Teitzei 5631 Fourth Ma'amar

These days, there is a lot of confusion and uncertainty regarding almost everything in life. Presented with various choices, we list pros and cons, analyze the situation and do all the things we are taught in our culture for resolving dilemmas. The Sfas Emes, though, says that confusion stems from distraction.

Before doing all the things we are taught, the Sfas Emes teaches that we must make sure that our point of departure is total dedication to fulfilling God’s will. When we are totally devoted to achieving God’s will, when we are ready to deliver our soul, so to speak, in the quest to fulfill God’s will, there is no room for confusion. We have a singular focus and anything outside that focus will not receive our attention. The Ba’al Shem Tov as well, gave this advice to attain clarity. Therefore, confusion in any particular situation is a sign to take a step back and refocus on fulfilling the will of God.

The Sfas Emes learns this from pesukim and Chazal in this week’s parsha. We find, “כִּי־תֵצֵא מַחֲנֶה עַל־אֹיבֶיךָ וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכָּל דָּבָר ָרע ... כִּי ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ .../When you go out to camp against your enemies you shall guard against any evil matter… For God, your Lord goes among your camp …” The Hebrew וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ/you shall guard is literally translated as, “you shall be guarded.” “You shall guard,” is the correct translation of, וְשָׁמַרְתָּ. Why does the Torah use the reflexive form of the verb? The Sfas Emes explains that the Torah is teaching us how we can protect ourselves from confusion that comes from being distracted by nonsense – כָּל דָּבָר ָרע/any evil matter.

Chazal understood מַחֲנֶה/camp as referring to each individual person. God going in your camp refers to the Divine presence resting in each person. The Chiddushei HaRim therefore understands מַחֲנֶה/camp to refer to all of a person’s limbs just like a camp is a gathering of people.

The first part of the pasuk is thus understood homiletically as referring to an individual who is ready to dedicate himself totally to achieving God’s will. One who has marshaled his entire being to fulfill God’s will in not easily distracted.

By dedicating ourselves to fulfilling God’s will with every fiber of our being, we cause the Divine presence to reside within us. This is why the last pasuk in this paragraph uses the causative reflexive form, מִתְהַלֵּךְ/(lit.) He is made to go, instead of מְהַלֵךְ/He goes. Chazal are teaching us that we cause the Divine to reside within us or we push the Divine away.

The last part of this pasuk states, “... וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ/… and He shall not see in you anything indecent and turn away from you.” Chazal learn from here that one may not say kri’as sh’ma while his heart is exposed to indecency. The Sfas Emes understands this Chazal homiletically that a person’s heart may not see indecency. It goes without saying that we may not think indecent thoughts. Chazal are teaching us that we should not allow our hearts, our desires to consider anything that is not for God.

This is the meaning of the pasuk, “קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ/You shall be holy.” The Hebrew for holy – קָדוֹשׁ – connotes dedicated, a nuance that is lost in English translation.[1] The Torah is instructing us to dedicate ourselves to God and fulfilling His will. We thus gain clarity in our lives. May we merit it!

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[1] For example, the Hebrew word for marriage – קִידוּשִׁין – has the same root as the word for holy because a married woman is separated from all men and dedicated to one. A nazarite is called holy because he must keep away from wine and things that would defile his pure spiritual state. He has separated himself from the mundane and dedicated himself to the holy.

Shoftim 5631 Fifth Ma'amar

There are periods during the year that are considered propitious – עֵת רָצוֹן. The kabbalists say that the month of Elul is such a period. The Zohar says that the third Shabbos meal is also such a time. Conventionally this means that God is more open to hearing our pleas during these times. Since God is beyond time and is not affected by it, what does this mean? To God, there is no difference between one period and the next. He is always full of the will and desire that we come close to Him. He constantly desires to shower us with blessing.

The Sfas Emes explains that a propitious time relates to the way the period affects us. In a עֵת רָצוֹן/propitious time it is easier for us to come close to God. Here is why. We are more than the physical bodies that we see. There is a spark of holiness – of spirituality – that God has buried within our physical selves. As we live our lives in the physical world, we usually do not sense this. However during the propitious time it is easier to sense it.

To the extent that we sense this spirituality and desire to come close to God, we are able to experience God’s outpouring of mercy and lovingkindness towards us as we find in Mishlei, “כַּמַּיִם הַפָּנִים לַפָּנִים כֵּן לֵב-הָאָדָם לָאָדָם/As water reflects a face back to a face, so one’s heart is reflected back to him by another.”

Re'ei 5631 Sixth Ma'amar

“רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה/See, I have placed before you this day, blessing and curse.” (Devarim 11:26) Subsequent pesukim explain that the blessing is contingent upon our accepting God’s mitzvos whereas the curse is contingent upon rejecting them. The Seforno[1] makes this very clear. He says that those who keep the mitzvos will be blessed. Those who transgress will be cursed.

These are very powerful statements that leave no room for a middle ground. Either we accept the yoke of heaven in everything we do, deliver ourselves to the one God and be blessed or we do not and be cursed.

The Sfas Emes understands this concept also from the word לִפְנֵיכֶם/before you. The Sfas Emes understands the word, לִפְנֵיכֶם/before you, according to the holy Rav of Parshischa’s[2] understanding of the same word at the beginning of parshas Mishpatim. The first pasuk of Mishpatim is, “וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם/And these are the laws that you will place before them.” (Shmos 21:1) The question the Rav of Parshischa addresses is the use of the word, לִפְנֵיהֶם/before them instead of simply saying these are the laws that you will teach them. The commentaries address this question as well. The Parshischer, though, offers a novel interpretation. He explains.

The Rav of Parshischa notes the difference between humans and angels. Our existence is not dependent upon Torah and the mitzvos. There are plenty of people who neither study Torah nor perform mitzvos yet they exist. Angels’ existence, though, is directly tied to the fulfillment of God’s commandments. Angels are created when we perform mitzvos.

Although our existence is not contingent upon studying Torah and performing mitzvos, Torah scholars understand that life without Torah and mitzvos is hardly worthwhile. Torah scholars therefore have an aspect of the angel in their own lives. When God tells Moshe to place the laws before the nation, He is teaching us that just as performance of mitzvos precedes the existence of angels – they only come into existence after mitzvos are performed – so too, do the Torah’s laws precede our existence. Although we live even if we do not perform mitzvos, living a life that is worthwhile, that is meaningful is predicated upon the performance of Torah and mitzvos.

The Sfas Emes understands, לִפְנֵיכֶם/before you in the first pasuk of our parsha in the same vein. Meaning in our lives stems from the choice between accepting the yoke of heaven or rejecting it. In the words of the Parshischer, the choice comes before our (meaningful) existence because a meaningful life is predicated upon it. If we choose to accept the yoke of heaven, we give meaning to our lives and are blessed. If we do not, we do not give meaning to our lives. The result is curse.

The Sfas Emes also understands the first pasuk of our parsha, according to its plain meaning, that God wants us to discern before we decide to act, whether the action we are about to do is a choice for blessing or not.

What happens though when we honestly do not know? Far from being an uncommon situation, for thinking people who truly want to do the right thing, this may be the most common of situations. What to do? The Sfas Emes teaches that awareness of the choice and making sure that our motives are pure is a key to gaining clarity. We need to take pause before any action and just contemplate it for a few moments.

He learns this from the Ba'al Shem Tov as quoted in Kesser Shem Tov[3]. The Ba'al Shem Tov explained the pasuk, "וְהַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יִקְשֶׁה מִכֶּם תַּקְרִבוּן אֵלַי וּשְׁמַעְתִּיו ... /… Any matter that is difficult for you, bring it to me and I will hear it." (Devarim 1:17) Conventionally, Moshe Rabbeinu is telling judges that they can come to him for the resolution of issues that are too difficult for them.

The Ba'al Shem Tov, though, had a tradition that the Ramban explained this pasuk to his son homiletically as referring to someone in a quandary, someone who is faced with a choice and honestly does not know which path to take. God says, "תַּקְרִבוּן אֵלַי/Bring it to me." Remove any self bias. Make sure your motives are pure. If you do this then, וּשְׁמַעְתִּיו/I will hear it, implying understanding. God will give you understanding and you will know how to act. May we merit it!

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[1] Devarim 11:29

[2] Kol Simcha Mishpatim, starting Ve’Eileh HaMishpatim

[3] Kesser Shem Tov 6, Kehot Publication Society edition 5764

Va'Eschanan 5631 Fourth Ma'amar

The Midrash in this week’s parsha points up the difference between prayer and repentance through an allegory. Prayer can be compared to a mikveh whereas repentance can be compared to the sea. A mikveh is open sometimes, closed sometimes. The sea, however, is always open. The gates of prayer are sometimes open, sometimes closed. The gates of repentance, though, are always open.

The Midrash seems to be teaching us that there are times when prayer is more easily accepted and other times when it is not. David HaMelech said clearly, “וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי־לְךָ ה' עֵת רָצוֹן אֱ־לֹהִים בְּרָב־חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֱּאֶמֶת יִשְׁעֶךָ/As for me, may my prayer to You, God, be at a time of desire; Lord, in Your abundant kindness, answer me with the truth of Your salvation.” (Tehillim 69:14) Repentance, on the other hand, is always accepted.

Is this really the case? Are there times that God is more desirous of our prayers and other times when He is less desirous of them as this pasuk implies and as the Midrash seems to be saying? This is only so, if we take the Midrash at face value as pitting prayer against repentance. The Sfas Emes explains though that the gates of prayer and the gates of repentance are not comparable. The gates of prayer are in our hearts. Prayer, Chazal teach us, is a “service of the heart”. Repentance, though, is a rectification of our relationship with God.

When Chazal call prayer a “service of the heart”, they are teaching us something fundamental about prayer. In essence Chazal answer the following implied question. How is it possible to ask God for something? How does prayer help? If we deserve that for which we are praying, then God should grant it without prayer and if we do not deserve it then what difference our prayers?

Chazal therefore teach us that prayer is not simply asking God for something. Prayer means working on one’s self. It is a “service of the heart”. What must we do? How do we work on ourselves. The Sfas Emes explains based on the Midrash’s metaphor comparing prayer to a mikveh and repentance to the sea. A mikveh, as opposed to the sea, is an enclosed concentration of water. The word mikveh means this.* Water is a metaphor for Godly enlightenment. The Sfas Emes explains that we are each like a mikveh. Just as the mikveh contains water, so too, do we contain Godly enlightenment.

Successful prayer starts with accessing the Godly enlightenment within us. The way to do this is by discarding all our desires in favor of what we will receive from the enlightenment that is in us. This discarding is what Chazal refer to as a service of the heart which itself is prayer. Sometimes we are able to do this and sometimes we are not. Sometimes, sin acts as a barrier preventing us from accessing the Godly enlightenment within us. In the words of the Midrash, the mikveh is sometimes open, sometimes closed.

Prayer, according to the Sfas Emes’s understanding, is very introspective. Repentance, on the other hand, is a rectification of the sinner’s relationship with God. Repentance, literally return, is the tool that the sinner needs in order to repair the connection with God that was severed to some extent by sin. The gates of repentance are always open because our sins don’t affect God. He always wants our return. As long as we truly return to Him, as long as we dedicate ourselves totally to Him, He is always ready to accept us even though we’ve sinned.

This is the meaning of the pasuk in our parsha, “כִּי מִי־גוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ אֱ־לֹהִים קְרֹבִים אֵלָיו כַּה׳ אֱ־לֹהֵינוּ בְּכָל־קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו/For who is the great nation who has God so close to them, as God, our Lord is whenever we call to Him.” (Devarim 4:7) Although conventionally, this pasuk is referring to prayer, the Sfas Emes understands it as referring to the dedication that is needed for the process of returning to God to be successful. He translates, “בְּכָל־קָרְאֵנוּ אֵלָיו/whenever we call to Him”, as, “when all our calls are to Him.” The pasuk, then, is teaching us that God is close to us “when all our calls are to Him” – when we are totally dedicated to Him.

May we merit that the gates of prayer – in our own hearts – as well as the gates of repentance – dedicating ourselves totally to God – always be open to us.


* See Breishis 1:9

Va'Eschanan 5631 First Ma'amar

The first Midrash[1] on this week’s parsha says that if a person pays attention to his prayer he can rest assured that it is heard as it says in Tehillim, (10:17) “... תָּכִין לִבָּם תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ/… You prepare their heart; let Your ear be attentive.” If a person’s heart is prepared when he prays, God listens to the prayer.

This Midrash is difficult to understand. It implies that if a person does not pay attention to the words of his prayer, he has prayed albeit not properly. But the very definition of prayer is a request, a petition of God. If a person mouths the words while his thoughts are elsewhere, is this prayer?

To be sure, at the very least one must be attentive to his words. The Midrash, however, is referring to a higher level of prayer. The clue to understanding this Midrash is in the pasuk the Midrash brings. The pasuk says that God prepares their hearts and He listens to their prayers. Shouldn’t the pasuk say that the ones who pray prepare their own hearts? Why does it say that God prepares their hearts? The Sfas Emes explains that at the highest level, true preparation is also from God. The Midrash is teaching us that a person who prays in a totally unselfconscious way, pouring out his heart before God, has reached a level of prayer at which God Himself prepares and directs that person’s heart towards Him. This type of prayer is certainly heard.

But why would we want God to direct our hearts? Can we not direct our own hearts? The answer to this question is related to the reason a person approaches God with a request. At its highest level, prayer is not about asking for our own benefit. At its highest level, prayer is about asking for the sake of Heaven. The pasuk in Mishlei (16:1) says, “לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי־לֵב וּמֵה' מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן/The preparation of thoughts in the heart are man’s but the response of the tongue is from God.” A person who reaches the highest level of prayer, whose prayers are for the sake of Heaven is so completely unselfconscious and involved in the connection to God that the prayer affords, that he even forgets the need that brought him to prayer in the first place. At this level God puts the appropriate words into his mouth to ask for what he really needs. Shlomo HaMelech is teaching us that if we prepare properly for prayer then God supplies us with the proper words. At this level of prayer for the sake of Heaven we want God to direct our hearts, to supply us with the proper words and the best way to approach Him.

What can we do to reach this level of prayer? The Sfas Emes learns the ways of preparing for prayer from the first Midrash on the parsha.[2] This Midrash mentions ten different expressions that represent prayer. Significantly, the primary Hebrew word for prayer – tefilla, is not among them. Why not? The Sfas Emes explains that the Midrash is teaching us ten different ways of preparing for prayer. In order to reach a level of prayer at which God directs us we need to use the tools mentioned in the Midrash.

Chazal teach us that even the righteous who are able to approach God in prayer on the merit of their good deeds prefer to come before God as unworthy and rely completely on His mercy and compassion.[3] The Kotzker Rav asks from a pasuk in Iyov, (41:3) “מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם .../I will pay to the one who comes before me …” God is telling Iyov that He will answer the prayers of the one who comes before Him and makes a request. The implication is that no one really deserves to be answered, not even the righteous. The Sfas Emes elucidates that if a person were truly deserving, he would not have to ask. He would receive what he should according to the letter of the law. Yet, Chazal tell us that the righteous are deserving in the merit of their good deeds. How does this Chazal reconcile with the pasuk in Iyov?

The Sfas Emes explains, according to what we’ve said, that while the pasuk in Iyov is referring to petitioning God with requests, Chazal are referring to approaching God in prayer. No one, not even the righteous, merit positive answers from God. And this is implied by the pasuk in Iyov. However, the righteous are certainly able to approach God and come close to Him in the merit of their good deeds. Still, they prefer to come before God as unworthy. They would rather approach God with entreaties. The last of the expressions of prayer mentioned in the Midrash, in fact, is tachanunim/entreaties which comes from the root chanun/compassionate. It implies that God in His mercy allows us to approach Him with our requests even when we are unworthy of His compassion.

This is why the first Midrash above brings the pasuk, “... תָּכִין לִבָּם .../… You prepare their heart …” as an expression of the highest level of prayer. As we noted earlier, significantly, the pasuk says that God prepares their hearts rather than their preparing their own hearts. At the highest level, we want to approach God from a position of unworthiness and rely upon Him to prepare our hearts, to guide us in prayer.

According to this approach to prayer we can understand the inner meaning of the first pasuk in our parsha, “וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל־ה' ... לֵאמֹר/I entreated God … saying.” (Devarim 3:23) VaEschanan/I entreated is in the reflexive form. The last word in the pasuk, leimor/saying is apparently extra. Moshe Rabbeinu is saying, “I prepared myself reaching the level of one who entreats before God so that I could be guided by Him in prayer.” Moshe Rabbeinu is teaching us that prayer is a reflexive activity. It is working on ourselves, preparing ourselves to approach our Creator. The primary goal of prayer is approaching and coming close to God.

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[1] Devarim R. 2:1

[2] Ibid.

[3] Sifri VaEschanan 26