Unity, Tests, and Prayers
by Rav Zalman Melamed, yeshiva.org.il
I. The United Menorah
Construction of the Menorah
(candelabrum) in the Tabernacle was a very difficult task, according to the
Medrash (Bamidbar Rabba 15,4). The Medrash derives from the words and
letters of the verses in the Book of Sh'mot that building the Menorah was so
hard that Hashem told Moshe to simply throw the gold into the fire and it would
emerge as a Menorah, in precisely the form that Hashem wanted.
What exactly was so hard about
forming the Menorah? Certainly this was not simply a technical difficulty for
Moshe; our Sages were clearly referring to something more profound.
We read in Sh'mot 25,31 that it
was G-d's command that the Menorah be hammered out of a single piece of gold.
That is, each of the flowers and cups and other adornments, not to mention the
branches, were not to be formed and attached separately. They were instead to
be sculpted out of one bloc of gold. While a regular lamp has the function of
providing light, the Menorah in the Mishkan was of deeper significance: It
represents Wisdom, and its seven lamps symbolize the seven types of Wisdom in
the world (see Abarbanel to Bamidbar 8,1-4).
There are many different shades
of the light of Wisdom, and many different outlooks (hashkafot) and
philosophies – but they all stem from the same source; they are of one bloc.
The problem is, however, that every
individual light generally sees only its own existence, and not the need for
other lights. Every person thinks that his way and his outlook is the most
correct one, and that the others are false, unnecessary, and possibly even
destructive to the world. The most difficult work is the work of uniting the
lights – fashioning the healthy hashkafah that sees in each light its destiny,
and sees the dot of truth that exists in each of the lights of wisdom. This is
the all-inclusive hashkafah that recognizes that the lights not only do not
contradict or extinguish each other , but rather contribute all together –
since they all come from one source – to the construction of the world.
Moshe faced the same difficulty
of "uniting the parts" when it came to building the Mishkan
altogether, the Medrash tells us. But he succeeded: "He
made… he fastened… and the Mishkan was one" (Sh'mot
36,13). The ability to unite all the different hues that appear in the
reality of our world is the special strength of Israel. We recite in the
Shabbat Mincha prayer: "You are One, Your Name is One, and who is like
Your nation Israel, one nation in the land." This is the strength of
those who speak of the unity of G-d, and who say twice a day, "Shma
Yisrael, Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One" – thus recognizing
the fact that all of reality, despite all its different details and various
manifestations of lights of Wisdom, is actually the revelation of one united
world that emanates from one single root.
This was the path of HaRav Kook
zt"l, who sought to reveal the unity inherent in the relationships between
sacred and mundane, between the Torah's revealed and esoteric aspects, and between
Halakhah and Aggadah (Jewish Law and philosophy/ mussar).[1]
This is not a unity formed by blurring the differences that exist between the
different areas, but rather a unity of joining and merging, forming one total
and harmonious totality.
Many different views exist not
only amid the general public in Israel, but also within the national-religious
public. We have different opinions on questions such as: How should we act for
the benefit of the nation? How do we have an influence on those who are removed
from Torah? What is the proper approach to Torah study and how much time should
be allocated to matters of faith, Jewish Law, Bible, etc. Every person who follows
a certain path believes that his path is the most correct and profound. Though
this is of course legitimate, we must always remember that there are other ways
as well, and that they too have light - and "through all of them G-d will
be exalted" (Sotah 40a).
When we take this approach, we
will realize that even if we encounter a view that appears to be downright
wrong, it still has some points of light. We will then understand that we
cannot disqualify the entire approach; even if there is more darkness than
light, its points of light must be acknowledged! A person must develop the ability to analyze,
and to reach a stage at which he knows that whenever he encounters a view that
is different than his, he manages to find its point of light and to learn from
it, and thus enrich himself. There is nothing wrong with being influenced by
other paths and opinions. There is no reason to fear that by listening to and
being willing to accept aspects of other opinions, he might be influenced by
them totally. Rav Kook teaches this idea in several places in his writings.[2]
It is true that this approach is
a difficult one. It is hard to analyze, hard to differentiate between light and
darkness, and hard to acknowledge the light that exists in another path. It is
much easier to avoid question marks and to walk on a single, smooth path, closed
off from outside influences. But the fact that this path is difficult does not
mean it should be detoured; it is hard, but also has greatness – and it is also
correct. This is the path of the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, the special attribute
of the Menorah, which was made out of one bloc.
II. Hashem Tests the Tzaddik
On the topic of choosing the
Levites to perform the Divine Service in the Mishkan, our Sages discuss the
topic of "tests" that Hashem gives the righteous.
In Psalms we read, "G-d
tries the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and he who loves violence" (Tehillim
11,5); G-d tests the righteous man and does not raise him to power until he checks and examines him, and if he
passes the test, He raises him to power. (Bamidbar Rabba 15,12)
The tests can be specific, local
difficulties that the person faces in his lifetime, or they can be national
difficulties that test the entire nation.
The Medrash continues and notes
that Avraham Avinu was faced with ten different tests, that he passed them all,
and that Hashem thereupon blessed him. When a person takes a particular path
and meets up with difficulties, his natural thought is that perhaps Hashem is
signaling him that he is going the wrong way. When Avraham took the path of
fighting idol worship, he was promptly thrown into a furnace. He might easily
have thought that endangering himself and fighting the whole world is not the
right thing to do. And even when it happened again and again throughout his
life, even as he fulfilled G-d's direct commands, Avraham did not give in to
the hardships. He was forced to leave the Land – a total withdrawal from the
path on which he walked, the path of faith in Hashem – yet he did not give in
to despair, and he did not begin to think that maybe he should slow down a bit.
And he certainly did not make such despair into an ideology and to say [as the
Sages taught] that Israel's Redemption will come slowly and the like.
Rather, our Patriarch Avraham was
a man who believed absolutely in G-d. He did not lose, even for a moment, his
faith in Hashem and in the justness of his way – and as a result, he merited to
ascend higher and higher.
The Medrash continues:
Yitzchak, too, was tested and
passed… And Yaakov… And Yosef… and the entire Tribe of Levi. When the
Israelites in Egypt scorned Torah and Brit Milah, the Levites were righteous
and fulfilled the Torah… They did not take part in the Sin of the Golden Calf…
and when Moshe told them to slay those who did take part, they did so… And when
Hashem saw that all the Levites were righteous, He tested them, and they passed
the test… G-d immediately said, "The Levites will be for Me," to
fulfill that which is written, "Hashem tries the righteous."
This Medrash repeats itself in
several places,[3] justifiably so – for we
encounter various tests and impediments during the course of a year, and it is
incumbent upon us to recognize the value of these tests and to know how to
relate to them. The Gaon of Vilna wrote in his work Kol HaTor that we
must not be deterred by obstacles and delays in the Redemption process, for
they are a natural part of its progression.
Our task at this time, as those
who have merited to live in the generation of the Beginning of the Flowering of
our Redemption, is to conclude the rectification of the Sin of the Scouts,
about which we will read next week in Parashat Shlach.
The scouts, most unfortunately,
did not have the strength – and so they perceived themselves – to withstand a
powerful nation, "sons of giants." Nowadays as well, many feel that
the Nation of Israel is not strong enough to withstand the pressures of a great
superpower. Today, too, there are those who fear pressures from American,
Europe, or others. But just as we were instructed in days of yore, so too
today: "Do not fear!" (Bamidbar
14,9)
Of course, some say that our situation
is different than the one faced by the scouts sent by Moshe and who should have
trusted in the clear Divine promise that they would inherit the land and be
successful in all their battles. Some feel that taking this path today against
the nations without a clear Divine guarantee is actually a rebellion against
G-d! But the answer to this is that G-d does not have to renew His promises
again and again. Hashem commanded us to inherit Eretz Yisrael, and this Divine
charge stands forever.
In order to rectify the Sin of
the Scouts, the situation must be very similar to the one that they faced. It
is clear that the Scouts thought they were doing the right and responsible
thing. Israel was weak, inexperienced in war, and seemingly faced the wrath of
a powerful army against them. The Scouts most certainly felt that not only were
they not rebelling against G-d by convincing the nation not to inherit the
Land, but were even acting l'shem shamayim, for G-d's sake and in His
best interests! It would be irresponsible, they felt sure, to lead the people
into a hopeless escapade that was liable to bring upon them destruction.
Yet this was a test, one that
demanded tremendous faith, trust, and the recognition that when Hashem is with
us, all difficulties fall to the wayside.
Our Sages teach us that we need
not see tests as something negative. When a person is considered to be a
"tzaddik," the test is simply a challenge for him, something from
which – and only from which – he can attain greater heights than he had
previously attained.
III. Moshe's Prayer
The Gemara teaches of an incident
that occurred in the Beit Medrash of R. Eliezer:
A student once led the prayers before
R. Eliezer, and he lengthened the prayers too much. The students said, “Our
teacher, look how much he prolongs the prayers.” He answered them, “Is he
longer than Moshe Rabbeinu, who spent 40 days and 40 nights praying in the
Heavens?”
Another time, another student
led the prayers there, and he was very brief.
He students said, “Our teacher, look how concise he makes the prayers.”
He answered them, “Is he more brief than Moshe Rabbeinu, who prayed for his
sister Miriam with only five short words: א-ל נא רפא נא
לה, 'Please G-d, please heal her.' (B'rachot 34a)
One who prays concisely is not like Moshe. Neither does one who prays
long, pray like Moshe Rabbeinu. For Moshe prayed both shortly and at great
length: When he prayed for the nation of Israel, such as when he would ask G-d
to forgive them, he was very lengthy. But for his own individual needs, he was
quite brief. When one knows how to pray at length, his prayers are heard no
matter how few words he uses.
Of course, there is no point in lengthening one's prayers without a
particular reason. To do so, one must feel a genuine inner need. In our days,
there is on the one hand a great need to pray at length for Israel's salvation.
But on the other hand, we have very much for which to thank Hashem regarding
all the kindness he has done for us: the past decades of ingathering of our
exiles, of national liberation from the yoke of the nations, the liberation of
the Land of Israel, and more. For all this it would seem that there is room to occasionally
add extra words of thanks in our prayers; when we say blessings such as "He
ingathers the dispersed of His nation Israel," and "Sound a great
shofar for our freedom and… ingather our exiles" and "He builds
Jerusalem," we are not dealing with dreams; we are speaking of a living
reality, even if it is not yet totally complete.
[1] See Orot HaKodesh I, p. 63-79; Orot HaKodesh II, p.
21-38; and Orot HaTorah 4.
[2] See
for instance Ikvei HaTzon, Maamar HaDor, and Orot Hakodesh III p. 324, 326-7,
328, 333.
[3] B'reshit Rabba 32,3; 34,2; 55,2; Shir HaShirim
Rabba 2,2; Tanchuma Sh'mot 10,10; and more.
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