בּ"ה
Parshas Yisro
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‘And Hashem said to Moshe. . . “And you shall make boundaries around [Har Sinai], saying; ‘Guard for yourselves [against] going up on the mountain and touching its edge; all who touch the mountain will surely be put to death’”’ (Shemos 19:10, 12)
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‘And Hashem said to Moshe; “Descend; warn the People lest they break [their position and come closer to the mountain*] to Hashem. . .” And Moshe said to Hashem; “The People are not able to ascend to Har Sinai, for You warned us. . .” And Hashem said to him; “Go, descend [and warn the Jews]”’ (Shemos 19:21, 23-24)
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Says my Rebbe, HaRav Elyakim Rosenblatt shlit”a: The verses relate that prior to the giving of the Holy Torah, Hashem spoke to Moshe to warn Klal Yisroel to set a boundary around Mount Sinai. Anyone who would climb the Mountain or even touch it would die. Three days later, on the designated day of the giving of the Torah, there was thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud on the mountain. An intensely loud and piercing Shofar blast was heard. The entire mountain was in smoke and trembled violently. The great moment had arrived. The Al-Mighty Himself in all His Glory, descended upon the peak of Mount Sinai.
At this holy moment a strange dialogue took place between HaKadosh Baruch Hu and Moshe Rabbeinu: Hashem said to Moshe, “Go back down and warn the people not to cross the boundary.” Moshe Rabbeinu's response to Hashem was that it was unnecessary to go back down and warn them again, since they had already been warned three days earlier not to touch the mountain. Since they had no permission, they definitely would not climb the mountain or touch it. Hashem's response to Moshe was, “Go back down and warn the people a second time, for one should warn a person both prior to the deed, and again at the time of the deed.” (This is the way Rashi zt”l understands the dialogue.)
Thus, according to Rashi, although Moshe Rabbeinu deemed it unnecessary to descend the mountain to warn the people a second time not to climb the mountain or touch it, Hashem felt otherwise. It is imperative to go back down and warn the people a second time. For although they were already warned three days earlier not to touch the mountain, now, at the actual time of the giving of the Torah they must be warned a second time.
This is mystifying. Why should it be necessary to go back down and warn the people once again not to touch the mountain? For who were these people? This was the Dor Deiah, the most knowledgeable generation that ever lived. This was the generation that was worthy to see Divine Revelations at Yetzias Mitzraim, the Splitting of the Sea, and even now at Har Sinai. This was a generation of Gedolim and Tzaddikim. Do people of such greatness need to be continually reminded of something that had just been told to them three days earlier?
Moreover, who warned them three days earlier not to touch the mountain? It was Moshe Rabbeinu, who did so in the name of the Al-Mighty Himself! Wouldn’t a warning by the man of G-d in the Name of Hashem be sufficiently awe-inspiring to impress upon them not to climb or touch the mountain? Was it necessary to remind them once again, since the initial warning came from such an eminent and spiritually overwhelming source?
Furthermore, Moshe Rabbeinu himself testified that the people heard and fully understood the first warning three days earlier not to climb or even touch the mountain. They had understood it so clearly that Moshe Rabbeinu exclaimed, “The people cannot climb Mount Sinai,” as if to say that it would be impossible for them to climb Mount Sinai since they clearly understood this to be utterly forbidden. If Moshe Rabbeinu himself testified that they did indeed understand this, why then did Hashem insist that Moshe go back down and warn the people a second time? Wasn’t it entirely unnecessary?
The answer is a resounding, “No!” Hashem declared to Moshe Rabbeinu, “I created man. . . I know his weaknesses and deficiencies. I know that although the “Dor Deiah” is a generation of Gedolim and Tzadikim, and furthermore, you, Moshe, warned them in My Holy Name and that you yourself testified that they clearly understood the first warning three days earlier not to touch the mountain, they nevertheless must be warned a second time. For such is the human nature of man. Unless he is constantly reminded, the keenest and most obvious perceptions are liable to, Chas V’Shalom wear off.
May we be ever conscious of our human weaknesses and deficiencies. Unless a person constantly stirs and awakens himself, the most simple and obvious truths will wear off, Chas V’Shalom.
If this can happen to even a Dor Deiah, who were warned by Moshe Rabbeinu in the name of Hashem and after Moshe Rabbeinu’s confirmed testimony that they clearly understood him, then certainly this applies to us. We, who are not on the level of the Dor Deiah, must constantly remind ourselves, “mah chovaso ba’olamo -- what is our duty on Earth.” What does Hashem expect of us? How should we conduct our lives? Hashem created us for the express purpose of having our lives revolve around Torah -- learning it and observing it. We were created to develop our character traits -- goodness, kindness and generosity. We were created to be sincere, holy, and pure. We must constantly remind ourselves of these obligations.
Therefore, how incumbent it is for each and every one of us to study Mussar daily and to become proficient in the Holy Seforim, particularly in the classical Mussar works that open our eyes to these very lofty concepts -- the Chovos HaLevavos, Mesilas Yesharim, Orchos Tzaddikim, and the Shaarei Teshuvah L’Rabbeinu Yonah.
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* Rashi zt”l.
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COMMANDMENT 10: ‘You shall not covet the house of your fellow; you shall not covet the wife of your fellow, and his servant, and his maidservant, and his ox, and his donkey, and anything that is your fellow’s.’ (Shemos 20:14)
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Says the Ibn Ezra zt”l; many people wonder about this Commandment; how can it be that a person will not covet a beautiful thing in his heart?
B’Ezras Hashem, I want to bring five answers to this question:
1) --- Ibn Ezra zt”l: If a villager who has true knowledge were to see the princess, and see that she is beautiful, he wouldn’t covet to be with her, because he knows that that would be impossible.
So too every intelligent person needs to know that good stuff does not come to a person because of their wisdom and knowledge. They only come because Hashem apportioned them to that specific person. And once he knows that Hashem has forbidden to him the wife of his fellow, she will be more exalted [above reach] in his eyes than the princess in the heart of the villager
Therefore, he should rejoice in his portion and not think to covet and to desire something that is not his, because he knows that Hashem did not wish to give it to him. . .
2) --- Beis HaLevi {HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik of Brisk zt”l}: A person has to cross a high and narrow bridge; every step is fraught with danger, and they must focus all their powers of concentration in order to cross the bridge safely. Clearly, with their attention and thoughts completely absorbed in the frightening challenge at hand, at such a moment, they will have no thoughts of lusts or desires.
Similarly, if a person perceived that all the sins of the Torah were as dangerous as a fall from a high bridge into a raging river, they would never covet that which belongs to another. (Quoted in The Torah of Brisk and Other Gedolim: Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur).
3) --- HaRav Yaakov Galinsky zt”l (brought in sefer L’Hisaneig B’Saanugim): Why is the language of the passuk so lengthened, with all the specifics -- ‘the house of your fellow’, ‘the wife of your fellow’, etc. when it ends with ‘and anything that is your fellow’s’, which includes everything?
The answer, though, is that what happens is a person looks at the possessions of their fellow and covets them: Whether it be the ‘house of their fellow’ -- their villa, the garden around it. . . or ‘the donkey of their fellow’ -- in modern day, the new car they have. And we think to ourselves, “It isn’t right that they have this and I don’t!”
But the response to this thought process is that really, it isn’t right for you that you get the person’s house and car, and also keep everything you have in your special portion: Your good health, your good traits, your happy family, and the calm that is in your house. Rather, if you desire something of your fellow’s, get up and exchange everything with him! Take his car -- but with his ulcers and headaches, the trouble in his house, etc.
This is what the Torah means to tell us when it says ‘and anything that is your fellow’s’ -- don’t look at one specific thing or another; look at everything that your fellow has, and you will not covet anything.
4) --- Bnei Yissaschar {Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov zt”l}: You must believe that Hashem gave you exactly that which is best for you. If He didn’t give you wealth, then that is best for you. With this faith, you won’t desire the portion of others, because why should you desire what isn’t good for you? (Quoted in Torah Wellsprings).
5) --- HaRav Akiva Eiger zt”l* (brought in At Home With Torah): We say every day in Aleinu ‘בּשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתּחת’ -- ‘In the Heavens above, and upon the earth below’: This verse teaches us that what applies to spiritual matters (בּשמים), we should look to those above us (ממעל) and strive to be like them. What has to do with earthly matters (על הארץ), though, we should look at those who have less than us (מתּחת) and be thankful that we have more than that.
With this in mind, jealousy becomes somewhat easier to combat!
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* Extremely similar thoughts to this one are said by other Gedolim.
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There are 72 verses in this Parsha. This is the Gematria of the word חסד (kindness). This alludes to the great kindness HaKadosh Baruch Hu did for us by giving us the Ten Commandments and choosing us as His Special People.
(Tal U’Matar)
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|~Maaseh~| It is related that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Eilam zt”l was once told in a dream that he should rejoice in his heart because his dwelling and portion in Gan Eden were equal with Nanas the Butcher.
When he awoke from his sleep, he said “Woe is me! For since the day I was born, I have always been in fear of my Maker, and I have had no toil except in Torah, and I have not walked four cubits without Tefillin and Tzitzis, and I have 80 students -- and my deeds and my Torah [study] are being equated with a butcher!”
He sent for his students and told them, “You should know that I cannot enter to the Beis Midrash until I see who is this man [that I saw in my dream] and what his deeds are that he is my partner in Gan Eden.”
Immediately, he and his students went from city to city asking about the name of the man [Nanas] and his father, until they came to the city where he lived, and they began asking, “Where is Nanas the Butcher?” The people replied to Rav Yehoshua; “Why do you seek him? You are a pious and righteous person and you ask from [i.e. about] a man like him?” Rav Yehoshua asked them; “What are his deeds?” They said to him, “Our master, you should not ask anything from us until you see him.”
So they sent for Nanas and they said to him, “Rabbi Yehoshua is calling you.” He replied that who were he and his ancestors that Rabbi Yehoshua should call him? They said to him, “Stand up and go with us.” Nanas thought they were lying to him, and he told them that he would not go with them, because they were making fun of him.
The people returned to Rav Yehoshua and told him that Nanas did not wish to come with them. He replied, “You should know that I will not sit down until I will see him.”
So Rav Yehoshua himself went to Nanas. When the butcher saw him, he stood up and fell on his face* and asked him basically what special day it was that the “crown of Israel” had come before him. Rav Yehoshua replied that he had a word to speak with him. “Speak.” said Nanas.
“What are your deeds and what is your work?” “My master,” Nanas replied, “I am a butcher and I have a father and a mother who are old and they are not able to stand upon their feet, and every day I dress them and feed them and bathe them with my [own] hands.”
Immediately, Rav Yehoshua stood up and kissed him on the head, and said, “My son, fortunate are you and fortunate is your lot, how good and how pleasant and fortunate is my lot, that I merited to be your partner in Gan Eden. . .”
(Sefer HaMaasiyos)
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* It is unclear whether Nanas or Rabbi Yehoshua fell on their face.
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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!
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