Shlach תרל”ה
במדרש חביב לפני הקב”ה שלוחי מצוה שדוחה השבת כו’.
The Midrash (Tanchuma Shlach 1) says that one who is on a mission to perform a mitzvah (shaliach mitzvah) is very dear to HaShem, and it can even override Shabbos, etc.
בא לומר כי מצות שליחות מרגלים הי’ עצת השי”ת לפי שחטאו בני ישראל באמרם נשלחה הי’ זו עצה טובה אם היו מבטלין רצון עצמם לרצון המקום ב”ה לא היו מוציאין דיבה.
The Midrash is coming to explain that the reason why HaShem actually commanded Moshe to send the spies was to counteract the sin of Bnei Yisrael by asking for spies (to spy out Eretz Yisrael which was promised to us already as a good land). (Therefore HaShem commanded Moshe to send the spies and make it now into a mitzvah). Had they then nullified their own desire to the desire of HaShem, (it would have protected them) and they would not have spoken bad about Eretz Yisrael. (See תרל”א 1)
ובאמת מצוה כזו שהאדם משיג טעם המצוה קשה ביותר לקיים המצוה לשם שמים כראוי כמו חוקה שאדם עושה לשם שמים בלבד.
The truth is that when faced with a mitzvah like this, where the person comprehends the reason for the mitzvah, understanding the reasoning actually makes it harder to fulfil properly, as opposed to a חוק a mitzvah we perform without any understanding why, where one is performing it only for the sake of Heaven. (Whereas when one understands the reason for the mitzvah, that can get in the way of acting solely for the purpose of HaShem).
ומכש”כ זה שהי’ עומד השליחות לחטא כי הי’ חיסור אמונה בדבר.
How much more so (this specific mitzvah was harder to fulfil properly) for the original intention was wrong, for it was based on a lack of emunah. (They didn’t trust HaShem properly and they wanted to spy out the land themselves)
אך לפי מדריגת הדור ההוא הי’ דרכם להבטל לרצון המקום כאשר הקדימו נעשה לנשמע לכן הי’ ראוי שכששמעו שנשתלחו בציווי המקום ב”ה היו צריכין לבטל כל דעתם לגמרי ולילך רק לשם שמים.
However, being as the level of that generation was so high, they should have nullified their will to the will of HaShem, just as they did when they proclaimed נעשה ונשמע by preceding the commitment without any understanding.
Therefore it was proper for them to have nullified their entire understanding to the will of HaShem, and do it only for the sake of HaShem.
וז”ש ונותן נפשו בשליחותו. והוא כמאמר בטל רצונך מפני רצונו פי’ אף בקיום מצוה. רק החשק והשתוקקות לקיים ציווי הבורא ב”ה וב”ש צריך להיות כל כך עד שיתבטלו כל רצונותיו לרצון זה. ואז היו ניצולין בכח המצוה.
This is the idea (in the Midrash ibid) “And he gives up his soul for the mission”.
It is the idea of (Avot 2:4) “Nullify your will to His will…” this is also referring to when one performs a mitzvah (it should be done for the sake of HaShem and not limited to one’s own understanding).
It is through having such a strong desire and yearning to fulfil the command of HaShem, that a person nullifies his entire desire to this will (of HaShem). This will then give him the protection that is contained in the power of the mitzvah!
ובאמת כל המצות הם ג”כ תיקון הבריאה באופן זה שאין לך דבר שאין בו מצוה וצריך להיות בטל כל התאות והרצונות של האדם בחשבו שנמצא בכל דבר איך לעשות רצון המקום ב”ה כמאמר הכל לכבודו ברא וע”י הכנה זו ניצל האדם שלא להתדבק בגשמיות הבלי עו”ז.
Now in truth, all mitzvos are all there as a preparation to repair the world. For everything in this world has a mitzvah attached to it (sometimes by abstaining from it). And therefore it is incumbent upon a person to nullify one’s entire desire, by paying attention to each thing that one does, for through this one is able to do HaShem’s will!
This is the idea of (Avos 6:14) “Everything is created for His glory”. It is through this preparation that one is able to be saved from getting stuck in the low physicality of this world.
וכן בג’ ימים קודם שבת שאסור לילך בדרך שישכח השבת. ושליח מצוה מציל אותו שלא להיות מוטרד בדרך לשכוח השבת והוא רמז לכל הנהגת העוה”ז כנ”ל:
Similarly (as mentioned in the Midrash above) it is forbidden to travel (by sea on a non mitzvah journey) three days before Shabbos, for one may forget about Shabbos. However a shliach mitzvah, a person on a mitzvah mission is allowed to, for since he is protected by his mission, he will not forget about Shabbos. This is indeed hinting to how all of one’s worldly interactions should be, as explained above (to be focused on doing everything no matter how physical, for the sake of Heaven, which makes every action a mitzvah and offers us the protection necessary against the negative forces of this world).
ובמדרש יבש חציר כו’ משל למלך שהבטיח מתנה לאחד ומת ונתן לבנו כו’.
The Midrash (Tanchuma shlach 3) quotes the pasuk (Yeshaya 40:8) “Grass withers…but the word of HaShem is everlasting”. This can be compared to a king who promised a person to accompany him, a gift. However this person died. The king then said to his son, I will give you the gift.
So too HaShem promised Avraham Eretz Yisrael, but when he died he gave it to his children.
י”ל בהקדם הגמ’ על מ”ש דוד המע”ה בחנני ה’ ונסני כו’ ולבסוף נתחרט כו’. כי האבות לא היו צריכין סיוע כמ”ש ע”פ התהלך לפני. אבל דוד המע”ה כתיב בי’ ויתחזק דוד בה’ וכן איתא גברא דמארי’ סייעי’ והוא חפץ להדמות עצמו להאבות.
We can explain this Midrash based on the idea of King David, who asked to be tested, yet he subsequently failed in the test and regretted asking for the test.
For our forefathers were far greater, for they did not need HaShem’s help, as it states “go before Me” (Bereishs 17:1), whereas David (needed the extra help) as it states (Shemuel 1:3:6) “and David strengthened himself in HaShem. Similarly it states that when David compared himself to the forefathers, that he was “A man whose master helped him”.
וכמו כן י”ל בעסק המרגלים כי מסתמא אמרו אמת שנראה להם שלא יוכלו לעלות פי’ מצד מעשיהם וזכיותיהם.
Similarly we can explain regarding the spies. They were probably telling the truth, for they saw with the level that they were on, they were not able to enter Eretz Yisrael based on their own merits.
אכן השי”ת הי’ מכניסם בדרך נס וסיוע מצד הבטחת אבות. אך הם רצו להדמות ג”כ לאבות ולעשות הכל מעצמם וזה הי’ החטא שלהם כי אין להתחכם על הנהגת הבורא ב”ה וב”ש:
However HaShem would have brought them into Eretz Yisrael in a miraculous way, with the extra help that He promised our forefathers.
However they wanted to be on the level of the forefathers, and earn it on their own accord. This was their error, for one must not try and be too smart in the way that HaShem runs the world.
כל נשיא בהם. מהם הול”ל.
“…each one (of the spies was) a chieftain among them” (Bamdbar 13:2). It would be more correct to say “from them” (instead of among them)?
גם היו נשיאים אחרים נחשון וחביריו.
Furthermore they were not the only chiefs, there are others mentioned such as Nachson and his friends (why then are these spies specifically chosen)?
אך יש נשיאים מלבר ונשיאים מלגאו וכאן היו צריכין לשלוח אנשים להיות מעשיהם כמעשה כלל ישראל ממש וז”ש כל נשיא בהם כנ”ל:
However there are different typed of chiefs (or leaders). There are those that are ‘internal’, and those that are ‘external’. In this story, it was necessary to send people whose actions were the same as the rest of Klal Yisrael, (that is why these spies specifically were chosen). This is the meaning of “among them”, as above (for these leaders were representing the feeling and level of the nation).
במדרש בא וראה מה בין צדיק לרשע לעובד אלקים כו’ משל המטרונא כו’ יבוא בוקר ונראה למי אוהב המלך.
The Midrash compares the mitake of the spies, to a queen whose maidservant teased her, and claimed to be more beautiful and more loved by the kind. The queen replied, wait until morning, when the king returns, and he will demonstrate who he really loves. So too is the difference between the righteous and the wicked, and between those that serve HaShem and those that do not.
פי’ מי שהוא עובד אלקים בטוח הוא כי יהי’ חלקו בג”ע. אך הצדיק המתחזק בצדקו גובר כל הסט”א ומיישר הדרך לפניו ומי שאינו צדיק צריך לעבור כמה דרכים עקמניים עד שמיישר דרכו בסוף
The explanation is as follows: One who serves HaShem properly is sure to get his portion in the world to come. Yet the righteous (on an even higher level) are so strong in their goodness that they completely overrun the negative forces, and straighten out the path in front of them. As opposed to one who is not that righteous needs to go on many crooked paths, until he eventually straightens out his ways in the end.
כי הצדיק מקורב להשי”ת. ומי שמרוחק מן המלך הסט”א מתגרה בו
For the tzadik is closer to HaShem, however one who is further from the king, is hampered constantly by the negative forces.
אבל צריך האדם להתחזק בהשי”ת ולידע להשיב לו יבוא בוקר ונראה למי המלך אוהב.
Yet one needs to strengthenone’s convictions and know how to rebuff the evil inclination and tell him “The morning will come and the king will demonstrate who He really loves”
וזה שאמר הפ’ כי מי שעובד אלקים הקב”ה מסבב סיבות לבל ידח ממנו נדח. וכן בחטא המרגלים שנקראו רשעים אעפ”כ לא עשה בהם כלי’ ונאמר במדבר הזה יתמו כו’.
This is the idea mentioned in the pasuk (Malachi 3:18) that one who serves HaShem, then HaShem will make changes in the world so that no one will be left behind.
So too was the sin of the spies, even though they were called ‘wicked’, HaShem nevertheless did not completely eliminate Bnei Yisrael, (even though) they (who are called ‘wicked’) all died in the wilderness, yet…
ובנ”י באו אח”כ לארץ ישראל רק שהוצרכו לסבב כמה מסעות ומלחמות עד שתקנו הכל וזה גרם החטא לעובד אלקים אך בסוף מיישר דרכיו כאמור:
Bnei Yisrael (who are called ‘those that serve HaShem’) subsequently did enter Eretz Yisrael, however they had to go through many travails and wars, until they repaired everything. This is what sining does to one who serves HaShem, yet in the end he will ultimately reach the straight even path, as explained.
במדרש וראיתם אותו אור זרוע לצדיק כו’ ראי’ מביא לידי זכירה משל לנטבע בים ואוחז בחבל כו’ כי לא דבר רק הוא כו’ ע”ש.
The Midrash (Tanhuma Shlach 15) “And you shall see them (the tzitzis) and remember all the mitzvos of HaShem”. By seeing the tzitzis one remembers, this can be compared to someone who is drowning and who is thrown a rope to hold onto. So long as he holds on he will remain alive, but if he lets go, he is letting go of life. etc.
פי’ מדכתיב וזכרתם מוכח שיש בכל איש ישראל נקודה פנימיות לשמים ועל זה נאמר אור זרוע כו’.
The explanation is that being as it states in the pasuk (Bamidbar 15:38) “And you will see it and remember all the mitzvos”, this implies that each and every yisrael has an inner point that is G-dly, this is what is referred to “It is a light that shines for the righteous”.
(One can only remember something that one has seen originally. If looking at the tzitzis is going to cause us to remember all the mitzvos, it implies that the mitzvos are all already contained within us, that we can recall them).
וע”י המצוה יוכל האדם לזכור להתדבק באותו אור הגנוז בו
It is through performing the mitzvos that one is able to remember and connect to the hidden light. (This awakens the light)
כי זכירה הוא דביקות ולא תתורו כו’
For the remembrance is the connection (to the source), (yet it is followed by the instruction of) “do not follow your eyes”. (This is because it requires protection for “One’s eyes see, and the heart desires, and the body sins”. Therefore part and parcel of the mitzvah of remembering to the very core is the idea of protecting oneself).
כי צריך האדם לחשוב עצמו תמיד כטובע בים שהסט”א ויצה”ר מסבבין אותו בכמה עצות וכשיודע זאת שהוא בסכנה ואוחז עצמו במצות ה’ כדי להנצל נאמר אח”כ למען תזכרו.
For one needs to constantly think that one is like a person drowning in the sea, and the negative forces and inclinations are surrounding him with many ideas. When one realises that he is in danger, and holds on firmly to the mitzvot of HaShem to be saved, this will bring one to “so that you remember”.
וזכירה זו הוא פנימיות יותר שאין צריך לזכור ע”י מעשה כמ”ש מקודם וראיתם וזכרתם.
This (second) ‘remembrance’ (למען תזכרו) is deep in one’s core, that does not require an action, as stated previously in the parsha.
רק תזכרו פי’ להיות הזכירה בעצם האדם וזה לא יתכן רק באם הוא נקי מגשמיות והנקיון בא על ידי זכירה הראשונה הבאה ע”י המצות כנ”ל:
However here it states תזכרו – which implies that the remembrance is deep inside the person. This is only possible when one is free from physicality, and this (spiritual) cleanliness comes from the original remembrance through the mitzvos, as explained above.
