The Divine Spark Shines Only in Unity
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Vayikra 19:2
דַּבֵּר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy.
1“You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy.”1 The Midrash says: “‘You shall be holy.’ Could it be that you are to be holy like Me? The verse says, ‘for I am holy’: My holiness is above your holiness.”2 The holy sefarim ask: how could anyone have imagined that we would be, as it were, as holy as Hashem? The holy R' Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov, zt"l, answered, as the Sidduro shel Shabbos records,3 that Chazal meant this: kedushasi lemaalah, “My holiness Above,” comes only mikedushaschem, “from your holiness,” that is, from the holiness with which you sanctify Me below. In the measure that you sanctify Me below, My Name is magnified and sanctified in the heavens on high. This is in the spirit of “Israel sustains its Father in Heaven”:4 through their good deeds Bnei Yisrael bring about holiness Above, as it were. Those are his holy words. But his words need explaining. How can we, mere creatures “formed from clay,”5 give strength and holiness Above, as it were?
קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֵיכֶם (יט, ב). אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ויקרא רבה כד, ט) ׳קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ׳ יָכוֹל כָּמוֹנִי תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ׳כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי׳ קְדוּשָּׁתִי לְמַעְלָה מִקְּדוּשַּׁתְכֶם. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, אֵיךְ סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ שֶׁנִּהְיֶה כִּבְיָכוֹל קְדוֹשִׁים כְּמוֹתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְתֵירֵץ הרה״ק רַבִּי יְחִיאֵל מִיכְל מזלטשוב זצללה״ה (הובא בסידורו של שבת ח״ב א, א), דְּכַוָּונַת חז״ל לוֹמַר, ׳קְדוּשָּׁתִי לְמַעְלָה׳ כְּלוֹמַר הַקְּדוּשָּׁה שֶׁלִּי לְמַעְלָה, הוּא רַק ׳מִקְּדוּשַּׁתְכֶם׳ מִכֹּחַ קְדוּשַּׁתְכֶם שֶׁאַתֶּם מְקַדְּשִׁים לְמַטָּה, דִּכְפִי אֵיךְ שֶׁאַתֶּם מַקְדִּישִׁין אוֹתִי לְמַטָּה כָּךְ שְׁמִי מִתְגַּדֵּל וּמִתְקַדֵּשׁ בִּשְׁמֵי מָרוֹם, בִּבְחִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל מְפַרְנְסִין לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם (זוהר ח״ג ז, ב), שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹרְמִים לְמַעְלָה קְדוּשָּׁה כִּבְיָכוֹל עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים, עכדה״ק. וּדְבָרָיו צְרִיכִים בֵּיאוּר, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁאָנוּ קְרוּצֵי חוֹמֶר נוֹתְנִין כִּבְיָכוֹל כֹּחַ וּקְדוּשָּׁה לְמַעְלָה.
- Vayikra 19:2. ↩
- Vayikra Rabbah 24:9. The Hebrew prefix mi- means both “than” and “from.” So kedushasi lemaalah mikedushaschem, “My holiness is above your holiness,” can also be read “My holiness Above is from your holiness.” ↩
- Sidduro shel Shabbos, part 2, derush 1, ch. 1. ↩
- Zohar III 7b. ↩
- Iyov 33:6. ↩
In shortHis holiness Above comes from ours, R' Michel of Zlotchov taught; but how can creatures of clay give holiness Above?
2We can explain it as follows. Chazal said, “There are three partners in a person: the Holy One, blessed be He, his father and his mother.”6 Hashem's share in the partnership is that He breathed into every Jew a soul that is “a portion of God from Above,”7 truly His own, as it were. This portion is never blemished, even if a person sins greatly, Heaven forbid. So within every single Jew there is, as it were, the holiness of Hashem Himself, and from it flows Israel's power to learn Torah and do mitzvos. This is what R' Michel of Zlotchov meant when he said that “My holiness Above is from your holiness,” and that Israel sustains its Father in Heaven, as it were. He meant or chozer, a returning light, which rises on high from this portion in each Jew's soul. Now we can understand how Israel has the power to sustain its Father in Heaven: the power comes from the portion of God from Above within every Jew.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר, כִּי הִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (קידושין ל, ב) שְׁלוֹשָׁה שׁוּתָּפִין הֵן בָּאָדָם, הקב״ה אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, וְשׁוּתָּפוּת הקב״ה הִיא בְּכָךְ שֶׁנָּפַח בְּכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נְשָׁמָה שֶׁהִיא חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל כִּבְיָכוֹל מִדִּילֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ, וְחֵלֶק זֶה אֵינוֹ נִפְגַּם לְעוֹלָם גַּם אִם יַרְבֶּה לַחֲטוֹא ח״ו. נִמְצָא שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יֶשְׁנָהּ כִּבְיָכוֹל קְדוּשַּׁת הקב״ה, וּמִזֶּה נִמְשָׁךְ כֹּחַ לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וַעֲשִׂיַּית הַמִּצְוֹות אֵצֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְזוֹהִי כַּוָּונַת הָרַבִּי מזלטשוב ד׳קְדוּשָּׁתִי לְמַעְלָה מִקְּדוּשַּׁתְכֶם׳ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְפַרְנְסִים להקב״ה, שֶׁהַכַּוָּונָה לִבְחִינַת אוֹר הַחוֹזֵר מֵחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבָּהֶם שֶׁעוֹלֶה לְמַעְלָה. וּמִמֵּילָא אֶפְשָׁר לְהָבִין אֵיךְ יֵשׁ כֹּחַ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְפַרְנֵס לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁכֵּן הוּא מִכֹּחַ הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבָּהֶם.
In shortEvery Jew carries an unblemished portion of God from Above, and its light rising on high is how Israel “sustains its Father in Heaven.”
3aThis is the meaning of “You shall be holy,” as the Panim Yafos and the Yismach Yisrael explain it.8 The verse hints that holiness is always present in a person: the portion of God from Above that is in every Jew. Even when people sin and cause a blemish, the blemish does not reach this part of the soul. That is the force of the word tihyu, “you shall be”: this portion always remains holy, as in Chazal's saying “They shall be: they shall be as they are.”9 In the same way the Yismach Yisrael explains a Midrash: “‘And Korach, son of Yitzhar, son of Kehas, son of Levi, took.’ Why does it not say ‘son of Yaakov’ or ‘son of Yisrael’? This is what the verse means: ‘With their assembly, let my honor not be joined’: this is Korach. Yaakov said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the world, in the dispute of Korach let my name not be mentioned with those wicked men.”10
וְזֶהוּ ׳קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ׳, דְּפֵירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (פנים יפות, ישמח ישראל) שֶׁנִּרְמַז בָּזֶה שֶׁתָּמִיד נִמְצֵאת בָּאָדָם הַקְּדוּשָּׁה שֶׁהוּא הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאַף כְּשֶׁחוֹטְאִים וּפוֹגְמִים אֵין מַגִּיעַ הַפְּגָם לְחֵלֶק נְשָׁמָה זֶה, וְזֶהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳תִּהְיוּ׳ שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר תָּמִיד בִּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ, עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (פסחים כג, א) יִהְיוּ בַּהֲוָויָתָן יְהוּ. וּבְאוֹפֶן זֶה פֵּירֵשׁ בְּיִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (במדבר רבה יח, ה) ״וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי״ (במדבר טז, א), וְלָמָּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹ בֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית מט, ו) ״בִּקְהָלָם אַל תֵּחַד כְּבוֹדִי״ זֶה קֹרַח, אָמַר יַעֲקֹב לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בְּמַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁל קֹרַח לֹא יִזָּכֵר שְׁמִי עַל אוֹתָן הָרְשָׁעִים.
3bAt first glance this is difficult. Everyone knows that Levi was Yaakov's son, so what difference does it make that the verse does not say so outright? The explanation is that the name “Yaakov” hints at the portion of God from Above within Israel. Of it the verse says, “For Hashem's portion is His people; Yaakov is the lot of His inheritance.”11 So when Yaakov asked that his name not be mentioned in Korach's dispute, he was asking that his portion, planted in their souls, not be blemished, so that through it they could still be repaired. We see, then, that every single Jew has within him, as it were, a portion of the holiness of the Holy One, blessed be He.
וְלִכְאוֹרָה קָשֶׁה הֲרֵי יָדוּעַ הוּא שֶׁלֵּוִי הוּא בְּנוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, וּמָה בְּכָךְ שֶׁלֹּא נִזְכַּר זֶה בַּכָּתוּב בְּפֵירוּשׁ. אֶלָּא הַפֵּירוּשׁ הוּא, שֶׁשֵּׁם ׳יַעֲקֹב׳ רוֹמֵז עַל הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (דברים לב, ט) ״כִּי חֵלֶק ה׳ עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ״, וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב שֶׁלֹּא יִזָּכֵר שְׁמוֹ בְּמַחֲלוּקְתּוֹ שֶׁל קוֹרַח, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבִּיקֵּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא יִפָּגֵם הַחֵלֶק שֶׁלּוֹ הַנָּטוּעַ בְּנִשְׁמָתָם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יוּכַל לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם תִּיקּוּן. הָעוֹלָה מֵהָאָמוּר, שֶׁיֵּשׁ אֵצֶל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד כִּבְיָכוֹל חֵלֶק קְדוּשַּׁת הקב״ה בְּקִרְבּוֹ.
- Devarim 32:9. ↩
In shortTihyu promises an inner holiness no sin can blemish; Yaakov, whose name stands for it, asked that it stay unblemished even in Korach's band.
4aChazal said, “This parshah was said behakhel, at a gathering of the whole people.”12 The sefarim ask why Parshas Kedoshim, of all parshiyos, was said at a gathering, and each explains it in his own way. According to what we have said, we may answer as follows. The Baal Shem Tov, zt"l, is quoted as teaching on the verse “Hashem is your shadow”13 that Hashem acts toward a person the way a shadow does. Just as a shadow does whatever the person does, so the Creator, blessed be He, acts toward a person according to what he does. So if we below quarrel and keep apart from one another, then the Holy One, blessed be He, also keeps apart from us, Heaven forbid. He does not wish, as it were, to be bound to us, and the portion of God from Above within us withdraws from us.
וְהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (ויקרא רבה כד, ה) פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה בְּהַקְהֵל, וְעָמְדוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים מַדּוּעַ דַּוְקָא פָּרָשַׁת קְדוֹשִׁים נֶאֶמְרָה בְּהַקְהֵל, וּפֵירְשׁוּ כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי דַּרְכּוֹ. וּלְפִי הָאָמוּר יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בְּשֵׁם הבעש״ט זצללה״ה (קדושת לוי פרשת בשלח) עַל הַכָּתוּב (תהלים קכא, ה) ״ה׳ צִלְּךָ״, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ מִתְנַהֵג עִם הָאָדָם כְּמוֹ הַצֵּל, דִּכְשֵׁם שֶׁכְּפִי מַה שֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה גַּם הַצֵּל עוֹשֶׂה, כֵּן הַבּוֹרֵא בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְנַהֵג עִם הָאָדָם כְּפִי מַה שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה, וּמִמֵּילָא בְּאִם אָנוּ לְמַטָּה בְּמַחֲלוֹקֶת וּבְפֵירוּד אֶחָד מִן הַשֵּׁנִי, אֲזַי הקב״ה גַּם כֵּן מִתְנַהֵג עִמָּנוּ בִּבְחִינַת פֵּירוּד ח״ו, וְכִבְיָכוֹל אֵינוֹ חָפֵץ לִהְיוֹת מְקוּשָּׁר אִתָּנוּ, וּמִסְתַּלֵּק מֵעִמָּנוּ הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבָּנוּ.
4bNow in this parshah Hashem commanded us, “You shall be holy,” and we can reach this holiness only through the portion of God from Above within us, the holiness of tihyu. That is why He first said, “Speak to Bnei Yisrael and say to them,”14 and Chazal expounded that this parshah was said at a gathering. The gathering hints that we can be holy with the holiness of this portion only when we are all together. Otherwise, Heaven forbid, this portion parts from us, as we saw with the shadow. [We explained earlier, it is true, that even at a time of blemish, such as Korach's dispute, the portion of God from Above remains in Israel. What we mean here is that this part of the soul does not shine into the body to make it holy. Its light is hidden, as it were, and this divine part is cut off from the soul, because the person himself has cut himself off from Bnei Yisrael. But when he joins together with Bnei Yisrael, then, measure for measure, the Holy One, blessed be He, joins together with him, as it were.]
וְעַל כֵּן בְּפָרָשָׁה זוֹ שֶׁצִּיוָּונוּ הקב״ה קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ, וְלָבוֹא לָזֶה יְכוֹלִים דַּוְקָא מִכֹּחַ הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּנוּ כַּנִּזְכָּר, לָכֵן אָמַר הקב״ה תְּחִילָּה ״דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם״, וְדָרְשׁוּ חז״ל שֶׁפָּרָשָׁה זוֹ בְּהַקְהֵל נֶאֶמְרָה, לְרַמֵּז דְּהָא דִּיכוֹלִים לִהְיוֹת קְדוֹשִׁים בִּקְדוּשַּׁת הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל הוּא דַּוְקָא בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כּוּלָּם יַחַד, שֶׁאִם לֹא כֵן נִפְרַד מֵהֶם ח״ו הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבָּהֶם, כָּאָמוּר. [וְאַף שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּעֵת הַפְּגָם כִּבְעֵת מַחֲלוֹקֶת קוֹרַח נִשְׁאַר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁאֵין חֵלֶק הַנְּשָׁמָה הַזֶּה מֵאִיר אֶל הַגּוּף לְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ, וְכִבְיָכוֹל נֶעְלַם אוֹרוֹ וְהוּא נִמְצָא בְּמַצָּב שֶׁל פֵּירוּד מֵהַנְּשָׁמָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָאָדָם עַצְמוֹ הוּא נִפְרָד מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַךְ לְעוּמַּת זֹאת בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּתְחַבֵּר עִם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲזַי מִידָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִידָּה יִתְחַבֵּר כִּבְיָכוֹל הקב״ה עִמּוֹ].
- Vayikra 19:2. The verse reads “Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael”; the sefer quotes it in short. ↩
In shortHashem mirrors us like a shadow: in strife the divine portion within stops shining, so “You shall be holy” was said to all together.
5Along these lines we can find a hint in a teaching of my holy ancestor the Yid HaKadosh, zt"l, on why these two verses stand together: “You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your God, am holy. Every man shall fear his mother and his father.”15 He explained them through Chazal's saying, “There are three partners in a person: the Holy One, blessed be He, his father and his mother.” The verse tells a person that the part of him that comes from Hashem's partnership, the portion of God from Above, is holy no matter what: “for I, Hashem your God, am holy.” His fear and worry need only be for the part that comes from his father and mother, to guard it in holiness. That is “Every man shall fear his mother and his father.” So far his words.16 In other words, the main thing a person must fear for is the part his mother and father placed in him, since this part can spoil even the part that Hashem placed in him. This happens, Heaven forbid, when we quarrel, for then the portion of God from Above does not shine within a person, as we saw from “Hashem is your shadow.” That is why we must live in love and brotherhood, and then this portion within us will be revealed.
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לִרְמוֹז בַּמֶּה דְּאִיתָא מִזִּקְנֵי הַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ זצללה״ה עַל סְמִיכוּת הַכָּתוּב (יט, ב-ג) ״קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ״, וּבֵיאֵר עַל פִּי מַאֲמָרָם ז״ל (קידושין ל, ב) שְׁלֹשָׁה שׁוּתָּפִין הֵן בָּאָדָם, הקב״ה אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, וְאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב לָאָדָם, שֶׁהַחֵלֶק שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִכֹּחַ שׁוּתָּפוּת הקב״ה, וְהוּא הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבּוֹ הוּא בְּלָאו הָכִי קָדוֹשׁ ׳כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם׳, רַק יִירְאוּ וְיִדְאֲגוּ עַל הַחֵלֶק שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מֵהָאָב וְהָאֵם לְשָׁמְרוֹ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וְזֶהוּ ׳אִישׁ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ תִּירָאוּ׳, ע״כ. (דברי בינה ד״ה וידבר). הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָעִיקָּר צְרִיכִים לְפַחֵד עַל הַחֵלֶק שֶׁנָּתְנוּ בּוֹ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו, שֶׁכֵּן חֵלֶק זֶה יָכוֹל לְקַלְקֵל גַּם אֶת הַחֵלֶק שֶׁנָּתַן בּוֹ הקב״ה, וְזֹאת בְּאִם אָנוּ ח״ו בְּמַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁאָז לֹא מֵאִיר בָּאָדָם הַחֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁבּוֹ כַּנִּזְכָּר, לָכֵן אָנוּ צְרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת בְּאַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה וְאָז יִתְגַּלֶּה עָלֵינוּ חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמַּעַל שֶׁבָּנוּ.
In shortThrough strife, the part from our parents can spoil even the part from Hashem, so we must guard it by living in brotherhood.
6May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us be privileged to live in peace and brotherhood, and so bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
יַעֲזוֹר הקב״ה שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְאַחֲוָה וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay we live in peace and brotherhood, and so bring the redemption near.
Takeaway
Every Jew carries a portion of God from Above, a holiness no sin can blemish. Yet Hashem deals with us like a shadow, and when we are divided that inner light stops shining, which is why “You shall be holy” was said to all Israel together. Guarding our holiness means guarding our bonds with one another in love and brotherhood.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.