From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Repenting for Thoughts: Reuven and the Chanukah Lights
The Midrash tells what each was busy with when Yosef was sold, and ends with Hashem creating the light of Moshiach: what ties these together? Another Midrash links Reuven to the Chanukah lamp. And why, of all the mitzvos, does merely seeing the Chanukah lights call for a blessing?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
Bereishis 38:1
וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִוא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו וַיֵּט עַד־אִישׁ עֲדֻלָּמִי וּשְׁמוֹ חִירָה
And it came to pass at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers, and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Chirah.
1“And it came to pass at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers.” The Midrash says: “R' Shmuel bar Nachman opened his discourse with the verse ‘For I know the thoughts …’1 The tribes were occupied with the sale of Yosef; Yosef was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting; Reuven was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting; Yaakov was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting; Yehudah was occupied with taking a wife; and the Holy One, blessed be He, was occupied with creating the light of King Moshiach.”2 Anyone who reads these words of Chazal is astonished. What connection is there between all these things? And the end of the Midrash is the most astonishing of all: Hashem was occupied with creating the light of King Moshiach. What does that have to do with this?
וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיֵּרֶד יְהוּדָה מֵאֵת אֶחָיו (בראשית לח, א). אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה פה, א), רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן פָּתַח, ״כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת״ (ירמיה כט, יא), שְׁבָטִים הָיוּ עֲסוּקִים בִּמְכִירָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וְתַעֲנִיתוֹ, רְאוּבֵן הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וּבְתַעֲנִיתוֹ, וְיַעֲקֹב הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וְתַעֲנִיתוֹ, וִיהוּדָה הָיָה עָסוּק לִיקַּח לוֹ אִשָּׁה, והקב״ה הָיָה עוֹסֵק וּבוֹרֵא אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וְכָל הָרוֹאֶה דִּבְרֵי חז״ל אֵלּוּ, עוֹמֵד וּמִשְׁתּוֹמֵם עַל דִּבְרֵיהֶם, מַה שַּׁיָּיכוּת יֵשׁ בֵּין כָּל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים, וּבְיוֹתֵר נִפְלְאוּ סוֹף דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ, שהקב״ה הָיָה עוֹסֵק וּבוֹרֵא אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, מָה עִנְיָינוֹ לְכָאן.
- Yirmiyahu 29:11. The verse continues: “… that I think concerning you, says Hashem, thoughts of peace and not of evil.” ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 85:1. “The tribes” are Yaakov's sons, Yosef's brothers. ↩
In shortThe Midrash lists what each was occupied with at Yosef's sale, ending with Hashem creating Moshiach's light; what ties these together?
2Another Midrash says: “‘The mandrakes give off fragrance’: this is Reuven, who saved Yosef. ‘And at our doorways are all choice fruits’: this is the Chanukah lamp.”3 What connection is there between Reuven and the Chanukah lamp?
עוֹד אִיתָא (מדרש פליאה לא), ״הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ״ (שיר השירים ז, יד) זֶה רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהִצִּיל אֶת יוֹסֵף, ״וְעַל פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל מְגָדִים״ זֶה נֵר חֲנוּכָּה. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת בֵּין רְאוּבֵן לְנֵר חֲנוּכָּה.
- Midrash Pli'ah §31, a collection of cryptic Midrashic sayings; Shir HaShirim 7:14. Reuven was the one who found the mandrakes, duda'im, in the field (Bereishis 30:14), and the Chanukah lamp is placed at the doorway. ↩
In shortOne verse, a cryptic Midrash says, speaks of Reuven and of the Chanukah lamp; how are the two connected?
3Let us first cite what Chazal said: “One who sees a Chanukah lamp must say a blessing.”4 Why is the Chanukah lamp different from every other mitzvah? On Chanukah a person fulfills the mitzvah by seeing, something we do not find with any other mitzvah, not even with those whose purpose is also pirsumei nisa, publicizing the miracle. Seeing is linked with the Chanukah lamp in another place too. In HaNeiros Halalu, the passage Chazal composed for the lighting, we say: “These lights are holy, and we have no permission to make use of them, but only to look at them.”5 Why mention seeing here? It would seem enough to say, “we have no permission to make use of them,” and no more.
וְנַקְדִּים, דְּהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ רז״ל (שבת כג, א), הָרוֹאֶה נֵר שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַדּוּעַ נִשְׁתַּנָּה נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִשְּׁאָר כָּל הַמִּצְוֹות, שֶׁבַּחֲנוּכָּה עַל יְדֵי רְאִיָּה מְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוָה, מַה שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ בִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּצְוֹות, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּמִצְוֹות שֶׁעִנְיָינָם גַּם הוּא פִּרְסוּמֵי נִיסָּא לֹא מָצִינוּ כֵּן. עוֹד מָצִינוּ עִנְיַן רְאִיָּה בְּנֵר חֲנוּכָּה, בִּלְשׁוֹן הָאֲמִירָה שֶׁיָּסְדוּ חז״ל (מסכת סופרים פ״כ ה״ו) ׳הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ קוֹדֶשׁ הֵם וְאֵין לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָם בִּלְבָד׳, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַדּוּעַ נִזְכַּר עִנְיַן הָרְאִיָּה כָּאן, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה דַּי לוֹמַר ׳אֵין לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם׳ וְתוּ לָא.
In shortOnly with the Chanukah lamp is a mitzvah fulfilled by seeing, and HaNeiros Halalu stresses looking; why?
4aWe may answer along the lines of what the writes to resolve a teaching of Chazal.6 The Midrash says: “‘Reuven returned to the pit.’ Where had he been? R' Eliezer says: with his sackcloth and his fasting. … The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘Never has a man sinned before Me and done teshuvah, and you have opened with teshuvah first. By your life, a descendant of yours will arise and open with teshuvah first.’ And who is he? Hoshea, as it says, ‘Return, Yisrael, unto Hashem your God.’”7 The holy sefarim ask: Adam and Kayin repented before Reuven!8 And what is meant by “you have opened with teshuvah first”?
וְאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁאִיתָא בְּיִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל (וישב אות ג) לְיַישֵּׁב מַאֲמַר חז״ל (בראשית רבה פד, יט) ״וַיָּשָׁב רְאוּבֵן אֶל הַבּוֹר״ (בראשית לז, כט) וְהֵיכָן הָיָה, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אָמַר בְּשַׂקּוֹ וּבְתַעֲנִיתוֹ וְכוּ׳, אָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה מֵעוֹלָם לֹא חָטָא אָדָם לְפָנַי וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה, וְאַתָּה פָּתַחְתָּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה תְּחִילָּה, חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁבֶּן בִּנְךָ עוֹמֵד וּפוֹתֵחַ בִּתְשׁוּבָה תְּחִילָּה, וְאֵיזֶה זֶה, זֶה הוֹשֵׁעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע יד, ב) ״שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ״. וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (ראשית חכמה שער התשובה פ״ג, של״ה במדבר) הֲרֵי אָדָם וְקַיִן כְּבָר עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה לִפְנֵי רְאוּבֵן, וְעוֹד מַה הַכַּוָּונָה פָּתַחְתָּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה ׳תְּחִילָּה׳.
- Yismach Yisrael, Vayeishev §3. ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 84:19; Bereishis 37:29; Hoshea 14:2. Reuven was repenting for having disturbed his father's bed. ↩
- Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaTeshuvah, ch. 3; Shelah, Bamidbar. ↩
In shortHashem told Reuven he had opened with teshuvah first, yet Adam and Kayin repented before him; and what does “first” mean?
4bReuven's teshuvah, the explains, was for a sin of thought. His sin was only in thought, as Chazal said: “Whoever says Reuven sinned is simply mistaken. Rather, … he disturbed his father's bed …”9 [See the there.] And Reuven repented greatly for that sin of thought. [To repent for a thought is something new. People usually set their minds to repent only for bad deeds they have done. A bad thought that came into their heads, they imagine, is no sin, and they do not repent for it. In the same way, they do not even notice a forbidden sight, and it does not occur to them that they must repent for it. But we know that the ostrich hatches her chick from the egg by gazing at it for some time, without sitting on the eggs to warm them as other birds do.10 This shows that there is real power in the gaze of the eyes, and from it we can see how much thought and sight can accomplish.]
וּבֵיאֵר בָּזֶה, שֶׁהַתְּשׁוּבָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת בִּרְאוּבֵן, הַכַּוָּונָה שֶׁעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה עַל מַה שֶׁחָטָא בְּמַחְשָׁבָה, דְּהַחֵטְא שֶׁל רְאוּבֵן הָיָה רַק בְּמַחְשָׁבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (שבת נה, ב) כָּל הָאוֹמֵר רְאוּבֵן חָטָא אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה, אֶלָּא וְכוּ׳ שֶׁבִּלְבֵּל מַצָּעוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו וְכוּ׳ [עיי״ש בְּיִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל]. וּרְאוּבֵן הִרְבָּה לָשׁוּב עַל חֵטְא הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה. [וְלַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה עַל מַחְשָׁבָה, הוּא חִידּוּשׁ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל נוֹתְנִים בְּנֵי אָדָם דַּעְתָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה רַק עַל מַעֲשִׂים רָעִים שֶׁעָשׂוּ, אֲבָל עַל מַחְשָׁבָה רָעָה שֶׁעָלְתָה בְּרֹאשָׁם מְדַמִּים בְּמַחְשַׁבְתָּם שֶׁאֵין זֶה חֵטְא, וְאֵין שָׁבִים עַל זֶה בִּתְשׁוּבָה, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה גַּם עַל רְאִיָּה אֲסוּרָה אֵינָם מַרְגִּישִׁים וְאֵינָם נוֹתְנִים דַּעְתָּם שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לָשׁוּב עָלֶיהָ. אָכֵן יָדוּעַ (עץ חיים שער ח פ״א, קב הישר פ״ב) כִּי מִבֵּיצַת בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה נוֹלַד הָאֶפְרוֹחַ עַל יְדֵי הִסְתַּכְּלוּתָהּ זְמַן מָה, בִּלְתִּי שֶׁתֵּשֵׁב עַל הַבֵּצִים לְחַמָּמָם כְּמוֹ שְׁאָר הָעוֹפוֹת, וְזֶה יוֹרֶה הֱיוֹת כֹּחַ מַמָּשִׁי בְּהִסְתַּכְּלוּת הָעֵינַיִם, וּמִזֶּה נִרְאֶה עַד כַּמָּה מַחְשָׁבָה וּרְאִיָּה יְכוֹלָה לִפְעוֹל].
- Shabbos 55b. Disturbing his father's bed, Chazal say, meant moving it from the tent of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, to the tent of his mother, Leah (see Bereishis 35:22). ↩
- Etz Chaim, Shaar 8, ch. 1; Kav HaYashar, ch. 2. ↩
In shortReuven's sin, the Yismach Yisrael explains, was only in thought; few repent for a thought or a forbidden sight, yet the ostrich hatching eggs by her gaze shows how powerful sight is.
5This is what the Midrash means. Adam and Kayin did repent, but their teshuvah was for an actual sinful deed. Reuven's sin was only a bad thought, and in this he was the first to repent for a sin of thought. That is the meaning of “you have opened with teshuvah first”: the word techilah, “first,” hints at thought, where every deed begins, as in the words “last in deed, first in thought.”11 This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, told Reuven: he was the first to repent for a sin in thought. His promise to Reuven was in the same spirit: “By your life, a descendant of yours will arise and open with teshuvah first, as it says, ‘Return, Yisrael …’” Hoshea, too, would stir the hearts of Bnei Yisrael, and through him they would repent even for sins of thought. This is “unto Hashem your God”: they would repent even for a sin revealed to none but Hashem your God. That is the gist of his holy words.
וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ, דְּהֵן אָמְנָם שֶׁאָדָם וְקַיִן עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, אֲבָל תְּשׁוּבָתָם הָיְתָה עַל מַעֲשֵׂה חֵטְא בְּפוֹעַל, אֲבָל חֵטְא רְאוּבֵן שֶׁהָיָה רַק בְּמַחְשָׁבָה רָעָה, בָּזֶה הָיָה רְאוּבֵן הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שָׁב בִּתְשׁוּבָה עַל חֵטְא מַחְשָׁבָה. וְזֶהוּ פָּתַחְתָּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה ׳תְּחִילָּה׳ רוֹמֵז לִבְחִינַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁית הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, דְּסוֹף מַעֲשֶׂה בְּמַחְשָׁבָה תְּחִילָּה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה לִרְאוּבֵן, שֶׁהוּא הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה עַל חֵטְא בְּמַחְשָׁבָה. וּכְעִנְיָן זֶה הָיְתָה הַבְטָחַת הקב״ה לִרְאוּבֵן, חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁבֶּן בִּנְךָ עוֹמֵד וּפוֹתֵחַ בִּתְשׁוּבָה תְּחִילָּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל״ וְכוּ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁכְּמוֹ כֵּן יַשְׁפִּיעַ הוֹשֵׁעַ בְּלֵב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל יָדוֹ יַעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה גַּם עַל חַטְאֵי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, וְזֶהוּ ״עַד ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיָּשׁוּבוּ גַּם עַל חֵטְא שֶׁאֵינוֹ גָּלוּי רַק לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ, עכתדה״ק.
- From the Shabbos hymn Lecha Dodi. ↩
In shortAdam and Kayin repented for deeds; Reuven was the first to repent for thought, where every deed begins, and Hoshea would carry it on.
6With this we can explain Chanukah. We know that the Greeks' scheme was aimed above all at thought: to plant doubts in faith and to bring the accursed wisdom of Greek philosophy into the Jewish people. And in fact some of the people, the Hellenists who took on Greek ways, were caught up in it and blemished their thought. The salvation of Chanukah came through a miracle. Even so, it surely came also through an arousal from below, a stirring that begins with man: even those who had stumbled in blemished thought repented for those thoughts. Through this they earned an arousal from above; a miracle was done for them, and they overcame the Greeks. So it was Reuven who opened and revealed this path of repenting for thought, teaching the generations that one must repent even for sins of thought. Because of this, the Jews of the Chanukah story were able to awaken the miracle by the power of their teshuvah for their thoughts, and to overcome the Greeks.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר עִנְיַן חֲנוּכָּה, דְּנוֹדַע שֶׁעֲצַת הַיְּוָונִים הָיְתָה בְּעִיקַּר עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, לְהַכְנִיס סְפֵיקוֹת בֶּאֱמוּנָה, וּלְהַכְנִיס חָכְמַת הַפִּילוֹסוֹפְיָה הָאֲרוּרָה שֶׁל הַיְּוָונִים בְּתוֹךְ עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאָכֵן בֶּאֱמֶת חֵלֶק מֵעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהֵם הַמִּתְיַוְּנִים נִתְפְּסוּ לָזֶה, וּפָגְמוּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה. אַךְ הִנֵּה אַף שֶׁהַהַצָּלָה דַּחֲנוּכָּה הָיְתָה עַל יְדֵי נֵס, מִכָּל מָקוֹם בְּוַדַּאי הָיָה זֶה גַּם עַל יְדֵי אִיתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, וְהוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁגַּם כָּאֵלּוּ שֶׁנִּכְשְׁלוּ בִּפְגָמֵי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה עַל מַחֲשָׁבוֹת אֵלּוּ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה זָכוּ לְאִיתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא וְנַעֲשָׂה לָהֶם נֵס וְגָבְרוּ עַל הַיְּוָונִים. וְנִמְצָא, דְּעַל יְדֵי רְאוּבֵן שֶׁפָּתַח וְגִילָּה דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה עַל הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, וְלִימֵּד לְדוֹרוֹת עִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָשׁוּב גַּם עַל חַטְאֵי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, עַל יְדֵי זֶה יָכְלוּ לְעוֹרֵר אֶת הַנֵּס שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה בְּכֹחַ תְּשׁוּבָתָם עַל מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם, וּלְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל הַיְּוָונִים.
In shortThe Greeks attacked Jewish thought, and the Chanukah miracle came when those who had stumbled repented for their thoughts, on the path Reuven opened.
7Now we can understand the Midrash we cited: “‘The mandrakes give off fragrance’: this is Reuven.” He was the first with the insight to see that one must repent for a sin of thought. “Give off fragrance” hints at thought, for smell is a spiritual pleasure,12 and so it belongs to thought, which is spiritual. Reuven passed this power down to the Chashmona'im, the Hasmoneans, and to their generation, and through it they were privileged to repent for matters of thought and sight. That is why the Midrash concludes, “‘And at our doorways are all choice fruits’: these are the Chanukah lamps.”13
וְהַשְׁתָּא יוּבָן מַאֲמַר הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר, ״הַדּוּדָאִים נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ״ זֶה רְאוּבֵן, אֲשֶׁר הוּא הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר הִשְׂכִּיל לְהָבִין שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה עַל חֵטְא הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, וְזֶהוּ ׳נָתְנוּ רֵיחַ׳ הוּא מְרַמֵּז עַל בְּחִינַת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָרֵיחַ הוּא הֲנָאָה רוּחָנִית וְהוּא מֵעִנְיַן הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁהִיא רוּחָנִית. וְהוּא הוֹרִישׁ אֶת הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה לְחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים וּלְדוֹרָם, וְעַל יְדֵי כֵּן זָכוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה עַל עִנְיְינֵי מַחְשָׁבָה וּרְאִיָּה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁגָּמַר אוֹמֵר ״וְעַל פְּתָחֵינוּ כָּל מְגָדִים״ זֶה נֵרוֹת חֲנוּכָּה.
- Chazal call smell something the soul enjoys and not the body (Berachos 43b). ↩
- The sefer quotes it here as “the Chanukah lamps”; above, “the Chanukah lamp.” ↩
In shortReuven is the “fragrance,” a spiritual sense tied to thought; he passed his power to the Chashmona'im, so the verse turns to the Chanukah lamps.
8On this basis we may say that the mitzvah of the Chanukah lights has the power to rectify thought and sight. Now we understand why one who sees the Chanukah lamp must say a blessing: the Chanukah lights have the power to rectify sight and thought. We also understand why HaNeiros Halalu mentions seeing, “but only to look at them”: the lights draw holiness down upon Bnei Yisrael, and through it their sight is rectified.
וּלְפִי זֶה יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּמִצְוַת נֵרוֹת חֲנוּכָּה מַשְׁפִּיעָה לְתַקֵּן אֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְהָרְאִיָּה. וּבָזֶה יוּבָן מַדּוּעַ בְּנֵר חֲנוּכָּה הָרוֹאֶה צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנֵּרוֹת חֲנוּכָּה בְּכוֹחָם לְתַקֵּן הָרְאִיָּה וְהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה. גַּם מוּבָן מַדּוּעַ מַזְכִּירִים בְּ׳הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ׳ עִנְיַן הָרְאִיָּה ׳אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָם בִּלְבָד׳, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַנֵּרוֹת מַשְׁפִּיעִים קְדוּשָּׁה עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִתְקַן הָרְאִיָּה.
In shortBecause the Chanukah lights rectify thought and sight, even seeing them calls for a blessing, and HaNeiros Halalu speaks of looking.
9aWith this the Midrash we began with becomes clear. “The tribes were occupied with the sale of Yosef”: through the sale they wanted to rectify Yosef's thoughts and words, for Yosef had not sinned in deed. “Yosef was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting”: we can explain that he was occupied with rectifying matters of thought and repenting for them, for he feared that perhaps, Heaven forbid, he had sinned in thought in the episode with Potiphar's wife. “Yaakov was occupied with his sackcloth and his fasting” over Yosef, for the whole sale of Yosef came about because of the words and thoughts of Yosef and the tribes. “Yehudah was occupied with taking a wife”: here too we find thought. As Chazal famously said, in such matters “the eye sees and the heart desires,” and only afterward “the organs of action complete the deed.”14
וּבָזֶה יוּבָן הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר, ׳שְׁבָטִים הָיוּ עֲסוּקִים בִּמְכִירָתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף׳, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַמְּכִירָה רָצוּ לְתַקֵּן אֶת הַמַּחְשָׁבוֹת וְהַדִּיבּוּרִים שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, שֶׁהֲרֵי יוֹסֵף לֹא חָטָא בְּמַעֲשֶׂה. ׳וְיוֹסֵף הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וְתַעֲנִיתוֹ׳, יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁהָיָה עוֹסֵק לְתַקֵּן וְלָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה עַל עִנְיְינֵי מַחְשָׁבָה, שֶׁכֵּן הָיָה יָרֵא שֶׁמָּא חָטָא ח״ו בְּהִרְהוּר בְּעִנְיַן פּוֹטִיפַר. ׳יַעֲקֹב הָיָה עָסוּק בְּשַׂקּוֹ וְתַעֲנִיתוֹ עַל יוֹסֵף׳, שֶׁכָּל מְכִירַת יוֹסֵף בָּא מֵחֲמַת דִּיבּוּרִים וְהִרְהוּרִים שֶׁל יוֹסֵף וְהַשְּׁבָטִים. ׳וִיהוּדָה הָיָה עָסוּק לִיקַּח לוֹ אִשָּׁה׳, וּבָזֶה גַּם כֵּן מָצִינוּ עִנְיַן מַחְשָׁבָה, כַּיָּדוּעַ אֲמָרָם ז״ל (רש״י ז״ל במדבר טו, לט, ובספרי שם) דִּבְעִנְיָן הַזֶּה ׳עַיִן רוֹאָה וְהַלֵּב חוֹמֵד׳ וְאַחֲרֵי זֶה ׳כְּלֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה גּוֹמְרִים׳.
- Rashi on Bamidbar 15:39; Sifrei there. ↩
In shortIn the Midrash each was busy rectifying thought: the tribes Yosef's, Yosef his own, Yaakov theirs, and Yehudah, since the eye sees and the heart desires.
9b“And the Holy One, blessed be He, was occupied with creating the light of King Moshiach”: as is well known, in the merit of rectifying the blemish of thought and sight we will be privileged to be redeemed. This is hinted in the verses “For eye to eye they shall see, when Hashem returns to Tziyon” and “When I return your captivity before your eyes, says Hashem.”15 This is the Midrash's meaning: because all of them were occupied with rectifying sight and thought, they caused Hashem to be occupied with the light of King Moshiach.
׳והקב״ה עוֹסֵק וּבוֹרֵא אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ׳, דְּיָדוּעַ דְּבִזְכוּת שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְתַקֵּן אֶת פְּגָם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְהָרְאִיָּה, נִזְכֶּה לִגְאוּלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּרוּמָּז בַּכָּתוּב ״כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב ה׳ צִיּוֹן״ (ישעיהו נב, ח), ״בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת שְׁבוּתֵיכֶם לְעֵינֵיכֶם אָמַר ה׳״ (צפניה ג, כ). וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁעָסְקוּ כּוּלָּם בְּתִיקּוּן הָרְאִיָּה וְהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה, גָּרְמוּ שהקב״ה הָיָה עוֹסֵק בְּאוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ.
- Yeshayahu 52:8; Tzefaniah 3:20. ↩
In shortRepairing thought and sight brings the redemption, when “eye to eye they shall see”; so their efforts moved Hashem to create the light of Moshiach.
10This makes plain the saying of the holy R' Pinchas of Koritz, zt"l, that in the days of Chanukah the hidden light of King Moshiach is revealed. These days are a time suited to teshuvah for sins of thought and sight, as we have explained, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, is occupied with bringing the light of King Moshiach.
וּבָזֶה מוּבָן בְּפַשְׁטוּת, מַה שֶׁאָמַר הרה״ק רַבִּי פִּנְחָס מקורייץ זצללה״ה, שֶׁבִּימֵי חֲנוּכָּה מִתְגַּלֶּה הָאוֹר הַגָּנוּז שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, דְּמֵאַחַר שֶׁיָּמִים אֵלּוּ מְסוּגָּלִים לִתְשׁוּבָה עַל חַטְאֵי הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וְהָרְאִיָּה כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכֵּן עוֹסֵק הקב״ה לְהָבִיא אוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ.
In shortChanukah, a time for teshuvah over thought and sight, reveals Moshiach's hidden light, as R' Pinchas of Koritz taught.
11May Hashem grant that we be privileged to see this very soon. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לָזֶה בְּקָרוֹב מַמָּשׁ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we soon be privileged to see the light of Moshiach.
He opens with two Midrashim, one listing what each was busy with at Yosef's sale and ending with Hashem creating Moshiach's light, the other linking Reuven with the Chanukah lamp, and asks why seeing the lights calls for a blessing. With the Yismach Yisrael, Reuven's sin was only in thought, and he was the first to repent for a sin of thought, where every deed begins; few think to repent for a thought or a forbidden sight. The Greeks attacked Jewish thought, and the Chanukah miracle came when those who had stumbled repented for their thoughts, on the path Reuven opened and passed down to the Chashmona'im. So the Chanukah lights rectify thought and sight, and seeing them calls for a blessing. All in the first Midrash were repairing thought and sight, and that is why Hashem was creating Moshiach's light, the hidden light revealed on Chanukah.
Takeaway
We tend to repent only for what we have done, and let our thoughts and what our eyes take in pass as though they were not sins. Reuven opened the way to teshuvah for thought, and that teshuvah brought the Chanukah miracle against the Greeks, who attacked the Jewish mind. When we look at the Chanukah lights, their holiness can rectify our sight and our thoughts, and each such repair brings the light of Moshiach closer.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.