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Vol 16.55 - Parshat HaChodesh           Spanish French Audio  Video

 

לזכות הברית של התמים מיכאל דובער שיחי' לאזאר

 

Hebrew Text:

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Chumash-Bereshit

 

Summary:

(5739) The lesson from Shabbat Parshat HaChodesh that occurs on the twenty-fifth of Adar - the day of creation of the world (in thought).

Explanation of the wording of Rashi in the beginning of Bereshit - "It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from “This month is to you,” Exod. 12:2)  

(5739 Vol XVI 16 Pg 481)

Translation:

1. It has been spoken of many times, that notwithstanding that which the “days of the week” and the
“days of the month” are counted according to two different methods, which are independent (אומאפהענגיק) of each other –

Which accordingly means that when a Yom Tov, that is set (באשטימט) according to the accounting of the days of the month

(Like Pesach, for example which is always on the 15th of Nissan)

occurs on Shabbat, it must seemingly come out, that the two holinesses that are in the same day –

the holiness of Shabbat (which is according to the order of the days of the week) and the holiness of Yom Tov (which is according to the days of the month)

are two separate aspects, which do not have a connection among them.

Nevertheless, since everything (in the world, and certainly) in Torah, is according to Divine Providence, and is precise. Therefore, it is understood that this itself, namely that this day of the month, occurs on this day of the week, it depicts that there is (or, even more than this, that it effects) a connection between them.

(As is known from the proof in the Talmud:

The Talmud states in tractate Zevachim:

“Does then the New Moon affect (אהני) its own Mussaf (additional) offerings and not affect the Mussaf offerings of Shabbat? (this is a question) –

In other words, the question is that the Shabbat Mussaf offerings (korbanot) which are brought on a Rosh Chodesh that occurs on Shabbat, contain within them also the holiness of the (Mussaf offerings) of Rosh Chodesh (for the Mussaf offerings of Rosh Chodesh “are more sacred than that of Shabbat).

Therefore, it comes out that the connection and innovation (affecting/אהני) of Rosh Chodesh is not just in the day, as it is a part of the days of the month, but also in Shabbat (and its aspects), namely that it becomes a Shabbat that is permeated with Rosh Chodesh (א ראש־חודש־דיקער שבת).

Therefore, it is also understood in our case – Parshat HaChodesh, that despite that which it is always bound (not with a specific day of the month, but) with the day of Shabbat, that nevertheless there is a unique lesson (namely in the aspect of “This month” (החודש)) of the specific (באשטימטן) day in the days of the month when (Shabbat) Parshat HaChodesh occurs.

For example, when this occurs (like in this year’s calendar setup) on the twenty-fifth of Adar, which according to R’ Yehoshua (who maintains that the world was created in Nissan) it is the “the first day” of the Six Days of Creation.

2. It states in the Midrash,

“It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from ‘This month is to you’”

One could say, and it is probable to say, according to this, that since the order in Torah is precise and also is (a lesson in) Torah, that “This month is to you etc.” is a foundation and example of the entire Torah – the beginning and foundation of all the Mitzvot is, “This month etc.”

The explanation of this is understood from the saying of the Sages on “This month shall be to you the head of the months” which refers to the month of Nisan, which is the Month of Geulah of the Galut Mitzrayim. The Sages state that “When Yaakov and his sons were chosen, the (New/Rosh) Month of Geulah was established”.

This means that the Avodah of “Yaakov and his sons” – which is the fulfilment of Mitzvot – is to accomplish the aspect of the “Geulah” in the world (as it states “G-d chose His world”).

The world, in and of itself, is in a condition of Galut. For “world/Olam” is from the word “hiddenness/helem” – which means that G-dliness is hidden and concealed in the world. Thus, even though, while in the world, one comes to the recognition that there is a “master” to this palace (בירה), this is only according to how much the world itself proves that it has a master.

In another manner. This is just a recognition in the G-dly light which is enclothed in the world (a measured and bounded light). However, through the Avodah of a Yid, in fulfilling Torah and Mitzvot, the aspect of the “Geulah” is accomplished. One goes out of the constraints (מצרים) and concealments and one draws down the G-dly light which is above the worlds.

Since this Avodah of a Yid effects the aspect of Geulah, it is understood that even this Avodah itself, must be accomplished in a manner of “Geulah”:

A Yid must fulfill Torah and Mitzvot in a manner of “freedom” (חירות) and with a feeling of freedom. This means that he is free (פריי), and not under the dictates of the concealment of the world. Moreover, nothing can deter him from the Avodah of Torah and Mitzvot.

In a deeper manner, this means that a Yid goes out of the boundaries of his own nature. His activity in Avodat HaShem is not limited just to the aspects in which he has pleasure in (געשמאק), due to his nature. Moreover, that even in those aspects itself, his excitement (חיות) in them is just according to what is demanded according to his nature. Rather, he performs all the Mitzvot with a vitality that is not bounded by the soul (נשמה).

This manner of fulfilling Torah and Mitzvot is alluded to in the name of the Parsha, “HaChodesh” (from the word innovation (Chidush). The fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvot must not be performed like one performs an “old” (אלטע), accustomed (איינגעוואוינטע) thing. Rather it must be like a new thing, as it states “Each day let them appear novel to you”. In other words, one performs this with a vitality and dedication. This manifests itself in the fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvot with the greatest beautification (הידור) that is possible.

How can one demand that a Yid should fulfill Torah and Mitzvot as if they are “new”, when his body is immersed (איינגעוואוינט) daily in Torah study and the fulfillment of Mitzvot?

As long as one finds himself in the boundaries of his own being, indeed, he cannot free himself from the feeling that Torah and Mitzvot are, within him, a routine (איינגעוואוינטער) aspect. However, when he “springs out” (שפרינגט ארויס) from his being, he effects within himself the aspect of “going out of Egypt” (יציאת מצרים) in an inner manner ( זין פנימיות׳דיקן) – going out of the constraints and boundaries of his nature – then, even the fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvot, within him is in a manner of novelty (חידוש).

3. One could think, that all this is spoken only with regard to the type of Avodah of Torah study and the fulfillment of Mitzvot, which pertain to the soul. For although Torah and Mitzvot are enclothed in physical things and aspects of this world, nevertheless they have more of a relation to the soul than to the body. Therefore, regarding this, it is understandable, how one can effect within him, the “going out of Egypt”- meaning the constraints and boundaries of the nature of the body - and to perform this Avodah in a manner of novelty/HaChodesh - “This month is to you etc.”

However, when it is dealing with the Avodah of “all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven” and “in all your paths, you shall know Him” meaning a Yid’s dealings with the aspects of the world.

For although it is indeed true, that he does this “for the sake of Heaven” etc. However, it is felt in them that they are “your deeds” (מעשיך) and “your paths” (דרכיך), the deeds of the body. In such a case, how can there be demanded in this Avodah that one should be divested (אויסטאן) from the nature of the body, when at this very time, he is involved in the aspects of the body?

On this, there is the lesson of the calendar setup of Shabbat Parshat HaChodesh when it occurs on the twenty-fifth of Adar – the first day of Creation. This teaches us that that even in the aspects of Creation (the twenty-fifth of Adar) there can and must be the Avodah in a manner of “This month is to you”- novelty - that is above measure and boundary.

4. However, how is it indeed possible that the two opposite aspects should exist at the same time?

Namely, that while being involved in the aspects of the body, one should, at the same time, be divested from the nature of the body?

The answer is that it is because, a Yid has a relation to Creation, as it was created

(not on the twenty-fifth of Elul, like R’ Eliezer - who maintains that the world was created in Tishrei, but)

on the twenty-fifth of Adar (like the view of R’ Yehoshua):

It is known that the two opinions, the view of R’ Yehoshua and the view of R’ Eliezer are both true.

  • (Creation in) Nisan was in a manner of G-d’s thinking of creating the world (עלה במחשבה לברוא
  • However, the actual creation was in Tishrei.

This fits with what is written in the books of Kabbalah that when it says that “the world was created in Nisan”, it means the aspect of Creation that is related to the inner aspects (Pnimiyut) of the worlds. Conversely, when it says that the “world was created in Tishrei” it refers to the outer aspects (Chitzoniut) of the worlds.

The ‘outer aspects of the worlds’ (Chitzoniut haOlamot) is when the world is physically seen (לעיני בשר), as an independent entity, separate from G-dliness. This Creation is from G-d’s Word (for as is known, G-d’s Word is considered deed” (דיבורו של הקב״ה חשיב מעשה)). Speech is manifested in a manner that it appears (with regard to created beings) that it could be, as it were, a separate aspect from G-d.

Whereas, the inner aspect of the world (Pnimiyut haOlamot) represents how the world is inwardly – united with G-d. This is the creation of the level of G-d’s thought, similar to, to differentiate (להבדיל), how in this world (למטה) thought is always united with the person who is thinking the thought.

This is also the relation of the two aspects of creation to the months of Tishrei and Nisan:

  • The Avodah of Tishrei is in a manner of from below to above – the Avodah of Teshuvah. From this itself, namely that one must turn (אומקערן) to G-d, it proves that beforehand one was far (מרוחק) from G-d. From this level in Avodah, it appears simply, that the world is an entity, and one must have proofs and theorems that there is a Master to this palace.

 

  • The Avodah of Nisan - the Avodah of Tzaddikim – is from above to below. One is, from the very onset, close and united with G-dliness. Therefore, for him it is the opposite: One plainly feels G-dliness, and the existence of the created beings, has, for him, a place in feeling only because he has a proof for this from Torah, as it states, “in the beginning, G-d created the world”.

Therefore, the world, for him, is a novelty (חידוש) and it is significant (תופס מקום) only insofar as Torah gives room for it.

Since souls are related to the Pnimiyut of the worlds, the level of thought (מחשבה), it is understood that each Yid has the power to effect that he should discern “G-dliness as a matter of fact, and the world as a novelty” (אלוקות בפשיטות ומציאות בהתחדשות). This means that the proof of the existence of the world is for him only because Torah states “in the beginning G-d created”. Therefore, his every deed is thoroughly (דורכאויס) a Torah-worldview (תורה׳דיקע־מציאות). His involvement with the aspects of the body and world is because Torah tells him to do this. Moreover, this is in a manner of “all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven” and “in all your paths, you shall know Him”.

Therefore, even this Avodah is performed in a manner of novelty – HaChodesh - and innovation, higher than the measures and boundaries of his being and nature.

5. One could say that this very aspect – namely the connection of “HaChodesh” with the “twenty-fifth of Adar” – is alluded to by Rashi in the statement, “It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from ‘This month is to you’”, which he cites in his commentary on the first verse of the Torah, “In the beginning G-d created etc.”. For seemingly, it is not straightforward:

  1. As is known, it is not Rashi’s style to state, beforehand, the difficulties in the verse and then afterward answer them. Rather, he immediately begins with his explanation and reasoning (and thereby the questions automatically are resolved).

 Why then, does he here, beforehand, state the question “It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from ‘This month is to you’” and not immediately begin with the explanation, “He began with ‘Bereshit’ because “The strength of His works He related to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations etc.”?

  1. Even if one were to say, that in this case we would not have understood the difficulty in that which “He began (the Torah) with Bereshit”, without beforehand explaining that the Torah (which belongs to the Jewish people) had to begin with “This month is to you" which is “the first commandment that the Israelites were commanded”. Nevertheless, it is still not straightforward in Rashi’s commentary:

 

  1. Why is it important, here, to translate that “the first commandment that the Israelites were commanded” is “This month is to you”. Seemingly, Rashi should have been concise and said, “It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from the (first) commandment that the Israelites were commanded”?

 

  1. Since Rashi’s question is, as the commentators state, that all the Parshiot until “This month is to you” did not have to be in the Written Torah – why does he use the wording, “It was not necessary to begin the Torah” (which implies that only this beginning did not have to be with this). It would have been more fitting to say (like the words of the Midrash)“It was not necessary to write the Torah except from ‘This month is to you’”?

The explanation of this (in the “homiletic style of Torah in Rashi's commentary” (Yayina Shel Torah)), is:

“It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from “This month is to you,” is not just a supposition (קס״ד), but this remains also according to the conclusion (המסקנא).

Since this is a “the first Mitzvah that Yisroel were commanded, one must say that this is truly the foundation and beginning of the whole Torah (as aforementioned in Par. 2).

This is what Rashi means to allude to, with his explanation on the verse “Bereshit” – “It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from ‘This month is to you’”:

Since (even) “Bereshit - in the beginning G-d created” is a part of Torah, one must say that, “This month is to you” is the “beginning” (and foundation) even of “Bereshit - in the beginning G-d created”. This means that the Avodah of Yidden in the manner of “HaChodesh etc.” – novelty - must begin as the primary and foundation (even) in the aspects of the world, to accomplish the aspect of the Geulah in the world itself.

As Rashi explains in the continuation of his comment: “He commenced with 'In the beginning' because of (the verse) ‘The strength of His works He related to His people, to give them the inheritance of the nations etc.’”

The Avodah of a Yid is expressed in that which even the “inheritance of the nations” – the world – should become redeemed (אויסגעלייזט) and given over (איבערגיין) to the domain of Yidden, who transform this (over) for the sake of Heaven (לשם שמים), and a way to know Him.

6. Another aspect in the connection between “This month is to you” – “HaChodesh”- with the twenty-fifth of Adar is:

The words of the verse, “This month shall be to you the head of the months etc.” refers to Rosh Chodesh Nissan – the sixth day of creation (according to the view of R’ Yehoshua), the day of man’s creation. This is also the connection with the statement of the aforementioned Sages on the verse, “This month is to you etc.” – that, “When he chose Yaakov and his sons, he established it (Nisan) as the Rosh Chodesh of Geulah”. For on that day, man was created and thereby began (אויפגעטאן) the aspect of Avodat HaAdam (of “choosing Yaakov and his sons”), in a manner of “innovation” (חידוש) and “Geulah”, as aforementioned. Whereas, regarding the creation as it is on the twenty-fifth of Adar, before the man’s creation and his Avodah – the creation and existence of the world was in a manner of an awakening from above (אתערותא דלעילא), due to G-d’s desiring kindness (חפץ חסד הוא).

On this, comes the lesson of the Parshat HaChodesh when it occurs on the twenty-fifth of Adar. Namely, that even the beginning of the Creation, which is seemingly, just due to G-d ’s desiring kindness, is in truth and in Pnimiyut, connected with “HaChodesh” – with Avodat HaAdam. This is like the well-known statement of the Sages concerning the general Creation of the worlds: “With whom did the Holy One, Blessed be He, take counsel (whether or not to create the world?) - with the souls of the Tzaddikim.” This means that the entire aspect of the creation is through that which “G-d considered the pleasure that He would enjoy, as it were, from the Avodah of the Tzaddikim”.

This explanation of this is:

The reason that the Creation is because of G-d’s desiring kindness is because before Creation –

meaning the way the G-dly light is still entirely higher that the realm of the worlds and creations-

it was not applicable that the Avodah of created beings should matter (תופס מקום). Therefore, creation could be only in a manner of an awakening from above (אתערותא דלעילא) - due to G-d Himself, because He desires kindness.

However, on the other hand, since He desires kindness, this itself causes that the Avodah of the created beings should indeed matter. Therefore, the cause of the creation is connected (through “G-d’s desiring kindness”) with that which “G-d considered the Avodah of Tzaddikim”.

(This is one of the explanations in the Torah-teaching of the Maggid, that the Creation was “in order that there be Tzaddikim in each generation”. Therefore, since from G-d’s perspective, “the past and the future are equal (שוים)”, therefore “G-d, blessed be He, takes pleasure from the deeds of the Tzaddikim and He contacted Himself (צמצם את עצמו) (to create the world)”.

Similarly with regard to Yidden, the reason that “Yisroel arose in (Divine) thought” (ישראל עלו במחשבה), as he explains, is because with regard to a mortal being “one who never had a son, is not able to say, that the image (צורת) of his son, that he will eventually have, should be engraved (נחקק) in thought . . However, with regard to G-d . . even before Yisroel was created, their form was engraved in (Divine) thought .. For regarding G-d, the past and the future are one.”

Seemingly, what is the innovation of this?

It is simple that G-d is above time, and that the past and the future are, for Him, “equal”?

However, the explanation of this is:

Since it is speaking here, regarding the G-dly light, as it is still higher from Tzimtzum (contraction) and from having a relation – even in potential – to Creation, it is seemingly not applicable to say that “there” (at that level), the Avodah of the Tzaddikim (or “the form of the child”, in general) should be engraved (in thought). Therefore, how can one say that this the cause of the Tzimtzum and Creation?

However, this accomplishes (טוט מען אויף) it:

Due to “the past and the future being equal”, the aspect of the deeds of the Tzaddikim and the “form of the son” are already engraved, in actuality, in the level of “G-d’s desiring kindness” (which is entirely higher than created beings etc.). So much so that this is the cause of the Tzimtzum and the creation).

7. This is also the lesson in actual Avodah. Namely, that even the aspects which come in a manner of Awakening from Above, which are, seemingly, higher than that which the person should have some effect in them, though his Avodah – even these aspects are in truth, connected with Avodat HaAdam.

One could say that this is also the inner reason why the statement, “It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from “This month is to you,” is cited by Rashi immediately in the (first) verse (of the Torah), “in the beginning G-d created etc.”

For with this he alludes that:

When a Yid learns in Torah, the verse, “in the beginning G-d created”, this itself is an aspect of “Avodah”. Therefore, through this, it is accomplished that already in the aspect of “in the beginning G-d created” - which is an aspect of an awakening from above, as aforementioned – that there is the, “This month is to you” – HaChodesh - which depicts the Avodah of “Yaakov and his sons”.

MSichas Shabbat Parshat HaChodesh 5736, 5737

Shabbat Parshat Nitzavim 5734

 

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