Friday, June 20, 2025

The Challah And Tzitzit Message

Why are the mitzvot of challah and tzitzis given after the sin of the meraglim?  The Sfas Emes (5661) explains the idea of the mitzvah of challah is to recognize that even in the most basic gashmi needs of a person, in the staple of his life, there is a G-dly spark that illuminates one's actions.  In other seforim it says (see Igra D''Kallah, Megalleh Amukot) that the parsha of challah, ראשית עריסותיכם, כי תבואו אל הארץ,  hints to the idea that at the beginning of the day, when you get out of bed (עריסה also means a bed,) when the neshama returns to the gashmi, at the beginning of the gashmi needs a person needs to take care of, one should acknowledge how it ties into their spiritual accomplishments.  

The Sefer HaChinuch says that the lavan strings of the tzitzit represent the body of a person and the techeles strings represent the nefesh.  The strings are intertwined since the nefesh and gashmi must be united.  

The sin of the meraglim was that they viewed the gashmi as separate from the ruchni and hence they did not want to enter Eretz Yisrael.  The mitzvot that come after are to demonstrate the mistake of the meraglim.    

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