Mas'ei 5634 First Ma'amar

The Midrash[1] on this week’s parsha states a Halacha regarding cities of refuge.  Beis Din is required to post signs so that people who have killed know how to reach the cities.  The Midrash cites a pasuk regarding this, “טוב וישר ה׳ על כן יורה חטאים בדרך/Good and upright is God; He therefore guides sinners on the way.” (Tehillim 25:8) 

The Hebrew word for sinners is חוטאים.  Why does the pasuk use the word חטאים/sins instead?  In fact, Chazal note this in another pasuk in Tehillim (104:35), “יתמו חטאים מן הארץ .../Sinners will cease from the land …”  The Talmud[2] relates that Rebbi Meir lived in a rough neighborhood. Thugs bothered him and he prayed for their demise.  His wife Bruria castigated him saying that he should instead pray that they repent because the pasuk does not call for the demise of the sinners, rather for the end of sin – Sins will cease from the land.  Clearly, our pasuk as well is referring to sins and not sinners.  But what, then, is the meaning of our pasuk.  In what way does God guide sins?  Are sins entities that can be guided?

Chazal[3] teach us that when one sins, a spiritual entity is created that works to that person’s detriment.  Punishment for sin is not only because a person rebelled against God.  Punishment is a direct consequence of the sin.  The sin causes the punishment, through the spiritual entity it creates, in a very real and direct way.  Therefore, even when there is no rebellion against God such as when a person commits a sin unwittingly, that sin still needs rectification to get rid of the spiritual entity created by the sin.  This is the reason that a person who kills someone without intent is exiled.  Exile is the rectification for the sin of killing without intent.

Why is exile the rectification for killing without intent?  The Chiddushei HaRim explains.  An exile recognizes that he has no place to be.  A person who killed someone, essentially, removed him from this world.  As a result that person is punished by losing his place in this world as well.  If the person killed with intent, he is killed.  If he killed without intent, he is exiled.  Exile is also a form of removing the exile from his place.  Paradoxically, when a person realizes what he did to another person and comes to the conclusion that he, as well, has lost his privilege to a place in this world, God’s grants him a place albeit in exile.

Rav Moshe Cordeveiro in his work Tomer Devorah[4] states that nothing can exist without shefa from God.  How then does the spiritual entity that the sin created exist?  God can say to the spiritual entity to go to the one who created it and live off him.  This would cause incredible suffering for that person.  Instead, God, in his great kindness, gives shefa to the spiritual entity created by the sin allowing the sinner time to repent.  This is the meaning of our pasuk, “... יורה חטאים בדרך .../… He guides ‘sins’ on the way …”  May we merit using the space God has given us to rectify our sins and return to Him.  Amen!

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[1] Bamidbar R. 23:13

[2] Brachos 10a

[3] Avos 4:11

[4] Tomer Devorah Chapter 1, ד"ה הב' – נושא עון.  He explains that this is the meaning of נושא עון/carrying sin.  God in his mercy carries the sin so that the sinner is not destroyed by it thereby giving him a chance to repent.

Matos 5634 Second Ma'amar

The laws of vows at the beginning of this week's parsha teach us the power of speech.    

Through vows the Torah gave us the ability to give our verbal commitments the power of a biblical prohibition.  For example, we can vow that apples are prohibited to us.  When a person makes such a vow, apples become prohibited to him just as non-kosher animals are prohibited to him.  This applies only the nation of Israel.  What is the nature of this power of speech and how can we use it in serving God?

The prohibition that a person transgresses when he violates his vow is, "לא יחל דברו ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה/… he shall not profane his words; everything that comes out of his mouth, he shall do." (Bamidbar 30:3)  Why does the Torah use the word, "profane"?  Why not simply state that he may not do something that is against what he said?  Rashi explains that the pasuk is telling us that one who made a vow may not make his words חולין/unholy.  We can infer from Rashi that a person's words are inherently holy.  If he does not respect his verbal commitment, he is making light of the inherent holiness in his speech.

The power of our speech, then, comes from the holiness that is inherent in it.

The Sfas Emes teaches that, because of this holiness inherent in our speech, we can use our power of speech to bring ourselves close to God through words of Torah.  In fact, this is the reason that God requires us to say Kri'as Shma twice daily.  This is also the reason that Chazal instituted Brachos and Tefillos.  All these are tools that capitalize on the power of speech in order to bring us closer to God.

However, this only works if we respect the holiness in our speech.  When we honor our commitments and use our power of speech for Torah and mitzvos instead of transgressions, we are showing respect for the holiness of speech.

To the extent that we respect the holiness of our speech, our Kri'as Shma, Tefillos and Brachos bring us closer to God.  More than this, to the extent that we respect this holiness by guarding our tongue we merit being able to honor all our verbal commitments.  This is because our commitments and prayers for God's help are more powerful.  The commitment itself is a power that helps to actualize it.  

Mas'ei 5633 Second Ma'amar

Is it wise to commit totally to something even if you doubt that you'll be able to carry out that commitment?  The Chiddushei HaRim answers this question affirmatively.  He couches his teaching in terms of serving God.  The Chiddushei HaRim advises us to dedicate ourselves so completely to God that we will not forget Him for an instant.  We are encouraged to make this commitment even though many of us may know that we are not on this level.  Still, reaching beyond our capabilities helps us to reach higher levels than we would have reached otherwise.

The Chiddushei HaRim learns this from the commandment in this week's parsha to divide the entire land amongst the tribes.[1]  History bears out that this never happened.  The nation never totally conquered the land of Israel.  What then, was the point of this commandment?  Why did God command us to do something that He knew we would not be able to do?

The Chiddushei HaRim answers that this teaches us the importance of making a total commitment.  The Sfas Emes adds that God knew that we would leave Canaanites in the land.  Still, He wanted us to make the commitment to wipe them out completely.  Chazal[2] teach us that when the nation was standing on the dry riverbed of the Jordan, we were given the choice of making the commitment to totally conquer the land and pass safely on or of not making that commitment and being washed away; this, even though it was certainly clear to God that we would not totally destroy the inhabitants of the land.

The Sfas Emes teaches that even though we did not live up to the commitment completely, the very fact that we made the commitment enables us to achieve it in the future.  

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[1] Bamidbar 34:2

[2] Sota 34a