In Parshas Chayei Sara, the Torah describes the marriage of Yitzchok and Rivka. While Avraham’s servant Eliezer was bringing Rivka to meet Yitzchok, Yitzchok went out to the field to talk to Hashem (in prayer) in the evening, before sunset. The Gemara (Brachos 26b) teaches that this verse indicates that Yitzchok established the custom to pray in the afternoon (what we call Mincha).
Another interpretation of the fact that Yitzchok went out to the field to “talk” is that he went to say words of Torah.
In this maamar, the Alter Rebbe will explain, on a mystical level, the significance of the fact that Yitzchok went out specifically to the “field” to pray (or to learn), and did not do so in a house within the city. The maamar also explains the lesson that we can derive from the fact that he went out “before sunset.”
In order to explain this, the Alter Rebbe will explain the idea of “a field,” in contrast to the concept of “a house in the city” as a metaphor for two different types of Torah study, known as “Mishna” and “Beraisa:”
Part 1
“And Yitzchok went out to talk in the field before sunset, and he lifted up his eyes and he saw that there were camels coming [and Eliezer and Rivka were on those camels].” (Bereishis 24:63)
To explain this, we need to first explain the difference between a “Mishna” and a “Beraisa:”
The Beraisa is the explanation of the Mishna, since the Mishna is a general teaching that could be understood in different ways and could be applied in many ways, and the Beraisa is a detail explaining the reasoning or application of the Mishna, and there is a rule that, “the information of a general teaching comprises no more than the sum of all its details.”
It would seem, superficially, that the Beraisa is lower than the Mishna, since it comes down lower to explain specific details, as opposed to a more general teaching.
However, the truth is just the opposite; the Beraisa is higher, since “the actual deed [of the Mitzvos] was [Hashem’s] original intention [for creation].” (Shabbos Prayers, Lecha Dodi)
Since only through the knowledge of the details of the Mitzvos explained in the Beraisa are we able to actual fulfill mitzvos, there is an advantage in the Beraisa (which teaches the exact details of the mitzvos) over the Mishna (which relates general teachings).
The word מִשְׁנָה -Mishna comes from the word שינון-learning, especially teaching orally to a student, as in the phrase from the Krias Shema “וְׁשִנַּנְׁתָם לְׁבָנֶיךָ-and you should teach these [words of Torah] to your children”. The Mishna is the main compilation of the laws of the Torah as they were passed down orally (the Oral Torah) from generation to generation. The Mishna was compiled by Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi with his contemporaries and students towards the end of the time of the Seond Beis Hamikdash. Since one of the goals of the Mishna was to be memorized and recited by heart, only the most essential teachings of the laws of the Torah were compiled in the text of the Mishna. Many of the details pertaining to these laws and their reasonings were left out of the text of the Mishna and taught separately under the name בָרַּיְׁיתָא-Beraisa which comes from the word בַּר- outside, since these teachings were left “outside” of the carefully chosen text of the Mishna.
We see that the Torah descended to deal with lowly things of our world, even dealing with people who say lies. For example: The Torah deals with a case where two people find a garment at the same time and are both holding onto it, and while holding onto it, they go to the Beis Din (Jewish court) and present their claims: This one says, ‘I found it and I should keep the entire thing,’ and the other one says, ‘I found it and I should keep the entire thing.’ The law is that each one swears that he doesn’t own less than half of the garment, and they sell the garment and each one keeps half of the value of the garment.” (Baba Metzia 2a)
In this case, one of them is definitely lying, since each one claims to be the only one to have found it and therefore should have the right to keep the entire thing. Even in a case where the claimants are lying, the Torah describes what we should do.
This appears to be a very great descent, for the Torah to have address the laws of (partially) false claims.
Nonetheless, this ability to present a correct solution in a situation where people are lying comes from a higher level of Hashem’s Wisdom than just dealing with things that are naturally true and correct, since “the actual deed was the original intention [of Hashem].”
In other words, the original intention of Hashem is that we should serve Him in this physical world, where the possibility for the opposite of truth exists. Thus, some people lie and act in a dishonest fashion. But Hashem’s original intention was to show us how to live even under such circumstances. Thus, the ability to descend to show us what to do in these situations comes from a higher level of Hashem’s Wisdom than the abstract knowledge of Kabbalah that describes spiritual worlds that are naturally and automatically holy.
An analogy for this: If there is a tube that is sealed on one end, and someone puts objects (that take up the width of the tube) into that tube, then whatever was put into the tube first will leave the tube last.
In this picture, the ball inserted first, ball A, will be the third ball to exit the tube, after balls C and B.
So too regarding a person, the fact that he was the last of all the creations is because he is higher than all of them, and all of them were created for him. Just like the first ball in comes out last, so too, the fact that man came out last in creation is because he was the first thing in Hashem’s original plan and intention for creation.
Therefore, we find aspects of the entire world in every single person, to show that the entire world was created just for him, since “This was the entire purpose of creation- for man.” (Koheles 12:13).
This is the meaning of the saying of our Sages, “One minute of Teshuva and good deeds in this world is better than all of the life of the World to Come.” (Pirkei Avos 4:17)
The idea behind this is that in the spiritual World to Come, “the righteous [all Jewish People] dwell and enjoy the radiance of the Shechina [Divine Presence].” (Brachos 17a)
This revelation of “the radiance of the Shechina” is only an external aspect of Hashem’s revelation that is limited to the understanding of the created beings, as it says, (Shemos 33:23) “And [Hashem said to Moshe,] ‘You will be able to perceive an external aspect of My revelation, however the innermost aspect of My revelation will not be revealed’”.
This means that the enjoyment that a person has in his understanding of his service of Hashem is only an external aspect of connection to Hashem.
The “innermost aspect” of Hashem’s revelation cannot be grasped by created beings, since “[Hashem says,] ‘No man can see Me and live.’” (Shemos 33:20)
Similarly, the revelation of Hashem in Gan Eden (the spiritual ‘World to Come’), is only like a “ray of light” of Hashem’s True Revelation, an external expression of the Infinite Truth of Hashem.
Therefore, “one minute of Teshuva and good deeds in this world is better,” meaning the actual performance of the mitzvah itself, even without any enjoyment or understanding, is “better than all of the Life of the World to Come,” since “the actual deed [of the Mitzvos] was the original intention [of Hashem].”
In Gan Eden there is only a “radiance” of the Divine Presence, which is only an external aspect of Hashem’s revelation (that is limited to what the created beings can understand), but through Mitzvos in this world we connect to Hashem’s Innermost aspect (that cannot be understood or grasped by any created being).
The Difference Between Mishna and Beraisa
This is also the difference between the Mishna and the Beraisa: The Mishna is like a general teaching, for example, the laws of Tzitzis are only mentioned as follows: “The Tzitzis on each of the four corners of the garment invalidate each other if one of them is missing, since the Tzitzis on all four corners are all part of one mitzvah.”
In the Mishna, the laws of Tzitzis are not explained in detail; there are only two Mishnayos (plural of Mishna) that directly discuss Tzitizis: the last Mishna of chapter 3 of Menachos, and the first Mishna of chapter 4 of Menachos (where the obligation of putting Techeiles color on the Tzitzis is mentioned). However, in the Gemara of Menachos, there are 6 folios explaining the laws of Tzitzis (38a-44a). In these 6 folios of the Gemara, numerous Beraisos (plural of Beraisa) are brought to explain the detailed laws of Tzitzis. We see clearly in regards to Tzitzis that the Mishna’s teachings are only general, whereas (almost) all of the details are only explained in the Beraisa (which is quoted and further specified in the Gemara).
So too, the Mishna says regarding a Sukka, “A Sukka that its Sechach (covering) is higher than 20 amos is invalid.” The Mishna doesn’t give any reason for this statement; in the Gemara, the Sages analyze this statement and give various possible reasons. Based on the different explanations of the reasoning from the Sages of the Gemara, there are different opinions of which cases the Mishna refers to when it states that a Sukka will be invalid if its Sechach is higher than 20 amos. Thus, we see that this is a general statement that includes various interpretations and details.
Now, regarding these general statements of the Mishna, it is possible to find a reason to explain them. For example, when the Mishna mentions the obligation to put Techeiles color on the Tzitizis, there is a general explanation: “The color of Techeiles is similar to the color of the sea, and the color of the sea is similar to the color of the sky, and the sky reminds us of the Throne of Glory [that Hashem’s presence ‘sits’ on].” (Menachos 43b)
So too regarding the case of Sukka (mentioned above), there is a reason: The Torah (Vayikra 23:42-43) says, “You shall dwell in Sukkos for seven days...in order that your future generations will know that I [Hashem] caused the Children of Israel to dwell in ‘Sukkos’ when I took them out of Egypt.” Now, only when the Sechach is less than 20 amos high does a person know that he is in a Sukka, i.e., notice the Sechach.
However, the Beraisa contains the details to explain the Mishna in all of its details and intricacies.
For example, the cases of the Sukkos known as גנב''ך-Ganba”ch and רקב''ש-Rabka”sh, in these detailed cases there is no revealed explanation as to why these Sukkos are permitted to be used, and we can clearly see that these laws of the Torah are higher than any logical explanation known to man. Rather, they are just the Divine Will and Wisdom.
Even though the Gemara gives explanations for the reason of the Mishna’s statement (that a Sukka which is higher than 20 amos is invalid), the Gemara does not offer an explanation as to why a Sukka is valid even though it was not made for the purpose of the mitzvah at all, and was instead made for protection from the sun, as in the cases of Ganba”ch Rabka”sh, where the sukka was built to be used during the year for shade and not for the mitzvah on the Festival of Sukkos. We see that even though we find general explanations for the reasons of mitzvos, when it comes to the details, we have no such explanations.
(Another prime example of this is the mitzva of Tefillin: Even though we have a general explanation for why we put on Tefillin, (to place the Unity of Hashem, written in the Shema, on our minds and near our hearts and thus to dedicate ourselves to Hashem), when it comes to the details of the mitzvah, (that they must be perfectly square and the straps must be black etc.), we have no logical explanation).
We see from these details of the mitzvas that we cannot explain the reason for the mitzvos. They are Hashem’s Will and Wisdom, which is beyond human understanding.
This is the meaning of the principle stated above, “The information of a general teaching comprises no more than the sum of all its details.”
This means that there is nothing contained in the Mishna - which is a general teaching - more than what is contained in its details -referring to the Beraisos.
The fact that the reasons for these details have not been revealed to us is because they come from a higher place in Hashem’s Wisdom than the Mishna, and therefore, it is beyond our ability to understand them.
