Reb Leibel wrote us that the Mesibos Chasal always took
place in the dark — lights out, lasting some two hours
after Yom Tov. Following each piece, niggunim of
deveikus or of Shiras HaYam were sung. "These
gatherings were lessons in holding on to the Yom Tov as one
returned to normal life that have not left me to this
day."
Mesibas Chasal, Pesach 5733
The Blessing of Your Festival
"And confer upon us Hashem . . . the blessing of Your
festival . . . in accordance with Your wish and Your promise
to bless us" (from the Yom Tov Amidah).
I know of an individual who, when inscribing blessings, would
preface them with the words, `Yehi rotzon . . . (may
it be Hashem's will),' a practice to which certain great men
objected. Their reason was that yehi rotzon is an
expression of prayer, distinct from a blessing.
Prayer is offered with the object of bringing about new
conditions, arousing Divine will for the prayer's subject
where none previously existed. Blessing however, is conferred
where the will and conditions already exist. Its function is
to facilitate the fruition of the will by removing any
impediments to its realization.
The sole exception to this is Bircas Cohanim, where
the posuk promises, "And they shall confer My Name
upon bnei Yisroel and I will bless them"
(Bamidbor 6:27) [blessing here denoting a new wish].
Conferring Hashem's Name gives rise to a wish that did not
exist beforehand, for His Name is limitless and [its mention]
can arouse a new desire to bestow benefit.
When speaking of "the blessing of Your festival," we say that
it is "in accordance with Your rotzon and Your promise
to bless us." The source for this is the last posuk in
parshas Re'eih, "according to Hashem's blessing that
He has given you," (Devorim 16:17). The word
brochoh, blessing, is related to the word
bereichoh, meaning a pond or pool. Just as a pond is
nourished by a preceding source, so blessing flows from an
already existing wish to bestow benefit. This is why we ask
Hashem to, "confer upon us the blessing of Your festival . .
. in accordance with Your rotzon and Your promise to
bless us.'
The Season of our Freedom
Pesach is called "the season of our freedom." The type of
freedom that we are celebrating is exemplified by an incident
involving Rav Yisroel Salanter zt'l.
Rav Yisroel rebuked a person who was unable to break a habit,
telling him that he was transgressing the posuk, "For
bnei Yisroel are servants of mine; they are My
servants, (Vayikra 25:55). Chazal infer a negative
command from this: " `My servants' and not servants to
servants" (Bava Metzia 10) which Rav Yisroel took to
mean "not slaves of habit." A more refined way of
sidestepping the obligation to serve Hashem Alone is for a
person to say that in a particular situation or in certain
conditions he is unable to serve Hashem. He makes his service
subject to outside circumstances, giving them mastery over
himself and transgressing "For bnei Yisroel are
servants of Mine."
(In this context our master zt'l mentioned the
gemora, "If I am not here, who is here?"
(Succah 53), which Rashi interprets as referring to
Hakodosh Boruch Hu.)
"When a person is brought in for judgment [after his
lifetime] he is asked . . . `Did you await Hashem's
salvation?' " (Shabbos 31). Rabbenu Yonah (Shaarei
Teshuvoh, Shaar IV:8) writes that a penitent "should
yearn and wait for Yom Kippur in order to find favor with
Hashem." This is how he awaits Hashem's salvation.
His defense [for having sinned] is that, "We want to fulfill
Your will; what prevents us is the leaven in the dough [i.e.
the yetzer hora] and the yoke of foreign rule"
(Brochos 17). If he isn't waiting for Yom Kippur and
the acceptance of his repentance, he cannot invoke this claim
in his favor. This is the meaning of the question, "Did you
await Hashem's salvation?" that a person is asked when he is
judged.
During this [Pesach] period — "the season of our
freedom" — we are free of all interfering factors. Now
though, as the Yom Tov departs, only the yearning for this
freedom will remain with us and the longing to be free from
all other yokes so that we can serve Hashem Alone. This is
how we await Hashem's salvation.
Our Own Connection
"I am Hashem . . . Who brought you out of the land of Egypt"
(Shemos 20:2). The Rishonim discuss whether or not
this statement is counted as one of the six hundred and
thirteen mitzvos, but all agree that it certainly is the
foundation and the cornerstone of faith.
Why is it that today we do not learn Shaar Hayichud in
Chovos Halevovos [which discusses Hashem's Unity]?
There are several chapters of Rav Saadiah Gaon's Sefer
Ho'emunos and of the Rambam's Moreh Nevuchim [on
the same and related topics] that we also refrain from
studying. Bnei Torah have asked to be told why this
is.
There are two reasons, which at first glance seem to
contradict one another. On the one hand our generation's
level is low. On the other, it has special merit. In fact,
these are two sides of the same coin.
A parable will illustrate the consequence of our generation's
low level. A person hears a melody that captures his heart.
It affects him so deeply that he feels it to be almost
tangible; were it possible to appreciate it using his sense
of sight, he would yearn to experience it that way as
well.
The faith of earlier generations was so real to them that
they longed to experience it in as many ways as possible.
Their occupation with [the intellectual and philosophical]
aspects of faith in Hashem is an indication of their virtue,
while our lack of such interest is a sign of the paucity of
faith in our times. [Moreover,] nowadays confusion
predominates; were we to get involved in investigating the
nature of faith we would conclude that there is room for
discussion and that certain things require proof —
which is absolutely not the case.
At the same time though, we possess special greatness in this
area. Before he died, Moshe Rabbenu bound bnei Yisroel
to observance of the Torah. " `For with those who are here'
(Devorim 29:14) — from this I only know [that
the covenant bound] those who stood at Har Sinai. How do I
know that it also included future generations and converts
who would later join the Jewish nation? The posuk
says, `And with those who are not here' [i.e. not physically
here, but their souls were present]" (Shavuos 39).
Since the souls of all future Jews were present when the
Torah was given they must also have been present when bnei
Yisroel left Egypt, for Hashem said at Har Sinai, "I am
Hashem . . . Who brought you out of Egypt . . ." All
generations are thus on an equal footing with regard to the
fundamentals of belief. [See Pachad Yitzchok, Pesach
33:2.]
"And He will return the hearts of fathers to sons"
(Malachi 3:24). Rashi explains that the fathers'
hearts will be brought back to Hashem through their sons, who
will speak to them about following His ways. This was the
last prophecy that was written down for Klal Yisroel.
It contains the novelty of the reversal of the order of the
usual chain of transmission, from sons to fathers.
In the framework of its usual direction — that of "you
shall teach them to your sons" (Devorim 6:7) —
the failure of a single generation to transmit our heritage
would automatically mean the loss of every subsequent
generation. However, all generations were present at Har
Sinai [and have an independent bond to what happened there]
so that transmission from son to father can thus take place.
This is happening nowadays wherever there are Jews. [See
Pachad Yitzchok, Shavuos, Divrei Torah about
Children's Torah Education, p. 238.]
This is why our generation needs no proofs of faith. Our
power derives mainly from the fact that we too were present
at Har Sinai, for today we see the prophecy "He will return
the hearts of fathers to sons" being fulfilled before our
very eyes [which can only happen by our drawing upon our
independent connection with Har Sinai]. Hashem's words: " . .
. Who brought you out of Egypt" were said to us, as was "you
have seen . . ." (Shemos 19:4). This shows our
greatness.
A ben Torah with depth of insight will be able to see
that there is no contradiction between these two reasons;
they represent two aspects of one situation.
Valuing the Lessons of the Yom Tov
"Eisov scorned the birthright" (Bereishis 25:34). Some
mussar scholars have pointed out that since this is
not part of the actual sale [of the birthright that the Torah
describes] it seems to be out of place. The truth is
otherwise.
High levels of holiness are extremely sensitive. Attaining
them and holding on to them requires acknowledgment of how
precious they are. If a person upon whom they have been
conferred scorns them, they leave him forthwith.
Eisov's belittling the birthright lost it to him.
[Ed. note — The Ketzos Hachoshen (278:13)
suggests that by saying, "Why do I need the birthright?"
(posuk 32) Eisov effectively renounced it!]
"The attribute of good is more extensive [than that of
retribution]" (Sotah 11). When a person respects and
values these high levels, they attach themselves to him.
Brazenness or shameful behavior directed at a Torah scholar
when he is not present, does not have the same significance
as it does when shown to his face. Conversely, honoring a
scholar to his face is not the same as showing him honor when
he is not present. Honoring him even when he is not around
shows greater respect.
Valuing the freedom of serving Hashem yisborach at a
Mesibas Chasal, when we are no longer in the presence
of the Yom Tov and its spiritual treasures, causes those
treasures to attach themselves to us.
Mesibas Chasal, Pesach 5734
A Parting that Leaves a Lasting Impression
"A person should rise for prayer neither in depressed nor in
lazy spirits etc. rather, as experiencing the joy of a
mitzvah. Similarly, a person should not part from his friend
with conversation, mirth, levity, or with idle chatter,
rather, with a matter of halochoh . . ." (Brochos 31).
(The comparison that Chazal draw by juxtaposing prayer with
parting from a friend does not concern us at present. We
shall offer a general explanation of the idea of prefacing
one pursuit with another and the need for praying with the
joy of a mitzvah and with arousal.)
A person's soul overflows with myriad impressions. Everything
that there is in the world has its corresponding element
within the human soul. The secret of life lies in the
combination of all the minor etchings on the soul, rather
than with the major events that happen to a person in his
lifetime.
Rav Yisroel also held that all the tiny impressions combine
to have an effect. He cites the example of Rabbi Akiva
(Ovos DeRabbi Nosson, perek 6:2, see Or Yisroel
siman 10 and the end of siman 30 beg.
ulai). "What were Rabbi Akiva's origins? . . . He was
once standing by a wellspring and asked, `Who hollowed out
this stone?' . . . They said to him, `Akiva, don't you know
the posuk, "Water wore away stones" (Iyov
14:19)?' Rabbi Akiva immediately reasoned with himself . . .
Then and there he went back to learn Torah."
"A person should [only] rise for prayer . . . experiencing
the joy of a mitzvah . . ." Even if the mitzvah has already
been done, one should pray soon after for the impression it
has made and the spiritual uplift from the joy of having
performed it will make his prayers different.
"Similarly, a person should [only] part from his friend . . .
with a matter of halochoh" — it becomes a different
kind of parting.
The Mesibas Chasal is "paved within with love"
(Shir Hashirim 3:10) — it adjoins the Yom Tov
and is suffused with festive joy and the warmth of
friendship. There is also the wish to preserve the impression
of the Yom Tov by taking leave from it at the Mesibas
Chasal so that the coming year in its entirety will carry
an impression of the Yom Tov.
Days of Greatness
In response to the question that many have asked — and
some have demanded an answer — why don't we deliver
talks on ethics and on our personal service of Hashem all
year round, whereas on the festivals we speak about them so
much? And in fact in a way it would be correct to do so, so
as to give enough time to study these areas.
The answer to the question however, is based upon a statement
of Chazal's. "What is the meaning of the posuk, `For
he who scorned the day of smallness' (Zecharya 4:10)?
What causes the future reward of tzaddikim to be
incomplete? Their small-mindedness in not believing in
Hashem" [i.e. "What spoiled the (future) day? Smallness."
(Sotah 48).
Rashi explains, "Smallness — paucity of faith." This
cannot mean that their faith was weak because the
posuk that this is being used to explain doesn't say a
word about faith — it just speaks about a "day of
smallness."
This type of smallness determines the way in which one views
the world and all it contains. A person who looks at the
world with a small, petty outlook is by definition a person
of little faith. He sees just the world, not the world's
Creator. This is the sense in which the gemora says
the tzaddikim "didn't believe in Hashem."
On the other hand, when a person looks at the world and sees
greatness and importance, it can only be because he sees that
the world comes from Hashem yisborach.
The rule is that anything that is done in a spirit of
greatness and importance is itself a greater and more
important thing — and it makes a greater impression.
When we speak about ethics and character traits, which are
matters of the highest importance that pierce the heavens, it
must be done in an atmosphere of the most sublime greatness
and importance possible. During the regular, routine weeks of
the year, that dimension is missing.
It is different on festivals when "You have exalted us"
(Yom Tov Amidah) — bnei Torah in
particular feel uplifted during a festival. Over Yom Tov,
they in particular look at the world with greatness and
importance. [See Sefer Hazikoron, Zichronos, p.
91.]
It is an easier matter to work on one's thoughts during
prayer or one's joy in performing a mitzvah than it is to
develop an outlook on the world of greatness and importance.
That is why we schedule our discussion of ethics and of
serving Hashem on Yomim Tovim — to fulfill our desire
that these talks should be held in an atmosphere of
heightened greatness and importance. Praise and thanks are
owing to Hakodosh Boruch Hu for the fact that over Yom
Tov this desire is fulfilled, at least to an extent.
Our master said that that partial fulfillment is worth all
the treasures in the world!
The Pious Shall Sing
"Pious men will rejoice in [Hashem's] glory; they will sing
from their place of repose" (Tehillim 149:5). In this
very place, at this time [at the Mesibas Chasal of
5732] we explained the idea of chassidus, piety.
Chassidus means doing more than one is required to do.
[Menochos 41 — "Chassidim are different
because they are stringent with themselves." Rashi (Rosh
Hashonoh 17) explains, "The chossid goes beyond
the demands of the din."]
People wrongly equate chassidus with frumkeit
(religiosity) and a lack of thoughtful reckoning. [See
Mesillas Yeshorim, perek 18.] The gemora
(Nedorim 9) shows us that this view is superficial.
"Shimon Hatzaddik said, `I never ate from the oshom
offering of a nozir who had become impure, except for
once. A man once came, a nozir from the South. I saw
that he had beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance and his
locks of hair were in curls. I asked him, "My son, why have
you seen fit to spoil this beautiful hair of yours?"
"He said, `I was working as my father's shepherd in my town.
I went to fill up with water from the well and looked at my
reflection and my yetzer hora pounced on me and tried
to harass me from the world. I told him, "Evil one! Why are
you taking pride in a world that does not belong to you, in
one who is ultimately going to be rot and worms? I swear to
shave you off for the sake of Heaven!" '
"I immediately arose and kissed him on the head. I told him,
`My son, may more of those taking vows of nezirus in
Yisroel be like you! . . .' "
"The reason [why Shimon Hatzaddik only refrained from eating
from the oshom of a nozir who became impure] is
that people take vows of nezirus when they regret
[their sins]. Then, when they become impure and they have to
start counting from the beginning again, they regret having
taken the vow in the first place. [This undermines the
validity of the entire nezirus which is the basis for
the sanctity of the oshom offering] and it is as
though they were offering an ordinary, mundane animal in the
Temple courtyard."
The Ran explains that in fact, unless a chochom
explicitly annuls the nezirus, the nozir's
regret cannot change his status automatically, so there was
no halachic question of the offering's validity. Shimon
Hatzaddik however, felt that since the nozir's
intentions were no longer entirely sincere, his offering was
not entirely acceptable, with the sole exception of the
nozir from the South.
Were chassidus to be a matter of a stringent halachic
ruling here or there, it would have no place in this
situation because the offering was halachically one hundred
percent sanctified and permitted. Rather, chassidus
represents an entirely different way of viewing things that
springs from a higher, more refined level of living that
relates to every realm of life. Although the nozir's
offering is one hundred percent valid according to halochoh,
when viewed through the lens of chassidus, its
sanctity appears flawed.
The gemora about Rav Safra (Makkos 24) is
relevant to this idea. " `And he speaks the truth in his
heart' (Tehillim 15:2), for example Rav Safra. Rashi
comments: "In the She'iltos of Rav Achai Gaon (36,
parshas Vayechi) — Rav Safra had a certain
article to sell and a man came to him while he was reading
Krias Shema and said to him, `Sell it to me for this
price.' He didn't answer because he was reading Krias
Shema. The man thought that he wasn't answering because
he didn't want to sell it for that price and he offered more
. . . After he finished he said, `Take it for the first price
you offered because I had in mind to sell it to you for that
price.' "
The Maharsha (ibid. 23, quoting the Mordechai)
explains that Rav Safra fulfilled a mental commitment to
another person, which halochoh only requires when dealing
with hekdesh (the Temple treasury), which acquires
ownership on the basis of thought alone. This is learned from
the posuk, "each [person] who donates in his heart"
(Shemos 35:5).
Similarly, chassidim used to eat ordinary food
according to all the stringencies in the laws of purity that
are required for consuming sacrificial food. Rav Safra was
thus not merely stringent in his trait of truthfulness; his
entire life was on a more sublime and exalted level, both in
thought and in deed. What he thought in his heart took on
tangibility and he treated the ordinary and mundane in the
way prescribed for the holy. [See Sefer Hazikoron,
Zichronos p. 93.]
Boruch Hashem, I found this idea in Rabbenu Yonah's
commentary to Ovos (2:5). "A boor cannot fear sin and
an am ho'oretz cannot be pious." Rabbenu Yonah
explains, "A boor is empty; he possesses neither Torah nor
mitzvos . . . It is unnecessary to say that a boor cannot be
pious, for he does not even fear sin. An am ho'oretz
however, gets along with others in important ways and has
some sound ideas. He knows how to be careful and will guard
himself against sin. He can even be a tzaddik . . .
But only someone great in Torah can attain chassidus.
This is a trait that requires a pure heart and a refined
soul, and the am ho'oretz lacks the wisdom needed to
shift from the middle path to the outer extreme, in order to
go beyond the requirements of the din."
To be a chossid one must thus be great in Torah
because the chossid inhabits another world, where the
greatness and importance of Torah reign supreme. His world is
a different world entirely.
[Our master said that if not for certain reservations he
would make the following assertion] The posuk says,
"For a mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is light" (Mishlei
6:23). Chazal comment, "A mitzvah is associated with a lamp
and Torah with light to tell us that just as a lamp only
offers temporary protection, so does a mitzvah. Light
[however,] gives complete protection and so does Torah"
(Sotah 21). A mitzvah done on the level of
chassidus however, also gives everlasting protection
because its performance arises from Torah's greatness and it
contains the light of Torah as well.
Honor is always a consequence of recognizing greatness and
importance. The posuk quoted earlier, "Pious men will
rejoice in [Hashem's] glory ; they will sing from their place
of repose," thus means:
"Chassidim [whose level is based on Torah's greatness]
will rejoice — because of Torah's greatness and
importance, "They will sing from their place of repose
— even when they are not occupied with it [because its
effect is everlasting]."
A New Song
In Shaarei Teshuvoh (Shaar III, 148), Rabbenu Yonah
writes, "For one of the ways of sanctifying Hashem's Name is
to proclaim in every expression, in every
glance and in every act and activity . . . [that man's
primary purpose is to serve and fear Hashem and His Torah] .
. . this honors Hashem yisborach."
The reason why this requires that each and every function be
involved is because everything needs to fit its inner
content. The central feature of Heaven's glory is "the whole
world is full of his glory" (Yeshayohu 6:3).
Everything that a person undertakes for Hashem's honor must
therefore accord with this and not have any vacuum.
"[The ways of] your youth will be [as refreshing] to you as
dew," (Tehillim 110:3). The medrash comments,
"Avrohom Ovinu was fearful and said, `Perhaps I carry guilt
for having worshiped idols for all those years?' Hakodosh
Boruch Hu told him, `Your youth will be to you as dew' "
(Bereishis Rabbah 39:8).
This is because "a new convert is like a newborn babe"
(Yevomos 22). [See Pachad Yitzchok Succos,
ma'amar 2 for a suggested source for this halochoh.]
Avrohom Ovinu was the first of all the converts
(Chagigah 3); he therefore merited having the words
"your youth will be to you as dew" applied to him.
Upon leaving Egypt Knesses Yisroel became converts.
See Rashi on Yevomos 46 [beg. ba'avoseinu
shemmolu] who comments, "In Moshe's time, when they left
Egypt and ceased being gentiles."
The words, "your youth will be to you as dew" thus also apply
to Knesses Yisroel, in relation to the [youth of the]
entire creation, for it is in them that the world's renewal
takes place, with the reversion to the form of Odom
Horishon.
The song that they sang after crossing the sea contains a
vision of the future, with the renewal of man's form that
will be revealed in Knesses Yisroel. As befits its
inner content then, this song is termed, Shiroh chadoshoh
— a new song.
The Spoils of the Sea
"Bestow gifts on him . . .and remember that you were a
servant in Egypt . . ." (Devorim 15:14). The mitzvah
to give gifts to a departing servant has its roots in the
departure from Egypt.
[Our master said that] the goal of the Mesibas Chasal
is that everyone should take something away from the Yom Tov
that befits his own trials and circumstances. He should carry
a sense of renewal into the coming year, drawing from a sense
of greatness and importance!
"Moshe moved bnei Yisroel on from the Yam Suf"
(Shemos 15:22). Rashi explains that he forced them to
travel on because they were gleaning the valuable decorations
with which the Egyptians had adorned their army, from the
sea. The spoils of the Yam Suf surpassed the spoils of Egypt
[that they took out with them]. It was therefore necessary to
compel them to move on against their will. However, we don't
find that he had to use sticks to force them on. He had to
compel them to leave the spoils of the sea behind in order to
move on to receive the Torah.
Right now, we don't want to leave the spoils of the sea but
— like it or not — we must do so, returning to
routine, sitting and learning with love and application and
going forward to receive the Torah.
In this way "the spoils of the sea" will come to us!
The Moment of Parting
In 5737, our master ended the Mesibas Chasal with the
closing words of the Amidah, "He who makes peace in
His heights, He should make peace for us and for all of
Yisroel." Our request is in the third person —
"He should make peace" — because this is the
moment of parting.
He added that in a way, parting from the Yom Tov at the
Mesibas Chasal is like a talmid parting from
his master. "A person who has never witnessed a talmid
taking leave of his teacher and the strengthening of their
bond that is so strong, has never seen refinement
(eidelkeit) and has never seen a leave-taking in his
life."
