Nitzavim תרל”א
תרל”א
אא”ז הגיד ע”פ לא בשמים היא לאמר כו’.
The Chidushei Harim explained the pasuk (Devarim 30:12) “It (the Torah) is not in the Heaven, that you shal lsa “Who will go up up and get it for us…for it is close to you”
כי למי שרוצה בכל לבו להתדבק בתורה שאף אם הי’ בשמים הי’ מחפש אחרי’ כמ”ש רש”י ז”ל על מי יעלה לנו כו’. אליו היא קרוב באמת ע”כ.
That a person who really desires with his entire heart to connect to the Torah even though it may be “in Heaven”, but he would nevertheless seek it out, as Rashi explained on the words “Who will go up and get it for us” that if it was indeed up in Heaven we would need to go and get it, then for that person it is indeed close to him.
והכל אחר היגיעה מתקרב עד שקרוב אליו שנראה שלא הי’ רחוק מעולם ממנו. ובלי יגיעה נדמה שרחוק:
For everything follows the person’s toil to seek it out and bring it close, for then one actually realises that it was always close to him. However without toiling for it, it will always seem far off.
העידותי בכם כו’ פירש”י ז”ל כלום שינו שמים וארץ מידתם כו’.
“I call on th eHeavens and earth to testify” (Devarim 30:19). Rashi explains that just as the Heavens and earth did not change their traits and behave in their natural fashion so too we are commanded to behave properly.
ולכאורה מאי ראי’ מהם שאין להם בחירה.
However, simply speaking this is a difficult comparison. What sort of proof can we bring from the Heavens and earth who do not have free choice, (whereas man is influenced by his evil inclination)?
אך עכ”פ מובן כי מדרך הטבע להיות נמשך כל דבר אחר הש”י וציויו. א”כ וודאי לא נגרע האדם מזה רק שניתן לו בחירה יצ”ט ויצה”ר. ואם לא יגבור הרע על הטוב ממילא מצד עצמו ימשך אחר הטוב ככל הנבראים.
However we can understand this as follows. For the natural order of the world is that everything follows HaShem and aHis commandment. So too man is not different from this natural order except that he has an additional negative inclination. No if he overcomes his negative drive, then he will automatically, naturally be drawn to the good, just as the rest of creation. (It is for this reason that the heavens and earth can be compared to man).
ומזה מובן ולך ה’ החסד כו’ תשלם לאיש כמעשהו. וקשה מה החסד כדכ’ בגמ’.
With this we can understand the pasuk in Tehillim (62:13) “To you HaShem is kindness for you repay man according to his deeds”. This pasuk is difficult as the Gemara (Rosh HaShana 17b) asks: Is it kindness (חסד) or is it “according to his actions” which implies the level of judgement (דין)?
אך גם מי שעושה טוב הוא מהש”י ורק שהוא נקי ולא נמשך אחר היצה”ר ממילא נתעורר הפנימיות שנתן הש”י באדם לטוב כנ”ל. וא”כ הכל רק חסד הש”י:
However (we need to understand) that even when a person does good (it is not coming from the person’s own decision, rather) it is from HaShem. The person chose to cleanse himself by not doing bad and get drawn after the evil inclination and that automatically awakens the inner pnimius that HaShem implanted in man to do good. Therefore everything is indeed the kindness of HaShem!
וזה התירוץ האמיתי על קושית הרמב”ם איך שייך מ”ע ואהבת וכדומה דברים התלוין בלב.
(Continued from above.) This is indeed the true answer to the question of the Rambam: How can a person be commanded to love HaShem, and similar commandments that are dependent on a person’s feelings? (One is not entirely in control of one’s emotions?)
אך כי נטבע האהבה להשי”ת בלב כל איש ישראל. אך ורק צריך האדם שלא להתדבק בתאוות למשוך אהבה לרע שעי”ז נסתר נקודה האמיתית. ובשמרו את עצמו יתמשך ממילא אחר הש”י בכל לבו ונפשו כנ”ל:
However (since) the love of HaShem is ingrained in every Jew’s heart, therefore all that a person needs to do is not get drawn after the desires which will drive the love of haShem to love of negative, for by doing so , one covers up the point of truth. Yet when a person guards his point, then one is able to draw everything to HaShem with his entire heart and soul. As above.
