31 Jan BESHALACH: THE PURITY OF ACCEPTING THE YOKE OF HEAVEN

Another approach to
attain purity during
Shovavim is to
embrace the yoke of
Heaven because that
is the greatest siguf
(affliction).
People want to do,
think, look, and say
whatever they want
and whenever they
want. Accepting the
yoke of Heaven
means to do, think,
look, and speak only
what Hashem wants. It deprives a person
of his freedom, his identity of being a
person on his own.
And that is the greatest siguf, even harder
than fasting, etc., and it purifies
immensely. The Shem MiShmuel
(Hoshana Rabba ד“תרע ( writes, “My
grandfather from Kotzk zt’l said that it is

easier for the body to do all kinds of
afflictions rather than to accept the yoke
of Heaven. There is no greater affliction
for the body than to live under the yoke
of Heaven, and to do all one’s deeds
according to the Torah.”
There used to be a shlacht-house
(slaughterhouse) in the outskirts of Bnei
Brak. Reb Yaakov Landau zt’l gave the
hechsher. The animals were shechted
lying down, tied down with rope. In case
the animals broke free from the ropes,
metal poles were stationed around the
area. The shochet could escape through
the polls, but the large cattle couldn’t
pass through.
One day, Reb Yaakov Landau came to
watch the shechitah from up close.
People warned Reb Landau that it was
dangerous for him to be so close to the
animals. “The shochet is young. If the
animal breaks loose, the shochet can run
to safety. But what will you do if the

animal breaks loose? You cannot run.
What will protect you?”
Reb Landau replied, “But I can’t give a
hechsher if I don’t watch the shechitah
from up close,” and he went inside to
watch the shechitah.
What they feared occurred. When the
shochet took out the knife for the
shechitah, the ox quickly stood up and
broke free. The shochet ran for his life,
and the enraged animal began running
around within its confined area.
Reb Landau remained calm throughout
this time, and he looked at the animal
until it calmed down. People asked Reb
Landau how he kept his composure
throughout the ordeal. He replied,
“Someone who is afraid of Hashem isn’t
afraid of an ox. And if you are afraid of
an ox, that means you aren’t afraid of
Hashem.”
The pasuk says (Shemos ,המילדות ותראנה

1:17 (, האלקים -את” The midwives feared
Hashem.” The Noam Eliezer of Skulen
zt’l explains that one can have only one
fear. The midwives (Shifrah and Puah)
knew that they could fear either Hashem
or Pharaoh.
Therefore, they increased their fear of
Heaven so that they wouldn’t be afraid
of Pharaoh.
And when one fears Hashem, he will
accept the yoke of Heaven. And as we
are explaining, that is the greatest siguf
and the utmost purifier.a