Find Your Mission

Tehillim (103:20)  בָּרְכ֥וּ י״י֗ מַלְאָ֫כָ֥יו גִּבֹּ֣רֵי כֹ֭חַ עֹשֵׂ֣י דְבָר֑וֹ לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗עַ בְּק֣וֹל דְּבָרֽוֹ.  The midrash Vayikra comments on this possuk (1:1) גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ, בַּמֶּה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק בְּשׁוֹמְרֵי שְׁבִיעִית הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה לְיוֹם אֶחָד, לְשַׁבָּת אֶחָת, לְחֹדֶשׁ אֶחָד, שֶׁמָּא לִשְׁאָר יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה, וְדֵין חָמֵי חַקְלֵיהּ בָּיְרָה כַּרְמֵיהּ בָּיְרָה וְיָהֵב אַרְנוֹנָא וְשָׁתִיק, יֵשׁ לְךָ גִּבּוֹר גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה.... עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ, רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַחָא אָמַר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁעָמְדוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה וְאָמְרֵי (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע.  Chazal are telling us that there are two times Klal Yisroel are called מלאכיםת anglels at the time of accepting the Torah and when keeping shemmitah.  Why are these two called reaching the level of angles and what are we to learn from this?  

Midrash Bamidbar (2:3) וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים כ, ו): נְרַנְּנָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ וגו', אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה נִּתְאַוִּיתֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת דְּגָלִים, חַיֵּיכֶם שֶׁאֲנִי מְמַלֵּא מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֵיכֶם, (תהלים כ, ו): יְמַלֵּא ה' כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ, מִיָּד הוֹדִיעַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹתָם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר לְמשֶׁה לֵךְ עֲשֵׂה אוֹתָם דְּגָלִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְאַוּוּ.  How is getting a דגל considered fulfilling all of a person's desires?  

The Sfas Emes (Bamidbar 5638) explains that a malach has a specific identity which is defined by its task.  The malach understands what his mission, his identity is that is symbolized by its דגל.  What a person's desires really all stem from is one request.  A person wants to know what their purpose, mission, תפקיד in life is.  A person wants to know what their identity is, what their meaning in life is.  

Why did Klal Yisroel ask for this only after seeing the angles' דגלים?  Because one gets distracted from what a person really wants to know.  A person searches for all sorts of other things and loses focus of what they really want.  It was seeing the clarity of the דגלים of the malachim that arouse Klal Yisroel to realize this is what they wanted.  This sense of mission at times can become awakened within the individual.  One of these times was at Har Sinai when Klal Yisroel had such a clarity as to what was expected of them that they burst out in נעשה ונשמה.  In a shmittah year as well the farmer has no distractions of working the field, he is able to take a year off to stay focused on his true mission in life, to learn Torah and come closer to Hashem (see Sfas Emes Behar 5638, 5660.)     

The Gemarah Shabbat (88a) says at the time of saying נעשה ונשמע a bat kol came out and proclaimed, "מי גילה רז זה לבני."  Why is it called a רז, a secret?  The Gemarah Berachot (58a) says when one sees 600,000 Jews one recites a beracha of חכם הרזים.  Rashi explains because everyone thinks differently but Hashem knows the thoughts of everyone.  The Maharsha says the different secrets are the different parts of Torah that there are which everyone has one implanted within themselves.  This is the mission of every individual; to bring out their own part of Torah.  That is the secret within a person.  When a person has the clarity to recognize that they have their own mission, their own part of Torah, that is revealing the secret.     

Chazal in the Pesiktah say on the possuk (Devarim 5:4) פנים בפנים דבר ה' עמכם that it means every one saw their own face like looking in a mirror.  The Sfas Emes (Shavuot 5639) explains this means every one saw their own portion in Torah, "מתגלה אליו פנימיות חלקו בתורה דיש לכל נפש ישראל חלק בתורה."  This was the revealed secret.  Every Shavuot we are giving the ability to take a step back and recalibarate our focus to be on finding our own portion in Torah (based upon a shmuzz by Rabbi Elefant.) 

Two Levels Of Learning

אם בחקתי תלכו ואת מצותי תשמרו.  One of the mitzvot is learning Torah, so it is part of מצותיו, so why is added by עמילות בתורה as part of בחקתי תלכו?  It must be that עמילות בתורה is additional level beyond that of regular לימוד התורה. 

The Gemarah (Yoma 35b) says עני ועשיר ורשע באין לדין לעני אומרים לו מפני מה לא עסקת בתורה אם אומר עני הייתי וטרוד במזונותי אומרים לו כלום עני היית יותר מהלל ... עשיר אומרים לו מפני מה לא עסקת בתורה אם אומר עשיר הייתי וטרוד הייתי בנכסי אומרים לו כלום עשיר היית יותר מרבי אלעזר ... רשע אומרים לו מפני מה לא עסקת בתורה אם אמר נאה הייתי וטרוד ביצרי (היה) אומרים לו כלום נאה היית מיוסף.  Why are proofs required from the actions of other individuals, if one is still considered obligated in Torah, then one is obligated from the general obligation of והגית בו יומם ולילה?  We see that even though from the aspect of לימוד התורה, one being in difficult circumstances would indeed exempt a person, there is another obligation of עסק התורה ש and for that one is held accountable for (Likutay Sichos volume 2 Shavuot.)  What is the nature of this obligation?  Rav Chayim Shmulevetz explains that it is the recognition that without Torah a person is lacking their life essence (see Rambam Rotzeach 7:1.)  The Gemarah is teaching us that these Tanaim were able to learn Torah in their difficult situation because they had this recognition. 

The possuk (26:9) says ופניתי אליכם והפריתי אתכם והרביתי אתכם.  Rashi says אפנה מכל עסקי לשלם שכרכם מלה"ד למלך ששכר פועלים וכו' כדאיתא בת"כ.  Why is this possuk in the middle of the rewards for keeping Torah and mitzvot if it not a separate reward but rather a way of receiving the reward?  That is why Rashi adds the mashal of a king that hired workers.  A king doesn't hire people, he orders people?  Rashi is referring to a special volunteer mission.  For that, the king asks people to complete the mission.  This is line with the עמל בתורה which is a level beyond the normal obligation of learning Torah.  For those individuals, Hashem doesn't give the reward as an עסק, as past of the general running of the world, but there is a direct, special connection to Hashem (based on Likutay Sichos volume 17.)    

Shemmitah Order

 The parsha opens דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַי״יֽ.  Then it continues שֵׁ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ תִּזְרַ֣ע שָׂדֶ֔ךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְמֹ֣ר כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ.  Why would the Torah start by telling us the obligation of shmittah if it only follows after the six years?  And why does it tell us וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ, and only afterward explains when?  

It says in Berashis (2:2) ויכל אלקים בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה.  The Or Hachaim asks why does it say ויכל אלקים בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ if it was completed on the sixth day abnd why does it need to at the end מכל מלאכתו, it is obvious it from the work?  The Or Hachaim explains that until Shabbat the world was incomplete.  The world became "settled" only when through Shabbat.  The entire creation was in essence completed in Shabbat.  That is what it means ויכל אלקים בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י and the possuk ends מכל מלאכתו because all of the creation was completed through Shabbat.  According to the Or Hachaim it is Shabbat that gives the life force to the world.  

The possuk calls shemmitah שבת לה.  Shemmitah has an aspect of Shabbat to it.  Just as Shabbat gives life to the week, shemmitah gives the life to the shemmitah cycle.  That's why the Torah opens with the mitzvah of shemmtiah before the six years, because it is the mitzvah of shemmitah that allows for the six years of work.  Then it continues according to the order of the timeline, six years of work followed by the year of shemmitah. 

Invisible Walls

We say in the מזמור לתודה (Tehillim 100:3) הוא עשנו ולא [ולו] אנחנו.  What is the connection between the קרי וכתיב, the writing of the word לא, no to the way it is pronounced, לו, we are to Him?  The Sfas Emes in a few places in his maamereim on Elul (for ex. Shoftim 5768, Ellul 5762, littutim letter from 5625) cites the Chidushay HaRim says that how do we become close to Hashem, ולו אנחנו, through ולא אנחנו, nullifying ourselves to Hashem.  The spelling of the word is the key behind the pronounced word.  

The same type of קרי וכתיב appears in out parsha (25:30) regarding one who sells a house in a walled city and does not redeem it back within a year, it belongs to the new owner forever.  ואם לא יגאל עד מלאת לו שנה תמימה וקם הבית אשר בעיר אשר לא [לו] חמה לצמיתת לקנה אתו לדרתיו.  The כתיב is לא, it does not have a wall but the קרי is לו , it does have a wall.  Why would the Torah write a word that indicates the complete opposite meaning ,that it doesn't wall a wall, when it means to say it does have a wall?  

When a person buys and sells property, it gives them a sense of ownership over that which they have acquired.  There is a feeling that the person's acquisition gives him control over the property.  Then yoval comes and demonstrates that is not the case, a person's acquisition's do not last forever.  What a person builds will be toppled by the passage of time.  However, there are those that build walls around their properties.  They fortify themselves against the forces that which to topple their accomplishments and feel that way they will outsmart the winds that seek to take over.  However, eventually even the walled structures ,the great societies of history get conquered and washed away through the passage of time.  what is the only wall that lasts?  The לא חומה, the invisible wall of Torah (see Pesachim 78a חומה זו תורה.)  It is the Torah wall, the walled cities מימי יהושע בן נון, that ensure last eternally (this paragraph is based upon an article by Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson.)  Again the כתיב tells us the key to understanding the underlying principle (in the ruchniout aspect,) of the possuk. 

Don't Defile Yourself

אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו

Why the double terminology of אמר ואמרת? Why does the possuk switch from speaking to the klal to speak to the individual לא יטמא, it should have said לא יטמאו? Why does it say לנפש לא יטמא and not למת לא יטמא? Why does it say בני אהרן, we know the kohanim are the offspring of Aharon? The Chassidishe seforim understand this possuk is not just a halacha to kohanim not to defile themselves to the dead but the Torah is a also giving a command to everyone not to defile themselves with things that will contaminate their soul (see Toldot Yaakov Yosef, Mey Hashiloach etc. that develop the possuk according to their explanation.) The first command, אמור אל הכהנים is a general command not to defile one's self. This refers to things which defile everyone and there is a general warning for everyone to avoid those activities. L'havdil that is like the warning on a cigarette package that the product inside will likely cause harm. Who should teach about taharah, how to avoid defilement? Kohanim בני אהרן, those that are attached to Aharon, who achieved this level of purity (see the Midrash begging of the parsha about the yirat shamayim of Aharon and Sfas Emes 5652,) and can teach it to the klal.  ואמרת אלהם, another command, לנפש לא יטמא, one should not defile their own nefesh. Everyone has their own path with the things to avoid because they will harm the individual in their service of Hashem. There maybe things which do not affect one person but cause harm for another individual. That is like the warning on medications that they could be good for some people but for people taking other mediations or other complications, the medication can be very harmful.  The Torah warns one must be careful to avoid things which are harmful for one's own nefesh (see Toldot, Emrei Emes 5683.)

Todah And Shavuot

This post is based on a shmuz by Rabbi Yosef Elefant.

What does the avodah of sefirah have to do with the korban omer? 

The Ramban (23:17) says והנה בחג השבועות שהוא יום מתן תורה יביא הקרבן בדין תודה כי הוא יום העצרת והמשכיל יבין וזה סוד מה שאמרו רבותינו (ויק"ר ט ג) כל הקרבנות בטלין וקרבן תודה אינו בטל לעולם וכו' כי בו מצה וחמץ כענין בעולם הבא.  What is unique about this combination of chametz and matzah and why is it offered in the todah?  The ultimate תודה, thanks, is to recognize that even the bad, the חמץ in life also plays an important role in one's life.  That is the ענין עולם הבא where it is clear that everything is a manifestation of  the יחוד of Hashem.  The todah demonstrates that opposites, chametz and matzoh coexist.  What does that have to do with Shavuot , which the Ramban says is the same idea as the todah?  As elaborated in the Sifsay Chayim Moadim 2 pg. 22 footnote 11:

The Maharal (Teferet Ch. 24-25) explains the conversation between Moshe and the malachim recorded in the Gemarah if the Torah should be given to mankind is that the answer of Moshe is that the Torah must be given to gashmiout.  The Maharal expounds at length that every שכל requires a כלי of gashmi to hold it.  That's why the omer is a korban of animal food because the Torah is given to the gashmiout of a person.  As he concludes in Ch. 25, לכך היה הקרבת עומר בט"ז ניסן מן השעורין. שהשעורין הם גופניים, כי הם מאכל בהמה. וקרבן זה ביום ראשון של ספירה, כי הגוף הוא מוכן לקבל מדרגת השכל, וכמו שהתבאר לפני זה, כי אי אפשר לתורה רק שיהיה לה מקבל גשמי.  The process of kabbalat haTorah, of sefirat haomer, starts with a korban of animal food because that is the reason why Torah was given to mankind because he is made up of gashmi.  That is why the korban of the omer is the hakdamah to the avodah of sefirat haomer because that is what brings the Torah to mankind.   

On Shavuot we celebrate the fusion of the ruchni and the gashmi.  That is the chametz and the matzah.  Torah.  It is a celebration that the fusion of opposites is what brings out the power of the Torah.  That is the message of the todah, the recognition of the need for the chametz and matzah, the ultimate unity, which is expressed in Olam Habah.  

For a different explanation see here.

Two Parts Of A Whole

From the Mir parsha sheet.

Harav Hagaon Yehuda Wagshal Shlita

In this week’s parashah we have the mitzvah of וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, and we all know the famous statement of R' Akiva: וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ זֶה כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה. This needs to be understood, however, because although there are many mitzvos in the Torah that relate to our relationships with other people, there are also many mitzvos in the Torah that are purely bein adam laMakom. How, then, can ְוְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ be a klal gadol for the entire Torah?

In the mitzvah of וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, the Torah uses the term rei’a for “friend.” Now, in Lashon Hakodesh there are other words that mean “friend,” such as chaver or yedid. What is the significance of the term rei’a in the context of this mitzvah?

Rav Hutner notes that the word rei’a shares a root with the word ra, evil. What does evil have to do with a close friend? He explains that there’s another word with the same shoresh: teruah. Teruah is a broken sound, and a similar word is found in the passuk: תְּרֹעֵם בְּשֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל, which means to break someone to pieces with an iron rod. Something that is complete is good; something that’s broken is bad. But what does that have to do with a friendship?

There are different levels of friendship. At one level, friendship begins and ends with two people enjoying each other’s company. They share experiences together, they can laugh at each other’s jokes, and that’s the whole friendship. While they enjoy the company, each one is really living for himself.

Then, there’s a much deeper level of friendship, and that is with a rei’a. In this type of relationship, two people are so close and intertwined that they feel as if they’re part of a greater whole, and on their own they’re broken — a teruah. Only when they’re together do they feel complete.

When the Torah commands, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, it conveys that the mitzvah is not just to love one another, but to be able to develop a relationship with another Yid in which we’re two parts of one puzzle, with each one completing the other.

But why is this type of relationship necessary for the mitzvah of וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ? There’s a mitzvah to help any Yid, even if I don’t have that type of relationship with him. Indeed, the Gemara in Shabbos teaches that וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ means that what I wouldn’t want done to me, I shouldn’t do to others: דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד. This applies even if the relationship is not on the level of rei’acha, so why does the Torah link the mitzvah with the relationship of a rei’a specifically?

Perhaps the Torah is conveying a fundamental lesson here.

In Parashas Mishpatim, when the Torah commands us to give a loan to a person in need, it uses the words: אִם כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת עַמִּי אֶת הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ. What is the meaning of the phrase אֶת הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ?

Rashi explains that when someone comes to borrow money from you, before giving him the money, you should make sure to view yourself as if you’re the ani — to recognize and feel the pain and humiliation that he’s experiencing. The phrase אֶת הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ implies that the ani must be with you — you should feel his poverty yourself, and then you should lend him the money.

If the mitzvah is to lend money to a needy person, why do you have to feel as if you’re the poor person? You’re the rich one, you’re lending him the money, so why should you feel poor? Clearly, the real reason the Torah commands us to do chessed with others is not just to supply their needs. Hashem has many messengers and other ways to supply a pauper’s needs, but He wants Klal Yisrael to connect with one another, to feel the pain of another person in need and strive to ease it, just as you would for your own pain.

The mitzvah to give a loan, then, is not just to lend a person money and send him packing; it’s to connect with him, to feel his pain, to experience what he’s going through — and then to lend him the money.

The primary mitzvah of chessed and וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ is not just performing the action — it’s to feel the person’s pain and understand his crisis. And then, just as you would work to solve your own crisis, you’ll do anything you can to solve his as well.

We can now understand why the Torah chose the word rei’acha. Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn’t want you to do chessed on the level of a chaver; He wants you to feel like a rei’a, like an incomplete part of a puzzle, so that you feel the other person’s emotions and pain, and you help him from within that connection. That’s the main mitzvah of וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ.

We still need to understand, however, how this relates to all the 613 mitzvos, to the extent that it is considered a klal gadol baTorah.

The Zohar Hakadosh says that the 613 mitzvos are 613 eitzos for how to fulfill the mitzvah of ולדבקה בו and connect to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Mitzvos are not merely technical acts, but are meant to link us with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The word “mitzvah” is generally translated as “commandment,” from the root word tzivuy, but “mitzvah” is also related to the root of tzavsa, which implies companionship, closeness, connection.

How do we connect to Hakadosh Baruch Hu?

We say in davening every day:הוּא עָשָׂנוּ ולא [וְלוֹ] אֲנַחְנוּ עַמּוֹ וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתוֹ . The word lo in this passuk is written with an alef but read as though it is written with a vav. With an alef, the meaning of this phrase is that Hashem made us, and we didn’t make ourselves. With a vav, the meaning is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created us and we’re His — we’re part of Him.

The Sfas Emes explains that two concepts go together: When are we connected to Hakadosh Baruch Hu (לוֹ)? Only when we’re not out for ourselves: וְלֹא אֲנַחְנוּ. Someone who lives only for himself is stuck in his own selfish, self-centered box. He can never connect to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, since he can’t connect to anybody. But if someone is וְלֹא אֲנַחְנוּ — he’s not focused only on himself — he can also be lo anachnu with a vav, and connected to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

This is the primary purpose of all the 613 mitzvos. These 613 eitzos for how to come close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu train us to remove ourselves from centerstage — and then we can connect to Him.

But we don’t see Hakadosh Baruch Hu right before our eyes, and we don’t always feel His presence as much as we should. Therefore, He gave us the klal gadol baTorah — וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ — exhorting us to practice getting out of our box and becoming less self-centered and more attuned to other people’s feelings. When we do that, and we feel what it means to be rei’acha — two parts of the same puzzle, sharing another person’s pain —we are taking a step out of our selfish box, and that opens us to develop a relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu as well.

Although וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ relates to matters of bein adam lachaveiro, it is nevertheless a klal gadol baTorah, since it enables a person to transcend his self-centered existence, which positions him to fulfill the ultimate purpose of all the 613 mitzvos: ולדבקה בו

Scattered Points

A few points on the parsha.

There is a chakira in the geder of neta rivay, the fruits of the tree's fourth year that have kedusha and need to be eaten in Jerusalem if the issur on the fruits is a continuation of the issur of the first three years, arlah, or if the fruits should be muttar but the Torah imposes kedusha on the fruits so that it must be eaten in Jerusalem.  Rav Pirlow on the Smag (Lo taaseh 138-139) cites some Rishonim do not count the lav of rivay as separate from that of arlah.  Their reason may be because they just view the issur as an extension of the issur of arlah.  Rabbi Yechiel Kelmenson has an entire sefer dedicated to this chakirah.  In the last siman of the of the sefer he suggests that these two views parallel the two views in kabbalah on the nature of neta rivay.  One view is the first three years the fruits are stuck in klipot, and can't be elevated.  The fourth year is klipat nogah, where the fruit must be eaten in kedusha.  That is reflective of the aspect that the issur of arlah still extends into the fourth year.  The other view is that the first three years correspond to the lower three worlds of בריאה יצירה עשייה and the fourth year corresponds to the  world of אצילות.  This reflects the kedusha that exists in the fruits of the fourth year.      

The Chinuch mitzvah 241 שלט לנקום says one violates the commandment if one bears a grudge with intent of getting back at someone for wronging them.  He concludes therefore, the lav does not have an action and there is no lashes even if the lav is violated through an action for as long as the lav can be violated without an actin there is no punishment of lashes attached to the lav.  Many are of the opinion that the Rambam disagrees with the principle of the Chinuch that if its possible to violated the lav without an action, even if an action is done there is no lashes and the Minchas Chinuch wonders if the Rambam would agree to this Chiuch.  However, the Rambam (Deot 7:7) also says there are no lashes for the lav.  Why wolud there not be lashes when one does an action?  The Avodat Hamelach (and others) explain because the issur is the grudge itself.  It may come to fruition through an action but that is not the issur itself.  The issur itself does not have an action, hence there are no lashes.

The last point in the Or Gedalyahu on the parsha: