Remembering חטא העגל
In this week's parshah the Torah tells us about the tragic incident of the Cheit Haegel, an event which dramatically changed the status that Klal Yisrael had achieved at Matan Torah.
We are required to always remember the Cheit Haegel, as the possuk says (דברים ט ז): זְכֹר אַל תִּשְׁכַּח אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִקְצַפְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר - Remember, do not forget, how you angered Hashem your G-d in the wilderness. This is one of the שֵׁשׁ זְכִירוֹת, six remembrances, that we must never forget.
The Magan Avraham asks why Chazal did not establish a special kriah at a designated time to remember the Cheit Haegel, as well as the rest of the שֵׁשׁ זְכִירוֹת in the same way as Parshas Zachor was designated for remembering to erase Amalek.
He answers that aside from remembering the parshah of Miriam, and the Cheit Haegel, the other remembrances do have designated times through which they are remembered, by virtue of having special times dedicated towards them; Shavuos is dedicated to remembering Matan Torah and Shabbos is remembered on a weekly basis through the act of observing it. (Yetzias Mitzraim is remembered twice daily by kriyas shema.)
Hence, only the egel and the story of Miriam are not given a designated time to be remembered. He explains that this is because these two specific remembrances express גְּנוּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל - the shame of Klal Yisrael. (מגן אברהם או"ח סימן ס סק"ב)
Cheit Haegel is one of the greatest stains on our national history, of which we still suffer from the ramifications until today. It is an extremely shameful and devastating moment in the history of Klal Yisrael, one which shaped our future and which we must still seek to fully rectify. However, we must also ensure to be aware of the importance of preserving the sacred honor of Klal Yisrael when learning about this parshah.
Not Mass Idol-Worship
Before delving into this episode, it is important to bear in mind that it was not as straightforward as it appears to us. Many meforshim explain what occurred, and all agree that not all of Klal Yisrael participated in it. It is widely known that Shevet Levi were entirely not guilty, and many people of the other Shevatim did not join either. Meforshim explain that many members of Klal Yisrael were guilty of not protesting against this sin, and for this they were punished.
The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh points out that when Moshe Rabbeinu called out מִי לַה' אֵלָי - whoever is loyal to Hashem should come to me, and instructed them to go out with their swords and kill all those who had participated in the cheit, three thousand Yidden were killed. Relatively, three thousand out of six-hundred thousand is a very minute number.
Bearing this in mind, we must remember that cheit haegel was definitely not a manifestation of mass idol worship in Klal Yisrael - not all of Klal Yisrael were guilty of this. He also explains that even those who did participate, did not believe the calf to be a G-d. In some convoluted manner, they believed it to be a higher power that could help them connect to Hashem. Nevertheless, the sin was immense, and thus the ramifications for Cheit Haegel were devastating.
Yet Catastrophic
We must therefore study what the repercussions of this sin were, and how we can seek to restore our treasured connection to Hashem and the Torah, as it was by Matan Torah.
The Possuk says, אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם, אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן וּכְאַחַד הַשָּׂרִים תִּפֹּלוּ (תְּהִלִּים פב ו-ז) - I (Hashem) said, you are like angels, and exalted beings are you all. However, like man (Adam Harishon), you will die, and as one of the princes, you will fall. Adam Harishon was initially like an angel who does not die, but after he sinned it was decreed that he would die. So too, Hashem said to Bnei Yisrael, like man you will die and like one of the princes you will fall. At Matan Torah, we were transformed into angels who exist for eternity. But due to Cheit Haegel, death was decreed upon us. (פִּרְקֵי דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר פֶּרֶק מז)
Forgetting our Learning
Chazal (עֵירוּבִין נד.) tell us that if the first luchos would have remained, שִׁכְחַת הַתּוֹרָה would not have existed. It would not have been possible for one to forget a single word of the Torah. The possuk says that the Aseres Hadibros were חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת (שְׁמוֹת לב טז), engraved into the luchos. The engraving which cannot be erased, says the Gemara, was a reference to eternity. Klal Yisrael would have been masters of the Torah for all of eternity, they would remember it with ease and no Torah that is learnt would ever be forgotten.
However, due to the Cheit Haegel, the curse of שִׁכְחָה, forgetfulness, was brought upon us and we can no longer acquire and retain Torah with the ease once had.
Achieving Rectification
Seforim Hakdoshim explain that all the ensuing generations are required to atone for Cheit Haegel. When the time will come that it will indeed be rectified and we will be restored to the same level that we were on at Matan Torah.
The Yismach Moshe in his commentary on Tehillim, explains the possuk (קיט טז) בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ - I will revel in Your chukim, I will not forget Your words. He explains that when Moshiach comes, Hashem will teach us the reasons for all the mitzvos, including the chukim which are currently not meant to be understood.
Then, it will be like a new Torah to us, as Chazal explain the possuk (יְשַׁעְיָ' נא ד) תּוֹרָה מֵאִתִּי תֵּצֵא - Torah will come forth from Me, to mean תּוֹרָה חֲדָשָׁה מֵאִתִּי תֵּצֵא, a new Torah will come forth from Hashem, with the newly revealed explanations for all the mitzvos. We will then be joyous, delighting and revelling in it, לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ, and we will no longer forget Your words. We will be restored to where we were at the time of Matan Torah, when forgetting that which we have learnt had not yet been a reality. (תְּהִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה קיט טז)
Anguish, Difficulty and Reward
In the Midrash, our Sages tell us that after the Cheit Haegel, there was a decree that Torah can only be acquired through extensive toil and hardship. מִתּוֹךְ הַצַּעַר, וּמִתּוֹךְ הַשִּׁעְבּוּד, וּמִתּוֹךְ הַטִּלְטוּל וּמִתּוֹךְ הַטֵּרוּף מִתּוֹךְ הַדֹּחַק וּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם מְזוֹנוֹת - Through anguish and subjugation, through uncertainty and wandering, through constriction and lack of sustenance, will the Torah be acquired. The Midrash finishes off, וּמִתּוֹךְ אוֹתוֹ צַעַר שֶׁהֵם מִצְטַעֲרִים הַקָּבָּ"ה יְשַׁלֵּם לָהֶם שְׂכָרָם לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ כֶּפֶל וּמִכְפָּל - And through this anguish that they endure, Hashem will pay them reward in double measures. (יַלְקוּט שִׁמְעוֹנִי, סוֹף סֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ)
Toil is the Remedy for Forgetting
The Steipler Gaon, in his sefer Birkas Peretz, explains this Chazal, together with the above-mentioned Chazal that says that the Cheit Haegel brought the concept of forgetting Torah to the world.
He quotes the Rambam (פ' ג' הִלְכוֹת ת"ת ה' י"ב) that states that one can only see success in Torah through constant toil. There are many well-known מַאֲמָרֵי חֲזַ"ל which teach us that the amount of Torah one will merit to acquire is completely dependent on the amount of toil he invests in it.
At the end of Pirkei Avos there is an added chapter known as פֶּרֶק קִנְיַן תּוֹרָה, for it enumerates the ways how to acquire Torah. There the Tanna tells us that Torah is acquired by 48 means. For instance, through minimizing sleep, cutting back on pleasures, or minimizing business.
The Steipler quotes another Chazal that says בְּרִית כְּרוּתָה שֶׁכָּל הַיָּגֵעַ בְּתוֹרָתוֹ בְּבֵהַמַּ"ד לֹא בִּמְהֵרָה הוּא שׁוֹכֵחַ - a covenant was consecrated that all who toil in Torah in Beis Midrash will not easily forget that which they have learned. Only through constant exertion and passionate effort can one remember their Torah learning.
He provides two explanations for this phenomenon. He says that according to the rules of nature, it is known that when one invests effort into an endeavor it naturally has a longer-lasting effect on him. On the other hand, when something is acquired easily, it can be lost just as easily. In academics, skills, relationships, as well as in other areas, if someone invests a lot of time and effort into achieving a goal, the accomplishment is much stronger and will last a lot longer. Thus, the reward of remembering and mastering Torah is a natural result of toiling in Torah.
However, in addition to this, there is another explanation for why one must toil in Torah. When it comes to Torah study, the results of investing toil are even greater. Hashem does not let our sacrifices go unrewarded; our perseverance and dedication towards acquiring Torah are always rewarded.
Chazal (סַנְהֶדְרִין צט:) explain the possuk (מִשְׁלֵי טז כו) נֶפֶשׁ עָמֵל עָמְלָה לּוֹ - a soul that toils will be toiled for. Rashi explains that the Torah upon which one has toiled will ascend to Heaven, advocating on behalf of those who have applied themselves to her. The Torah will beg Hashem to grant the learner understanding and mastery of it. Thus, the learner will be granted extra סִיַּעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא, Heavenly assistance, in being proficient in and remembering the Torah that he has sweated over.
He explains that because Cheit Haegel brought שִׁכְחָה to the world, therefore one has to counter this, through toiling in Torah. עֲמִילוּת בַּתּוֹרָה, toiling in the Torah, is the antidote to forgetting it. Thus, it is the remedy which will restore us to the former glory which we had before the cheit.
A Worthwhile Endeavor
Indeed, this Chazal reassures us that though it has been decreed upon us that Torah can only be acquired מִתּוֹךְ צַעַר וּמִתּוֹךְ שִׁעְבּוּד as well as the various other afflictions and difficulties mentioned earlier, we will however, be finely rewarded for sweating and grappling in this manner. Every moment of toil, the difficulty we encounter, and hurdle that we overcome in order to learn Torah, will be rewarded.
הקב"ה יְשַׁלֵּם לָהֶם שְׂכָרָם לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ בְּכֶפֶל וּמִכְפָּל Hashem will repay us in the days of Moshiach in double measures. In the time when all שִׁכְחָה will be eradicated, and forgetting Torah will no longer be a reality, we will be rewarded by returning to our earlier status, and the glory and true bliss that we had at Matan Torah will be restored. Ultimately, the difficulty of laboring in the Torah is a great gift. (בִּרְכַּת פֶּרֶץ פ' כִּי תִשָּׂא)
Toil can come in many different forms. For some it may be manifested in the single-minded, constant and strenuous toil to understand, review and completely acquire their learning. For others it may be setting aside a designated time for Torah learning in an otherwise busy day. Or it may be the determination not to forgo one's set learning time, despite overwhelming exhaustion at the end of a difficult day. Regardless of which form our toil takes, it is treasured Above and it will serve as a rectification of Cheit Haegel, thus restoring us to the exalted level we were on before this sin.
Torah in Times of Difficulty
Early on during the Holocaust the Brisker Rav was in the city of Vilna, which was then a neutral territory. Many refugees, including many yeshivos and their talmidim, flocked to Vilna to try and escape the horrors of the Holocaust.
While residing there, many Talmidei Chachomim requested from the Brisker Rav to deliver a regular shiur to them. Before the war, he had only delivered shiur to a select, highly qualified group of talmidim that Rabbi Lazer Yudel Finkel of the Mir yeshiva had sent to him for that purpose. However, while still in Brisk he had stopped delivering this shiur because he suffered terribly from asthma, which made it difficult for him to continue.
While in Vilna, separated from his wife and part of his family, suffering from lack of knowledge of their fate, and from the difficulties of being a refugee during wartime, he consented to the request once again deliver a shiur on a consistent basis. He felt that because Klal Yisrael was in a עֵת צָרָה, he was required to extend himself and toil in Torah to an even greater degree.
Talmidim who had been by his shiurim in Brisk, and continued to learn with him both in Vilna and later in Yerushalayim, would attest that the level of his shiur in Vilna was not equaled in either of the other shiurim before or after. His son Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik zt"l would also affirm that his father's shiurim in Vilna were on a supreme and deep level which was never witnessed back in Brisk nor later in Yerushalayim. The Brisker Rav himself would say that he too felt this, and he attributed it to the merit of learning Torah during times of difficulty.
Both he and the many refugees to which he was delivering the shiur, were suffering from uncertainty, inadequate food and shelter, as well as fear regarding their families' fate and that of their own futures. However, they still devoted themselves to learning Torah, and were thus rewarded with a unique understanding thereof. (הָרַב מִבְּרִיסְק ח"א ע' 460)
Why Women do Not need to Toil
It is important to note that though toiling in Torah is required in order to reach any measure of success therein, women were not given this obligation. Chazal praise the women for refusing to participate in the Cheit Haegel. When their husbands requested their gold jewellery for the egel, they refused to hand it over.
The טוּר (סִימָן תיז) says in the name of the Gemara Yerushalmi, that in some places women do not do malachos on Rosh Chodesh. He says that if this is an accepted practice in a particular place, it is forbidden for them to do malachos. The טוּר explains that the Shalosh Regalim correspond the Avos. And the Roshei Chadoshim were meant to be a Yom Tov, each one corresponding a different one of the twelve tribes. However, due to the Cheit Haegel, rosh chodesh did not become a Yom Tov. Since the women did not participate in the Cheit Haegel, rosh chodesh remained a yom tov only for them. Thus, many women do not do any malachos on this day.
Perhaps this explanation helps us understand why women are not required to toil in Torah. עֲמִילוּת בַּתּוֹרָה became necessary as a result of the Cheit Haegel. Women, who did not participate in the Cheit Haegel, do not need this tikkun to repair the damage brought about by this sin. They can achieve their unique level of perfection without this exertion.
For men, however, toil is a crucial means to achieving their tachlis. עֲמִילוּת בַּתּוֹרָה is not only a means to an end, rather it is a culmination of itself. Whether one achieves excellence in Torah or not, the labour itself is supremely valued Above. It is the exertion alone that gets rewarded, regardless of the results.
We Toil and Receive Reward
The Gemara (בְּרָכוֹת כח) tells us that ר' נְחוּנְיָה בֶּן הַקָּנָה would recite a tefillah every time before entering and exiting the Beis Midrash. Upon entering he would daven for success in his learning, and that he should not stumble in interpreting the Torah incorrectly. Upon exiting he would thank Hashem for giving him the merit of learning.
He would say מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ וְכוּ' שֶׁשַּׂמְתָּ חֶלְקִי מִיּוֹשְׁבֵי בֵּהַמַּ"ד וְלֹא שַׂמְתָּ חֶלְקִי מִיּוֹשְׁבֵי קְרָנוֹת - I thank You Hashem that You placed my lot between those who sit in the Beis Midrash, and not with those who wile away their time. He would then continue שֶׁאָנוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים וְהֵם מַשְׁכִּימִים, אָנוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים לְדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וְהֵם מַשְׁכִּימִים לְדִבְרֵי בְּטֵלִים for they arise and we too arise, we wake up to learn Torah and they arise for purposelessness. אָנוּ עֲמֵלִים וְהֵם עֲמֵלִים, אָנוּ עֲמֵלִים וּמְקַבְּלִים שָׂכָר, וְהֵם עֲמֵלִים וְאֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים שָׂכָר - וְכוּ' - we toil and receive reward and they toil and do not receive reward. And so, the tefillah continues to contrast our toil for a purpose, versus their toil that does not bring them any lasting benefit.
The Chofetz Chaim famously asks what is the meaning of הֵם עֲמֵלִים וְאֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים שָׂכָר, does anyone work without the purpose of renumeration? Everybody who works hard does so with the expectation that he will be paid for his work. However, the Chofetz Chaim explains that one can only expect payment for that which he actually produced. His reward is not commensurate with his effort, but with the results of his effort. So, if a shoemaker crafts a shoe, he is paid a designated amount of money, regardless of whether it took him one hour or five hours. But we are rewarded for our עֲמִילוּת, the effort we invest. We are rewarded for the fact that אָנוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים and אָנוּ רָצִים, for waking up in order to learn and for running in order to be able to learn.
Ultimately, we are rewarded for the effort. For the preparation, for the toil, for the exertion, and for every attempt at limud Torah. What we actually achieve as a result of this effort is irrelevant.
Reward for All Efforts
The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh, in his sefer Chefetz Hashem on Shas, offers another fascinating explanation for this tefillah. He says that if a person shows his willingness and dedication towards limud Hatorah through being קוֹבֵעַ עִתִּים לַתּוֹרָה, setting aside a designated time for learning, then all of his other efforts in different areas of his life are considered part of his עֲמִילוּת בַּתּוֹרָה! Because he has shown that Torah learning is non-negotiable, and takes supremacy above all else, therefore all his other endeavors are considered to be for the sake of Torah learning.
When he works hard for parnassah this too is considered toil for which he will be granted reward. Thus, though both we and the nations toil, we reap reward for the efforts we expend, whereas they do not.
We may both be investing considerable exertions into making money, but our efforts can be considered holy, whereas theirs are mundane. For we have shown that we value Torah above all else, therefore everything is considered as though it is a necessary vessel to be able to learn, and is therefore rewarded too.
In this manner, every Yid can achieve true עֲמִילוּת בַּתּוֹרָה. Even if one has not actually merited to be sitting in Beis Medrash all day and learning full time, he can achieve that status through wholly committing himself to a designated, sacrosanct time for learning. In that manner, he too can obtain the reward promised to those who toil in Torah!
May we all merit true עֲמִילוּת בַּתּוֹרָה which will finally rectify the sin of the egel. Thus, may we be forever restored to our glorious state of closeness with Hashem and the Torah which will be achieved with the coming of Moshiach and will last for eternity. אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
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