The Zohar on this week’s parsha states that the world can
only exist when there is peace in the Creation.[1] What is “peace in the Creation?” What is so important about peace that the
world’s very existence is contingent upon it?
To answer these questions we first need to define peace. According to the Sfas Emes peace and unity
are synonymous. The opposite of peace is
separation and disparateness. Before the
Creation, there was only the unity of God.
In fact, the Sfas Emes defines creation as disparateness. It is what God created. But how can this be? As some Rishonim[2] have asked, how is the
existence of disparateness, which implies outside of or separate from God, possible?
The answer, the Sfas Emes teaches, is that disparateness only
implies “outside of God” if we assume that each creation has an autonomous
existence. Each creation, though, is
really just a manifestation of God’s will.
There is unity, and therefore peace, in the Creation when each component
of it is fulfilling God’s will with no ulterior personal motives. The Sfas Emes understands this from Chazal’s[3] explanation of the pasuk in
Iyov (25:2) “... עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו/…
He makes peace in His high places.”
Chazal explain that the spiritual entity governing water and that
governing fire make peace and work together in order to fulfill the will of
God. Even though fire and water are
opposites, they are united in fulfilling God’s will. Paradoxically, they are at peace with each other.
The very first time the entire Creation worked as one to
fulfill God’s will, was at the completion of the Creation on the first
Shabbos. When all parts of the Creation work
in harmony to achieve God’s will, the Creation is at peace. We learn this concept from the Zohar in this
week’s parsha which states that in order for the Creation to continue to exist,
God introduced peace into it.[4] How?
By creating Shabbos.
The righteous as well, by subordinating their personal
desires in favor of God’s, are proliferating peace in the world thereby
sustaining it. Shabbos represents the
ultimate tool for subordinating our desires in favor of God’s since the essence
of Shabbos is refraining from physically creative activity. We thus subordinate ourselves to God. As we’ve said, this is the very definition of
peace.
This concept gives us a deep understanding of a Midrash[5] in this week’s parsha that
explains Korach’s sin. The Midrash cites
a pasuk in Mishlei (18:19) “אָח נִפְשָׁע מִקִּרְיַת־עֹז .../A
criminal brother (who destroys) a city of strength …”[6] The criminal brother is Korach. The word עֹז/strength, the Midrash tells us, refers to
the Torah as in the pasuk from Tehillim (29:11), “ה' עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן ה' יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם/God will give
strength to His nation; God will bless His nation with peace.” The Targum as well, translates the pasuk as,
“God will give the Torah to His nation …”.
The Midrash says that Korach committed a crime against the Torah.
Korach wanted to be the high priest. He wanted the opportunity to serve God as
best he thought he could. Korach,
however, was not completely altruistic.
It is true that he wanted to serve God better, and that’s commendable
and noble. But since his motives were
selfish as well, he was not promoting peace; he was fighting it. This is why the Zohar tells us that Korach
fought against peace.[7]
What crime did Korach commit against the Torah, though? From what we’ve seen, his crime was against
peace rather than against the Torah. The
Sfas Emes learns the answer from the pasuk in Mishlei that the Midrash
cites. In order to understand the pasuk
though, we first need to know that the Torah is the embodiment of God’s will in
the Creation and through it the world exists.
The Zohar teaches that God created the world with the Torah.[8] It is the source of the Creation and as the
source, represents the unity of the Creation.
When we express our subordination to God’s will by keeping
Shabbos, thus spreading peace in the world, the entire Creation is elevated
towards the source, the Torah. Shabbos
and peace, then, lead towards the Torah.
The pasuk is very exact.
עֹז/Strength
refers to the Torah. קִרְיַת־עֹז/City of strength, the
Sfas Emes explains, refers to Shabbos and peace. Just as the city is the mechanism for
cultivating and projecting strength, so too, Shabbos and peace are the
mechanisms for cultivating and projecting the Torah. They are the preparations for the Torah, the
projection of God’s will in this world.
By fighting peace, Korach was ultimately against the Torah as well.
Korach’s argument with Moshe Rabbeinu, noble as it was in
terms of his wanting to serve God better, was doomed because his motives were
selfish. In Avos we learn that an
argument whose motives are completely altruistic – for the sake of Heaven –
will survive.[9] This is because both sides of the argument,
even though they are at odds with each other, are pure expressions of God’s
will, just as each disparate component of the Creation is a pure manifestation
of God’s will. Water and fire are at
odds with each other and yet each is a pure expression of God’s will. This is why we still mention Shamai’s views
in his arguments with Hillel. Shamai was
totally altruistic. As such, his views
are a pure manifestation of God’s will to the same extent as Hillel’s
views. Even though they argued, they
were united in a common cause and brought peace to the world.
If Korach were completely altruistic, he would have realized
his mistake and he would have changed his tune.
Since his motives were selfish, he did not realize his mistake and did
not change his mind. His fate was sealed
and he lost everything.
We learn from this some very practical advice. When there is an argument, unless it is
completely altruistic, it is doomed. If
it is completely altruistic, it is an expression of God’s will and will paradoxically
always lead to peace and unity. If we
want to grow in serving God and our motives are not totally altruistic, we
cannot be involved in argument.
[1] Zohar 3:176a-b
[2]
Chovos Halevavos Shaar
Hayichud 7-10; Moreh Nevuchim 1:51-53; Sefer HaIkrim 2:8,11,13
[3] Bahir 9/11
[4] Zohar ibid.
[5] Bamidbar R. 18:14
[6] Translation according to
Rashi ad loc. The simple translation
though is, “(Better) a criminal brother than a city of strength.”
[7] Zohar ibid.
[8] Zohar Introduction 1:5a
[9] Avos 5:17
No comments:
Post a Comment