Cultivating Faith

It is no coincidence that the word אמונה appears only twice in Chumah and once is in this weeks parsha, וַיְהִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה עַד בֹּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ.  For H.W. you can recall where the other time it appears.  On the aforementioned possuk the Likutay Moharan #91 says: וַיְהִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה עַד בֹּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (שמות י״ז:י״ב):כִּי יֵשׁ כַּמָּה מִינֵי אֱמוּנָה. יֵשׁ אֱמוּנָה, שֶׁהוּא רַק בַּלֵּב. וְהָעִקָּר שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת לָאָדָם אֱמוּנָה כָּל־כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁיִּתְפַּשֵּׁט בְּכָל הָאֵיבָרִים.כְּמוֹ שֶׁמּוּבָא בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִ"י, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ יָדָיו בִּשְׁעַת נְטִילָה נֶגֶד הָרֹאשׁ, כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה. נִמְצָא שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָזֶה אֱמוּנָה בְּהַיָּדַיִם, לְהַאֲמִין שֶׁמֵּחֲמַת שֶׁמַּגְבִּיהַּ יָדָיו כְּנֶגֶד הָרֹאשׁ מְקַבֵּל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה,כִּי בְּלֹא אֱמוּנָה אֵינוֹ כְּלוּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים קי״ט:פ״ו): כָּל מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ אֱמוּנָה. וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה כָּזוֹ, בָּא מִן הָאֱמוּנָה אֶל הַשֵּׂכֶל, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁמַּחֲזִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ בֶּאֱמוּנָה, בָּא אֶל שֵׂכֶל יוֹתֵר. כִּי הַדָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ מִתְּחִלָּה לְהַאֲמִין, עַכְשָׁו כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל אֱמוּנָה יוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָה, מֵבִין הַדָּבָר הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּשֵּׂכֶל.

וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּמשֶׁה: וַיְהִי יָדָיו אֱמוּנָה – שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אֱמוּנָה כָּל כָּךְ גְּדוֹלָה, עַד שֶׁנִּתְפַּשֵּׁט בְּכָל הָאֵיבָרִים, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּיָדָיו הָיָה הָאֱמוּנָה כָּל כָּךְ גְּדוֹלָה,עַד בֹּא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ – הַיְנוּ לְהַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁל הַדָּבָר, וְשֶׁמֶשׁ הוּא בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה, כַּמּוּבָא אֶצְלֵנוּ

Generally people think of אמונה either as an emotion or maybe an understanding but what does that have to do with a person's hands?  How can you believe with your hands?!  This week we celebrated טו בשבט, Rosh Hashana of the trees.  What is the celebration, there is no fruit to pluck, you are just eating the bokser from last year?  

The Gemorah in Shabbos (31a) says אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִכְתִיב ״וְהָיָה אֱמוּנַת עִתֶּיךָ חוֹסֶן יְשׁוּעוֹת חׇכְמַת וָדָעַת וְגוֹ׳״. ״אֱמוּנַת״ — זֶה סֵדֶר זְרָעִים.  Rav Kook comments: היסוד הטבעי הוא הדבר שראוי לבקשו בכל ענין, בין בעניני החומר בין בעניני הרוח, וכאשר האלקים עשה את האדם ישר הנה כל התכונות הטובות הנן מוטבעות בו במקור יצירתו, וההפסד המוסרי הבא בעטיין של הנטיות הרעות הנם הדברים המשביתים את טבע הנפש מטהרה, ע"כ היסוד לכל טובה ולכל מוסר עליון, שהוא האמונה, הוא נעוץ בעומק הטבע הישר האנושי, ומשחיתי האמונה הם עוקרים בחזקת היד המלאה זימה ושוחד את האדם ממקור חייו הטבעיים הרוחניים, הנותנים לו שלות לב ושמחת נפש בעוה"ז ואחרית ותקוה לעוה"ב.  Emunah is about bringing out the natural goodness within a person.  Emunah shares the same word as אומן, a craftsman.  Just as the artisan needs to carefully make the vessel or art they are fashioning, so too a person has to cultivate their emunah.  You have to water and give sunlight to the emunah found within you.  When a person lives there life according to the יסוד הטבעי within themselves, that is living with emunah.  That is the emunah of the hands.  The person's hands act according to the way the branches of emunah from within his/her self lean.  When a person has trust in Hashem, it is not just to a mental or emotional reaction, it is a person surrendering to their inner connection to Hashem.  

The Sifsay Tzaddik is bothered by the language of the possuk, וַיִּקְחוּ־אֶ֛בֶן וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ תַחְתָּ֖יו וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב עָלֶ֑יהָ, just say וישימו אבן תחתיו?  He suggests it hints to the inner spark inside a person that is the even sheysia of a person that is inherited from the Avos.  They took the light from that even and put it in the stone that Moshe sat upon in order to arouse the souls of the fighters.  It is by awaking the emunah of a person that one can vanquish Amalek.

We are celebrating on טו בשבט not the fruit but the emunah of the tree.  We are celebrating the fact that despite the bitter autumn and winter, the tree will stirs again.  It is able to find its strength and once again burst forth with fruit. 

Claim Your Freedom

 As the Torah describes in Parshat Shemos it was the prayers and cries of Klal Yisroel that awakened heavenly mercy to redeem Klal Yisroel.  Yet, when stuck between the Egyptians and the sea G-d says forget the prayers, sally forth, why?  The Bechai in Shemos explains how the 4 terminologies of geulah correspond to different stages in the redemption.  He says the word גאלתי refers to krias yam suf for it is only after the slave sees his master is dead that he can be sure of his freedom.  He says וזהו שלא תמצא לשון גאולה ביציאת מצרים רק אחר אבדן המצריים שנאמר (שמות י״ד:כ״ז) וינער ה' את מצרים בתוך הים וסמיך ליה ויושע ה' ביום ההוא את ישראל כי אז נחשבו גאולים ונושעים ואז היתה התשועה שלמה.  It is only considered גאולה after krias yam suf.  The even of krias yam suf is when the people went from "escaped" slaves to free people.  It is this stage of גאולה that demands more than prayer.  When stuck in the dark depths of Egypt, without any hope of the condition improving, what one must do is pray.  However, when one had already been pulled out of the quicksand, when one is able to stand on their own two feet, they must grab the opportunity to move forward.  G-d may bring you to the water, pull you out of the depths of misery, but you have to drink the waters of freedom.  It is up to man to walk forward and claim his freedom.  It is only when a person is able to claim his freedom that s/he is truly free.

Why Woman Are Higher

Shir Hashirim 5:1 - באתי לגני אחתי כלה.  The midrash - באתי לגני אמר ר' מנחם חתניה דר' אלעזר בר אבונה בשם ר' שמעון בר' יוסנה: באתי לגן אין כתיב כאן, אלא לגני, לגנוני, למקום שהיה עיקרי מתחלה, ועיקר שכינה לא בתחתונים הייתה, הדא הוא דכתיב: (בראשית ג') וישמעו את קול ה' אלוהים מתהלך בגן.  How can the world, מלשון העלם be the place where the עיקר שכינה is?  The possuk says in Yermiyahu (31:21) נקבה תסובב גבר.  According to the Kabbalists, this means that in the future malchut,  represented by נקבה will be higher than ז"א represented by גבר (see Alter Rebbe derushay chatuna.)  Why will malchut be higher? 

The גבר is the משפיע and the נקבה is the מקבל of the השפעה.  In other words, the גבר represents the אור and the נקבה is the כלי to contain the אור.  This is reflecting in men being associated with חכמה which is the light bulb that goes off in the head and women are associated with בינה, the explanation and containment of the idea.  Halacha is the kli in which we are able to touch the Infinite Wisdom in this world.  that is why a kallah, הכלה has the same letters as the word halacha, הלכה because they serve similar functions.  The kallah provides the kli to contain the or of the man and halacha is the kli to contain the Infinite Wisdom and make it accessible to humans.  

The greater they are are, the more they fall.  The Godliness imbued in the kli is greater than that of the or itself.  In the current state of affairs, where the or of the kli is hidden, then the or is greater.  In the future ,the kli will be greater.  That is why malchut will be higher than ז"א.  The נקבה will be greater than גבר.  That is when the העלם of the world will be removed and the kli that is the world will be revealed as being עיקר שכינה.

Tefillin Transforms You

The midrash Tehillim (1:17) says ר' אליעזר אומר אמרו ישראל לפני הקב"ה רבונו של עולם רוצין אנו ליגע בתורה יום ולילה אבל אין לנו פנאי. אמר להם הקב"ה קיימו מצות תפילין ומעלה אני עליכם כאילו אתם יגעים בתורה יומם ולילה. ר' יוחנן אמר מהדא מלה (שמות יג ט) והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך.  How is wearing tefillin considered like learning Torah?   

Rav Hirsch explains that the parsha of tefillin is part of the response to the question of the son. והיה לך וגו׳ – פסוק זה והבא אחריו נראים כחלק מדברי האב אל בנו.זכירת הגאולה הזאת אינה אמורה להיות חגיגת זיכרון גרידא. אלא עליך להכיר שאת כל חירותך של עכשיו, חייב אתה אך ורק לידו החזקה של ה׳, ולכן אתה נמצא ברשותו בכל הווייתך.  Every year we have a holiday of Pesach to remember our freedom and every act of putting on tefillin is a mini Pesach for the day.  The possuk says וְהָיָה֩ לְךָ֨ לְא֜וֹת עַל־יָדְךָ֗ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ בֵּ֣ין עֵינֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן תִּהְיֶ֛ה תּוֹרַ֥ת י״י֖ בְּפִ֑יךָ.  How does it lead to תורת ה' בפיך?   Rav Hirsch explains: הלא דבר הוא מה שנאמר ליהושע: ״לֹא־יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ״ (יהושע א, ח). המילה הכתובה נועדה להזכירך תמיד מחדש את מה שהופקד בפיך. גם הלומד לעצמו, עליו להשמיע בקול את דבר ה׳ בעת שהוא קורא אותו (עירובין נד.), כדי שיוכל להטביע את רושם תורת ה׳ בלבו באמצעות המילה החיה. על כל אחד להיות מבשרה של התורה לעצמו; התורה תמצא את דרכה אל תוך נפשו דרך פיו.  

The question of the midrash Tehillim assumes that there are manly needs and then there are separate "G-dly needs."  The two are a contradiction.  I have my desires and then there are the desires of Hashem and it a war to get them to meet.  The tefillin help align these two opposites together.  By experiencing a mini Pesach every day we remind ourselves that we are are free and what Hashem free us for.  When a person internalizes this message, it becomes תּוֹרַ֥ת י״י֖ בְּפִ֑יךָ, the Torah imbues the innards of the person  and the person's desires become Torah desires.  Then everything one does is for the sake of Torah.  (See Mizmor L'todah of Rav Dovid Cohen.)  The possuk ends כִּ֚י בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָ֔ה הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֥ י״י֖ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם.  According to the Nitziv the possuk is explaining why we need the tefillin, why we need a daily Pesach.  The Nitziv explains שלא תתפלא למה הצריכנו הקב״ה כל כך מצוות ותחבולות לבטחון ואמונה בהשגחתו יתברך, על זה נותן טעם, משום שהנך רואה ויודע שדבר זה אינו מתקבל ברצון לפניך, עד שבעל כרחך היינו ע״י מכת הדבר שהוא ״ביד חזקה״ הוציאך ה׳, והיינו משום שלא היו נוחים לקבל על עצמם השגחתו יתברך.  It is not natural to accept Hashem's will, it requires a יד חזקה, it requires a tremendous עבודה and the tefillin aids in that job.  

Transformed Darkness

The Abarbanel points out that the last three makot all were forms of darkness, the makah of חשך is obvious, the locust blackened the earth and maakat bechorot took place at night.  Why is it significant that all the final maakot took place at night?  In addition, the actual leaving of Egypt took place at night, yet it was light like day (see Tehillim 139:12 and Zohar Bo 38a,) why?

Light is when things are clear; a person can see and has confidence.  Darkness is the time of mystery, lack of vision and fear.  The simple understanding would be that the golus is darkness and the geulah is light.  The message of the preparation for the geulah is that the darkness is also part of the geulah.  The message of לילה כיום יאיר, the darkness lighting up is that the darkness is transformed into light.  The maakot that culminate into the geulah process take place under the veil of darkness to demonstrate that the darkness leads to the geulah.  It is not the peshat that there is golus shrouded in darkness and then there is the light of geulah and they are two distinct existences, rather the golus is a component of the geulah.  לא אמרתי אלא בשעה שיש צה ומרור לפניך.  The marror is also part of the story of the geulah. [From an essay of Rav Yehoshua Shapiro.]

Why

 A couple of says ago I stumbled upon the Oztar Hachamcha the sefer Moaday Yehoshua which I did not know existed until now.  In the back of the Emunas Yehoshua he has a whole kuntros analyzing how to try to understand the hanhagas Hashem during the holocaust.  In the back of the Moaday Yehoshua he continues the conversation.  I will just copy here some of the tidbits he has to say about the mehalch of a certain book at the beginning of his discussion, for those that want the whole picture, עיי"ש he goes point by point.

An interesting story at the end of saying hallel at the end of WW2.

From 4 to 5

A few thoughts which I don't know if they are even close to being right. There are 5 terminologies of geulah, yet we only drink four cups of wine on Pesach, why?  

The Sifsay Tzaddik says the 4 terminologies of geulah correspond to the 4 levels of the soul, נפש, רוח, נשמה, חיה.  Even if multiple levels of the soul were shoved down into golut, it was still taken out out the golut.  But there are 5 levels to the soul, so there should have been 5 levels? 

The Maharal Derech Chayim (5:1) says that the world was composed with a ה because the number 4 is the spreading of the world  into the 4 dimensions and the additional י  that makes up the foot is  the ruchnious in this world (עוה"ב was created with a י.)  The golut in Egypt had all of the 4 goliot bundled into it.   Each one of the 4 galiot corresponds to an attack on a different level of the neshama.  The neshema gets suken further into the golut.  If so, how is there redemption?  Because the fifth level of the neshama, the יחידה is able to shine forth.  It is by awakening the יחידה that the dust gathered through the long years of the exile can be shaken off.  This is what 10 maakot in Egypt came to do.  The 10 maakos came to restore the spiritual foot into this world that had slowly been losing the foot into the ד of the העלם of this world.  The completion of the 'ה relit the יחידה of the soul. 

Although this accorded in the geulah from Egypt, it did not have a lsting effect and hence we went into further galiot and only celebrate 4 leshonot of geulah.  The fifth terminology will ultimately only be fulfilled in its fully sense in the ultimate geulah.

Why Daven Late

 The Sifsay Tzaddik on this weeks parsha:

Most people need to be on the straight and narrow path but there are those that can take side roads.  He may have also have been "justifing" why he did not follow in the ways of his Rebbe, the Kotzkor to ignore zmanaei tefillah.

Propaganda

Chazal say (see Rashi Yithro (18:9)) that no one was able to escape from Egypt.  The Or Gedalyahu cites from the Ishbitzer that it wasn't just the security system and large walls that keep people in Egypt, it was the propaganda that they were living in Paradise.  While for many this will ring a bell with the message of the Soviet Union, which is true of course, it also can take form in more "minor" forms.  The very fact that I walk peacefully in the street and am yelled at by old people wearing yarmulkes of course, to wear a mask is part of the stupid propaganda they have swallowed hook, line and sinker.  I will end the rant here and just add what is a true fact, a maamer chazal. Bava Bathra (8a) Rebbe says אין פורענות בא לעולם אלא בשביל עמי הארץ. 

Now I will resume my rant.  Of course, everyone on the sides "of the debate" has their own proofs lined up leading from statements of Chazal to doctors' studies.  They are removing people's right to breathe in order to protect others etc.  All the garbage that they spew.  However, the contradictions, picking and choosing when to be careful, the complete disregard for another person's feelings display what these "tzaddikim" really are, animals spewing propaganda!  

How To See It

The midrash (1:28) says on the possuk (2:11) ויהי בימים ההם ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלותם that Moshe told Pharaoh that the slaves need a day of rest and asked for Shabbos to be the day off.  How does the midrash see a hint to Shabbos in the possuk?  After the days of creation it says וירא אלקים כי טוב, does Hashem need to see it to know that it is good, obviously he created it?  Rav Tzaddok (Pri Tzaddok on Shemos #3) explains that it is because וירא אלקים that it was טוב.  It is the power of Hashem "seeing" that made it good.  At the end of the 6th day of creation it says הִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד which Chazal say refer to the evil things because even the bad things were able to be perfected.  It is Shabbos that brings out that eving what appers to be evil has a good and proper purpose in thee world.  Tzaddikim also have this power to bring good to the evil through their gaze.  That is how Chazal derived that וירא means that Moshe brought out this power of Shabbos into the golus.  The day of rest was not just to rest their weary bodies but to reinvigorate the hopes and spirits of Klal Yisroel to realize the geulah would come as the midrash continues that Klal Yisroel studied on Shabbos the promises of the geulah. 

Of course Rav Tzaddok is talking about the levels of great tzaddikim who's minds are so pure that their mere gaze has a physical effect (see Chazon Eish's explanation of עין הרע in likkutim to Bava Bathra #21.)  However, there is a lesson for the regular layman as well.  Sometimes the definition of good and bad is not absolute but rather based upon the vision one has, how one looks at it.  If one looks for problems, there are always problems to be found.  However, one who has the Shabbos perspective will be able to see the geulah from within the golus, the טוב מאד  inside the yetzer harah.  

24 Tevet

The month of Tevet is the 10^th month of the year.  The number 10 as the Maharal says, is associated with a a שלימות.  What is the שלימות of Tevet?  There are no holidays this month, in fact, there is a fast day on the 10^th day of the month?

The point of the entire golus is for the geulah that comes forth from it.  Although, of course 10 Tevet, the day of the siege of Yerushaliyim is a fast day because of the terrible events that occurred, the light of the redemption was already planted in the start of the golus.  The cause of the golus was sinas chinum and in the siege was already the tikkun for everyone was forced to come together and support each other.  The possuk in Yechezkal (24:2) says סמך מלך בבל אל ירושלם בעצם היום הזה.  Why use the word סמך which indicates helping out and supporting?  Because in the very planting of the seeds of golus itself, the road to tikkun was already being paved.  That is why it is very fitting for the fast day to be on 10 of 10 because the fasting is to reach the teshuva that is demanded of the day which brings out the pnimious of the day, which is to lead to the geulah as will be appreciated when it will be turned to a day of שחמה וששון.

The Gemorah Megillah (13a) says that Tevet is the month שהגוף נהנה מן הגוף.  This is a reflection of the way things are in the spiritual realm as well.  Just as two separate bodies warm each other in the cold month of Tevet, so too the world in the month of Tevet is devoid of the open, warm rays of the presence of Hashem, and it is up to Klal Yisroel to bring a warmth to the world through their avodah.  The month of Tevet is the month of warming the guf.  This is also reflective of the ability to rise out of the golus.  Klal Yisroel is united at the neshema level, it is the separate bodies that lead to sinas chinum and the need for golus.  This month gives us the ability to become united at the גוף level as well. 

The yom hilulah of the alter Rebbe is 24 Tevet.  The Alter Rebbe sought to infuse the cold מוחין with the warmth of the light of chassidus.  That is why his yom hilulah is this month of Tevet.  The number 24 is the amount of letters of ברוך שם, which is the avodah of יחודא תתאה, to recognize Hashem's presence in this world.  This was one of the major chiddushim of the Besht and elucidated in the works of the Alter Rebbe that Hashem's presence can be felt and accessed in this world.  (Largely based upon Likutay Sichos volume 25 on 10 Tevet and volume 25 on Tevet.)

How To Give Over The Message

In the previous post, I wrote about holding on to the ways of the avos in order to survive through the golus.  This is of course true.  We do not believe in the Reform movement that holds the Torah has to be modernized to fit our current state of living.  However, it is noteworthy, that although this is the case, the delivery of the message of the avos may [need] to be changed depending on the generation.  Although, the dinim of the Torah are the same, the way it is communicated may be different in 1621, 1821, and 2021.  Rav Hirsch points out that these two methods of the delivery of G-d's message are split between Moshe and Aharon.  In his words, "נראה שכבר מההתחלה היה תפקיד כפול למילים הנאמרות, בשירותה של תורה: א. ניסוח מדוייק, מושלם ונאמן של תוכן הדברים; ב. הצגת תוכן זה אל העם, בדרך בה יקשיבו אליו, יבינו אותו ויקבלוהו."  It was the job of Moshe to deliver the exact law, to carry on the Torah of the avos.   However, it was the job of Aharon to make the message palpable to the nation.  This division from the onset of the leadership of Klal Yisroel set the mandate for the future.  "חלוקה זו של תפקידי הדיבור, חשובה מאד למען המסירה הטהורה והנאמנה של תורת ה׳. כדי לרכוש את לב העם לאמת שבתורה, אין די במה שעורכים ומסדרים גרידא את התוכן אותו ילמדו, יש לקחת בחשבון את רמת השכלתם של אלה שאת לבם רוצים לרכוש ולעורר. צריך להתחיל מהדעות, הרעיונות, ההשקפות, הרצונות והשאיפות המצויים עתה ביניהם, ומנקודת התחלה זו לעבוד בהדרגה לקראת התכלית הנכספת."  The message remains the same, but the way it is communicated does change. 

Connected To The Previous Generations

The sefer starts ואלה שמות, the vov means it is a continuation from beforehand, what is the continuation?  

The Sforno says (1:7) פרו וישרצו – ואחר שמתו כל שבעים נפש נטו לדרכי שרצים, שרצים לבאר שחת.  The Sforno is pointing out that the start of the golus was when there was a disconnect from the previous generation, when the leaders passed on and there was no one to carry on the torch from the alte haim, that is when the golus started.  The physical hardship is an outgrowth of the spiritual weakening.  From the problem, we can derive the solution.  By remaining connected to the previous generations, by treading in the worn paths of the avos, then there is no problem of golus.  That is the vov, the continuation.  It is by being connected to the parshios of the avos, the previous sefer, that we can stay above the golus.  (Based upon Alexender Rebbe and Rav Chayim Kamil.)  It is also noteworthy that the slavery began with a מלך חדש.  It was the change from the previous regime that brought about the evils of slavery.  It was the devation from the events untill then that brought evil, ודו"ק.