THE KABBALAH OF TIME:
The Jewish Calendar is the master key to unlock the hidden rationale behind the formal structure of ancient sacred texts, as well as to understand and experience the most profound mystical concepts, which reveal the spiritual energy of each week, serving as a practical guide for self-analysis and development.
The fly, when Israel is not busying
itself with Torah, is saying: "The voice said, 'Call out'. And he said,
'What shall I call out? All flesh is grass, and all its grace is as the flower
of the field.' ‘…The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Lord
shall endure forever.’" "I will create a new expression of the lips:
Peace, peace for him who is far off and for him who is near, says G-d, and I
will heal him." (Isaiah 40:6,8; 57:19)
Rabbi Yaakov would say: One who walks
along a road and studies, and interrupts his studying to say, "How
beautiful is this tree!", "How beautiful is this ploughed
field!"---the Torah considers it as if he had forfeited his life.
Malchut shebeTiferet (kingship within
the context of beauty and balance)
On the twenty-first week, coming to
the end of the month of Shvat, in Perek Shirah the fly calls out to the Jewish
people when they are not engaging in the study of Torah. The song of the fly
appears to be a kind of dialogue. One voice exclaims, "Call out!" and
then a second voice responds, "What shall I say? All life is like the
grass and the flower of the field… the grass withers and the flower fades...
but the word of the Lord our G-d shall stand forever. The Creator of speech of
the lips is saying, Peace, peace to the distant and to the near, says the Lord,
and I shall heal." (Isaiah 40:6-8 and 57:19). This week marks the yahrzeit
of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, the Rebbe’s wife, on the 22nd of Shevat.
Soon after Tu B'Shvat, when we
emphasize the importance of trees and nature, the fly comes to remind us that
nature and life itself, although beautiful, pleasurable, and meaningful, are
ultimately fleeting. Even though they are a reflection of the Creator, but it
is ultimately only the Creator Himself, and those indelibly attached to Him,
that are eternal. Interestingly, flies do not disturb the tzadikim. Perhaps
this explains why we only know the song that the fly sings when the Jews are
not studying Torah. When we are truly engaged in the study of Torah, we are all
tzadikim. Flies do not approach us, and therefore we cannot know what they are
singing.
The fly reminds us of one of the most
beautiful and happy stories of our people linked to a woman: the story of Ishah
Shunamit, the Shunammite woman. This woman performed the great mitzvah of hachnasat
orchim, hospitality, based on a tradition inherited from our father Abraham.
She prepared a special room for the prophet Elisha to always be able to stay
with her and her husband. The Talmud and the Zohar explain that she understood
the greatness of the prophet Elisha, because she never saw a fly land on his
table.[1] This story is about the sanctification of
pleasure – Elisha’s table was like the Temple’s altar, where there were never
any flies, despite the constant meat and blood.
Even though she was childless, the Ishah
Shunamit was always very satisfied with what she had. When asked by the prophet
if she needed anything, she replied by stating, "I dwell within my
people." Her behavior towards Elisha the prophet, the disciple of Elijah,
is one of the prime biblical examples of humility, modesty, kindness and
hospitality.
These characteristics also find
expression in the life of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka. The Rebbetzin also had no
children of her own, yet considered all her "people," the Chassidim,
to be her children. She was the Rebbe’s best friend and most devout partner
throughout his life. The Rebbetzin was also known for her great kindness,
hospitality, and modesty, which she learned from the home of her father, Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe. (See Week 19)
The number twenty-one is the sum of
the first three letters of Hashem’s name. Interestingly, 21 is also the square
root of 441, the gematria (numeric value) of the Hebrew word Emet, truth,
which, as explained in Week 4, is G-d’s “seal.” This continues building on the
above themes of maintaining the proper focus on Hashem and his eternal
truth.
The lesson in Pirkei Avot for the
week after Tu B'Shvat, taught by Rabbi Yaakov, continues on this same theme:
“When one is on a path studying Torah, if one interrupts his study and
exclaims: ‘How beautiful is this tree! How beautiful is this plowed field,’ it
is considered by Scripture as if he were endangering his life. (III:7) Rabbi
Yaakov’s words parallel the song of the fly. We must maintain our focus on what
is truly important and everlasting, and continue in our main path, which is to
advance in our study and transmission of Torah knowledge. The study of the
eternal words of the Creator should not be interrupted in order to enjoy
fleeting occurrences or even to exalt His own Creation.[2]
During this week, we complete the
third cycle of seven weeks, and the sefirah combination results in Malchut
shebeTiferet: kingship within beauty. Malchut is a female sefirah. The truest
and everlasting feminine beauty is inner beauty, as the verse in Psalms states,
"Kol Kvudah Bat Melech Pnimah, all the glory [and beauty] of the princess
is within.” Similarly, one of the last verses of Eshet Chayil sung before Kiddush
on Shabbat night, "charm is deceitful and beauty is vanity; a woman that
is G-d-fearing, she is the one to be praised." These verses are also one
of the last verses in Solomon’s Book of Proverbs. King Solomon, who also wrote
Ecclesiastes, knew very well which things were of permanent value, and which
were simply “vanity of vanities.”
Similarly, we can learn from the fly
the invaluable lesson that while most things are temporary, Hashem and His
Torah are eternal and permanent. Therefore, we should also try to strengthen
even more our connection with G-d, speaking directly to Him – there is no need
of intermediaries. Healing always comes through Him, and only the ways of the
Torah can bring true peace and satisfaction.
[2] The Maggid of Mezritch explains that
this teaching is referring to someone who stops learning in order to reflect on
how much he has learned. (Marcus, p. 91) The 22nd of Shevat is also the
yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotsk, known for cutting through people’s
“flowery” egocentric behavior and focusing completely on the truth.
The Sea Monsters[1]
say:
"Praise G-d from the land, the sea monsters and all the depths."
(Psalms 148:7)
Rabbi
Dusta'i the son of Rabbi Yannai would say in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone who forgets even a single word of this
learning, the Torah considers it as if he had forfeited his life. As is stated,
"Just be careful, and verily guard your soul, lest you forget the things
that your eyes have seen" (Deuteronomy 4:9). One might think that this
applies also to one who [has forgotten because] his studies proved too difficult
for him; but the verse goes on to tell us "and lest they be removed from
your heart, throughout the days of your life." Hence, one does not forfeit
his life unless he deliberately removes them from his heart.
Chesed shebeNetzach(kindness
within the context of victory and endurance)
In the twenty-second week, in Perek Shirah, the Sea Monsters sing that the Lord is to be praised
on earth as well as in the depths. (Psalm 148:7) This is the week of Rosh Chodesh Adar. The month of Adar corresponds to the zodiac sign of
Pisces. Therefore, it is very much appropriate that the water creatures in Perek Shirah be the ones to sing during
the four weeks of this month.
Adar is the month of Purim, and when it begins, we
“increase in joy.” The depths mentioned in the song of the sea monsters refer
to the deep and hidden miracles that Hashem
performed for us during this month, especially on Purim.
The month of Adar
is represented by the tribe of Naftali. Naftali, and Adar as a whole, is also connected to the quality of being an
emissary, a sheliach. Jacob’s
blessing of Naftali describes him as an ayalah
shlucha (a "sent-off" gazelle). Naftali was sent as a messenger on
various occasions. In Moses’s blessing at the end of the Torah, Naftali is
described as seva ratzon, satisfied
will. The attribute of ratzon, will,
is part of the sefirah of keter, the highest of the sefirot, which literally means crown.
Interestingly, Naftali is the only tribe described as a feminine animal, and
its link to keter appears to be connected
to the fact that the hero of this month is a woman who was sent on a mission to
obtain the crown, Queen Esther.
Like Queen Esther, the tribe of Naftali is also a
symbol of self-sacrifice and humility. Even though the tribe was known for its
speed and alacrity,[2]
its prince accepted to be the last ones to bring an offering during the
inauguration of the Tabernacle.[3]
Being a sheliach requires enormous
nullification and submission to the one that sends him or her, as well as
tremendous will power, ratzon, to see
to it that the mission gets accomplished.
The sheliach qualities
and self-nullification of Naftali also
appears to be related to the phrase, “Ve‘anochi
Tola’at ve lo Ish,” which means, “I am a worm and not a man.” Velo Ish, not a man, has the same
numerical value as Sheliach. This
phrase is taken from Psalm 22 (the same number as this week), which has in its
open verse, the term “ayelet hashachar,” the gazelle of the morning. As
mentioned above, the gazelle is connected to Naftali. Our sages teach us that “ayelet hashachar” is also a reference to
the planet Venus, the last “star” to appear in the sky before morning, and a
reference to Queen Ester, the last prophet to appear before redemption.
Similarly, Adar
is the last month of the Jewish calendar counting from Nissan. As mentioned above, the prince of Naftali was the last
tribe to bring an offering at the inauguration of the Tabernacle, wrapping up
the work done by the previous tribe, Asher, and that of the other tribes. That
is the work of the sheliach and ours
as well, to wrap up the work done by those before us, and bring Mashiach.
Adar is the only month in the Jewish calendar that is often
counted twice. Seven times every nineteen years, the Jewish calendar contains
two Adar months: Adar I and Adar II. Adar II is
represented by the tribe of Levi. As would be expected, there are strong
parallels between Levi and Naftali. Like Naftali, which was known for its speed
and alacrity, the Levites, especially the kohanim,
were known for their alacrity and care in the performance of mitzvot. Furthermore, the Levites (and
again, the kohanim in particular)
served as emissaries for the entire Jewish people when performing their service
in the Temple. As further explained in the weeks ahead, the Levites service was
characterized by tremendous self-sacrifice. There is also another interesting
link between the tribe of Levi and the sea animals we read about during this
month. The animals in the sea did not perish during the Flood. Similarly, the
tribe of Levi was never enslaved by the Egyptians.
As demonstrated by the above paragraph, Adar contains a very strong theme of
duality. The zodiac sign of Pisces is also related to duality: its symbol is
two fish facing opposite directions. Unlike other redemptions, the Purimstory has not one, but two main heroes:
Esther and Mordechai. It is also in the month of Adar that we fulfill the mitzvah
of giving the half-shekel. The half-shekel was a contribution made to the
Temple in order that sacrifices could be brought on behalf of the entire
public. The mitzvah is still done
during the month of Adar, although
for now it plays more of a symbolic role. Each person’s giving a half-shekel,
as opposed to a whole one, symbolizes the idea that no Jew is complete by him
or herself. Each of us complements the other.
The number twenty-two represents the total number of
letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Hashem
used these letters to create the Torah and the world by combining them to each
other. In this sense, each of the letters complements the other. Similarly, the
Torah begins with the letter beit,
representing the idea of duality and relationship, the relationship between Hashem and His creation.
Duality and relationship are also found in the song of
the sea monsters. At first glance it appears strange that the sea monsters
should be singing about praising Hashem
on land as well as in the depths of the sea. However, the sea monsters
understand that their song is not enough by itself. It must be complemented by
the songs in the land as well.
The duality of the month of Adar is also one the contrast between “the hidden” and “the
revealed.” The miracle of Purim was performed through “hidden” means, and
despite the hand of G-d being more than apparent in the events that led to the
Jewish redemption of this month, the actual name of G-d does not appear in the
Purim story found in the Megillah.
The name of the scroll we read, Megillat
Esther, is further evidence of this duality. Megillah comes from the verb nigleh
(revealed) and nistar (hidden). In
the song of the sea monsters, the sea depths represent that which is hidden,
while the land represents that which is revealed.
The song of the sea monsters is also reminiscent of
the blessing Jacob gave to his two grandchildren, Ephraim and Menashe (here
again, the number two appears): "You will multiply like fish in the face
of the land [not the water].” Rabbi
Yitzchak Ginsburgh explains that the gematria
of Naftali, which represents Adar, is
equal to the gematria of Ephraim and
Menashe.
This week, the lesson in Pirkei Avot comes from Rabbi Dusta’i the son of Yannai, who states
that forgetting one’s study is comparable to committing a mortal sin. One of
the main mitzvot of the month of Adar is remembering the evil done by
Amalek and the Divine commandment to destroy it. If we do not remember to
destroy evil, we put our own lives in danger.
The combination of sefirot
for this week is chesed shebenetzach,
kindness within victory. In the month of Adar,
we increase in joy. This week marks the beginning of two months of victory and
redemption - netzach - associated
with Purim and Passover. We celebrate the kindness G-d showed us by being more
joyful than usual. (This week would also represent the “eighth week,” of Shavuot and “Shivah Yemei Miluim” of the cycle of Tiferet)
The lesson in self-improvement we learn from the sea
monsters is that it is not sufficient to praise G-d just by ourselves. We must
also think of those who are distant, just as the sea monsters think of those on
land.
[1] Rabbi Lazer Brody
translates this animal as “giant sea creatures.”
[2]Rashi explains that the gazelle runs quickly, and that this is the
meaning behind Jacob’s blessing to Naftali. (Genesis 49:21, Rashi; See also the Rebbe's sicha, chassidic discourse, for the 12th Day of
Nissan, 5747, available at:
http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/sichos-in-english/35/06.htm). Rashi also explains there that the men
of Naftali dispatched towards the enemy with alacrity, zrizut. Zrizut is also
the main characteristic of the Kohanim,
of the tribe of Levi, which is also represented by the month of Adar, as further explained below.
The Leviathan is saying, "Give thanks to G-d for He is good, His kindness
endures forever." (Psalms 136:1)
Rabbi Chanina
the son of Dosa would say: One whose fear of sin takes precedence to his wisdom, his wisdom
endures. But one whose wisdom takes precedence to his fear of sin, his wisdom
does not endure.
He would also say: One whose deeds exceed his
wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom
does not endure.
He would also say: One who is pleasing to his
fellow men, is pleasing to G-d. But one who is not pleasing to his fellow men,
is not pleasing to G-d.
Gevurah shebeNetzach(discipline and judgment within the context of victory
and endurance)
We now arrive at the twenty-third week, when the
Leviathan in Perek Shirah gives
thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy is eternal. This week marks
the seventh day of Adar, the birthday
as well as the yahrzeit of Moses, Moshe Rabbeinu. Moses is from the tribe
of Levi. It is also no coincidence that the first three Hebrew letters of the
name “Leviathan” spell the word “Levi,” one of the tribes of this month.
The Leviathan is clearly a reference to Moses himself.
In general, fish represent tzadikim,
and just as the Leviathan is the biggest of all fish, Moses is the greatest of
all tzadikim.[1]
(See Week Four, regarding the eagle, the biggest of all birds)
A hidden reference to Moses being like a fish can also be found in the name of
his main disciple, Yehoshua Bin Nun. Nun means fish in Aramaic. The Torah
teaches us that a student is considered like a son.[2]
The gematria of the letter Nun is fifty, and when Moses passed away
he reached the fiftieth level of holiness. This is implied in the name of the
place of his burial, Mount Nevoh, which can also be read as "Nun Boh" ("the Nun is in it").
The last letter of the Hebrew word for Leviathan (Leviatan) is Nun. If one exchanges the Lamed
(which equals 30) and the Yud
(which equals 10) for a Mem (40), the
word Leviatan is transformed into Mavet (death) Nun. As mentioned above, Moshe
Rabbeinu reached the fiftieth level of holiness upon his death, even though
we say that Moshe Rabbeinu never
truly died.
The song of the Leviathan is well known, and repeated
many times in Psalm 118. In Hebrew, it reads, “Hodu l’Hashem Ki Tov Ki l’Olam Chasdoh.” Ki Tov, which means “for [He] is good,” is exactly the Torah’s
description for what Yocheved saw in her newborn son, Moses. She saw Ki Tov,that he was good. That is why one of Moses’ names is also Tuviah, from the word Tov. Rashi
explains that at the time of Moses’ birth, his mother saw that the house became
filled with light.[3]
Our sages explain that this is also a reference to the light that will only be
revealed in the end of creation.
The number twenty-three has the gematria of ziv, which
means light, radiance. Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh explains that ziv, as opposed to or, refers to a light that shines far away from its source. The
Leviathan is an animal that is mysterious and unknown. Its existence will only
be fully revealed in the messianic era. Our current understanding of the
Leviathan is negligible, equivalent to the brightness of a light coming from
far away, like the ziv. We know
through Psalm 104:26 and Midrashim,
that G-d created the leviathan to "play" with it, but we certainly do
not know exactly what that means. We also know that the Leviathan will be the
food served to us in the final redemption, the end of creation.
Ziv is also a biblical name given to the month of Iyar. The Torah states that it was “in
the month Ziv” that Solomon began to
build the Temple.[4]
The construction of the Second Temple also began in the month of Iyar. Furthermore, we know that it is
during Iyar that we count the omer, and that the word Sefirat Ha’Omer comes from the word sapir, saphire. During Iyar we work on ourselves to become
radiant like saphire. We make ourselves into proper vessels so that G-d can
dwell within us.
As we enter the month of Adar and experience Moses’ birthday and passing, we also begin to
work on our inner Temple. The Torah reading for this week is usually related to
the construction of the Tabernacle, and
we continue to collect the half-shekel, which historically was given towards
the Temple’s upkeep.
In order to achieve balance in the world, Hashem had to allow the female to die.
Despite this tragedy, the Leviathan still sings about G-d's kindness. The
Leviathan knows perfectly well that all that Hashem does is for the good.
The Leviathan praises Hashem for His eternal kindness, and Moses also showed great
kindness to the Jewish people, leading them out of Egypt in order to receive
the Torah at Mount Sinai. Furthermore, as the largest of all fish and the one
that has the closest relationship with G-d, the Leviathan is not content with
praising Hashem by itself. It
commands that others to do their part to praise G-d as well.
The last ma’amar
reviewed and edited by the Rebbe,Ve’Atah Tetzaveh, was delivered
during Adar, and it is about the
relationship between Moses and the rest of the Jewish people. Tetzaveh means “to command,” but also to
tie, unite – the same root as the word mitzvah.
Tetzaveh is the one weekly portion of
the Torah since the introduction of Moses, in which his name is not mentioned.
This is said to be a hidden reference to Moses’ passing, on the 7th
of Adar, since Tetzaveh is usually read around this time. The connection between Tetzaveh and Moses’ death is so strong
that when there are two Adars, Moses’
yahrzeit is commemorated on the first
Adar, because it will be then that Tetzaveh will be read. Usually, when
there are two Adars, the “main” date
is usually the one in the second Adar.
It is worth noting that the Rebbe’s stroke was on Adar I, on the 27th day of that month. Two years later,
on this exact day, 27th of Adar
I, 5754, the Rebbe suffered another stroke, which ultimately led to his passing
a few months later.
Less
than two months prior to the Rebbe’s stroke, he gave an enigmatic talk in which
he described how his late father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, was not able to
speak clearly in the last years of his life. At that time, even though it was
now more than forty years after the Previous Rebbe’s passing, the Rebbe
exclaimed that we all had to do our part, and take upon ourselves as a personal
challenge to increase Torah study and Chassidic gatherings in order to
compensate for the Previous Rebbe’s difficulty in communication, and to do so
with happiness.[5]
How unbelievable was it then that two months later the Rebbe would find himself
in the same condition.
The Pirkei Avot
teaching for this week comes from Rabbi Chanina the son of Dosa, who says that
anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will endure, but all
those whose wisdom precedes their fear of sin, their wisdom will not endure.
This teaching is perfectly related to Moses, who showed fear of Hashem since his first interaction with
Him at the burning bush.
Moreover, Rabbi Chanina also teaches that whoever is
pleasing to mankind is pleasing to G-d, and whoever is not pleasing to mankind
is not pleasing to G-d. This lesson also applies to Moses, whose acts were
pleasing to the Jewish people and to Hashem.
Rabbi Chanina, similar to Moses himself, exemplifies a
tzadik who is the foundation of the
world. The Talmud teaches that every day a heavenly voice exclaims that, “the
entire world is sustained in merit of Chanina my son, yet for Chanina my son,
one measure of carobs is enough from Friday to Friday.”[6]
In this twenty-third week, the combination of sefirot results in gevurah shebenetzach: discipline and strength within determination
and victory. As explained earlier, Moses represents the sefirah of netzach, and
his death is connected with the attribute of gevurah. From the above teaching, we see that Rabbi Chanina himself
also is very much connected to the gevurah
shebenetzach.
The lesson in self-improvement we can extract from the
Leviathan is that everything that G-d does is for good, and therefore we should
fully trust in Him.
The fish are saying: "The voice of G-d is upon the waters, the G-d of glory thunders;
G-d is upon many waters." (Psalms 29:3)
Rabbi Dosa
the son of Hurkinas would say:
Morning sleep, noontime wine, children's talk and sitting at the meeting places
of the ignorant, drive a person from the world.
Tiferet shebeNetzach(beauty and balance within the context of victory and
endurance)
In the twenty-fourth week, the fish in Perek Shirah sing that the voice of Hashem hovers above the waters - the G-d
of glory thunders - Hashem is above
many waters.(Psalm 29:3) This is
the week of Purim, when we remember that Hashem
is with us during all our trials and tribulations, even if sometimes in a
hidden way.
In Purim, we celebrate the great salvation experienced
in the times of the Persian exile, when the evil Haman, with the initial
support of the King, Achashverosh, sought to exterminate the entire Jewish
people. Through the efforts of Mordechai and Esther, the decree against the
Jewish people is miraculously annulled, and instead Haman, his sons, and the
enemies of the Jews are the ones killed.
The Zohar states that Yom Kippur (also called Yom haKippurim) is a day that is “KePurim,” like Purim, meaning that Purim
is even higher than Yom Kippur. If on Yom Kippur we are on the level of angels,
then on Purim we must be at a level that is even higher than angels, on the
level of tzadikim. As mentioned in
the previous week, fish symbolize tzadikim.
Furthermore, on Purim, in an attempt to become closer
to G-d, we drink “many waters.” We try to reach a level of ad deloyadah, of not knowing the difference between "blessed
be Mordechai" and "cursed be Haman." We have an experience that
in many ways is similar to that of the four rabbis that entered the Pardes. When describing this experience,
Rabbi Akiva stated, "When you reach the stones of pure marble, do not say:
'Water, water.'" On Purim, we realize that there are no divisions or
separations on-high, all is One, and there is no difference between the effects
of what we perceive as good and what we perceive as evil. When a person reaches
these levels, the desire to cleave to Hashem
is so strong that it is like great waves pulling us out of this world. The
voice of Hashem thunders, like at
Mount Sinai, and we want to nullify ourselves completely (ratzo). In order to survive this experience, we must do like Rabbi
Akiva, who “entered in peace and returned in peace.” We must understand that
ultimately Hashem’s desire is that we
return and make a dwelling place for him within
this world (shov).[1]
The song of the fish states that the voice of Hashem, and Hashem Himself, are above the waters. However, the fish are not
above the waters, but actually inside them. In order to perceive G-d fully, the
fish also need emissaries. The role of shlichut
(being an emissary) is very prominent in the Purim story. Not only is Esther an
emissary of Mordechai and vice-versa, but also the communications between
Mordechai and Esther were often done through shluchim. It is therefore no coincidence that on Purim we give each
other mishloach manot (from the word sheliach), preferably through a third
person.
The term "many waters" is also in the Song
of Songs, when King Solomon writes that many waters cannot extinguish the love
[for G-d].[2]
The "many waters" are a reference to the difficulties and turbulences
involved in making a living, which however great, cannot extinguish the love of
a Jew for G-d.[3]
The Hebrew word for fish is dag. Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh explains that fish represent the tikkun (rectification) of worry (da'agah), especially in relation to
earning a livelihood. The Torah relates that at the time of Nehemiah, certain
Jews desecrated the Sabbath by selling fish in the market of Jerusalem. These
men did not trust in G-d in earning a living. The fish (dag) then became a source of excessive concern (da'ag).
Fish are constantly aware of their dependence on
water, given that water is more tangible than air. Similarly, they are
constantly aware of the Source of their existence, Hashem.
The number twenty-four is related to the twenty-four
presents of the kohanim, of the tribe
of Levi. In addition, the priesthood was later divided into twenty-four
watches. The letters caf and dalet spell kad, which means jar, or pitcher. There is the famous kad found during Chanukah, which contained pure oil with the seal of the high
priest, the Kohen Gadol. This oil
lasted eight days instead of one. Even the great impurity and turbulences that
took place during the Hellenistic period did not extinguish the love of the
Jewish people for Hashem. The Jews
emerged from the struggle with the Greeks even purer than before and with
redoubled faith.
In addition to Chanukah,
the connection between Purim and the role of kohanim is also quite strong. Esther has to fast and enter the
King’s chamber in order to ask for the life of her people, very much the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. The Mishnah states that the Kohen Gadol was called a sheliach Hashem, an emissary of G-d,
although he also served like an emissary of the Jewish people. Esther also
played this role, of being at the same time an emissary of the Jewish people,
but also G-d’s emissary in order to save His people. The kohen is also referred to as malach
Hashem, a messenger, literally an “angel” of G-d.
Purim gives emphasis to two different types of
relationship and duality. Mordechai, of the tribe of Benjamin, of King Shaul,
and Haman, a descendant of Amalek, are polar opposites. Esther and Mordechai
complement each other for the good, while Haman and King Achashverosh
complemented each other for evil.
In the Pirkei Avot
saying for this week, Rabbi Dosa the son of Harkinas teaches that late sleep in
the morning, wine at midday, the chatter of children, and sitting in the
meeting places of the ignorant, all take a person out of this world.
Interestingly, these acts are all encouraged on Purim! On Purim, there are two
ways to reach a level of ad deloyada:
sleeping or drinking during the day. Moreover, the Purim story highlights the
importance of the words spoken by children studying Torah, the very source for
the redemption. Additionally, on Purim we emphasize our unity and do not
distinguish between rich and poor, be it material wealth or Torah knowledge. We
distribute mishloach manot, give
gifts to the poor, and all sit together to partake in the Purim feast. All
these actions take us out of this world of illusion (olam, world, comes from the word he'elem, hidden) and bring us to higher levels of reality and
connection to G-d.
This week, the combination of sefirot is tiferet
shebenetzach, beauty and balance within redemption, persistence and
determination. These qualities are very much linked to Esther and Mordechai and
to Purim in general. The lesson we draw from the fish is that material concerns
must not take away from our trust and faith in Hashem. Nothing should be a hindrance to our direct relationship
with Him.
The frog is saying, "Blessed is the Name of the honor of His Kingdom for all
eternity." (Talmud, Pesachim
56a)
Rabbi Elazar
of Modi'in would say: One who
profanes the kodashim ("holy things" consecrated for the
service of G-d in the Holy Temple), degrades the Festivals, humiliates his
friend in public, abrogates the covenant of our father Abraham (i.e.,
circumcision), or who interprets the Torah contrary to its true
intent---although he may possess Torah knowledge and good deeds, he has no
share in the World to Come.
Netzach shebeNetzach(victory and endurance within the context of victory
and endurance)
And we come to the twenty-fifth week, still in the
month of Adar, when the frog in Perek Shirah blesses His name and His
reign for all eternity, Baruch Shem Kevod
Malchuto L’Olam Va’ed (Talmud, Pesachim
56A). The frog also appears in the introduction to Perek Shirah, in a story of great personal self-sacrifice. The
frog's song is said every day, at least twice a day, since it is an essential
part of the prayer of theShemah. The Shemah expresses our complete acceptance of the kingship of G-d, and of His commandments, with great self-sacrifice.
It also worth noting that this week marks the yahrzeit of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk.
Rebbe Elimelech completely exemplified self-sacrifice. One of his main meditative
techniques was to imagine throwing himself into a great pillar of fire in order
to sanctify G-d’s name. The technique would ensure that any other task he would
perform during the day would be on this same level of self-sacrifice.
The story of the frog in Perek Shirah’s introduction is a great example of how to be an
emissary with true self-sacrifice. G-d’s second plague upon Egypt was that of
frogs. The frogs would jump inside the ovens of the Egyptians, giving up their
lives without hesitation. Their self-sacrifice was later a source of
inspiration for Chananya, Misha’el and Azariah, who sanctified G-d’s name by
refusing to bow down to an idol, knowing full well they would be thrown into a
burning furnace. Miraculously, they emerged from the furnace unscathed.[1]
The second plague was in response to the fact that the
Egyptian taskmasters worked the Jewish people so hard in the open sun that they
had no time to eat or drink and felt completely dehydrated. Frogs are water
creatures and their bodies absorb moisture in order to survive. The Midrash teaches that during the plague,
a large number of frogs would search out and absorb all the moisture in Egypt,
making the Egyptians feel dehydrated as well. It is well known that water is a
metaphor for Torah. It is the job of the
sheliach is to find Torah and the
holy sparks of the Diaspora in order to absorb them and elevate them, searching
even in the driest of places. The reality is that we are all emissaries.[2]
Perek Shirah explains that the frog, as an amphibian, does what no
other animal can. It voluntarily serves as food for a land animal which feed
itself only from water animals. Again, using water as a metaphor for Torah, the
frog is willing to sacrifice its own life in order to bring Torah to those animals
on dry land. The frog tells King David that because of this self-sacrifice, Hashem will make it whole, will
complement it. Here again we see the idea that each Jew complements the other,
like the half-shekel giving during this month.
Interestingly, in Perek
Shirah itself, the frog again plays the role of bringing together land and
sea. The frog comes after the fish and before the sheep and goat, literally
making the link between the water animals of the month of Adar and the land animals of the month of Nissan and beyond.
The week of the frog always falls after the week of Purim
and close to the special Torah reading of Parah
(the animal of the second week of Nissan),
which is primarily about how to purify a person from the greatest source of
impurity (contact with the dead). Interestingly, the kohen that performs the purification also sacrifices himself by
becoming impure in the process, although only temporarily. A similar
self-sacrifice is performed by Queen Esther, who makes herself impure by marrying
King Achashverosh in order to save the entire Jewish people. It is also no
coincidence that Purimand Parah have such similar roots.
This dual role, superficially negative, yet extremely
positive, is found in the verse Baruch
Shem Kevod itself. The Talmud in Pessachim
suggests that this verse is somehow embarrassing to be said out loud, and that
is why we say it quietly. Some authorities state that this verse represents a
lower form of declaring G-d’s unity. However, many other famous commentaries
teach us that this saying was actually much higher, and said by the angels
themselves. We say it quietly only because it is too lofty for this world. The
only day that we say it openly is on Yom
Kippur, when we are all on the level of angels.[3]
As mentioned previously, angels are emissaries of G-d.
There are many other sources that connect the frog to
the idea of being a sheliach with
total self-sacrifice. There’s also a famous Midrash
that teaches that in fact the plague of frogs started out as only a single giant
frog. When the Egyptians would try to strike this single frog it would multiply
into many more mini-frogs, who in turn would also split into more, like
emissaries of the giant frog.
Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk is known as a “Rebbe of
Rebbes,” because the most prominent Polish Rebbes were all his disciples, or
disciples of his disciples. They were all like emissaries, continuing his
legacy. Among these giants are the Chozeh of Lublin (who would thank G-d an
hour a day for bringing down the soul of his Rebbe), the Ohev Yisrael (the
Apter Rov), the Rimanover, the Maggid of Kozhnitz, and many others. Rebbe Tzvi
Elimelech of Dinov, the Bnei Issachar, was his nephew.
This concept of shlichut
is found again in the words that the frog says to King David in the
introduction of Perek Shirah: “Every
song I say contains three thousand parables.” A parable represents the concept
of taking an idea and bringing down, so that it is more accessible to others.
The frog has three thousand other “emissaries” linked to its song. It is worth
noting that at the time of his passing, the Lubavitcher Rebbe had roughly three
thousand emissaries, and that today there are roughly three thousand Chabad
centers worldwide.
The three thousand parables are also comparable to the
three thousand men that "fell" by the hand of the Levites, who served
as Moses’ emissaries after the incident of the golden calf:
26. So Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said: "Whoever is
for the Lord, [let him come] to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered
around him.
27. He said to them: "So said the Lord, the G-d of Israel: 'Let
every man place his sword upon his thigh and pass back and forth from one gate
to the other in the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his
friend, every man his kinsman.'
28. The sons of Levi did according to Moses' word; on that day some
three thousand men fell from among the people.
Perhaps the phrased “roughly three thousand men” is a
reference to the men of Levi, who followed the word of Moses, falling upon
those that needed to be punished.
In fulfilling Moses’ word, the Levites acted with
extreme self-sacrifice and did not consider brother and friend. This was an
extremely positive behavior at the time, but perhaps still required a sort of tikkun, correction. In contrast, the
Chabad shluchim consider everyone to be their brother and friend,
and treat them as such. Chabad shluchim also
“fall” from their pure and holy lifestyle in order to reach out to those that
need guidance.
Similarly, three thousand halachot were forgotten at the time of
the mourning for Moses. Perhaps the three thousand shluchim, who methodically study the Rebbe’s words,are a tikkun for this as well.
The term “roughly three thousand men”
also appears in the story of Samson, which he also showed extreme
self-sacrifice, to the point of giving up his life.
27. Now the house was full of men and women, and all the
lords of the Philistines were there. And upon the roof (there were) about three thousand men and women, the
spectators of Samson's sport.
(...)
30. And Samson said, "Let my soul die with the
Philistines," and he bent with (his) might, and the house fell upon the
lords, and upon all the people that were therein. And the dead that he killed
at his death were more than he had killed in his lifetime.[4]
Like the kohen that performs the purification through the red heifer, and
Queen Esther in the Purim story, Samson was willing to sacrifice himself, both
spiritually and physically, in order to bring redemption to the Jewish people.
The verses above also appear to make a slight reference to Purim. Verse 27
states that there were about three thousand men and women “upon the roof.” In
the original Hebrew, this part is written, “Al
haGag.” In Aramaic, it would be “Agag.”
Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. At the end of the
Purim story, not only are Haman and his sons killed, but also 75,000 (25 x
3,000) Amalekites.[5]
The number twenty-five is connected to the Jewish
festival of Chanukah, since this
festival, as well as the dedication of the Temple that is celebrated on this
day took place on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev.
The word “Chanukah” itself means “Chanu” (they rested) - “Kah” (twenty-five), a reference to the
twenty-fifth of Kislev. The
twenty-fifth letter in the Torah is “or,”
a reference to the light of Chanukah.
The Chashmonaim
played a dual role of both the kohanim
and the kings. Rebbe Elimelech (whose name means “G-d is my King”) also had a
strong complementary relationship with his saintly brother, the Tzadik Reb
Zusya of Anipoli.
This week in Pirkei
Avot, Rabbi Elazar of Modi’in teaches that he who profanes holy
objects/animals, degrades the festivals, publicly humiliates his neighbor,
repeals the covenant of our father Abraham (circumcision) and interprets the
Torah in a way that is opposed to its true meaning - even if they have Torah
and good deeds, they have no part in the World to Come.
During this week, just after Purim, we begin preparing
for Passover. The Shulchan Aruch, the
Code of Jewish Law, explains that one should prepare for Passover thirty days
before the festival. During these days it is customary to give money to the
poor (Maot Chitim) so that they too
can properly celebrate Passover. And see the tremendous connection with Pirkei Avot, namely:
1)“Profaning the holy" appears to be a reference to
the times of the Temple, when everyone had to bring the Passover sacrifice. The
animal and subsequently the meat of the sacrifice were sacred and had to be
treated properly.
2)"Degrading the festivals" is a more direct
reference to the importance to the festival of Passover, both in its physical
preparations (destroying the physical chametz,
yeast and other leavened breads) and spiritual preparations (eliminating the
inner spiritual chametz, our egotism
and inflated self-importance).
3) "Publicly humiliating his neighbor"
relates to the charity given in advance of the holiday, so no one should feel
ashamed of having to beg for money in order to celebrate Passover.
4) "Revoking the covenant of Abraham our father"
is related to circumcision. Passover is linked to Abraham, because it was on
Passover that angels came to visit him and Sarah, and Abraham gave them matzot to eat. Also, just before the
first Passover in Egypt, all the men of the people underwent circumcision.
Again, 40 years later, before entering Israel, Joshua made all men undergo
circumcision. During the 40 years in the desert no men were circumcised. In the
days of the Temple, those who were not circumcised they could not eat the
Passover sacrifice.
5) "Interpreting the Torah in a way that is
opposed to its true meaning" relates to the various legal rulings that are
made during Passover cleaning. Cleaning the house for Passover and preparing
for the Seder involves a lot of work.
It is therefore easy to find excuses not to have to clean so much: "After
all, by Torah law is it not enough simply to verbally nullify the chametz?" Hence the importance of
this teaching: we have to do everything possible to strictly adhere to the
letter and the spirit of the Law, each one at his or her own spiritual level.
The list of wrongdoings mentioned by Rabbi Elazar also
relates to problems that occurred during the time period of Chanukah. The Greeks defiled the sacred
objects of the Temple; they were against celebrating sacred dates, such as Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. The Hellenistic Jews had no shame and fought naked in
gymnasiums, many even reversed their circumcision. Hellenistic Jews, Saducees,
and other cults also sought to corrupt the true interpretations of the Torah,
and the Greeks tried to misrepresent the sacred nature of the Torah, and forced
it to be translated into Greek.
This week, the sefirot
combination results in netzach
shebenetzach, victory within victory. This week represents the midpoint and
link between the victory and redemption of Adar
(Purim), with the victory and redemption of Nissan
(Passover). Twenty-five is also exactly midway through the Counting of the Omer, linking the two
different modes of divine service related to the first and second halves of the
year. (See Appendix I)
The lesson we learn from the frog is that we must
serve G-d with great self-sacrifice, remembering how temporary our stay is on
this Earth, and how we are infinitely small and limited when compared to G-d.
[2] “There is not the
vaguest shadow of doubt that, wherever our feet tread, it is all in order to
cleanse and purify the world with words of Torah and tefilla (prayer).
We, all of Israel, are emissaries of G-d, each of us as Divine Providence has
decreed for us. None of us is free from this sacred task placed on our
shoulders.” Hayom Yom, 5th
of Adar I.
