From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Torah and Kiddush Hashem: Uprooting the Darkness
The Midrash says that once the yetzer hara is uprooted, there is no gloom or shadow of death in the world. Isn't that obvious, and what has it to do with Yosef? And why do the Chanukah lights change in number each night, instead of eight every night?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Bereishis 41:1
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל־הַיְאֹר
And it came to pass at the end of two years of days, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the river.
1“And it came to pass at the end of two years of days.” The Midrash comments: “‘He set an end to darkness.’1 He gave the world a set time, how many years it would spend in darkness. Why did He set an end to darkness? For as long as the yetzer hara is in the world, there is gloom and the shadow of death in the world, as it is written, ‘the stone of gloom and the shadow of death.’ Once the yetzer hara is uprooted from the world, there is no gloom or shadow of death in the world. Another interpretation: ‘He set an end to darkness.’ He gave Yosef a set time …”2 But what is the Midrash teaching us when it says, “Once the yetzer hara is uprooted from the world, there is no gloom or shadow of death in the world”? That is obvious. When there is no yetzer hara, the world will hold no evil at all, nothing like gloom and the shadow of death. We must also ask what this Midrash has to do with Yosef HaTzaddik. It should have cited only its last words: “‘He set an end to darkness.’ He gave Yosef a set time …”
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים (מא, א). אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה פט, א) ״קֵץ שָׂם לַחוֹשֶׁךְ״ (איוב כח, ג) זְמַן נָתַן לָעוֹלָם כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יַעֲשֶׂה בָּאֲפֵילָה, וּמַה טַעַם קֵץ שָׂם לַחוֹשֶׁךְ, שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵּצֶר הָרַע בָּעוֹלָם אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם, דִּכְתִיב (שם) ״אֶבֶן אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת״, נֶעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרַע מִן הָעוֹלָם אֵין אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, ״קֵץ שָׂם לַחוֹשֶׁךְ״ זְמַן נָתַן לְיוֹסֵף וְכוּ׳. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה חִידּוּשׁ בָּא הַמִּדְרָשׁ לְהַשְׁמִיעֵנוּ בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳נֶעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרַע מִן הָעוֹלָם אֵין אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם׳, הֲרֵי זֶה מִילְּתָא דִּפְשִׁיטָא דִּכְשֶׁאֵין יֵצֶר הָרַע לֹא יִמָּצֵא בָּעוֹלָם שׁוּם בְּחִינַת רַע הַדּוֹמֶה לְאוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר, מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַזֶּה לְכָאן בְּעִנְיַן יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, וַהֲוֵי לֵיהּ לְהָבִיא רַק אֶת סוֹף דְּבָרָיו ׳קֵץ שָׂם לְחוֹשֶׁךְ זְמַן נָתַן לְיוֹסֵף׳ וְכוּ׳.
- Iyov 28:3. ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 89:1; “the stone of gloom and the shadow of death” is from the same verse, Iyov 28:3. The Midrash continues: how many years he would spend in the darkness of prison; once the end came, Pharaoh dreamed his dream. ↩
Sources here
In shortWhy does the Midrash state the obvious about the yetzer hara, and what has that to do with Yosef's set time in darkness?
2Let us also first cite a teaching of Chazal: “Our Rabbis taught: The mitzvah of Chanukah … and for those who beautify the mitzvah most of all, Beis Shammai say: On the first day one lights eight, and from then on keeps decreasing. Beis Hillel say: On the first day one lights one, and from then on keeps increasing. … One said: Beis Shammai's reason is that it corresponds to the days still to come, and Beis Hillel's reason is that it corresponds to the days already gone. And one said: Beis Shammai's reason is that it corresponds to the bulls of the festival, and Beis Hillel's reason is that we go up in holiness and do not go down.”3 This raises a question for Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel alike. The miracle was that the oil they lit burned for eight days. Why, then, do we not light eight lamps every night, to publicize each night the miracle of the eight days? Why does the number of lamps change from night to night? And what does it add to our remembrance of the Chanukah miracle whether we light by the days to come or by the days gone, or whether we go up in holiness or the reverse?
עוֹד נַקְדִּים דִּבְרֵי חז״ל (שבת כא, ב), תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן מִצְוַת חֲנוּכָּה וְכוּ׳, וְהַמְּהַדְּרִין מִן הַמְּהַדְּרִין, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן מַדְלִיק שְׁמוֹנָה מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ פּוֹחֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ, וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן מַדְלִיק אַחַת מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ מוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ וְכוּ׳, חַד אָמַר טַעְמָא דְּבֵית שַׁמַּאי כְּנֶגֶד יָמִים הַנִּכְנָסִין וְטַעְמָא דְּבֵית הִלֵּל כְּנֶגֶד יָמִים הַיּוֹצְאִין, וְחַד אָמַר טַעְמָא דְּבֵית שַׁמַּאי כְּנֶגֶד פָּרֵי הַחַג וְטַעְמָא דְּבֵית הִלֵּל דְּמַעֲלִין בַּקּוֹדֶשׁ וְאֵין מוֹרִידִין, ע״כ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין, בֵּין לְבֵית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵין לְבֵית הִלֵּל, אַחַר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לָהֶם נֵס שֶׁהִדְלִיקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, אִם כֵּן מַדּוּעַ אֵין מַדְלִיקִין בְּכָל לַיְלָה שְׁמוֹנָה נֵרוֹת, לְפַרְסֵם כָּל לַיְלָה אֶת הַנֵּס שֶׁהִדְלִיקוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים, וּמַדּוּעַ יֵשׁ שִׁינּוּי בְּמִסְפַּר הַנֵּרוֹת שֶׁמַּדְלִיקִין בְּכָל לַיְלָה, וּמַה הוֹסָפָה יֵשׁ בְּזֵכֶר נֵס חֲנוּכָּה, בָּזֶה שֶׁאָנוּ מַדְלִיקִין כְּנֶגֶד יָמִים הַנִּכְנָסִים אוֹ הַיּוֹצְאִים, אוֹ אִם מַעֲלִין בַּקּוֹדֶשׁ אוֹ אִיפְּכָא.
- Shabbos 21b. The bulls of the festival are the Sukkos offerings: thirteen on the first day, and one fewer on each day after. ↩
In shortIf the miracle lasted eight days, why not light eight each night, and what do the changing numbers add to its remembrance?
3aMy holy father and teacher, zt"l, explained the dispute of Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel on the basis of what the Be'er Mayim Chaim, zt"l, writes4 on Chazal's teaching “Let him call to mind the day of death.”5 Why does the Gemara say “the day of death”? It would have been enough to say, “Let him call death to mind.” The Be'er Mayim Chaim explains that Chazal are teaching us something here. If a person, Heaven forbid, sins and does damage, he spoils the flow of life bestowed on that day, and the day becomes something dead. The damage done to that day cannot be made up on another day. Even if from then on he serves Hashem all his days, the day he blemished will not be repaired except through great teshuvah. This is hinted in the words “Let him call to mind the day of death”: he should remind himself that if he sins, he will put that day to death with his own hands.
וְהִנֵּה כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה בֵּיאֵר מַחֲלוֹקֶת בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל, עַל פִּי מַה שֶׁאִיתָא בִּבְאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים זצללה״ה (פרשת חיי שרה) עַל מַאֲמַר חז״ל (ברכות ה, א) יִזְכּוֹר לוֹ יוֹם הַמִּיתָה, מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן יִזְכּוֹר לוֹ ׳יוֹם׳ הַמִּיתָה, וְדַי הָיָה לוֹמַר ׳יִזְכּוֹר לוֹ הַמִּיתָה׳. וּבֵיאֵר, שֶׁבָּאוּ בָּזֶה לְהוֹרוֹת לָנוּ, שֶׁבְּאִם הָאָדָם ח״ו פּוֹגֵם וּמְקַלְקֵל, אֲזַי הוּא מְקַלְקֵל אֶת שֶׁפַע הַחַיּוּת הַנִּשְׁפַּעַת לְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, וְנַעֲשָׂה אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם בִּבְחִינַת מֵת, כִּי קִילְקוּל יוֹם זֶה אֵין לוֹ תְּמוּרָה בְּיוֹם אַחֵר, וְאַף אִם יַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ מֵעַתָּה בְּכָל יָמָיו לֹא יְתוּקַּן אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁפָּגַם בּוֹ, אִם לֹא עַל יְדֵי תְּשׁוּבָה גְּדוֹלָה, וְזֶה נִרְמַז בְּאוֹמְרָם ׳יַזְכִּיר לוֹ יוֹם הַמִּיתָה׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר לְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁבְּאִם יֶחֱטָא יָמִית בְּיָדָיו אֶת אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם.
- Be'er Mayim Chaim, Chayei Sarah. ↩
- Berachos 5a. The Gemara gives this as the last resort for overcoming the yetzer hara. ↩
In shortA day spoiled by sin becomes a “dead” day that only great teshuvah repairs, as the Rebbe’s father explained from the Be'er Mayim Chaim.
3bWith this my holy father explained the Gemara's words. “Beis Shammai's reason is that it corresponds to the days still to come”: Beis Shammai held that a person has the power to repair only the days ahead of him. “Beis Hillel's reason is that it corresponds to the days already gone”: Beis Hillel taught us something new. A person can repair not only the days to come but also the days already gone, the days that passed over him, Heaven forbid, in sin. These too he has the power to repair through teshuvah, bringing everything into holiness until those days come to life. This is the meaning of the verse “You shall know this day and take it to your heart.”6 Veyadata, “you shall know,” is an expression of joining. So “You shall know this day” means that you will be able to join all your days together and bring every one of them into holiness. How? Through “take it to your heart,” vahasheivosa el levavecha, whose first word shares its root with teshuvah: through the power of returning to Hashem. Those are his holy words.
וּבָזֶה בֵּיאֵר אאמו״ר זצללה״ה מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ טַעְמָא דְּבֵית שַׁמַּאי כְּנֶגֶד יָמִים הַנִּכְנָסִים, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהֵם סָבְרוּ שֶׁבְּיַד הָאָדָם לְתַקֵּן רַק אֶת הַיָּמִים הַבָּאִים, אַךְ טַעְמָא דְּבֵית הִלֵּל כְּנֶגֶד יָמִים הַיּוֹצְאִים, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהֵם חִידְּשׁוּ לָנוּ שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ לְתַקֵּן לֹא רַק אֶת הַיָּמִים הַנִּכְנָסִים, אֶלָּא גַּם אֶת יָמִים הַיּוֹצְאִים, שֶׁהֵם אוֹתָם הַיָּמִים שֶׁכְּבָר עָבְרוּ עָלָיו ח״ו מִתּוֹךְ חֵטְא, גַּם זֶה בְּכוֹחוֹ לְתַקֵּן עַל יְדֵי תְּשׁוּבָה, וּלְהַכְנִיס הַכֹּל אֶל הַקְּדוּשָּׁה עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בִּבְחִינַת חַיִּים. וְזֶהוּ ״וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ״ (דברים ד, לט), ׳וְיָדַעְתָּ׳ הוּא לְשׁוֹן חִיבּוּר, ׳וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם׳ הַיְינוּ שֶׁתּוּכַל לְחַבֵּר וּלְצָרֵף אֶת כָּל הַיָּמִים וּלְהַכְנִיסָם כּוּלָּם לְהַקְּדוּשָּׁה, עַל יְדֵי ׳וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ׳ עַל יְדֵי כֹּחַ הַתְּשׁוּבָה, עכד״ק.
- Devarim 4:39. Knowing in the sense of joining, as in “And Adam knew Chavah his wife” (Bereishis 4:1). ↩
In shortBeis Shammai held one can repair only the days ahead; Beis Hillel, that teshuvah repairs even past days and brings them back to life.
4But “there are yet words to say on God's behalf”:7 all of this can be explained another way. My holy ancestor , zt"l, is quoted as explaining the dispute of Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel.8 They disagreed, he taught, about the right path in avodah, the service of Hashem. Beis Shammai say one “keeps decreasing”: a person must first set right what falls under “Turn from evil,”9 and that is “keeps decreasing,” lessening the evil. Beis Hillel say one “keeps increasing”: he should begin with “and do good,” adding to his Torah and mitzvos, and afterward he will come to “Turn from evil” as a matter of course. The holy sefarim have concluded that the halachah follows Beis Hillel. One must keep increasing and begin with “and do good,” for if a person waits until he has repaired the evil, his days will run out before the evil does. Those are his holy words.
עוֹד יֵשׁ לֶאֱלוֹק מִילִּין לְבָאֵר כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר בְּאוֹפֶן אַחֵר. דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בְּשֵׁם זְקֵנִי הַיְּהוּדִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ זצללה״ה (אילנא דחיי, פרשת משפטים), לְבָאֵר מַחֲלוֹקֶת בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל, שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ הָעֲבוֹדָה הָרְצוּיָה, שֶׁבֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים פּוֹחֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ, הַיְינוּ שֶׁקּוֹדֶם צָרִיךְ לְתַקֵּן בְּחִינַת ׳סוּר מֵרָע׳, וְזֶהוּ ׳פּוֹחֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ׳ לְהַפְחִית אֶת הָרַע. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים מוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיַּתְחִיל עִם בְּחִינַת ׳וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳, לְהוֹסִיף בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְוֹות, וּלְאַחַר מִכֵּן מִמֵּילָא יָבוֹא גַּם לִבְחִינַת ׳סוּר מֵרָע׳. וְהִנֵּה נִמְנוּ וְגָמְרוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, שֶׁהֲלָכָה הִיא כְּבֵית הִלֵּל שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת מוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ וּלְהַתְחִיל בִּבְחִינַת ׳וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳, כִּי אִם יַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיְּתַקֵּן הָרַע, יִכְלוּ הַיָּמִים וְהֵם לֹא יִכְלוּ, עכדה״ק.
In shortThe Yid HaKadosh read the dispute as which comes first, turning from evil or doing good; we follow Beis Hillel and begin with good.
5We know that among the mitzvos of “and do good,” there are two whose power can wage war against the yetzer hara and stand up to it. The first is the mitzvah of Torah study. As Chazal said, “I created the yetzer hara, and I created the Torah as its antidote.”10 Through the power of the Torah's holiness a person can overcome the yetzer hara and drive it out completely. The second is the mitzvah of kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Hashem's Name. When a person is privileged to sanctify the Name of Heaven, he becomes a chariot for the Shechinah, a vehicle that carries it, and the yetzer hara simply leaves him. So by adding more and more good in these two, he will find that “Turn from evil” is fulfilled in him as well, of itself, as taught.
וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ שֶׁבַּמִּצְוֹות הַכְּלוּלִים בִּבְחִינַת ׳וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב׳, אֲזַי יֶשְׁנָם שְׁנֵי מִצְוֹות שֶׁבְּכוֹחָם יְכוֹלִים לִלְחוֹם אֶת מִלְחֶמֶת הַיֵּצֶר וְלַעֲמוֹד כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, הָאֶחָד הוּא מִצְוַות לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל (קידושין ל, ב) בָּרָאתִי יֵצֶר הָרַע בָּרָאתִי לוֹ תּוֹרָה תַּבְלִין, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי כֹּחַ קְדוּשַּׁת הַתּוֹרָה אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע וּלְסַלֵּק וּלְבַעֵר אוֹתוֹ. וְהַשֵּׁנִי הוּא מִצְוַות קִידּוּשׁ הַשֵּׁם, שֶׁבְּאִם זוֹכִים לְקַדֵּשׁ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֲזַי בָּזֶה נַעֲשֶׂה הָאָדָם מֶרְכָּבָה לַשְּׁכִינָה, וּמִמֵּילָא מִסְתַּלֵּק מֵעָלָיו הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע. נִמְצָא שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁיּוֹסִיף בְּעֵסֶק הַטּוֹב בִּשְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ, מִמֵּילָא יְקוּיַּם בּוֹ גַּם ׳סוּר מֵרָע׳, כַּנִּזְכָּר.
- Kiddushin 30b. ↩
In shortTwo mitzvos of doing good defeat the yetzer hara: Torah study, its antidote, and kiddush Hashem, which makes a person a chariot for the Shechinah.
6We find this with R' Shimon ben Lakish, known as Reish Lakish. The Gemara tells how he was the chief of a band of robbers and leapt across the Jordan, and R' Yochanan said to him, “Your strength for Torah!” … In the end R' Yochanan “taught him Scripture and Mishnah and made him a great man.”11 The Gemara does not say that Reish Lakish first set right his evil deeds. It implies, rather, that he began to learn at once, studying Scripture and Mishnah until he became a great man. It seems, then, that two things stood him in good stead: the Torah he learned, and his sanctifying of the Name of Heaven, for by turning from a robber chief into a man great in Torah he sanctified the Name. Through these two he was able to fulfill “Turn from evil,” to overcome his past, and to bring everything into holiness. True, Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer describes at length how he did teshuvah afterward.12 But our aim is to explain how he was transformed all at once, from a robber chief into one of the greatest scholars of the beis midrash, reaching the level of the Amoraim, the sages of the Gemara. In the usual way, such a man would first need to spend some time in teshuvah, and only afterward turn to Torah as one of the students.
וְעִנְיָן זֶה מָצִינוּ אֵצֶל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (בבא מציעא פד, א) הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֵיךְ שֶׁהָיָה רֵישׁ גַּזְלָנֵי וּשְׁוַור לְיַרְדְּנָא, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן חֵילָךְ לְאוֹרָיְיתָא וְכוּ׳, אִיקְרְיֵיהּ וְאִיתְנְיֵיהּ וְשַׁוְיֵיהּ גַּבְרָא רַבָּא. וְהִנֵּה לֹא נִזְכַּר בַּגְּמָרָא שֶׁתִּיקֵּן קוֹדֶם מַעֲשָׂיו הָרָעִים, רַק מַשְׁמַע שֶׁתֵּיכֶף הִתְחִיל לִלְמוֹד וְקָרָא וְשָׁנָה עַד שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה אָדָם גָּדוֹל. וְהַנִּרְאֶה מִזֶּה, כִּי עַל יְדֵי לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁלָּמַד רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, וְכֵן עַל יְדֵי מַה שֶׁקִּידֵּשׁ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁכֵּן בָּזֶה שֶׁמֵּרֵישׁ גַּזְלָנֵי נַעֲשָׂה לְאָדָם גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה קִידֵּשׁ בָּזֶה אֶת הַשֵּׁם, אֲזַי אֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי הַדְּבָרִים עָמְדוּ לוֹ שֶׁעַל יָדָם יָכֹל לְקַיֵּים סוּר מֵרָע, וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל הֶעָבַר, וְהִכְנִיס הַכֹּל לְהַקְּדוּשָּׁה. (הֲגַם שֶׁבְּפִרְקֵי דְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר (פרק מ״ג) הֶאֱרִיךְ בְּאוֹפֶן תְּשׁוּבָתוֹ לְאַחַר מִכֵּן, אַךְ עִיקַּר הַכַּוָּונָה לְבָאֵר הֵיאַךְ נֶהְפַּךְ בְּבַת אַחַת מֵרֵישׁ גַּזְלָנֵי לְאֶחָד מִגְּדוֹלֵי יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וּבָא לְמַדְרֵגַת אֲמוֹרָאִים, וּלְפִי הַנָּהוּג אָדָם כָּזֶה צָרִיךְ תְּחִילָּה לַעֲסוֹק אֵיזֶה זְמַן בִּתְשׁוּבָה, וְרַק אַחַר כָּךְ פּוֹנֶה לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה כְּאַחַד הַתַּלְמִידִים).
In shortReish Lakish went straight from banditry to Torah; the Torah and the kiddush Hashem of his change let him overcome his past.
7These two things are found in Yosef HaTzaddik most of all. First, Torah study: everything Yaakov had learned with Shem and Ever he passed on to Yosef HaTzaddik. That is why the Targum renders the verse “for he was a son of his old age” as “for he was a wise son to him.”13 Yosef also sanctified the Name of Heaven, as we see in the episode with Potiphar. Chazal said that Yosef sanctified the Name of Heaven in private,14 and writes: “And likewise, anyone who keeps away from a sin or does a mitzvah, not for anything in the world, not out of fear or dread and not to seek honor, but for the sake of the Creator, blessed be He, as Yosef HaTzaddik held himself back from his master's wife, sanctifies the Name.”15
וּשְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ מָצִינוּ בְּיוֹתֵר אֵצֶל יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק. הֵן עִנְיַן לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶׁלָּמַד יַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית שֵׁם וְעֵבֶר מָסַר לְיוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּתַרְגּוּם עַל פָּסוּק ״כִּי בֶן זְקוּנִים הוּא״ (בראשית לז, ג), אֲרִי בַּר חַכִּים הוּא לֵיהּ (עיין רש״י ז״ל שם). וְגַם הָיָה מְקַדֵּשׁ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּעִנְיַן פּוֹטִיפַר, שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (סוטה לו, ב) שֶׁיּוֹסֵף קִידֵּשׁ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם בַּסֵּתֶר. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב״ם (הלכות יסודי התורה פ״ה ה״י) וְכֵן כָּל הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵעֲבֵירָה אוֹ עָשָׂה מִצְוָה, לֹא מִפְּנֵי דָּבָר בָּעוֹלָם לֹא פַּחַד וְלֹא יִרְאָה וְלֹא לְבַקֵּשׁ כָּבוֹד, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי הַבּוֹרֵא ב״ה כִּמְנִיעַת יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק עַצְמוֹ מֵאֵשֶׁת רַבּוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה מְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הַשֵּׁם.
- Targum Onkelos on Bereishis 37:3; see Rashi there. ↩
- Sotah 36b (the sefer has 37b). He sanctified it by refusing Potiphar's wife when no one else was present. ↩
- Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 5:10. ↩
In shortYosef had both: all of Yaakov's Torah, and the private kiddush Hashem of refusing Potiphar's wife.
8These two foundations had long been rooted in Yosef, and through them he reached the level of “Turn from evil”; by their power he overcame his yetzer hara. This is what means when he says that the Name of Heaven was always on Yosef's lips:16 he had become a chariot for the Shechinah, and so the yetzer hara left him of itself. [We know what it means to be a chariot for the Shechinah. A person never lets his mind stray from being wholly given over to Hashem, as a chariot is wholly given over to its rider. This shows itself in the Name of Heaven being on his lips at all times, without a break. So the yetzer hara of Egypt, “the nakedness of the land,”17 had no power to rule over him. See the Mizrachi, who explains the Midrash that Rashi draws on:18 “… until he saw the Shechinah standing over him, as it is written, ‘His master saw that Hashem was with him … and Hashem blessed the Egyptian's house for Yosef's sake.’” Potiphar heard that all the whispering on Yosef's lips was nothing but the Name of Heaven, always on his lips, and that is the Shechinah standing over him.]
וְהִנֵּה עַל יְדֵי שְׁנֵי עִיקָּרִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ מוּשְׁרָשִׁים בּוֹ בְּיוֹסֵף מִכְּבָר, עַל יָדָם זָכָה לִבְחִינַת סוּר מֵרָע, וּבְכֹחַ זֶה הָיָה מִתְגַּבֵּר עַל יִצְרוֹ. וְזֶה מַה שֶּׁכָּתַב רש״י ז״ל (בראשית לט, ג) שֶׁהָיָה שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו, הַיְינוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה מֶרְכָּבָה לַשְּׁכִינָה, וּמִמֵּילָא נִסְתַּלֵּק הַיֵּצֶר מֵעָלָיו. [דְּנוֹדַע דְּעִנְיַן מֶרְכָּבָה לַשְּׁכִינָה הַיְינוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ בִּתְמִידוּת לִהְיוֹת בָּטֵל אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַמֶּרְכָּבָה בְּטֵלָה אֶל הָרוֹכֵב עָלֶיהָ, וְזֶה מוֹרֶה שֶׁשֵּׁם שָׁמַיִם שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו תָּמִיד בְּלֹא הֶפְסֵק. וּבָזֶה לֹא הָיָה כֹּחַ לְיֵצֶר הָרַע שֶׁבְּעֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ הִיא מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁלוֹט עָלָיו. וְעַיֵּין בְּמִזְרָחִי שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ דְּכָתוּב, עַד שֶׁרָאָה שְׁכִינָה עוֹמֶדֶת עַל גַּבָּיו, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב וַיַּרְא אֲדוֹנָיו כִּי ה׳ אִתּוֹ וַיְבָרֶךְ ה׳ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּצְרִי בִּגְלַל יוֹסֵף. שֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁכָּל אוֹתָן הַלְּחִישׁוֹת שֶׁהָיָה לוֹחֵשׁ בְּפִיו לֹא הָיוּ אֶלָּא שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שֶׁהָיָה שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו, וְזוֹ הִיא הַשְּׁכִינָה הָעוֹמֶדֶת עַל גַּבָּיו].
In shortWith Hashem's Name always on his lips, Yosef was a chariot for the Shechinah, so even Egypt's yetzer hara had no hold on him.
9This lets us explain the Midrash we cited at the beginning: “For as long as the yetzer hara is in the world … Once the yetzer hara is uprooted from the world, there is no gloom or shadow of death in the world.” We asked what this has to do with Yosef HaTzaddik. The answer is that from Yosef we must learn how to uproot the yetzer hara. It is done through the two things we find in Yosef HaTzaddik, Torah study and sanctifying the Name of Heaven. By adding more and more in these two, a person fulfills “Turn from evil” as a matter of course, until the yetzer hara is uprooted. Then “there is no gloom or shadow of death in the world”: even the days that were not as they should have been will be repaired. For once the yetzer hara is uprooted, a person is privileged to bring everything into holiness, the days to come and the days already gone.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁהִזְכַּרְנוּ בְּרֵישׁ דְּבָרֵינוּ, ׳שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵּצֶר הָרַע בָּעוֹלָם וְכוּ׳, נֶעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרַע מִן הָעוֹלָם אֵין אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם׳, וְהִקְשֵׁינוּ מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ לָזֶה עִם יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק. וְהַבֵּיאוּר בָּזֶה הוּא, שֶׁמִּיּוֹסֵף יֵשׁ לָנוּ לִלְמוֹד אֵיךְ לַעֲקוֹר הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע, וְהוּא עַל יְדֵי שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלֶּה שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וְקִידּוּשׁ שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁמּוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ בָּהֶם מִתְקַיֵּים מִמֵּילָא סוּר מֵרָע עַד שֶׁנֶּעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרַע. וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה אֵין אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם, הַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם הַיָּמִים שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ כָּרָאוּי יְתוּקְּנוּ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁנֶּעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרַע, מִמֵּילָא נִמְצָא שֶׁזּוֹכִים לְהַכְנִיס הַכֹּל אֶל הַקְּדוּשָּׁה, הַיָּמִים הַנִּכְנָסִים וְהַיָּמִים הַיּוֹצְאִים.
In shortYosef shows how to uproot the yetzer hara; once it is gone, even past days are repaired, leaving no “gloom or shadow of death.”
10aThis also resolves our question: why did Chazal not institute lighting eight lamps every night? In the days of the Chashmona'im, the Hasmoneans, Israel held fast to these same two things. The Greeks decreed that Jews must not study Torah, as writes,19 and the Chashmona'im stood against them in this: they gathered their strength and learned Torah in public. They were also privileged to sanctify the Name. They stood up to the Greeks and the Hellenists, the Jews who took on Greek ways, who told them to write on the horn of the ox that they had no portion in the God of Israel. And they risked their lives, ready to die to sanctify His great Name, as Megillas Antiochus and the history books relate. So by the power of purity that came from these two, the Chashmona'im overcame the impure power of Greece, until everything the Greeks had spoiled was undone.
וּבָזֶה יִתְיַישֵּׁב גַּם מַה שֶׁעָמַדְנוּ מַדּוּעַ לֹא תִּיקְּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק בְּכָל לַיְלָה שְׁמוֹנָה נֵרוֹת. דְּהִנֵּה בִּימֵי הַחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים גַּם כֵּן הֶחֱזִיקוּ בִּשְׁנֵי הָעִנְיָנִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי הַיּוֹנִים גָּזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה (רמב״ם פ״ג מהלכות חנוכה ה״א), וְהַחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים עָמְדוּ נֶגְדָּם בָּזֶה, וְהִתְגַּבְּרוּ וְלָמְדוּ הַתּוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים. וּכְמוֹ כֵּן זָכוּ לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הַשֵּׁם, בַּמֶּה שֶׁעָמְדוּ כְּנֶגֶד הַיּוֹנִים וְהַמִּתְיַוְּנִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ לָהֶם לִכְתּוֹב עַל קֶרֶן הַשּׁוֹר שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק בֶּאֱלוֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְחֵרְפוּ אֶת נַפְשָׁם לָמוּת עַל קִידּוּשׁ שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל (כמבואר במגילת אנטיוכוס ובספרי הדורות), וּמִמֵּילָא בְּכֹחַ הַטָּהֳרָה שֶׁבָּא מִשְּׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ, הִתְגַּבְּרוּ הַחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים עַל כֹּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה שֶׁל יָוָן, עַד שֶׁנִּתְבַּטֵּל כָּל מַה שֶׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַיּוֹנִים.
- Hilchos Chanukah 3:1. ↩
In shortThe Chashmona'im held to Torah study and kiddush Hashem against the Greeks, and by the purity of these two undid all the Greeks had spoiled.
10bThis is the meaning of the Gemara's words: one “keeps increasing,” corresponding to “the days already gone,” and because “we go up in holiness.” These words come to show that through the power of purity drawn from these two things, the Chashmona'im overcame the impurity of the Greeks so completely that they repaired both the days to come and the days already gone. This is “going up in holiness”: they brought everything into holiness and raised it up. Now it is clear why Chazal instituted lighting in this particular way, and not eight lamps every night. This way shows more fully what the Chanukah miracle was: by its power they could both repair the days already gone, which the Greeks had spoiled, and add purity to the days.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ מוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ כְּנֶגֶד יָמִים הַיּוֹצְאִים וּמִשּׁוּם מַעֲלִים בַּקּוֹדֶשׁ, הַיְינוּ לְהוֹרוֹת שֶׁעַל יְדֵי כֹּחַ הַטָּהֳרָה שֶׁנִּמְשַׁךְ מִשְּׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ הִתְגַּבְּרוּ עַל טוּמְאַת הַיּוֹנִים כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁתִּיקְּנוּ גַּם אֶת הַיָּמִים הַנִּכְנָסִים וְהַיּוֹצְאִים, בִּבְחִינַת מַעֲלִים בַּקּוֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁהִכְנִיסוּ וְהֶעֱלוּ הַכֹּל אֶל הַקְּדוּשָּׁה. וּמְיוּשָּׁב שֶׁלְּכָךְ תִּיקְּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק דַּוְקָא בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה, וְלֹא בְּכָל לַיְלָה שְׁמוֹנָה נֵרוֹת, שֶׁבָּזֶה אָנוּ מוֹרִים יוֹתֵר עַל עִנְיַן הַנֵּס שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה, שֶׁבְּכֹחַ הַנֵּס יָכְלוּ לְתַקֵּן הֵן אֶת הַיָּמִים הַיּוֹצְאִים שֶׁקִּלְקְלוּ הַיּוֹנִים, וְהֵן לְהוֹסִיף טָהֳרָה בַּיָּמִים.
In shortSo the lights keep increasing, for the days gone and going up in holiness: the miracle repaired the past and added purity.
11May Hashem grant that in these days we be privileged to bring everything into holiness and repair it all, and so bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה בְּיָמִים אֵלֶּה לְהַכְנִיס הַכֹּל לְהַקְּדוּשָּׁה וּלְתַקֵּן הַכֹּל, וּבָזֶה נִזְכֶּה לְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortMay we bring everything into holiness in these days, repair it all, and so bring the redemption near.
He opens with two puzzles: the Midrash that ties the end of darkness to uprooting the yetzer hara and to Yosef, and the changing number of the Chanukah lights. The Rebbe’s father, R’ Yechiel Yehoshua of Biala, building on the Be'er Mayim Chaim, taught that a day spoiled by sin is a “dead” day, and that Beis Hillel's “days gone” means teshuvah can repair even past days. The Yid HaKadosh read the dispute as which comes first, turning from evil or doing good, and, he concluded, the halachah follows Beis Hillel: begin with good. Two mitzvos of doing good, Torah study and kiddush Hashem, drive out the yetzer hara of themselves, as Reish Lakish and above all Yosef show. Once it is uprooted, even past days are repaired: no gloom or shadow of death. So the Chashmona'im, by Torah and kiddush Hashem, repaired the days the Greeks had spoiled, and the lights keep increasing.
Takeaway
A person who waits until every fault is cleared away before he begins to grow will run out of days first. Adding Torah and sanctifying Hashem's Name drive out the yetzer hara of themselves, as they did for Yosef, for Reish Lakish and for the Chashmona'im. Like the Chanukah lamps that grow each night, that growth can bring even our lost days back into holiness.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.