Divrei Ki Sisa
Naked in the Light
We are approaching Nisan, the first of months. The Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 11a) tells us “Rabbi Yehoshua says . . . [Just as Israel] was redeemed in Nisan, [so also] in the future, we will be redeemed in Nisan.” Also, just as in Mitzrayim, when we at times despaired of the Geulah, we find ourselves in this long Galus becoming comfortable in exile, unprepared for the Geulah Shleimah. To reveal and explain the fallacies of this mindset, the Chofetz Chaim told this mashal.
There was a certain peasant (the Polish version of a country bumpkin) who had never left his tiny village. However, he had heard that a sightseeing trip to the big city was worthwhile. He counted his coins, packed a sack of clothes, walked to the nearest town with a train station, bought a ticket to the city, and climbed aboard.
As the train whistle blew, and the train slowly pulled out from the station, the peasant stared out the window. His open-mouthed wonderment only increased as the fields and forests began to fly by.
Sharing the coach with him was a crowd of more sophisticated folk. Among them were several practical jokers who sized him up, figured him to be a gullible rube, and decided to have some fun. Pointing slyly in his direction, they whispered to themselves, looked out the window, checked their watches, and started a friendly conversation.
“So where are you headed, pal?” they innocently asked.
“I’m a goin’ to the big city, to see all the sights!” he gaily answered.
“Not in those ragged clothes, you can’t!” they declared. “You’ll be laughed out of town if you walk around the city dressed like that.”
“Well, I brought my best duds in my bag. I kinda thought I’d change at the hotel.”
“If you wear those clothes, nobody will give you a room!”
“So what do I do?”
“Easy. In a few minutes, the train will head into a long dark tunnel. So untie your bag right now. When the train goes into that tunnel, pull off those rags and put on your suit. Don’t worry – it’s a real long tunnel, and you’ll have plenty of time to change!”
“Thanks for the advice, guys!” the peasant exclaimed, “I’ll get right to it!” He reached under his seat, yanked out his sack, untied it, and dropped his best clothes into his lap. Everyone smiled reassuringly.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the train entered a tunnel, and all was pitch-black. Immediately, he jumped up and began to undress. Suddenly, however, the train came out the other side, and the cabin was flooded with light – just after the peasant had taken off every bit of clothing. He stood there, naked as the day he was born, reddening rapidly as raucous laughter filled the train.
HaRav Elchonon Bunim Wasserman, hy”d, was present as the Chofetz Chaim told this mashal. He also laughed – not just at the mashal, but at the nimshal. Galus, exile, is like that dark tunnel. Geulah, the light of redemption, comes at the end of the tunnel. We may be misled to think that galus is the natural way, that it will go on and on, and that we have plenty of time to do whatever we feel, for redemption is so far away that we have plenty of time to change from our dirtied clothes into better clothes; that is, we have plenty of time to learn Torah, do mitzvos, and do teshuvah, before the light of Moshiach floods the world.
Not so, says the Chofetz Chaim. The exile can end suddenly, at any time. We left Mitzrayim “bichipazon,” suddenly, and the Navi Malachi (3:1) tells us that the future Geulah will also be “pis’om yavo” - Moshaich will come suddenly. Therefore, as the posuk says in Koheles (9:8): “Let your garments be white at all times,” that is, we must climb onto the train in our best clothes – Torah, mitzvos, and teshuvah -- or else we could find ourselves like that peasant – embarrassed, standing naked in the light.
Faces
The maaseh of the cheit ha’eigel brings out many of the ways of Hashem in this world. Among them is the Pnei Hashem, the face, the presence, of Hashem. For example, after Hashem had declared that a malach, not Himself, would lead the people, Moshe requested that Hashem continue to guide. Hashem acceded to Moshe, saying, “Panai -- My Presence -- will go,” (Shemos 33:14) indicating that the people would continue their high-level relationship with Hashem.
HaRav Yonason Eybeshitz zt”l (as explained by HaRav Dovid Wenick shlit”a in Yaari Im Divshi 4:1:68-71) brings a way for us, with our limited minds and insights into the ways of Hashem, to understand the concept of “Hashem’s Face.” We can think of Pnei Hashem in the same manner as we have come to our limited understanding of Hashem’s Midas HaRachamim and Midas HaDin. “Pnei Hashem,” found here and in other places, signifies an outpouring of Divine kindliness and mercy. On the other hand, Hashem can also show a side of anger through “Pnei Elokim,” using the name indicating Midas HaDin.
Certainly, we want Hashem to show His Pnei Hashem, not the Pnei Elokim. In fact, the Pnei Hashem is constantly with us, for “olam chesed yibaneh,” the world itself s built upon kindliness. Even in the darkest of times, the grass still grows, the air is still breathable, and Hashem often shows His Rachamim through His Din.
We wish, however, to experience only the Pnei Hashem, to feel Hashem’s kindliness in all areas of our lives. Our prayers are often focused upon our hopes for the Pnei Hashem. For example, two of the three brochos in Bircas Kohanim possess this aspect.: “May Hashem illuminate His Countenance (“Panav”) for you and be gracious to you. May Hashem turn His Countenance (“Panav”) to you and establish peace for you.” (Bamidbar 6:25-26)
Still another way we can bring Pnei Hashem into this world comes from emulating Hashem in the way that we wish Him to relate to us. Every human being is in fact endowed with tzelem Elokim, which is most apparent upon his or her face. In fact, says HaRav Avigdor Miller zt”l, the human countenance is intrinsically beautiful in its nobility. The problem, he says, comes when that tremendous face opens its mouth and, with crude, vain, or unpleasant talk, announces that this tzelem covers a great emptiness. He illustrated this concept with a poem: “In lion’s skin an ass did hide/Until no one knew who was inside/Then himself he did betray/By opening up his mouth to bray.”
A powerful method of determining which face we will experience comes, middah-kneged-middah, from our own deeds. Good deeds bring Pnei Hashem; evil deeds bring the opposite. Yaakov alluded to this concept when he greeted Esav after two decades in Padan Aram. During their give-and-take, Yaakov declares, “For I have seen your [Esav’s] face, which is like seeing Pnei Elokim.” (Breishis 33:10) Was Yaakov flattering his wicked brother? Certainly not, says Rav Eybeshitz. Yaakov was stating the flat truth: not only was Esav’s wrongdoing an evil in itself, but it also brought Pnei Elokim into the world – a devastating Midas HaDin.
As an interesting side point, Rav Eybeshitz focused on the mitzvos of peos ha’rosh and peos ha’zakan. Time and again, he spoke out decrying the practice of some weaker Jews to imitate the hairstyling practices of the nations and to shave their peos. Their seemingly minor act actually has cosmic consequences, for Rav Eybeshitz held that shaving one’s peos was in fact a destruction of one’s tzelem Elokim. He kabbalistically compared the two peos ha’rosh – one on the right side of the head, and one on the left -- to the two names “Hashem Hashem” of the 13 Midos of Hashem’s Mercy listed in this week’s parsha, and the peos ha’zakan to the other 11 Midos. He therefore warned that this transgression directly brought Pnei Elokim into the world. “Fools!” he cried out, “How can you destroy worlds because of this idiocy?”