tutes an in tegra l par t of the

ceremony itself; accord ing to Jewish l a w 4 a couple cannot

become husband and w i f e w i t h o u t the presence of bonaf ide

witnesses.

These t w o categories of witnesses, witnesses w h o ve r i f y

a n d witnesses w h o are an in tegra l pa r t of the event itself,

exist w i t h i n a sp i r i tua l context as w e l l .

Scr ipture states: 5 " ' Y o u are M y witnesses, ' says the L - rd . "

I n c o m m e n t i n g u p o n this verse, the Zohar p rov ides t w o ex-

p lanat ions: 6 a) " Y o u " refers to the Jewish people; b ) " Y o u "

1. Devarim 19:15. 2. See Kiddushin 65b. 3. See Tumim 90:14. 4. Kiddushin ibid.; Rambam Hilchos Ishus 4:6; Tur and Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer

42:2 and commentaries ibid. 5. Yeshayahu 43:10; ibid. verse 12. 6. III 86a.

2 5 2 S H O F T I M

refers to heaven a n d earth, concerning w h i c h i t is w r i t t e n , 7

" T o d a y I cal l heaven a n d earth as witnesses before y o u . " These t w o sets of witnesses, the Jewish people a n d

heaven a n d earth, correspond to the t w o p r e v i o u s l y de¬scribed categories of witnesses i n the f o l l o w i n g manner :

The t es t imony of witnesses is o n l y germane to a matter that is otherwise concealed; s o m e t h i n g that is revealed to a l l does n o t require witnesses. 8

I n a s p i r i t u a l sense this means witnesses are n o t needed to test i fy to the fact that G - d p r o v i d e s l i fe , for this is k n o w n to a l l . 9 One need b u t observe the m a n n e r i n w h i c h the u n i ¬verse is conducted a n d one w i l l r ead i ly perceive G-d's h a n d i w o r k a n d the D i v i n e l i fe force that v i v i f i e s a l l creation.

Even w i t h regard to G-dliness that can o n l y be be l ieved i n b u t n o t perceived, witnesses a n d tes t imony are superf lu¬ous. For a l t h o u g h this degree of G-dliness cannot be grasped inte l lec tual ly , intel lect itself decrees that there are levels of D i v i n i t y that go b e y o n d the bonds of intellect . Once a t h i n k i n g person concludes that G-dliness m u s t permeate this w o r l d i n order for i t to exist, he w i l l eventua l ly realize that the degree of G-dliness that p r o v i d e s this w o r l d w i t h l i fe is n o t the most cr i t ical ; there are levels that ent i re ly transcend the w o r l d a n d man 's intellect .

Therefore, w i t h regard to this level as w e l l , the tes t imony of witnesses is n o t germane, for t h o u g h this level of G-dliness is not i n a state of reve la t ion — i t is suprara t iona l — nevertheless, intel lect i tself demands that i t exist. There¬fore, this level too falls w i t h i n the p u r v i e w of " s o m e t h i n g that w i l l eventua l ly be revealed to a l l , " concerning w h i c h tes t imony does n o t a p p l y .

Tes t imony a n d witnesses d o , h o w e v e r , a p p l y to G-d's es¬sence, w h i c h is t o t a l l y concealed f r o m intel lect , a n d i n d e e d is

7. Devarim 30:19. 8. Likkutei Torah, Pikudei 4a and onward. See also discourse titled VaYakam Eidus

ch. 1, in Sefer HaMa'amarim 5700. 9. See Likkutei Torah, Vaes'chanan 6a and onward; ibid. Emor 31b and onward;

Sefer HaMitzvos of the Tzemach Tzedek, Mitzvos HaAmonas Elokus ch. 1, et al.

T W O FORMS OF WITNESSES 2 5 3

concealed f r o m any revela tory level . Here , witnesses are necessary to reveal H i s essence. This is accompl ished i n w a y s ref lect ing the t w o types of witnesses:

The i n f i n i t e p o w e r vested w i t h i n heaven a n d earth serves as "ascerta ining witnesses" to G-d's t rue i n f i n i t u d e ; the Jews' a b i l i t y to d r a w d o w n G-d's essence w i t h i n this w o r l d t h r o u g h their s p i r i t u a l service is the f o r m of witness¬i n g w h e r e i n the witnesses are "witnesses w h o are an i n t e g r a l p a r t of the event i tsel f . "

Jews are able to accompl ish this because they are r o o t e d i n G-d's essence; they are therefore able, t h r o u g h their serv¬ice of T o r a h a n d mitzvos, to d r a w H i s Essence i n t o this w o r l d .


Emotions — A Tree of the Field

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Shoftim w e are c o m m a n d e d to treat trees w i t h respect, for " M a n is a tree of the f i e l d . " 1 W h a t is the resemblance be tween the loft iest creature a n d l o w l y vegetation?

The special q u a l i t y of p lants a n d trees lies i n their at¬tachment to the earth, the source f r o m whence they der ive their existence a n d n o u r i s h m e n t . This is p a r t i c u l a r l y t rue w i t h regard to trees. Other p l a n t l i fe , such as g r a i n , vegeta¬bles, etc., do n o t exist i n such a c o n t i n u a l l y attached state, for they soon w i t h e r a n d die . The fact that trees are able to w i t h s t a n d w i n t e r ' s frosts a n d summer ' s heat indicates that they have a p a r t i c u l a r l y s t rong attachment to the earth, an at tachment that enables t h e m to endure d i f f i c u l t t imes a n d cont inue to bear f r u i t .

M a n is a m i c r o c o s m ; 2 just as the w o r l d as a w h o l e is composed of inanimate matter , vegetable mat ter , animals

1. Devarim 20:19. 2. Tanchuma, Pikudei 3. See also Avos d'Reb Nasan ch. 31:3.

2 5 4 S H O F T I M

a n d m e n , so too are these qualit ies to be f o u n d w i t h i n each a n d every i n d i v i d u a l .

A person's emot ive traits are l i k e n e d to vegetat ion , 3 for they e m b o d y g r o w t h a n d deve lopment . A n d a l t h o u g h intel¬ligence g r o w s as w e l l , intel lect also has an " a n i m a l " aspect i n that i t constantly undergoes m o v e m e n t a n d change, s imi lar to an animal ' s a b i l i t y to r o a m . Further , man's emot ive traits t e n d to be s e l f - l i m i t i n g — a k i n d person is i n e v i t a b l y gentle, a severe person w i l l a lmost a lways deal w i t h others i n a stern manner . For this reason too, the emot ive traits are l i k e n e d to vegetat ion.

C o m p r e h e n s i o n , h o w e v e r , understands th ings as they t r u l y are, n o t as the person wishes t h e m to be. The conclu¬sions d r a w n f r o m a concept w i l l v a r y according to the con¬cept itself, l e a d i n g sometimes to kindness a n d sometimes to severity.

Just as i n the macrocosm, vegetat ion is u n i q u e i n its con¬stant u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h its source, so too w i t h i n m a n , the emot ive p o w e r s are a lways attached to a person's essence. This also explains w h y e m o t i o n a l traits a n d tendencies are so p o w e r f u l , a n d w h y i t is so v e r y d i f f i c u l t for a k i n d person to become severe, etc.

By l i k e n i n g m a n to "a tree i n the f i e l d , " the T o r a h is i n effect t e l l i n g us that the t rue test of an i n d i v i d u a l is n o t so m u c h his inte l lec tual qualit ies b u t his e m o t i o n a l ones; i t is they that take the measure of the m a n . 4

I t f o l l o w s that man's labor a n d t o i l w i t h regard to self-i m p r o v e m e n t is to be directed m o r e t o w a r d s r e f i n i n g his e m o t i o n a l trai ts t h a n t o w a r d s r e f i n i n g his m i n d ; 5 per fec t ing a n d p o l i s h i n g one's emot ive character has the greatest i m ¬pact o n a person's essence.

I n fact, r e f i n i n g one's emot ive traits is deemed to be so i m p o r t a n t that inte l lec tual comprehens ion is not considered

3. Torah Or 4a. 4. See Hemshech Teerav III, p. 1221. 5. See Ma'amarim titled Al Taatzar p. 6ff, Ain HaKadosh Baruch Hu Ba 5685;

VaYisa Aharon 5694.

EMOTIONS — A TREE OF T H E FIELD 2 5 5

complete i f i t does n o t affect one's emot ions — " K n o w this d a y a n d take [this k n o w l e d g e ] u n t o y o u r hear t . " 6

Just as this is so w i t h regard to each i n d i v i d u a l , so too r e g a r d i n g the Jewish people as a w h o l e :

A l l Jews are descendants of A v r a h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Yaakov, a n d as such are constant ly attached to t h e m a n d their qualit ies. The m a i n qualit ies of the Patriarchs l ay not so m u c h i n matters of intel lect as i n e m o t i o n , 7 for A v r a h a m e p i t o m i z e d kindness a n d love , Y i tzchak severity a n d fear, Yaakov mercy a n d beauty — the three traits that encompass the e m o t i o n a l spec t rum. 8

These s ter l ing quali t ies — the "trees of the f i e l d " — are the b i r t h r i g h t of each a n d every Jew. They m u s t m e r e l y be revealed, re f ined a n d deve loped to the greatest possible ex¬tent.

Based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. XXIV, pp. 115-119.

6. Devarim 4:39. 7. See Torah Or, beginning of Torah portion Va'eira. See also Tanya ch. 18. 8. See Tanya ch. 3; Torah Or 1b.

2 5 6 SEITZEI

Seitzei תצא

A New Home and its Guard-Rail

I n the Torah p o r t i o n of Seitzei w e learn 1 : " W h e n y o u

b u i l d a n e w home, y o u mus t place a guard - ra i l a r o u n d you r

roof . " The purpose of the guard - ra i l — as the Torah itself

goes on to say — is to keep people f r o m fa l l i ng off an unen¬

closed roof.

I n a sp i r i tua l context, the mean ing of th is c o m m a n d m e n t

is as fo l lows :

O u r Sages te l l us 2 that "One 's w i f e is [considered as]

one's [entire] h o m e , " so m u c h so that Rabbi Yossi said: 3 " I

never cal led m y spouse ' m y wi fe ' . . .but ' m y home. ' "

I n th is context, " w h e n y o u b u i l d a n e w h o m e , " refers to

the beg inn ing of one's marr iage. W h e n a person marr ies and

sets u p a home, he m u s t take u p o n h imse l f the yoke of

earn ing a l i ve l i hood . A t such a t ime a person's sp i r i tua l

status m a y easily p l u m m e t .

The To rah therefore reminds the i n d i v i d u a l that since he

is beg inn ing a n e w home and a n e w l i festy le, w i t h a greater

degree of immers i on i n phys ica l i t y , he m u s t b u i l d a guard¬

ra i l . C lear ly h is p rev ious manner of sp i r i tua l service w i l l no t

suff ice, a n d he mus t take u p o n h imse l f add i t i ona l guard¬

rai ls so as no t to take a sp i r i tua l t umb le i n though t , speech,

or deed.

A t t imes man 's b o d y is also referred to as his home. 4 I n

terms of man 's sp i r i tua l service, th is a l ludes to the general

service of birurim, w h e r e i n m a n seeks to p u r i f y a n d elevate

his b o d y a n d his p o r t i o n i n the phys ica l w o r l d .

1. Devarim 22:8. 2. Mishnah beginning of Yoma; See Gemara ibid. 13a; Likkutei Sichos XVII p. 172ff. 3. Shabbos 118b, explained in Likkutei Sichos ibid. 4. VaYovo Amalek 5688, conclusion of ch. 1.

A N E W HOME AND ITS GUARD-RAIL 2 5 7

This m a n n e r of service is k n o w n as a "new h o m e , " for p r i o r to the soul's descent i n t o this w o r l d i t h a d n o t the fog¬giest n o t i o n as to w h a t the phys ica l w o r l d a n d the s p i r i t u a l service w i t h i n i t entails.

Fur thermore , since the corporeal is i n f i n i t e l y dis tant f r o m the s p i r i t u a l , the service of p u r i f y i n g a n d u p l i f t i n g this phys ica l w o r l d is t r u l y s o m e t h i n g n e w . W h e n a Jew serves G - d i n this manner , the w o r l d itself becomes an abode for G - d .

This concept of an abode for G - d is also s o m e t h i n g " n e w . " Prior to this m a n n e r of service, the degree of G-dliness that mani fes ted itself i n this l o w l y w o r l d was re¬stricted. H o w e v e r , as a result of this manner of service, this phys ica l w o r l d becomes an abode for G - d — G - d H i m s e l f is manifest w i t h i n this w o r l d . 5

U n d e r s t a n d a b l y , b u i l d i n g such i m p o r t a n t n e w edifices has a t remendous impac t u p o n the b u i l d e r . H e , too, is re¬f i n e d a n d u p l i f t e d i n a " n e w " a n d i n f i n i t e l y greater m a n n e r — to a p o i n t that his soul reaches an even h igher state of ex¬istence t h a n i t enjoyed p r i o r to its descent w i t h i n a b o d y . 6

The "vessel" that m u s t serve as a receptacle to this n e w a n d l o f t y level of e levat ion is the act of se l f -nul l i f i ca t ion . For the o n l y w a y one can a t ta in a degree of i n f i n i t e e levat ion is to to ta l ly n u l l i f y oneself before G - d , thereby f ree ing oneself f r o m the l i m i t i n g encumbrances of one's p r e v i o u s l eve l . 7

This , then , is the inner m e a n i n g of a g u a r d - r a i l . The pro¬tective a n d p r e v e n t i v e measures — the " g u a r d - r a i l " — that the person undertakes i n the course of his s p i r i t u a l service are an expression of his self-abnegation a n d acceptance of the H e a v e n l y Yoke. This enables h i m to be a f i t vessel to the "new h o m e . "

There is a pract ical lesson i n this : A person s h o u l d n o t shut h i m s e l f off f r o m the rest of the w o r l d ; he m u s t b u i l d a

5. See Tanchuma, Naso 16; Tanya beginning of ch. 36. 6. See Sefer HoArochim-Chabad I, entry titled Ahavas HaShem — HaHosafah Sh'bah

Al Yedei Hanefesh HaB'hamis Ch. 4, and places cited there, et al. 7. See Torah Or 6c; Hemshech 5666 p. 12ff, p.18ff, et al.

2 5 8 SEITZEI

" h o m e , " a d w e l l i n g place, for G - d i n this nethermost w o r l d . For i t is o n l y t h r o u g h the descent w i t h i n this w o r l d that the u l t i m a t e a n d t r u l y n e w ascent is accomplished, A b o v e as w e l l as b e l o w .

O n the other h a n d , one m u s t k n o w that i n order to trans¬f o r m the phys ica l i n t o a vessel for G-dliness, a person m u s t make a g u a r d - r a i l — he m u s t r e m a i n apart f r o m the phys ica l w o r l d ' s grossness a n d corporeal i ty . W h i l e i t is t rue that he m u s t b u s y h imse l f w i t h phys ica l th ings , they s h o u l d r e m a i n ins igni f i cant to h i m ; he k n o w s a n d feels that the o n l y reason he occupies h imse l f w i t h corporea l i ty is i n order to f u l f i l l the D i v i n e in tent of t r a n s f o r m i n g this w o r l d i n t o a h o m e for G - d . 8


8. See also Likkutei Sichos X, p. 103ff.

Marriage & Divorce — Divine Style

The vast m a j o r i t y of l a w s r e l a t i n g to Jewish marr iage a n d divorce are d e r i v e d f r o m verses i n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Seitzei.1

The re la t ionship be tween husbands a n d w i v e s is s imi lar to the re la t ionship b e t w e e n G - d a n d the Jewish people. I t thus f o l l o w s that marr iage a n d divorce as experienced be tween m o r t a l spouses derives f r o m the " m a r r i a g e " a n d the so-called " d i v o r c e " b e t w e e n G - d a n d the Jewish people .

The marr iage of G - d a n d the Jewish people t o o k place w h e n H e gave t h e m the Torah , as the Mishnah states: 2 " 'The d a y of H i s m a r r i a g e ' — this refers to Mattan Torah."

A l t h o u g h according to Jewish l a w be t ro th a l requires an act b y the g r o o m , i.e., the g r o o m gives the b r i d e an object of va lue a n d states: " Y o u are consecrated to me. . . , " this act

1. Devarim 24:1 and onward. 2. Taanis 26b. See also Bamidbar Rabbah 12:8.

M A R R I A G E & DIVORCE — D I V I N E STYLE 2 5 9

m u s t have the f u l l consent of the b r i d e ; a w o m a n cannot be m a r r i e d against her w i l l . 3

The same was t rue w i t h regard to G-d's be t ro th a l a n d marr iage of the Jewish people w h e n H e gave t h e m the Torah : G - d revealed H i s great love to the Jewish people i n order to rouse their love for H i m , 4 so that the Jewish people w o u l d desire to be " m a r r i e d " to H i m . A l t h o u g h this love for G - d resul ted f r o m G-d's arousal of the e m o t i o n w i t h i n t h e m , a n d d i d n o t come about of the Jews' o w n v o l i t i o n , i t h a d so p r o f o u n d an effect o n t h e m that their love for H i m became p a r t a n d parcel of their v e r y be ing .

Thus the Rambam states as a p o i n t of l a w 5 that every Jew, even one w h o is o n an extremely l o w s p i r i t u a l level , "desires to p e r f o r m a l l the mitzvos a n d distance h imse l f f r o m trans¬gressions." I t is s i m p l y that this desire is sometimes con¬cealed a n d m u s t be b r o u g h t to the fore.

Just as the Jewish people's love for G - d permeates their be ing , a n d is a lways w h o l e a n d absolute, so too w i t h regard to H i s love for t h e m : i t permeates His entire essence, as i t were , a n d s o m e t h i n g that is p a r t of one's essence is not sub¬ject to change.

This b l i s s f u l state of marr iage b e t w e e n G - d a n d the Jew¬ish people existed u n t i l the p e r i o d of exile, at w h i c h t i m e there came about a state of " d i v o r c e , " as the Gemara records: 6

"The Jewish people responded to the p r o p h e t w i t h a t e l l i n g re jo inder . . . 'A w o m a n w h o was d i v o r c e d b y her h u s b a n d — can one p a r t y poss ibly t h e n c o m p l a i n about [the conduct of] the other? ' "

This means to say that since d u r i n g t imes of exile, G - d is n o t f o u n d i n a revealed manner a m o n g the Jewish people ; i t is as i f H e h a d d i v o r c e d t h e m .

3. Kiddushin 2b; Tur and Shulchan Aruch ibid., beginning of section 42. 4. Torah Or 98d. 5. Hilchos Geirushin conclusion of ch. 2. 6. Sanhedrin 105a. See also Yirmeyahu 3:8: " I sent her away and gave her her bill

of divorce"; Psichta of Eicha Rabbah 4: "They were punished by divorce."

2 6 0 SEITZEI

I n t r u t h , h o w e v e r , G-d's love for the Jews is so essential to H i s b e i n g that even w h e n this love is suppressed to the extent that H e m e t a p h o r i c a l l y " d i v o r c e s " t h e m , H e is s t i l l v e r y m u c h w i t h t h e m ; the " d i v o r c e " is n o t real ly a d ivorce at a l l . T r u l y , i t is n o t h i n g b u t a t e m p o r a r y separation, w h i c h H e w i l l rec t i fy w h e n H e once again reveals H i s essential love for t h e m ; remarriage w i l l no t be necessary.

A c c o r d i n g l y i t is to be u n d e r s t o o d that the " t e m p o r a r y separat ion" engendered b y exile reveals a d e p t h of the rela¬t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n G - d a n d the Jewish people that is even m o r e p r o f o u n d t h a n that revealed p r i o r to the " d i v o r c e . "

Before the estrangement, one c o u l d have t h o u g h t that the connect ion b e t w e e n G - d a n d the Jewish people was predica ted u p o n their performance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos. W h e n w e observe, h o w e v e r , that d u r i n g per iods of exile, w h e n the Jewish people are w a n t i n g i n their per formance of T o r a h a n d mitzvos, G - d loves t h e m a l l the same, this proves that H i s love is n o t based o n any external factor, b u t is t r u l y an intr ins ic a n d essential love .


T H E CONNECTION BETWEEN SAVO A N D C H A I E L U L 2 6 1

Savo תבוא

The Connection Between Savo and Chai Elul

The e ighteenth day of Elul, or Chai Elul, marks the b i r t h -

date of b o t h the Baal Shem Tov , 1 f ounder of the Chassidic

movemen t , a n d the A l te r Rebbe, 2 founder of Chabad Chas-

s id ism. This day inva r iab ly fal ls ei ther on or near the Shab-

bos d u r i n g w h i c h the Torah p o r t i o n of Savo is read.

A l l Jewish festivals a n d auspic ious occasions on the

Jewish calendar are a l l uded to i n the Torah p o r t i o n read

d u r i n g the week w h e n they occur. 3 Unders tandab ly , Chai

Elul is thus a l l uded to i n the p o r t i o n of Savo.

Where i n th is p o r t i o n can one f i n d th is connection?

Savo begins b y re la t ing the laws of Bikurim, the f i rst f ru i t s

that the Jews were ob l iged to b r i n g immed ia te l y u p o n

" c o m i n g to the l and that G-d y o u r L- rd is g i v i n g y o u as a

her i tage, occupy ing and set t l ing i t . " 4

O u r Rabbis no te 5 that the qua l i f i ca t ion " o c c u p y i n g and

set t l ing i t " comes to teach us that the ob l iga t ion of Bikurim

d i d not beg in u n t i l after the 14 years d u r i n g w h i c h Eretz Yis-

rael was conquered a n d d i v i d e d a m o n g the tr ibes.

The verse is m o d i f i e d i n th is w a y for the f o l l o w i n g rea¬

son: The t rue m e a n i n g of " c o m i n g to the l a n d " is that of

c o m i n g in to i t entirely. Th is is i n keep ing w i t h the say ing of

our Sages: 6 " A pa r t i a l en t ry is no t considered an en t ry at a l l . "

The w o r d " c o m i n g , " 7 therefore means " o c c u p y i n g a n d set-

1. In the year 5458 (1698). 2. In the year 5505 (1745). 3. Shaloh, Cheilek Torah SheBiksav beginning of Torah portion Vayeishev. 4. Devarim 26:1. 5. Zevachim 118b. 6. Chulin 33b. 7. See Kiddushin 37b.

2 6 2 SAVO

t l i n g i t , " for o n l y then w e r e the Jews considered to have t r u l y entered the L a n d .

This , then , is the connect ion b e t w e e n Savo a n d Chai Elul, the b i r t h d a t e of the t w o great Chassidic founders :

Chassidus is u n i q u e i n its a b i l i t y to rouse the spir i t , m i n d a n d heart so that a Jew's service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos is i n the manner of savo — a complete i m m e r s i o n , w i t h every f ibre of one's b e i n g suffused b y s p i r i t u a l service.

The importance of this m a n n e r of service w i l l be under¬stood b y e x p l a i n i n g the difference be tween man 's in tr ins ic a n d extrinsic states of be ing ; in t r ins ic r e f e r r i n g to m a n as he exists i n re la t ion to h imse l f a n d extrinsic to m a n as he exists relat ive to others.

I n terms of s p i r i t u a l service, this means the f o l l o w i n g : W h e n a person does s o m e t h i n g i n an external a n d extrinsic manner , he a n d the t h i n g he is d o i n g r e m a i n t w o dis t inct entities.

W h e n , h o w e v e r , a person does s o m e t h i n g f r o m his in¬nermost self, then his b e i n g immerses itself i n that w h i c h he is d o i n g , for i n re la t ion to man 's innermost core there exists n o t h i n g outside of himsel f . Thus , w h e n a person acts i n this manner , even a specific, seemingly external , ac t ion is t i e d u p a n d u n i t e d w i t h his innermost self; he a n d the act are u n i t e d .

H e r e i n lies that w h i c h is u n i q u e about Chassidus: Chas-sidus, as p a r t of " the soul of T o r a h , " 8 reveals a Jew's quintes¬sential l i fe force i n a l l aspects of T o r a h a n d mitzvos,9 a n d the u n i q u e q u a l i t y of this l i fe force is that i t t o t a l l y unites w i t h that w h i c h i t enl ivens . 1 0

For the l i fe force does n o t a d d a n y t h i n g to that w h i c h i t vi ta l izes — a l i v e b o d y possesses no m o r e parts t h a n a dead corpse. The l i fe force is thus n o t separate f r o m that w h i c h i t energizes, rather i t is the soul of the en l ivened b o d y , a n d

8. Zohar III 152a. 9. See On the Essence of Chassidus, ch. 6 and onward. See also Sefer HaMaamarim

5708 p. 295ff. 10. See Ki Imcha 5700 ch. 2; Yichayeinu 5701 ch. 2, et al.

T H E C O N N E C T I O N BETWEEN S A V O A N D C H A I E L U L 2 6 3

because of i t each a n d every aspect of the b o d y is a l i v i n g ent i ty .

The reason is that a person's " l i f e " is his soul a n d inner¬most essence, a n d as expla ined earlier, that w h i c h is p a r t of a person's innermost core becomes w h o l l y one w i t h the object w i t h w h i c h i t unites . Thus , the b o d y i n w h i c h a l i fe force d w e l l s is ent i re ly permeated b y i t . 1 1

Exactly so is the effect of Chassidus o n T o r a h a n d mitz-vos: I t is possible for a Jew to s t u d y T o r a h a n d p e r f o r m mitz-vos w h i l e r e m a i n i n g separate f r o m t h e m . Chassidus, how¬ever, enables every Jew to reveal the innermost aspect of his l i fe force — his h o l y Jewish soul . A n d i n re la t ion to that level — the q u a l i t y of savo — each a n d every Jew is t r u l y one w i t h a l l of T o r a h a n d mitzvos.12


11. See Hemshech Teerav ch. 210. 12. See also Likkutei Torah, Behar 40b-d.

The Bikurim Offering and Declaration

The p o r t i o n Savo opens w i t h the c o m m a n d m e n t of Bikurim, the f i rs t f r u i t o f fer ing . D u r i n g the o f f e r i n g cere¬m o n y , the person b r i n g i n g the f r u i t w o u l d say: 1 " A n A r a m e a n [Lavan] t r i e d to destroy m y father [Yaakov] . . . he descended to Egypt . . . G - d b r o u g h t us out f r o m E g y p t w i t h a m i g h t y h a n d ... H e b r o u g h t us to this area... I a m n o w b r i n g i n g the f i rs t f r u i t of the l a n d that G - d has g i v e n m e . "

Ostensibly, the reason for m e n t i o n i n g G-d's rescue of Yaakov f r o m Lavan's clutches a n d the mirac le of the Exodus was to t h a n k G - d for H i s m a n y kindnesses, 2 these kindnesses

1. Devarim 26:5-9. 2. Rashi 26:5.

2 6 4 SAVO

c u l m i n a t i n g i n H i s g i v i n g the Jews " t h i s l a n d f l o w i n g w i t h m i l k a n d h o n e y . " 3

H o w e v e r , i f the purpose w e r e m e r e l y to enumerate G-d's m a n y acts of goodness t o w a r d the f o r m e r slaves, w h y n o t also m e n t i o n H i s s p l i t t i n g of the sea, H i s p r o v i d i n g t h e m w i t h m a n n a , a n d the m a n y other th ings that enabled the Jews to surv ive i n the desert for 40 years?

W e m u s t conclude that the saving of Yaakov f r o m L a v a n a n d the extr icat ion of the Jewish people f r o m E g y p t are sin¬g u l a r l y connected to the c o m m a n d m e n t of Bikurim. W h a t is the connection?

The o b l i g a t i o n to b r i n g Bikurim o n l y began after the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisrael a n d settled the L a n d , as our Sages n o t e 4 that the mitzvah of Bikurim o n l y began after the 14 years d u r i n g w h i c h Eretz Yisrael was conquered a n d d i v i d e d a m o n g the tribes.

W e thus discern that the b r i n g i n g of Bikurim served n o t o n l y to offer thanks for the actual g i f t of Eretz Yisrael, b u t m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y for the fact that the Jewish people were n o w settled there i n a p e r m a n e n t manner , for o n l y t h e n d i d they experience the t rue j o y of b e i n g residents i n their o w n l a n d , f u l l y en joy ing the f r u i t s thereof.

I n order to emphasize this , the person b r i n g i n g Bikurim was to remember those permanent places of residence i n w h i c h our ancestors f o u n d th ings g o i n g so b a d l y that they were faced w i t h ext inct ion . Thus , A r a m a n d Egypt are par¬t i c u l a r l y n o t e d , for i t was there that our ancestors l i v e d o n a permanent basis — 20 years i n A r a m a n d 210 years i n Egypt — a n d w e r e faced w i t h ext inct ion .

This also explains w h y the declarat ion reci ted w h i l e b r i n g i n g Bikurim focuses m o r e o n the Jewish experience i n E g y p t a n d the subsequent Exodus t h a n o n Yaakov's experi¬ence w i t h L a v a n , for i t was specif ical ly i n E g y p t — n o t i n A r a m — that the Jewish people f o u n d themselves for so m a n y generations.

3. Devarim ibid. 4. Zevachim 118b.

T H E B I K U R I M OFFERING A N D D E C L A R A T I O N 2 6 5

O n a deeper level , the answer as to w h y o n l y these t w o events are m e n t i o n e d i n the Bikurim rec i tat ion is as f o l l o w s :

Chassidus explains 5 that a tree's f r u i t is analogous to the soul c lo thed w i t h i n a b o d y . The c o m m a n d of Bikurim involves u n i t i n g the soul as i t is f o u n d b e l o w w i t h its source A b o v e , this b e i n g k n o w n as Supernal Bikurim.

M o r e specifically, the o f f e r i n g of Bikurim entails the ele¬v a t i o n of the l o w e r level to the h igher one, w h i l e the recita¬t i o n of the verses that accompany the Bikurim o f f e r i n g al ludes to the d r a w i n g d o w n of G-dliness f r o m A b o v e , i.e., the soul's source A b o v e i l l u m i n a t e s a n d unites w i t h the soul b e l o w .

B o t h L a v a n a n d Egypt are thus m e n t i o n e d d u r i n g the Bikurim rec i tat ion, for b o t h entai led a s p i r i t u a l descent, i n a s m u c h as Yaakov's descent to L a v a n as w e l l as the Jews' descent to E g y p t (and thereafter G-d's descent i n t o E g y p t to l iberate t h e m ) are perfect examples of a h igher level descending to a l o w e r one.

There is a lesson here for a l l of us: A person s h o u l d n o t be content w i t h m e r e l y serv ing G - d t h r o u g h his o w n eleva¬t i o n b y T o r a h a n d prayer . Rather, he m u s t also d r a w d o w n G-dliness i n t o the w o r l d , even u n t o the choicest matters there in — just as Bikurim was b r o u g h t f r o m the choicest of f r u i t 6 — thereby t r a n s f o r m i n g phys ica l rea l i ty in to a vessel for G-dliness.


5. Or HaTorah, Savo p. 1040ff. 6. Rambam conclusion of Hilchos Isurei Mizbeiach.

2 6 6 N I T Z A V I M

Nitzavim נצבים

Freedom of Choice, and Choosing Freely

One of the centra l themes of Judaism is Free Choice. This

issue is addressed at some leng th i n the conc lud ing verses of

the Torah p o r t i o n Nitzavim,1 where w e are to ld : " . . . I have set

before y o u [a free choice] be tween l i fe and g o o d , and death

a n d evi l . . . I have p laced before y o u l i fe a n d death, the

blessing and the curse.... Choose l i f e . "

Wha t , exact ly, impe ls a Jew to f reely choose g o o d over

evil?

The Jew's choice of g o o d over ev i l , sacred over m u n d a n e ,

is roo ted i n the fact that the essence of a Jew's soul is one

w i t h G-d . 2 Indeed, the p o w e r possessed b y every Jew to

choose freely — " m a n be ing l ike one of U s " 3 and able to

f reely act as he chooses, just as G-d can f reely do exact ly as

He pleases 4 — lies i n the fact that h is soul is roo ted i n G-d.

A l t h o u g h the soul 's essence has no desire other than

G-dl iness, the soul has descended to be c lo thed w i t h i n a

phys ica l b o d y , and as a resul t i t is possible for i t to choose

someth ing other than goodness and hol iness. 5

Moreover , even as the soul exists i n i ts pr is t ine state, the

concept of Free Choice st i l l appl ies, i n the sense that there is

no t any par t icu lar benef i t or mer i t that compels the soul to

choose G-d; i t does so f reely because its essence is one, as i t

were , w i t h H i m .

W h e n choice results f r o m reason i t is inheren t l y l i m i t e d

— the choice on ly goes so far as the reason. Since man 's rea-

1. Devarim 30:15-20. 2. Kvod Malchuscha 5660; Conclusion of Hemshech Tik'u 5670. 3. See Bereishis 3:22. 4. See Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah beginning of ch. 5; Likkutei Torah, Emor 38b. 5. See Likkutei Torah ibid.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE, A N D C H O O S I N G FREELY 2 6 7

son is i n t r i n s i c a l l y l i m i t e d , his reasoned free choice is neces¬sari ly l i m i t e d as w e l l . Thus, w h e n the soul's essence chooses G - d because of s o m e t h i n g that transcends reason, the inten¬sity of this choice is l imit less .

M o r e o v e r , i t m a y be a r g u e d that w h e n choice comes as a result of logic , then i t is n o t t r u l y free after a l l ; the person was c o m p e l l e d to act b y force of logic. For the c o m p u l s i o n of logic is just as s t rong, i f n o t stronger, t h a n b r u t e force. 6

W h e n , h o w e v e r , the soul's essence desires a n d chooses G - d because of its o w n intr ins ic be ing , t h e n the choice is such that a n y t h i n g other t h a n G-dliness a n d goodness is u t t e r l y negated. 7

W h i l e r o o t e d i n the soul's essence, f r e e d o m of choice is revealed o n a conscious level i n man 's intel lect , 8 for o n l y w h e n a Jew actual ly has before h i m the t w o paths of g o o d a n d e v i l a n d chooses g o o d is i t apparent that he freely chose g o o d a n d G-dliness over e v i l a n d unholiness . Intellect , a n d intel lect alone, has the capacity to f i n d m e r i t i n each of the t w o paths.

A c c o r d i n g l y , the connect ion b e t w e e n Free Choice a n d the T o r a h r e a d i n g is r e a d i l y u n d e r s t o o d : Nitzavim a l w a y s precedes Rosh HaShanah, at w h i c h t ime w e endeavor to arouse w i t h i n G - d a desire to choose the Jewish people . This is expressed i n the verse reci ted before the b l o w i n g of the shofar o n Rosh HaShanah: " H e chooses our heritage for us, the g l o r y of Jacob, w h o m H e loves e terna l ly . " 9

Here, too, there are t w o aspects to G-d's decision. There is n o basis i n reason for G-d's choice of the Jewish people . So penet ra t ing a n d m e a n i n g f u l is this choice that G - d says: " I cannot poss ibly exchange t h e m for any other p e o p l e , " 1 0 for there exists " Israel a n d the K i n g a lone . " 1 1

6. See Likkutei Sichos IV p. 1309. 7. See Likkutei Sichos ibid., p. 1341, XI p. 7 fn. 58. 8. See places cited in fn. 2. See also Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 46c; Likkutei Sichos VI

p. 113 fn. 47. 9. Tehillim 47:5.

10. Introduction to Rus Rabbah 3. Cf. Pesachim 87a and onward. 11. See Zohar III 32a.

2 6 8 N I T Z A V I M

Yet this choice is revealed i n this w o r l d w h e n w e see that the Jews have become "G-d ' s treasure f r o m the midst of all the nations"12 — other nat ions exist alongside the Jewish n a t i o n , a n d yet H e chooses us, thereby m a k i n g H i s love for us revealed to a l l . 1 3

Rosh HaShanah is the d a y w h e n e v e r y t h i n g returns to its p r i m o r d i a l state, 1 4 a n d thus G - d m u s t choose us anew. W h e n w e choose G - d , n o t o n l y log ica l ly b u t also because of our soul's essence, t h e n H e i n t u r n is m o v e d to choose a n d re¬vea l H i s choice of us as " H i s treasured n a t i o n , " m a n i f e s t i n g this decision b y s h o w e r i n g us w i t h a l l manner of g o o d .


12. Shmos 19:5. 13. See commentary of Rashi on Shmos ibid. See also Tanya ch. 49. 14. Pri Etz Chayim, Shaar Rosh HaShanah ch. 1; Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 51b; Siddur

Im Dach 244d and onward, et al.

Motivations for Repentance

I n the T o r a h p o r t i o n Nitzavim w e read: 1 "There shal l come a t i m e w h e n y o u shal l experience a l l the w o r d s of blessing a n d curse that I have presented to y o u , a n d y o u w i l l reflect o n the s i tuat ion. . . Y o u w i l l then r e t u r n to G - d y o u r L - r d . . . w i t h a l l y o u r heart a n d a l l y o u r s o u l . "

I t is clear f r o m the above, as w e l l as f r o m the f u r t h e r verses, that every Jew w i l l u l t i m a t e l y r e t u r n to G - d i n com¬plete repentance; even one w h o has strayed far f r o m the p a t h of righteousness w i l l " r e t u r n to G - d " u p o n experienc¬i n g " a l l the w o r d s of... curse."

A c c o r d i n g l y , w e m u s t u n d e r s t a n d the verse's intent w h e n i t states " a l l the w o r d s of blessing." I t is understand¬able that curse a n d m i s f o r t u n e can lead a person to b r o k e n -

1. Devarim 30:1-2.

M O T I V A T I O N S FOR REPENTANCE 2 6 9

heartedness a n d repentance. But h o w does exper iencing "b less ing" rouse an i n d i v i d u a l to repentance? 2

The T o r a h speaks here of repentance that is so intense that i t leads a person to r e t u r n to G - d " w i t h a l l his heart a n d s o u l . " Unders tandably , the factor that induces a person to repent so m i g h t i l y — his fee l ing of p a i n e m a n a t i n g f r o m the curse — m u s t itself be extremely p o w e r f u l . W h a t makes the p a i n so intense?

The T o r a h explains b y stat ing " y o u shall experience all the w o r d s of blessing a n d curse," i.e., the deta i led f u l f i l l m e n t of the curse w i l l come after h a v i n g f i rs t experienced the blessing.

Exper iencing m i s f o r t u n e after h a v i n g f i rs t experienced a p e r i o d of blessing is far m o r e p a i n f u l t h a n never h a v i n g ex¬perienced goodness at a l l . For example , a person w h o w a s once r i c h a n d t h e n became a pauper feels the p a i n of p o v e r t y far m o r e t h a n does an i n d i v i d u a l w h o has a lways been poor .

Thus , i t is specif ically t h r o u g h blessing f o l l o w e d b y curse that a person can reach so l o f t y a degree of repentance that he w i l l r e t u r n w i t h " a l l his heart a n d a l l his s o u l . "

But this raises another quest ion: The verse is e x p l a i n i n g h o w G - d w i l l b r i n g each and every Jew to f u l l repentance. But i f this degree of repentance can o n l y be reached w h e n blessing precedes curse, h o w then can a person w h o has k n o w n o n l y the curse a t ta in f u l l repentance?

Earlier o n the T o r a h states 3 — according to Rashi's com¬m e n t a r y — " B e h o l d I [ i m m e d i a t e l y ] place before y o u a blessing Blessing so that y o u f u l f i l l [the c o n d i t i o n of obeying] the commandments . . . . " G - d starts off every Jew w i t h blessing.

Thus , every Jew began his l i fe w i t h blessing. The com¬plete repentance that comes o n l y w h e n blessing precedes curse is therefore available to a l l those w h o are i n need of repentance.

2. See commentaries of Shach and Orach Chayim ibid. 3. Ibid. 11:26-27.

2 7 0 N I T Z A V I M

The above also relates to the days that precede Rosh Ha-Shanah, " the day of great j u d g m e n t , " d u r i n g w h i c h the por¬t i o n of Nitzavim is read.

G - d promises to p r o v i d e all Jews w i t h blessing, regard¬less of their s p i r i t u a l stat ion, a d d i n g o n l y that everlasting blessing is dependent o n a person's f u l f i l l i n g the com¬m a n d m e n t s .

The reason for G-d's generosity is p l a i n : Each a n d every Jew is l i k e n e d n o t o n l y to a p r i n c e 4 b u t also to a k i n g 5 ; they are therefore e m i n e n t l y ent i t l ed to receive a l l m a n n e r of g o o d .

A s the Gemara states 6 w i t h regard to feeding Jewish la¬borers: " E v e n i f y o u were to p r o v i d e t h e m w i t h a repast that equals [ K i n g ] Shlomoh's d u r i n g his h e y d a y , y o u have s t i l l n o t f u l f i l l e d y o u r ob l iga t ion , for they are c h i l d r e n of A v r a -h a m , Yi tzchak a n d Y a a k o v . " Since " T h a t w h i c h G - d com¬m a n d s the Jewish people to do H e does as w e l l , " 7 H e surely p r o v i d e s the Jewish people w i t h a l l m a n n e r of g o o d .

Surely, each a n d every Jew then f u l f i l l s the c o n d i t i o n of o b e y i n g the c o m m a n d m e n t s , a n d G-d's blessings w i l l last forever.

This ensures that , come Rosh HaShanah, a person w i l l en¬gage i n Teshuvah Ila'ah, the superior level of repentance w h e r e i n the i n d i v i d u a l ' s sp i r i t reunites w i t h G - d i n a j o y f u l m a n n e r . 8 Especially so w h e n the f i rs t d a y of Rosh HaShanah falls o n Shabbos, so that the service of Shabbos is that of Teshuvah Ila'ah — a degree of Teshuvah that is p e r f o r m e d w i t h great j o y . 9


4. Shabbos 67a; Zohar I 27b. 5. Berachos 9b; Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar 1b. 6. Bava Metzia 83a. 7. Shmos Rabbah 30:9. 8. Likkutei Torah, beginning of portion Ha'azinu. 9. Iggeres HaTeshuvah ch. 11.

CORONATION, TESHUVAH A N D SHOFAR 2 7 1

Rosh HaShanah ראש השנה

Coronation, Teshuvah and Shofar

I n c o m m e n t i n g on the verse, "Seek the L- rd w h i l e He m a y be f o u n d , cal l u p o n H i m w h i l e He is near , " 1 our Rabbis note: 2 "These are the ten days be tween Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r . " These days are c o m m o n l y re fer red to as the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah, the " T e n Days of Penitence."

This comment needs to be c lar i f ied: "Between Rosh H a -Shanah and Y o m K i p p u r " imp l ies that Rosh HaShanah and Y o m K i p p u r are no t par t of the ten-day count , 3 w h i l e "These are the ten days... " makes i t clear that Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r are indeed i nc luded , i nasmuch as there are on l y seven days be tween Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r .

Ev iden t l y , Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r possess as¬pects of penitence w h i c h cause t h e m to be i nc luded w i t h i n the " T e n Days of Penitence."

I n add i t i on to the above, w e f i n d yet another aspect to Rosh HaShanah: "The mitzvah of the day is the sound ing of the shofar . " 4

W h a t is the re la t ionship be tween the three above-men¬t ioned aspects of Rosh HaShanah, a n d w h a t is the order of thei r sp i r i tua l i ty?

Clear ly , the essential aspect of Rosh HaShanah precedes a l l else. Moreover , since the mitzvah of Teshuvah t ranscends a l l other mitzvos (for Teshuvah is able to rect i fy one's fa i lure to p e r f o r m the other mitzvos), i t f o l l ows that Teshuvah pre¬cedes the mitzvah of the day — the sound ing of the shofar.

1. Yeshayahu 55:6. 2. Rosh HaShanah 18a. 3. See Taanis 5a; S'dei Chemed, Klalim 2:72. 4. Rosh HaShanah 27a.

2 7 2 R O S H H A S H A N A H

But w h a t exactly is the f u n d a m e n t a l aspect of Rosh H a -Shanah? The Gemara explains 5 that i t consists of c r o w n i n g G - d as our K i n g . U n t i l that is accomplished, n o service of mitzvos can take place, for "F irs t accept M y K i n g s h i p a n d t h e n [ y o u can] accept M y decrees." 6 I t also f o l l o w s that Teshuvah — the purpose of w h i c h is to rect i fy any shortcom¬ings i n the performance of the King ' s decrees — can also come about o n l y after accepting G-d's K i n g s h i p .

I n terms of s p i r i t u a l accomplishment : P e r f o r m i n g G-d's decrees results i n an attachment to G-d's revealed w i l l . Teshuvah also relates to D i v i n e w i l l , since repentance for f a i l i n g to p e r f o r m G-d's w i l l is no t applicable to that level of service w h i c h transcends w i l l . A c c e p t i n g G-d's r e i g n a n d d o m i n i o n , h o w e v e r , b r i n g s an attachment to H i m that eclipses every level of revelat ion.

The above factors also serve to indicate the impor tance of the Jewish people , since i t is they w h o are able to a t ta in an absolute degree of u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h G - d , w h i c h i n t u r n en¬ables t h e m to el ici t f r o m H i m a desire to r e i g n over the w o r l d as a w h o l e a n d the Jewish people i n par t i cu lar .

A l l this is a l l u d e d to b y the h o l i d a y b e i n g n a m e d Rosh HaShanah, "head of the year , " rather t h a n s i m p l y "beginning of the year" : 7

I t is t e r m e d " h e a d " because the head possesses the fol¬l o w i n g qualit ies : a) I t is far superior to a n d r e m o v e d f r o m a l l other b o d i l y parts ; b) The head contains a n d encompasses the l i fe force that animates the rest of the b o d y ; c) The head constantly m o n i t o r s a n d directs a l l other parts of the l i v i n g organism.

These three qualit ies are also f o u n d w i t h i n Rosh HaSha-n a h , the "head of the year" :

Just as the head is superior i n q u a l i t y to the rest of the b o d y , so too is the essential aspect of Rosh HaShanah — ac-

5. Rosh HaShanah 16a, 34a. 6. See Mechiltah, Shmos 20:3; Toras Kohanim, Acharei ch. 13; Yalkut Shimoni, Shmos

ibid. 7. See Likkutei Torah, Savo 41c; beginning of Ateres Rosh.

C O R O N A T I O N , T E S H U V A H A N D SHOFAR 2 7 3

ceptance of G-d's r e i g n a n d k i n g d o m , a level of service that achieves to ta l u n i f i c a t i o n w i t h G - d H i m s e l f — superior to the s p i r i t u a l service of the rest of the year.

Precisely as the head encompasses a n d p r o v i d e s l i fe to the rest of the b o d y w h i l e r e t a i n i n g i t loftiness, so does the Teshuvah of Rosh HaShanah have a connect ion to mitzvos, w h i l e r e t a i n i n g its s u p e r i o r i t y to t h e m a n d encompassing t h e m a l l .

A n d the g o o d resolut ions a n d the mitzvah of Shofar o n Rosh HaShanah affects the performance of mitzvos the w h o l e year t h r o u g h — exactly as the head directs a l l other aspects of the b o d y .


2 7 4 VAYEILECH

Vayeilech וילך

Vayeilech and Yom Kippur — Revealing Divine Kingship and Jewish Unity

The To rah p o r t i o n Nitzavim is a lways read p r i o r to Rosh

HaShanah 1 . W h e n the p o r t i o n Vayeilech is separated f r o m

Nitzavim a n d is read separately, i t w i l l be read on the Shab-

bos before Y o m K i p p u r . This indicates that the p o r t i o n

Vayeilech is re lated to Y o m K i p p u r .

W h a t is the re lat ionship?

Rosh HaShanah and Y o m K i p p u r share a c o m m o n

theme: the arousal w i t h i n G-d of a desire to choose the Jew¬

ish people as H i s subjects. Jews are thus inscr ibed and sealed

for a n e w year f i l l ed w i t h a l l manner of revealed a n d

palpable good . The t w o days d i f fer however , i n that on l y the

inscription fo r the n e w year occurs on Rosh HaShanah, w h i l e

the actual sealing — the cu lm ina t i on of the process begun on

Rosh HaShanah — takes places on Y o m K i p p u r . 2

The A l te r Rebbe expla ins the connect ion of Nitzavim to

Rosh HaShanah i n th is way : 3 As p rev ious ly men t i oned , Rosh

HaShanah is w h e n G-d extends H is k ingsh ip and d o m i n i o n

over the Jewish people. 4 This is accompl ished w h e n Jews

un i te so that they are a l l as one. 5

This concept of Jewish u n i t y is also at the heart of the

open ing statement of Nitzavim: " T o d a y y o u are a l l s tand ing

before G-d you r L - rd — you r leaders, you r t r i ba l chiefs...

you r woodcu t te rs and water d rawers . " 6 The verse tel ls us

1. Rambam, Hilchos Tefilah 13:2; Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 428. 2. See Rosh HaShanah 16a-b. 3. Likkutei Torah, beginning of the Torah portion Nitzavim. 4. Rosh HaShanah 16a; ibid. 34b. 5. Likkutei Torah ibid. 6. Devarim 29:1.

R E V E A L I N G D I V I N E K I N G S H I P & JEWISH U N I T Y 2 7 5

that , n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g the d i f ferent levels of i n d i v i d u a l Jews, a l l s tand u n i t e d before G - d .

This aspect of Jewish u n i t y is also the focal p o i n t of Vayeilech. The p o r t i o n begins b y saying that " M o s h e w e n t a n d spoke the f o l l o w i n g w o r d s to all I s rae l , " 7 i.e., he spoke to a l l Jews i n an ident i ca l fashion. The p o r t i o n concludes w i t h Moshe address ing " the entire assembly of I s rae l " 8 — a l l of t h e m together i n a u n i t e d manner .

M o r e o v e r , the c o m m a n d m e n t s taught i n Vayeilech — Hakhel a n d the w r i t i n g of a Sefer Torah — are mitzvos that stress the u n i t y of the Jewish people .

"Hakhel — Gather together the p e o p l e " 9 encompasses a l l Jews " m e n , w o m e n , c h i l d r e n a n d prose ly tes " 1 0 — equal ly . Indeed, that is w h y this c o m m a n d m e n t is t e r m e d Hakhel, w h i c h means " c o n g r e g a t i o n . " I n this case, those w h o con¬gregate lose their i n d i v i d u a l i d e n t i t y a n d f o r m an ent i re ly n e w t o t a l i t y .

W r i t i n g a Sefer Torah, too, stresses the concept of u n i t y , for w h i l e Jews di f fer great ly i n their comprehens ion of Torah , a l l are equal w i t h regard to w r i t i n g a Sefer Torah.

A l t h o u g h the theme of b o t h Nitzavim a n d Vayeilech is Jewish u n i t y , there is a difference b e t w e e n these t w o T o r a h readings. A s m e n t i o n e d earlier, Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r share a c o m m o n feature, n a m e l y , the arousal w i t h i n G - d of a desire to choose the Jewish people as H i s subjects. This theme begins o n Rosh HaShanah, continues t h r o u g h o u t the Ten Days of Penitence, a n d culminates o n Y o m K i p p u r .

The difference b e t w e e n Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p -p u r i n this regard w i l l he lp us u n d e r s t a n d the differences i n the u n i t y of the Jewish people as expressed i n Nitzavim a n d as expressed i n Vayeilech.

Rosh HaShanah accomplishes D i v i n e K i n g s h i p at its su¬p e r n a l source, w h i l e Y o m K i p p u r completes the d r a w i n g

7. Ibid. 31:1. 8. Ibid. verse 30. 9. Ibid. verse 12.

10. Ibid.

2 7 6 V A Y E I L E C H

d o w n of this aspect so that i t w i l l be revealed i n this w o r l d . Since a l l this is accomplished t h r o u g h Jewish u n i t y , i t fol¬l o w s that the same differences w i l l exist w i t h regard to Jew¬ish u n i t y .

Jewish u n i t y o n Rosh HaShanah is m a i n l y that of Jews u n i t e d A b o v e — i n their source a n d root ; Y o m K i p p u r ex¬presses this u n i t y d o w n here b e l o w . Because of th is , Jewish u n i t y is expressed o n Y o m K i p p u r phys ica l ly as w e l l as s p i r i t u a l l y .

Consider: There is no difference a m o n g Jews w i t h regard to their observance of the Five A f f l i c t i o n s o n Y o m K i p p u r — the p r o h i b i t i o n against eat ing, d r i n k i n g , etc. Differences m a y exist b e t w e e n the per formance of a g o o d deed b y a r ighteous person a n d the performance of the same deed b y a s imple person. H o w e v e r , w i t h regard to a p r o h i b i t i v e c o m m a n d — n o t to eat, d r i n k , etc. — a l l Jews are equal i n their obser¬vance.

H e r e i n lies the difference be tween Nitzavim a n d Vayeilech. W h i l e b o t h address the theme of Jewish u n i t y , Nitzavim speaks of u n i t i n g disparate levels of Jews, w h i l e the u n i t y spoken of i n Vayeilech is such that a l l Jews are ad¬dressed equal ly .


TESHUVAH, TORAH & MITZVOS—ESSENCE, H E A V E N & EARTH 2 7 7

Ha'azinu האזינו

Teshuvah, Torah, and Mitzvos — Essence, Heaven, and Earth

The To rah read ing of Ha'azinu opens w i t h Moshe 's w o r d s : "L i s ten heaven a n d I w i l l speak; hear ear th the w o r d s of m y m o u t h . " 1 W i t h these w o r d s Moshe cal led u p o n heaven a n d ear th to bear wi tness concern ing his admon i t i ons a n d exhortat ions i n the "Song of Ha'azinu" regard ing the Jews' per formance of Torah a n d mitzvos.2

Sifri3 offers the f o l l o w i n g reasons for Moshe's selection of heaven and ear th as witnesses:

a) " 'L is ten heaven ' — because Torah was g i ven f r o m heaven; 'hear ear th ' — because u p o n i t the Jewish people stood w h e n they [accepted the Torah and] said ' A l l that G-d spoke w e shal l obey a n d hear. ' "

b) " 'L is ten heaven ' — they d i d no t p e r f o r m those com¬mandmen ts that are b o u n d u p w i t h [the as t ronomica l calcu¬lat ions of] " heaven , " name ly , a d d i n g a leap m o n t h a n d es¬tab l ish ing the beg inn ing of n e w mon ths ; 'hear ear th ' — they d i d no t p e r f o r m those commandmen ts that are b o u n d u p w i t h ear th, name ly , Gleanings, Forgot ten Sheaves...."

c) " 'L is ten heaven ' — they d i d not p e r f o r m any of the commandmen ts that are b o u n d u p w i t h " heaven " ; 'hear ear th ' — they d i d no t p e r f o r m any of the commandmen ts that are b o u n d u p w i t h the ear th . "

Torah a n d mitzvos were , of course, g i ven b y G-d , w h o is i n f i n i te l y h igher than either heaven or earth. I n seeking to encourage a more perfect obedience to G-d's w i l l , i t seems log ica l to stress that Torah a n d mitzvos were g i ven b y H i m ,

1. Devarim 32:1. 2. Rashi ibid. 3. Ibid.

2 7 8 H A ' A Z I N U

rather t h a n focus ing o n the fact that they are connected to heaven a n d earth. W h y the emphasis o n heaven a n d earth?

A Jew is expected to serve G - d i n t w o opposite w a y s : o n one h a n d he is expected to serve w i t h p u r e a n d s imple f a i t h a n d w i t h acceptance of the H e a v e n l y Yoke — elements that der ive f r o m the soul's essence. O n the other h a n d , his service m u s t permeate his intel lect a n d emotions so that they too u n d e r s t a n d a n d experience G-dliness.

I n pract ica l terms, this means that a Jew is to d r a w d o w n a n d connect his soul's essence w i t h his inner p o w e r s , so that n o t o n l y does he serve G - d i n t h o u g h t , w o r d a n d deed out of s imple f a i t h , b u t he also comprehends G-dliness i n h is m i n d a n d loves a n d fears H i m i n his heart.

M o r e o v e r , a Jew is expected not o n l y to serve G - d i n the general a n d o n g o i n g manner of regular T o r a h a n d mitzvos, b u t also t h r o u g h repentance, teshuvah. This level of service — a level that emanates f r o m the soul's essence a n d seeks the innermost aspect of G-dliness — m u s t permeate a person's intel lect a n d e m o t i o n as w e l l .

This is w h y w h e n Moshe desired to rouse the Jews to the service of T o r a h a n d mitzvos, the per formance of w h i c h was to reflect n o t o n l y p u r e f a i t h b u t the inner p o w e r s of intel lect a n d e m o t i o n , he m e n t i o n e d that T o r a h a n d mitzvos were g i v e n through heaven a n d earth.

H e d i d this i n order to arouse w i t h i n Jews their l evel of heaven a n d earth, i.e., their lo f t ier inner p o w e r s of intel lect a n d t h o u g h t w h i c h are l i k e n e d to heaven, 4 a n d the lesser p o w e r s of emot ions , speech a n d act ion w h i c h are l i k e n e d to earth.

These three levels — the soul's essence, the soul's " h e a v e n , " a n d the soul's " e a r t h " — f i n d general expression i n the three manners of teshuvah: (1) an expression of the soul's essence, (2) the service of T o r a h s t u d y — an expres¬sion of the soul's intel lect , a n d (3) the per formance of mitzvos — an expression of the soul's " e a r t h y " aspect.

4. Likkutei Torah, D'rushei Shabbos Shuvah 64c.

TESHUVAH, T O R A H & MITZVOS—ESSENCE, H E A V E N & E A R T H 2 7 9

I t is to these f o r m s of service that the Sifri a l ludes i n its three commentaries . The f i rs t c o m m e n t of the Sifri speaks of service the mains tay of w h i c h is intel lect a n d " h e a v e n . " The second c o m m e n t speaks of the per formance of mitzvos con¬cerning w h i c h w e say that " a c t i o n is w h a t is most impor¬t a n t " — the level of " e a r t h . " The t h i r d c o m m e n t speaks of teshuvah, for w h i c h reason Sifri states: " t h e y d i d n o t p e r f o r m any of the c o m m a n d m e n t s " — a sorry state of affairs that necessitates teshuvah, w h i c h emanates f r o m the soul's v e r y essence.


2 8 0 H A ' A Z I N U & SHABBOS TESHUVAH

Ha'azinu האזינו

Shabbos Teshuvah שבת תשובה

The Teshuvah of Shabbos Teshuvah

The To rah p o r t i o n Ha'azinu begins w i t h Moshe say ing: 1

"L i s ten heaven and I w i l l speak; hear ear th the w o r d s of m y m o u t h . " The Sifri notes 2 that concern ing heaven Moshe used an expression deno t ing closeness, ha'azinu, w h i l e regard ing ear th he used an expression ind ica t ing distance, v'sishma, for Moshe was "close to heaven a n d d is tant f r o m ear th . "

A l l of Torah serves to ins t ruct each a n d every Jew. Since i t tel ls us " l i s ten heaven a n d hear ear th , " i t is ev ident that l ike Moshe , w e are expected to become "close to heaven and distant f r o m ear th . " H o w are w e to reach so raref ied a level?

Ha'azinu is of ten read on the Shabbos be tween Rosh H a -Shanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r , a Shabbos k n o w n as "Shabbos Teshuvah," a "Shabbos of Repentance."

The s imple reason for the name is that th is Shabbos fal ls w i t h i n the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah, the " T e n Days of Peni¬tence." Howeve r , since every aspect of Torah is ex t remely precise, i t is to be unders tood that the name "Shabbos Teshu-vah" serves to indicate that Shabbos enhances repentance, so that the Teshuvah of th is Shabbos is super ior to the Teshuvah of the other " T e n Days of Penitence."

W h a t is the connect ion be tween Shabbos a n d a super ior f o r m of Teshuvah?

The A l te r Rebbe expla ins 3 that the Teshuvah of Aseres Yimei Teshuvah invo lves the soul 's essence, w h i l e Teshuvah d u r i n g the rest of the year invo lves on ly the soul 's in te rna l

1. Devarim 32:1. 2. Beginning of Ha'azinu. 3. Likkutei Torah, Savo 43d

T H E T E S H U V A H OF SHABBOS T E S H U V A H 2 8 1

p o w e r s . Thus , the f o r m e r p e r i o d of Teshuvah is far superior to the latter.

These t w o t imes for Teshuvah also correspond to the t w o general levels of repentance, the l o w e r level — whose pur¬pose is to rect i fy man 's sins, a n d the h igher leve l — w h i c h sees the soul r e t u r n i n g a n d c leaving to its Source. 4

I n a general sense, these t w o f o r m s of Teshuvah are mir¬r o r e d i n the difference b e t w e e n s p i r i t u a l service d u r i n g the w e e k a n d s p i r i t u a l service o n Shabbos: D u r i n g the w e e k m a n is i n v o l v e d i n m u n d a n e affairs , seeking to elevate the phys ica l w o r l d to holiness. This corresponds to the l o w e r level of repentance, i n w h i c h the service is that of r e u n i t i n g the soul's i n t e r n a l p o w e r s w i t h G-dliness.

O n Shabbos, h o w e v e r , m u n d a n e labor is p r o h i b i t e d , for the sanctity of the d a y is such that m a n transcends the physica l ; his labor o n that d a y involves achiev ing ever-h igher levels w i t h i n the f r a m e w o r k of holiness. 5

Thus the Teshuvah of Shabbos is the lof t ier level of Teshu-vah, w h e r e b y the soul is elevated a n d cleaves to its Source. 6

The s u p e r i o r i t y inherent i n the Teshuvah of "Shabbos Teshu-vah" as c o m p a r e d to repentance d u r i n g the other days of the " T e n Days of Penitence" w i l l be u n d e r s t o o d accordingly :

The seven days be tween Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p -p u r correspond to the seven weekdays of the entire past year; each d a y of the seven rectifies the misdeeds c o m m i t t e d o n that w e e k d a y i n the year just past, w i t h Sunday r e c t i f y i n g for a l l past Sundays, M o n d a y for a l l M o n d a y s , etc.

Therefore, a l t h o u g h the entire p e r i o d of the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah involves the superior f o r m of Teshuvah, neverthe¬less, since the weekdays of the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah i n v o l v e atonement for the weekdays of the past year, i t f o l l o w s that the w e e k d a y Teshuvah is n o t the loft iest f o r m .

Shabbos, h o w e v e r , is the Teshuvah for past Shabbasos, w h i c h themselves are i n h e r e n t l y superior i n service a n d

4. Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 8ff; Likkutei Torah, beginning of Ha'azinu. 5. Torah Or 13a, 65b-c, 113a; Likkutei Torah, Balak 72a and onward. 6. Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 10; Likkutei Torah, Shabbos Shuvah 66c.

2 8 2 H A ' A Z I N U & SHABBOS T E S H U V A H

Teshuvah. I t therefore f o l l o w s that the Teshuvah of Shabbos Teshuvah is the loft iest of a l l the Aseres Yimei Teshuvah.

I t is the a t ta inment of this level o n Shabbos Teshuvah that enables each a n d every Jew to be l ike Moshe — "close to heaven a n d distant f r o m e a r t h . "


Y O M T O V , C H O L H A M O E D & SHABBOS C H O L H A M O E D 2 8 3

Sukkos סוכות

Yom Tov, Chol HaMoed & Shabbos Chol HaMoed

O u r Sages cal l a l l Jewish ho l idays "Fest ivals for Rejoic-i n g . " 1 Nevertheless, Sukkos is the on ly fest iva l designated as "The Season of our Rejo ic ing. " 2

W e thus unders tand that there are d i f ferent degrees of joy , a n d that the j oy of Sukkos — "The Season of our Rejoic¬i n g " — possesses the greatest degree of a l l . Moreover , the j oy that accompanies Sukkos is a revealed and palpable d imens ion of joy . This m a y be seen f r o m the fact that the t e r m "Season of our Re jo ic ing" was establ ished b y the Rab¬bis to be par t of our ho l i day prayers — someth ing pe r f o rmed b y a l l Jews. Thus , the add i t i ona l measure of j oy present d u r i n g Sukkos is felt b y even the humbles t Jew.

Fur thermore , d u r i n g the t ime of the Beis HaMikdash, w h e n the phys ica l w o r l d en joyed a greater degree of spir i¬tua l re f inement , the greater degree of Sukkos j oy permeated the phys ica l w o r l d .

The fest iva l of Sukkos is also k n o w n as Chag HaAsif, the "Fest iva l of Inga ther ing , " for i t also celebrates the ga ther ing of the harvest. A n d d u r i n g the t ime of the Beis HaMikdash, w i t h "Eve ry person under h is grape arbor a n d f i g t ree," the b o u n t i f u l harvest caused a palpable joy.

That the w o r l d ' s phys ica l re f inement enabled sp i r i tua l i t y to take a more concrete f o r m was ind ica ted b y the fact that phys ica l of fer ings were b rough t w h e n the Beis HaMikdash was s tand ing , w h i l e nowadays prayer acts i n thei r stead. Here too, the reason is that d u r i n g t imes of exile the phys ica l w o r l d is less re f ined , so w e cannot serve G-d b y b r i n g i n g phys ica l of fer ings, for the phys ica l is n o w too coarse.

1. Text of Amidah & Kiddush. 2. Ibid.

2 8 4 SUKKOS

A l t h o u g h the j o y of r e a p i n g the harvest experienced o n Sukkos existed i n its phys ica l sense o n l y d u r i n g the t imes of the Beis HaMikdash, the spiritual aspect of reap ing exists to¬day. For the h o l i d a y of Sukkos f o l l o w s close o n the heels of the m o n t h of Elul a n d the awesome t i m e of Rosh HaShanah, Y o m K i p p u r , a n d the Ten Days of Penitence. The Jew's service d u r i n g this most i m p o r t a n t p e r i o d i n the Jewish cal¬endar results i n a b o u n t i f u l s p i r i t u a l harvest d u r i n g the fes¬t i v a l of Sukkos.

A l t h o u g h a l l of Sukkos is the "Season of our Rejoic ing," the e m o t i o n felt o n the actual Yom Tov days of Sukkos is greater t h a n that fel t o n Chol HaMoed, the in termediate days. This is r e a d i l y understandable w h e n one considers that the o n l y labor p e r m i t t e d o n Yom Tov is that w h i c h relates to the p r e p a r a t i o n of f o o d for the day. Since the gra t i f i ca t ion is i m m e d i a t e , this h a r d l y constitutes t rue labor, for the i n d i v i d ¬u a l is ins tant ly recompensed b y pleasure.

This is not so w i t h regard to the labor p e r m i t t e d d u r i n g Chol HaMoed: d u r i n g that p e r i o d , a l l types of essential labor — Davar Ha'Avud — are p e r m i t t e d , even i f gra t i f i ca t ion w i l l o n l y come i n the distant f u t u r e .

Thus , d u r i n g Chol HaMoed the i n d i v i d u a l cannot poss ib ly be as joyous as o n Yom Tov, for his preoccupat ion w i t h t o i l keeps h i m f r o m f u l l y en joy ing the fest ival .

But this is o n l y t rue of the weekdays of Chol HaMoed. W h e n Shabbos Chol HaMoed comes, a l l labor is p r o h i b i t e d -even that w h i c h is p e r m i t t e d o n Yom Tov — a n d j o y is once again heightened. M o r e o v e r , the j o y attainable t h e n is even greater t h a n that attainable o n Yom Tov itself. This is because the pleasure a n d d e l i g h t obta ined t h r o u g h labor permissible o n Yom Tov is f o u n d o n Shabbos as a matter of course — o n Shabbos " A l l of one's labor has been c o m p l e t e d . " A d d i ¬t i o n a l l y , Shabbos d e l i g h t is engendered w i t h o u t any need for labor, w h i l e Yom Tov needs the labor that precedes i t , a n d w h i c h acts as a s tepping stone to Yom Tov's j o y a n d de l ight .


SUKKOS — R E V E A L I N G T H E C O N C E A L E D 2 8 5

Sukkos — Revealing the Concealed

O u r Sages i n f o r m us 1 that those s p i r i t u a l matters that are i n a state of concealment d u r i n g Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r are revealed d u r i n g the fest ival of Sukkos.

Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r each possess three dis t inct aspects, one greater t h a n the other: 2

a) The u n i q u e mitzvos of those days — o n Rosh HaSha-n a h the s o u n d i n g of the shofar a n d o n Y o m K i p p u r the mitz-vos of fas t ing, repentance a n d confession.

b) The fact that b o t h Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r are p a r t of the " T e n Days of Penitence," w i t h penitence tran¬scending mitzvos.

c) The essential quality of those days — o n Rosh HaSha-n a h the aspect of accepting G - d as K i n g , a n d Y o m K i p p u r the fact that "The v e r y d a y [of Y o m K i p p u r ] b r i n g s atone-m e n t " 3 — a degree of atonement that far surpasses that achieved t h r o u g h Teshuvah, repentance.

A l t h o u g h these three aspects are p a r t of b o t h Rosh H a -Shanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r , i n a m o r e general sense each as¬pect is t i e d to one of the three festivals of the m o n t h of Tishrei: Rosh HaShanah, Y o m K i p p u r a n d Sukkos.

Rosh HaShanah clearly manifests its role as " h e a d " of the year; i t is the t i m e w h e n G - d is crowned K i n g . This a b i l i t y to c r o w n G - d as K i n g also indicates the Jews' absolute u n i t y w i t h H i m , a u n i o n w h i c h makes i t possible to b r i n g about a desire to r e i g n w i t h i n G - d .

Y o m K i p p u r , the " D a y of Forgiveness," w h e n "The v e r y d a y b r i n g s a tonement , " p l a i n l y displays that i t is the d a y o n w h i c h forgiveness is granted for transgressing the King ' s decrees. This too is indica t ive of an essential u n i o n be tween G - d a n d the Jewish people.

The fest ival of Sukkos is the t i m e w h e n Jews are i m ¬mersed i n a n d uni te w i t h G - d t h r o u g h the performance of

1. Siddur Im Dach 235b. See also Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 48b, Rosh HaShanah 54c ff.

2. See previous essay on Rosh HaShanah. See also Likkutei Sichos IV, p. 1149ff. 3. Shavuos 13a.

2 8 6 SUKKOS

mitzvos — Sukkah, Esrog a n d L u l a v , etc. Indeed , the per¬formance of mitzvos is i n d i c a t e d b y the name of the h o l i d a y itself — Sukkos.

A s m e n t i o n e d above, a l l aspects that are concealed o n Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r are revealed d u r i n g Suk-kos. Therefore, a l t h o u g h the m a i n feature of Sukkos is the performance of mitzvos, the fest ival also reveals the themes of Rosh HaShanah a n d Y o m K i p p u r .

I n descr ib ing the Sukkos fest ival , the T o r a h states: " O n the f i f t eenth d a y of this seventh m o n t h is the Festival of Sukkos " 4 So, too, w i t h regard to d w e l l i n g i n the s u k k a h the verse states: " Y o u shal l d w e l l i n sukkos for seven d a y s . " 5

A s n o t h i n g else is c i ted as a reason for the fest ival , c learly the essential feature is the s u k k a h itself.

W i t h regard to the mitzvah of Esrog a n d L u l a v , the verse states: 6 " Y o u shall take for yourselves on the first day," thereby i n d i c a t i n g that the mitzvah of Esrog a n d L u l a v is n o t the essential aspect of the f i rs t d a y of Sukkos, i.e., i t is no t in¬trinsic to the h o l i d a y itself.

O n l y after the T o r a h c o m m a n d s Esrog a n d L u l a v does i t go o n to say: 7 " a n d y o u shall rejoice before the L - r d y o u r G - d for seven d a y s " — the c o m m a n d m e n t of re jo ic ing d u r i n g Sukkos b e i n g the t h i r d aspect of the fest ival .

The essential connect ion be tween Jews a n d G - d — a re¬la t ionship w h e r e i n a l l Jews are equal , a n d w h i c h is ex¬pressed i n accepting G-d's K i n g s h i p o n Rosh HaShanah — is revealed w i t h i n the essential aspect of Sukkos: a u n i t y that f i n d s expression i n the fact " A l l Jews are f i t to d w e l l i n the selfsame s u k k a h . " 8

Every Jew's b o n d w i t h G - d is expressed t h r o u g h Teshu-vah — the m a i n aspect of Y o m K i p p u r — a n d manifests itself t h r o u g h the c o m m a n d of Esrog a n d L u l a v , the L u l a v serv ing

4. Vayikra 23:34. 5. Ibid., verse 42. 6. Ibid., verse 40. 7. Ibid. 8. Sukkah 27b.

SUKKOS — R E V E A L I N G T H E C O N C E A L E D 2 8 7

as a s y m b o l that Jews were v i c t o r i o u s i n atonement o n Yom Kippur.9

Fina l ly , the connect ion of the Jew to G - d t h r o u g h the performance of mitzvos is revealed i n the mitzvah of rejoicing o n Sukkos — the p r i v i l e g e of p e r f o r m i n g G-d's c o m m a n d s b e i n g the cause of their re joic ing.


9. Tanchuma, Emor 18. See also Vayikra Rabbah ibid., 2.

2 8 8 BERACHAH & SIMCHAS T O R A H

Berachah ברכה

Simchas Torah שמחת תורה

Shehecheyanu for Torah

The second day of Shemini Atzeres is k n o w n as Simchas Torah, "The Joy of To rah . " The Ramo exp la ins 1 that th is day is so n a m e d "because w e then rejoice a n d feast i n honor of the conclus ion of the T o r a h " — on Simchas Torah w e complete the Torah b y read ing the f i na l p o r t i o n of Berachah.

Thus the p rev ious Lubav i tcher Rebbe explains that the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" reci ted on Simchas Torah appl ies no t on l y to the h o l i d a y itself, b u t also to the joy of conclud¬i n g the Torah . 2 But th is m u s t be unders tood . The j oy of Sim-chas Torah is re lated to the "conclusion of the To rah , " b u t the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" is i nva r iab ly reci ted over some¬t h i n g new.

The text of the "Shehecheyanu" b lessing reads: "Shehecheyanu — Y o u have gran ted us l i fe , v'kiyemanu — a n d gran ted us existence, v'higiyanu — and enabled us to reach lizman hazeh — this occasion."

I n general , w h e n one thanks another he f i rst thanks h i m for those th ings that are of lesser signif icance a n d then for matters of greater impo r t . Acco rd ing l y , the order of the "Shehecheyanu" b lessing shou ld have been reversed, f i rst t hank i ng G-d for our existence, a n d then for e m b u i n g that existence w i t h l i fe.

W h e n a person thanks G-d for g ran t i ng h i m existence a n d l i fe , thereby enab l ing h i m to " reach th is occasion," he m a y w e l l ask: Was his l i fe u p t i l l n o w t r u l y l i v e d i n a manner such that i t is f i t t i ng to thank G-d w i t h "Shehecheyanu"?

1. Orach Chayim, conclusion of ch. 669. See also Tur ibid. 2. Sefer HaSichos 5705 p. 55.

S H E H E C H E Y A N U FOR T O R A H 2 8 9

Q u i t e poss ib ly the m a j o r i t y of his l i fe h a d n o t been f i l l e d w i t h pleasure b u t w i t h p a i n .

The blessing therefore begins b y t h a n k i n g G - d for g r a n t i n g l i fe : Just as w h e n a person is al ive a l l parts of h i m are equal ly l i v i n g , so too the q u a l i t y of the l i fe referred to b y "Shehecheyanu" is that w h i c h encompasses a l l aspects of m a n equal ly , for w h i c h reason he is obl igated to t h a n k G - d .

W i t h o u t T o r a h i t is impossible for an i n d i v i d u a l to say that his l i fe is f u l l of th ings that cause h i m to offer G - d thanks; even i f he enjoys m o s t l y g o o d t imes, he s t i l l cannot consider h i m s e l f to be v i t a l l y a l ive , as most of a person's t i m e is occupied w i t h f o o d , d r i n k a n d sleep, earn ing a l i v i n g , etc.

A Jew, h o w e v e r , is inextr icably b o u n d to the " T o r a h of l i f e , " a n d is therefore able to i m b u e all that he does w i t h l i fe ; even w h i l e engaged i n m u n d a n e affairs he cleaves to G - d b y r e m e m b e r i n g that "All your actions s h o u l d be for the sake of H e a v e n , " 3 a n d " I n a l l y o u r w a y s shall y o u k n o w H i m . " 4

The result? " A n d y o u w h o cleave to the L - r d y o u r G - d are entirely alive,"5 every m o m e n t of every day. Thus a per¬son can a n d m u s t t h a n k G - d for g r a n t i n g h i m l i fe a n d ena¬b l i n g h i m to reach this occasion.

H o w e v e r , according to this explanat ion of " l i f e , " the o r i g i n a l quest ion remains: w h a t is there to cause a person to t h a n k G - d for "existence;" i t seems to require a far fainter degree of thanks.

L i fe need not necessarily be that of a soul w i t h i n a body; quite the contrary , the soul as i t exists A b o v e , u n e n c u m b e r e d b y a b o d y a n d constantly c leaving to G - d , is considered to be m u c h m o r e " a l i v e . "

W e therefore give G - d a d d i t i o n a l thanks for the descent of the soul w i t h i n the b o d y ; thanks that the b o d y , w h i c h in and of itself can o n l y be said to exist (for i t lacks a l l s p i r i t u a l sensi t ivi ty) is thus i m b u e d w i t h t rue l i fe . W e can then be

3. Avos 2:12. 4. Mishlei 3:6; Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 231. 5. Devarim 4:4.

2 9 0 B E R A C H A H & SIMCHAS T O R A H

g r a t e f u l no t o n l y for the soul — l i fe , b u t for the b o d y as w e l l — existence.

W h e n a Jew lives a T o r a h l i fe t h r o u g h o u t the year, b o t h he a n d T o r a h are i m b u e d w i t h a m u c h greater degree of D i ¬v i n e i l l u m i n a t i o n d u r i n g Simchas Torah; i t is a n e w a n d lof t ier Jew a n d Torah , as i t were . Jews therefore rejoice w i t h T o r a h a n d recite the blessing of "Shehecheyanu."


Interpretations of the Weekly Torah Readings and Festivals Vol. 2 - Kehot Publishing

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