Just this past week I was driving to 2:30 Mincha at Tov Pizza, and there was a car in front of me with a sticker that caught my eyes. It read: DO YOU FOLLOW JESUS THIS CLOSELY?
I then went inside to daven to Hashem.
And it occurred to me that we are so lucky. Ashreinu! Christianity is a religion, made up by man. It's true, it has 2.5 billion followers. But that's all it is: followers. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and all the rest of them, are the same story. A man-made religion with many followers.
They are sort of like a massive social media account that has tons of followers and subscribers.
A follower might be connected. A follower might stay up to date on the latest video, or whatever content was posted. Followers in a religious framework are the same way. They might have an interest in the "content," in the Bible. In morals. In faith. In spirituality. But at the end of the day, no matter how avid a follower, they are merely that, a follower. A follower, by definition, trails behind. Lives passively. Reacting to what's presented before it.
Yiddishkeit is completely different. It's not a man-made religion. It's not an invention. It's not an idea that someone had that took the world by storm.
Yiddishkeit is deveykus. It's oneness. It's connection with Hashem. It's not composed of followers (granted, we must surely FOLLOW the Torah and adhere to the Torah/mitzvos) and subscribers. Rather, it's composed of PARTNERS. A follower, as I mentioned, trails along behind. Lives passively and reactively to what's presented before it. A partner doesn't trail behind G-d in some distant relationship. Rather, Shivisi Hashem L'negdi Tamid. Hashem is in front of Me. We are working together.
The Baal HaTurim on the first pasuk of the Torah says that our relationship with Hashem is meant to be a partnership:
בפסוק של בראשית יש שבעה תיבות ...ולכן תקנו יהא שמיה רבא מברך לעלם ולעלמי עלמיא שיש בו שבע תיבות ואומרים אותו שבע פעמים ביום, ויש בפסוק בראשית כ"ח אותיות וכן ב'יהא שמיה רבא' וכן בפסוק וידבר אלקים את כל הדברים האלה לאמר יש בו שבע תיבות וכ"ה אותיות, זהו שאמרו ז"ל כל העונה אמן יהא שמיה רבא בכל כחו נעשה שותף להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית וכאילו קבל תורה בהר סיני
"The verse 'In the beginning...' (Bereishis) contains seven words. Therefore, the Sages instituted the phrase 'Yehei Shemei Rabba Mevorach Le'alam U'le'almei Almaya' ('May His Great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity'), which also contains seven words, and it is recited seven times each day.
Furthermore, the verse of Bereishis contains twenty-eight letters, and so does the phrase Yehei Shemei Rabba. Likewise, the verse 'And God spoke all these words, saying' contains seven words and twenty-eight letters.
This is the meaning of what our Sages taught: 'Whoever answers Amen, Yehei Shemei Rabba with all his strength becomes a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the act of Creation, and it is as though he accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai.'"
Our job is not to be G-d's followers. Following connotes a level of distance. We are PARTNERS in creation.
When we emulate G-d, we are not simply "following Him," we are partnering with Him. We are further moving along the purpose of Creation and sustaining the world. Hashem didn't need to create this world, but He did. Why? For us to become partners with Him. In establishing His Kingship over the world. Bereishis/Creation contains 7 words, 28 letters. So does the pasuk Vayedaber, which introduces the 10 Commandments by Har Sinai. So does Yehei Shmei Rabbah. We pronounce the greatness of G-d's Name. We are מקדש שם שמים. The Kadish is a frame around this one line: Yehei Shmei Rabbah.
That one line is the highest state of kedusha coming into the world, from the entire order of the seder of Tefilah. Shulchan Aruch teaches that when you say this line, we must say it with all the power of our mental focus.
"May His Great Name be blessed for ever" — that Great Name should enter into our world. When we say this with intention, we are bringing this Infinite Light into our world.
We don’t just say it once and ze hu. We say it every single day, multiple times throughout davening. There is a never-ending process of bringing more and more light into our world. The further along in Galus, the darker it gets, and the more opportunity to further along the light.
All of this teaches us an important lesson about Kedusha, the notion of holiness. Holiness is something we are always striving towards. This is the message of the pasuk קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם – You shall be Holy, for I am Holy, Hashem Your G-d.
Hashem is Kadosh. He is the essence of Holy. He can't change. He doesn't become more holy. He is קדוש. Hence קדוש אני. However, we are in the realm of קדשים תהיו - you shall be holy. We are meant to bring more kedusha into this world. To reveal the G-dliness everywhere. This is our role as G-d’s partner.
Rav Hirsch explains that the Mitzva of of Kedoshim Tehiyu is a command to strive for the highest degree of human moral perfection, and rightfully, it should be addressed expressly to each individual. Every person - regardless of status or gender, age or lot - is summoned to attain the highest moral level. There is no one individual to whom this call is specially addressed. We must all be Kedoshim, holy.
Maybe, then, it's not a coincidence that this phrase קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם also consists of exactly 7 words, 28 letters. We are not followers, but PARTNERS with Hashem in Creation. We are the bearers of the Torah. We have a calling to strive towards more and more Kedusha. To spread more and more light. To become greater and greater.
And this is exactly where Korach went wrong. Rav Hirsch explains that the mistake of Korach was that he viewed all of Klal Yisroel as Kedoshim, as ALREADY having attained Kedusha, when in truth we are meant to be קדשים תהיו, in the pursuit of becoming Kadosh.
That's a major difference.
Korach viewed his Divine service as limited. There's an end-game. You can reach the top.
In truth, that is further from the truth. Like creation (in realm of המחדש בכל יום), we are meant to partner with G-d to create anew each day. Like Matan Torah, we stood by the foot of the Mt. Davka the foot. We are not at the top. We are at the bottom, striving towards the top.
We don't say "Yehei Shmei Rabba" once and move on. We say it at least 7 times every single day. There's always more to do. More light to shine. More holiness to attain.
The first Rashi in Korach is absolutely stunning: פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ יָפֶה נִדְרֶשֶׁת בְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא - this passage is beautifully expounded in the Midrash Rabbi Tanchuma.
Why does Rashi do this? It's not so typical of Rashi to just say "go look there." Unless, perhaps, Rashi is actually teaching us where Korach went wrong and what the correct approach should be. Korach saw himself as a Kadosh, already holy. He saw everyone else in that realm as well. No room for growth and improvement. I already made it.
Rashi says "this parshas is beautifully expounded in the Midrash." Rashi, the writer of the greatest commentary on Chumash. Rashi, the man whose commentary is the most studied commentary. He said, "look over there." The Midrash has something beautiful that I don't have. He has something to offer that I can't. Korach viewed everyone as "the same." We are all holy. No room for leadership. No room for Kohen, Levi and Yisroel. No room for a Navi.
Rashi, however, teaches us that a yid is meant to be able to see YAFEH in others. See their value. See that they have something to add that you can't.
There's room for others. And guess what? There's more room for myself, to better express myself. To become holier. To shine more light.
Finding the Yafeh in others reminds us to find the aspects of Yafeh in our own selves. To see ourselves, not as Kadosh Ani but as Kedoshim Tiheyu, striving towards more and more levels of holiness. Korach, though, we are told: לא ראה יפה. He didn't see the Yafeh. He saw the status quo. That's it. We are ALL already holy. That mindset is dangerous.
Maybe, then it's also not a coincidence that this Rashi is composed of 7 words, 28 letters. The same as Bereishis. Same as Matan Torah. Same as Yehei Shemei Rabbah. Same as Kedoshim Tehiyu.
The beracha we give a Chosson/Kallah is that the zivug should be עולה יפה. Yafeh connotes Aliyah. More. The commentaries on Yaft Elokim L'yefes say that YEFES (which is related to YAFEH) means to be ירחיב, to expand/increase/widen.
A relationship is meant to increase, to expand. To become more elevated. Not, chas v'shalom, to stay the same.
Korach was like a KERACH, ice. Water expands and moves, Ice, however, on a molecular level, is cold, rigid, unmoving. And, of course, ice is slippery. This feeling of "I made it" is the greatest KERACH, a slippery slope that leads to a great fall. Hence, the fall of Korach! He felt we are already Kadosh, instead of focusing on Kedoshim Tehiyu - striving towards kedusha.
We are never capped out in our avodas Hashem.
We are meant to become more, to expand ourselves, expand our light. See others as yafeh and see ourselves as capable of more.
Have a holy Shabbos!
Just this past week I was driving to 2:30 Mincha at Tov Pizza, and there was a car in front of me with a sticker that caught my eyes. It read: DO YOU FOLLOW JESUS THIS CLOSELY?
I then went inside to daven to Hashem.
And it occurred to me that we are so lucky. Ashreinu! Christianity is a religion, made up by man. It's true, it has 2.5 billion followers. But that's all it is: followers. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and all the rest of them, are the same story. A man-made religion with many followers.
They are sort of like a massive social media account that has tons of followers and subscribers.
A follower might be connected. A follower might stay up to date on the latest video, or whatever content was posted. Followers in a religious framework are the same way. They might have an interest in the "content," in the Bible. In morals. In faith. In spirituality. But at the end of the day, no matter how avid a follower, they are merely that, a follower. A follower, by definition, trails behind. Lives passively. Reacting to what's presented before it.
Yiddishkeit is completely different. It's not a man-made religion. It's not an invention. It's not an idea that someone had that took the world by storm.
Yiddishkeit is deveykus. It's oneness. It's connection with Hashem. It's not composed of followers (granted, we must surely FOLLOW the Torah and adhere to the Torah/mitzvos) and subscribers. Rather, it's composed of PARTNERS. A follower, as I mentioned, trails along behind. Lives passively and reactively to what's presented before it. A partner doesn't trail behind G-d in some distant relationship. Rather, Shivisi Hashem L'negdi Tamid. Hashem is in front of Me. We are working together.
The Baal HaTurim on the first pasuk of the Torah says that our relationship with Hashem is meant to be a partnership:
בפסוק של בראשית יש שבעה תיבות ...ולכן תקנו יהא שמיה רבא מברך לעלם ולעלמי עלמיא שיש בו שבע תיבות ואומרים אותו שבע פעמים ביום, ויש בפסוק בראשית כ"ח אותיות וכן ב'יהא שמיה רבא' וכן בפסוק וידבר אלקים את כל הדברים האלה לאמר יש בו שבע תיבות וכ"ה אותיות, זהו שאמרו ז"ל כל העונה אמן יהא שמיה רבא בכל כחו נעשה שותף להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית וכאילו קבל תורה בהר סיני
"The verse 'In the beginning...' (Bereishis) contains seven words. Therefore, the Sages instituted the phrase 'Yehei Shemei Rabba Mevorach Le'alam U'le'almei Almaya' ('May His Great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity'), which also contains seven words, and it is recited seven times each day.
Furthermore, the verse of Bereishis contains twenty-eight letters, and so does the phrase Yehei Shemei Rabba. Likewise, the verse 'And God spoke all these words, saying' contains seven words and twenty-eight letters.
This is the meaning of what our Sages taught: 'Whoever answers Amen, Yehei Shemei Rabba with all his strength becomes a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the act of Creation, and it is as though he accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai.'"
Our job is not to be G-d's followers. Following connotes a level of distance. We are PARTNERS in creation.
When we emulate G-d, we are not simply "following Him," we are partnering with Him. We are further moving along the purpose of Creation and sustaining the world. Hashem didn't need to create this world, but He did. Why? For us to become partners with Him. In establishing His Kingship over the world. Bereishis/Creation contains 7 words, 28 letters. So does the pasuk Vayedaber, which introduces the 10 Commandments by Har Sinai. So does Yehei Shmei Rabbah. We pronounce the greatness of G-d's Name. We are מקדש שם שמים. The Kadish is a frame around this one line: Yehei Shmei Rabbah.
That one line is the highest state of kedusha coming into the world, from the entire order of the seder of Tefilah. Shulchan Aruch teaches that when you say this line, we must say it with all the power of our mental focus.
"May His Great Name be blessed for ever" — that Great Name should enter into our world. When we say this with intention, we are bringing this Infinite Light into our world.
We don’t just say it once and ze hu. We say it every single day, multiple times throughout davening. There is a never-ending process of bringing more and more light into our world. The further along in Galus, the darker it gets, and the more opportunity to further along the light.
All of this teaches us an important lesson about Kedusha, the notion of holiness. Holiness is something we are always striving towards. This is the message of the pasuk קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם – You shall be Holy, for I am Holy, Hashem Your G-d.
Hashem is Kadosh. He is the essence of Holy. He can't change. He doesn't become more holy. He is קדוש. Hence קדוש אני. However, we are in the realm of קדשים תהיו - you shall be holy. We are meant to bring more kedusha into this world. To reveal the G-dliness everywhere. This is our role as G-d’s partner.
Rav Hirsch explains that the Mitzva of of Kedoshim Tehiyu is a command to strive for the highest degree of human moral perfection, and rightfully, it should be addressed expressly to each individual. Every person - regardless of status or gender, age or lot - is summoned to attain the highest moral level. There is no one individual to whom this call is specially addressed. We must all be Kedoshim, holy.
Maybe, then, it's not a coincidence that this phrase קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם also consists of exactly 7 words, 28 letters. We are not followers, but PARTNERS with Hashem in Creation. We are the bearers of the Torah. We have a calling to strive towards more and more Kedusha. To spread more and more light. To become greater and greater.
And this is exactly where Korach went wrong. Rav Hirsch explains that the mistake of Korach was that he viewed all of Klal Yisroel as Kedoshim, as ALREADY having attained Kedusha, when in truth we are meant to be קדשים תהיו, in the pursuit of becoming Kadosh.
That's a major difference.
Korach viewed his Divine service as limited. There's an end-game. You can reach the top.
In truth, that is further from the truth. Like creation (in realm of המחדש בכל יום), we are meant to partner with G-d to create anew each day. Like Matan Torah, we stood by the foot of the Mt. Davka the foot. We are not at the top. We are at the bottom, striving towards the top.
We don't say "Yehei Shmei Rabba" once and move on. We say it at least 7 times every single day. There's always more to do. More light to shine. More holiness to attain.
The first Rashi in Korach is absolutely stunning: פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ יָפֶה נִדְרֶשֶׁת בְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא - this passage is beautifully expounded in the Midrash Rabbi Tanchuma.
Why does Rashi do this? It's not so typical of Rashi to just say "go look there." Unless, perhaps, Rashi is actually teaching us where Korach went wrong and what the correct approach should be. Korach saw himself as a Kadosh, already holy. He saw everyone else in that realm as well. No room for growth and improvement. I already made it.
Rashi says "this parshas is beautifully expounded in the Midrash." Rashi, the writer of the greatest commentary on Chumash. Rashi, the man whose commentary is the most studied commentary. He said, "look over there." The Midrash has something beautiful that I don't have. He has something to offer that I can't. Korach viewed everyone as "the same." We are all holy. No room for leadership. No room for Kohen, Levi and Yisroel. No room for a Navi.
Rashi, however, teaches us that a yid is meant to be able to see YAFEH in others. See their value. See that they have something to add that you can't.
There's room for others. And guess what? There's more room for myself, to better express myself. To become holier. To shine more light.
Finding the Yafeh in others reminds us to find the aspects of Yafeh in our own selves. To see ourselves, not as Kadosh Ani but as Kedoshim Tiheyu, striving towards more and more levels of holiness. Korach, though, we are told: לא ראה יפה. He didn't see the Yafeh. He saw the status quo. That's it. We are ALL already holy. That mindset is dangerous.
Maybe, then it's also not a coincidence that this Rashi is composed of 7 words, 28 letters. The same as Bereishis. Same as Matan Torah. Same as Yehei Shemei Rabbah. Same as Kedoshim Tehiyu.
The beracha we give a Chosson/Kallah is that the zivug should be עולה יפה. Yafeh connotes Aliyah. More. The commentaries on Yaft Elokim L'yefes say that YEFES (which is related to YAFEH) means to be ירחיב, to expand/increase/widen.
A relationship is meant to increase, to expand. To become more elevated. Not, chas v'shalom, to stay the same.
Korach was like a KERACH, ice. Water expands and moves, Ice, however, on a molecular level, is cold, rigid, unmoving. And, of course, ice is slippery. This feeling of "I made it" is the greatest KERACH, a slippery slope that leads to a great fall. Hence, the fall of Korach! He felt we are already Kadosh, instead of focusing on Kedoshim Tehiyu - striving towards kedusha.
We are never capped out in our avodas Hashem.
We are meant to become more, to expand ourselves, expand our light. See others as yafeh and see ourselves as capable of more.
Have a holy Shabbos!
