Re'eh: The King is in the Field, Ready to Receive Us

by Rav David Dov Levanon, former President of the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The month of Elul is approaching, and this Shabbat we will recite the prayer for blessing, peace, sustenance, and all good things during the coming month. In fact, we recite this prayer on the Sabbath before almost every month, which is why we call these Shabbatot the Sabbaths of mevarchim, "[reciting] blessings."

This week, we read the Torah portion of Re'eh (D'varim 11,26-16,17), which begins with a critical choice that G-d places before us: "See, I place before you today blessing and curse [on Mounts Gerizim and Eval, respectively]: the blessing is that you hear [in order to fulfill] the mitzvot…] and the curse is if you do not…" (11,27-28).

The straightforward meaning is that the very hearing of G-d's word is the blessing. And in fact, this remains the theme from here on for several Torah portions. That is, physical and material blessings are promised us only in Parashat Ki Tavo (D'varim 28), while the primary blessing is in simply listening to G-d's words.

The Alter Chabad Rebbe of Liadi wrote in his work "Likutei Torah" of the greatness and loftiness of the month of Elul, during which the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy shine. He even asked: "Why are these days not celebrated as a Festival just like Yom Kippur?" He answered that the days of Elul are days in which "the King is in the field," meaning that it is possible to meet Him anywhere, even while wearing the weekday clothes used for working in the field. That is, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) dwells within Elul, even though it consists of regular weekdays.

It would seem appropriate to explain this parable of "the King is in the field" in connection to Elul and based on a parable in a Medrash cited by the Tur (Orach Chaim 581):

"A city once owed taxes to the king but did not pay him. He came to them with an army to collect it. When he approached within ten parsahs [a unit of distance], the elders came out to greet him, and said, 'We have nothing with which to pay you.' The King granted them a discount of one-third. When he came closer, the middle-level leaders came, and he discounted them another third. Finally, when the King came very close, the entire town came out to greet him, and he erased the final third of the debt. So too, Hashem our King: The townspeople commit sins throughout the year, and then before Rosh HaShanah, the elders fast, and G-d forgives them a third of their sins; during the Ten Days of Repentance, the "in-betweens" fast, and G-d forgives them another third; and on Yom Kippur, everyone fasts, and He forgives them for everything…"

In the parable, the king has left his palace - analogous to the fact that the Holy Temple has been destroyed and the Shechinah itself is in Exile. The time for this, of course, is Tisha B'Av – right after which begin the Seven Weeks of Consolation, in which the King returns to His children and commiserates with them, striving to return to His home.

With this, we see that the words of the Medrash shine with meaning: In the month of Elul, the King is in the field, walking towards His sanctuary, in anticipation that his subjects will come towards Him, He will forgive their sins, and He will renew His kingship over them for goodness and blessing. This explains why the Likutei Torah added that the greatness of the days of Elul lies in the fact that "the King is in the field" – He is in movement, hoping for reconciliation and anticipating that his people will come meet Him. These days are therefore even more exalted than when the King is in His palace, hidden and concealed from all eyes, making it difficult for us to draw close to Him.

Another concept regarding the parable of "the King is in the field" stems from a comparison between Rosh Hashanah and the first day of Nissan, six months later. Nissan is the month in which the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt occurred; hence its name "Nissan" (from Nissim, Hebrew for "miracles"). This is the month in which Israel proudly and gloriously left Egypt, a month attributed to the Jewish people, and also the "head of months," symbolizing renewal and reinvention, just like the birth of the new moon.

In contrast, Tishrei is the beginning of the natural year; summer has ended and the winter is arriving once again. This "new year" hints at the natural world, influenced by the sun, the great driving force of nature. This is why Rosh Hashanah applies to all inhabitants of the world, the day on which the year's rains and personal sustenance are decreed. As such, the commandment of the day on Rosh Hashanah is to crown G-d over the entire universe, meaning over the natural world as well.

Our Sages (Tr. Rosh HaShanah 10b) differed as to the month of the Final Redemption: R. Eliezer says it will be in Tishrei, when the world was created, for he verses feature shofar both on Rosh HaShanah and in the great shofar blast of Future Days. R. Yehoshua says it will be in Nissan, based on Sh'mot 12,42 that speaks of the Exodus night as a 'night of watching' – a reference to a night that was watched and anticipated ever since Creation.

These opinions correspond to the two paths of redemption: miraculous, via the clouds of the heavens, and natural, with the Messiah arriving on a donkey. It would seem that the miraculous Redemption is appropriate for the month of Nissan, the month of miraculous salvations, when Israel merited to be like tzaddikim. But if we do not merit this, because of our sins, we require the month of Tshuvah (repentance), and then the Redemption will be via natural means, as is appropriate for Tishrei. It appears that the type of worship and service required for this is the knowledge that "the King is in the field" – He is everywhere, including in the natural world. And this is the preparation required of us before Rosh HaShanah, the day of judgement for the world of nature.

This returns us to the verses with which we opened, which require sharp and clear seeing and hearing! This is because the Torah is referring to the blessing found in the work of our hands, by virtue of the fact that we strive to contemplate and find G-d's Providence upon us in everything we do.

Vayeira: The Binding of Isaac – 3700 Years Ago and Today

by Rav David Dov Levanon, Jerusalem Rabbinic Court, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

According to the approach that Yitzchak Avinu was 37 years old at the time of the test of his binding, this year marks exactly the 3,700^th anniversary of this historically defining event. How so very relevant it is this year!

As we read in this week's Torah portion (Vayeira) about the Binding of Isaac (Akedat Yitzchak), we poignantly note that the Nation of Israel is facing its own heroic, national Akedah test this year. Our people's greatness is being revealed in countless deeds of self-sacrifice, unceasing volunteerism, and general jumping in to save lives and offer help, to an extent that we possibly have never seen before.

We have heard this year an endless amount of stories of faith and heroism from families whose sons were killed in war for the Sanctification of G-d's Name, or who otherwise took part in the courageous fight for our existence here in the Land of Israel. We have heard from parents whose children are in cruel captivity in Gaza, yet who encourage the Nation of Israel in its present existential struggle to continue until victory, without negotiations with terrorists – and perhaps in this merit, the children will return home safely.

One story that we recall is that of the woman whose daughter was taken captive on that tragic Simchat Torah day. She brought a Torah scroll to her home, performed the mitzvah of separating and sanctifying dough, and heartfully and tearfully prayed to G-d for the sake of the girl's safe release. We all saw her on our screens, and it touched all of our hearts – especially her surprising final words of prayer: "O G-d, I love you!" What greatness of spirit to express such emotions at a time of her great pain. And then it happened: Within a few weeks, her daughter was miraculously freed.

From where do all our soldiers and mothers and fathers draw the strengths for such self-sacrifice? Let us recall the Medrashic story of Chana and her seven sons, whom she encouraged not to bow down to idols even though it meant their death. When her youngest son was about to be killed as well, she kissed him and said to him, "Go to Avraham Avinu and tell him for me, 'You bound up one son for slaughter, while I have given up seven! And you thought to do it, while I actually did it!"

Was Chana actually saying that she had surpassed the self-sacrifice of Avraham Avinu? I heard an explanation of this point in the name of the late saintly Rav Shach (1899-2001). He said that Chana meant that Avraham Avinu was the very inspiration for her deed; she learned this attribute of sacrifice for G-d from him – and that she carried out in practice what he taught her in theory! And in fact, it's impossible to explain the amazing national phenomenon of self-sacrifice, today and throughout our generations, other than by realizing that these are strengths that have been implanted in the depths of our souls, beginning with Avraham.

The Medrash concludes by saying that a Heavenly voice was heard praising Chana with the words from Psalms, "The mother of the sons is happy." What happiness could possibly apply here? It could be that Chana saw that her sons had merited a very privileged place in the World to Come – and it could also be, after hearing how bereaved parents this year have responded with such great faith, that she, and they, feel privileged to have had sons whose lives were so meaningful that, ultimately, they stood wholly for the sake of their nation. In this I heard an echo of that Heavenly voice…

 The entire story of the Akedah abounds with Avraham's fatherly love for his son, especially as evidenced by his frequent use of the word b'ni, "my son." When G-d originally told him to take and bind the son "that you love," Avraham answered, according to the Medrash, "Which one exactly? I love both of them!" Could it really be that he loved them equally, given that Yishmael actually had to be banished from Avraham's home? The answer is that his love for both his sons was infinite, and as such, there was no difference between the two loves.

How was Avraham's love for Yitzchak manifest during the Akedah? For one thing, just as Avraham answered G-d by saying, "Hineni – here I am, ready to serve You," he also answered Yitzchak with the same word: "Hineni, my son; tell me what I can do for you." That is to say, his love for G-d and for Yitzchak were the same. By agreeing to perform this painful act of the Akedah at G-d's bidding, Avraham was saying that he is not running from his love of G-d nor from his love of his son; the two are united together as one, in a profoundly deep and faith-based manner that our cold logic alone cannot grasp.

As the Medrash states: "When Avraham took the knife in hand, his eyes shed tears that fell into Yitzchak's eyes… – and even so, his heart was happy to carry out the will of his Creator." Love of his son and of G-d were united within Avraham in the source of his love for G-d Who, from His own love of Avraham, gave him his son – and there is no contradiction; crying and happiness at the same time.

May G-d help that in the merit of the sacrifices made by so many soldiers and others for the Sanctification of G-d's Name over the course of the war, and in the merit of all the volunteers who arose to help with great dedication wherever they were needed, and in the merit of our great faith in G-d – the prophecy of "In [despite] your blood, you shall live" (Yechezkel 6,16) should be fulfilled, in our generation.

And so may that of Zechariah come to pass: "With the blood of your covenant, I have freed your prisoners from a pit in which there was no water. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope… I will restore to you a double promise." (9,11-12)

Emuna: The Tu B'Av Dancers' Song

by Rav David Dov Levanon, Jerusalem Rabbinical Court, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Just six days after the saddest day of the year, Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av), comes one of its happiest days, Tu B'Av (the 15th of Av). The Mishna at the end of Tractate Taanit Teaches:

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as joyous for the Jewish people as the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur, for on these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in borrowed white clothes - so as not to embarrass those who did not have [their own white garments]… And they would go out and dance in the vineyards. And what would they say? "Young man, please lift up your eyes and choose for yourself [a wife]. Do not set your eyes toward beauty, but rather toward [a good] family, as the verse states (Proverbs 31:30): 'Grace is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears G-d shall be praised' …"  (Taanit 26b)

The Mishna notes here a unique phenomenon in the world of shidduchim (matchmaking). Generally, as the Gemara teaches (Kiddushin 2b), it is the way of a man to pursue a woman for matrimony, and not the other way around, just as one searches for his own lost item [in this case, the rib from which the woman was created]. But here, we see the women chasing after the men. It appears that the dance in the vineyards, and the entire special virtue of shidduchim on these two days, stems from the fact that these are holidays in Israel – days of forgiveness and renewed connection between us and G-d, as in the verse, "on the day of his wedding and the day of his heart's joy" (Song of Songs 3,11). Israel, G-d's bride, sinned, and then - on their own initiative - returned to G-d, the "bridegroom." This then became the model for these special days when the bride pursues the groom. 

Several questions arise, among them: Why does the Mishna cite a verse that emphasizes the importance of fearing G-d as support for the importance of family? In addition, later on in the Gemara we learn that aside from the girls who told their potential husbands to seek good family, other girls had a different message: The pretty ones said the men should look at "beauty," while the less attractive of them said, "Choose for the sake of Heaven, as long as you adorn us with gold." How are we to understand this?

Let us explain this based on the words of the 18th-century Maggid of Kuzhnitz. The "pretty" girls refer to those who are full of Torah, mitzvot, and good deeds; the ones of distinguished lineage [who promoted good family] may not have as much Torah, but they have z'chut avot, the "merit of their forefathers;" and the "homely" ones are those who see mainly their own faults, as King David said, "My sin is before me always" (Psalms 51,5). That is, they are on the level of baalei teshuvah, penitents. And this then explains their words, "as long as you adorn us with gold" – i.e., they seek Divine help and guidance in fulfilling the Torah and its mitzvot so that they can become righteous. 

The general message is that the more one believes himself to be an empty vessel that needs to be filled, the more he will be able to fill himself with spiritual abundance and feel closeness to G-d. In this context, there appear to be three levels, one atop the other: 

The "pretty ones" with good deeds, would certainly be a good choice for those looking for a worthy wife. 

Above them are those who do not count on their own good deeds but rather always ask themselves, "When will my deeds reach the level of my forefathers?" and rely on the merit of their ancestors and families. They seek Divine aid and say (Psalms 121,1), "I lift my eyes to the mountains" – harim, in Hebrew, which can allude to horim, parents. 

And finally we have the top level, that of the homely who fear that they don't even have the merit of their forefathers and therefore rely solely and totally on Hashem in heaven; as the above verse continues, "My aid comes from G-d, the Maker of heaven and earth." This is why they tell their prospective matches, "Choose for the sake of Heaven, as long as you adorn us with gold" – referring to the gold of good deeds. And because this is what they strive for, they will ultimately be beautified. Of all three types, these are the ones who can draw closest to G-d – and this is precisely why the Mishna concludes with a verse praising the "woman who fears G-d," for she is the culmination of all of them. And all the more so will this be true if those who are "beautiful in deeds" or take merit in the "deeds of their forefathers" are excited and moved by this awareness of the importance of the third level, to constantly increase their pure fear of God; if they do so, their good virtues will enable them to reach this level, and even higher! 

The Mishna also notes that the dancing maidens would wear borrowed clothing, so that those who cannot afford their own beautiful dresses would not be embarrassed. This atmosphere of "equality" wherein they do not show off their clothing – that is, their good deeds or special lineage – is the result of the special virtue that the Mishna attributes to the "homely" girls, who are so modest that they do not recognize their own virtues. This is the secret of their machol, circular dance, which has no beginning and no end; rather, everyone is equal.  

In sum: When we have nothing to show off, we can fill ourselves with fear of G-d – which will then raise up all of our other virtues to their highest level.

V'Zot HaBracha: The Link Between the First and Last Verses of the Torah

by Rav David Dov Levanon, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Just as in the Kabbalah, the highest and lowest levels are connected, the Medrash teaches the same regarding the first and last verses of the Torah. We know that the Torah begins with, "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth," and ends with, "[G-d's] mighty hand and great sights that Moshe wrought [miraculously] before the eyes of all Israel." When we seek the connection between them, it is clear: The end of the Torah teaches that the entire purpose of Creation is that the Torah should be brought down to earth and be revealed in This World in a way that Israel can see.

G-d, as well, so to speak, descended from His Throne above to create the world, as the Medrash teaches, "He desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds."

And Moshe Rabbeinu, the "man of G-d" (Deut. 33,1), who attained the summit of prophecy, also bridged between the Heavenly and the earthly: "No other prophet arose in Israel like Moshe, whom G-d knew face to face" (verse 10). On the one hand, he was exalted like an angel, but his entire desire was to enter the Land – and although this was not granted, he merited on the day of his death to partially fulfill this desire when G-d showed him the entire Land (Deut. 34,1). 

The Talmudic Sages ask: "Why did Moshe so long to enter the Land of Israel? Did he simply want to enjoy its fruits? Not at all; he knew that many Torah commandments apply only in the land, and so he wanted to enter the Land to fulfill them…" And still: not that Moshe wanted reward for his deeds, other than the fact that "the reward for a mitzvah is another mitzvah (Pirkei Avot 4,2);" he simply wanted to fulfill his life task, namely, to bring the Torah down to This World, to the Land of Israel where the mitzvot are fulfilled in actuality.

The Gemara says that Moshe was rewarded for his selfless dedication to Israel, literally giving his life for them. That is, he was not rewarded for his great Torah knowledge and study, nor for his prophecy – but rather measure for measure: He understood that his purpose was to give himself on behalf of Israel, and therefore he merited to bring down the Torah to the point where he saw its completion in Eretz Yisrael. 

On a slightly deeper level, we can derive this concept from Rashi's last words in his commentary to the Torah: "Moshe's heart raised him to break the Tablets before the eyes of Israel… and G-d agreed with him and endorsed this action." But – what was so "heart raising" about breaking the Tablets? The answer is that it was done for Israel's sake, and this shows his great love – a raised heart – for Israel!

Back to the first verse of the Torah: "In the beginning" – can literally mean "for the beginning," and this has several meanings: The 'beginning' (reishit) can be Torah, and it can be Israel. The Medrash (Kohelet Rabba 1,4) explains which of these beginnings come first: "The Torah was created for the sake of Israel, and will therefore exist forever – and Israel which was created for its sake, all the more so!"

This concept of Israel's greatness that we learn from the end of the Torah can also be learned from the very holiday that we will be celebrating at the end of this week: Shmini Atzeret, the day on which we end the public weekly readings of the Torah. Rabbeinu Bachye explains that both Shavuot (the day of the Giving of the Torah) and Shmini Atzeret (the day on which we conclude its reading) are called Atzeret, which stems from the root meaning "to stop." As follows:

On Shmini Atzeret, immediately after Sukkot, the Divine Presence "stops" especially for Israel; on the previous days of Sukkot, G-d received offerings for all the nations, while Shmini Atzeret is a festival just for Israel. And on Shavuot, Israel "stopped" [in the middle of several months of no holidays] to receive the Torah and study it and accept G-d's kingship and decrees. 

Thus, on the Atzeret of the receiving of the Torah, we accepted G-d upon us as our King, and on Shimini Atzeret, G-d made us into kings. 

Another Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni, D'varim 833) says that on Shavuot, we received the mitzvah of Kriat Shma in which we accepted G-d upon us – while on Shmini Atzeret, G-d made us the king among all the nations, as above, and in accordance with the verse, "Who is like Your nation Israel, one nation in the land" (Chronicles I 17,21).

This verse is not only praise for Israel, but even for G-d Himself, as written in the following difficult Talmudic passage: 

What is written in the tefillin of the Master of the Universe? "Who is like Your nation Israel, one nation in the land." Can it be that G-d is praised from Israel's praise? Yes, as written (Deut. 26,17-18): "You have raised up G-d… And G-d has similarly raised you up…"  

The upshot is that we must accept upon ourselves the yoke of Torah, and learn from the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He, Who descended from a high place to a low place to dwell below. We too must strive to live our lives striving to do good for others, thinking how we can contribute to the community, how we can be loyal emissaries to rectify the world for G-d's Kingdom – and then we will merit that G-d will grant us strength and the ability to succeed, and He will grant kingdom to Israel: "Who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land."

Yom Kippur: The Special Nature of the Ne'ilah Hour

by Rav David Dov Levanon, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The solemnity of the Day of Atonement, which begins this year on Sunday night and ends Monday night, is axiomatic. It reaches its climax as the sun begins to set, which is the hour at which our Heavenly Judgement is sealed – and also the hour when our atonement is activated. As we say in the Ne'ilah prayer following Mincha: "Open the gate for us at the time of the locking of the gate, for the day is passing."

Why did our Sages institute this extra prayer, Ne'ilah, on Yom Kippur? The Jerusalem Talmud offers two proofs for the importance of adding prayers on Yom Kippur: 

R. Levi said: "[When you sin], even if you prolong your prayers I shall not hear" (Yeshayahu 1,15) – this tells us that [otherwise] one who increases his prayers will be answered. R. Ḥiyya said in the name of R. Yochanan, and R. Shimon bar Ḥalaphta said in the name of R Meir: "When she [Chana] prayed very long [and was answered]" (Shmuel I 1,12) – indicating that everyone who extends his prayers will be answered.

This does not necessarily mean that Chana prayed more in quantity, for we can assume that she prayed every year. Therefore we ask: Why was her prayer heard that particular year and not beforehand? The answer is that her prayer this year was stronger than before, because of two things that happened then: Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Why do you cry and why are you not eating and why is your heart so sad? Am I not good to you more than ten sons?" (ibid. verse 8) In addition, the High Priest at the time, Eli, actually thought she was drunk and reproved her for it. Chana then realized that she truly had no one to lean on other than our Father in Heaven, and thus her prayer was more powerful than before – and was accepted.  

Sometimes a short but powerful prayer can be that which achieves the best results. This was the case when Moshe Rabbeinu prayed effectively for his sister Miriam in only five short words: "G-d, please, heal her, please" (Bamidbar 12,13). 

And in our case, we are talking about a particularly receptive time for our prayers – the end of the Day of Atonement!

"For this, let every pious man pray to You at the time that You are found" (Tehillim 32,6). The Ibn Ezra explains that this is similar to that which is written in Yeshayahu 55,6: "Seek G-d when He is found… and you will find" – i.e., when you find Him, or when the worshiper finds his heart empty of distracting thoughts; then is when he should pray. Can there be a better time for that than during the Ne'ilah prayer? It is for this "time of finding" of the Ne'ilah hour that the pious man waits the entire year. 

I saw it written that HaRav HaNazir (Rabbi Dovid Cohen of Jerusalem, d. 1982) said about his teacher and rabbi, HaRav Kook, that he would longingly await Yom Kippur all year round. It is the wish of the pious man to wait for and anticipate the ultimate meeting with G-d that takes place on Yom Kippur and its climax, the Ne'ilah hour.

Throughout the Ne'ilah prayer, we keep the Holy Ark open – another indication of this climactic hour and encounter with G-d. We then conclude the prayer with the stirring repetition, seven times, of the words, "Hashem hu Elokim" – The Lord is G-d!" This symbolizes our connection with the different aspects of G-d and His essence, in an unparalleled time of purity, and precisely matched for acceptance of our prayers.

The importance of taking advantage of the right time for prayer is shown in this passage from the Jerusalem Talmud: "Whoever does not mention [the blessing of] Redemption adjacent to the Sh'moneh Esrei prayer is like one who is beloved to the king and who knocks on the king's door – but when the king comes out to greet him, he finds that the person has already left!"

Similarly, when one does a good deed, he must take advantage of the occasion and fulfill it as completely as possible. Even though Aharon HaCohen was Moshe's younger brother and might have been expected to be jealous of him, the Torah tells us (Sh'mot 4,14)that he was truly and sincerely "glad in his heart" to greet Moshe. On this point, the Medrash teaches that if Aharon had known that the Torah would speak so highly of him, he would have gone even further in greeting his brother with drums and cymbals. The Medrash makes the same point about others in the Torah who were praised for their actions. It's not that Aharon and the others would have sought to increase their honor, but rather that, by being made aware of what they were doing, they would have striven and succeeded in attaining the highest level of the mitzvah act. 

The next step is to preserve this feeling and certainly not to lose it. I saw a commentary by the Rupshitzer Rebbe who explained the meaning of the word ne'ilah, which is from the root meaning "lock." He said the time of the Ne'ilah prayer is when we should lock in the sensations of holiness within our hearts, just as one locks up a chest or closet so that the precious items within will not be lost or stolen.

To this end, we must start doing mitzvot immediately after Yom Kippur ends, by starting to build our Sukkah and preparing in other ways for the Sukkot holiday. In this way we pile up our feelings of holiness in the actual mitzvah items – the chafatzim of mitzvah. The Ramban explains the verse "Do not arouse the love until it is desired" (Shir HaShirim 2,7) as follows: "Desired" is from the same root as chafatzim, thus that the verse can mean: "… until you put the love into the item of mitzvah."