Zechusamזכותם
Lehavas David · Parshas Naso · Maamar א

Hand in Hand: Unity Brings the Torah

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Devarim 5:19
אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־כׇּל־קְהַלְכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ הֶעָנָן וְהָעֲרָפֶל קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלֹא יָסָף וַיִּכְתְּבֵם עַל־שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים וַיִּתְּנֵם אֵלָי
These words Hashem spoke to all your congregation at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness, with a great voice, and it did not cease; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
1“These words Hashem spoke to all your congregation at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness, with a great voice.”1 There is a well-known story about the Baal Shem Tov, zy"a. Once, on Shavuos, he was sitting with his holy fellowship of disciples. He told them to close their eyes and give one another their hands, and they sang a niggun, a melody, of deveikus, cleaving to Hashem. Then he sat in silence, and through his power they were all privileged to see with their own eyes that they were standing beneath Mount Sinai, “seeing the sounds” and hearing “Moshe speak, and God answer him with a voice.”2 But why did they need to give one another their hands? Surely the Baal Shem Tov could have brought them to see the revelation at Mount Sinai even without this.
*אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה דִּיבֶּר ה׳ אֶל כָּל קְהַלְכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ הֶעָנָן וְהָעֲרָפֶל קוֹל גָּדוֹל (דברים ה, יט). יָדוּעַ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה מֵהַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב זי״ע ועכ״י, שֶׁיָּשַׁב פַּעַם בְּחַג הַשָּׁבוּעוֹת עִם הַחַבְרַיָּא קַדִּישָׁא דִּילֵיהּ, וַיְצַו עַל תַּלְמִידָיו הַקְּדוֹשִׁים לִסְגּוֹר עֵינֵיהֶם וְלִיתֵּן יְדֵיהֶם זֶה לָזֶה, וְשָׁרוּ נִיגּוּן דְּבֵיקוּת, וּלְאַחַר מִכֵּן יָשַׁב בְּדוּמִיָּה, וּפָעַל עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁזָּכוּ כּוּלָּם לִרְאוֹת בְּעֵינֵיהֶם אֵיךְ הֵם עוֹמְדִים תַּחַת הַר סִינַי וְרוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת וְשׁוֹמְעִים אֶת מֹשֶׁה מְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלוֹקִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְּקוֹל. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַדּוּעַ הָיָה נִצְרָךְ שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ יְדֵיהֶם זֶה לָזֶה, דְּוַדַּאי הָיָה הבעש״ט יָכוֹל גַּם בְּלֹא זֶה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁיִּרְאוּ אֶת מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי.
  1. The sefer's note: Said on a Shabbos that fell on the day after the festival of Shavuos. Devarim 5:19. ↩
  2. Shemos 20:15; 19:19. ↩
In shortThe Baal Shem Tov had his disciples join hands before showing them Sinai; why were joined hands needed?
2We can explain this through the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l. He said in the name of the holy Rebbe R' Moshe Leib of Sassov, zt"l, that when Bnei Yisrael give one another a hand in unity, they form one great hand that reaches up to the heavens and brings down blessings and salvations. With this he explained how the end of the Torah connects with its beginning. The Torah ends with “and all the mighty hand.”3 That is, when one person strengthens his fellow's hand, they are privileged to reach “In the beginning God created the heavens,”4 meaning that they reach up to the heavens and draw down an abundance of every good thing. Those are his holy words.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר זֹאת עַל פִּי דִּבְרֵי קוֹדֶשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצלה״ה, שֶׁאָמַר בְּשֵׁם הרה״ק רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה לייב מסאסוב זצלה״ה, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נוֹתְנִים יָד זֶה לָזֶה בְּאַחְדוּת, נַעֲשֵׂית מִזֶּה יָד גְּדוֹלָה הַמַּגַּעַת עַד לַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ בְּרָכוֹת וִישׁוּעוֹת. וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ קִישּׁוּר סִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה לִתְחִילָּתָהּ, ״וּלְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה״ (דברים לד, יב), הַיְינוּ דִּבְאִם אֶחָד מְחַזֵּק יָדוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, עַל יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִים לְ״בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם״, שֶׁמַּגִּיעִים עַד לַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַמְשִׁיךְ שֶׁפַע כָּל טוּב, עכד״ק.
  1. Devarim 34:12. ↩
  2. Bereishis 1:1. ↩
In shortHands joined in unity form one great hand that reaches heaven; so the Torah's “mighty hand” leads into “In the beginning God created the heavens.”
3It seems that the explanation is this. The holy Sar Shalom of Belz, zt"l, is quoted as pointing out that of all the preparations Bnei Yisrael made to receive the Torah, the holy Torah singles out only one: unity. As it is written, “And Israel encamped there,” and Chazal explain, “as one man with one heart.”5 From this it is evident that the whole Torah depends on peace as a middah, a character trait. An explicit verse says the same: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”6 So the whole Torah does depend on the middah of peace. The simple reason is this. The Torah was given so that its 613 mitzvos would be fulfilled, yet many of them cannot be fulfilled by every individual, such as the mitzvos that apply only to Kohanim, and the like. How, then, can all of them be fulfilled? Only through the unity and peace among Israel. Through them every Jew becomes a guarantor for his fellow, so that when one person fulfills a mitzvah, it counts for his fellow as well. In this way, all of them together fulfill the entire Torah. That is why the one indispensable preparation for receiving the Torah was being “as one man with one heart.”
וּבֵיאוּר הָעִנְיָן נִרְאֶה, דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בְּשֵׁם הרה״ק שַׂר שָׁלוֹם מבעלז זצללה״ה, שֶׁרוֹאִים אֲשֶׁר מִכָּל הַהֲכָנוֹת שֶׁהֵכִינוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עַצְמָם לִקְרַאת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, צִיְּינָה הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה רַק אֶת עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת, כְּדִכְתִיב (שמות יט, ב) ״וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל״, וּפֵירְשׁוּ ז״ל (מכילתא וברש״י) כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד, וּמִזֶּה נִרְאֶה כִּי כָּל הַתּוֹרָה תְּלוּיָה בְּמִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ מִקְרָא מְפוֹרָשׁ ״דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נוֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם״ (משלי ג, יז), הֲרֵי שֶׁכָּל הַתּוֹרָה תְּלוּיָה בְּמִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם. וְהַטַּעַם הַפָּשׁוּט בָּזֶה הוּא, כִּי הַתּוֹרָה נִיתְּנָה עַל מְנָת לְקַיֵּים תרי״ג מִצְוֹות שֶׁבָּהּ, וַהֲרֵי חֵלֶק גָּדוֹל מֵהַמִּצְוֹות אֵין שַׁיָּיךְ לְכָל אֶחָד לְקַיְּימָם, כְּגוֹן הַמִּצְוֹות הַשַּׁיָּיכִים רַק לַכֹּהֲנִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, וְאִם כֵּן אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְקַיֵּים כּוּלָּם, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אַחְדוּת וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, נַעֲשִׂים כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֵבִים זֶה לָזֶה, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה כְּשֶׁמְּקַיֵּים אֶחָד מִצְוָה עוֹלָה הִיא גַּם לַחֲבֵירוֹ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה מְקַיְּימִים בֵּין כּוּלָּם אֶת כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְלָכֵן הַהֲכָנָה הַהֶכְרֵחִית לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הָיְתָה ׳כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד׳.
  1. Shemos 19:2; Mechilta and Rashi there. ↩
  2. Mishlei 3:17. ↩
In shortUnity was the one preparation the Torah records before Sinai, because only together, each sharing in his fellow's mitzvos, can Israel fulfill all 613.
4This lets us explain why R' Akiva's twenty-four thousand students, who perished because they did not treat one another with respect,7 died between Pesach and Shavuos, of all times. Without unity and peace among them they were not prepared to receive the Torah, and so they left the world before the festival of the giving of the Torah.
וּבָזֶה יְבוֹאַר מַה שכ״ד אֶלֶף תַּלְמִידֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא שֶׁנִּסְתַּלְּקוּ עַל שֶׁלֹּא נָהֲגוּ כָּבוֹד זֶה בָּזֶה (יבמות סב, ב), הָיְתָה מִיתָתָם בֵּין פֶּסַח לַעֲצֶרֶת דַּוְקָא, דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אַחְדוּת וְשָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם לֹא הָיוּ מוּכָנִים לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, וְלָכֵן נִפְטְרוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם קוֹדֶם חַג מַתַּן תּוֹרָה.
  1. Yevamos 62b. ↩
In shortR' Akiva's students, lacking respect for one another, were unfit to receive the Torah, so they died in the weeks before Shavuos.
5This is also what we find in the early Midrash Tanna Devei Eliyahu: when Bnei Yisrael went out of Egypt, they made a covenant among themselves to do kindness for one another.8 For the purpose of the Exodus was to receive the Torah, and the preparation for it was to treat one another with kindness and to live by the middah of unity and peace.
וְזֶהוּ גַּם מַה שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּתַנָּא דְּבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ (פרק כג) בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּצְאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם כָּרְתוּ בְּרִית זֶה עִם זֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶסֶד זֶה עִם זֶה, שֶׁהֲרֵי תַּכְלִית יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, וְהַהֲכָנָה לָזֶה הָיְתָה לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶסֶד זֶה עִם זֶה, וְלִנְהוֹג בְּמִידַּת אַחְדוּת וְשָׁלוֹם.
  1. Tanna Devei Eliyahu, ch. 23. ↩
In shortThe covenant of kindness made on leaving Egypt was itself the preparation for the Torah, which was the purpose of the Exodus.
6aWe also find this in the Gemara: “When the Torah was given to Israel, its sound went from one end of the world to the other, and trembling seized all the kings of the idolaters in their palaces, and they sang a song, as it says, ‘And in His palace all say: Glory.’ They all gathered around Bilam the wicked and said to him, ‘What is this tumultuous sound that we have heard? Perhaps a flood is coming upon the world, as it says, “Hashem sat enthroned at the Flood”?’ He said to them, ‘“Hashem sits enthroned as King forever”: the Holy One, blessed be He, has already sworn that He will not bring a flood upon the world.’ ‘Then what is this tumultuous sound that we have heard?’ … He said to them, ‘He has a precious treasure in His storehouse. It was stored away with Him for 974 generations before the world was created, and He wished to give it to His children, as it says, “Hashem will give strength to His people.”’ At once they all spoke up and said, ‘Hashem will bless His people with peace.’”9
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ (זבחים קטז, א) שֶׁכְּשֶׁנִּיתְּנָה תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה קוֹלוֹ הוֹלֵךְ מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ, וְכָל מַלְכֵי עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים אֲחָזָתַן רְעָדָה בְּהֵיכְלֵיהֶן וְאָמְרוּ שִׁירָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וּבְהֵיכָלוֹ כּוּלּוֹ אוֹמֵר כָּבוֹד״. נִתְקַבְּצוּ כּוּלָּם אֵצֶל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ מַה קּוֹל הֶהָמוֹן אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ, שֶׁמָּא מַבּוּל בָּא לָעוֹלָם ״ה׳ לַמַּבּוּל יָשַׁב״, אָמַר לָהֶם ״וַיֵּשֶׁב ה׳ מֶלֶךְ לְעוֹלָם״ כְּבָר נִשְׁבַּע הקב״ה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵבִיא מַבּוּל לָעוֹלָם, וּמַה קּוֹל הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁשָּׁמַעְנוּ וְכוּ׳, אָמַר לָהֶם חֶמְדָּה טוֹבָה יֵשׁ לוֹ בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו שֶׁהָיְתָה גְּנוּזָה אֶצְלוֹ תתקע״ד דּוֹרוֹת קוֹדֶם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם וּבִיקֵּשׁ לִיתְּנָהּ לְבָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״ה׳ עוֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן״, מִיָּד פָּתְחוּ כּוּלָּם וְאָמְרוּ ״ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״.
  1. Zevachim 116a; Tehillim 29:9–11. ↩
6bBut what does peace have to do with receiving the Torah? The nations of the world understood that Bnei Yisrael were privileged to receive the Torah only in the merit of the peace among them, the unity of “as one man with one heart.” As Bilam said of them, “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov,” and Rashi explains that he saw that the entrances of their tents did not face one another.10 This is the meaning of “Hashem will bless His people with peace”: through peace they will be privileged to have the Torah endure in their hands, for without peace they cannot keep the Torah.
וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה שַּׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ לְעִנְיַן הַשָּׁלוֹם עִם קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה. אַךְ אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם הֵבִינוּ דְּלָא זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְקַבֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא בִּזְכוּת הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם כַּנִּזְכָּר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם ״מַה טּוֹבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב״, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י רָאָה שֶׁאֵין פִּתְחֵיהֶן מְכוּוָּנִים זֶה מוּל זֶה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב ׳ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם׳, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם יִזְכּוּ שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה תִּתְקַיֵּים בְּיָדָם, כִּי בְּלֹא זֶה אֵין הֵם יְכוֹלִים לְקַיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה.
  1. Bamidbar 24:5; Rashi there. ↩
In shortThe nations answered the giving of the Torah with “Hashem will bless His people with peace,” knowing that only peace lets the Torah endure.
7This also lets us explain the Priestly Blessing in this parshah. It ends with the blessing of peace and does not mention a blessing for Torah.11 Yet surely the Torah is our very life, and the fulfillment of every blessing depends on it, as the Torah says several times: all the blessings will come if Israel listens to the voice of Hashem and keeps His mitzvos and His Torah. Why, then, does the blessing not mention the Torah? The answer is that the Torah can be gained only through the middah of peace. So the blessings end with the blessing of peace, for through peace Bnei Yisrael will gain the Torah, and all the blessings will be fulfilled for them.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יִתְבָּאֵר גַּם עִנְיַן בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים הָאֲמוּרָה בַּפָּרָשָׁה, שֶׁחוֹתֶמֶת בְּבִרְכַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם וְלֹא נִזְכַּר בָּהּ בִּרְכַּת הַתּוֹרָה, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הֲלֹא הַתּוֹרָה הִיא חַיֵּינוּ וּבָהּ תָּלוּי קִיּוּם כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת, כַּנִּזְכָּר כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁכָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת הוּא בְּאִם יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקוֹל ה׳ וְיִשְׁמְרוּ מִצְוֹותָיו וְתוֹרָתוֹ, וְאִם כֵּן מַדּוּעַ לֹא הִזְכִּיר אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בַּבְּרָכָה. אַךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִזְכּוֹת לַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי מִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם, לָכֵן חֲתִימַת הַבְּרָכוֹת הוּא בְּבִרְכַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁעַל יָדָהּ יִזְכּוּ לַתּוֹרָה וְיִתְקַיְּימוּ אֶצְלָם כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת.
  1. Bamidbar 6:22–27. ↩
In shortThe Priestly Blessing ends with peace, not Torah, because peace is what earns the Torah and, through it, every blessing.
8With this we can also explain the words the Kohanim say in the berachah they recite before the Priestly Blessing: “… and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love.”12 But where were they commanded to bless with love? Since drawing down the blessing depends on the middah of love and peace, it follows that they were rightly commanded to bless His people Israel with love in particular.
וּבָזֶה יְבוֹאַר מַה שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים מְבָרְכִים ׳וְצִוָּנוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבָה׳ (סוטה לט, א), וְלִכְאוֹרָה הֵיכָן נִצְטַוּוּ עַל כָּךְ. אַךְ מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַמְשָׁכַת הַבְּרָכָה תָּלוּי בְּמִידַּת הָאַהֲבָה וְהַשָּׁלוֹם, מִמֵּילָא שַׁפִּיר נִצְטַוּוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַהֲבָה דַּוְקָא.
  1. Sotah 39a. ↩
In shortBlessing flows only through love and peace, so the Kohanim are rightly said to be commanded to bless Israel “with love.”
9This lets us explain the story about the Baal Shem Tov. When he wished to bring the revelation at Mount Sinai upon his disciples, this was possible only through brotherhood and peace, as we saw in the teaching of the Sar Shalom of Belz. So he had to do it this way, by having them give one another their hands. This increased the love and brotherhood among them and prepared them for the lofty level of “as one man with one heart.” It was precisely out of great love and unity that they were privileged to have the receiving of the Torah revealed to them. This is also the idea in the words of the holy Rebbe of Sassov: by giving a hand to one another, people reach up to the heavens and draw down blessings and salvations. For in this way they come to receive the Torah and are privileged to have all the blessings.
וּבָזֶה יְבוֹאַר הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַנִּזְכָּר מהבעש״ט זצללה״ה, כִּי בְּעֵת אֲשֶׁר רָצָה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ מַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי עַל תַּלְמִידָיו, הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר זֹאת רַק עַל יְדֵי אַחֲוָה וְשָׁלוֹם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, לָכֵן הָיָה מוּכְרָח לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה שֶׁל נְתִינַת יְדֵיהֶם זֶה לָזֶה, לְהַרְבּוֹת אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה בֵּינֵיהֶם, וּלְהָכִין אוֹתָם לִהְיוֹת בְּמַדְרֵגָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה שֶׁל כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד, וְדַוְוקָא מִתּוֹךְ גּוֹדֶל אַהֲבָה וְאַחְדוּת זָכוּ לְהִתְגַּלּוֹת מַעֲמַד קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה. וְזֶהוּ גַּם הָעִנְיָן בְּדִבְרֵי הרה״ק מסאסוב זי״ע, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים יָד אֶחָד לַחֲבֵרוֹ, מַגִּיעִים עַל יְדֵי זֶה עַד לַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַמְשִׁיךְ בְּרָכוֹת וִישׁוּעוֹת, כִּי עַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּאִים לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה וְזוֹכִים לְכָל הַבְּרָכוֹת.
In shortJoined hands brought the disciples to “one man with one heart,” the only state where Sinai can be revealed; that is the hand reaching heaven.
10This also lets us explain how the end of the Torah is joined to its beginning: “And all the mighty hand … before the eyes of all Israel.”13 Through “the mighty hand,” that is, by giving one's hand to one's fellow and saying, “Come, let us strengthen ourselves,” people reach the level of “all Israel,” in complete unity. In this way they receive the abundance of the Torah, which is alluded to in the same verse in the words “and all the great awe.” And this brings them to Bereishis, which Chazal read as “for the sake of the Torah, which is called reishis,”14 for the whole world was created only for the sake of the Torah. And so they are privileged to draw down from the heavens an abundance of blessing and every good thing.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר סְמִיכוּת סִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה לִתְחִילָּתָהּ, ׳וּלְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה וְגוֹ׳ לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי בְּחִינַת ׳יַד הַחֲזָקָה׳ הַיְינוּ מַה שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים יָד אֶחָד לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ הָבָה וְנִתְחַזְּקָה, בָּאִים לְמַדְרִיגַת ׳כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ לִהְיוֹת בְּאַחְדוּת גָּמוּר, וּבְאוֹפֶן זֶה זוֹכִים לְשֶׁפַע קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הַמְּרוּמָּז בְּ׳לְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל׳, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִים לְ׳בְּרֵאשִׁית׳ בִּשְׁבִיל הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת רֵאשִׁית, שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַתּוֹרָה, וְזוֹכִים לְהַמְשִׁיךְ שֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה וְכָל טוּב מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.
  1. Devarim 34:12. ↩
  2. Rashi on Bereishis 1:1. ↩
In shortHands that strengthen one another bring “all Israel” to unity, unity brings the Torah, and the Torah draws down every blessing from heaven.
11This is also why it is written of the coming of our righteous Moshiach, for whom we wait: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald who announces peace.”15 Chazal likewise said, “Eliyahu does not come … except to make peace in the world.”16 For the middah of peace is the vessel that receives the abundance of the Torah and the hold by which we grasp it. In the days of Moshiach we will be privileged to know the Torah fully, as the Prophets and the Rambam explain.17 Receiving this abundance of Torah requires an extra preparation in the middah of peace, and so the heralds will come announcing peace. May Hashem grant that we soon be privileged to reach the end of days.18 Amen, may it be His will.
וְזֶהוּ גַּם הָעִנְיָן שֶׁבְּבִיאַת מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אָנוּ מַחְכִּים, כְּתִיב (ישעיהו נב, ז) ״מַה נָּאוּו עַל הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם״, וְכֵן אָמְרוּ חז״ל (עדויות פ״ח מ״ז) אֵין אֵלִיָּהוּ בָּא וְכוּ׳ אֶלָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם, כִּי מִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם הוּא הַכְּלִי וְהָאֲחִיזָה לְקַבֵּל שֶׁפַע הַתּוֹרָה, וּבִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ הֲרֵי נִזְכֶּה לְדַעַת שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבוֹאָר בַּנְּבִיאִים וברמב״ם (הלכות תשובה פ״ט ה״ב), וּבִכְדֵי לִזְכּוֹת לְשֶׁפַע הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה נִצְרָךְ הֲכָנָה יְתֵירָה בְּמִידַּת הַשָּׁלוֹם, לָכֵן יָבוֹאוּ וִיבַשֵּׂרוּ שָׁלוֹם. כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְקֵץ הַיָּמִין בִּמְהֵרָה, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
  1. Yeshayahu 52:7. ↩
  2. Eduyos 8:7. ↩
  3. See, for example, Yeshayahu 11:9; Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 9:2. ↩
  4. Daniel 12:13. ↩
In shortThe herald of Moshiach announces peace because the fullness of Torah in his days needs an extra measure of peace as its vessel.
Takeaway

The Torah was given to a people standing “as one man with one heart,” and only together, each sharing in the mitzvos of his fellow, can we keep all of it. So every act of kindness and peace toward another Jew is real preparation for receiving the Torah. When we give our friend a hand and say, “Come, let us strengthen ourselves,” we form one great hand that reaches the heavens and draws down every blessing.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.