The Gemara discusses (Berachos 8a) the mitzvah of shnayim Mikra v’echad Targum, which obligates us to review the weekly Torah portion twice in the original Hebrew and once with the Aramaic translation. The Gemara adds that even the names of the cities of Ataros and Divon mentioned in Parshas Mattos (32:3) must be read with the Targum.
Rashi explains that the Gemara stresses this point because the Aramaic translation of these names is no different than the Biblical Hebrew. One might have thought that in such a case, there is no need to additionally read the Targum, so the Gemara emphasizes that we must do so nevertheless. However, the Torah is replete with Hebrew names that do not change when rendered into Aramaic. Why did the Gemara skip all the names of righteous individuals and holy places in Eretz Yisroel mentioned in Sefer Bereishis to specifically make this point in conjunction with the cities of Ataros and Divon?
Citing the Vilna Gaon’s commentary on the Zohar HaKadosh, Rav Yisroel Reisman explains that everything in this world can be divided into three categories: that which is holy; that which is impure; and that which is optional, neither a mitzvah nor a sin. Our mission in this world is to sanctify the items in the third group by imbuing them with kedusha [holiness], as Shlomah writes (Mishlei 3:6):בכל דרכיך דעהו – know Hashem in all your ways, even those that are not inherently spiritual.
In particular, this elevation takes place at the boundary between the holy and the mundane. For example, in the area of time, there is a concept of Tosefes Shabbos (Rosh Hashana 9a), which commands us to add to Shabbos at its edges by taking time from the secular weekdays that precede and follow it and infusing it with the sanctity of Shabbos.
Similarly, regarding space, the Jewish people took the land across the Jordan River and imbued it with kedusha by making it part of Eretz Yisroel. Regarding speech, Aramaic is the closest language to Lashon HaKodesh, so we bring Aramaic into the world of holiness by studying the Torah using the Targum’s translation.
With this introduction, Rav Reisman explains that when a person is reviewing the weekly Torah portion and reaches the cities of Ataros and Divon, cities across the Jordan built on land conquered from Sichon and Og, one might think that since they were already uplifted by becoming part of Eretz Yisroel, their names do not need to be read in the Targum to accomplish the same objective. The Gemara therefore informs us that there is no limit to our efforts to elevate and add sanctity, so we repeat their names in in the Targum even though they have already been raised in other ways.
Applying this concept to our own lives, Rav Reisman notes that we read Parshas Mattos in the summer, when our schedules are often in flux. As challenging as the lack of routine and structure can be, it also offers us the opportunity to add kedusha to our days, by finding new times to study Torah and extending our existing learning and prayer times by a few extra minutes. (R’ Ozer Alport)
