Archive for the ‘Sfas Emes’ Category

5635 First Ma’amar–What is Shemitta?

Regarding Shemitta, the sabbatical year, the pasuk says : וַיְדַבֵּר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּהַר סִינַי לֵאמֹר – (25:1)

Rashi explains that in the same way that Shemitta was taught in detail at Sinai, all other mitzvos were taught in the same way.

Shemitta is a key mitzva, much like Shabbos, which is a reference point for other mitzvos. Through the performance of key mitzvos, we find a gateway to the performance of all others. The Sfas Emes explains that Shemitta here is truly the reference point for all mitzvos, utilising the above Rashi.

The pasuk (25:2) says כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ – When you come to the land. The Torah says this many times in Chumash – that is to say that when the Jews get to Eretz Yisrael, the reason the land is given is to fulfil God’s will.

The way the Jews have freedom in the the land is solely in this way – through marginalising themselves and their egos, by subjugating themselves to Hashem. In the case of Shemitta, the subjugation manifests itself that we are told to refrain from working the land. The reason this is so is that people become enslaved by their work – it consumes them, and it becomes them. These people do not and cannot stop. The Sfas Emes explains that this concept enables us to serve Hashem – from being released from all consuming work, we can devote our strength to the same extent to His service.

This is why we were sent to Egypt, and why we were released. There must be a burden in order for us to realise how much we can carry – one the burden is removed, we can carry our faith freely. The Sfas Emes compares this to our eternal struggle with the Yetzer Hara, and why it starts immediately. In the same way, Eretz Canaan had to have idolatry and immorality to the degree that it’s inhabitants had to be destroyed, in order for it to become Eretz Yisrael, containing the Beis HaMikdash. This concept manifests itself freely.

The point of Shemitta and Shabbos is to bear witness that Hashem sustains existence anew every day. We say every morning that Hashem is ברוך אומר ועושה – Hashem says, and Hashem does. The Sfas Emes explains that Hashem said, and created something from nothing – but Hashem also does, every day, now that Creation exists, maintains it. 

The Sfas Emes develops this further, and says that the same is true of mitzvos. Every mitzva we do should arouse and inspire us – every day. The life we get from a mitzva’s performance should be anew each time, and the same with Torah. The Sfas Emes teaches us that the preparation and freshness, of everything, only serves to enable what comes after.

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Pesach 5633 Second Night Second Ma’amar–What is the Matza for?

There is a large debate regarding the Matza on Pesach. Is it because of the slavery, the poor man’s bread; or is it because of the freedom, that they left before they had time to bake bread properly?

The Sfas Emes explains that we cannot celebrate being freed from Egypt on it’s own; we must praise the fact we were enslaved as well. The reason the slavery must have been a good thing, is that if we were capable of being a nation that could serve Hashem in slavery, we weren’t in need of being saved, and the slavery itself would serve no purpose. So we must say that being enslaved in Egypt was a key part of the process through which we became Hashem’s people.

The simple explanation of this is that by being in crushing and devastating slavery, the people were pushed far beyond their comfort zones, and far beyond the extremes of what they thought they were capable of. This was a demonstration to the people that all the arrogance and haughtiness of man could be removed, and a person could devote his entire being to something. This was a key stage in becoming Hashem’s servants – the people knew that they were capable of giving their all, which they might not have been able to had they not been through the ravages of slavery.

The Sfas Emes explains that this is what all evils and bad things in life are for – they educate us about our limits, and more than that, they show us the opposite extremes to which we can aspire and attain. This is the only purpose they serve, just like Egypt. If they weren’t there to help us become closer to Hashem, they would have no function.

The Sfas Emes explains that this was the only moment in which the Jews could have accepted Hashem as their King properly, that  in the same way they had been entirely subjugated to Paroh, they could now subjugate themselves entirely to Hashem. This was the critical moment the Jews were born as a nation. However, the procedure and process started earlier. As we say in Shema every day: אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים להיות לכם לאלוקים – “That I took you out of Egypt to be for you a God” (Bamidbar 15:41). The implication is clear – we had to have been in Egypt before, in order to be taken out to become everything we were meant to be.

The Sfas Emes re-emphasises that being Hashem’s people hinged on the need to have removed the arrogance and haughtiness of man. This is what the pasuk means when it says that טוב אחרית הדבר מראשיתו – “the end is better than the beginning” (Koheles 7:8). It was not pleasant to be in Egypt, but what followed was receiving the Torah.

The Sfas Emes tells us that our celebration of leaving Egypt must hinge around the fact that we became better once we left – we accepted Hashem as our King and our God, and we received the Torah. The first thing we did on being freed was for Hashem – this is why there is a concept of firsts going to Hashem, for example the korban Omer (and Pidyon haBen, bikkurim etc).

This is what is so vital on Seder night, to relive the Exodus from Egypt. It is when we became God’s people.

The Sfas Emes answers that this is why Matza correlates to the slavery and poverty – it is devoid of the arrogance and haughtiness. But it also correlates to the freedom – the process of freedom started when we were slaves. It is how we became truly free to serve Hashem. Our freedom stems from having not been free once.

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Pesach 5631 First Night Second Ma’amar–Lacking in טעם

 

In the Haggada we read; “חכם מה הוא אומר? “מה העדות והחוקים והמשפטים אשר צו ה אלוקינו אתכם – What does the wise son ask? What are the testimonies, statutes and laws that God our Lord commanded you?”

The Sfas Emes understands that the wise son is asking the reasons behind the laws, not the laws themselves. Since he is the wise son, it is assumed that he knows the laws. However, how can he ask for a reason for the חוקים ? חוקים do not have reason. Included in חוקים, for example, are the Para Aduma and sha’atnez. These mitzvos have no obvious reason. So why does the wise son ask for the reason for these mitzvos?

In Sefer Tehillim, we say; “מַגִּיד דְּבָרָיו לְיַעֲקֹב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל – He told his words to Yakov, His statutes and laws to Israel”. מַגִּיד is a discussion – the implication is that חוקים is not just an instruction, but a talking point, something that was discussed. So we see that really, חוקים have meaning as well. How can we come to know these reasons? The Sfas Emes explains that the way to attain an understanding of the חוקים is by doing them even without understanding, but with the belief that what we are doing has a deeper meaning. By performing these mitzvos without understanding the reason, we merit knowing the reason as well eventually.

The Sfas Emes explains that the mitzvah of matzah alludes to this. The matzah is made of flour and water. It has no additional taste. In Hebrew the same word is used for taste and for reason – טעם. We specifically do not add any טעם to it to show that the mitzvah itself has enough טעם for us.

Through this, we develop a closeness with Hashem, a Naaseh v’Nishma of sorts, that we do what Hashem commands even though we don’t know why we were commanded.

The answer we give the wise son is, “We do not eat any dessert after the Pesach lamb.” He wants to know the טעם for the mitzvos including the חוקים . We tell him that the way to know the reasons is to do them, without knowing why, but with faith in Hashem Who commanded us. We give him a hint when we tell him not to add to the טעם of the Korban Pesach.

It seems that the Sfas Emes is saying that by asking the right question, it leads us to see that it is more important trust in Hashem than know why.

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Acharei Mos 5632 Second Ma’amar–What is life’s reward?

The pasuk says:

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם – You shall observe My statutes and My laws for when a man performs them, he will live by them. (18:5)

The Sfas Emes wonders what the prescribed manner to live by the mitzvos might be.

On the one hand, the Mishna in Avos (2:1) says הֶוֵי מְחַשֵׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ – Consider the loss through a mitzvah against its reward; on the other hand, the Mishna earlier on (1:3) says אַל תִּהְיוּ כַּעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְשִים אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנַת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס – Do not be like servants who serve their master in order to receive reward.

This poses a dilemma – are we meant to value the reward, or not?

In order to reconcile these contradictory Mishnayos, we need to gain an understanding of what the ultimate reward for performing mitzvos. The Sfas Emes explains that the reward for a mitzva is not related in any way to anything we can experience. The next world is not physical. The next world is not even a place; it is a state. It is the state of our soul being close to God, something we cannot being to relate to, as everything we know is entirely physical.

In fact, the word for world – עוֹלָם – has the same root as the word for “concealed” – הָעֳלַם. The next world is concealed from us because it is beyond our life experience. In this world, the physical hides God from us. The truth is concealed by the illusion that there is no reality other than this physical world. This is why metaphors such as lies and darkness are applied to this world. In exactly the same way that God is hidden from us in this manner, so is the World to Come. It is the world of light, truth and reality – we have no grasp of understanding what is beyond the illusion.

The reward of a mitzva is being close to Hashem – we cannot relate to Hashem on this World, so intrinsically, the reward cannot be in this world. Performing mitzvos in order to come close to God is the reason we have the mitzvos, and the reason the world was created. It follows that the purpose of the mitzvos and their reward is one and the same. Accordingly, Chazal ask us to consider our loss from performing a mitzvah against the reward. The reward is closeness to God, which is the purpose of the mitzvah, and ultimately, life itself. We thus see that הֶוֵי מְחַשֵׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ refers to the spiritual reward in the World to Come.

The other Mishna that warns us not to perform mitzvos in order to receive a reward does not mention שָׂכָר; it mentions פְּרָס. Here, Chazal are not referring to the ultimate reward and purpose of the Torah, mitzvos and life. Rather, they are referring to performance of mitzvos for personal gain.

The reason this is so is because the word word פְּרָס is related to פְּרוּסָה – a piece – which implies a separation. Personal benefit and gain are separations and distinctions between ourselves and others. Chazal thus warn us that it further separates a person from the source of life, from God. This is the opposite of וָחַי בָּהֶם – to live through them – as the point of life was to become close to God, but this causes a seperation.

The Sfas Emes has explained that the Mishnayos were not contradicting each other at all – the World to Come is where we become close to God, the point of existence. Everything we do should revolve around that end goal. If personal goals corrupt our actions, we become corrupt and this is what we are advised against.

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Acharei Mos 5632 First Ma’amar – Why is Hashem your God?

Before the commandments regarding the arayos, forbidden relationships, the pasuk begins with:

דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם – Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: I am the Lord, your God (18:2).

This is a pasuk that appears frequently in Chumash. Rashi here explains that it is a paraphrase of Sinai, and this rings true for every occurrence of this pasuk and similar:

אני ה’ אלהיכם: אני הוא שאמרתי בסיני (שמות כ:ב) אנכי ה’ אלהיך, וקבלתם עליכם מלכותי, מעתה קבלו גזרותי – I am the Lord, your God: “I am He who said at Sinai (Shemos 20:2) I am the Lord, your God – and there you accepted my Kingship, now you accept my decrees.”

God is instructing Moshe to tell us that in the same way we accepted the yoke of heaven at Mount Sinai, we should now accept His decrees. The instruction to perform mitzvos is based solely on our acceptance of Hashem.

The Sfas Emes explains that this is not just an idea – this is practical advice that can be applied to all mitzvos. The intent upon doing any mitzva needs to be to accept the yoke of heaven. This is the very purpose of the mitzvah. Doing as Hashem instructs confirms that we defer to Him.

With this concept, the Sfas Emes explains why it is that Nadav and Avihu died. The pasuk says: וַיִּקְחוּ בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אִישׁ מַחְתָּתוֹ וַיִּתְּנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלֶיהָ קְטֹרֶת וַיַּקְרִבוּ לִפְנֵי’ ה’ אֵשׁ זָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם – And Ahron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. (10:1)

וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי ה’ וַתֹּאכַל אוֹתָם וַיָּמֻתוּ לִפְנֵי הֹ – And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (10:2)

The Sfas Emes explains that אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוָּה אֹתָם, that they weren’t commanded, was the cause of their deaths, as it was their attitude that led to to the אֵשׁ זָרָה .  This should be astounding – they were held responsible not for what they had done, that they offered a foreign fire, but because of their outlook, what they had done represented – they were expressing themselves in a way that God had not asked, and for this they died. It is therefore clear from this episode that our key aim in doing a mitzva should be to do G-d’s will, and the performance of said mitzva should stem from this alone.

Accepting the yoke of Heaven and deveikus, cleaving to Hashem, are interchangeable. When one does a mitzva, their soul moves closer to Hashem, and this develops our relationship with Him. Our relationship grows stronger through the performance of mitzvos, and vice versa with sins. As our perception and feeling to Hashem grows, Hashem comes closer to us too, as it were.

The Sfas Emes explains that this is the translation of the pasuk: וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם אֲנִי ה - You shall observe My decrees and My laws, which a man will do and live by them. I am the Lord. (18:5).

וָחַי בָּהֶם is not an instruction, it is a statement. Since the mitzvos are the mechanism through which we draw life into this world, it follows that we can draw life to everything by transforming every action into a mitzvah. Chazal allude to this concept when they say that the wicked, even as they live, are considered dead. This is because they are without mitzvos. וָחַי בָּהֶם – by doing mitzvos, there will be life.

Significantly, the pasuk is in the future tense, “אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם – which a man will do,”. The Torah is teaching us to be constantly prepared to do God’s will. Hoping for an opportunity to do God’s will is what this pasuk calls, keeping “My decrees and My laws”. With this approach, when the opportunity arises, we will perform the mitzvah properly and it will have the greatest positive effect on ourselves and our surroundings. Following the beginning of the pasuk leads us to the end result of וָחַי בָּהֶם. Looking for the opportunities to do God’s will is the path to life and happiness.

The Sfas Emes has shown that doing mitzvos is the way we accept Hashem’s kingship. Mitzvos encompass all human activity – there is a way to do everything in a halachically prescribed manner. Hence, by doing mitzvos we can bring all creation closer to Hashem. By doing HaShem’s will, we are accepting His authority, and in so doing we can bring life and joy to the world.

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Counting Consequences

The parsha begins, “Eleh pekudei hamishkan, mishkan haedus asher pukad al pi Moshe…”. The Medrash refers this pasuk to the pasuk in Mishlei (28:20) “Ish emunos rav brachos”. The Sfas Emes explains that the Ish emunos is Moshe Rabbeinu and what the Medrash is telling us is that although counting something is not a siman brocha when the counting is done by an Ish emunos then brocha will be bestowed on the counted subjects.

The Kli Yakar in the beginning of parshas ki sisa explains the idea behind why one should not count and why counting brings ayin raah. When one counts something he is in essence giving this object its own individual importance, thereby creating additional awareness of it in shamayim. This awakens the debate as to the rights of the object, and all the relevant zechuyos and chovos are judged.

The Sfas Emes this week expounds this idea and with it beautifully explains the Medrash. All the good bestowed upon this world comes from a single higher source and as you distance from the source the good is diminished. From this shoresh hayachid hashmeymi branches out big then smaller and smaller branches, and the smallest furthest branch profits the least from the goodness supplied by those roots. When somebody counts something the individuality and importance that he applies to it separates it further from the source as it now has its own new identity. It is a new branch of its own. Before it was counted it was a part of the bigger branch, closer to the roots. This is why counting usually brings less brocha.

In many places the Sfas Emes explains that the root of the word emunah means connecting the subject back to its real true source. With this the medrash becomes beautifully clear. The medrash is explaining the pasuk as follows. Why does the pasuk mention that the counting was done by Moshe? (more…)

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Faith when it’s tough

The Pasuk says צַו אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה - Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. (6:2)

But there is a problem with this – the Pasuk is not talking about the olah at all! It’s talking about burning the cheilev (fats) etc, that are not burnt with the rest of the korban, and this is done at night. It is hardly תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה !
(more…)

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Start your day…

“נְדָבָה בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר….gifts every morning” (36:6)

The Sfas Emes explains that sharing and giving has to be our first instinct, at the beginning of every day.

The Vilna Gaon expounded further on this point. The final bracha in Tfilas HaShachar is Hamaavir Sheina – Who removes sleep from our eyes – and what follows is the Yehi Ratzon – May it be Your Will – that lists various mitzvos we would like to be able to do. We do not pause between them to say Amen. The Vilna Gaon explains that we must start as we mean to continue – we thank Him for removing sleep from our eyes, and immediately pray for opportunities to do mitzvos.

There is a story told about R’ Meir Schapiro, who was fundrasing for his yeshiva in pre-war Europe. He had made his way through a new town, and heard stories about a man who lived there, who was fabulously wealthy. He knocked on the door, and requested to meet with the gentleman. He was informed that the gentleman was asleep, so R’ Meir requested to come inside and learn, until the owner arose. When he finally did wake up, he flatly refused to donate to the yeshiva, and R’ Meir gave a sad smile, and said “You shouldn’t have woken up then. I understand this pasuk now”.

The emphasis on every morning is a clear lesson for us that we must strive to help, share and give at every opportunity, even (especially?) at times that are inconvenient.

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The Uniqueness of Purim

The Midrash Mishlei states that after Moshiach comes, we will cease to observe all the Yomim Tovim, except Purim. Many commentators have asked why this should be? Surely the miracle of Purim was not as momentous as the Exodus from Egypt, or the giving of the Torah at Sinai? Furthermore, Purim is a Yom Tov deRabanan (Rabbinically instituted), so why should it be celebrated when Yomim Tovim deOraisa (Torah instituted) are not?

The Sfas Emes asks another question. The Megilla clearly states that Purim is “עַל-שֵׁם הַפּוּר” – “because of the lottery” (performed by Haman). Why then do we use the plural form – Purim to refer to this Yom Tov which celebrates a single lottery? And surely Haman’s lottery was not the primary part of the nes of Purim. Why would we choose to name the Yom Tov after an incidental and perhaps even un-miraculous event?

The Sfas Emes explains that we would only use the name Purim if the “pur” was an integral part of the nes. When Haman cast his lots, it was “לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד” – to utterly destroy the Jews. Yet, as the eternal nation, the Jews cannot ever be completely destroyed, meaning that Haman’s plot was doomed to fail from the very beginning. The “pur” therefore was dual in nature. On the surface it appeared to be detrimental for the Jews, yet by it’s very design condemned Haman to fail and thus lead to the Jews’ salvation. To reflect this duality, we refer to Purim in the plural to underline that even events that seem ‘bad’ are a part of Hashem’s plan and turn out for the good of Klal Yisroel.

The Vilna Gaon in his commentary on Esther explains that this is why we will celebrate Purim after Moshiach. Previous miracles where Hashem has revealed Himself and performed supernatural miracles will be eclipsed by the miraculous events surrounding the coming of Moshiach. The Yomim Tovim commemorating these events will no longer be celebrated because the events they recall will be of secondary importance in comparison to those we will witness in the future. Purim however, occupies a unique space amongst the other Yomim Tovim. It recalls that Hashem’s hand guides our lives and that all events are controlled by Him even if we do not openly see Him. Thus we will continue to celebrate this unique Yom Tov that offers us a glimpse of His master plan that guides nature even when Yomim Tovim celebrating supernatural events are no longer celebrated.

Have a Geshmacke Purim!

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Yakov’s Journey

“וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה – And Jacob left Beer sheba, and he went to Charan”


Why would Yakov leave the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel and go to Charan? A place devoid of spirituality and ruchnius? Furthermore we know where Yakov lived, so why does the Torah stress that he left Be’er Sheva. If he went on a journey, presumably he started at home.

The Sfas Emes explains that Yakov’s departure was a preparation for Klal Yisroel’s eventual exiles in Chutz La’aretz. Yakov therefore voluntarily traveled to a place where Hashem’s presence was more ‘nistar‘, or less visible to show his descendants that even in the darkest of places, the torch of our faith can shine brightly, an example of Maaseh Avos Siman LeBonim.

Furthermore, Yakov Avinu showed us how we can keep our faith throughout our struggles and hardships. Be’er Sheva. the place he left, represents complete spirituality. A be’er is a well of water. Water is the life force of all creatures and figuratively represents the spiritual life force, the connection to G-d that sustains everything around us. Sheva means seven, representing the seventh day of the week – Shabbos.Shabbos is a time that we distance ourselves from the mundane and unimportant things that occupy our lives. It is a time when we can elevate ourselves to higher spiritual levels. Eating and sleeping are things that we do every day that seem to be the polar opposite of spirituality. Yet on Shabbos they take on a new dimension as a part of oneg Shabbos and allow us to bring spirituality and a higher purpose into the physical aspects of our lives. Thus Be’er Sheva figuratively represents a place where the spiritual source of life and its connection to the physical world are apparent.


Yakov our ancestor showed us how to travel through the darkness. We must always remeber where we came from and do our best to connect to our spiritual source. We may find ourselves in places where G-d seems remote and we do not see his hand guiding events around us. Yet, we have the capacity to serve Him through simple actions and even thoughts. A kind word or deed, a brocho on what we eat, brings G-d into our lives and give us a spiritual lift in even our darkest of hours.

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ראש חודש ניסן

This Weeks Parsha

Israel: Bechukosai

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