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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In פ‘ בהר , Leviticus 25:47-55, the Torah teaches us the case where a Jew contracts himself to be an indentured servant for a non-Jew. It is the manifestation of a Jew who has slowly lost their sensitivity to the uniqueness of being gifted with a way of life that elevates, invigorates and creates one into a צלם אלוקים, a selfless, spiritual being. This transformation doesn’t happen suddenly, but it is due to a process of one allowing oneself to become desensitized to one’s real self – נשמה – soul and to become enamored with the non-Jewish culture. (see Rashi 26:1 who quotes Tractate Kiddushin 20a).
But the Torah prescribes an antidote for the “servant”. Though he is now sheltered in a home that is suffused with idolatry, hedonism, materialism and the lack of Shabbos observance, Hashem never deems a person hopeless; every Jew has a special inherent, intuitive connection to Hashem and the yearning for a truly fulfilling life of Torah, due to one’s special נשמה.
The Torah 26:12 admonishes him, “Don’t become involved with your master’s ‘idols’, … don’t desecrate the Shabbos and respect holy places with awe…”.
The Sforno teaches that this portion is also a metaphor for us all; we the Jewish people who live in a society antithetical to all that is holy, logical, dignified, and moral.
How can we maintain our connection to our Torah, to our system of values, to our inherent desire to feel the nobility and dignity of a Jew?
The Torah emphatically instructs us to enter into a “sphere of time” – Shabbos, and a “sphere of place” – a sanctuary, thereby enabling one to transcend the mundane, godless world. When one accesses the metaphysical time sphere of Shabbos, when one sets foot into a synagogue or place of Torah study, a transformation takes place. One is infused with a true, clear ascent into a world of eternity and meaning.
In a similar fashion, the רמב “ן, Nachmanides, explains that while living in ארץ ישראל , during the time of the ,בית המקדש the Holy Temple, one must travel to the Temple for all three festivals, thereby sustaining and invigorating oneself with the needed awe of our Creator.
We live in one of the most difficult eras of history. Every day, we are inundated, distressed, and engulfed by a world that wants to disconnect from the idea of a Creator, to vilify the Jewish people who represent G-d and His formula for living, the Torah, and to worship themselves and their wealth. What was moral only recently is considered absolute nonsense; what was absolute depravity and decadence is considered laudable. How do we survive?
The Torah’s message is resounding. Enter every day into a synagogue to pray! The Talmud ברכות ו:ו teaches us that our Creator who cares and loves us is waiting to embrace us at the time we designate for our prayers. If we all enter in a unified, timely manner, exhibiting our appreciation for Him and for all of our fellow מתפללים, co-parishioners, if we don’t speak idly, if we make the effort to ensure the cleanliness and dignity of “His palace”; then our lives are metaphysically elevated, edified, and we can transcend the world we reside in.
In Ethics of Our Father 4, 2 it states: Ben Azzai said: ‘Run to perform even a ‘minor’ mitzvah and flee from sin…”
One can run to do a mitzvah and one can do it with calm and leisure. The impact on oneself is incomparable! The energy borne from one’s enthusiasm is what defines one’s action! When one with relentless desire decides to come to converse with Hashem with unadulterated enthusiasm, completely negating all of one’s personal needs and desires , to be completely subservient to one’s Creator, one is creating an inseparable bond with Hashem! In this manner one’s actions are not robotic, but rather, executed with total focus and dedication. By entering into these two spheres, Shabbos and Holy places, with anticipation, energy and enthusiasm, we are securing for ourselves a genuine connection to Hashem. In turn it elevates our בטחון, trust that all he does and will do is for our greatest benefit.
Shabbos is akin to a degree of the World to Come, a world of complete negation of self-worship, but rather a place where we are embraced by the Almighty, gifted with the ultimate pleasure of experiencing the truths of life; thereby gaining true serenity and tranquility. We cease from all creativity, thereby surrendering ourselves to the Almighty, declaring emphatically that we are not the rulers/owners of the world. By insulating ourselves from the ideology of mankind, we thereby enter into a vibrant environment of sincere contemplation of the true meaning of life. On Shabbos, we are gifted with a נשמה יתרה, which the שפת אמת explains, that our נשמה, is dominant over the physical self. Every Shabbos we have the golden opportunity to embrace who we really are!
