Holiness Within the Community, Not Apart From It
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.
Rashi: “Speak to the entire assembly” teaches that this parshah was said at a gathering of the whole people, because most of the essentials of the Torah depend on it.
1“Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy …”1 The holy Ohr HaChaim asks why the verse uses two verbs, “speak … and say.”2 What is more, dibbur, “speaking,” is a harsh word, while amirah, “saying,” is a gentle one.
דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ וְגוֹ׳ (יט, ב). הִקְשָׁה הָאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ לָמָּה כָּפַל וְאָמַר ׳דַּבֵּר וְאָמַרְתָּ׳, וְעוֹד דְּדִיבּוּר הוּא לָשׁוֹן קָשָׁה וְאִילּוּ אֲמִירָה הִיא לָשׁוֹן רַכָּה.
In shortWhy does the verse say both “speak” and “say,” when “speaking” is harsh and “saying” gentle?
2Rashi comments: “This teaches that this parshah was said behakhel, at a gathering of the whole people.” The commentators, the Ohr HaChaim, the Sifsei Chachamim and the Maskil LeDavid, ask: surely the whole Torah was said at a gathering of all Israel, as the Gemara describes!3
וברש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ בְּהַקְהֵל, וְהִקְשׁוּ הַמְּפָרְשִׁים (אור החיים, שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד) הֲרֵי הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ נֶאֶמְרָה בְּהַקְהָלַת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (עירובין נד, ב).
- Ohr HaChaim, Sifsei Chachamim and Maskil LeDavid on Vayikra 19:2; Eruvin 54b. The Gemara describes how Moshe taught each passage first to Aharon, then to his sons, then to the elders, and then to all the people. ↩
In shortThe whole Torah was taught to all Israel together, so what does Rashi add by saying this parshah was said at a gathering?
3Let us begin with the way the holy sefer Maor VaShemesh explains these words of Rashi. A person might think that if he wants to be holy, he must separate himself from the community and live alone. But the truth is that this is not “the way where light dwells.”4 The Rambam does write that one who lives in a place whose people do not behave properly, and who cannot find any proper place to live, must go off alone into deserts and forests.5 But this helps only to keep him safe from things that hinder avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. A person is privileged to reach lofty holiness only by gathering together with those who seek Hashem, through the holiness of Israel, when he mingles with them. This is what the verse means. How does one fulfill “You shall be holy”? Through hakhel, the community gathering together. Those are his holy words.
וְנַקְדִּים מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ מְאוֹר וָשֶׁמֶשׁ בְּבֵיאוּר דִּבְרֵי רש״י הַלָּלוּ, כִּי הָיָה יָכוֹל הָאָדָם לַחְשׁוֹב, שֶׁבְּאִם הוּא רוֹצֶה לִהְיוֹת קָדוֹשׁ, צָרִיךְ הוּא לִפְרוֹשׁ עַצְמוֹ מִן הַצִּיבּוּר וּלְהִתְבּוֹדֵד, אַךְ הָאֱמֶת הִיא שֶׁלֹּא בָּזֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכּוֹן אוֹר, שֶׁאַף שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב״ם (פ״ו מהל׳ דעות ה״א) כִּי הָדַר בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֲנָשָׁיו אֵין נוֹהֲגִים כָּרָאוּי, אִם אֵין מוֹצֵא שׁוּם מָקוֹם הָרָאוּי לָדוּר בּוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד בַּמִּדְבָּרוֹת וּבִיעָרוֹת, זֶה אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל אֶלָּא לְהִנָּצֵל מִן הַדְּבָרִים הַמַּפְרִיעִים לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֲבָל לְהַשִּׂיג הַקְּדוּשָּׁה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה אֵין אָדָם זוֹכֶה אֶלָּא בִּכְנֵסִיָּה עִם מְבַקְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם, מִכֹּחַ קְדוּשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁמִּתְעָרֵב עִמָּהֶם. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב, הַאֵיךְ ׳קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ׳, עַל יְדֵי ׳הַקְהֵל׳ בְּהִתְאַסְּפוּת הַקָּהָל יַחַד, עכד״ק.
In shortLiving alone only shields a person from harm, the Maor VaShemesh teaches; lofty holiness is reached together with those who seek Hashem.
4We can explain this further. We find that Rabbeinu HaKadosh, R' Yehudah HaNasi, raised his ten fingers heavenward as he was passing away and said: “Master of the world, it is revealed and known before You that I toiled in Torah with my ten fingers, and I did not take any benefit even with my little finger.”6 He said this even though, as the Gemara tells, lettuce, cucumbers and radishes never left his table, in summer or in the rainy season.7 The explanation is that although Rabbeinu HaKadosh also made use of physical things, it was all for the honor of Hashem, as the verse says, “Know Him in all your ways.”8 Chazal said of this verse that it is a short passage on which all the essentials of the Torah depend. And here lies the novelty: not keeping apart from physical things, and at the same time conducting oneself in holiness.
וּבְיֶתֶר בֵּיאוּר אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עוֹד בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, דְּהִנֵּה מָצִינוּ בְּרַבֵּינוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁבִּשְׁעַת פְּטִירָתוֹ זָקַף עֶשֶׂר אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה וְאָמַר רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לְפָנֶיךָ שֶׁיָּגַעְתִּי בְּעֶשֶׂר אֶצְבְּעוֹתַי בַּתּוֹרָה וְלֹא נֶהֱנֵיתִי אֲפִילּוּ בְּאֶצְבַּע קְטַנָּה (כתובות קד, א), וְזֹאת הֲגַם שֶׁמָּצִינוּ (עבודה זרה יא, א) שֶׁלֹּא פָּסְקוּ מֵעַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ לֹא חֲזֶרֶת וְלֹא קִישּׁוּת וְלֹא צְנוֹן, לֹא בִּימוֹת הַחַמָּה וְלֹא בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים, דְּאַף שֶׁהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ רַבֵּינוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ גַּם בִּדְבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים, הָיָה הַכֹּל לִכְבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ, כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (משלי ג, ו) ״בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ״, וְאָמְרוּ חז״ל (ברכות סג, א) שֶׁהִיא פָּרָשָׁה קְטַנָּה שֶׁכָּל גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה תְּלוּיִין בָּהּ. וְדָבָר זֶה הוּא חִידּוּשׁ, לְבַל לִהְיוֹת מוּפְרָשׁ מִדְּבָרִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, וְיַחַד עִם זֹאת לְהִתְנַהֵג בִּקְדוּשָּׁה.
In shortRabbeinu HaKadosh enjoyed plenty yet took no benefit, since he used it all for Hashem: holiness without keeping apart from the physical.
5We can find support for this in a teaching of Chazal: “When the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed the second time, there were many in Israel who held themselves apart, not eating meat and not drinking wine. R' Yehoshua went to speak with them. He said to them, ‘My sons, why do you not eat meat and not drink wine?’ … He said to them, ‘My sons, come and I will tell you. Not to mourn at all is impossible, for the decree has already been issued. But to mourn too much is also impossible.’”9 We see, then, that withdrawing from this world entirely is not the way. Rather, a person should act for the sake of Heaven even in what he uses of this world.
וְסֶמֶךְ לָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לִמְצוֹא בְּדִבְרֵי חז״ל שֶׁאָמְרוּ (בבא בתרא ס, ב) כְּשֶׁחָרַב הַבַּיִת בַּשֵּׁנִית רַבּוּ פְּרוּשִׁין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכוֹל בָּשָׂר וְשֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן, נִטְפַּל לָהֶן רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר לָהֶן בָּנַי מִפְּנֵי מָה אִי אַתֶּם אוֹכְלִין בָּשָׂר וְאֵין אַתֶּם שׁוֹתִין יַיִן וְכוּ׳, אָמַר לָהֶן בָּנַי, בּוֹאוּ וְאוֹמַר לָכֶם, שֶׁלֹּא לְהִתְאַבֵּל כָּל עִיקָּר אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁכְּבָר נִגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה, וּלְהִתְאַבֵּל יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי אִי אֶפְשָׁר. הֲרֵי שֶׁאֵין זוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ לִפְרוֹשׁ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה כָּל עִיקָּר, רַק שֶׁגַּם בַּמֶּה שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ מֵהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה יַעֲשֵׂהוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם.
- Bava Basra 60b. In the part left out, they answered that meat and wine had been offered on the altar, which was now gone. R' Yehoshua replied that by that reasoning they should stop eating bread, fruit and even water, since those too had been brought in the Beis HaMikdash, and they fell silent. ↩
In shortR' Yehoshua's words to the ascetics show that the way is not to leave the world but to use it for the sake of Heaven.
6This explains the wording of the verse “Speak to Bnei Yisrael … You shall be holy.”10 The verse uses dibbur, “speaking,” a harsh word, because it teaches that a person must separate himself from all the pleasures of this world and make himself holy. But a person might think the verse means he must withdraw from them completely, so it also says “and say” to them, in the gentle language of amirah. This tells us that the aim is not to withdraw completely from the pleasures of this world but to bring physical things into holiness.
וּבָזֶה יִתְפָּרֵשׁ לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב ״דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳ קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ״, דִּיבּוּר הוּא לָשׁוֹן קָשָׁה, שֶׁהַפָּסוּק מוֹרֶה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִפְרוֹשׁ וּלְקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ מִכָּל דִּבְרֵי הֲנָאוֹת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אָמְנָם בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה סָבוּר הָאָדָם שֶׁכַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב בָּזֶה לִפְרוֹשׁ מֵהֶם לְגַמְרֵי, לָכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳וְאָמַרְתָּ׳ אֲלֵיהֶם בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲמִירָה רַכָּה, לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין הַכַּוָּונָה לִפְרִישָׁה לְגַמְרֵי מֵהֲנָאוֹת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה, אֶלָּא לְהַכְנִיס הַדְּבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים לִקְדוּשָּׁה.
- Vayikra 19:2. The verse reads “Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael”; the sefer quotes it in short. ↩
In short“Speak,” the harsh word, demands holding apart from pleasures; “say,” the gentle one, shows the aim is to bring them into holiness.
7This also explains Rashi's words that this parshah was said at a gathering. It hints that a person can sit at a festive meal with friends and join with the community, rather than live alone, and still be holy. This is the way where light dwells.
וְיִתְפָּרְשׁוּ בָּזֶה דִּבְרֵי רש״י שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה פָרָשָׁה זוֹ בְּהַקְהֵל, לְרַמֵּז בָּזֶה שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לָשֶׁבֶת בִּסְעוּדַת מְרֵעִים וּלְהִתְחַבֵּר עִם הַצִּיבּוּר וְלֹא לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד, וּבְכָל זֹאת לִהְיוֹת קָדוֹשׁ, וְזוֹ הִיא הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ יִשְׁכּוֹן אוֹר.
In shortA person can share a meal with friends and join the community and still be holy: that is the way where light dwells.
8May the Holy One, blessed be He, help us bring all the things of this world into holiness, and so bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
יַעֲזוֹר הקב״ה שֶׁנּוּכַל לְהַכְנִיס כָּל דִּבְרֵי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לִקְדוּשָּׁה, וּנְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה בָּזֶה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we bring all of this world into holiness and so bring the redemption near.
Takeaway
It is tempting to think that real holiness means running from people and from the physical world. Living alone may keep us from harm, but lofty holiness is found together with others who seek Hashem, and in using what this world gives us for His honor. When we sit at a meal with friends with our hearts turned to Heaven, we are walking on the way where light dwells.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.