Divrei Re’eh
Our Mission
In Yaari Im Divshi (4:3:11), HaRav Yonason Eybeshitz zt”l brings the final mishnah in Bava Metzia (10:6): In the case of two gardens, one next to and above the other, separated by a vertical wall of earth covered with vegetables, Rabbi Meir says, “The vegetables belong to the owner of the upper garden,” while Rabbi Yehudah says, “They belong to the owner of the lower garden.” Says Rabbi Shimon, “Any vegetables which the owner of the upper garden can stretch out his hand and take, belong to him; the rest go to the owner of the lower garden.” The halacha follows Rabbi Shimon.
R’ Yonason explains that this mishnah also contains a deeper meaning. Both the human body and the soul are called “gardens,” for like a garden which gives forth produce beyond the physical earth of the garden, a person produces and accomplishes results far beyond the physical matter of oneself. The vegetables in the mishnah represent food, which nourishes both body and soul. Rabbi Meir says that the essence of eating is spiritual, as the physical powers of a human’s nutrition come from the nefesh (the “upper garden”), which is spiritual. His proof comes from Devarim 12:23: “The blood (the physical “life” of a body) is the nefesh.” Rabbi Yehudah disagrees and tells us that because overeating can actually damage the soul, eating is primarily a function of the body (the “lower garden”). Comes Rabbi Shimon with a third approach. If we can bring proper intent to eating (“If the owner of the upper garden can stretch out his hand . . .”), eating becomes a spiritually uplifting function; if not, eating only weakens the soul and damages the body. We follow Rabbi Shimon’s opinion and recognize that our thoughts can raise even the lowest physical act into the spiritual stratospheres.
The Slonimer Rav zt”l incorporates Rabbi Shimon’s concept when he discusses the beginning of this week’s parsha: “See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing: that you heed the commandments of HaShem your G-d, that I command you today. And the curse: if you do not heed the commandments of HaShem your G-d and stray from the path which I command you today” (11:26). He asks a number of questions, including, “What sort of ’blessing and curse’ are these? Wouldn’t ‘reward and punishment’ be more appropriate? Furthermore, why does Moshe say “that you heed” by the blessing, and “if you heed” by the curse? What’s more, why does Moshe say “today” three times?
He answers with a yesod that adds another purposeful dimension to our lives as ovdei Hashem. Every one of us has been sent down into this world for a unique purpose: to accomplish a tikun, a certain accomplishment. No one else can do it for us. The ‘blessing and curse’ mentioned here are not referring to performance of mitzvos, nor to reward and punishment, but to the ability to perform, or, r”l fail to perform, this task. The greatest blessing a person can have is to fulfill his mission; and the greatest curse is to fail in this task, r”l.
Hashem wants us to succeed, and so He places at our disposal precisely what is necessary for every person to accomplish his goal. Everyone has before him an array of purely physical needs – food, clothing, shelter, and much more – which enable him to accomplish his purpose. Furthermore, not only does Hashem provide us with a guidebook (the Torah) and guides (parents and teachers), but He Himself personally directs every Jew to the exact places and times that he is needed to fulfill his mission. Now the verses read, “See, I present before you all the necessities – items, knowledge, and Divine guidance – for you to complete the mission that I have sent you, if you utilize them properly (per Rabbi Shimon’s view of the “gardens”). If, however, you refuse to listen to Me, you will not fulfill your task.” The choice is ours.
Now, a mishnah in Pirkei Avos (4:28) becomes more clear. “Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says, ‘Jealousy, desire, and glory remove a person from this world.’” Others possess that which we do not, and vice versa. There is simply no reason to desire what we don’t have; others need those things for their missions, but we do not need them for ours. Because these three traits run contrary to HaShem’s purpose for placing us in this world, they have no place here, either.
Can we discover our purpose while still in this world? The Slonimer Rav presents a test: When one senses an overpowering urge from the Yetzer Ha’ra away from something, that something is one’s purpose. Before we assume anything, however, preparation is needed. First, one must attain a clear knowledge of one’s self and purpose, which is a complex process in itself. (In Gateway to Self-Knowledge, HaRav Zelig Pliskin shlit”a brings a step-by-step methodology. Alai Shur (64) states: “There is no knowledge that is more difficult to arrive at than honest recognition of yourself.”) Furthermore, our purpose may not become apparent until later in life. Boaz’s mission – to marry Rus and found the Davidic dynasty – did not happen until he was over eighty years old. What’s more, every day for a Jew carries its own purpose. (Thus, the repeated “today”) How often do we wake up with a precise schedule for that day in mind, and fall asleep that night wondering why everything fell apart? Hashem sent us to accomplish a certain task that day, and our plans did not fit in with His. Even if we cannot understand our special purpose in this world, we can trust that the A-mighty is guiding us in every way to success. May we all be zoche to successfully complete all missions that Hashem presents to us.
Perspective for Elul
This week’s parsha falls very close to Rosh Chodesh Elul. Clearly, now is an especially excellent time to begin to prepare for upcoming Days of Awe. The Chofetz Chaim (Shmiras HaLoshon, Sha’ar Hatevunah 4) says that we all know that on Rosh HaShanah, Hashem opens three books: The Book of Life, for tzaddikim; the Book of Death, for reshaim, and the Book for Beinonim, for those in the middle or whose verdict has not yet been decided. Who is a tzaddik? One who has more mitzvos than aveiros. Who is a rasha? One who has more aveiros than mitzvos.
Now, we all want to be in the Book of Life, but no one really knows for sure whether he or she has more mitzvos than aveiros, or the opposite. So what is our strategy?
Says the Chofetz Chaim: if Hashem really wanted, He could look very, very carefully at every one of our mitzvos, find something wrong with it, and take them off the list. We don’t want that. On the other hand, we would really like it if Hashem would overlook the aveiros we have done and not count them. How do we get that to happen?
Answers the Chofetz Chaim: Middah-k’neged –Middah! If we judge the world around us in the best possible way, Hashem will look at us in the best possible way, and therefore He will look favorably upon our mitzvos and ignore our aveiros. On the other hand, if we look upon the world in an unfavorable way, not looking for the great good that is in everything, Hashem might look at us in an unfavorable way, chas v’shalom.