* * * * * THE WEEKLY SIDRA- VAW’AI’RAW Rabbi Moshe Greebel      “He is not a big scholar, and not a small fool!” Yiddish proverb Something about the above cracker barrel sample of Yiddish philosophy embraces the time honored folly of mankind known as ‘the worst of both worlds.’  Among Jews, for whatever sociological reasoning, this theme of ‘the disadvantages of both sides’ even plays its role in Yiddish folk music, where for example, we hear of the baking of a certain housewife’s Hamantaschen: “Half raw, half scorched.” And, as would by now be expected, this system of dual drawbacks is a theme found in this week’s Sidra.  After the Pharaoh ordered that the B’nai Yisroel gather their own straw for the production of brick, Moshe assured them that they would soon be redeemed from their slavery.  The reaction of the B’nai Yisroel to this, however, was not very encouraging: “And Moshe spoke so to the B’nai Yisroel; but they listened not to Moshe because of their shortness of spirit, and because of hard labor.” (Sh’mos 6:9) Concerning this ‘shortness of spirit,’ Rashi learned:  “Each one of a narrow spirit and a shortness of N’shama (soul), unable to enlarge his N’shama…..” The reluctance, it would seem, to strive for that higher spiritual level of the accomplishment of Torah study and Mitzvos, is the result of that shortness of spirit, something from which the B’nai Yisroel of that time suffered, due to the terrible and numerous agonies of slavery.      Nevertheless, the inability of the B’nai Yisroel to listen to Moshe, as per the Passuk (verse), was due to two separate factors: 1. Their shortness of spirit 2. The hard labor Yet, is it not obvious that the shortness of spirit of the B’nai Yisroel, was due to their hard labor?  If so, what is the Torah actually telling us here?  The answer to this query is found in the text Noam Elimelech by the great Admur (Chassidic master) Rav Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717-1787), of blessed memory, who commented in the following manner, regarding human psychology. There are those individuals, who, because of their endless spirit, reach almost to the point of compulsive behavior, when it comes to the accomplishment of Torah study and Mitzvos.  Such individuals are fully aware that the strive to a higher spiritual level always requires more and endless work.  Yet, they also fully know that perfection can never be attained, even though they toil endlessly. On the other side, continued Rav Elimelech, there are those who have a shortness of spirit, a lesser passion for Torah study and Mitzvos, where whatever little they may accomplish, is sufficient in their eyes.  There is an importance of Torah and Mitzvos among such individuals, even though they do not normally endeavor to a higher spiritual level. Additionally, stated Rav Elimelech, there are those, who in the course of the accomplishment of Torah study and Mitzvos, take upon themselves extreme mortification and other hardships, fasting often.  In truth, they are of the opinion that only by abasing the flesh, may one attain a higher level of spirituality, without having to strive to a higher spiritual level, as our first category does.  This was specifically the nature of the B’nai Yisroel at this time in our Sidra, instructed Rav Elimelech. Now then, expounded Rav Elimelech, when Moshe approached the B’nai Yisroel in this week’s Sidra, they were incapable of listening to him, not only because of the shortness of their spirit to attain a higher spiritual level at that time, but, also because they presumptuously assumed that since they were the ones whose flesh was abased and mortified by the back breaking toil of slavery, they, and not Moshe, should have been the redeemers.  After all, they erroneously reasoned, Moshe never suffered the mortification of slavery.  Why then, should he be the redeemer sent by HaShem? And, this is why the Torah gives us both reasons for this inability to listen- a shortness of spirit, and their false assumptions about hard labor, which regrettably resulted in them having made the worst possible choices of both worlds. In essence, the Torah does wish us to mortify the flesh on a daily basis, as would other faiths.  The reality is, that the Torah demands very little of us, as is stated in the Gemarah 106b of Sanhedrin: “For, HaKadosh Baruch Hu wants (only) the heart, as is stated (Shmuel I 15:7), ‘…..For man sees through the eyes, and HaShem sees through the hearts.’” The Torah HaK’dosha is transmitted to us largely, in the form of a manual for existence.  The Mishna in Avos 4-2 instructed: “…..For, (the accomplishment of) a Mitzvah, draws another Mitzvah in its train, and, (the performing of) an Aveira (sin), draws another Aveira in its train…..” So too, do bad choices in life, draw other bad choices in their train, making this prospect of existence all the more difficult.  It becomes a chain reaction, which can at times, reach a critical mass.  And so, the Torah portrays to us the errors and other misjudgments of those who preceded us, who made the worst possible choices of both worlds, so that we may avoid such pitfalls and snares in our own lives. May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendence- speedily, and in our times.  Good Shabbos.