Rabbi David Etengoff This d’var Torah is dedicated to the memory of mori u’rebbe HaRav Dr. Moshe Dovid Tendler zatzal. T’hay nafsho tzururah b’tzor hachayim. Several of our parasha’s most thought-provoking pasukim focus upon Hashem’s plan to create humankind: And G-d said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...” And G-d created man in His image; in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them. And the L-rd G-d formed man of dust from the ground, and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul. (Sefer Bereishit 1:26-27, 2:7, this and the following Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) The phrase, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” has been the subject of intense scrutiny since time immemorial. To whom, after all, did the Holy One blessed be He refer when He employed the terms, “us” and “our?” In his commentary on our verse, Rashi (1040-1105) provides us with a celebrated midrashically-suffused interpretation: Let us make man: From here we learn the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them… Let us make man: Even though they [the angels] did not assist Him in His creation…” Rashi notes that the angels were jealous and “they did not assist Him in His creation.” Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 8:5 elaborates upon their opposing reactions, and reveals that some angels were completely hostile to Hashem’s grand plan: Rabbi Simon said: “At the very moment the Holy One blessed be He sought to create the first man, the Ministering Angels gathered together into various groups and caucuses. Some of them declared: ‘Let him be created!’ While others proclaimed: ‘Do not create him!’ This is written in the verse: ‘Chesed and emet have met and tzedek and shalom have kissed [that is, have encountered one another].’” (Sefer Tehillim 85:11, translations my own) At this juncture, the midrash presents the competing claims of chesed, emet, tzedek and shalom that were championed by the Ministering Angels: Chesed said: “Let him be created! After all, humankind is capable of acting with lovingkindness.” Emet protested: “Do not create him! Humankind is nothing other than a pack of lies!” Tzedek said: “Let him be created! After all, humankind will undertake righteous acts.” Shalom said: “Do not create him! Humankind represents endless fighting [and violence]. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He grabbed emet and tossed it to the ground! This is what the verse states: “And He threw emet to the ground.” (Sefer Daniel 8:12) In sum, chesed and tzedek strongly supported the creation of humankind, while emet and shalom were radically opposed. While this midrash certainly conceals more than it reveals, it teaches us that humankind is the ultimate study in contrasts. On one level we have the potential to emulate the malachai hasharat: “Yet You have made him slightly less than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and majesty.” (Sefer Tehillim 8:6) Nonetheless, immediately prior to this paean of praise, the very same David HaMelech declared: “When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You have established, what is man that You should remember him, and the son of man that You should be mindful of him?” (4-5) Many Kabbalistic and Chassidic works focus upon humankind’s dual nature and analyze the battle raging within us between the nefesh behamit (animalistic-oriented soul) and the nefesh Elokit (the divine soul). Perhaps this perpetual psychological and spiritual conflict motivated our Sages to question whether man should have been created: Our Rabbis taught: Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel argued for two and a half years. [This group said,] “It would have been better for man not to have been created than to have been created.” [In contrast,] the other group stated: “It was better for man to have been created than to have not been created.” [Finally, a consensus was reached,] and they concluded: “It would have been better for man not to have been created than to have been created…” (Talmud Bavli, Eruvin 13b, translation and brackets my own) The Maharsha (1555-1631) provides a trenchant analysis of this passage. He notes that man is an essential part of Hashem’s Universe, for if he did not exist there would be no one to perform the Torah’s commandments. Yet, practically speaking, this idea contains a conceptual double-edged sword: The mitzvot lo ta’aseh (negative commandments) are, in the main, fulfilled by simply refraining from performing certain specified actions. Therefore, were we never to have come into being, these mitzvot would have been fulfilled by default, as there would be no one to violate their integrity. With humankind’s creation, however, this calculus changed, and a negative risk-reward valence resulted from the distinct probability of violating the mitzvot lo ta’aseh. The plus side of the equation of our existence, however, is to be found in the potential fulfillment of the mitzvot aseh (positive commandments). As the Maharsha states: … for if he had not been created, it is incontrovertibly the case that the positive commandments would never be fulfilled. Now that man has been created, it is possible that he will act meritoriously and perform them... These words of the Maharsha are highly reminiscent of a well-known mishnah in Pirkei Avot that stresses the potential greatness we can achieve in this world: “[Rabbi Ya’akov] was known for the following adage:] ‘A single moment of repentance (teshuvah) and good deeds (ma’asim tovim) in this world is greater than all of the World to Come.’” (IV:17) With Hashem’s help, and our fervent desire, may we strive to fulfill His holy mitzvot and engage in innumerable moments of ma’asim tovim — for this, after all, is why we were created. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal
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Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, Chana bat Sarah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. The public reading of Megillat Kohelet is one of the highlights of Shabbat Chol HaMoed Succot. Chazal universally maintain that Shlomo HaMelech authored this work, as he did Mishle and Shir HaShirim. Our Sages differ, however, regarding the order of their composition: He [Shlomo HaMelech] wrote three works: Mishle, Kohelet and Shir HaShirim. Which one did he compose first? … Rabbi Chiya Rabbah said: “He wrote Mishle first, and afterwards Shir HaShirim, followed by Kohelet.” …Rabbi Natan said: “He wrote Shir HaShirim first, and afterwards Mishle followed by Kohelet.” He brought his proof from the life cycle of humankind (literally, derech eretz): When a man is young, he says words of song [Shir HaShirim], as he grows older, he says parables [Mishle], and when he reaches old age, he proclaims words of futility [Kohelet; literally, divrei havalim). Rabbi Yanai, the father-in-law of Rabbi Ami, said: “Everyone is in agreement that Kohelet was said last.” (Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah Vilna edition, Parasha I, translation and brackets my own) If we apply this midrash to our practice of reading Megillat Shir HaShirim on Pesach and Megillat Kohelet on Succot, a crucial idea emerges: When people are young, they are in the springtime of their lives, the perfect moment to proclaim words of song and joy; therefore, Pesach, the festival par excellence of spring, is the ideal occasion upon which to read Megillat Shir HaShirim. In contrast, while Pesach is in many ways about the springtime and beginnings, Succot, which the Torah additionally calls Chag HaAsif (the Fall Harvest Festival, Sefer Shemot 34:22), represents the end of the growing season and the temporary cessation of creating new agricultural life. As such, it is somewhat analogous to the period of old age, when many people recognize that the hopes, dreams, and visions of their youth which they longed “to grow” remain unrealized. Consequently, it is the most appropriate time of the year to read Megillat Kohelet, whose second verse proclaims the famous poignant words, “Vanity of vanities, said Kohelet; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (“Havel havalim amar Kohelet havel havalim hakol havel;” this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach). This is one of the many possible approaches to understanding why we read Megillat Kohelet on Chol HaMoed Succot. Yet, an even more fundamental, and seemingly radical, question can be asked: Why do we read Megillat Kohelet at all? In Rabbinic terminology, why is it included in Tanach? I must stress that this is not my original question. It was implicitly asked more than 1400 years ago in Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 30b: “Rav Yehudah the son of Rav Shmuel bar Shilat said in the name of Rav: ‘The Sages sought to place Sefer Kohelet in the genizah (hidden archives) because its words are contradictory.’” The Gemara continues and explains why Megillat Kohelet did not meet this ignominious fate: And why did they not place it in the genizah? This is because its beginning and conclusion contain words of Torah. Its beginning comprises words of Torah, as it states: “What profit has man in all his toil that he toils under the sun (tachat hashemesh, 1:3)?” And, as it was said in the yeshivah of Rav Yanai: “Tachat hashemesh is where man’s toil has no intrinsic value, before the sun [existed, however,] this is where his exertions have true meaning (Rashi, 1040-1105, explains that the Torah was created before Hashem formed the world; hence, Torah study has inherent worth.) The end of Megillat Kohelet is also composed of divrei Torah. As it is written: “The end of the matter, everything having been heard, fear G-d and keep His commandments, for this is the entire man.” (12:13) In sum, Megillat Kohelet was saved from the genizah, “because its beginning and conclusion contain words of Torah.” In my estimation, the penultimate pasuk of Megillat Kohelet, “The end of the matter, everything having been heard, approach Elokim in awe and keep His commandments, for this is the entire man,” is an aphoristic summation of what we, as a people and as individuals, should do in order to authentically serve Hashem. This is congruent with Rashi’s gloss on our verse: The end of the matter, everything having been heard, approach Elokim in awe: “What you can, do, and let your heart be to Heaven.” And keep His commandments, for this is the entire man: “Because for this matter, the entire man was created.” Rashi’s words, “what you can, do,” are reminiscent of Rabbi Tarfon’s epigrammatic phrase: “It is not up to you to complete the work, but because this is so, you are not free from undertaking the task.” (Pirkei Avot II:16, translation my own) The work and the task in this statement refer to the study of Torah. Moreover, Rashi teaches us that this is not a trivial pursuit. Rather, the mission of Torah study performed with hearts and minds totally dedicated to Shamayim enables us to “keep His commandments” — the ultimate purpose of our creation. Little wonder, then, that the entire congregation repeats our pasuk aloud at the conclusion of the public reading of Megillat Kohelet: “The end of the matter, everything having been heard, approach Elokim in awe and keep His commandments, for this is the entire man.” May our awe of Hashem and dedication to His mitzvot bring us ever closer to Him. V’chane yihi ratzon. Shabbat Shalom and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, Chana bat Sarah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. The majority of our parasha is comprised of an intricate and richly metaphoric shirah (song). As in other such poetic passages in Tanach, the exegetes of our masorah analyze its constitutive elements in multiple ways. A sterling example of this is the word, “tzur,” that appears in the verse: “The deeds of HaTzur are perfect, for all His ways are just. He is a faithful G-d, never unfair; righteous and moral is He.” (Sefer Devarim 32:4, translation, The Living Torah, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan zatzal) The Ibn Ezra (c. 1090-c.1165) suggests that tzur is utilized in our pasuk to convey Hashem’s eternal existence, in that, “He exists forever like a rock.” The Rambam (1135-1204) maintains, as well, that tzur denotes the idea of “the Rock” in the sense that He is the causal agent for all that exists: “G-d, may He be exalted, is designated as the Rock, as He is the principle and the efficient cause of all things other than Himself. Accordingly, it is said: ‘The Rock, His work is perfect.’” (The Guide of the Perplexed, translated by Shlomo Pines, vol. I:16, page 42) These explanations work well within the basic etymological structure of tzur. Perhaps one of the most novel interpretation of HaTzur, however, was offered by the 19th century Torah scholar and student of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, Rabbi Ya’akov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865). In his Torah commentary, Haketav v’HaKabbalah, he asserts that the appellation, “HaTzur,” derives from the word, “tzarirah,” which connotes the idea of a bundle. Consequently, he translates our term as “He Who combines together.” In addition, Rav Mecklenburg opines that Hashem received this name based upon two facets of His actions that are implicitly found in Ma’aseh Bereishit: The first feature of this name is that He conjoins and combines the specific aspects of all creatures, in such a manner that they will be united and linked together, one to another, to the point that that they are unified into one complete entity that exists in total perfection. From this perspective, we may view “HaTzur” as a verb…The second feature of this name is that it is a shame hata’are — a descriptive noun, in the sense that everything extant is combined and associated with Him, may He be blessed, as He is the origin and the basis for everything …It is with this intention that He, may He be blessed, is described as the Tzur Olamim (He Who conjoins all Creation, Sefer Yeshayahu XXVI:4, translations my own). In Rav Mecklenburg’s view, HaTzur signifies two crucial concepts regarding the manner in which Hashem relates to our world: Hashem is He Who unifies all life “into one complete entity that exists in total perfection.” Moreover, everything that exists “is combined and associated with Him, as He is the origin and the basis for everything.” In sum, the Almighty emerges as the bedrock of our being. Little wonder, then, that Chana the prophetess, who had been unable to conceive until she miraculously gave birth to her son Shmuel, declared in her shirah so long ago: “There is none as holy as the L-rd, for there is none besides You; And there is no Tzur like our G-d.” (Sefer Shmuel I:2:2, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) We are fortunate, indeed, that the Anshei Kenesset HaGadolah (Men of the Great Assembly, circa 500 BCE) sensitized us, as well, to the immanence of HaTzur in our lives, through the formulation of two phrases in our daily tefilah: Tzur Yisrael, arise to the aid of Israel and liberate, as you pledged, Judah and Israel. (From the introduction to the Shemoneh Esrai) We gratefully thank You, for it is You Who are Hashem, our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers for all eternity; Tzur of our lives, Shield of salvation are You… (From the introduction to the Modim section of the Shemoneh Esrai, translations, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur) May Tzur Yisrael ever protect us, and may we recognize His omnipresence in our lives. V’chane yihi ratzon. Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal Rabbi David Etengoff Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, Shayndel bat Mordechai Yehudah, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, Chana bat Sarah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world. This Shabbat is primarily known as “Shabbat Shuvah,” named after the stirring words of Hoshea the prophet that are found in our haftarah: “Return, O Israel (Shuvah Yisrael), to the L-rd your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity. Take words with yourselves and return to the L-rd (v’shuvu el Hashem, 14:2-3, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Moreover, given its calendrical placement between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, this Shabbat is focused upon teshuvah, so much so that most Chasidic groups label it, “Shabbat Teshuvah.” As many of us have been actively engaged in the teshuvah process since the beginning of Elul, and Yom Kippur is the day upon which it reaches its crescendo, this is the ideal time to analyze the constitutive elements of teshuvah. Fortunately, the Rambam’s (1135-1204) Hilchot Teshuvah is laser-focused upon this task: And what is teshuvah? This is when the sinner rejects his sin, removes it from his thoughts and concludes in his mind that he will not undertake [this forbidden act] again. Moreover, he regrets what he has done in the past… [to the extent of which] that He Who Knows All Mysteries will attest that he [the sinner] will never return to this sin again…and he must confess with his lips and speak of all these matters that he has concluded in his mind. (II:2, this and all Rambam translations my own) In sum, in the Rambam’s view, teshuvah is comprised of three clearly differentiated cognitive and emotional aspects: recognition and rejection of the sin (azivat hachate), the sinner’s heartfelt resolution not to perform this forbidden act again (kabbalah al he’atid) and profound remorse for that which has been done (nechama al he’avar). In addition, these new-found feelings of spiritual awareness must be given literal voice in the form of vidui (verbal confession). Fascinatingly, the Rambam emphasizes the obligation for all members of the Jewish people to engage in teshuvah on Yom Kippur: Yom HaKippurim is the time of teshuvah for every individual and for the community at large. Moreover, it is the end [of the period of] forgiveness and pardon (mechilah v’slicha) for the Jewish people. Therefore, everyone is obligated (chayavim hakol) to do teshuvah and confess on Yom HaKippurim. (Hilchot Teshuvah II:7) My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), suggests a novel interpretation of this passage in his celebrated work, Al HaTeshuvah: From here we can learn that the Rambam maintains that in addition to the mitzvah of teshuvah that is obligatory throughout the entire year, there is a unique mitzvah of teshuvah and vidui during the Ten Days of Repentance. Consequently, it is logical that [the Rambam asserts] that the teshuvah of Yom HaKippurim is, in fact, a new and unique mitzvah, that is relevant to Yom HaKippurim alone. (Page 39, translation my own) The Rav’s conclusion that “the teshuvah of Yom HaKippurim is, in fact, a new and unique mitzvah, that is relevant to Yom HaKippurim alone,” parallels a statement in Rabbeinu Yonah’s (1200-1263) seminal work, Sha’arei Teshuvah: “And there is a positive Torah commandment (mitzvat aseh min HaTorah) for a person to bestir his spirit and return [to Hashem] in teshuvah on Yom HaKippurim.” Yet, what differentiates the teshuvah of Yom Kippur from the teshuvah of the rest of the year? We are fortunate that Rav Yehudah Amital zatzal (1924-2010), former co-Rosh HaYeshivah of Yeshivat Har Etzion, asks and answers this precisely this question: To explain the words of the Rambam, we need to distinguish between the general mitzvah of teshuvah and the teshuvah of Yom Kippur. In general, making a resolution for the future is an integral part of teshuvah… it seems [, however,] that there is a distinction between the teshuvah of Yom Kippur and the teshuvah of the rest of the year. During the year, we need to repent “by the book,” which includes resolving not to sin again. However, on Yom Kippur, anyone who says, “we have sinned,” is considered a ba’al teshuvah. It is true that this form of teshuvah lacks a true resolution for the future; however, the great power of Yom Kippur is that even this teshuvah is effective… the teshuvah of Yom Kippur, though lacking a resolution not to sin again, is nonetheless accepted by G-d… Ba’alei teshuvah are accepted and purified, as long as they speak sincerely. (When G-d is Near: On the High Holidays, translation, Kaeren Fish, page 202, brackets, and ellipses my own) In my estimation, Rav Amital’s inspiring exposition is reminiscent of Dovid HaMelech’s well-known statement in Ashrei: “Hashem is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity.” (Sefer Tehillim 145:18) As such, Yom Kippur emerges as the most barrier-breaking and joyous day of the Jewish calendar, for on this day, Hashem is nearest to us, and longingly accepts our teshuvah — even if it is imperfect and incomplete. No wonder that in his description of Yom Kippur, Rabbi Akiva declared so long ago: “Happy are you, O’ Israel! Before Whom are you purified, and Who purifies you? Your Father in heaven.” (Mishnah Yoma VIII:9, translation my own) Shabbat Shalom, Gamar Chatimah Tovah, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world. Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected]. *** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd *** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link: The Rav zatzal |
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