Now, among the many opportunities to come physically close to Hashem is the mitzvah to cling to talmidei chachomim. Because on the words ֹבוּו ַּ̃ב¿„ƒ ̇ – and to Hashem you should cling, the Gemara asks הָינƒכ¿ּׁ ַּ̆ב ̃≈ּבַ„¿ל רָׁ ̆¿פ∆‡ יƒכ¿ו – is such a thing possible, to cling to the Shechina? After all, cling means to physically cling. Of course, as I said before, there’s a great deal to be said on the mitzvah of ַּ̃ב¿„ƒ ̇ ֹבוּו in an intellectual sense but there’s no question it includes also physical proximity and closeness to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. How is that possible?
So the Gemara says, יםƒמָכֲחַּב ̃≈בָּ„ƒה ‡ָּל∆‡ – the way to achieve that is by clinging to the chachomim. If you go to the chachomim you’ll find that Hashem is there, by them.
I’ll explain that. You remember when Shaul Hamelech returned from his victorious battle against the Amaleki in the days of Shmuel Hanavi, so Shmuel chided him, יָנ¿זָ‡ּ¿ב הּ∆זַה ן‡ֹּˆַה לֹו ̃ ה∆מּו – “What’s this sound of sheep that I hear in my ears.” It means, “Instead of destroying all of Amalek’s livestock like you were commanded, you brought back the sheep alive?!”
So Shaul excused himself. He said, “I did it only ָיך∆ ֹ̃ל¡‡ ם≈ּׁ ַ̆הַל ַחֹב¿ז ןַﬠַמ¿ל – in order to be makriv them as korbanos to Hashem, your G-d” (Shmuel I, 15:14).
So the Kuzari (4:3) asks a kasheh. He says, “Why does it mean your Hashem? Isn’t it Shaul’s Hashem too? Shaul was a frum Jew! Shaul was a ben Torah and an anav; a very big tzaddik. I’m not just saying this on my own – Chazal say all these things about Shaul Hamelech. So what does it mean, “Hashem your G-d”? He should have said, נו≈ ֹ̃ל¡‡ ם≈ּׁ ַ̆הַל ַחֹב¿ז ןַﬠַמ¿ל – “We want to bring them to Hashem our G-d.”
