Parshat Shoftim
This week's reading tells us that we must put Judges and policemen at all of our gates.
There is an eternal personal lesson here for each of us as well.
The "gates" also refer to the doors of our soul to and from the world: eyes, mouth, ears, action, speech and thought.
In other words, we must use the WISDOM and POWER of the Torah to 'Judge' and guard ourselves from the misleading world around us and natural urges within.
But later here (18:13), it seems to say exactly the opposite:
"BE SIMPLE WITH G-D"
In other words, not wisdom or force but SIMPLICITY will bring us to be "WITH G-D".
How can the Torah demand both? If we are expected to be wise judges and strong policemen on ourselves, then how can we be simple?
But on the other hand, if we decide to serve G-d simply how can we judge or control ourselves properly?
Here are two stories to explain:
It didn't take long for the ideas of the Baal Shem Tov (aka Besh't) to spread like wildfire across Russia and Poland. Despite all the opposition and baseless rumors, within just a few years the Besh't had already gathered around him some of the greatest seekers of Truth and Holy Scholars in his generation. Jews that had mastered all the Talmudic and Mystical literature, but found that only the Besh't made it come alive.
For instance, the great genius Rabbi Dov Ber, "the Magid" of Mezritch. After having memorized every Torah book in print at that time, he went skeptically to investigate the rumors about the Besh't and ultimately became his follower:
The Besh't asked him to explain a certain mystical passage in the The Zohar (Mystical book) dealing with angels.
Rabbi Dov Ber, familiar with the passage, gave an excellent and detailed explanation, but the Besh't told him it was superficial.
Suddenly the Magid felt something happen; his mind opened and he "received" a deeper explanation, but the Besh't rejected it also. This repeated itself several times, until the Baal Shem asked him sit down and hear the real explanation.
As the Baal Shem spoke, the room became dark, and then suddenly filled with awesome fire, lightning, thunder and visions of immense angels, until the Magid thought that he would expire from sheer awe and fear.
When he recovered from the experience the Besh't explained: "Your explanations of the Zohar were deep and correct, but they lacked genuine feeling".
The second story.
All of the Baal Shem's pupils were holy geniuses that lived and thirsted only for true knowledge of Torah. And the Besh't was an inexhaustible wellspring to quench their thirst.
But as much as he revealed to his pupils on a normal day, it was incomparable to Sabbath (Shabbos).
Shabbos is a window in time through which all mystical secrets are revealed in three successively higher levels; evening, morning and afternoon, at the three Shabbos meals.
But to the chagrin of his Chassidim, the Besh't would sometimes invite simple Jews to the first (Shabbat evening) meal; ignorant farmers, manual laborers, shopkeepers and the like, to sit near him and he would give them most of his attention. He gave them to drink from his personal kiddush cup, and told them ideas they had no way of understanding.
His holy pupils didn't understand why he did this. They wanted to be near him in order to hear and remember his every word. These unlettered folk didn't come to learn. They only came to see the face of the master and would benefit just as much from the back of the room.
The Besh't sensed their disappointment and after the meal when the guests had left he told his pupils to stand, form a circle and each put their right hand on their neighbor's shoulder. He then closed the circle by putting his hands on the pupils next to him and told them all to close their eyes.
After a moment of silence, the Chassidim began to hear the faint sound of someone saying, singing Tehillim (Psalms).
It grew louder and louder, closer and closer until it was so intense and beautiful, that they felt as though they were in heaven, hearing angels. They had never heard such perfection or power in their lives, and their souls were about to expire from sheer longing and awe.
At the height of this ecstasy, the Besh't removed his hands, the music suddenly stopped and some of the Chassidim almost fainted. They had been so deeply shaken by the intense experience
"Open your eyes and follow me, I want to show you what you heard.” The Baal Shem said as he stood, walked out of the room, then out of the house to the street, until he reached the Shul (synagogue), with the Chassidim close behind.
"Look inside and tell me what you see."
Inside the shul were sitting all the simple people that had been at last night's meal, totally involved in reading Tehillim. They were saying and singing the words aloud, each one at his own pace, each a different Psalm, truly pouring out their souls to G-d.
One was beseeching mercy, another praising G-d's wondrous greatness, and a third begging for help. They didn't really understand the meaning of the Hebrew words t they were saying, but each read with all his heart.
"This is what you heard just now," explained the Besht. "You heard the awesome effect in heaven that simple Psalms said with pure heart have ".
This answers our question about power and humility.
One of the main goals of the Besh't in his warm way of serving G-d called, Chassidut, was to encourage the simple people to become more learned, and the learned people to become more simple (Tamimut).
This, taught the Besh't, is the goal of Judaism that Moshiach will bring: The Jews will be both wise, strong (Judges and police) and simple (Tamim).
That is why, in the Chabad 'Yeshivas' (schools for higher Torah learning) the pupils are called 'Tamim' because they learn both Talmud to be wise and firm and Chassidut to be humble. And their combination of knowledge (Judges) determination (policemen) and simplicity, is what will bring the redemption.
Because Moshiach will have both of these qualities: He be a teacher and powerful leader like Moses (who brought the Torah) and a simple servant like King David (who brought Psalms) (see Rambam, Malachim, Chapt. 11 and Hayom Yom pg.180)
But bringing Moshiach one moment sooner depends solely on us and we have the power to make it happen! We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish commandments, hopes, prayers and suffering. It all depends on us! Just one more good deed, word or even good thought, can bring
May our saying of Tehillim, learning Torah, and being strong and simple in the ways of HaShem bring us all a good sweet new year with..........
Moshiach NOW!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel
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