KabbalaOnline.org Beshalach 5783 Chasidic Masters Insights on the Torah Reading
KabbalaOnline.org Beshalach 5783 Chasidic Masters Insights on the Torah Reading
Dedicated
in loving memory and for the merit of
Miriam Henny bat David HaLevi a”h
May her neshamah have a great aliyah
In the Dead of Night
Chasidic Masters
Intermediate
By David
Sterne, based primarily on Shem miShmuel.
Finally,
after the plague of the first-born, Pharaoh sends the Jews out of Egypt in the
dead of night. We see later that once the Jews are in the desert, G‑d carries
them "on the wings of eagles" and does other miracles to
shorten their path. But here in the Exodus itself, we find that they
are obligated to walk night and day in order to escape. Why?
Shem miShmuel answers that day and night
represent two different aspects of serving G‑d.
The day stands for a clear understanding of what we have to do – we know which
path to take and why. But, there are times in life when we don't know at all
which path to take, nor do we sense where we are going. We are stumbling,
trying to find our way through the darkness. At such times, when we don't have
our own internal compass to guide us, we have to proceed on faith alone,
knowing that G‑d is guarding us from going astray. This kind of spiritual service
is called "night."
And
that is why the Torah tells us that the Jews had to walk both
"day and night," in order to teach us that in all situations – even
those which we don't understand – we must rely on G‑d.
Shem
miShmuel also points out that when the Torah describes
the night journey out of Egypt, it refers to both Moses and his
brother Aaron. However, when it comes to crossing the Red Sea, the Torah
mentions only Moses.
Why
does the Torah leave out Aaron (who certainly crossed with the Jews and played
a leadership role)? And why does it divide the exodus into two episodes – first
the leaving of Egypt and then the crossing of the sea?
In
answering these questions, Shem miShmuel refers to an earlier
Torah relationship – that of Joseph and his brothers. According to
Shem miShmuel, Joseph represented the mind, and his brothers represented the
heart. Joseph's service of G‑d was an intellectual/meditative approach, while
that of his brothers was an emotional/expressive approach. Since the heart and
emotions must always be subservient to the mind and intellect, Joseph dreamt of
his brothers bowing down to him.
A
similar relationship, says Shem miShmuel, existed between Moses and
Aaron. Moses was the mind, and Aaron was the heart. Aaron was known to
"love peace, pursue peace, love his fellow men, and bring them closer to
Torah." But, it was Moses who communicated with G‑d, decided what to say
to Pharaoh, and made leadership decisions. It was Moses who would ultimately
bring the Torah to the Jews, from Above to below, while Aaron would inspire the
Jews by lighting the candles of the Menorah in the Tabernacle,
lifting them up from below to Above.
And
that's why, says Shem miShmuel, both Moses and Aaron are mentioned
regarding leaving Egypt. The slavery in Egypt was a slavery of both heart and
mind. The slavery of the heart was meant to rectify the sin of illicit relations
(transgressions of the heart). The slavery of the mind (when Pharaoh's
oppressive decrees left the Jews no time to think) was intended to rectify the
transgressions of idol worship (a transgression of the intellect).
The
exodus from Egypt – at midnight after the plague of the first-born—began when
the emotional rectification of the Jews was complete. Both Moses and Aaron were
mentioned regarding the exodus, since both the heart (Aaron) and the mind
(Moses) were involved. However, the crossing of the sea took place, only as the
intellectual transgression of the Jews (idol worship) met its rectification.
This required the involvement of Moses, because the Jews had fallen so deeply
into a state of spiritual impurity that they could not emerge of their own
volition – they needed Moses to lead them out. It was only Moses (not Aaron)
who could provide this level of intellectual leadership. It was only Moses who
could instill in them the necessary faith to overcome their devotion to idols,
and thereby lead them across the Red Sea. That's why, unlike during the initial
steps out of Egypt when Aaron was also mentioned, only Moses is mentioned when
it comes to the crossing of the Red Sea.
From
here we learn the importance of cleaving to the leaders/rabbis of our
generation. There is only so much that we can do ourselves – our yetzer
hara (evil inclination) mires us in our own limitations (our own
Egypt). We need the intellectual inspiration of the leaders of our generation
to pull us out of the emotional and intellectual morass in which we find
ourselves.
May
we merit to see the ultimate leader revealed in front of our own eyes,
the Mashiach leading all the Jews to the Holy Land and building the
Holy Temple very soon!
[From
"Inner Lights from Jerusalem" based on the Shem
miShmuel and other Chassidic and Kabalistic Sources, translated and
presented by Rabbi David Sterne]
By
David Sterne, based primarily on Shem miShmuel.
David
Sterne, originally of Los Angeles, is the founder and director of
"Jerusalem Connection," an educational outreach organization in the
Old City of Jerusalem, where he lives. He is the author of "Love Like Fire
and Water: A guide to Jewish Mediation" and "Inner Lights of
Jerusalem" -- Insights on the Weekly Torah portion based primarily on Shem
miShmuel.
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