An excerpt from Koros Boteinu Arozim written by HaRav Shmuel Carlebach, zt"l
Chazal (Bereishis Rabbah 60:16) revealed to
us the three unique characteristics of Soroh
Imeinu's tent: a lamp was lit in it constantly from
erev Shabbos to erev Shabbos, a cloud
hovered over the doorway, and there was always a
blessing in the dough she kneaded. Those special
features ceased when she passed away and only
returned to the home when Rivka married
Yitzchok.
We were not told this just to let us know some
information about Soroh and Rivka. We must make
efforts to bring such brochos into our own
tents as well. We must first reflect on what these
brochos mean, what they show us, and how we
can attain them and reach that same brilliance,
that same brocho and kedusha. [Here
we discuss the first of these traits.]
The more we ponder this short saying of Chazal's
the more wonders we see in avodas Hashem and
in the way a Jewish home should be built.
It is quite clear that the abovementioned lit lamp
alludes to Torah study, to gaining knowledge of the
Torah's wisdom, and to enjoying the Torah's light.
However the question immediately arises: Who is
commanded to study Torah? Talmud Torah is an
obligation for men and not for women! Men are told
to "meditate on [the Torah's words] day and night"
(Yehoshua 1:8). A woman is exempt from the
obligation to study Torah, and actually should not
study Torah more than to learn how to do mitzvos
correctly, to correct her character traits, and to
shape her hashkofos about what is happening
in life and in the world. She is not required to
engage in the intricacies of Torah study and will
not be rewarded for doing so.
It is reasonable to expect that the lit lamp should
have been in the tent of Avrohom Ovinu and not in
that of Soroh Imeinu. It was in Avrohom Ovinu's
tent that the light of Torah should have burnt
always. How is it possible that with Soroh Imeinu's
death this Divine sign disappeared? Why was the
Torah study of Avrohom and Yitzchok, our
Patriarchs, insufficient to make the lamp remain
lit? Why only when Rivka entered the tent did the
lamp burn again from erev Shabbos to erev
Shabbos?
What also is the significance of Soroh's lamp
burning the whole week? What does this teach us? It
is quite natural that as long as some oil remains a
lamp burns and gives light, but the moment the oil
is used up the lamp goes out. What is the
significance of the set time, from erev
Shabbos to erev Shabbos?
The set amount of time for the lamp's burning shows
that there was a need to renew and refresh the lamp
periodically. There was no unending light; every so
often it was necessary to rekindle the lamp. Why
was this set time measured from erev Shabbos
to erev Shabbos? Why was it not set from
motzei Shabbos to motzei Shabbos,
since the new week starts from Sunday and not from
Shabbos? "And there was evening and there was
morning, one day" (Bereishis 1:5) refers to
Sunday, but Shabbos is the seventh day in the week.
Why, then, was the lamp lit on erev
Shabbos?
It is impossible to say that this refers to the
Shabbos lights, whose time to be kindled is indeed
on erev Shabbos, since they have no reason
to remain lit after leil Shabbos. Even on
Shabbos itself, during the day, there is no
hiddur for them to burn. What is suggested
by this lamp burning from erev Shabbos to
erev Shabbos?
"For a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light"
(Mishlei 6:23). Just as the lamp, until it
is kindled and gives light, has not fulfilled its
purpose, so a mitzvah without Torah is not a
mitzvah but only pure habit. Just as light can be
radiated only by a lamp, so does the Torah need
mitzvos, and without mitzvos the Torah loses its
connection to reality. Also, the purpose of the
lamp is its light, and the objective of a mitzvah
is the Torah within it.
There are two parts in avodas Hashem: the
practical part and the spiritual part. The
practical part includes all details of how to
fulfill the mitzvos aseih and all the ways
of being mindful not to contravene mitzvos lo
sa'aseih. In addition, avodas Hashem
involves doing what a person is obligated to do and
executing it correctly and precisely. We must
refrain from doing what we have been commanded not
to do, and this care must also be wielded in an
exact and correct fashion, without any additions or
cutbacks.
The spiritual part is our awareness that all the
mitzvos that we perform are avodas Hashem;
this is usually called kavono. We should
draw out from each Divine command its four distinct
parts: the pshat (the plain meaning), the
remez (the allusions), the drash
(what is expounded from it), and its sod
(the esoteric meanings). Each person, when carrying
out mitzvos, should draw upon these elements of
avodas Hashem according to his individual
level in wisdom, Torah, yiras Shomayim and
kedusha.
Since the Torah is a Toras Ho'odom, there is
no area in life, nothing done in life, no
temptation, no desire, that HaKodosh Boruch
Hu did not instruct us about: what to do about
it, whether or not to do it and when to do it, what
resources and weight to put into its performance,
and what to refrain from doing and how to refrain
from it. The Torah even guides us about how to
develop the needed awareness so that we will not
fail in life's trials.
Performance of mitzvos without the Torah's light
illuminating them is like a body without a
neshomo. It is possible that a person will
do what is correct, but because of his being so
accustomed to constantly doing mitzvos what he does
will become something done out of sheer habit. That
is not avodas Hashem. It is only a religious
ritual, just like those that every nation carries
out as their religion requires. People merely cling
to these customs more or less, according to what is
customary in that place and time.
It is even possible that such people will observe
what they are accustomed to do with exceptional
zealotry, but according to the Torah understanding,
what they are doing cannot be considered avodas
Hashem. Those people are carrying out acts
through which they are creating their faith and the
object of their faith. They are building temples
and are conducting ceremonies for it. However, the
Jew's entire avodas Hashem is to build and
elevate himself, to perfect himself so he will
realize what Hashem wants from him.
A Jew's tefillah is not an offering, an
expression of gratitude or a series of requests to
some higher power. It is intended to perfect the
Jew himself, to truly subjugate his behavior to
Hashem's will and his hopes and requests to
Hashem's surveillance. The verb meaning "praying" --
mispallel -- is in the reflexive
grammatical form -- binyan hispa'el -- and
not in the active grammatical form -- binyan
kal, since a Jew does not relay offerings to
HaKodosh Boruch Hu but rather subjugates
himself through his tefillah and becomes an
oveid Hashem.
Since, as we have mentioned, everything we do in
avodas Hashem is actually a mitzvah from
Hashem, the danger exists that we will act
according to habit. Since we become accustomed to
acting in a regular way, always doing mitzvos, all
of our avodas Hashem is likely to become
transformed into something similar to non-Jewish
rituals, Rachmono litzlan. Although "the
mitzvah is a lamp," the aspect of "the Torah is
light" will be lacking. To the degree that a
person's acts are incorporated in his daily
schedule and repeated constantly, the danger of
doing them by rote increases.
This was the unique quality of Soroh Imeinu. She
bequeathed to us a singular trait that has remained
with Klal Yisroel throughout history. "Her
lamp burned from erev Shabbos to erev
Shabbos." In her house there was no such thing
as having "the mitzvah is a lamp" without also
having "the Torah is light." The mitzvos performed
in her house were done as if they were brand new,
with full awareness of their objective. Such a
fulfillment of Hashem's will was protected from
becoming habit, and fully shielded from the danger
of becoming a mere ritual. Her lamp was forever
lit. The "mitzvah is a lamp" and it was lit with
the Torah's light.
It is, however, not enough that Chazal have
revealed to us the secret of Soroh Imeinu's
vitality in her avodas Hashem of performing
mitzvos. Although we know that what she did was
never merely habit, that the Torah's light burnt in
all she did at home, we must know how she attained
this lofty level.
An individual's eish kodesh, spiritual
flame, is normally cooled down after he has been
doing mitzvos regularly for a while. Where is the
force that can awaken us, which can assist us in
preventing what we do from becoming profane instead
of kodesh? Even if what we do is done
precisely according to halocho it can still
become profane. The kedusha of the Torah's
light is liable to become extinguished without our
even being aware that this is happening. The
mitzvah that we did yesterday and the day before is
still physically done in the exact same way. The
avoda that should be instilled in it, the
avodas Hashem that should be in every
mitzvah, is what slowly becomes missing. Where is
the catalyst that will propel us to illuminate our
mitzvos with "the Torah is a light"? How can we
renew ourselves each time so that we will not fall
into the clutch of habit? How can we elevate the
profane to kodesh and protect the
kodesh so that it will not become
chulin?
"A Lamp Lit From Erev Shabbos to Erev
Shabbos"
Chazal showed us how Soroh Imeinu revealed the key
to anchoring the flame of Torah permanently in our
lamp of mitzvah. She has taught us the
opportunities to elevate all of our profane acts
for avodas hakodesh. We now know how a Jew
who is an oveid Hashem elevates all that he
does during his life. It is done through erev
Shabbos.
On Shabbos, and through the preparations for
Shabbos on the sixth day of the week, all the
chulin of a person's life is uplifted. All
that he does on erev Shabbos becomes
mitzvos.
"Rav Safra would prepare an animal's head for the
Shabbos meal. Rovo would salt the fish. Rav Huna
would kindle the lights. Rav Popo would braid the
wicks. Rav Chisda would slice the beets. Raboh and
Rav Yosef would cut wood for cooking. Rav Zeira
would light the fire in the oven. Rav Ami and Rav
Asi would carry clothes and delicacies on their
shoulders, like a person who is going to greet his
Rav at his house and is showing his Rav how
important he is to him, how much he is concerned
about his honor, and how much he wants to bother
for him." (Shabbos 119).
There is a good reason Chazal tell us all the
details of what the Amoraim did for Shabbos.
They are instructing us that the most simple and
everyday act becomes a display of avodas
Hashem when it is done for the honor of
Shabbos.
Preparing for Shabbos translates all the components
of life onto a level that elevates them from
chol to kodesh.
When one dresses lichvod Shabbos, one's
entire wardrobe has another aim, another value.
Each piece of clothing is measured according to its
suitability for Shabbos.
The entire concept of food changes completely for a
Jew when Shabbos arrives. On Shabbos, food changes
from something mundane and attains the level of a
mitzvah. "Eat sumptuously and drink sweet
beverages, and send portions to those for whom
nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to
Hashem; for the joy of Hashem is your strength"
(Nechemia 8:10).
Usually a person who takes pleasure in eating
choice food becomes like an animal. On the other
hand, for a Jew the entire concept of eating and
fine condiments becomes avodas hakodesh when
it is used for Shabbos.
The whole way a house is run becomes the regulation
of a Mishkan for avodas Hashem.
Expensive furniture cannot turn a room into a good
room. This can be done only through Shabbos.
Not only does the segulah of Shabbos elevate
our clothing, food, and dwelling; if we think
deeply about this we will understand that it
uplifts all mundane affairs. We shine our shoes for
Shabbos, mop the floor lichvod Shabbos, and
bathe to be clean for Shabbos. On Shabbos we have
to speak differently than during the week. We can
even believe an am ho'oretz on Shabbos,
since the awe of Shabbos ensures that he speaks the
truth. In the zechus of Shabbos our whole
attitude to monetary affairs changes. The whole
concept of rest becomes a "rest of truth and
emunah." A man's whole way of life becomes
elevated and holy through the Shabbos.
Soroh's lamp burned from erev Shabbos to
erev Shabbos. That same principle --
kindling the lamp of the mitzvah with the light of
the Torah -- will renew, awaken, and penetrate
deeply into every aspect of life, from erev
Shabbos to the next erev Shabbos. It
will implant within us the deep understanding of
life, that "for six days Hashem worked and on the
seventh day He rested," and that everything comes
from Hashem and what we are lacking is for our
benefit.
HaKodosh Boruch Hu gave us the Shabbos and
also commanded us to prepare for the Shabbos. To
the same degree that we prepare for the Shabbos, so
does the Shabbos change us. If we accept the
Shabbos, the Shabbos accepts our thoughts, deeds,
initiatives, and world outlooks, and elevates them
from the mundane to the holy in all our ways.
This is the "lighting of the lamp" that consecrates
and elevates all of life's experiences, the entire
joy of living, the whole simcha of married
life, the happiness of, "Your children are like
olive plants around about your table"
(Tehillim 128:3) and "May Elokim make you as
Ephraim and as Menasheh" (Bereishis 28:20).
The lighting of the lamp makes holy the joy of
someone who is satisfied with what he already has.
Through the Shabbos, pleasure penetrates into one's
heart and into the Jewish home. With good reason a
baal habayis says on Shabbos night before
going to shul: "Light the lamp!"
Through "lighting the lamp" a Jewish woman
sanctifies her house and creates a unique
atmosphere for her family. A Jew can now
differentiate between kodesh and
chol, light and darkness, Yisroel and the
nations. This lighting, that burns from erev
Shabbos to erev Shabbos, hallows the six
days of the week.
It is told in a tzaddik's name that he would
say every Shabbos: "There was never such a Shabbos
and will never again be one like this." According
to what we have written, that can be understood:
Each Shabbos awards a new and additional light, an
added kedusha, to all the previous days of
Shabbos. On this Shabbos the Torah sheds another
beam of light, one more sublime than that of all
former days of Shabbos. This new light will join
with the former lights when the next Shabbos comes,
since the previous lamp burned all week, from the
erev Shabbos of a week ago; so therefore,
"Light the lamp."
HaRav Shmuel Carlebach zt'l was a renowned
educator and principal of the Or HaChaim Girl's
Seminary in Bnei Brak. He passed away on the
nineteenth of Shevat, 5759.
