Sefer Devarim opens with Moshe Rabbeinu addressing the Yidden, stressing the importance of maintaining justice among Klal Yisrael: “You shall not favor people in judgment — you shall hear the small just as the great, you shall not fear any man, for judgment belongs to Hashem; and the case that is too difficult for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.”
The holy Baal Shem Tov points out the unusual expression of takrivun eilai, “bring to me.” It would have been more normal, he notes, to write, “Bring me the difficult case and I’ll make it clear to you.” What is the Torah telling us?
He explains that from Shamayim, we are often being told what we need to hear; Hashem often sends us messages full of hisorerus to do teshuvah. Why, then, don’t we always hear them? The answer, he continues, is that we are often so sunk in materialism, so enthusiastic about the physical world, that we simply can’t hear a message from another realm. The only way to overcome this tendency to wallow in gashmiyus is “takrivun eilai” — to become close to the tzaddik and enlist his help. Once we begin the process of lifting ourselves out of our material desires, we will start to hear the Heavenly voices.
In another vort on the passuk, “Anochi omeid bein Hashem u’beineichem...” the Baal Shem Tov reveals another reason why we often can’t see what Hashem is showing us, even though it should be so obvious. Imagine, he says, holding a tiny coin, or even one’s little finger, right before one’s eye. Even with such a tiny object one can block out the entire world! When we allow the focus on ourselves, the “anochi,” to occupy our entire field of vision, it separates us from Hashem and blinds us to all the blessings He has given us. Sometimes, we just need to step out of the way in order to get the Heavenly message.
