The mishnah in Yoma (3:1) tells us that every
morning the deputy Cohen used to tell the
cohanim to climb to a high vantage point and look at
the sky to see whether the time had arrived for the
shechitah of the daily morning tomid. When a
Cohen declared that it the time had come because it
was light, he would ask him whether the entire eastern sky
had become light, until Chevron. The mishnah explains
that this question was necessary because once, the moon's
light before morning had been very bright, and they
mistakenly thought the sky had become light. They then
slaughtered the tomid while it was still night,
rendering it invalid and ended up having to incinerate it.
The reason for including Chevron in the question was in order
to mention the merit of the Ovos, who are buried
there.
This halochoh sheds light upon Klal Yisroel's
situation prior to the final Redemption. Even just before the
dawn of Redemption, the blackness of exile will still engulf
the world. Though everyone is longing for redemption and
eagerly looking for signs of its arrival, darkness obscures
everything. In such a situation, any glimmer, even imaginary,
can mislead people into thinking that the Redemption has
arrived. If these individuals act in haste they could
invalidate the tomid, the nation's offering.
Chazal advise us to relate to all possible signs of
redemption with caution. The way they tell us we can be sure
that the sky has truly become light is if there is still a
connection with the Ovos who are at rest in Chevron,
i.e. if things develop without any innovations and we
continue to hold onto the old practices of ancient
generations. When we see the Redemption developing without
change or innovation, we will know that the light in
Tziyon is genuine. If however, the shining light is
something new, it is invalid.
This idea is mentioned in the tefillos that are said
on Hoshanoh Rabboh: "A voice [saying], `Rejoice rose
of the Sharon, for the sleepers of Chevron have risen, [a
voice] bringing tidings and saying . . .' "
When Avrohom Ovinu asked Hashem, "How will I know?"
(Bereishis 15:8) referring to the future Redemption,
he already knew that his descendants would have to undergo
tremendous suffering before being redeemed. He cried out to
Hashem, "How will I know that they will have the patience to
wait for the real dawn and won't go astray after false,
imaginary lights?"
Hakodosh Boruch Hu showed him that this would be in
the merit of the sacrifices in the Beis Hamikdosh --
and in its absence, in the merit of studying the Torah of the
sacrifices. This is our protection, ensuring that we wait for
the genuine dawn and do not stray after various false
messiahs.
Simchas Beis Hashoevah for Our Times
The gemora (Succah 51) tells us, "Whoever missed
seeing the Simchas Beis Hashoevah never saw joy in his
life."
The medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 70:8), affords us some
insight into the importance of the Simchas Beis
Hashoevah.
"He saw and lo, a well [was] in the field and lo, over there
were three flocks of sheep sitting by it, for the flocks used
to drink from that well and there was a large stone over the
mouth of the well" (Bereishis 29:2).
"And lo, a well [was] in the field" -- this refers to
Yerushalayim.
"And lo, over there were three flocks of sheep" -- these are
the three Regolim.
"For the flocks used to drink from that well" -- ruach
hakodesh is drawn on those occasions.
"And there was a large stone" -- this was the Simchas Beis
Hashoevah. Rav Hoshaya said, "Why was it called Beis
Hashoevah? Because ruach hakodesh was drawn from
there.
"And they used to return the stone" -- In place until the
following Regel.
Another explanation: "And lo, a well [was] in the field" --
this refers to the beis haknesses.
"For the flocks used to drink from that well" -- for Torah is
heard from there.
These two interpretations refer to two different periods in
our nation's history.
The world has a number of health spas where people go for the
healing effects of the waters, which have powerful medicinal
properties. The beneficial effects of a visit to one of these
places are usually felt for an entire year. Sometimes, a
single visit gives relief for many years.
It is the same in the spiritual realm. There are certain
designated holy places with spiritually healing effects which
are also powerful and long-lasting. The Beis Hamikdosh
was such a place. People drew ruach hakodesh there
that lasted them for a whole year. They visited three times a
year, for the Regolim, and the healing influence of
the Beis Hamikdosh infused holiness into all the
mundane activities in which they engaged year round. On
Succos, when they rejoiced over the water libations, they
absorbed ruach hakodesh in the Beis
Hamikdosh.
In Megilloh (29) the gemora says, "Rabbi Shimon
bar Yochai said, `Come and see that wherever Yisroel were
exiled the Shechinoh was with them . . .' Where was it
in Bovel? Abaye said, `In the beis haknesses of Hutzal
etc.' The beis haknesses fills the place of the
Beis Hamikdosh and has the same purpose. In the case
of the Beis Hamikdosh, however, three visits a year
sufficed. People witnessed the ten miracles that continuously
took place there and the Shechinoh that was
present.
At present, in exile, we do not witness these miracles and
the impression that the beis haknesses makes is much
weaker. We need to experience its healing properties
regularly, every day. Only then will it have an effect on our
souls.
Everyone ought to be aware that a beis haknesses is
like a natural wellspring that provides a person with the
water he needs in order to live. Without this water, a
person's situation is dangerous. If people were sufficiently
aware that " `Water' means Torah alone" (Bava Kama 17)
and that they cannot survive without it, the beis
haknesses would have the desired effect upon them. They
would utilize it to draw holiness into their mundane
lives.
Upon Completing the Torah: Protecting Torah in the Way It
was Given -- Through Breaking the Luchos
"And for all [that he did with] his strong hand . . .which
Moshe did before all of Yisroel" (Devorim 34:12)
Rashi explains: " `Before all of Yisroel' -- this refers to
the breaking of the Luchos in front of them, which
Hashem sanctioned as it says, `Asher shibarto (which
you broke)' (Shemos 34:1) -- yeyasher kochacho
sheshibarto."
Why is the breaking of the Luchos referred to by the
posuk as "all [that he did with] his strong hand"?
Moshe broke the Luchos because they were very heavy as
a result of the sin of the eigel so it does not seem
to reflect his strength.
Another problem is, what great benefit resulted from the
Luchos' being broken, to the point where Hashem
congratulated Moshe for having broken them?
The gemora in Sanhedrin (63) says that Yisroel
never denied Hashem's existence. They knew that He controls
the world. All they did was put Him in partnership with the
eigel.
Moshe thought he had an opportunity to get them back onto the
right path. He came down Har Sinai holding onto the
Luchos in order to show them to bnei Yisroel.
He thought that when they saw these pieces of Hashem's
handiwork, that could be read from both sides and that had
the centers of the letters final mem and samech
suspended miraculously, they would abandon their golden gods
and return wholeheartedly to Hashem.
When he approached the camp however, he saw the eigel
and the dancing and how the worshipers got up to mock (the
term letzacheik that was applied to their actions
denotes immorality and bloodshed, as Rashi explains
[32:6], quoting Chazal). He realized that for them,
worshiping the eigel was just a way of enabling them
to live a life of lewdness and abandon, without the yoke of
any authority. It would thus be futile to rebuke them,
because their desires were gripping them more strongly than
the effect of a thousand rebukes.
Bnei Yisroel were standing around the circles of
dancers, wavering in their loyalties. When they saw Moshe
coming down the mountain holding the Luchos, they
began to yearn for the living G-d whom they had encountered
at Yam Suf and at Har Sinai. Their desires pulled them in the
other direction and they jumped at the "wonderful" idea of
trying to remain close to Hashem while still pandering to
their desires, as Chazal tell us.
Seeing that Yisroel were led astray, Moshe retreated. The
elders saw him and pursued him. Moshe was holding onto the
tips of the Luchos and running while they were holding
onto the opposite edge and running after him. Moshe's
strength was greater than that of the seventy elders and he
wrested the Luchos from them and broke them. This is
what the posuk refers to "all [that he did with] his
strong hand."
We learn the following lesson from this. Those elders wanted
the Luchos to remain with them. They wanted to combine
the Luchos with material desires -- to live lives of
foolishness but to keep the Luchos in order to merit
Olam Habo as well. Moshe Rabbenu therefore
emphatically demonstrated that this was impossible. He acted
as he did before the multitudes of bnei Yisroel, who
all wanted to keep the Luchos with them and who also
knew how precious they were to Moshe -- and he broke them
before their very eyes.
Imagine the profound impression that would be made if the
greatest godol of the generation were to stand with a
sefer Torah in front of a vast crowd of Yidden
and rip the sefer to shreds before their eyes.
And here it was the Luchos -- unique creations that
were not of this world, having been created at twilight on
yom shishi and that were written with Hashem's Finger -
- that Moshe Rabbenu broke in front of all bnei
Yisroel!
The Torah refers to this as "all [that he did with] his
strong hand." Just as he planted faith in Hashem in the
people's hearts through the signs and wonders that he did at
various times, he strengthened their faith in Hashem with
this act too. It had a profound effect upon them, touching
their innermost Jewish spark. They understood that there is
absolutely no way that a Yid can live life together
with the Luchos while clinging to the lusts of
idolatry, immorality and bloodshed.
In the merit of the Luchos' having been broken, Torah
has remained with us untainted, clean from any undesirable
admixture -- Torah as it was given at Har Sinai.
This is what Chazal referred to when they said, `Resh Lokish
said, "Sometimes the annulment of Torah brings about its
preservation, as the posuk says, `Asher shibarto' --
yeyasher kochacho sheshibarto" ' (Menochos 99).
|
A Letter from the Holy Gaon and Mekubol HaRav Shlomo Eliashiv
ztvk'l, Author of Leshem Shevo Ve'achlomoh
(Grandfather of HaRav Y. S. Eliashiv ) about the Yearning
for Redemption
Be'ezras Hashem yisborach,
Bein Kesseh Le'Ossor 5674 haboh oleinu letovah,
Shavel
Gemar chasimoh tovoh to a great friend . . .
Concerning that which your honor . . . wrote about what you
received from Yerushalayim . . . and what you heard in that
connection from a trustworthy person, I must tell your
esteemed honor the truth. My opinion and my belief . . . is
that whatever relates to [Klal] Yisroel's fondest
hopes and to the signs and portents that indicate it, will
not start with one private individual or with a group of such
people. The knowledge will spread suddenly across the entire
world and there will be no doubt whatsoever about their
veracity, in anyone's heart. They will go on becoming more
and more apparent and established in the same way, until the
Redemption is complete.
This is my opinion and my conviction about these matters.
Therefore, I do pay no attention whatsoever to all the rumors
that have been circulating hitherto. May Hashem yisborach
Shemo hasten our redemption . . .
|
