CHASAM SOFER – BEHAALOSCHA

The Light of Torah

 דַּבֵּר אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת אֶל־מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת

Speak to Aharon and say to him: When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light (8:2).

The verse teaches that the flames of the six outer lamps must be directed toward the center of the Menorah. What does this arrangement of the flames symbolize? It can be understood based on the following introduction.

Hashem showers us with blessing in accordance with our performance of mitzvos. Every mitzvah that we perform, so to speak, “unlocks” Hashem’s blessing by making us worthy of receiving that blessing. And each individual mitzvah is the key to a specific aspect of His blessing; when we do a particular mitzvah, we merit to unlock the blessing associated with that mitzvah.

Now, the light of the Menorah represents the Light of Torah (see Bava Basra 25b with Rabbeinu Gershom ד”ה ומנורה, and Shemos Rabbah 36:2-3). One might thus think that the purpose of lighting the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash is to make us worthy of receiving Hashem’s ultimate blessing — the gift of Torah knowledge. But it is not so. Unlike other aspects of Hashem’s blessing, which might be activated by a person’s physical performance of a mitzvah, Torah knowledge is so spiritually sublime that it cannot possibly be acquired as a result of man’s physical actions. Rather, Hashem grants the gift of Torah knowledge to one who toils diligently to understand the Torah and plumb its depths. When a person invests the required effort to uncover the secrets of the Torah, he is awarded those secrets directly from Hashem. But no physical action on man’s part – not even a mitzvah action – can possibly make him worthy of unlocking the channel of Torah knowledge and drawing down this exalted blessing upon himself.

The arrangement of the Menorah’s lights, with the six outer lamps directed toward the middle one, is meant to teach this lesson. While the outer lamps of the Menorah symbolize the Light of the Torah, the center lamp represents Hashem, the Source of this Light. By directing the outer lamps towards the middle one, we indicate that the Light of the Torah can be kindled by Hashem alone. Our physical kindling of the lamps does not cause their light to shine outward toward us; rather, it causes them to turn inward toward the Light of Hashem, which is what enlightens us and illuminates our lives.

***

With this understanding of the verse, we may explain a statement of the Gemara in Shabbos (22b). The Gemara remarks: “Does Hashem need the light of the Menorah? Why, during the forty years that the Jews were in the Wilderness they traveled by the Light of Hashem Himself! Rather, the light of the Menorah testifies to the entire world that the Shechinah dwells among the Jewish People.”

How does the light of the Menorah provide this testimony?

Based on the above, we may explain that the Gemara’s question, “Does Hashem need the light of the Menorah,” means the following: Can it be that we light the Menorah in order to make ourselves worthy and thus “enable” Hashem to grant us the blessing of Torah knowledge? Why, this cannot be the purpose of the mitzvah, since the Jewish People traveled in the Wilderness for forty years by Hashem’s Light! During those forty years, they experienced the illuminating Light of Torah Knowledge directly from Hashem, Who spoke to them “Face to face” at Sinai (Devarim 5:4). Surely, no physical mitzvah act can gain us access to that Light, nor is it needed to bring us that Light!

The Gemara answers that indeed, the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah is not meantto unlock the blessing of Torah knowledge. Rather, since the Menorah’s light is in fact totally unnecessary — as seen from the fact that the six outer lamps face the middle one — the Menorah serves to remind us that when we toil in Torah we receive knowledge directly from Hashem, as the Jewish People did in the Wilderness. This testifies that the Shechinah rests among the Jewish People (Chasam Sofer al HaTorah, p. 31, ד”ה בהעלתך ב).

In Memory of
R’ Yakov ben R’ Shmuel Yosef
and R’ Shimon ben R’ Moshe ע”ה 
© Copyright 2019 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.

To download a printable copy, click here: Chasam Sofer – Beha’aloscha

CHASAM SOFER – NASO

An Elevation for All Jews

נשא את ראש בני גרשון גם הם לבית אבתם למשפחתם

Take a census of the sons of Gershon, them as well, according to their fathers’ household, according to their families (4:22).

Why does Hashem say that the sons of Gershon, “them as well,” should be counted? Would there be a reason to exclude them from the count? It is also of note that here the verse states לבית אבתם למשפחתם, according to their fathers’ household, according to their families, while in regard to the sons of Kehas (above, v. 2) and the sons of Merari (below, v. 29) it uses the opposite order: למשפחתם לבית אבתם, according to their families, according to their fathers’ household. Why is the order different for the sons of Gershon?

The names of Levi’s sons may be understood homiletically as allusions to the Jewish People, at various stages in history. The name “Kehas” connotes an ingathering or an assemblage, as in the verse ולו יקהת עמים, and his will be an assemblage of nations (Bereishis 49:10). This refers to the times when the Jews were together, serving Hashem in Eretz Yisrael. The name “Merari,” on the other hand, connotes bitterness, as in וימררו את חייהם, and they embittered their lives (Shemos 1:14). This refers to the many countries where Jews have been subject to misery and suffering. Despite this, they built communities and institutions that remained loyal to Hashem and the Torah. Both the “Kehas” and the “Merari” Jews brought glory to our forefathers, all the way back to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.

But there were other Jews, symbolized by “Gershon,” a name that connotes expulsion, as in ויגרש את האדם, and He expelled Adam (Bereishis 3:24), but does not include a connotation of bitterness. This alludes to Jews who have been banished from their Land and dispersed throughout the nations, but have flourished in their host countries. They felt “at home” in their lands of exile, and began to blend into their surroundings, gradually assimilating and losing their Jewish identity.

            Our parashah tells us that all three categories of Jews are to be counted. Now, the term נשא, in addition to “count,” can be interpreted as “elevate.” When Israel serves Hashem loyally, that is a source of merit even for the Patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. The “Kehas” and “Merari” Jews are themselves elevated, and moreover, bring credit to their forebears. Thus, the Torah says, למשפחתם לבית אבתם — their elevation begins according to their families, and then brings credit according to their fathers’ household. But what of the “Gershon” Jews, the ones who have drifted away. Do they have a share in elevation?

            The Torah tells us that not only are the “Gershon” Jews to be counted, they can be elevated. How is this possible? In response to this, the Torah says לבית אבתם, according to their fathers’ household, which refers to the Patriarchs. Indeed, these Jews are unable to provide merit to their forebears, and they even lack the merit for their own elevation, but nevertheless, they are able to be elevated through זכות אבות, the merit of our forefathers. A person’s forebears can be a source of benefit to him, and allow him to gain merit despite his own limitations. Thus, our verse says, Elevate the sons of Gershon, them as well — no less than the virtuous “sons of Kehas” and “sons of Merari.” How are the “sons of Gershon” elevated? It is according to their fathers’ household, by virtue of their previous generations, which will bring merit even למשפחותם, to their [own] households. Although these Jews have little merit of their own, they will be elevated “as well,” through the merits of their forefathers (Toras Moshe HaShalem, p. 25, ד”ה נשא).

In Memory of
R’ Yakov ben R’ Shmuel Yosef
and R’ Shimon ben R’ Moshe ע”ה
© Copyright 2019 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.

To download a printable copy, click here: Chasam Sofer – Naso

All parents want the best for their children – that they should be good and upright, that they have everything they need for a fruitful, joyous life.

The classic work, Shelah HaKadosh, contains a prayer that parents should recite for their children at any time of the year – but especially before Rosh Chodesh Sivan, for that is the month when G-d gave us the Torah, and when the Jewish people began to be called His Children.

Click here to view, print or download: Tefillas Hashelah – A Parent’s Prayer.

There is a widespread custom for parents to bless their children – young and old – on the afternoon of erev Yom Kippur. The text of Bircas Habanim / Blessing of the Children has been prepared for you to download from both the Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Machzor and the Seif Edition Transliterated Machzor.

Click here to download from the Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Machzor

Click here to download from the Seif Edition Transliterated Machzor

G’mar Chasima Tova!

 

Today, May 14th, is Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan – the day before the start of the month of Sivan, in which we received the Torah. It is a custom on that day for parent’s to recite Tefillas Hashelah – the prayer written by the Shelah Hakodosh for parents to say on behalf of their children.

Click here to view, print or download: Tefillas Hashelah – A Parent’s Prayer.