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By Rabbi Naftoly Bier
In the beginning of this week’s portion, פרשת שמיני, we are taught the dedication of the משכן, Tabernacle – which Klal Yisroel had anxiously waited for more than three months. Specific sacrifices were told by Hashem that had to be offered to consecrate the משכן. In פסוק ד’, verse 4, it states: “They took that which Mose had commanded to the ‘Tent of the Appointed Meeting’ – the אהל מועד, the entire community drew near, and they stood before Hashem.” In verse 5 it states: “And Moshe said, ‘Do this thing that Hashem has commanded and His glory will reveal itself to you.’”
All the commentators come to answer what seems to be a superfluous in verse 5. Moshe Rabeinu had already instructed us as to what had to be done!
The תורת כהנים says the following: “Moshe Rabeinu said that in order to merit the Divind Presence, it is necessary to remove the יצר הרע (selfish inclination) from your hearts and unite as one inseparable unit in awe/fear of Hashem; one sole commitment to serve Hashem; just as Hashem is ‘one and only’, so too, all of the Jewish people have to unify as one totally selfish unit! We must subordinate our sensual impulses, needs for acclimation and honor and materialistic desires to the power of our moral will as symbolized by the different steps of the קרבן, sacrifice. By connecting all of everyone’s unique facets, in the service of Hashem, we can gain an inner harmony, reconciling the dichotomous nature of one’s being, and subsequently, the whole community can attain unity and equality! Only then will we merit that the שכינה, Divine Presence, will dwell in our midst (See Rav Hirsch).
This idea is expounded by the חתם סופר, Chasam Sofer, quoted in (שפתי חיים) in his commentary on the Siddur.
The Chasam Sofer asks the following: “We say ‘שמע ישראל ה’ אלוקינו ה’ אחד’ every day. According to the explanation of the חובות הלבבות, ‘Duties of the Heart’, we are proclaiming that G-d is external, He was, He is, and He will be, and He is אלוקינו which means all spiritual and physical ‘laws’ are totally governed by Him – which is logically only possible if He is ‘one and only’. If so, what are we adding when we say, ‘He is one’?” It’s obvious from what we initially stated! Another perplexing statement is that חז”ל, the Rabbis taught that this verse is also an articulation of His Sovereignty and of one’s subservience to Him. Shouldn’t this be ascribed to the following verse when we state, “And one should love Hashem, our G-d.” The first verse is seemingly a statement of His existence?
The Chasam Sofer answers with the teaching of the חובות הלבבות near the end of שער היחוד פרק י’. “What causes a loss of total, pure acceptance of being a subject of the Almighty, is partnering Hashem’s guidance of the world with other forces. Either celestial bodies, zodiac forces and also blending, integrating or merging one’s personal cravings with Hashem’s governship. He then quotes from: גמרה שבת ק”ה, Tractate Shabbos 105: The Torah states, “one should not have in oneself a foreign god. This refers to the יצר הרע, the selfish, evil inclination.” We are being taught that if one has any slight selfish objective to one’s personal prestige, honor, it is as if one has a foreign god in their body!
With this, we understand the verse of שמע ישראל. We not only express that Hashem is the one who has supreme, all inclusive power; but we also vehemently declare that there is no other focus of our purpose other than all our actions being solely done for the sake of serving Hashem!
The חפץ חיים, Chofetz Chaim explains that every action done should be done with no personal gain, but rather, for Hashem’s sake. For instance, when one eats, it should be to adhere to the mitzva of ונשמרתם את נפשותיכם, to guard one’s health; when earning a living, it is in order to pay the children’s teachers – a mitzva of paying an employee or to provide clothing or food to one’s wife – a mitzva, and many more. Every action one does, one should contemplate how one, if possible can understand if it’s Hashem’s will and to do it accordingly.
This idea of separating one’s ego, need for attention, cravings, from one’s actions is described by the Ramchal, in Paths of the Just, in the following manner: (Chapter 1)
The foundation of piety and the root of perfect service [of G-d] is for a man to clarify and come to realize as truth what is his obligation in his world and to what he needs to direct his gaze and his aspiration in all that he toils all the days of his life
To summarize what we have learned, the primary [purpose] of man’s existence in this world is solely to fulfill the commandments, serve [G-d] and stand up to trials.
Why shouldn’t a man set aside for himself, at least, fixed times for this study if he is forced, for the rest of his time, to turn to other studies or affairs?
The pleasures of this world should only be used for aiding and assisting him, so that he will have tranquility and peace of mind in order to free his heart for this service incumbent upon him.
Thus it is proper that all of a man’s inclination be solely to the blessed Creator and that all of his actions great or small have no other purpose than to draw closer to G-d, blessed be He, and to break down all the barriers separating him from his Master, which are all the matters of physicality and the things dependent on them, until he is drawn towards the blessed G-d like iron is drawn to a magnet.
And anything that he deems to be a means serving to drawing close to G-d, he will chase after it, grab hold of it, and not let it go.
And anything which he deems to be detrimental to this, he should flee from it as one flees from fire, similar to what is written: “my soul clings after You, Your right hand upholds me” (Ps. 63:9).
For his coming to this world is only for this purpose, namely, to attain this closeness, by rescuing his soul from whatever hindrance and detriment to it.
The Vilna Gaon describes our גלות אדום, our exile, as compared to a חזיר, pig. A pig has split hooves – a sign of being Kosher – but lacks the idea of chewing its cud. Outwardly, all seems perfect, but the inner essence is lacking. This is our generation’s challenge – to totally and selflessly focus our obligation to Hashem, all while negating any aspect of self-centeredness. This objective is one of the main themes of Pesach.
