Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Lottery, Torah, Eretz Yisroel

This is from the Teshuvot Geonim.  What is the peshat, why is disagreeing with a goral like disagreeing with the 10 dibrot?  Why was there a need for a goral at all if Rashi in Pinchas (26:24) says explains how there was ruach hakodesh regarding the portion of each tribe?

The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 13) explains that the Torah is referred to as a a מתנה (Berachos (5a) and in prayer מתן תורתנו.)  The Torah is also referred to as a ירושה and a מכר, however the name מתנה is given to indicate that a human doesn't deserve the Torah, it is a gift from Hashem.  That is why the first dibrot were given in a manner where the people heard but didn't understood.  It was to ingrain that we are given the dibrot not according to our understanding but as a מתנה even beyond our capabilities.

Similarly, ארץ ישראל is a land that is עיני ה אלקיך בה, it is above human capability to be able to truly live in Eretz Yisroel and be able to feel the kesusha of it.  It is a gift of Hashem.  That is why Eretz Yisroel is given out via a lottery; just as isn't limited by human knowledge, so too our ownership over Eretz Yisroel is above human capability.  It is a מתנה to be able to live in such a holy land.

That is the explanation of what we say in our prayers, שיבנה בית המקדש במהרה בימנו ותן חלקנו בתורתך.  What is the connection between Beis Hamikdash and Torah, why is it חלקנו, our חלק but תורתך, your Torah?  It is חלקנו, we attempt to learn according to our ability in order to have the עביד ליה נייחא לנפשיה, but at the end we accept the Torah of מתנה.  That Torah will be able to received in its full potential only after there is the kedusha of the Beis Hamikdash in the world.

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