Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha is the source of Birkat Kohanim (the Blessing of the Kohanim), one of the most stirring acts in our prayer experience. Nearly anyone who has witnessed this tefilah senses its drama and majesty. Chazal’s (our Sages of blessed memory) analysis of the introductory verse to Birkat Kohanim, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: ‘this is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them (amore lahem),’” (Sefer Vayikra 6:23) illustrates their abiding sensitivity to the Torah’s text. They note that the word “amore” (saying) is written in its complete grammatical form (maleh, with the Hebrew letter vav), rather than in the more usual manner (chaser, without the Hebrew letter vav). While initially this appears to be nothing more than a minor linguistic change, Midrash Tanchuma (Buber) Parashat Naso, Siman 18, details its profound significance:

[Amore] is spelled maleh in the phrase “amore lahem.” The reason why you [the Kohanim] should bless the Jewish people is not merely because I [G-d] have told you to do so [as if this act was some kind of burdensome chore.] Therefore, you should not bless them as if you were forced to do so (b’angaria, Hebrew - Greek) and in a rapid [unthinking and automatic] fashion. Instead, you [the Kohanim] should bless them [the Jewish people] with complete intention (b’kavanat halev) in order that the blessing should totally encompass them (she’tishlot habracha bahem). This is why the Torah writes: “amore lahem” [in the maleh form]. (Translation my own)
 
In sum, the Midrash informs us that our verse’s unusual spelling of amore urges the Kohanim to recognize that it is a singular honor to bless the Jewish people, and that they should have total kavanat halev during the recitation of the blessing to ensure its complete fulfillment.

The great mid-18th century Chasidic master, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein, known to the world as the holy Me’or Vashemesh after the title of his most famous work, notes that many meforshim (Torah commentators) focus upon the question as to why the term amore is used instead of the normative word dabare, which connotes “speak” in its imperative form. In so doing, he highlights the emotions the Kohanim must have prior to ascending the bimah:

In my opinion, the answer to this well-known question of the meforshim is found by recognizing that our verse suggests that an individual [i.e. kohane] who desires to bless the Jewish people must have within him the behavioral quality of one who loves his people with a powerful love – equivalent to the love he has for himself and his own being (k’nafsho u’k’lavavo). (Sefer Me’or Vashemesh, Parashat Naso, this, and the following translation and brackets, my own)
 
Next, the Me’or Vashemesh explains that the love that the Kohanim have for the Jewish people must include each and every member of our nation, and depicts what this kind of love will achieve:

[The love that the Kohanim have] must include even the lowliest of the low of the Jewish people, for even such individuals they must love as they love themselves. Through this kind of love, the Kohanim will glorify the Jewish people before their Father in Heaven until the highest imaginable heights, and thereby bestir great mercy and kindness – and bring upon them every variety of blessing…
 
Clearly, the Kohanim have a crucial role to play in improving the status of our people before Hashem. Yet, the vast majority of us are not Kohanim. As such, how can we bring mercy and kindness to the world? The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) answers this question in a manner that underscores the notion that anyone, Jew or gentile, can be sanctified to the point wherein they emulate the Kohanim:

Not only the tribe of Levi, but any one of the inhabitants of the world whose spirit generously motivates him and understands with his wisdom [how] to set himself aside and stand before G-d to serve Him and minister to Him and to know G-d, proceeding justly as G-d made him … is as sanctified as holy of holies. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Shemitah v’Yovel 13:13; translation by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
With the Almighty’s help, may we be counted among those who develop profound and wise understanding, so that, we can become spiritual “Kohanim,” and bring Hashem’s blessings to to all mankind. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

​
Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The concluding verse of Parashat Bechuchotai, and of Sefer Vayikra, contains a phrase that is crucial for a holistic understanding of the Torah: “These are the commandments (aleh hamitzvot) that the L-rd commanded Moses to [tell] the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.” (This and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Rabbinic literature contains passage after passage that analyze the expression “aleh hamitzvot,” and nearly all of them state: “There is no prophet who has permission to create new [mitzvot or changes in the Torah] from this point [onwards].” (See for example, Talmud Yerushalmi, Megillah 1:5, Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 104a and Megillah 2b) The phrase, aleh hamitzvot, therefore, is exclusionary in nature and essentially denotes that the 613 commandments that were given to “the children of Israel on Mount Sinai” are the only mitzvot forevermore.

In his Commentary on the Mishnah, the Rambam (Maimonides 1135-1204) counts the unchanging nature of the Torah as the ninth of his celebrated 13 Principles of Faith:
And the Ninth Pillar of Faith is that of non-nullification. This means that Moses’ Torah will never be annulled, and that there never will be another Torah from Hashem except for this one. Moreover, it may never be added to nor subtracted therefrom – neither in written form nor by explication. As the Torah states: “Everything I command you that you shall be careful to do it. You shall neither add to it, nor subtract from it.” (Sefer Devarim 13:1, Commentary on the Mishnah translation my own)

The Talmudic exposition of aleh hamitzvot, i.e. “There is no prophet who has permission to create new [mitzvot or changes in the Torah] from this point [onwards],” is hinted at in this passage. In the Mishneh Torah, however, the Rambam explicitly cites this in juxtaposition to the Torah’s expression, “Lo b’shamayim he” (It, i.e. the Torah, is not in Heaven):

It is clear and explicit in the Torah that it is [G-d’s] commandment, remaining forever without change, addition or diminishment, as [Sefer Devarim 13:1] states: “All these matters which I command to you, you shall be careful to perform. You may not add to it or diminish from it” … This teaches that we are commanded to fulfill all the Torah’s directives forever. It is also said: “It is an everlasting statute for all your generations,” and [Sefer Devarim 30:12] states: “Lo b’shamayim he.” This teaches that a prophet can no longer add a new precept [to the Torah]. (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah IX:1, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, underlining my own)
 
Based on this passage, it appears that the Rambam formulated the principle of the eternality of the Torah in consonance with the following celebrated Talmudic narrative wherein the phrase, “Lo bashamayim he” forms the crux of the argument:

On that day R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument [in a highly technical dispute regarding ritual purity and impurity], but they [the other sages] did not accept them… [Said Rabbi Eliezer:] “If the halachah agrees with me, let it be proved from Heaven!” Whereupon a Heavenly Voice (bat kol) cried out: “Why do you dispute with R. Eliezer, seeing that in all matters the halachah agrees with him!” But R. Joshua arose and exclaimed: “Lo bashamayim he!” What did he mean by this? — Said R. Jeremiah: That the Torah had already been given at Mount Sinai; we pay no attention to a Heavenly Voice (bat kol), because You [Hashem] have long since written in the Torah at Mount Sinai (Sefer Shemot 23:2), “After the majority must one follow.” (Talmud Bavli, Baba Metzia 59b, translation, The Soncino Talmud with my brackets and emendations)
 
The above-cited Talmudic passage is nothing less than amazing. In one fell swoop, it denies any possibility of a post-Sinaitic Revelation. Moreover, it demonstrates that imperfect human reason, in conjunction with the accepted principles of Torah exegesis and majority rule, are the sole determinants in any halachic dispute – even when one of the disputants is a bat kol!

In our own time, the unlimited authority of man to determine the halacha (Jewish legal decisions) was given powerful voice by Rav Moshe Feinstein zatzal (1895-1986), widely recognized as the greatest posek (halachic decisor) of the 20th century:

The Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah to the Jewish people to act according to that which they will understand of the Written Law, and that which was given to them orally (ba’al peh) at Mount Sinai – based upon [the limits of] their comprehension. Moreover, the Holy One never explained nor determined the actual practice of the laws of the Torah, since “lo bashamayim he;” instead, He agreed from the outset to the understanding and explanations of the Torah Sages… even if this was possibly not in accord with the Holy One blessed be He’s understanding. (Iggerot Moshe, Introduction, translation, brackets and underlining my own)
 
Rav Feinstein’s words are reminiscent of the very next lines of our above-cited Talmudic passage:

R. Nathan met Elijah and asked him: “What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do in that hour?” [I.e. when R. Joshua arose and exclaimed “Lo bashamayim hi!”] — He laughed [with joy and] replied, saying, “My children have defeated Me, My children have defeated Me!”
 
Clearly, as King David declared, “The law of the L-rd is perfect, restoring the soul…” (Sefer Tehillim 19:8). Yet, while the Torah is perfect, it is now in the province of the Jewish people and, in particular, under the jurisdiction of Chazal. With Hashem’s help, may we continue to ever guard the beauty and authenticity of our holy Torah, whose words are “our life and the length of our days, and about them we will meditate day and night.” (Evening Prayer Service, translation, ArtScroll Siddur) V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of my professors, Rabbi Menachem M. Brayer, PhD zatzal once noted: “We should not be surprised by the similarities between Judaism and the surrounding cultures. After all, they were in the same geographic area and essentially faced the same daily challenges. What we should focus upon, however, are the differences, rather than the similarities.” (My paraphrase from a lecture) A telling example of such a parallel is found in the following two sources:

If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. If he break another man's bone, his bone shall be broken. (Hammurabi's Code of Laws, Numbers 196-197, translation, L. W. King)

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise… And a man who inflicts an injury upon his fellow man just as he did, so shall be done to him [namely,] fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he inflicted an injury upon a person, so shall it be inflicted upon him. (Sefer Shemot 21:24-25 and Sefer Vayikra 24:19-20, these and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

These passages are strikingly parallel in both subject matter and content. This is particularly fascinating since Hammurabi died in 1750 B.C.E. – approximately 500 years before the Exodus and Hashem’s gift of the Torah to our ancestors at Mount Sinai. As such, Rabbi Dr. Brayer’s observation is particularly apropos regarding our texts. Hammurabi’s Code represents straightforward retribution (lex talionis). In stark contrast, however, the verses from Sefer Shemot and our parasha do not entail any manner of physical revenge. Instead, our Sages understood them as referring to financial restitution. As such, the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) codifies the Torah’s verses in the following manner:

When a person injures a colleague, he is liable to compensate him in five ways: the damages, his pain, his medical treatment, his loss of employment and the embarrassment he suffered. All these five assessments must be paid from the highest quality of property that he owns, as is the law with regard to payment for damages. The Torah's statement Leviticus 24:20: “Just as he caused an injury to his fellowman, so too, an injury should be caused to him,” should not be interpreted in a literal sense. It does not mean that the person who caused the injury should actually be subjected to a similar physical punishment. Instead, the intent is that he deserves to lose a limb or to be injured in the same manner as his colleague was, and therefore he should make financial restitution to him. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chovale u’Mazik 1:1 and 3, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger, underlining my own)

The Rambam deems the exegetical analysis of our passages to be a necessary but insufficient refutation of any Torah-based notion of physical retribution. Therefore, he strengthens his position by invoking Massorah (the accepted body of received and revered opinion) and case law as the final conclusive proof for how we ought to understand “An eye for an eye…”

Although these interpretations are obvious from the study of the Written Law, and they are explicitly mentioned in the Oral Tradition transmitted by Moses from Mount Sinai, they are all regarded as actual halachic practice (halacha l’maaseh – see Rabbi Shabbetai Frankel’s edition). This is what our ancestors saw in the court of Joshua and in the court of Samuel of Ramah, and in every single Jewish court that has functioned from the days of Moses our teacher until the present age.” (Ibid. 6, emendation and note my own)

The Rambam’s suggestion of halacha l’maaseh as the final arbiter for understanding our verse is completely unprecedented in the Mishneh Torah – especially since this is the only reference to this expression in the entire work! Beyond question, something unique has taken place in this body of laws. Therefore, we must ask, “What is the Rambam communicating to us by calling upon Massorah and employing the phrase ‘halacha l’maaseh,’ rather than relying upon his own textual analysis and interpretation?”

Without a doubt, Maimonides was one of the most extraordinary thinkers of all time. Yet, he saw himself as operating within the context of the Massorah, instead of relying solely upon his own intellect. In other words, as cogent as his own analyses were, he nonetheless accepted Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) as the ultimate decisors of truth. Given this notion, it is little wonder that the Rambam began the Mishneh Torah with a restatement of the chain of Torah transmission from the ever-sounding Voice at Sinai until his own time. The message is clear: We are free to critically research and examine every aspect of the halachic universe. Yet, when it comes to halacha l’maaseh, we must embrace the authority of  Chazal in order to serve our Creator in authenticity and truth.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
​
*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Kedoshim’s verse: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, “You shall be holy (kedoshim), for I, the L-rd, your G-d, am holy,’” is celebrated for its powerful call to the Jewish people to live lives invested with holiness. (Sefer Vayikra19:1-2, this and all Rashi and Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Rashi, basing himself upon a variety of midrashic sources, explains the phrases, “entire congregation of Israel” and “you shall be holy,” in the following fashion:

Entire Congregation of Israel: [This] teaches us that this passage was stated in the assembly [of the entire congregation of Israel] because most of the fundamental teachings of the Torah are dependent on it [i.e., they are encapsulated in this passage].
 
You shall be holy: Separate yourselves from illicit relations and from sin, for wherever one finds a barrier against illicit relations, one finds holiness…
 
The great mid-18th century Chasidic master, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Halevi Epstein, known to the world as the holy Me’or Vashemesh after the title of his most famous work, raises a key question regarding Rashi’s explication of our verse: “What do we learn by being told that this [specific] parasha was taught in the assembly of Israel - is it not logical to assume that all mitzvot that are universally practiced by the Jewish people were stated before our entire nation?” (Me’or Vashemesh, Parashat Kedoshim, this and the following translations my own)  The answer the Me’or Vashemesh provides offers us a deeper understanding of the connection that obtains between the phrases, “entire congregation of Israel” and “you shall be holy,” and informs our comprehension of the pasuk (verse) in an entirely new fashion:

And this is the proper explanation of our pasuk: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel’…” As Rashi elucidates, “[This] teaches us that this passage was stated in the assembly [of the entire congregation of Israel] …” This means, that this parasha - i.e. that of “and you shall be holy” [was specifically said] amongst the entire Jewish people, since it is impossible for a person to merit the highest heights of kedushah (holiness) unless they will be joined together in a gathering of the overall community in the service of Hashem. Why is this the case? [As Rashi teaches us]: “because most of the fundamental teachings of the Torah are dependent on it.” – i.e. tefilah b’tzibur (public prayer), and mitzvot which are similar in kind [that require a community for their fulfillment].
 
Clearly, for the Me’or Vashemesh, kedushah can only be achieved in the context of the tzibur. As such, any notion of ascetic withdrawal from the community is anathema to the authentic Torah way of life - a concept that he crystalizes in the following passage:

The text concludes and states: “You shall be holy,” which Rashi interprets as “and you shall be separate.” To clarify: This parasha was commanded to the Jewish people in order for them to be holy [as a corporate entity]; a person could mistakenly believe, however, that the correct exposition of “and you shall be holy” is that individuals should remove and separate themselves from the tzibur – and only then will they achieve authentic kedushah.
 
The deeply insightful analysis of the Me’or Vashemesh is consonant with Hillel’s well-known statement in Pirkei Avot: “Al tifrosh min hatzibur” (“Do not separate yourself from the community,” II:4) In his discursive analysis of this phrase, Rabbi Israel Lipschitz (1782-1860), known as the Tiferet Yisrael after the name of his classic commentary on the Mishnah, challenges us to recognize Hillel’s aphorism for what it truly is, namely, a directive to engage in all aspects of communal activity for the betterment of the tzibur and, ultimately for the benefit of the entire Jewish people.
 
With Hashem’s help and guidance, may each of us strive to implement Hillel’s stirring words in our lives, and may we thereby be zocheh (merit) to see the fulfillment of the pasuk: “I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel. I am the L-rd Who sanctifies you.” (Sefer Vayikra 22:32) May this time come soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
​
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parshiot focus on the halachot of tumah and taharah (The Laws of Ritual Purity and Impurity). As is widely known, these are some of the most complex subjects in the Torah. An entire section of the Mishnah is entitled “Taharot” (“Purities”), and page after page of the Talmud discusses the intricacies of this fundamental area of Jewish law. Unfortunately, however, very few people today, regardless of their level of intellectual acumen and scholarly achievement, have mastered this area of study. This lack of mastery was noted as early as the 12th century by the Rambam (Maimonides), in his paradigm-changing work, Commentary on the Mishnah:

And you know that today, because of the multiplication of our sins, that if you were to encounter the leaders of the yeshivot throughout the Jewish people, and all the more so, those of the various synagogues, you would find that this entire subject remains difficult for them. This is the case, [even though] there are many explicit Torah verses and Mishnaic passages [that discuss this area of Halacha] and sources that are even clearer and simpler than these works. (Introduction to Mishnah Kalim, ed. Rabbi Yosef David Kapach, p. 22, translation my own)
 
Perhaps the challenges we face when encountering tumah and taharah stem from the inherent nature of these laws. The best-known example of this category of commandments is the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer), which the Torah introduces with the famous words: “This is the statute (chukat) of the Torah which the L-rd commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.’” (Sefer Bamidbar 19:2, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) We immediately note that the Torah uses the term, “chukat,” which informs us that the Parah Adumah is a chok, a statute, in contrast to the prohibition of murder, for example, that is a mishpat. The Rambam defined the main difference between these classes of mitzvot in the following manner:

The mishpatim are those commandments wherein their rationale is revealed and the value that obtains as a result of their performance is manifest in this world. For example: the prohibitions of stealing and murder, and the obligation to honor one’s father and mother. [In contrast,] the chukim are those commandments whose rationale is unknown. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Meilah 8:8, translation and brackets my own)
 
By definition, as chukim, the rationale of tumah and taharah is unknown. Yet, there is more at stake here than our failure to discover the underlying basis of this area of Halacha; in actuality, there are no rationally-conceived principles as to why something renders an object or person tamei (ritually impure) or tahor (ritually pure). These are not physical processes; rather, the consequent changes in status are brought about through the absolute will of Hashem. The following Midrash sheds light on this matter:

[Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s students] said to him: “You dismissed the [the question of the non-Jewish inquirer regarding tumah and taharah] with a reed [i.e. in a simplistic manner,] yet, how will you respond to us regarding the same inquiry?” He said to them: “The dead person does not [in some physical manner] render [a person or an object] ritually impure, and neither does water bring about ritual purity [in a physical fashion,] rather, both of these effectuate [these] changes based solely upon the edict of the Omnipresent One (gezeirato shel Hamakom). For the Holy One blessed be He declared: ‘A statute I have proclaimed! A prohibition I have declared! And you have no permission to violate my edict.’” (Pesikta Rabbatai, Ish Shalom edition, Piska 14, Parah, translation and brackets my own)
 
It appears that the Rambam was strongly influenced by this midrashic passage, and utilized it as the underpinning for the following halachic decision:

It is a clear and explicit concept that the various forms of tumah and taharah are a divine decree of the Torah. They are not in the class of those matters wherein man can use his intellect to make determinations. [Instead,] they are in the category known as chukim. So, too, when it comes to the instance of immersion in a ritual bath (mikvah) to remove ritual impurity – it is in the category of chukim. This is the case since ritual impurity is neither dirt nor bodily excretions that will be removed by the water – rather, the purification process is a divine decree of the Torah – and the entire matter is dependent upon one’s intention (kavanat halev) [and not just the physical immersion] … (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Mikvaot 11:12, this, and the next translation and underling, my own)
 
At this juncture, the Rambam provides us with a startling philosophic and spiritual tour de force. In relatively few words, he enables us to gain a deep insight into the elusive world of tumah and taharah and its meaning for our time:

Nonetheless, the Torah provides a hint of understanding [of tumah and taharah]: Just like an individual with the proper intention to purify himself once he immerses himself becomes ritually pure, even though nothing new has been created in his body, so too, one who has the intention to purify his soul from spiritual impurities such as wicked and evil thoughts, since he has made a heartfelt decision to remove himself from those shameful ideas, will be able to bring his soul back to the waters of pure and unsullied thought … May Hashem in His great mercy purify us from all inadvertent and purposeful sins, and from all manner and variety of guilt. (Ibid.)
 
In my view, the Rambam is teaching us that the ultimate purpose of the body of law focusing upon tumah and taharah is to serve as a model for how we can engender substantive change in ourselves, in order to become better than who we are today. The laws of tumah and taharah, therefore, offer the greatest hope known to the Jewish people, the hope that Hashem will help us return to Him in spiritual purity so that we may glorify His Name in the world. As Rabbi Akiva taught us so long ago:

Joyous are you O’ Jewish people, before Whom are you purified, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven. As the texts state: “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; (mayim tehorim u’tahrtem) from all your impurities and from all your abominations will I cleanse you,” (Sefer Yechezkel 36:25) and “The L-rd is the source of the hopes of Israel (mikvei Yisrael) …” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 17:13, Mishnah Yoma 8:9, translation my own)
 
Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
​
*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The tragic death of Aharon’s eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu, is the most powerful dramatic moment of this week’s parasha:

And Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the L-rd foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before the L-rd and consumed them, and they died before the L-rd. (Sefer Shemot 10:1-2, this and all Bible translations, The Judaic Press Complete Tanach)
 
Chazal (our Sages may their memory be blessed) suggest a number of reasons as to why Nadav and Avihu “died before the L-rd.” Midrash after Midrash offers its differing analysis of the improper behaviors that led to Nadav and Avihu’s downfall. I believe that the sheer number of views reflects a fundamental disquietude amongst Chazal regarding the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. After all, the following Midrashic passages teaches us that they were greater than both their father and Moshe:

Rav Yitzchak began: “Your words were found and I ‘embraced’ them, and Your word was to me a joy and a rejoicing of my heart, for Your name was called upon me, O L-rd G-d of Hosts.” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 15:16)  Rav Shmuel bar Nachman said: “This statement was said to Moshe at Mount Sinai, and he did not understand it until events [i.e. the death of Nadav and Avihu] unfolded before him. Moshe said to Aharon: ‘My brother, at Sinai it was told to me that I would one day sanctify this house [the Mishkan], and that I would do this together with a great man. I initially thought that perhaps this house would be made holy either through my efforts or yours. Now [subsequent to the death of Nadav and Avihu,] I realize that your two sons are greater than both you and myself.’” (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, Vilna edition, Parashat Shemini 12:2, translation and brackets my own)
 
Rav Shmuel Bornsztain zatzal (1855-1926), the second Sochatchover rebbe and author of the celebrated homiletic work on the Torah, Shem Mishmuel, asks the following question based upon our Midrash: “How is it possible that these incredibly holy individuals [i.e. Nadav and Avihu] …erred so egregiously?” (Shem Mishmuel, Sefer Vayikra, Parashat Shemini, 1911, s.v. vayikachu, this and the following translations and brackets my own) His answer focuses upon Nadav and Avihu’s underlying thought process and consequent misguided motivation to offer aish zarah (foreign fire) before Hashem:

It is possible to answer our question by suggesting that their rationale was based upon the following statement of Chazal: “That very day [upon which the Mishkan was erected] was as great a joy before the Holy One Blessed be He as the day upon which the Heavens and earth were created.” (Talmud Bavli, Megillah 10b) They, therefore, thought that the time had arrived for the ultimate universal perfection of the world (tikun klali) – just as it will be in the Messianic future when everything [good] will be universally accepted and in the state of perfection. At that time, there will be no zarut (nothing foreign), and consequently, there will no longer be an exclusive need for aish kodesh (holy fire).
 
In sum, Nadav and Avihu acted based upon the following formula: the joy of the creation of the world = the elation of the inauguration of the Mishkan = the ultimate perfection of the world. Unfortunately, however, the overwhelming bliss experienced at the investiture of the Mishkan did not signal the “ultimate universal improvement of the world,” i.e., the onset of Messianic times, and the world remained in its imperfect state. Consequently, the Torah’s requirement for aish kodesh, and the concomitant prohibition of aish zarah, remained in effect.

My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, is in accord with Rav Bornsztain’s analysis, as we find his explication of our passage:

On the day of their installation, wearing their priestly vestments, they were overcome by ecstasy and by the need to express their emotions. The incense that they burned was identical to that which their father, Aharon, had offered. But there is one significant difference. Aharon was obeying G-d’s will, while Nadav and Avihu performed an action that G-d had not commanded. (This, and the following quotations are from Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, pages 223-226)
 
The Rav zatzal utilized this explanation in the course of his presentation of the authentic Torah approach to serving Hashem. The Jewish way “requires us to fashion our lives according to G-d’s discipline, as illustrated by the word ve-tzivanu (and He has commanded us).” Moreover, “the reason we perform the mitzvah is our absolute surrender to G-d’s will.” Surrender, therefore, is the crucial foundation for our ultimately transforming the mitzvah into “a profound spiritual experience that encompasses our entire being.” The Rav illustrated this idea by examining the nature of tefilah (prayer):

Prayer begins as an obligatory, even compelled act, with rigid requirements of time, location, and behavior. We are particularly aware of this during the winter or in inclement weather when we must venture out into the cold for minyan early in the morning and at night. However, as we progress in our relationship to prayer, we feel the rewards of intimate communion with G-d.
 
Rav Soloveitchik further developed the idea of the commandment-spiritual experience nexus in the following brief exploration of matzah on the Seder night and fasting on Yom Kippur:

The eating of matzah on Seder night is initially a response to G-d’s command, “On this night you shall eat matzah.” [Sefer Shemot 12:18] As the evening evolves, however, eating the matzah becomes an act of love for G-d. Likewise, Yom Kippur begins with total surrender to the will of G-d, but as it progresses, we move toward a joyful catharsis. (Brackets my own)
 
In the Rav’s view, the Jewish approach toward serving Hashem “consists of two steps: obedience to G-d’s command and discovering the spiritual treasures inherent in it.” He underscores this point in his summation of Nadav and Abihu’s sin and subsequent punishment:

Therefore, the transgression of Nadav and Avihu, whom the Torah describes as sanctified, was that “they offered a strange fire concerning which they had not been commanded.” The divine command and our discipline in obeying that command are the only healthy routes to religious inspiration. Any deviation, especially by tzaddikim (righteous individuals) is unacceptable and ultimately doomed to failure. (Underlining and parentheses my own)
 
With Hashem’s help, may we grow in our authentic commitment and spiritual connection to His Torah, and may we be zocheh (merit) to fulfill the words recited each and every morning in the Shacharit service: “Happy are we! How goodly is our portion, and how pleasant is our lot, and how beautiful our heritage!” V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
​
*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The first 21 verses of the 15th chapter of Sefer Shemot are known as “the Shira,” the song of joy and exultation that was sung by our forebears after they crossed the Sea of Reeds. It is one of the most often recited passages in the Torah based upon its prominent placement at the end of the Pesukei d’Zimrah (Verses of Song) section of the morning prayers, and its choice as the dramatic Torah reading for the Seventh Day of Pesach. One would think that our familiarity with this celebrated passage would lead to a clear understanding of its content. Yet, due to its poetic language and metaphoric images, its meaning remains elusive and difficult to comprehend.
 
One such example of the Shira’s complexity is the phrase, “nora tehilot.” Popular English translations render it in the following manner: “too awesome for praise” (ArtScroll Tanach), “too awesome for praises” (The Judaica Press Complete Tanach), and “awesome in praise” (Rav Aryeh Kaplan zatzal, The Living Torah). The first two translations seem to follow Rashi’s (1040-1105) explication of our term, “[You are] too awesome for [one] to recite Your praises, lest they fall short, as it is written (Sefer Tehillim 65:2): ‘Silence is praise to You.’” (Rashi and Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Rashi’s approach to our expression is quite reminiscent of a passage found in Talmud Bavli, Brachot 33b:

A certain [individual] went down [to lead the prayers] in the presence of R. Chanina and said, O’ G-d, the great, mighty, awesome, majestic, powerful, awful, strong, fearless, sure and honored. He [R. Chanina] waited until he had finished, and when he had finished he said to him, “Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why would I [or anyone else] want all this? Even with these three that we do say [the great, mighty and awesome G-d,] had not Moses our Master mentioned them in the Torah [Sefer Devarim 10:17] and had not the Men of the Great Assembly come and inserted them in the Tefilah [i.e. Shemoneh Esrai], we would not have been able to mention them, and you say all these and still go on! (Translation, The Soncino Talmud with my brackets and extensive emendations)
 
The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-12-4) summarizes the essential intent of Rabbi Chanina’s words in the following halachic decision:

Also, a person should not be profuse in his mention of adjectives describing G-d, and say: “The great, mighty, awesome, powerful, courageous, and strong G-d,” for it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises. Instead, one should mention [only] the praises that were mentioned by Moses, of blessed memory. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefilah 9:7, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)
 
In sum, the approaches of Rashi, the Talmud, the Rambam, and the first two translators mentioned earlier focus upon our fundamental inability to effectively praise our Creator. Moreover, the expression, “great, mighty and awesome G-d,” is permissible in our Tefilot solely because Moses utilized these terms in Sefer Devarim, and they were included by the Men of the Great Assembly in their formulation of the Shemoneh Esrai.
 
Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s translation of nora tehilot, “awesome in praise,” takes an entirely different tact than that of the previous sources. Instead of emphasizing our incapacity to properly proclaim the glory of Hashem, Rav Kaplan recognizes that man, too, has a role to play in extolling Him. I believe that this approach is in consonance with the following midrashic passage from the 42nd chapter of Pirkei d’ Rabbi Eliezer:

Nora tehilah (singular form) is not written here. Instead, the Torah writes, “nora tehilot” (plural form). [It is written in the plural form to teach us that] the Ministering Angels praise You in the Heavenly Heights, whereas, the Jewish people offer praises in the terrestrial sphere. [Regarding the Jewish people’s role in exalting Hashem,] the text, therefore, writes (Sefer Tehillim 22:4): “But You are holy; You await the praises of Israel.” (Translation and brackets my own)
 
I believe that the Midrash, and Rav Kaplan’s translation of nora tehilot, are very spiritually edifying. They focus on the positive nature of the relationship that obtains between Hashem and the Jewish people. It is a unique relationship, for as King David emphasizes in this verse from Sefer Tehillim, Hashem in all His uncountable glory waits for us to praise Him – something that He does in regard to no other nation. True, as the other sources stress, we can never truly begin to recognize Hashem’s greatness and awesome status. Nonetheless, He longs for our songs of praise just as much, if not more, than the praises of the Ministering Angels.
 
May this Seventh Day of Passover be one wherein we, as individuals and as a nation, sing heartfelt praises to our Creator, and once again proclaim as a united people: “…this is my G-d, and I will extol Him, the G-d of my father, and I will exalt Him.” (Sefer Shemot 15:2) V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
​
*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The narrative of the Four Sons is one of the highlights of the Maggid (Telling) section of the Haggadah. Contemporary versions of this work formulate the first two questions in this manner:

What does the wise [son] say? “What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the L-rd our G-d commanded you (etchem)?” …What does the wicked [son] say? “What is this worship to you (lachem)?” To you and not to him. And since he excluded himself from the collective, he denied a principle [of the Jewish faith] ... (https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/2127 with my underlining, bolding and emendations)
 
An endless sea of ink has been spilt in an attempt to elucidate the differences between the wise son’s use of “etchem” and the wicked son’s use of “lachem,” since both terms may readily be translated as “you.” While the examination of the distinctions that obtain between these two questions is surely a significant  endeavor, it takes focus away from the meaning of the wise son’s inquiry - which deserves to be studied in its own right.
 
One of the major thinkers to focus upon the singular import of the wise son’s question was the great Chasidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev zatzal (1740-1810), known as both “the Berdichever” after his location, and “the Kedushat Levi” after the name of his most famous work. He maintains that in order to fully comprehend the wise son’s question, we must first understand the defining characteristics of matzah and chametz (leavened products). To achieve this goal, he conceptually contrasts the nature of these substances:

Behold, the word “matzah” and its essence teaches us about the creation of the world, i.e. that it was created completely new, out of absolute nothingness, and brought forth from total emptiness. … The intrinsic nature of chametz is that of something that is old, in stark contrast to matzah, which, by definition, represents that which is new. (Kedushat Levi, Sefer Vayikra, Drasha on Pesach, this and the following translations, parentheses and brackets my own) 
 
The Berdichever deepens his analysis of the inner meaning of matzah by emphasizing Hashem’s roles as Creator of the Universe and Redeemer of our nation from Egyptian bondage:

Our Creator is teaching us through the mitzvah of matzah that there is a Creator of the Universe, and that each day, and each moment, He creates the world anew as is His desire. This is just like what He did in the Exodus from Egypt when He acted in an amazing manner that defied the laws of nature, since each one of the Ten Plagues violated the laws of nature.
 
Next, the Berdichever teaches us that the recognition of Hashem as the Creator and Redeemer leads us to profoundly spiritual heights:

When we know all of this with crystal clarity, then we will never move our hands and legs to do anything other than that which leads to the honor of His Name may He be blessed and exalted. Moreover, we will then be drawn to hold Him in awe and achieve the highest level of awe in His regard, “on account that He is the Master and the Ruler.” (Zohar, Volume I, 11:2) Then, too, we will love Him with the most powerful love [that is humanly possible] – when we recognize that He, may He be blessed, loves us with an eternal love.
 
Based upon this trenchant analysis, the Berdichever now explicates the deepest depths of the wise son’s question:

This, then is the [meaning inherent in] the wise son’s question, “What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the L-rd our G-d commanded you?” Is it not enough [the wise son might add] that we have the mitzvah of matzah? Behold, from it alone we learn to fear and love the honored, great and awesome Name of Hashem! Therefore, of what need are the testimonies, statutes and judgments [when our ultimate spiritual goals have already been achieved through the mitzvah of matzah]?
 
We are now in a better position to understand the Haggadah’s answer to the wise son: “Accordingly, you will say to him, as per the laws of the Pesach offering, ‘We may not eat an afikoman [a dessert or other foods eaten after the meal] after [we are finished eating] the Pesach offering.’” At first glance, this seems to have little to do with the wise son’s question. Based upon the Berdichever’s analysis of the mitzvah of matzah, however, we can recognize that it is the perfect response. According to the Berdichever, when the wise son asserts, “from it [the mitzvah of matzah] alone we learn to fear and love the honored, great and awesome Name of Hashem,” we must inform him that while this is surely necessary, it is insufficient. Judaism is far more than the pursuit of such ideals, since their inner meaning must be concretized in practical actions in order to bring kedushah (holiness) into the world.  How is this achieved? Precisely through the performance of “the testimonies, statutes and judgments” that the L-rd our G-d commanded us – including, the law of not eating an afikoman after we have eaten the korban Pesach (Passover offering). In sum, the wise son needs to know that as crucial as the attainment of spiritual heights may be, they must ever be built upon the heartfelt performance of action-based mitzvot.
 
This Pesach, may we be zocheh (merit) to redouble our efforts to strengthen our relationship with Hashem through the performance of His mitzvot. Then may we be deserving to be true sons and daughters of Hashem; as the Torah states in Sefer Devarim: “You are children of the L-rd, your G-d…” V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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:rdbe718@gmail.com.
​
*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.

​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
This Shabbat is popularly known as “Shabbat Hagadol” – the Great Shabbat. In many ways, this appellation urges us to focus upon the meaning of geulah (redemption), since it is juxtaposed to Pesach – the preeminent Festival of Redemption. The Mishnaic sage, Rabbi Yehoshua, teaches us a profound lesson concerning the inextricable relationship that obtains between Pesach and the future redemption of the Jewish people: “Rabbi Yehoshua said: ‘In Nissan [the month of the Exodus] the world was created, the Patriarchs, including Isaac, were born and passed away…and in Nissan we were redeemed and will be redeemed in the future.’” (Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 11a, translation and brackets my own)

The connection between the historical Exodus and the future geulah provides a compelling rationale for Chazal’s (our Sages of blessed memory) choice of the last chapter in Sefer Malachi as the haftarah (reading from the Prophets) for this Shabbat. The following famous passage is contained therein:

Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers… (Sefer Malachi 3:23-24, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Mishnaic sage, Rabbi Yehuda, as quoted in the Aggadic work, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, underscores the singular role that Elijah the prophet will play in enabling the fulfillment of Judaism's messianic vision. He notes that the ultimate redemption of our people will take place if, and only if, the Jewish people undertake the teshuvah (repentance) process:

Rabbi Yehudah said: “If the Jewish people do not do teshuvah, then they will not be redeemed… In addition, the Jewish people will never perform teshuvah gedolah (great repentance) until the arrival of Eliyahu, may he be remembered for good. As it states in the in the text: ‘Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers…’ Blessed are You Hashem Who desires [the Jewish people] to do teshuvah.” (Chapter 43, translation and brackets my own)

Rabbi Yehudah differentiates between the terms teshuvah and teshuvah gedolah. The first is within the grasp of the Jewish people if we have the desire to do so, whereas the second is unattainable “until the arrival of Eliyahu, may he be remembered for good.”

In my view, Sefer Hoshea provides us with an approach to understanding the content of these two terms, and the reason as to why Eliyahu’s intervention is vital for the attainment of teshuvah gedolah:

Return (shuva) O’ Israel unto (od) the L-rd your G-d for you have stumbled in your sin. Take words with yourselves and return to (el) the L-rd. Say, “You shall forgive all iniquity and teach us [the] good [way], and let us render [for] bulls [the offering of] our lips.” (14:2-3).

A careful reading reveals that the first pasuk employs the preposition “od,” whereas the second utilizes “el” in reference to the teshuvah process. The Malbim (Rabbi Meïr Leibush ben Jehiel Michel Weiser, 1809-1878)  notes that the word “od” in 14:2 signifies a sense of richuk (distance) between two objects or entities, in this instance, between G-d and the Jewish people:

The word “od” connotes the idea that Hashem stood far away from them [i.e. the Jewish people], and that they needed to walk toward Him until they came near to Him, unto the place wherein He was to be found. This means that they had to reject their earlier sins, feel remorseful for what they had done in the past, namely, they had erred in multiple ways, both inadvertently and through reasons beyond their control, and that they now must seek out the proper path to return unto Hashem. (Translation, brackets and underlining my own)

According to the Malbim, when Hoshea states, “Return O’ Israel unto (od) the L-rd your
G-d,” he is teaching us that Hashem was distant from our ancestors, and that it was necessary to make every conceivable effort to close the gaping chasm that separated us from Him. This, then, was the absolute mandate of that particular historical moment that continues to inspire us until our own time.

The second verse, wherein the idea of returning to Hashem is referenced by the term “el,” is an entirely different matter. For the Malbim, “el” refers to returning to Hashem out of love and devotion – teshuvah m’ahavah, rather than as a result of fear of punishment:

The second reference of “return to (el) the L-rd,” encapsulates the notion of teshuvah based upon love. In this case, our purposive sins will not only be thought of as being inadvertent in nature; rather, they will be thought of as being meritorious acts. Thus, the forgiveness that our forefathers obtained from Hashem was on account of their sins being viewed as acts beyond their control, i.e. accidental acts, or errors – therefore, the forgiveness that they received was a result of their merits and righteousness being added to the divine equation (sh’yikachu emahem l’dvar zechut alyehem) … As a result, Hashem saw that after our ancestors grievously sinned, they returned to His service in order to love Him – with their complete minds and hearts – and no longer from fear of punishment… (Underlining my own)
 
Thus, according to the Malbim, Hoshea provides us with a roadmap for returning to Hashem. that is comprised of two different possible routes. In my estimation, these approaches correspond to the expressions “teshuvah” and “teshuvah gedolah” that are found in the previously referenced words of Rabbi Yehuda. Teshuvah, based on our essential human need to positively reset our relationship with Hashem, is something that we are capable of attaining on our own. This is the case, since most of us can recognize that we have sinned and that this has driven a wedge between ourselves and our Creator. In contrast, teshuvah gedolah, when viewed through the prism of teshuvah m’ahavah, is an entirely different matter, as its goal is to advance our connection with the Almighty based upon our love and devotion for Him. As we have seen, Malachi, in this week’s haftorah, teaches us that teshuvah m’ahavah requires a spiritual mentor to help us grasp its overwhelming import so that we may actualize it in our lives. Clearly, this guide is none other than the prophet Eliyahu: “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers.”

May the time come soon, and in our days, when the words we recite in the Harachaman section of Birkat Hamazon will be fully realized, heralding the ultimate redemption of our people: “The compassionate One! May He send us Elijah, the Prophet – he is remembered for good – to proclaim to us good tidings, salvations, and consolations.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur). V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher v’Sameach!
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Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org  They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
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*** 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.