|
Parshat Chukat
7th of Taamuz 5767
June 23, 2007
Daf Yomi: Yevamos 51
Guest Rabbi:
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis
Sons of Israel, Belmar, NJ
Throughout the ages, many misguided individuals have sought
to improve upon the inherent values of the Torah through change,
rather than strictly complying to and emulating these values. To
illustrate this folly, the renown Torah luminary - Rav Elchanan
Wasserman, z"l - offered the following anecdote.
Among the nobles in a great empire was one young man, who was
exceedingly beloved by the king. Desiring to raise the station of
this young noble, the king ordered that the lad be diligently
instructed in the protocols of a royal emissary. The young man, a
most avid and quick student, soon completed his studies, and was
brought before his monarch to receive his first royal mission -
traveling to a neighboring kingdom with very important documents.
"Do you fully understand your mission?" queried the king of his
royal charge.
"Perfectly, sire," replied the young noble.
"Now then," continued the king, "before you undertake your journey,
there is a matter of great importance I must discuss with you. The
nobles of the kingdom to which you journey, are men who take great
pleasure in gambling. They will wager on anything at any time.
Under no circumstances are you to entire into a wager with these
nobles while you are there. Do you understand?"
The young noble answered in the affirmative, and began making his
way to leave the king's presence. However, the king called the lad
back.
"Do you understand that you are not to gamble with the nobles of
this kingdom?" asked the king once again.
Another affirmative response was issued by the young nobleman, who
now exited the king's chamber.
In short, the young emissary acquitted himself most favorably in the
neighboring kingdom, performing his mission in full compliance with
royal protocol and propriety. Soon, he found himself in the company
of the notorious noblemen of whom he was warned.
"It seems to me," said one of the gamblers to the young emissary,
"that you, sir, are a hunchback."
The young man laughed at this inane remark, and responded, "Sir, you
must be confusing me with someone else."
"No, No!" chimed in the other noblemen. "He is correct. We think
you to be a hunchback as well!"
"But, that is untrue," responded the young man, now very irritated.
"Well then," replied the gamblers. "We are prepared to wager 1,000
pieces of gold that you are in fact a hunchback!"
Now the young emissary thought to himself that this was a wager he
could not lose. Yet, he remembered his king's order not to gamble
with these men under any circumstances. On the other hand, if he
undertook the wager - a wager he must surely win - his king would be
overjoyed at adding 1,000 gold pieces to the royal coffers. Round
and round these thoughts went in the mind of the emissary. In the
end, his youthful exuberance overcame him, and he took the bet.
In front of all the assembled noblemen, the young man stripped off
his clothing, revealing a perfectly configured and healthy body.
The assembled noblemen thereupon stated, "It appears we were
mistaken after all." A purse of 1,000 gold pieces was handed to the
young emissary, who was now exhilarated by the prospect of bringing
his king the 1,000 gold pieces.
After returning home, the young emissary told the king of his
successful mission.
"All was accomplished in accordance with the proper royal dictates
and formality," proudly announced the young man. "And, I have
brought back a much unexpected bounty for my king." The 1,000 gold
piece purse was handed to the monarch.
"How did you come by this money?" inquired the king?
The tale of the wager with the noblemen was narrated.
"Then, you are a fool!" lashed out the king with great indignation.
"Did I not order you against gambling with these noblemen? By not
following my directive, you have cost me 99,000 gold pieces!"
Perplexed, the young nobleman responded, "Sire, I do not
understand. I thought you would be pleased."
"You did not think at all!" accused the king. "A year ago these
notorious noblemen made a wager of 100,000 gold pieces with me that
they could persuade one of my noblemen to strip himself naked in
public!"
In this manner, related Rav Elchanan, all who attempt to improve on
the dictates of our holy Torah, and to alter its directives through
their own flawed logic, end up doing more damage than they could
ever have imagined. In the commentary of the Toldot Yitzchok on
Parshat Chukat, we see a further development of the dangers of the
flawed reasoning.
The Torah goes out of its way to describe the mitzvah of the Para
Aduma (red heifer) as a chok - a statute which seems not to have any
basis in logic. Yet, our chachamim seem to supply us with some form
of reasoning for this mitzvah. In the Bamidbar Raba (parsha 19;
siman 8) we are informed that the Para Aduma is, in fact, atonement
for the Egel HaZahav (The Golden Calf). The analogy is to the son
of a maid who has trashed the palace of a high official. Without
doubt, the official will order the one responsible for the son - the
maid - to clean up the untidiness made by her son. In a similar
manner, the Holy One Blessed Be He orders that the mother of the
calf - the heifer - come, and clean up the clutter made by her
child. This selection of Midrash is as well brought down by Rashi
in Parshat Chukat, and by the Tosfot in Moed Katan (28a).
The Toldot Yitzchak posed two questions on this Midrash. 1) What is
the relationship that Chazal had in mind, when they compared the
Egel HaZahav and the Para Aduma? 2) If the Torah stresses that Para
Aduma is a chok, a mitzvah where logic has no basis, how then are
Chazal permitted to supply us with any form of reasoning through
their analogy of the maid's son? In the words of Rashi in Chukat we
see, ". . . The work chok was written here - it is a decree issued
from Me - you have no permission to consider its meaning!"
The Toldot Yitzchak addresses the second question first. For one to
try and discover the actual reasoning for a chok such as Para Aduma,
is certainly forbidden. However, to try and understand why the
Torah intentionally obfuscates any reasoning in such a chok - that
is permissible. This then, is the intention of the above Midrash.
It is well known that Israel's intention in creating an Egel HaZahav
was not for the purpose of idolatry (Kuzari: first Ma'amar, Eshed
HaNechalim; Midrash Ki Tisa), but rather to find an earthly
intermediary to replace Moshe Rabbeinu, whom they believed was dead,
due to what they perceived as his delayed descent from Mount Sinai.
To elaborate on this a bit further, the Egyptians had a practice of
creating the form of one of the heavenly constellations, whereby
through this image, they would receive heavenly advice on how to
conduct their lives. In the case of the Egel HaZahav, the prominent
constellation of the season was Taurus. In essence then, Israel was
reticent at this juncture to trust HaShem through pure Emuna (faith)
in Moshe, as they once did. Instead, they would seek advice in a
more logical and reasonable manner, as did the Egyptians. In short,
they decided to improve on the directives of HaShem through change.
Now, our first question of the relationship that Chazal had in mind
when they compared the Egel HaZahav and the Para Aduma, is
resolved. That is, since the logical alternative to pure Emuna was
the transgression of Israel in the creation of the Egel HaZahav,
HaShem sought to correct this flawed logic through the mitzvah of
the Para Aduma - a chok, where reason and logic have no basis. And,
where it is the obligation of every Jew to trust fully in the
dictates of HaShem without question - without the need to logically
improve these dictates through change.
There is a Gemara in Ta'anit (23b) which beautifully illustrates the
importance of pure Emuna as opposed to logic. Two talmidim once
came before Rav Yitzchak Ben Elyashiv, with the request that he 'daven'
(pray) for them to become great scholars. Rav Yizchak informed the
two that at an earlier stage in his life, any request he made of
HaShem was granted, through his tefila. However, later in his life
he had purposely discharged that ability (Rashi), whereby HaShem did
not always hearken to his supplications.
Why would Rav Yitzchak have done this? The Toldot Yitzchak answers
that it is a higher level to trust in the benevolence of HaShem,
from pure Emuna, rather than through a human medium - the results of
which may be guaranteed. And, so it is for us. While logic and
reason are the hallmarks of the human species, even to the point of
comprehending the intricacies of Torah, they are virtually useless
when it comes to second guessing the mysteries and wonderful ways of
HaKadosh Baruch Hu. While we may not logically comprehend at all
how HaShem runs His world, we must, nevertheless, trust in His
administration and the obligations He puts upon us without the
reservations of reason and change. May we be merited through the
accomplishment of pure Emuna, to see the complete redemption,
speedily in our times.
NCYI's Weekly Divrei Torah Bulletin is
sponsored by
the Henry, Bertha and Edward Rothman Foundation -
Rochester, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Circleville, Ohio
|
