Part I
In preparation for and anticipation of the upcoming Mattan
Torah.
"And Yisro heard" (Shemos 18:1). Rashi explains, "what
did he hear that made him come? -- the splitting of Yam
Suf and the war with Amolek." Rashi's source is
Zevochim 116a, where there is a difference of opinion
between amoraim: "R' Yehoshua says: `He heard about
the war with Amolek.' R' Elozor HaModa'i says: `He head about
the giving of the Torah.' R' Eliezer ben Yaakov said: `He
heard about the splitting of Yam Suf.'"
Why did Rashi combine the opinion of two amoraim and
leave out R' Elozor HaModa'i's opinion that the giving of the
Torah caused Yisro to come to Moshe? Why did Rashi not cite
just one opinion, or alternately, cite all three of them?
Another kushya (actually a well-known one) is this: We
can surely understand how hearing that Am Yisroel
received the Torah and Hashem split Yam Suf -- during
which even a maidservant saw revelations of Hashem that even
Yechezkel did not see (Mechilta Parshas Shiroh 3) --
could indeed awaken a desire in Yisro to join and include
oneself within the Jewish Nation. However, what could the war
with Amolek contribute to such an awakening? R' Yehoshua
should at least have emphasized that the stimulation to
become part of Klal Yisroel was due to their victory
over Amolek. What did he mean by claiming that the war with
Amolek itself prompted Yisro to come?
Later on, with Hashem's help, we will resolve this
difficulty.
"R' Yehuda bar Shimon said: `Avrohom asked for obvious signs
of aging (seivoh). He said before Hashem: "Ruler of
the World! When a man and his son come somewhere it is
impossible to know whom to honor. If, however, a person is
crowned with signs of age, people know whom to honor."
HaKodosh Boruch Hu said to him: "You asked for
something good, and it shall start with you." From the
beginning of Bereishis until here the Torah does not
write [that someone reached] old age, but after Avrohom asked
this, he was given old age [and the Torah writes] -- "And
Avrohom was old, advanced in age (Bereishis 24:1)."
`Yitzchok asked for hardship. He said to Him: "Ruler of the
World! If a person dies without hardship the middas
hadin stands against him." HaKodosh Boruch Hu said
to him: "Upon your life! You have asked for a good thing, and
it shall start with you." From the beginning of
Bereishis until here there is no mention of hardship,
but after Yitzchok insisted on this, Hashem gave him hardship
-- "And it came to pass that when Yitzchok was old his eyes
dimmed (Bereishis 27:1)."
`Yaakov asked sickness of Hashem: "Ruler of the world! When a
person dies without first being ill he cannot make a
settlement among his children.' HaKodosh Boruch Hu
said to him: `Upon your life! You have asked for a good
thing, and I shall start with you -- `Behold your father is
sick' (Bereishis 48:1) (Midrash Rabbah
65:4)."
Man was not created for life in Olom Hazeh only. That
is actually only a temporary condition aimed at preparing and
perfecting him towards his real condition in Olom
Habo. Nonetheless, a person is liable, during the rapid
stream of his life, to overlook his genuine goal in life and
to stray aimlessly. To prevent this, the Ovos asked for old
age, sickness, and hardship.
All three usually presumed undesirable features have one
objective in mind: to allow man to have enough time in his
life to reflect. After thinking things over carefully,
reviewing where he is standing and what are his goals, it is
expected that he will come to realize his true spiritual
state. He will understand that his time on earth is limited
and he must prepare himself properly towards his future life
in Olom Habo.
Another lesson too -- a significant, even fundamental one --
can be inferred from Chazal. After the Ovos made their three
requests, HaKodosh Boruch Hu answered them all
equally: "You have asked for a good thing, and I shall start
with you." The principle that we should learn from this is
that Hashem requires man to meet up to his own perceptions. A
person with elevated perceptions must meet more rigid
demands.
When Avrohom grasped the value of old age and implored Hashem
to give it to him, only then did HaKodosh Boruch Hu
begin acting with him in this way. The same is true with
Yitzchok and Yaakov: only when they gained knowledge of
illness and hardships being virtues and requested these did
HaKodosh Boruch Hu demand of them to be on that level.
(I will later explain that not only does Hashem require man
to act according to his level of comprehension and
recognition, but also the reward and punishment he receives
are compatible with this.)
Chazal write in a Midrash (Midrash Rabbah Acharei
20:9): "Because of four things Aharon's sons [Nodov and
Avihu] died, and concerning all of them is written the death
penalty [if they are transgressed]. [Aharon's sons were
killed] because they lacked the clothes [of the Cohanim],
about which is written death [if one does not wear them].
What were they missing? The me'il -- concerning the
me'il is written death [if it is not worn]."
See the Shut HaRosh (Klal 13:21): "And as for what you
asked about what R' Levi said, that [Aharon's sons] were
missing the me'il, yet [you point out] the
me'il was the apparel [only] of the Cohen Godol [and
since they were not Cohanim Gedolim why were they punished]?
. . ."
The Rosh gives one answer to this question, and further on he
answers the following: "They burned incense that Hashem did
not command; and we find that ketores within the
Kodesh Kodoshim was only burned by the Cohen Godol.
Thus according to their mistake [i.e., that they considered
themselves Cohanim Gedolim] they transgressed, `And [the
me'il] shall be upon Aharon when he comes to minister,
and its sound shall be heard when he comes to the
kodesh before Hashem and when he comes out, that he
may not die' (Shemos 28:35).
HaRav Chaim Ephraim Zaichik zt'l explains: "[Nodov and
Avihu] were judged according to their understanding and
perception at that particular time. Their sensation of a
special awakening of kedushoh obliged them to act more
scrupulously so that nothing should be lacking in their
behavior. According to how they thought at that time,
likening themselves to the level of a Cohen Godol, they were
required to wear a me'il."
This is similar to our abovementioned principle but with an
added element: not only is a person required to act according
to his comprehension, but we see in the Midrash
(according to R' Levi) that Nodov and Avihu were punished
with a dreadful death for not living up to the level that
they mistakenly thought they were on.
The Midrash depicting Akeidas Yitzchok again
shows us to what degree a person must exert himself to put
his elevated level into effect. "`And he said: Do not lay
your hand on the lad' (Bereishis 22:12). Where was the
knife? (I.e., why did the mal'ach not command Avrohom
not to slaughter his son with the knife?) Three tears fell
from the mal'achei shoreis and destroyed the knife.
[Avrohom said]: `I will strangle him.' [The mal'ach]
said to him: `Do not lay your hand on the lad.' [Avrohom]
said: `I will shed a drop of [his] blood.' He said to him:
`Nor do anything to him'" (ibid.; Bereishis Rabbah
56:6).
It seems that the reason Avrohom Ovinu put so much effort
into trying to actually carry out the Akeidoh was that
after he had already reached such a level of being able to
sacrifice his own son, he felt he must realize his resolution
concretely. Avrohom Ovinu knew that there was a price he must
pay in order to achieve that -- having to overcome many
difficulties -- but he believed he must do it.
Indeed the Midrash writes that when Avrohom sacrificed
the "ram caught in the thicket by his horns" (v. 13) instead
of Yitzchok, he felt as if he was sacrificing his own son.
This is because Avrohom Ovinu longed to actually do what he
understood should be done and to express through it his
burning love to Hashem.
Another proof of this principle can be found in the gemora
(Yevomos 48b): "R' Chananyah the son of Rabban Gamliel
says: `Why are geirim so tormented and inflicted with
hardships in current times?' . . . Others say, `Because they
delayed entering beneath the wings of the
Shechinah.'"
HaRav Yaakov Emden (in his chidushim on the Shas)
asks: "This is amazing! Where do we find that bnei
Noach are exhorted to accept the 613 mitzvos? It seems to
me that the explanation is that they hesitated after already
deciding and having thoroughly resolved to enter beneath the
wings of the Shechinah . . . and were indolent and
procrastinated before carrying out what they had decided. For
that waiting and delay they are punished . . . but for their
tarrying before their decision to convert they are surely not
punished."
Even a non-Jew -- who is certainly not obligated to fulfill
mitzvos -- from the moment he has concluded to take on the
yoke of mitzvos, is punished by Hashem with hardship for
waiting and not immediately acting on his thoughts.
How great, then, is the grievance Hashem has against bnei
Torah, against those who toil over the Torah, who realize
well the greatness and elevation of living according to the
Torah, when they are deficient in their Torah study and
fulfillment of mitzvos. They are obligated more than others
to strengthen themselves in avodas Hashem.
End of Part I
HaRav Menachem Freiman is the menahel ruchani of
Yeshivas Eitz Chaim-- Zichron Moshe.
