In this week’s sedrah we find a fundamental Torah command, the mitzvas eseh d’Oraysa of וּבָדְּב – you should cling to Hashem (Eikev 10:20). Now, if we’ll attempt to explain it figuratively, we understand immediately that it means that there’s a mitzvah to cling to Hashem by means of thinking about Him, to cling to Him intellectually.
If you’re thinking about Hashem always – yiras Hashem, ahavas Hashem, inyanei Torah, emunah, leshem Shomayim – there’s a certain closeness that you achieve by means of that. And therefore that certainly is a true peirush of וּבָדְּב.
Of course it takes some practice. It takes a great deal of practice – good things, big achievements, don’t come easy – but it’s an obligation on each one of us. The mitzvah of וּבָדְּב obligates the Jew to develop a mindset, a frame of mind, where he is clinging to Hakadosh Baruch Hu by means of his constant Awareness of Hashem.
A Concrete Deveikus
Now, if the tape doesn’t run out, I’d like to talk to you at length about how to achieve that, about how to become someone who clings to Hashem by means of the mind. But first I would like to say that this explanation of deveikus – clinging by means of thinking – is the more abstract explanation of this mitzvah. And as valuable as this ideal is, it is not enough however. Because the Chachomim came along and they told us a more concrete application of וּבָדְּב. ‘You should cling to Hashem,’ the Chachomim say, means to cling to Hashem physically.
So right away we flinch at such an idea; to be close to Him physically? Such a thing is impossible! הָינֵכּ בַּבְּדָהֵל םָדָא לָפֵא יִכּו – How is it possible to fulfill such a precept? Is it possible for a man of flesh and blood to cling to Hashem?
Close to Hashem
And so the Sages (Sifrei 49) explain as follows. How do you physically cling to the Shechinah? בְּדָה לַמֵדִיּם וְחֲכָמִים – By clinging to the Chachomim and to their disciples. That’s the way to fulfill the command of clinging to Hashem.
The Queer Dissociation
Now, that to us seems like it’s veering away from the intention of the possuk; it seems like a whitewashing of the Torah’s intent. Because here the Torah is telling us that the mitzvah is to cling to Hashem and the Gemara comes along and says something else altogether – that it means to cling to the Sages; that merely by keeping geographically close to the Chachomim, to the yeshivah men, that’s already a fulfillment of וּבָדְּב, of clinging to Hashem. How is that so?
And so I want to quote for you an important idea from the Kuzari; when he speaks about this matter he notes a queer thing. When the Torah describes how the Jewish farmer brings his bikkurim, his first-fruit offering, to the Beis Hamikdash, so it says that when he hands the basket to the kohen, he makes a declaration: יְדַעְתִּי הַיּוֹם לַה' אֱלֹקיךָ – “I declare today to Hashem, your G-d ...”.
But the Kuzari says that it’s a queer way of talking. “I declare to Hashem, your G-d?” The farmer, a frum farmer, dissociates himself from Hashem and says that it’s only the kohen’s Hashem. ‘Your G-d’?! What kind of expression is that?
He’s Mine but He’s Yours
A similar thing we find by Shaul Hamelech. Shaul is talking to Shmuel Hanavi (Shmuel I 15:15) and he says, “I have brought these – he is talking about certain animals, cattle – as an offering laHashem Elokecha.” Again, “your G-d.” But it’s Shaul’s G-d too. Why does he say “your G-d, Shmuel’s G-d”?
And the Kuzari explains that it is meant literally. It is the kohen’s Hashem and it is Shmuel’s Hashem, because the Shechinah rests on the kohen and on the navi more than on anyone else. The closer a person is to Hashem, the more the Shechinah is with him. And therefore, the one who is more aware of Hashem, the one who is osek b’Toras Hashem and walks in the ways of Hashem, so Hashem is especially close to him – it means physically close, kaviyachol. And that’s why you can say Elokecha when you talk to great men.
It certainly is Elokai – absolutely it’s ‘my G-d’ too – but we can’t ignore the fundamental truth that it is more Elokecha; it’s your G-d even more, because He is with you, He is especially close to you.
Approaching the Shechinah
Now we have to think about that for more than a mere moment because the Kuzari has just told us a gem; he taught us now an entirely new attitude we should have when we come close to Chachomim. Let's say you would come to a great man; we’ll pick as an example let's say the Satmarer Rav zichrono livrachah, who recently passed away. If somebody would come to him, he had to feel that he was coming to Hashem!
Not merely as a form of respect because this man is a gadol or the man represents a very great number of people who are influenced by him. That too, but it’s much more than that – Hashem is with this man much more than He is with you. And so, as you come near him, you are approaching the Shechinah. That is how a person has to feel.
So you’ll say, “The Shechinah? The Shechinah actually rests on him?! It’s only a mashal!” No! We’re learning now that actually the Shechinah rests on the Chachmei haTorah.
Dust and Gasoline
Of course that needs training. We must free ourselves from the dust and the gasoline fumes of the street and we have to start viewing the Chachomim in the light of the Torah. And included in that is the attitude, the hargashah, that when you come to a Chochom, you are actually approaching Hashem.
And therefore it’s not a play on words, a cop-out or a twisting of the Torah’s intention with the words וּבָדְּב. This is actually a fulfillment of the mitzvah of being close to Hashem – to cling to the Chachomim and their disciples.
The truth is it’s such a great thing, that in a certain sense, it’s even more important than learning from the Chachomim. That’s why when they introduced Elisha haNavi and they wanted to say his yichus, who he was, so it says, בן שָפָט – Here is Elisha, הוָי לַע מַיםָךַפָּ רֶשֶׁא – who poured water on Eliyahu’s hands. רַמָאֶנ אֵל דַמָל – It doesn’t say he learned from him, מַיםָךַפָּ אֵל – only that he poured water on his rebbe’s hands. The plain meaning is that Elisha was present when Eliyahu had to wash his hands, so Elisha took the can of water and poured it on his rebbe’s hands. That’s our introduction to Elisha.
The Plain Meaning
Now that’s a stunning statement; almost not understandable at all. It could have said, “Here is Elisha who learned from Eliyahu.” Eliyahu had a school of bnei hanevi’im and he brought up Elisha in the darkei hanevuah. He taught him everything. But no, that’s not mentioned at all. All the secrets of the Torah, all the darkei Hashem, everything else that was taught in that great academy of nevuah, nothing is mentioned. The only thing that deserves mention is that Elisha poured water on the hands of Eliyahu HaNavi. And the Gemara says that we learn from there that, הָדּוּמְלַמ רֵתוֹי הָשִׁמּוּשׁ לוֹמֵד – that serving the Chochom, being in his proximity, that’s greater than learning from him.
Now, don’t go off into long explanations about how shimush means learning more deeply. It does too - we’re not excluding that – but the pashtus of the Gemara means what it says. To be physically close! The physical closeness to Eliyahu was such a great merit that it’s like being close to Hashem even more than the closeness by learning the Torah.
Of course, many other benefits can be gained by such a career. If a person is meshamesh Talmidei Chachomim there’s no question he becomes different because of that but that’s not the subject now. What we’re learning now is that we cling to the Sages not because of any benefit we get from them, not because we learn from their deeds; we cling to the Chachomim because they represent Hakadosh Baruch Hu. That is the closest you can physically come to Hashem in this world – by coming close to the Chachomim.
Looking For a Wife
Now, you should know that we are not learning something that is a utopian ideal, something that if one day you’ll become a tzaddik and a kadosh, then you'll think of doing it. No, we are talking now about a practical peirush on the command of the Torah which means that it’s obligatory on all Jews. And that’s why the Gemara doesn’t let this remain abstract; it gives us concrete examples of how this is carried out in practice.
Let’s say you’re looking for a wife; עוֹלָם יִשָּׂא לְעוֹלָם בַּת תַּלְמִיד חָכָם – so try to marry the daughter of a Talmid Chochom (Pesachim 49b). Not because she is so important. She’s a little girl still, but because of her you’re going to be connected with her father. That’s the way you’ll be able to associate with him. Otherwise, when will you come into his house? When will you sit at his table? So become his son-in-law! It’s not so easy but you have to try; you have to exert yourself to marry the daughter of a Talmid Chochom.
Of course it wouldn’t be a compliment to her if you tell her you’re marrying her because of her father, but that’s the truth. There are other reasons too – could be she’s quite a prize herself – but this is one of the more important reasons; that’s your link with her father and that’s how you’re clinging to Hashem.
Looking For a Husband
There’s another way. תַּלְמִיד חָכָם לוֹ יַשִּׂיא בִּתוֹ – if a man wants to join a Talmid Chochom to himself, so he can marry off his daughter to a Chochom, to a good kollel man. So now your son-in-law will come to your house and you’ll be frequently in company with him. You’ll talk with him, you’ll eat with him. And you’re fulfilling the command of the Torah to cling to Hashem.
Now we’ll say also – I’m adding my own words to the Gemara – that a woman herself should try her best to marry a Talmid Chochom. If she can do it, it’s wonderful, because this way she’ll enjoy the company of a Talmid Chochom all her life.
Now, all these thing they’re not merely good advice – it’s that too – but it’s a command. Whatever you can do to become close; look for opportunities רוּבַח יֵנִמ לָכְּב נֵהַל רֵבַחְּהַל, to attempt to join them in every manner possible (Rambam Deios 6:2). As much as possible, to walk with them, to ask them questions, to sit with them.
Eat With Them
Even to eat with them. יְדִמְלַמ עִם אוֹכֵל וְכוֹלֵל וְחֲכָמִים – He should attempt to eat together with them, the Rambam says. You see a Chochom sitting somewhere, at a chasunah or a pidyon haben. It’s a golden opportunity. There’s a seat right near him. Seize it! Snatch the opportunity! You’re not interested in being there right now; you don’t know the baal simchah but act like you belong so that you can sit next to a Chochom for a few minutes and fulfill the mitzvah.
Another way, the Rambam says, is עַל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם לוֹ יִפַּרְנֵס – do business with them. Let’s say he has merchandise to sell, so patronize him. Walk into his store. Look for opportunities to associate – even in a business way – with Chachomim. Try to become his supplier. Try to buy merchandise from him.
Whatever you can do to associate with Chachomim, you should do. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this principle – physical proximity. Just to associate with Chachomim is a very great privilege because it’s a form of closeness to Hashem.
