Nasi HaYeshiva, Kerem B'Yavneh
We say every day before Shema: "Enlighten our eyes in your Torah." Rabbi Akiva Eiger once asked: How can every Jew request this? After all, there are many ignorant Jews who do not know even the first thing about Torah?! He explained, therefore, that the "eyes of the congregation" that are mentioned in the Torah refer to the great Torah scholars. The request of every Jew is that Hashem should enlighten the eyes of the leaders and the great scholars in Torah, so that they will lead the nation along a true path according to the Torah. This is the request "Enlighten our eyes – the nation's leaders – in your Torah"
Rabbi Akiva Eiger concludes that this is the reason our parsha writes: "You will go mad from the sight of your eyes." (Devarim 27:34) It means that you will panic from the image of the misguided leaders who mislead the community. (From a letter in the book of Rabbi Akiva Eiger on the Torah)
Rav Kook zt"l also addresses the image of a leader in his commentary, Ein Ayah, to the Gemara (Brachot 55a): "A leader is not appointed over the community unless the community is consulted as it says, 'See, Hashem has proclaimed by name Betzalel etc'. Hashem said to Moshe: "Moshe, is Bezalel accepted by you' etc. He said to him: "Even so go consult Am Yisrael, etc." Rav Kook taught there are three fundamental requirements for a leader:
1. Inner virtues and holy character traits, which are revealed to Hashem alone.
2. Wisdom and the ability to lead the public.
3. Perfection in the eyes of the masses, a man of physical stature and oratory skills, who projects a presence and draw an audience with his words.
The value of these requirements lies in their being possessed in the proper order. The main requirement is perfection in the eyes of Hashem; afterwards comes excess wisdom, and finally comes the outward appearance. Therefore, the initial acknowledgement of the leader must come from Hashem, because when it concerns inner matters only Hashem can see the heart. Afterwards, Moshe was asked to give his opinion, since he could tell if Betzalel possessed wisdom. Finally, Am Yisrael were consulted on his ability to relate to the masses, which is something that anyone can evaluate. However, if the final requirement is viewed by the public as equal to the first and decisive one, and they don't pay attention to the first and second virtues – this person is not worthy of being a leader of Am Yisrael.
Some people interpret this pasuk, "You will go mad from the sight of your eyes," about Klal Yisrael, that you shall become enamored with everything you see. This is the desire to imitate everything that they see in the nations of the world, without checking first whether it is something that is appropriate for Am Yisrael. We forget our uniqueness and our destiny. However, it says about Am Yisrael that they are "A nation that will dwell in solitude and not be reckoned among the nations." (Bamidbar 23:9) The Netziv writes that Am Yisrael's uniqueness lies in its solitude: "It is a nation that will dwell in solitude." However, if we betray ourselves and aspire to become like the rest of the world then they won't take us into consideration and expel us from among them, despite our attempts to integrate with them. Am Yisrael will then "not be reckoned among the nations" – in their eyes we are not even reckoned as human.
This idea is expressed in Masechet Sanhedrin (104a): "I said that Yisrael will dwell in safety in solitude, the eye of Yaakov. Now – alas she sits in solitude." Hashem is saying that His desire is that Am Yisrael will remain solitary and not mix with the nations of the world, and then they will be safe. Now that their desire was to be equal to the rest of the world – they have been isolated by them; no nation values them enough to intervene on their behalf. Similarly, on the pasuk, "Scattered among the nations; they desire closeness," the Gemara (Pesachim 104a) teaches: "What caused Am Yisrael to become scattered among the nations? The closeness that they craved from them." In Shemot Rabbah it says that when Am Yisrael was exiled among the Egyptians, they avoided circumcision. They said: "Let us be like the Egyptians." What did Hashem do? He turned their hearts so that they would hate His nation. The Netziv expands on this idea.
In a similar manner, the Ibn Ezra comments on the verses in our parsha: "There you will work for the gods of others – of wood and stone. You will be a source of astonishment, a parable, and a conversation piece." (Devarim 28:36-37) He writes: "There you will work – and it will not avail you. You will only be a source of astonishment and all those who see you will be astonished."
Am Yisrael exchange their dignity in gentile lands so that they will be liked by the nations, but all their groveling will not help them and they will be "a parable, and a conversation piece."
There is only one path for Am Yisrael: "I am a wall and my breasts are like towers, then I am in his eyes like one who found peace." (Shir Hashirim 8:10) The Midrash explains the metaphor, that to the question: "We have a little sister etc'. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken of?" I.e., where will her strength lie on the day that she will have to deal with the nations of the world? Knesset Yisrael answers: "I am a wall" – this is the Torah, "My breasts are like towers" – these are Torah scholars. [Alternatively,] "I am a wall" – this is Knesset Yisrael, "My breasts are like towers" – these are synagogues and study halls. Only then – when fortified with the strength of Torah, Jewish values, and prayer – "I am in his eyes like one who found peace."
No comments:
Post a Comment