Pertinent Inspirational Insights on the Parshah
Translated from the outstanding Lev Shomaya Parsha series that contain highlights of the lectures and deroshos given by: Harav Shmaya Low shlita - London, England
פרשת וישלח
ממונם של צדיקים
וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר.
And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
In this week's Parshah the Torah relates how on the way to meet his brother Eisav, Yaakov and his family had to cross the river Yabok. Yaakov crossed the stream with his wives and children and also carried over all his possessions. The Torah tells us that Yaakov was "exceedingly prosperous"; he owned "large flocks, maidservants and manservants, camels and donkeys" (בראשית ל מג). He singlehandedly shuttled this great wealth of belongings to the other riverbank. After completing the task, וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ, Yaakov remained alone there, in the middle of the night; his whole family was on the other side of the river.
Retrieving the Jugs
The Gemara (חולין צא ע"א) says it is forbidden for a Talmid Chacham to leave his home unaccompanied at night because it is unsafe. Indeed, Yaakov was in danger, וַיֵּאָבֵק אִישׁ עִמּוֹ עַד עֲלוֹת הַשָּׁחַר, a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. The struggle was intense, and in the end, the Malach dislocated Yaakov's hip socket.
According to the Gemara (שם), the reason Yaakov was alone in the middle of the night, despite the danger, was that he went to retrieve some small pitchers that had been left behind on the other side of the river. One may ponder why a wealthy man of Yaakov's stature would risk his life for such insignificant objects.
Safeguarding Our Resources
The Gemara itself answers the question, saying מכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופם. From Yaakov's conduct here, it becomes apparent, that the possessions of the Tzaddikim are indeed dearer to them than their bodies. The Gemara continues by explaining why Tzaddikim value their possessions so dearly. It is because they do not extend their hands to partake of stolen property.
This episode in the Torah teaches us an important lesson regarding the value of kosher money. Sustenance obtained through honest means is holy and should be treated as such. Therefore, it should not be squandered. A tzaddik understands that if he has obtained money through honest and just means, then that money is certainly his, and surely, he has acquired it for a specific purpose. This purpose is likely a holy one, such as feeding his family, giving Tzedakah, or buying an object for a Mitzvah. For this reason, he guards his money zealously, for if G-d granted the money specifically to him, then he must use it for its intended important purpose.
Furthermore, because tzaddikim never want to be challenged with a desire for money that is of questionable origin, they take great care to protect that which they already have, so that they will not be tempted by lack. By conserving the money they earned through righteous means, they minimize the nisayon, the temptation of trying to acquire money unjustly.
Yaakov Avinu's actions demonstrate the extent to which he valued his possessions, as he was willing to put his life at risk in order to save them.
Insisting on Spending
Interestingly, although this episode demonstrates how Tzadikim take care to preserve and guard their money and possessions, there are instances in the Torah that seem to contradict this conduct. Our holy Avos sometimes spent large amounts of money, even on things they could have obtained entirely for free!
In Parashas Chayei Sarah, the Torah tells us how Avraham Avinu wanted to buy a certain plot of land for the burial of Sarah and proposed to pay any sum of money that would be demanded for it. Even when the seller, Ephron, offered Avraham the lot free of charge, Avraham declined, saying, "If only you would listen to me! I am giving money for the field, take it from me, that I may bury my dead there." Avraham actually begged Ephron to accept money from him!
Ephron proceeded to ask Avraham for four hundred shekels of silver. Avraham accepted Ephron's terms and paid the money he required for the plot. Rashi says that Ephron took from Avraham big Shekels (worth a full 100 smaller units), as it says "money current with the merchant," which means coins accepted everywhere as worth a full Shekel, even in places where their Shekels are a larger size. Chazal (עיי' רבנו בחיי פ' חיי שרה) add, that the piece of land in question was not anywhere near the price Ephron was charging Avraham. However, Avraham willingly paid this inflated price.
Why was Avraham so intent on paying the full price? The plot was offered to him free of charge, why did he not accept the offer? We know from the episode with Yaakov and the jugs, that Tzaddikim value their money more than their own bodies. Why then did Avraham beseech Ephron to accept payment?
Burnt Offerings
Rabeinu Bechayei (שם) tells us that Tzadikim detest receiving gifts. He brings an example from Dovid Hamelech. Dovid was commanded to build a Mizbeach on the threshing floor of Aravnah the Yevusite. Aravnah generously offered to gift Dovid the field, but Dovid refused. Similar to Avraham Avinu, he made Aravnah accept fifty shekels of silver before proceeding to establish a Mizbeach for Hashem.
The reason for this can be found in the words of Dovid Hamelech himself. When Aravnah offered the site, as well as animals to serve as sacrifices and the animals' yokes to serve as firewood, Dovid replied: "No, I want to buy them from you for their value, and I will not offer to Hashem my God burnt offerings obtained for nothing." Dovid Hamelech considered it inappropriate to do a mitzvah without paying the full price for it.
Hence if a Tzaddik receives money for a gift, and as we know they understand that everything they have is for an important and holy purpose, then when they proceed to use this money for a Mitzvah, they are not doing so with money they have toiled for. Therefore, they despise receiving gifts, they wish to earn their money through their toil, and to then perform Mitzvos with these hard-earned, holy resources.
Paying for a Mitzvah
In Parashas Terumah, Hashem speaks to Moshe Rabeinu and says דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִי Speak to the B'nei Yisrael, and have them take for Me an offering; from every man whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Zohar Hakadosh (תרומה קכח ע"א) reveals that this possuk also refers to those who aspire to Hashem, and endeavor to do Mitzvos. Hashem instructs them to do it "properly, according to their (financial) means," not "with emptiness and for free." It should be a true offering of the heart.
R' Shimon continues by addressing those that evidence the possuk לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ וֶאֱכֹלוּ וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא־כֶסֶף וּבְלוֹא מְחִיר יַיִן וְחָלָב Come, buy, and eat; come, buy wine and milk (which symbolize the Torah) without money and without cost" (ישעיהו נה א) as proof that one does not have to spend any money to perform Mitzvos. He answers that indeed "Torah can be acquired by anybody who desires it. Anyone who strives after Hashem to know Him will merit it without any payment whatsoever. However, if the striving after Hakadosh Baruch Hu takes the form of an action, it is forbidden to perform that action for nothing and with emptiness. A Mitzvah that is performed without any expenditure will not merit the drawing down of a spirit of Kedushah at all".
For this reason, despite their understanding of how important it is to guard their assets, the Avos still insisted on paying the full amount when it came to fulfilling a mitzvah.
Safeguarding the Mitzvah
The Zohar explains that this is one of the big differences between kedushah, holiness, and lehavdil tum'ah. Tum'ah, impurity, is accessible to all, without any restrictions, because the only purpose of its creation is to act as a temptation to people so that they can overcome it and be rewarded accordingly. It is designed to be a test of one's faith and strength. For this reason, it needs to be tempting, exciting, and available to all; otherwise, no one would be drawn towards it. Without the alluring temptation, nobody would willingly distance himself from Hashem.
The Ohr Hachaim (שמות כא ד) further expounds on the Zohar's statement, "Things that come for free are the weapon of the sitra achara." He explains that money spent on a Mitzvah acts like a shield against the powers of evil. When a person performs a Mitzvah, and it isn't performed with entirely pure intentions, it can allow impurity to feed off its energy. This is because impurity has no existence of its own and can only exist by feeding off holiness. Thus it will sustenance from where the kedusha is incomplete. However, if one spends money on a mitzvah, it creates a barrier between the mitzvah and impurity, preventing the latter from gaining control over the good deed.
The B'nei Yissaschar, R' Tzvi Elimelech from Dinov, writes that this is the reason for the custom of the righteous people to donate money to Tzedakah every time they were honored with a mitzvah, for example, to perform a Bris Milah or even when they were called up to the Sefer Torah so that the mitzvah should not be achieved "for free." (אגרא דפירקא רפ"א)
A Personal Offering
The significance of spending money on a Mitzvah is so great, that it sometimes outweighs other considerations. In fact, the Ben Ish Chai rules that if someone has two esrogim, one that he purchased with his own money and another, nicer one that was given to him for free, he should make the Berachah on the esrog that he bought himself. This is in spite of the general principle that one should perform a Mitzvah in the most beautiful and ideal manner, even more so in the case of an esrog, where the beauty of it plays an integral part in the fulfillment of the Mitzvah. Still, the Ben Ish Chai rules that it is preferable to use the one which involved a personal expenditure, even though the other one is nicer. (תורה לשמה סימן נ)
Why indeed is it so important for one to expend personal resources when performing a Mitzvah? If a Mitzvah is an act that needs to be taken or a deed that needs to be accomplished, is it not the outcome that matters most? Why then is it affected by whether one did or didn't spend money in order to fulfill it?
The Effort is Evidence of the Desire
Our sages explain the reason why it is so important to invest personal resources to achieve the ultimate level of Avodas Hashem. The Mishnah in Maseches Avos (ה כג) states, לפום צערא אגרא according to the effort one is rewarded. A mitzvah requires effort. It is the effort expended, and the thought process that fuels this effort, that is rewarded. When one has to sacrifice something of himself, he ponders the purpose and weighs in on the necessity. The decision to go ahead and give away one's hard-earned money, is thereby fueled by a love of Hashem and His Mitzvos. This in turn lends the Mitzvah its true, exceedingly precious value. For the fact that one has sacrificed his money which he earned through much toil, is evidence of his great אהבת ה'.
Angels Don't Struggle
There is no shortage of Malochim in heaven. The angels are countless in number and always ready to perform their duties with unparalleled speed, described as "arrows flying from a bow" (אקדמות). They never falter, never tire, and are entirely free from distractions or temptations that might divert their attention from the Divine will.
However, when it comes to the crucial task of קיום המצוות the fulfillment of the commandments and the realization of the world's ultimate purpose, the angels were not chosen to achieve these tasks. Instead, mere mortals were tasked with this holy endeavor. Human beings, who, by design, were born into a world of constant distraction and temptation. They are surrounded by ideas and emotions that often run counter to the Divine will. It seems as though they are much less likely candidates for Mitzvah observance than the Malochim.
This argument was actually raised by the Malachim themselves before the Torah was given to Klal Yisroel. The Gemara (שבת פח ע"ב) relates that when Moshe ascended to the heavens to receive the Torah, the מלאכי השרת protested, questioning the suitability of "flesh and blood" to receive this Divine treasure. They argued that the Torah belonged in the heavens and that the angels were the most fitting agents to carry out its laws, citing the verse from Tehilim: "What is man that You are mindful of him, and (what is) the son of man that You think of him?" (תהלים ח ה). Rather, "Hashem our Lord, how glorious is Your name in all the earth, place Your majesty above the heavens" (שם ב). They claimed that the rightful place of God's majesty, the Torah, is in the heavens, and the Malachim are the most suitable candidates to fulfill its dictates.
Hashem tasked Moshe Rabbeinu to provide them with an answer. Moshe asked them: "Is there any Yeitzer Hora, any inclination to evil, between you?" Our Chachomim explain that because the Malachim are free from the inclinations of the Yeitzer Hora, they are entirely not suitable to fulfilling the Torah. Upon hearing Moshe's argument the Malachim instantly agreed.
The Successful Struggle Illuminates the Darkness
The Zohar Hakadosh explains why man, with his powerful evil inclination, was tasked with קיום המצוות. It says לית נהורא אלא ההוא דנפיק מגו חשוכא There is no light but the one that emerges from the darkness. Chazal in the Gemara use a similar expression שרגא בטיהרא מאי מהני What does a candle help in broad daylight? Light is only beneficial in a place of darkness. For this reason man's toil is so precious to Hashem.
A Malach does not struggle to fulfill Hashem's command; his Avodas Hashem is effortless. He has an unobstructed view of Hashem's light, and nothing tempts him to stray from the goal. A human being, on the other hand, has to continuously struggle to overcome his natural limitations and impulses. When a human strives to do the רצון השם, acknowledging the presence and magnificence of his Creator despite being plunged into total spiritual darkness, this effort is extremely cherished on High. Therefore, although the action itself can be performed by a Malach, the effort, which is the main element, can only be provided by a Human being. It is only man who can light up the darkness of the evil inclination and the lowly physical world, through acknowledging the sole purpose of all of creation, to serve its Creator with devotion. Thus, a greater effort and sometimes struggle, reflect a deeper display of commitment and passion, and therefore result in a commensurate reward.
A Complete Offering
By investing their hard-earned money in a mitzvah, a person is, in essence, offering something of themselves to Hashem. בנפשו יביא לחמו Man obtains his bread through his soul-wrenching efforts, as we say in the tefilah of ונתנה תוקף. This means that one must dedicate much energy, as well as many hours of his life to work to pay for his sustenance. By choosing to use the money he earned through his intense efforts for Hashem's sake rather than for his personal gain, he demonstrates that he views himself as well as all his resources simply as a tool to reveal Hashem's glory in this world. A mitzvah done in such form is an expression of a strong love for Hashem and a firm conviction of the truth. This has great value in Hashem's eyes and completes the purpose of the world's creation. When a human being acknowledges the greatness of his Creator, and willingly sacrifices of himself to serve His Creator, it brings about the greatest pleasure to Hashem Yisborach.
This is why Avraham, Dovid and other Tzaddikim in all generations have insisted on paying the full price for the Mitzvos they were performing. They knew that Hashem does not need their action per se, He wants the heartfelt devotion and love that fuel and accompany them. Indeed their love for Hashem was so great, that they deemed it inappropriate to serve Him without investing personal effort and resources.
We too must work on understanding the value of that which Hashem has blessed us with, and preserve it accordingly. In this manner, we will be less inclined to give in to the temptation of taking money which is not ours. Even more so, we will come to an understanding of the great accomplishments one can achieve with this money we have been gifted. For this is indeed the ultimate goal of everything Hashem has created, that we should use it to serve Him and bring glory to His Name. With a proper mindset regarding our resources, we will understand that their best use is for Mitzvos, and we will thus channel them for holy purposes, fulfilling our Avodas Hashem with effort, money and love. May this engender great zechusim, and in the merit of our loving Avodah may we again be able to do the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash Hashlishi very soon! אמן
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