The first Midrash[1] on
this week's parsha explains a pasuk in Mishlei (15:4) "מרפא לשון עץ חיים/A soothing tongue is a tree of life." Certainly speaking soothingly to someone has
a positive effect and depending on the situation can truly be a lifesaver. Chazal, however, understood this pasuk as
referring to Torah. "עץ חיים/A tree of life", alludes to the Torah. The Zohar[2]
explains that just as the trunk of a tree gives life to all the parts that hang
from it, the Torah gives life to everything that exists. Everything that exists "hangs" from
the Torah. This is because God first
created the Torah and then used it to create the world[3].
The Torah is more
than words written on parchment. The
Torah is a powerful spiritual force that permeates the Creation. Every part of the Creation contains a spark
of holiness, a spark of the Torah. In
this sense, the world is akin to a garment or covering that contains the Torah.
This concept applies
to everything in existence including the nations of the world and their
languages. The seventy languages of the
nations are also creations. When the
Torah is explained in a language other than the holy tongue, that language
becomes like a garment and a vehicle for the Torah. The holiness of the Torah shines out through that
language and the language itself is affected and is elevated. In this sense, Chazal interpret the pasuk in Mishlei
as, "The Torah heals the tongue - languages." It is for this reason that Chazal[4]
permitted the Torah to be written in all languages (as opposed to Tefillin and
Mezuzos which are permitted in the holy tongue only.)
This is the reason
that Moshe Rabbeinu interpreted the Torah into seventy languages as we find, "... הואיל משה באר את התורה הזאת .../… Moshe began to explain this Torah …" (Devarim 1:5) Rashi on this pasuk explains that Moshe
Rabbeinu interpreted the Torah in seventy languages. The languages already contained a spark of
holiness. Everything in this world
contains some holiness. By translating
the Torah into the seventy languages, the enlightenment of the Torah elevated those
those languages and made them usable for holiness. In effect, Moshe Rabbeinu unlocked the
languages of the nations for holiness.
The Sfas Emes applies
this concept to each of us. As we've
said, everything in the Creation contains a spark of the Torah. It must in order to exist. Certainly a member of the nation of Israel has a
strong spark; he has a nefesh/soul within him. Our nefesh/soul is just one part of
our soul. It is the lowest part, in a
manner of speaking. It is attached to
the ruach/spirit. The ruach/spirit,
in turn, is connected to the neshama/soul. The two higher parts of the soul do not reside
within us. Instead, they can be
understood as connecting us to the highest spiritual realms.
The Sfas Emes teaches
that by introspecting and accepting the holiness within ourselves, we merit
additional holiness that comes from without.
He learns this from another pasuk in Mishlei (5:15) "שתה מים מבורך ונוזלים מתוך
בארך/Drink water from your own
cistern, and flowing water from your own well." A well differs from a cistern in that a well
contains water that flows from elsewhere whereas a cistern's water is static. The pasuk is teaching us that our nefesh/soul
that resides within us is static until we introspect and receive its holiness,
until we drink from its waters. Then it
becomes like a well whose waters flow through it from elsewhere. We then receive enlightenment from outside
ourselves, from the highest spiritual realms, from the throne of glory, the Shechina.
No comments:
Post a Comment