Close To Torah

After arriving back to Mitzrayim from his time away in Midyan we find Moshe Rabenu in the palace of the Pharaoh. He is on a mission from Hashem, “Tell Pharaoh to send out Bnei Yisroel so that they may celebrate for me in the wilderness”.  Pharaoh then makes a mistake by replying “Who is Hashem that I should heed his voice to send out Israel? I do not know Hashem nor will I send out Israel.” (Shemos 5:1-3) The Midrash Tanchuma tells us that Pharaoh went to consult with his scrolls of the gods, to look and see if this god, Hashem appeared in his texts, for he had scrolls listing the gods of all the different nations. After consulting with them and seeing that Hashem did not appear among his scrolls he came back exclaiming “I do not know this god, Hashem, and I will not send out Israel”.

The Midrash tells us that there was once a servant of a Kohein. One day his master left town for some time. After a period of time, the servant went out to search for his master. He went to search in the local cemetery, asking the passerby if they had seen his master. He was then asked is your master not a Kohein? When he replied in the affirmative, they rebuked him, you fool! If your master is a Kohein, you will not find him amongst these graves. So too Pharaoh was searching for the all powerful living God, the God of all Gods, Hashem Yisborach in the cemetery, in the midst of the false, dead gods of the idol worshipers.

It was this attitude and response that led to the downfall of his kingdom. In the coming chapters we have the ten plagues which were brought upon Pharaoh and Egypt. This was in order to teach them the lesson, that all their gods were false, and there is none like Hashem in the entire world. His lack of recognizing the truth, led to his plummeting fall.

It is essential that we as Jews should surely realize that Hashem is an all powerful, single living god, and that the Torah He gave us is true. It cannot just be with an affirmation, for more is expected of us. We have to search him out, to connect to him, and become close to him. In the times of the Beis Hamikdash this was an easy task, all one had to do was come to Yerushalayim and see the wonders of the Beis Hamikdash, where one can feel the Shechina. Now that the Bayis is destroyed, Chazal say that Hashem can be found in the four Amos of Halacha(inside the Beis Hamedrash) which is compared to a Mikdash Me-at. It is there that we can get to know Hashem and become closer to him, through the learning of the Torah.

(Recommended reading- The beginning of the Halachos in the Mishna Breura on Chol Hamoed located in Chelek Vav. There the Chofetz Chaim explains that the purpose of having chol Hamoed is for a person to get close to Hashem through learning. It is a time set aside special for that, and just because Melacha is allowed, does not mean that it is a weekday. It is a special time, where it is more Mesugal (auspicious) to get closer to Hashem.)

ואם לא נטמאה האשה וטהרה היא ונקתה ונזרעה זרע (ה:כח).

“If she (the suspected Sotah, adulterous woman) was innocent then she will be exonerated and will be blessed with children” (5:28).

The Sotah goes through a fascinating investigative process. She drinks the bitter water. If she is guilty, then she becomes bloated and her body explodes in full view of all the people assembled. If she is innocent, she will live and is given a blessing for the rest of her life that she will be fruitful and produce strong and healthy children.

At first glance, both these two options seem hard to understand. They appear quite extreme. If she is guilty, why does the Torah dictate that she should perish so dramatically, could she not just die silently, why all of the fanfare and embarrassment? On the other hand, if she did not have relations with the man, why is she given such a great reward? Did we forget that she still went into seclusion with a man whom her husband warned her not to interact with, she is not that innocent? So why does the Torah give her such a great blessing?

The simple explanation is well known and after presenting it I would like to offer a deeper insight. The purpose of the Sotah’s dramatic death is so that people will see what happened to her and take a lesson to steer away from perversion. In fact, the Torah’s idea is that one who sees it will be inspired to accept Nazirus upon himself to help train himself to stay away from the distractions of the world! On the other hand, if she is innocent, her husband may be reluctant to take her back, thus, just as for the sake of peace Hashem allowed His name to be erased, so too Hashem offers the couple a great blessing as encouragement to bring them back to a peaceful union.

I believe it is deeper than this. Chazal (BM”R 9:12) say that adultery is one of the worst sins, as it shows a complete rebellion against the spouse and against Hashem’s boundaries. Therefore, if she is guilty, she (and the man involved who will die the same way as well) has made a statement that she does not want Hashem to be part of her live. There is no room in her heart for the Word of Hashem. But Hashem wants to enter our hearts and permeate our existence. So when His Holy Name is drunk by her a conflict arises. The holiness wants to expand and give to her, but her body is not interested. Perhaps this figurative spiritual friction is manifest by her physical explosion! She bursts because there is no way for Hashem to remain part of her!

The “innocent woman” on the other hand, true that she certainly is no righteous woman, as shown by her seclusion with a prohibited man, but at least she stopped herself! This is a message to Hashem that she is at least trying to improve! Thus, for her when the water enters her body, there is room to expand and the Word of Hashem brings the greatest blessings! Accordingly, she gets a great reward!

This is the way that Hashem set up the world, He wants to give and provide for us. He knocks on our doors and hearts desiring to give us only good. Our job is to open up and let Him in! Chazal in Berachos (42a and Rashi there) state, “immediately when you bring Talmidey Chachomim into your home, you will have many blessings!”

The water given to the Sotah was taken from the Kiyor, Lever, in the Beis HaMikdash. This device was made from the mirrors which the women donated. Moshe was reluctant to accept it until Hashem commanded him to. Those mirrors were used by the women in Egypt to adorn themselves to catch their husband’s attention so that they would build their families. This great Mitzvah that they performed is the beautiful act of building the Jewish home for Hashem. Their actions done L’shem Shemayim, for the sake of Heaven, were the strength and encouragement to keep the Nation alive! In the merit of the faithfulness of the women we were redeemed from Egypt!

The Sotah drinks from the Kiyor waters to point to the exact explanation as to what was expected of her. If Hashem was divorced from her heart, and she did not follow in her great grandmother’s footstep, then she will explode. If she wants to connect with Hashem and is beginning to put in effort to act like those great women, then she is blessed! The water manifests how she answered the question of “do you want Hashem part of your life or not?” We too must ask ourselves this question. When one recognizes that true service of Hashem brings genuine happiness and blessing, then he will open up and let Hashem in!

From where does the custom emerge for us to eat dairy products on Shavuos? In general, the entire Yom Tov seems preoccupied with food! “Everyone agrees that on Shavuos one needs to have physical enjoyment as well” (Pesachim 68b). The Karbon, sacrifice, of the Shney HaLechem, two breads, was brought as well, another hint to edibles. The Yom Tov is called “Chag HaKatzir”, the holiday of the harvest (of the grain in the field). It is most surprising that a Yom Tov celebrating our holy and spiritual Torah should have such a physical stress?! Shouldn’t we rather fast the entire day and separate from earthly drives? What does this all mean?

A fundamental and inspiring lesson lies behind all this! Chazal (Eruvin 54a) tell us that “this temporal world is like a wedding, one must grab and eat while the food is available”. The simple meaning of this dictum is that one must accomplish as much Torah and Mitzvos as he can while he is alive. There is another depth here as well. Why is this world like a wedding? Imagine that one attends the most exquisite and fancy Jewish wedding ever held. The hall and its ambience are breathtaking, the food is unbelievable, the fifty-piece band is heavenly and the guests are most distinguished! Interestingly, there is one short phrase that determines whether this event has any worth or not. The Groom must say the marriage pronouncement of “Harey Att Mikudeshes Li…, You are sanctified to me (as my wife)…” That is the most important element, worth more than any of the fanfare present. With it, we have experienced a breathtaking wedding. Without it, the entire event would be almost worthless! So too, this world is a beautiful party filled with all kinds of exciting delicacies, foods, music and enjoyment. Our job is to be “Mikadesh it”, to dedicate ourselves to sanctify and elevate it, by using it for the service of Hashem. We do not shun the world. We strive to use it as a conduit to thank Hashem. Hence, just as “you are holy to me” makes the wedding, so too, when we bring Hashem into the picture by elevating the mundane, we make the world!

When one partakes of a delicious meal, his body feels it very strongly and his emotions are stirred. He can take this elevation and use it to thank Hashem ever so passionately. Whereas, without this physical stimulation, he never would have risen to these grateful feelings. Thank You Hashem for giving me such delicious food and for creating such a graceful world. Thank You Hashem for my beautiful spouse and family and for all of the good which You bestow upon me to enjoy and savor. I recognize what You do for me and I wish to serve you better now! The world is a wedding and we are the Groom who sanctifies her!

With every one of the ten commandments that Hashem uttered, the world filled with a varied fragrant scent (Shabbos 88b). Why was this necessary? I suggest that this was precisely to show the significance of physical sensations and their importance to Torah observance. Hashem does not want us to negate our bodies and their feelings. He wanted to keep our nerve endings stimulated in order to show us that a Torah Jew knows how to use this world to draw inspiration and closeness to Him through his pleasurable experiences.

The Angels in Heaven wanted the Torah, but Moshe fought for us to get it. Moshe said that only physical can properly keep the Torah. We have the opportunity to elevate our physicality. humans

It is well understood now why the Tashbaitz states that we learn many laws regarding a wedding specifically from Matan Torah. Indeed this was the wedding between Hashem and us in a very deep way!

Shavuos is the Holiday that Hashem states that He wishes for us to eat and enjoy pleasures for ourselves. This is to teach us that the entire foundation of our service of Hashem does not focus on self-denial or torture. Rather, it revolves around taking enjoyments and using them to grow closer to Hashem. To grow in our gratitude and appreciate of what He has given to us.

Milk represents a mother’s care for her baby. It is the most nourishing and delicious substance that a mother can offer her child. It is a vehicle of love and closeness from which a mother and child form a close bond. We are enjoined to partake in milk products as a reminder that Shavuos is a time to feel Hashem’s love for us. It is a time to partake of earth’s delights and to thereby elevate and be Mikadesh, sanctify, them by letting them bring out our warm appreciation and feelings towards Hashem.

The lesson is vital and relevant. Our bodies have feelings and through them we can draw close to Hashem. It is specifically for this Holiday that we find food stressed repeatedly. For it is in this Shavuos celebration of our accepting the Torah that we acknowledge the importance of our bodies. May we be inspired this Shavuos as we take in all of the enjoyment that Hashem brings us. May we recognize how much He cares for us. The dairy products hint to the ultimate nourishment and care that one has for their children. We are Hashem’s people and we will smile when we say “cheese” at our fantastic wedding with Hashem!

שאו את ראש כל עדת בני ישראל… (א:ב).

“Count all of the Jews…” (1:2).

Chazal (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:11) tell us that there are ten times in Jewish history that the Jews were counted. The first was when Yaakov and his family went down to Egypt with seventy people. The last counting will take place at the time of Moshiach. The Ramban states that there was a specific purpose and reason for each census. One was for the appointment of a new leader and one followed a large calamity, etc. However, he asks, in this instance, he cannot understand for what purpose Hashem desired a counting?! I would like to share and develop his most enlightening answer with you.

At this point in Jewish history, the Jews were finally free from Egypt, they were given the Torah and were on their way to Eretz Yisrael. Everything was great! The reason that Hashem counted them now was precisely for the purpose of showing them and letting them know their own number. This would help them appreciate all of the great kindness and love which Hashem had bestowed upon them in building them up from a small group of seventy meager people to a grand established nation of six hundred thousand able-bodied men! He wanted them to be moved to recognize Him by contemplating their present large population, which Hashem had developed and built!

Indeed, this is a powerful lesson for life. When we take a step back and take in all of the good that Hashem has provided us with, we are left inspired and recharged!

Chazal tell us that the באר, wellspring, that supplied water in the desert, came in the merit of Miriam. Chazal also tell us that this spring traveled with them and created an intricate water system that delivered water to every single tent individually. In what merit did Miriam bring this life giving arrangement, and why did it come to every door, could they not have went to a central place to receive it? Chazal (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:2) tell us that she earned this tool as a reward for leading the women in song at the time of the miracle of the splitting of the Yam Suf. She wanted to insure that every single person from Klal Yisrael expressed gratitude to Hashem. Thus, Hashem correspondingly granted her water that would allow every Jew to thank Hashem at all times once again!

The Woman of Valor is described as “her mouth opens with wisdom; the teachings of kindness are on her tongue” (Mishley 31:26). The Ralbag provides a beautiful insight in translating this verse. This special and spiritually sensitive woman builds her home on two foundations. Firstly, wisdom and secondly, kindness. Wisdom means the unrelenting dedication to following Hashem’s Torah. Kindness means that she teaches her children to see and recognize all of the kindness that Hashem bestows upon them. She lives her life to thank Hashem. Rav Shlomo Wolbe says that these precise ingredients insure a home’s success. When we create an atmosphere of the love of Torah and appreciation for all of Hashem’s gifts, we will have beauty and success in our home.

Indeed, this is the important lesson of why Hashem counted the Jews then. He set them up in a precise encampment arrangement and now He wanted them to recognize how much he did for them. Let us see all that Hashem does for us and let our hearts and mouths sing His praise!

The Chazal ask why is it that we find in a parshah primarily containing the subject of the mishkan however we find that the parshah begins with details of Shabbos, why? The Chazal teach us that building the mishkan is not permitted on Shabbos. That is visible since the pasukim of Shabbos are put before the mishkan that the nature of their observance should correlate to the pasukim.

This idea teaches us a great deal about Shabbos and the mishkan and how they are connected. We can apply a very well known thought that the Ramban says in regards to the pushing off of a positive mitzvah when it conflicts with a negative mitzvah. The law is that the positive mitzvah pushes off the negative mitzvah. Says the Ramban this is the idea that ahavah (love) comes before yirah (fear). In our case this law is not applicable because Shabbos is not only a negative mitzvah but it also is a positive mitzvah, while the mishkan is only a positive mitzvah. It is a well known notion that we do not push off a mitzvah that is both positive and negative when we have a positive mitzvah at hand. If that is so why must the Torah order the pasukim in a way that we know that the worship of the mishkan is in fact secondary to Shabbos, shouldn’t that be simple? You can answer this question in two ways. We know that under normal circumstances the mitzvos that are only positive do not push off those which are both positive and negative, however since the actual worship of the mishkan is permitted on Shabbos we may think that its building is as well. The prohibitions on Shabbos consist of the actions used to build the mishkan not the actual worship that was performed on a daily basis. The other way to answer this question can teach us a great lesson. You may think that love (positive mitzvos) supersedes fear (negative mitzvos) but the combination of love and fear is superior to love alone. That means our relationship between Hashem consists of several attributes. The connection between us and Hashem through fear alone is comparable to a Master and his slave. The slave performs his duty due to fear of the wrath of the Master. While he may perform his duties perfectly he does it because he must do it. The connection between us and Hashem through love is comparable to a Father and his child. The child does what the father asks of him only because he loves to do all that he asks of him. While the child truly wants to do the action for the father he lacks the trepidation that would enable him to approach his father with proper respect. You may ask if the child always loves to carry out the will of his father then why would he need to fear his father? If he does something he loves he will come to appreciate his father and respect him accordingly. It is well known that true judgment is not revealed to us in this world. The world could not stand with pure judgment. This world limits our ability to see the totality of the events that take place therefore we cannot always express love whole heartedly since we cannot always express such a strong conviction in doing something we cannot understand. Those difficult times where the love of Hashem is harder to express is why we need to have fear. For the small fragments of light that is concealed from our eyes we must respond with acceptance to that which we cannot understand. Perhaps that is what Shabbos is. Shabbos is the complete revelation of the will of Hashem as it should be seen always. Shabbos is a glimpse to the future of what fruits await us in the World to Come. The presence of both the fear and love for Hashem is sewn together to grow together. Shabbos provides us with the ability to see the things we have missed and savor the precious jewels of closeness with Hashem. The mishkan is a place that provides the People of Yisroel with the ability to see the divine presence in a way that is not visible in any other place. Shabbos enables the whole world to be visible to us for one day. That is why the pasukim regarding Shabbos are put before the ones about the mishkan so that we may be able to learn this fundamental idea. We should all be merited with the ability to bind our love and fear together in our worship and see the day when Shabbos will last forever!

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Today’s Question: Saved By A Wife

Who are the two men in Tanach that had their lives saved by a woman and afterwards married her?

Yesterday’s Question: Ahava and Yirah

Why is it that with regards to the love of God it is called “Ahavas Hashem,” whereas in regards to the fear of God, it is called “Yiras Shemayim”? Why does one focus on Hashem Himself and the other refers to the Heavens?

Our Answer:

We began our new series with a discussion of “Raishis Chochma Yiras Hashem, the start of knowledge is the fear of Hashem” (Tehillim 111:10)!

The Talmud Yerushalmi (Berachos 67a) states that one should both love God and fear Him. It explains that one without the other is insufficient. The reason is that, “a lover does not come to hate, and a fearer does not come to kick!” The explanation is that if one has fear, this deters a relationship and closeness, thus one can end up hating, but with love, there is a true and lasting relationship. When one has love though this can cause one to be extremely comfortable and can break down the proper parameters of respect. Thus Chazal teach us to develop both a loving relationship with Hashem and a fearful respect as well.

This says the Maharal (Derech Chaim 1:4) is hinted by the exact difference of expression which our question took note of. Ahavas Hashem is the approach of love. This focuses on our closeness to God himself. Thus Ahavas Hashem! Yirah, fear, is the buffer-zone that maintains the respect and does not overstep the appropriate boundaries, thus it contains the word Shemayim, heaven, to show that He is still far and removed from us. Only with the development of both feelings can one be called a true Servant of God!

Why is it that with regards to the love of God it is called “Ahavas Hashem” whereas in regards to the fear of God it is called “Yiras Shemayim”? Why does one focus on Hashem Himself and the other refers to the Heavens?