Parshas HaChodesh 5631 Second Ma'amar + Practical Application

Chazal[1] relate a story about the Tanna, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach.  After the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach went to a a certain city expecting his students to follow him. They didn’t. Alone in a city known for its decadence, he forgot his Torah learning. When he had the opportunity to read from a Torah, instead of reading, “הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם/This month is for you,”[2] he transposed the letters and read, “הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם/Their hearts were deaf”, a seemingly innocuous mistake.  The Chiddushei HaRim[3], however, understands that this was not an innocuous mistake.  The mistake was actually a hint to Rebbi Elazar to leave the city.

The Chiddushei HaRim understands this from a Midrash[4] which implies that the leaders of Israel either have the power to lead the people and steer them onto the right path or are led by them and fall.  Rebbi Elazar understood the words that he mistakenly said as applying to the inhabitants of the city of his exile.  He understood that he would not be able to improve them, would be drawn after their evil ways and should therefore leave. 

The Sfas Emes gives another interpretation to this story.  The new moon/month symbolizes renewal.  The words for month and new are the same, חֹדֶשׁ and  חָדָשׁ, respectively.  In order to experience the light of renewal, the Sfas Emes explains, we first must experience the darkness of deafness.

We could only experience God’s revelation at the redemption from Egypt, after having first experienced the darkness of His concealment in the exile.  In fact, we define exile and redemption as God’s concealment and revelation respectively.  The redemption is simply a removal of the screen that conceals God.  We merited this renewal of our relationship with God by first living through and bearing His concealment.

This idea underlies the need for the four kingdoms – Babylon, Medes, Greece, Rome – before the final redemption.  Each one the four kingdoms is a rectification of some aspect or aspects of God’s concealment.  A complete rectification will manifest at the ultimate redemption as, “מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל־עֹלָמִים .../Your kingdom is a kingdom spanning all worlds …”[5], the culmination of the historical process.

Rebbi Elazar ben Arach went to the city knowing that the inhabitants were on a low spiritual level.  He did so in order to be able to find renewal after living in an atmosphere of God’s concealment.

The Zohar[6] as well teaches us that purity implies a preceding period of impurity.  Attaining purity from a state of impurity means that the mask hiding God is removed.  We find this in the following pasuk, “מִי־יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד/Who can produce purity from impurity?  No one!”[7]  The Midrash[8] translates this pasuk as, “Who produces purity from impurity?  Is it not the One?”  God produces purity from impurity by removing the screen that hides Himself.

Revelation of God means that we subordinate ourselves to Him.  This is also symbolized by the ashes of the red heifer.  We only attain purity when we are sprinkled with the ashes of the red heifer.  When we subordinate ourselves and our own desires for God’s, we “connect” to Him and attain a state of purity.

When purity is reached we are open to a renewed relationship with God.  This is the meaning of the pasuk, “לֵב טָהוֹר בְּרָא־לִי אֱ־לֹהִים וְרוַּח נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי/Create pure heart for me, Lord, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  First David HaMelech asks God for purity - revelation.  This naturally leads to a desire for renewal.

Parshas Parah representing attainment of purity from within an impure state therefore precedes Parshas HaChodesh representing spiritual renewal.  May we merit it! 

Practical Application

The cycles of God’s concealment and revelation are a part of the natural order of the world.  We see it everywhere.  No one can keep going constantly upward.  We need to sleep and rest to become rejuvenated.  Economic cycles show periods of decline and renewal.  A seed must first rot for the tree to grow from it.

If we find ourselves in a situation that is not to our liking, if chas vesholom, we are having parnassah challenges, health challenges or any other situation in which we are in pain, we should know that we living through a process at the end of which is God’s revelation and spiritual renewal.  Internalizing this idea is very helpful for not getting into a panic.  Hatzlacha!

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[1] Shabbos 147b

[2] Shmos 12:2

[3] Sefer HaZchus Shlach s.f. Slach lecha

[4] Shmos R. 27:9

[5] Tehillim 145:13

[6] Zohar 2:69b

[7] Iyov 14:4

[8] Bamidbar R. 19:1

Bo 5631 Second Ma'amar - Practical Application

This essay is based on Bo 5631 Second Ma’amar.  Clicking on the previous words will bring you to the ma’amar on the blog.

Even after seven plagues had decimated Egypt, Pharaoh’s resolve had not weakened.  On the one hand, the plagues were a clear indication that God was in control, a tremendous revelation.  On the other hand, why had the redemption not yet come?

The Midrash explains that the nation did not deserve to be redeemed because we had not yet forsaken idolatry.  In fact, we deserved to be destroyed.  Since we could not be redeemed on our own merit, God orchestrated a series of events which would be Pharaoh’s undoing.  Unless Pharaoh deserved to be destroyed more than we did the redemption would not have come. 

God therefore told Moshe at the beginning of the parsha, “... בֹּא אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כִּי־אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת־לִבּוֹ .../Come to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart …”  In effect, God is telling Moshe not to be concerned that the redemption has not yet arrived.  “I am the one who has hardened Pharaoh’s heart for the good of the nation, in order to bring about the redemption.”

This is a powerful lesson for us.  Many is the time that we find ourselves in difficult situations.  We wonder why God is doing this to us?  Why are things not working out the way we expected them to?  Why is God not helping us?  The story of the plagues and Pharaoh’s hardened heart teaches us that God is always helping us.  He always has our best interests in mind.  Even if we do not understand it, we can understand that everything that happens to us is ultimately for our own benefit.

This is a difficult lesson to put into practice.  When we’re in the throes of a crisis, the last thing we want to hear is that this is good for us!  Usually, we’re trying to find the way out of the mess.  We are not interested in hearing someone’s “mussar”.  

And, of course, it’s important to be sensitive to a person’s pain even if it is ultimately for his benefit.  Many years ago a friend of mine was in a terrible car accident in which his mother died (lo aleinu).  He was driving and was also hurt and hospitalized.  One of the visitors told him that he needs to do teshuva. That’s a pretty extreme case of insensitivity. 

Because it is difficult to put into practice during a crisis, it is crucial to be prepared emotionally and spiritually before any crisis arises.  The way to prepare is to strengthen our faith that everything that happens to us is from God and that He always has our best interests in mind even if we don’t understand it.

How can we strengthen our faith?  Here is a technique that has worked for me.  During the course of your day, take note of everything that happens.  As events occur, say, “This is from Hashem.”  I know people who are constantly thanking God.  All day long, “Thank you Hashem!”  If, for example, you are driving and are stopped by a police officer, before even talking to him, say, “I know that this is a test of faith.  It is from you.  The cop is only your tool.”

Then, fortified with this idea that has become second nature, when a serious crisis arises, you are prepared for it.  You have the tools to cope with it.  And sometimes if we merit it, we even get to see the personal “redemption”.  Then all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place and we understand why things had to happen the way they did and how we benefited because of it.  Sometimes we don’t merit this and we take it on faith anyway.

May God help us to realize that everything that happens to us is from Him and for our benefit, that God wants only the best for each of us.  He wants us to succeed and experience Him.  May we merit it!

Va'Eira 5631 First Ma'amar - Practical Application

This essay is based on Va’Eira 5631 First Ma’amar.  Clicking on the previous words will bring you to the ma’amar on the blog.

The Sfas Emes teaches us that in addition to influencing the world around us, our actions have spiritual ramifications as well.  By influencing the spiritual we indirectly influence the physical, too.  For example, the Nefesh HaChayim writes that a Jew who sins is much worse than what the evil Titus did in the Beis HaMikdash.  What Titus did had no spiritual ramifications.  It was a localized act.  A Jew who sins influences himself and the world in ways that he cannot begin to understand.

The Sfas Emes therefore concludes that it is unwise to rely on our own thought processes no matter how strongly we believe that we’ve arrived at the truth.  Instead, we need to submit to the source of wisdom, God’s will and word.

The Midrash in this week’s parsha discusses the mistakes of Shlomo HaMelech and Moshe Rabbeinu because they relied on their own intellect.  Shlomo HaMelech took more wives than the Torah allows a king.  Moshe Rabbeinu complains to God for the deterioration of the nation’s situation after he spoke with Pharaoh.

The Sfas Emes explains that at the time, neither Shlomo HaMelech nor Moshe Rabbeinu thought they were doing something wrong.  Shlomo said that his connection with God will protect him from being influenced by his wives.  Moshe Rabbeinu had an expectation that the nation would be saved without being further afflicted.

Both Shlomo HaMelech and Moshe Rabbeinu learned that decisions they made based on their own wisdom, decisions which appeared strongly to them to be correct when they were made, turned out to be wrong.  When they gained more wisdom, they realized that their original actions were based on flawed thinking.  The lesson for us is that we can never be sure of our own wisdom since our current outlook may prove incorrect when we gain more wisdom.

How do we know, though, what God’s will is?  First, in principle, actions that do not coincide with the Halacha are never God’s will.

But what about the less obvious.  What if you need to make a decision, as I do right now, about where to send your son for high school?  Your have a choice between several Yeshivos, all fine institutions.  What about a decision about what neighborhood to live in?  How do we align ourselves with God’s will when guidance cannot be found in the Shulchan Aruch?

The Sfas Emes makes an incredible statement.  He teaches that we align ourselves with God’s will by subordinating our own intellectual faculty to the will of God - even if we don’t know what the will of God is.  By making a conscious decision to subordinate our own will to His, we receive His help in making the decision that is in alignment with His will.

When we do this, our actions have positive ramifications far beyond our limited view of them.  I think it was Rav Elchanan Wasserman who told encouraged people where he lived, that if the Jews of Eastern Europe refrained from speaking lashon hara, the Jews in Paris will refrain from chilul Shabbos.

Therefore, before taking any decision, it seems like a good idea to tell God that you want to achieve His will through your decision and ask Him to open your eyes and enlighten you as to the correct decision that is aligned with His will.