Shema Yisrael- and Come Home!

As Jews, we say Shema, the declaration of our acceptance as G-d as the one and only Almighty being that created and sustains the universe, twice a day. To most people, the words probably come out robotically- who could blame them? The words are said so often that they take no thought or awareness to get out of one’s mouth!- but for those willing to open up their minds a bit, they will find powerful truths within the prayer.
Parshat Eikev contains the second paragraph of Shema within it. The paragraph discusses the great rewards in store for the Jewish nation should they keep the Mitzvot and live in the Spirit of the Torah: rain for crops, grass for cattle, food to sustain oneself, within Eretz Yisrael. However the paragraph continues, warning the Jews of the sure punishments in the event of their abandoning of G-d for idol worship: draught, famine and exile from the Land of Israel. One of the Psukim commands us:
פרק י"א פסוק י"ח: ושמתם את דברי אלה על לבבכם ועל נפשכם וקשרתם אותם לאות על ידכם והיו לטוטפות בין עיניכם"
Perek 11 Pasuk 18: You shall place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul; you shall bind them for a sign upon your arm and let them be an ornament between your eyes.


Rashi comments on the words “Visamtem et divarai,” You shall place these words of Mine, and says something that seems to be extremely problematic:
אף לאחר שתגלו היו מצויינים במצוות, הניחו תפילין עשו מזוזות, כדי שלא יהיו לכם חדשים כשתחזרו....
Even after you are exiled, you must distinguish yourselves by performing Mitzvot, set the Tefilin in place, affix the Mezuzot, so that they do not seem novel when you return.
Rashi takes this Pasuk as a commandment to continue with the Mitzvot of Tefilin and Mezuzot during the exile for the purpose of remembering them for when we return to Eretz Yisrael. This is the problem: All Mitzvot can be divided into 2 categories- Chovot HaGuf and Chovot HaAretz- Mitzvot done always, regardless of a person’s location, and Mitzvot only done when one is in Eretz Yisrael. Tefilin and Mezuza are both Chovot HaGuf- done regardless of location- yet Rashi’s rationale only makes sense if the Mitzvot are understood to be Chovot HaAretz- dependant upon being in Eretz Yisrael.
Other commentators try to grapple with this problem. Ramban, Nachmanidies, comments on this and says:
המצות האלו חובת הגוף ולא חובת הארץ. יש במדרש הזה סוד עמוק שאני כבר רימזתי עליו בויקרא.
These Mitzvot are done regardless of location and are not dependant upon being in Eretz Yisrael. This midrash contains within it a deep secret to which I already hinted in (sefer) Vayikra.
Ramban does not elaborate on the nature of this deep secret. Lucky for us, the Maharal MiPrague, in his sefer, Gur Aryeh, does. He first gives a very technical answer, which I will not discuss here, but then offers clarification to the words of the Ramban, and in doing so, sends us a very powerful message.
To understand the Maharal’s answer, we must first quickly learn the Midrash in Sifri that Ramban was talking about, and upon which Rashi based his comment. The Midrash gives us an allegory of a king who exiles his wife to her father’s home but commands her to continue wearing her royal jewelry so that she will not forget what that is like when he calls her to return to him as his queen. Now, the Maharal’s answer. The Maharal states that Ramban referred to the Torah as “Mishpat Elokei Ha’Aretz,” G-d’s laws for the Land (of Israel). This explains why the Avot only kept the Torah within the Land of Israel (The classic example of this being that Yaakov marries two sisters, Rachel and Leah, which is forbidden, outside of Israel. As soon as they return to Israel, Rachel dies in childbirth.). Now, every Mitzva that is Chovat HaGuf is still a commandment that Bnei Yisrael must uphold, even though it is not so proper to be doing Mitzvot outside of Israel, because the Torah is “Mishpat Elokei Ha’Aretz.” However, G-d had to command us in the upholding of these Mitzvot in Chutz La’Aretz because, otherwise, Bnei Yisrael will surely forget the Mitzvot and would need a second giving of them- a second Matan Torah- upon their return to Eretz Yisrael, which will never happen- there can never be a second giving of the Torah, the first one is always valid.
Now, let’s go back and answer everything. Rashi takes this Midrash and compares Bnei Yisrael to the exiled queen, the Mitzvot to her jewelry and of course, the king to G-d. The comparison would have fit if not for the fact that the Mitzvot Rashi uses, Mezuza and Tefilin, are Mitzvot we have to uphold everywhere we are, even in Galut. So the Maharal solves this problem by explaining to us that the Torah and her Mitzvot are ideally meant to be kept in the Land of Israel, and the only reason we have Mitzvot Chovot HaGuf is so that we will remember how to keep the Mitzvot when we return to the Land of Israel!
I believe that anyone who has paid attention will see that the Maharal is correct. When I am in Chutz La’Aretz, my tefilla is only half-there. I can close my eyes to try and shut out the world around me, but I am still too aware of myself and my surroundings to be totally absorbed in what I’m saying. Yet when I’m in Israel, I can connect to the words I’m saying in such a natural way- and my surroundings add to it! It’s an absolutely beautiful experience.

May we all soon see the day when we are all fulfilling the Mitzvot in their, and our, true home. Amen!

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Parshat Eikev: The Source of our Sustenance

Among the many deep facets of this week’s parshah, there’s an idea that is worth noting. In the Talmud (a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history) we find a discussion concerning Rosh Hashannah. An opinion in the Talmud states that Rosh Hashannah is designated as the new year for judgement; meaning, that at the beginning of the year (on Rosh Hashannah) heavenly judgement is already issued regarding what will occur in the (upcoming) year’s end. The Talmud brings a verse from the Torah to solidify its statement:

“…from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.” [Deutoronomy: 11: 12]

The Talmud understands this verse to mean that Hashem (God) will decide, from the year’s onset, what will befall the whole world (*See footnote*) throughout the entire year until its end.

The above verse is actually quoted from our week’s Torah portion, and if one were to examine it a bit closer (note that the Talmud only quoted half of the verse) a serious question may arise.

The verse reads in full:

“[Israel is] a land that Hashem, your God, seeks out; the eyes of Hashem, your God, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.” [ibid.]

As can be seen, the verse is talking about how God’s supervision over the land of Israel is constant, ongoing throughout the entire year. So the obvious question is: Why is this verse the source for judgement on Rosh Hashannah for the entire world? Furthermore, the verse appears to have nothing to do with the concept of Rosh Hashannah or judgement what so ever!

A possible answer to this question is that the heavenly decree that is issued forth for the entire world on Rosh Hashannah is dependant upon Israel’s status. If, for instance, the land of Israel isn’t in its proper state and is not holding on a sufficient level of holiness, the entire world will suffer. The holiness that is imbued within our source of nourishment will be tainted if the land of Israel is lacking in spiritual completion.

This is in fact why the blessings we recite after eating include a considerable section involving a relationship to the land of Israel and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. After eating, at one point we’ll recite thanks to Hashem for providing us with the food we just consumed, but then all of a sudden we find ourselves asking God to rebuild Jerusalem! What does rebuilding Jerusalem have to do with what we just ate!?

According to what we’re discussing, it’s because the Holy Temple (which was of course in Jerusalem) housed God’s providence in this natural world. Meaning, the Temple was the channel for spirituality to become manifest in the physicality of this world. Our Rabbis tell us that the actual point where heaven and earth meet is found within the Kodesh Hakedoshim (literally the “holiest of holies”, the most sacred room of the Temple, and in fact the most sacred room on earth). Therefore, Jerusalem and the Temple represent the ultimate idea of the fusion between physical and spiritual in this world.

However, without our Temple, this fusion is greatly hindered. The once bound opposites of Heaven and Earth have now become undone and are drastically separate within this world, longing to be brought back together. Therefore, our purpose is to sanctify this world as much as we can in order to bring the Humpty-Dumpty of spirituality and physicality “back together again”. Now we can understand that after eating, which is just about the most physical thing we ever do, we beg Hashem to return Jerusalem, to return that spiritual element that brings Godliness and life to the food we eat everyday.

This is a fundamental idea in Judaism, and truly gives meaning to the after-blessings recited after our meals. May we merit to push ourselves as much as possible to merge physical with spiritual and live to see the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.

Good Shabbos,

NZL


*There may be a mistaken notion that Rosh Hashannah is the New Year for the Jews; this is wrong! Rosh Hashannah is indeed the day that God created the world, so it therefore represents the New Year for the entire world and for all the nations that dwell within it. Rosh Hashannah can be called the “Jewish” New Year only because it is the days that we, as Jews, believe the world was created. In fact, exactly six months after Rosh Hashannah is the 1st of Nissan (the month that Passover falls in) which is the real “New Year for the Jews” but that lies beyond the scope of the essay.

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