Lech Lecha תרל”ד 1

במדרש שמעי בת כו’ בירה דולקת כו’. דקשה הפסוק שמעי כו’ ואח”כ הטי אזנך.
In the Medrash (see above) “Hear my daughter and turn your ear”. It is compared to someone who saw a building completely lit up and realised there was an owner, so too Avraham realised there was an owner of the world.
However the Medrash is bothered by why it says first listen and then turn your ear (First one turns to hear and then hears)?
אך דכ’ אל הארץ אשר אראך ולמה לא הראהו מיד.
We can understand this from commandment that HaShem told Avraham, “Go to the land that I will show you”. Why didn’t HaShem immediately reveal to Avraham where to go? (See Rashi).
והענין כי יותר נייחא להשי”ת מהרצון והתשוקה שיש לכל איש ישראל להתקרב אליו ולהשיג דברי תורתו מאחר ידיעתו
The idea is that HaShem prefers the will and desire that any new has to become close to HaShem and to comprehend the words of His Torah, over the actual knowledge of HaShem that one may attain. (When a person doesn’t understand and he longs to understand, he nullified himself so something greater) (צמאה לך נפשי).
כי הרי זה הרצון מזכהו להתקרב ולהשיג.
This is because the desire is what enables one to become close to HaShem and comprehend Him.
ומוכח שזה יותר חשוב לפניו ב”ה.
This therefore proves that it is more important to HaShem. (Because it is not the knowledge that gives one the ability to become close but the desire. Therefore the desire is primary).
וסדר איש ישראל ע”י שמשתוקק להשיג ולשמוע בקולו ית’ זוכה לשמוע.
The structure of growth of every Jew is through the longing to understand and hear HaShem’s voice one merits to hear it
ואח”כ צריך להכניס ההשגה בעומק הלב שתביאהו לתת לב יותר בעומק להיות תשוקתו יותר לשמוע ויזכה לשמוע יותר.
And then once one has merited to that stage, one needs to take the knowledge and internalise it deep in one’s heart so that it will bring him to a greater level of desire to merit to hear more
וכן תמיד.
And so it is always, this is the cycle of growth
ואין נייחא כי אדם לעמל יולד ומנוחה לצדיק בעוה”ב.
And there is no rest, for a person was born to tool and the rest for tzadikim is only in the world to come
ובעוה”ז רק היגיעה ממדריגה למדריגה
However in this world there is only the constant striving from level to level
וז”ש בירה דולקת
This is the meaning of the Medrash that Avraham saw a building lit up (The simple explanation is that he saw the wicked always chasing more and more or the explanation of the Chidushei Harim explained above, that everything was chasing a certain point). That Avraham was perplexed why is everything in this world moving to a certain point
והי’ חידוש בעיני אברהם כי כל דבר צריך להיות במקום מנוחתו ושרשו.
For this was a novel concept for Avraham, as he originally thought that everything should be in its place and its source. (Like we find when Bnei Yisrael entered the land of Israel each person was under his vineyard.)
והשיבו השי”ת כי כן רצונו ית’ שבעולם הזה יהי’ רק יגיעה ולא מנוחה.
And HaShem’s response to Abraham’s question was that this is indeed the will of HaShem that in this world we only have effort and toil and no rest
וזה אשר אראך כי ידע שלא ישיג בשלימות בעולם הזה רק להיות משתוקק תמיד כל ימי חייו.
And this is the meaning “go to the land that I will show you”. HaShem was revealing this idea to Avraham, that he always needs to head to the unknown to the next level, for he wanted Avraham to realise that he will never reach perfection in this world but he always needs to desire his whole life
וזה שמעי כו’ והטי אזנך כו’.
And this is what is meant by hear… and listen (that there is an initial stage of hearing and then one needs to turn again and internalise the hearing to move to the next stage of nullification to understand more)
שמעתי מאא”ז ז”ל בירה דולקת מלשון דלקת אחרי שכל דבר משתוקק ורודפת תמיד אחר השלימות כנ”ל:
And in the name of the Chidushei Harim, that the word דולקת lit up, can also mean to chase, for everything is always longing and chasing perfection as above.