24 Shevat 5781
[19:6]
פרשת יתרו ה׳תשפ׳׳א
Issue No: 480
זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו
ל־בּנֵי י ְִשׂ ָראֵ ל ְ ֶאֵ לֶּ ה הַ ְדּבָ ִרים אֲ ֶשׁר ְתּ ַדבֵּ ר א
These are the words that you shall speak to Bnei Yisroel This phrase comes at the end of Hashem’s instructions to Moshe on the ‘sales pitch’ that he should pose to Bnei Yisroel so that they should accept the Torah. On this phrase, Rashi comments, drawing on the Mechilta, that Hashem was instructing Moshe to repeat His phraseology word for word and that Moshe should neither add to nor detract from it. The Maharal agrees, stating that Hashem did not wish Moshe to add anything personal to that which He Himself already said. In sefer Ta’ama Dikro, Rav Chaim Kanievsky points out that in other places where Hashem instructed Moshe to transmit something to Bnei Yisroel, Moshe was at liberty to add his own thoughts to the matter. Why then was this occasion different? Rav Chaim answers that on this occasion the subject matter at hand was the geirus (conversion) of Bnei Yisroel. The people needed to make an informed decision as to whether they wanted to become the am hanivchar (the chosen people). The halacha is that when a person comes to be megayer (converted), they must make this choice of their own volition. The Jewish nation does not proselytise. We do not go out of our way to persuade prospective converts, nor do we seek to scare them off with all the consequences of not being a good Jew. Achieving this balance requires treading a very delicate line between these two parameters. As a result, Hashem told Moshe exactly how to put the case for acceptance of the Torah. He them warned Moshe that adding even one word in his enthusiasm, whether towards encouraging acceptance or towards warning of the consequences, would upset the delicate equilibrium fashioned by Hashem and could undermine the geirus process at this critical juncture in our history. [19:6]
וְאַ ֶּתם ִּת ְהיּו ִּלי מַ ְמלֶּ כֶּת כֹּהֲ נִּים
And you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests The word li – for Me, when uttered by Hashem, is often interpreted to mean ‘for the same of My name’, equating to the restoration of Hashem’s name to completeness. Thus, expounds the sefer Toras Shimon, the intention of the instruction in our possuk is that the Bnei Yisroel should elevate the name of Hashem, but with the precondition that they establish a kingdom of priests. This requires them to submit themselves, and to encourage all others likewise, to the authority of the righteous tzaddikim, who qualify as kohanim/priests insofar as they are the genuine ovdei (servants of) Hashem. We can deduce from the power given to tzaddikim to nullify heavenly decrees, as the Gemoro describes in Maseches Mo’ed Koton [16b], that these gedolim equally have the ability to rectify any deficiency in the way in which Hashem’s name manifests itself in the world. The Toras Shimon compares our possuk with another which begins with the same word, ve’atem. This second possuk, which appears in Parshas Vo’eschanan [4:4] is the well-known ve’atem hadeveikim b’Hashem Elokeichem chayim kulechem hayom – for … page 2
Chazal inform us that ‘kol hascholos koshos’ – all beginnings are difficult. This is not intended to discourage one from acting. Rather, it is intended to assuage one’s worry as to whether the effort is worthwhile. Where Shem Shomayim and raising one’s madreigo (spiritual level) are concerned, the effort is always worthwhile.
גוט שבת/ שבת שלום ms
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