Parshas Chayei Sarah - Chomer and Tzurah Supplement
On the first side we spoke, B’ezras Hashem, about a Moiradik’e Shmuess from Moreinu Rav Elya Svei Zatza”l which is titled הכנעת החומר. On this side, B’ezras Hashem we would like to talk about the concept of Chomer and Tzurah, which is mentioned many times in different Seforim, mainly the Mahara”l. What is Chomer and what is Tzurah? A plain piece of wood is Chomer - simply matter, and when you make a plan or design and put it together and make it into a chair, it will have a Tzurah. A piece of metal is Chomer and when you stamp it, it will turn into a coin and have a Tzurah. The Seforim say that Klal Yisroel has a Tzurah because we have the Torah, while the Goyim are considered Chomer - they are lacking any form and design. If we understood the Shmuess from Rav Elya on the first side, it would seem that Eliezer עבד אברהם had a lot of Chomer, but he was lacking Tzurah. It seems as if even his Torah was still considered Chomer because it was lacking Tzurah.
The Possuk says in Parshas Breishis, וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל הָאָרֶץ. Rash”i says that the word וירדו has two opposite meanings, רידוי and ירידה. If man will be Zoche, then רודה, he will rule over the animals and the rest of the world, and if not, Chas V’shalom, then he will be יורד, and they will rule over him. The Mahara”l asks that it is interesting that this should be the whole purpose of man? And the Mahara”l explains that indeed if a man is Zoche and he lives his life properly with a Tzurah, then he will have full control over the חומריות of the בריאה. If not, Chas V’shalom, then the חומריות will control him. The תכלית of a person is to perfect his Tzurah according to the Torah, and to make his חומריות subservient to the Tzurah.
There is a Moiradik’e Shmuess from Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin Shlit”a, (Der Zaydeh of the Kallah) which speaks all about Chomer and Tzurah. Based on the Mahara”l in a few places, Rav Yitzchok said that Golus comes because of the lack of Tzurah. When there is too much חומריות and the Chomer takes control, then Klal Yisroel needs to go into Golus, Rachmana Litzlan. The only way to be Zoche to the Geula is by minimizing the Chomer and making the Tzurah dominate and rule.
The Seforim say that Chomer does not bring satisfaction or Simcha, only Tzurah does. Parshas Chayei Sarah is the Parsha of Shidduchim. The Seforim say that in every Shidduch the man is the Tzurah and the woman is the Chomer, whatever this means. However, based on the Yesod that Simcha comes from Tzurah, we can understand why the entire Mitzva of שַׂמַּח אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ is a law on the man. The man who has Tzurah has the tools to bring true Simcha to the Bayis.
One of my strongest childhood memories from Yeshiva Spring Valley is the concept of Tzurah and Tzuras Yisroel. The principals, Rabbi Dov Greenbaum and Rabbi Yisroel Flam Zecher Tzaddikim Livracha would always be Makpid on the Tzurah of the Yeshiva and every talmid. (Philadelphia Yeshiva had this too, but now we are talking about YSV.) The building had to be neat without any wrappers or garbage ever on the floor. They were busy with our haircuts and how we dressed. We lined up in straight lines and we sat straight in class. It was not strict or harsh, it was respectable - it was Tzuradik.
The Gemara in Moed Kotton (on Daf ט׳) tells a very interesting story, and we will just share one line of it. Two talmidim came to learn Parshas Nedarim by Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai. When they were leaving, Rebbi Shimon told his son to go get a Bracha from them because they have a Tzurah - בְּנֵי אָדָם הַלָּלוּ אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁל צוּרָה הֵם, זִיל גַּבַּיְהוּ דִּילְבָרְכוּךְ. According to the Yesod of the Mahara”l, it is very Geshmak. Someone who has a Tzurah has the power to give Brachos because he has control over himself, so Hashem gives him powers to control the world.
I personally do not know much about politics or current events. However, there are times when even the most ignorant person knows that something is going on. After this weeks elections in America, there is a feeling that something historical is taking place. We know that everything that Hashem does is Letova, but we must hope and pray that it will turn out to be a Bracha. In a nutshell, the nuts are coming out of their shells; the democrats are taking over a very great part of the country. In general, the democratic party is known for their left wing Hashkafos and policies, which are usually against Hashem, the Torah and Klal Yisroel, Rachmana Litzlan. Choshuv’e people have been heard using the term גְּזֵרָה הַסְתָּרַת הַפָּנִים regarding this election. And what does this have to do with our Chomer and Tzurah discussion? The answer is very much. Even the people who know nothing, know that the symbol of the Democratic party is a donkey - the Chamor himself. The donkey is the Shpitz חומריות possible - the עַם הַדּוֹמֶה לַחֲמוֹר. If the Chamor is taking lead, perhaps, or surely, this a lesson that our חומריות has perhaps gotten a little out of hand, and we need to take control over it - control ourselves. As Rav Elya said, we need to work on ענוה, which comes from focusing on the Ratzon Hashem and not on ourselves. This is the way to have control over the חמור and all חומריות.
