Yisro 5635 Second Ma'amar

"אנכי ה' א-להיך .../I am God your Lord …" (Shmos 20:2)  Thus begins the Ten Commandments.  Even though there is a debate among the commentaries as to whether this statement is counted as one of the mitzvos, it clearly is not written as a command like the commandments that follow.  It is written as declaration.  God declares that He is the God of Israel.  

This declaration lends added gravity to the next commandment, "לא יהיה לך אלהים אחרים על פני/You shall not have other gods before Me." (Shmos 20:3)  Similarly God says through the prophet, "העם המכעיסים אותי על פני .../The nation that angers Me, before Me." (Yeshaya 65:3)  The nation did not simply anger God.  They angered God before Him.  We are judged more harshly because He is our God and we are His subjects.

As His subjects, we are charged with spreading His kingdom.  How?  We need not go out and proselytize.  All we need to do is accept His kingship upon ourselves.  To the extent that we accept God's rule, His kingship is revealed to the rest of the world.  The pasuk tells us that God wants us to be a, "ממלכת כהנים/kingdom of priests." (Shmos 19:6)  In this context, the word "priests" means the officers who surround the king and sustain him before his nation.  We too, by accepting the yoke of Heaven at Mount Sinai, spread God's kingship, as it were, to the entire world.  We are thus God's "officers".  Chazal[1] as well state that the nations of the world recognized God.

The world was rectified when we accepted the Torah.  This is because our accepting God's kingship caused God's kingship to be revealed to the entire world.

The sole exception was the nation of Amalek.  Amalek recognized our greatness and God's kingship and rebelled.  If it were not for Amalek, the rectification that resulted from our accepting the Torah would have been complete as it will be at the final redemption.  Because of Amalek's rebellion, God declared that His throne is not complete[2].  This means that His revelation was not complete.  Amalek represented an alternative to recognizing God's kingship.  We are therefore required to hate Amalek.  

In order for the rectification to be complete God will blot out Amalek's name.  Then, there will be no alternative to God's kingship and His throne, representing His revelation, will be complete.  This is why all the nations will have a part in the future redemption except for Amalek, "אחריתו עדי אובד/His end will be everlasting destruction." (Bamidbar 24:20)

May we merit being a kingdom of "priests" - the King's officers.

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[1] Menachos 110a

[2] Tanchuma Ki Seitzei 11 (quoted by Rashi end of Parshas BeShalach)

BeShalach 5632 First Ma'amar

“דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֻׁבוּ ויחנו לפני פי החירות/Speak to the children of Israel and they will return and encamp before the mouth of Chiros (lit. Freedom)” (Shmos 14:2)  The children of Israel had left Egypt three days earlier.  God commands Moshe Rabbeinu to instruct the nation to turn around and head back towards the Egyptians.  Pharaoh will think that the nation has lost its way in the desert and will be goaded into pursuing them.  When he confronts the nation of Israel, God will destroy him and the Egyptians.  The obvious question as we read these p’sukim is, “Why?”  What was to be gained by returning?  If God wanted to destroy the Egyptian army, He certainly had ample opportunity to do so before.

The Sfas Emes answers that God wanted us in a situation that would require His direct intervention to save us so that we would then sing praise to God.  The Exodus was not enough for this.  The Exodus was the fulfillment of God's promise to our forefathers.  While we, of course, would be thankful, we would not feel the need to burst out in spontaneous song upon our leaving in Egypt and in fact, we did not do so.  The splitting of the sea and the destruction of the Egypt army before our very eyes in what can only be described as a clear miracle was something else.  This was totally unexpected.

However, this begs the question.  Why did God want us in a situation in which we would sing His praise?  To answer this question we need to understand what was accomplished through the Exodus.  The primary purpose of the Exodus, the Sfas Emes teaches, was to rectify a flaw in the Creation.  The physical world hides God.  At least once in the history of mankind, God needed to reveal Himself so that mankind would know that He created the world.  This He did at the Exodus through a direct and unambiguous intervention in history and events.

This is the reason first commandment of the Ten Commandments describes God as the One who took us out of Egypt and not as the One who created the world.  His direct intervention in the events leading up to our leaving Egypt, events that our entire nation as well as the entire nation of Egypt experienced, is the proof that He created the world.[1]

What then was the purpose of the splitting of the sea?  The splitting of the sea teaches us that we can have a higher level interaction with God.  God split the sea in response to our prayers to teach us that as a result of our good deeds, God will relate to us in a way that is totally not bound by nature.  Conventionally, we view miracles as a suspension of the natural order that happen in an unpredictable manner.  However, the Maharal[2] establishes that just as there is an order and laws in nature, there is an order and laws in miracles.  The splitting of the sea teaches us that we have the ability live in a way that is not be bound by the order of nature.

God commanded us to return to the sea.  Essentially, He was asking us to return to our spiritual roots that are outside of nature.  Significantly, the specific place that He commanded us to return to was called the Mouth of Freedom.  True freedom, the Sfas Emes teaches us is attained at our spiritual roots that are above nature.[3]  May we merit it!

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[1] Viz. Ramban at the end of Parshas Bo, on the pasuk ולטוטפות בין עיניך.  He discusses this idea at length.  Also see Ramban in Parshas Yisro on the pasuk, אנכי ה' א-להיך.

[2] Maharal, Gevuros Hashem, Second Introduction

[3] Zohar 2:45b

VaYechi 5631 Fourth Ma'amar

After Ya'akov requests of his son Yosef to bury him at the burial site of his forefathers he asks him to take an oath, "ויאמר השבעה לי וישבע לו וישתחו ישראל על ראש המטה/(Ya'akov) said, 'Swear to me.'  (Yosef) swore to him and Yisrael bowed at the head of the bed." (Breishis 47:31)  Two questions arise.  Why did Ya'akov find it necessary for Yosef to take an oath?  Surely Ya'akov trusted that Yosef would do everything in his power to fulfill his father's request.  Secondly, what is the connection between the oath and bowing at the head of the bed?  Why are these two events in the same pasuk?  This leads to an additional question.  Why did Ya'akov bow at the head of the bed?

Rashi on this pasuk explains the head of the bed represents the fact that all of Ya'akov's children remained true to their upbringing.  Even Yosef who was a king (the head of Ya'akov's bed) in Egypt and was even previously captured and lived among gentiles remained true to his forefathers and his traditions. 

How did Ya'akov know that Yosef was able to internalize the traditions and pass them on to his own progeny even as he led a life as king in the house of Pharaoh?

Ya'akov knew this from the oath.  How so?  What is the significance of an oath?  Is it simply a verbal commitment?  The Chiddushei HaRim teaches us that an oath is much more than that.  Oath in Hebrew – שבועה – has the same root as the word for seven – שבעה.  We each have seven primary character traits.  An oath implies bringing all of the seven primary character traits – ones entire being – to bear upon a decision, a commitment.  An oath is therefore a very serious matter in Jewish tradition.  Both Ya'akov and Yosef understood this and took it very seriously. 

Ya'akov Avinu wanted to know that his descendents would remain true to his traditions and deserve the redemption.  The oath was the mechanism that Ya'akov used both for understanding Yosef's essence and for passing on to him his own spiritual essence that allowed him to remain true to God even in Egypt.  Through the oath Yosef revealed his total essence to Ya'akov. 

Chazal teach us that Yosef inherited Ya'akov and that it was in his merit that we were redeemed from Egypt.  Chazal[1] teach us that because Yosef resisted the temptation of Potiphar's wife, he influenced the entire nation to refrain from illicit relations.  Chazal continue that in the merit of this we were redeemed.  Furthermore, Chazal[2] explain the pasuk, "הים ראה וינס .../The sea saw and fled …"  What did the sea see?  Chazal teach us that the sea saw the bones of Yosef.  Yosef fled from Potiphar's wife so the sea fled from his bones.

The Zohar[3] states that when God foretold to Ya'akov that, "ויוסף ישית ידו על עיניך/and Yosef will place his hand upon your eyes," He was telling him that Yosef would be his heir.  The Sfas Emes explains that this is referring to inheriting Ya'akov spiritually.  The mechanism for this inheritance was the oath.  Through the oath Yosef opened his entire essence before Ya'akov.  He was able to cleave to Ya'akov with his whole being.  He was thus able to receive the aspect of Ya'akov which enabled him to live in Egypt without being affected by Egyptian society.

When Ya'akov understood that he had a spiritual heir who would be able to influence the nation for good even as they lived in decadent Egypt, he realized that his bed was complete – his progeny would continue his traditions – and he bowed "at the head of the bed".

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[1] VaYikra R. 32:5

[2] Mechilta Beshalach Masechta 2,3

[3] Zohar 1:226a

VaYeishev 5631 First Ma'amar

This week's parsha relates the story of how Yosef was kidnapped and separated from his father Ya'akov for 22 years.  The Midrash says that after his struggles with Lavan, Eisav, and Shechem, Ya'akov Avinu wanted to live a life of peace and calm.  This was not to be.  Specifically because of this desire, the distress of Yosef was brought upon him.[1]  We usually understand this Midrash as referring to the physical struggles that Ya'akov endured throughout his life.  However, the Sfas Emes explains that this Midrash is actually referring to Ya'akov Avinu's spiritual struggles culminating in his final spiritual struggle represented by Yosef.

The difficulty for Ya'akov in his journey to and travails with Lavan, Eisav, and Shechem was that these troubles took him away from a life of holiness in a place which was conducive for connecting with God, sheltered from the ugliness of the outside world.   Metaphorically, Ya'akov's departure from the house of his father Yitzchak, all that happened to him during his exile, and his subsequent return, parallel the relationship between Shabbos and the days of the week.  Intuitively, it is easy to understand that Shabbos is a time conducive to connecting with God and holiness since we are not distracted by our weekday activities.  It is also spiritually a higher level day on which the entire world is truly closer to God than during the days of the week.  More than a holy day, Shabbos is a concept representing a certain level of closeness to God.

Before Ya'akov went to Lavan, he was on a level of Shabbos in his relationship with God.  Just as Shabbos is separate from the days of the week so to Ya’akov was completely separate from anything worldly.  His efforts with Lavan, Eisav, and Shechem represented a descent into the physical world, a descent from a level of complete separation from the distractions of the world around him, a level of Shabbos, into a level of the days of the week.  Ya'akov needed to work hard, paralleling the work of the days of the week, to maintain his connection to God even as he lived in Lavan's house with its accent on the physical world.  The beginning of this week's parsha suggests Ya'akov's return to a level of Shabbos, "וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב .../Ya'akov dwelt ..." (Breishis 37:1)  The first word of the parsha, וַיֵּשֶׁב/He dwelt, comes from the same root as the word Shabbos.

The difficulties that Ya'akov experienced with Lavan, Eisav and Dina were an attempt to separate him from God.  Living a life of serenity, of Godliness, even in the physical world is the ultimate desire of the righteous.  It means spreading an awareness of God in the physical world, a place were He is normally hidden.  It means bringing the level of Shabbos into the physical world.  This concept is symbolized by Yosef.  This is the deeper meaning of the distress of Yosef mentioned in the Midrash.  How so?  The word Yosef means to add.  The strength of Yosef was the ability to spread an awareness of God in the physical world.  If Ya'akov Avinu was on a Shabbos level of attachment to God, then Yosef, the Sfas Emes explains, was תּוֹסְפוֹת שַׁבָּת/an addition to Shabbos.  Rashi cites the Midrash that Ya'akov Avinu waited for Yosef to be born before he was prepared to meet Eisav.  With Yosef he was able to overcome the this-worldliness that Eisav represented.

Shabbos is made for connecting to God.  We learn from Ya'akov that we can live a life in which we reveal God during our daily activities as well.  We do this by cultivating a desire that the result of our activities be a greater awareness of God.  Accepting Shabbos early symbolizes this work because when we accept Shabbos early we are actually bringing the holiness of the Shabbos into what would otherwise be a part of the week.  Working to raise our weekday experiences to a Shabbos level, essentially yearning for Shabbos during the week, makes it easier for us to accept and experience Shabbos early.  May we merit it!

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[1] Breishis R. 84:3

VaYishlach 5633 Third Ma'amar

"ויבא יעקב שלם עיר שכם .../Ya'akov safely arrived (lit. arrived complete) in the city of Shechem …" (Breishis 33:18)  Chazal and the commentaries discuss the significance of this statement.  What is the pasuk teaching us when it tells us that Ya'akov arrived "complete"?  The Sfas Emes as well discusses this. 

Ya'akov experienced many hardships in his lifetime.  In fact, from the time he fled to Lavan until he came to Egypt, a period of fifty three years, he knew many hardships.  Fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esav, he arrived penniless at the house of his uncle Lavan.  Lavan allowed him no peace.  For twenty years he slaved for Lavan.  If not for the grace of God he would have left Lavan as penniless as he arrived.

Not in spite of his suffering but rather as a direct result of it, he arrived "complete".  Shlomo HaMelech teaches us, "כי שבע יפול צדיק וקם .../For the righteous may fall seven times and then arise …" (Mishlei 24:16)  Conventionally, we understand this to mean that if the righteous fall even seven times, he will still arise.  However, the Sfas Emes understands that arising is a direct result of falling.  The righteous rise specifically because they suffer.

We find this concept in a Zohar[1] explaining the pasuk, "רבות רעות צדיק ומכולם יצילנו ה'/The afflictions of the righteous are many, but God rescues him from them all." (Tehillim 34:20)  Literally, the pasuk says, "There are many afflictions – the righteous."  The Zohar asks that it would be more proper for the pasuk to say, "רבות רעות לצדיק/There are many afflictions for the righteous."  The Zohar answers, according the Sfas Emes, that pasuk is teaching us that afflictions are not the lot of the righteous.  Rather, the hardships and evils that the righteous experience actualize their righteousness. 

Evils and hardships are a powerful test.  How can we cope with suffering that we experience?  The natural tendency is to be angry with God.  Why has this evil been wrought upon me?  The Sfas Emes explains that God uses affliction in order to bring out our righteousness.  He helps us to become complete through our experience.  

This is the meaning of the end of the pasuk, "... ומכולם יצילנו ה'/… and God rescues him from them all."  The Sfas Emes explains the word, יצילנו/He rescues them, as He separates them.  We find this understanding in the following pasuk, "ויצל ה' מקנה אביכם ויתן לי/God took away your father's livestock and gave it to me." (Breishis 31:9)  Here the word, ויצל certainly does not mean to save.  Rather it means to separate.  God separated the livestock from their father Lavan and gave it to Ya'akov.  Here too, the Sfas Emes understands the word יצילנו to mean that God separates the righteous from incompleteness through the affliction.  The result is and addition of shleimus/completeness that did not exist before.

May we merit understanding our suffering experiencing its positive benefits.      

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[1] Zohar 1:179b