Let me share with you something that a dear friend sent me. The meraglim brought grapes, pomegranates, and figs from Eretz Yisrael. What did they do with this fruit? He mentioned in the name of Rav Chaim Kanievsky in Taima Dik’ra that the grapes that came back were used for the nisuch hayayin, for the pouring of the wine on the Mizbaiach that was performed every morning with the Korban Tamid. Rav Chaim in Taima Dik’ra says that the grapes that were brought to the Midbar, peiros of Eretz Yisrael, were gigantic. They produced enough wine to last for all the years in the Midbar to be used for the nisuch hayayin. Thus, there was a very holy use of the grapes brought from Eretz Yisrael.
The question then became: What about the pomegranates and figs that were brought to the Midbar from Eretz Yisrael? What became of them? That is the question that I was asked. I found in the Otzar Hachochmah in the Chiddushei Harim that the fruits were brought as bikkurim. So, at least some of the grapes, pomegranates, and figs were brought to the Midbar from Eretz Yisrael to be mekayeim the mitzvah of bikkurim.
There is a beautiful remez to this in the Mishnah in Maseches Bikkurim:
How does one separate bikkurim? A person descends to his field and sees a fig tree, a cluster of grapes, or a pomegranate tree that has budded. He ties them with a reed and says, “These are bikkurim.”
The Mishna mentions only three of the seven minim. Of course, the din in the Mishna applies to all of the minim, and three are just brought as an example. But what three? תאנה, the fig, אשכול, the cluster of grapes, and רימון, the pomegranate.
It is no coincidence that the Mishna mentions only these three because these three are brought as a tikkun for the cheit hameraglim. Just as the grapes were used for a mitzvah (nisuch hayayin), the Chiddushei Harim says that here, too, the figs, the cluster of grapes, and the pomegranates were brought as bikkurim. This serves to remind us once again that the meraglim were great people who were nichshal and did a terrible aveira, but they were baalei madreiga.
Completing the Divine Creation
The last mitzvah in our parasha is the commandment of tzitzis. Eight strings adorn each of the four corners of a garment. These eight strings, comprised of blue and white, must be wound and knotted partially (the g'dil) with the rest of the strings hanging loose (the anaf).
R’ Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, in his Meshech Chachmah, suggests an insightful reason for the mitzvah of tzitzis and many of its details. Here, we present his inspiring words with some additional elaboration. Hashem Yisbarach created a world in which His Divinity is hidden. In the upper worlds, Hashem's majesty is directly manifest. The heavenly angels are immediately aware of the reality of the Divine Existence and that It alone is the true reality. Their kabbalas ol malchus Shamayim is reflective of a given reality: "Baruch sheim k'vod malchuso l'olam va'ed - May the name of the glory of His majesty be blessed forever." There, the majesty is already apparent; they need no convincing. Mankind, living in the lower world, one in which G-d's presence is not apparent, needs to reveal G-d within the world. They need to convince themselves that the world is just a mask hiding the inner dimension of G-dliness within. Their kabbalas ol malchus Shamayim is "Sh'ma Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad." To paraphrase, "Listen to me, Reb Yid, the world might appear to follow a natural order, but within this order, G-d's Presence is always there; He is always ready to be discovered, and the world was built for this purpose. Make sure not to get caught up in this concealment and forget the Creator, c’v."
The initial creation of the world is therefore described as a garment. The verse many recite before donning the tallis states: "[Hashem] wraps light (the first creation) like a garment" (Tehillim 104:2). Just as a garment hides the person, so too, the world hides, so to speak, its Creator. By creating such a world, an incomplete world, where G-d's presence is not immediately apparent, Hashem allowed Man to actualize his latent potential in discovering Him and utilizing all of the physical aspects of the world to serve his Creator. In doing so, he partners with G-d to complete the world. In the famous analogy, R' Akiva teaches the Roman general Turnusrufus that just as bread is tastier than wheat, having been processed by Man, so too, do we do mila, indicating that the human being must perfect himself and the world. This was directly in contrast with the Roman notion that circumcision is needless mutilation, and Man is already perfect. This is not so. G-d created Man in an imperfect state, commanding and directing that he perfect himself and the world as well by revealing the Creator.
Tzitzis, too, highlights this partnership. On the garment - perhaps we can add the four-cornered one symbolizing the "four corners of the world" - we place strings that are seemingly incomplete and not woven together with the rest of the garment. This represents the arena for Man to elevate himself by completing the creation, recognizing G-d, and utilizing the world to connect to Him. But even within this sphere of activity, G-d's assistance is ever present. Even within the unfinished strings, they are partially wound with techeiles, symbolizing G-d's presence and assistance (see Sota 17a). Man is not alone in his endeavor to reveal his Creator's presence; he is constantly assisted. Hashem is "maichin mitz'adei gever – He prepares the steps of Man" and constantly assists him (see Kiddushin 30b).
RABBI YISROEL REISMAN
RABBI YAKOV HABER
