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‫מסעי‬-‫פרשת מטות‬ To submit a Dvar Torah please contact Rabbi Alan Wilkinson

Thoughts for Parshas Mattos-Masei 5780

By Rabbi Alan Wilkinson The Mishna teaches that when Av begins we diminish our joy, yet at the same time, we recite Hallel, a joyous prayer, on Rosh Chodesh Av. The first half of the month is enveloped in tragedy but there is a sudden explosion of joy on the fifteenth of the month as the Mishna says ‘There were no greater festivals for the Jewish nation than the fifteenth of Av and Yom Kippur’. The very name of the month is peculiar: ‘Av’ – a father. Normally a father is associated with mercy (as we note when we say Avinu Malkeinu) but the month itself is associated with tragedy and destruction. To add to the puzzle Tisha B’Av always falls on the same day of the week as the first day of Pesach.

Pesach is the festival of freedom and redemption but Tisha B’Av commemorates bondage and destruction. What is this all about?

Rosh Chodesh Av conjures up a mixture of conflicting moods but Rosh Chodesh is Rosh Chodesh. It is a joyous and hopeful commemoration of the Beit HaMikdash, not only its destruction. Notwithstanding the mournful nature of the first third of Av, we must keep in mind that after the 10th of the month, the consolation and promise for a brighter future takes over. Is it contradictory to say Hallel on the day that ushers in a sad period? No. Being Jewish often means being able to see the bright side of sad times, and not forget the sad note at happy times.

The Bnei Yissaschar links all the months to shevatim, the tribes. Av corresponds to the month of Av, which corresponds to hearing. This is another puzzle. In Av the meraglim, the spies, returned with their negative report on the land. As the people would not listen to Yehoshua and Calev, Hashem designated the 9th of Av as a national day of mourning not only for the sin of the spies but for those that caused the destruction of both Batei Mikdash.

Maybe Av should correspond to a refusal to hear.

To attempt a short answer to all these issues and understand more about Av, we should look at the tribe of Shimon.

The tribe of Shimon was the only one not blessed by either Yaakov Avinu or Moshe. Yaakov because of the incident in Shechem. Moshe because of the incident with Zimri and the behaviour of the tribe in Shittim. The Midrash Shocher Tov says that this behaviour cost the tribe the priviledge of having a shofet (judge) from their tribe and, indeed, not a single judge came from Shimon.

Moshe did, however, allude to Shimon in his blessing to Yehuda: “Hearken (Shema), O Hashem, to Yehudah’s voice”.

This has a connection to Shimon because when he was born Leah said: “Because Hashem heard (shema) that I am unloved”.

There are other fascinating incidents involving Shevet Shimon. The Zohar examines many of these and concludes that all of Shimon’s deeds flowed from the attribute of strict justice. The spiritual force synonymous with din, justice, is Gevurah (strength). Gevurah can be beneficial but a fiery temperament is can cause people to act impulsively and make mistakes. Strength and strict justice can be a dangerous combination. Chazal explain that at the time of creation Hashem had intended to guide the world with strict justice. He knew, however, that the world could not survive on that basis and so justice had to be tempered with mercy, rachamim. This explains why no judge could come from Shimon as the individual would judge through pure din which had not been softened by Rachamim.

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[Type here] To illustrate this idea R’Tzaddok HaKohen adds a fascinating comment. Rav Shimon bar Yochai, who, according to tradition, descended from Shimon, and whose soul emanated from Shimon, did not become as well-known as he could have been in the revealed Talmud. Most of his wisdom is concealed in Kabbalah, the Holy Zohar, the hidden mystical part of the Torah. If you consider his life story as related in the gemora it seems that Shimon bar Yochai possessed the very same sense of harsh justice as his ancestor Shimon: a vengefulness for Hashem’s glory that was not tempered by mercy. Hashem did not approve of this sort of behaviour. The gemora relates that a Heavenly voice called out: “Have you emerged [from your cave] to destroy My world? Return to your cave!”

Rav Shimon and his son emerged once again a year later and began to judge others favourably. Only then were they permitted to rejoin the Jewish people. This is another example to demonstrate that this world cannot survive under the constant scrutiny of harsh, pure justice. The world can only remain viable if mercy, rachamim, tempers justice, din.

I mentioned earlier that the tribe of Shimon was not blessed directly by Moshe but indirectly through Yehuda. The two tribes had an ongoing connection. Shimon did not have a contiguous territory in Eretz Yisrael. Its towns and fields were scattered throughout Yehudah’s section: “Their [Shimon’s] heritage was situated in the midst of the heritage of the children of Yehudah” [Yehoshua 19:1]. When Yehudah went into battle to conquer its land, it invited Shimon to join them. Comrades together.

Rav Tzaddok Hakohen writes that the mission of Shimon is to uphold the separation between Klal Yisroel and the nations of the world. Yehudah also works to maintain that separation so there is an obvious link between the tribes.

He Gemora says that any Jew who denies the validity of idols is called a Yehudi, and all Jews are called "Yehudim.”

In the case of Shimon, though, this separation is even more pronounced, as it will be in the future. At the end of his life Moshe prophesied, "Hashem will guide them alone; no other power will be with them” (Devarim 32:12).

This is also why Shimon took the lead in avenging Dinah's abduction. The absolute separation, however, will not be revealed in this world, until the coming of Mashiach.

It is clear from R' Tzaddok that Shimon could not have an independent identity because his ideal of total separation could not be attained in this world, and therefore the tribe of Shimon had to live among the people of Yehudah.

Shimon's method of serving Hashem through din is too harsh for this world, and therefore must be tempered by mercy. Yehudah complemented Shimon, and Shimon was able to succeed only through this bond.

It might now be a little clearer that as Shimon’s trait is strict justice his month should be Av, the month in which we were punished time and again because we were judged through Divine justice. The relationship between Yehudah and Shimon, between Pesach and Tishah b'Av, and between the months of Nissan and Av may also be apparent. As Bnei Yissaschar writes: “Based on the order of the tribal formations in the Wilderness, Yehudah corresponds to Nissan and Shimon to Av. Nissan was designated as a month of redemption and freedom; a month in which we can take hold of the Land that Hashem promised us. The month of Av, on the other hand, was designated for exile and servitude, [until Hashem takes mercy on His nation and the month of Av will become a month of joy and happiness].

Hashem wanted us to find consolation even when he allowed the Beis HaMikdash to be destroyed, so when we began to conquer Eretz Yisrael, He said, Yehudah should go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand (Shoftim 1:2). [Hashem said, “I have delivered" (in past tense), because when we left Egypt during Nissan, which is Yehudah's month, it became the month designated for Klal Yisrael to conquer Eretz Yisrael.]

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[Type here] Yehudah immediately told Shimon, “Go up with me for my portion” For although Shimon's month, Av, would centuries later become the month of exile, Yehudah promised, “Then I, too, will go with you for your portion” , promising Shimon through Ruach Hakodesh (Divine Spirit) that his month, like Yehudah's, would eventually become a month of glory and redemption. “ The bond between Yehudah and Shimon, therefore, represents a broader link between redemption and exile, a bond that links Nissan, a month of Divine Mercy, to Av, which has always been a month of Divine justice.

Bnei Yissaschar continues: “We can now understand why in our calendar system, the first night of Pesach always corresponds to the night of Tishah b'Av, and why there is a custom to eat an egg at the Seder, a food associated with mourners. “ The fact that Tishah b’Av falls on the same day of the week as the first night of Pesach alludes to the ultimate redemption that will flow from the redemption from Egypt. That ultimate redemption alludes to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash that occurred through Din, but will eventually be rectified through Divine Mercy.

One of the questions posed earlier was how can Bnei Yissaschar say that the month of Av symbolizes the sense of hearing? Av was the month when Israel failed to listen to Hashem, and instead allowed itself to be misled by the spies. Nonetheless, ultimately Av does correspond to the sense of hearing, because when Hashem redeems us in the ultimate redemption, it will become clear that, though it was not previously apparent, He constantly listened to our cries, as Rav Tzaddok writes: “The source of the holiness of Shimon’s soul is at the root of the Heavenly sense of hearing. Although [Leah thought that she] was hated [and named Shimon for that reason], the truth was that Hashem did hear her.

The hatred that she sensed was no more than the outward appearance, as it was perceived in This world.

The truth is, however, as the prophet says, Hashem loves Israel: ‘I loved you, says Hashem.’ (Malachi 1:2). …

Just as Shimon’s holy nature is hidden, his blessing is hidden; it is there in potential, but not revealed; it is concealed within Yehudah’s blessing, [for Yehudah’s power is revealed through the majesty of his kingship].

The hidden salvation will be revealed through the strength of Hashem’s love for Klal Yisrael and will become apparent with the coming of Mashiach. Despite the times when appearances seem to indicate that Hashem hates us, the truth is that love of Klal Yisrael is hidden deep in His heart.”

Shimon represents the roots of the ultimate redemption, which already exist even though we cannot discern them.

Like Shimon's blessing, these roots are hidden for the time being.

There are still some unanswered questions. Maybe the holiday of the fifteenth of Av, which Chazal considered one of the greatest festivals in the Jewish year, is celebrated during Av to allude to the great redemption that will take place during this month. The sad days of the first half of the month are no contradiction to the great joy of the second half: on the contrary, happiness will blossom from the sadness.

Possibly the only remaining question relates to the actual name of the month. Yes, we have suffered pain in this month, pain and suffering that does not seem to have a link with a merciful Father. We need to know, however, that even during these sad days of Av, our Father in Heaven, our Av, is preparing the way for the ultimate redemption, waiting to lead us out of exile once and for all.

Good shabbos