15 Jun CHUKAS

Hashem’s mode of communication

Hashem told Eliyahu HaNavi, “Go to Tzarfata in Tzidon and live there. Behold I commanded a widow who lives there to support you…” (I Malachim 17:9). The Chofetz Chaim asks: this widow wasn’t a prophetess. How did Hashem command her to support Eliyahu? How did she receive the message? The Chofetz Chaim answers that Hashem communicates in means humans can’t. Humans communicate with speech or by sending letters, but Hashem can send a thought or desire into a person’s heart, and this is a form of communicating His will. The person often doesn’t know that Hashem planted the thought in his mind, but it was Hashem speaking to him. Through this manner, Hashem commanded the widow to support Eliyahu. (Shem Olam, Shaar Shmiras Shabbos 3) Based on this idea, Rebbe Bunim of Peshischa zy’a explained the passuk, “Rabot machshavot bleiv ish v’ezet hashem hi takum” (Mishlei 19:21). Rebbe Bunim of Peshischa said, “ezet hashem, Hashem’s plan, “hi takum”, will always transpire, “rabot machshavot b’leiv ish” via the many thoughts that are in man’s heart. Shim’i ben Geira cursed Dovid HaMelech. Avishai ben Tzeruyah said to Dovid HaMelech, “Why should this dead dog curse my master, the king? I will chop off his head!” Dovid replied, “Why should it make a difference to me or to you if he curses. If Hashem told him to curse, who can ask him, ‘Why are you doing that?’” (II Shmuel 16: 9-10). The Tanya asks, “When did Hashem tell Shim’i to curse Dovid? The answer is, the thought that came into Shimi’s mind and heart to curse, came from Hashem” (Igeres HaKadosh 25). Yosef was hated by his brothers, and the Midrash (84:18) states that they weren’t entirely guilty for their hatred, because Hashem planted it into their hearts. As the Midrash states, “When You wanted, You put love in their hearts, and when You wanted, You put hatred into their hearts…”4 Once, Reb Dovid Budnik zt’l (called ‘The Saraf of Novardok’) was in the forest near Mezritch, focusing on mussar, when a large dog charged at him and bit him. Reb Dovid fainted. Other students of Novardok revived him, and they asked, “Why were you so afraid? Did you learn in Novardok to be afraid of a barking dog?” “I wasn’t afraid of the dog,” Reb Dovid said. “I realized that the dog was simply fulfilling Hashem’s decree. Hashem keviyachol told the dog, ‘go bite Dovid ben Chayah,’ and the dog was only fulfilling its mission. “So why did I faint? When I saw the fire burning in the dog’s eyes and when I felt the heat of the dog’s breath as it bit me, I perceived the degree of passion a creature can have when doing Hashem’s will. I asked myself, Dovid, did you ever say kriyas Shema with such passion? Did you ever wear tefillin with this level of hislahavus? I fainted from shame and embarrassment.” The dog didn’t frighten him, because Reb Dovid Budnik understood that the dog was carrying out Hashem’s decree. Because everything that occurs in the world, is planned and decreed from Above.

Temimus with Temimus with the Mitzvos

When we say the ketores (in the korbanos) we say “If some honey were added to the ketores, [the scent would be so wonderful] people wouldn’t be able to stay put because of its smell. So why don’t we add honey? It is because the Torah says ‘Do not sacrifice sourdough and honey to Hashem.’” Why are these words in question and answer form? It could have simply stated, “We can’t add honey because the Torah says…” Most of the Mishnayos aren’t written in question answer form; why is this statement different? The answer is, common sense dictates that we should add honey into the ketores to enhance the scent immensely. So why shouldn’t we add some honey? Doesn’t it seem like a good idea? The answer is, the Torah doesn’t permit it. This teaches us a lesson in temimus. We don’t keep the mitzvos when it makes sense to us, and we don’t add onto the mitzvos when our common sense says that if we add a detail it would be better. We keep the Torah with temimus, according to the laws and guidelines that the Creator set for us. Our opinion and feelings are irrelevant. We keep the mitzvos as we were told to. A mashal is told of an alcoholic who was drinking ninety-six percent vodka. His friends had rachmanus on him and said, “Why are you an alcoholic? You’re ruining your shalom bayis, your friends are leaving you, and you are destroying your health. Why don’t you stop?” The man, still holding the bottle in his hand, answered, “You’re absolutely right. There are ninety-six good taamim, reasons, to stop drinking. But this ninety-six percent alcohol drink has a taam (a taste) that overrides all your ninety-six taamim (reasons). When keeping the Torah, there may be ninety-six reasons and explanations as to why we should do things differently. Our common sense may convince us to do differently. But we accept with temimus what Hashem tells us to do. We follow His will over human logic and all other considerations. When watches and clocks were first invented, a villager traveled to the city and returned with a clock. He showed it to the villagers, and they were all very impressed. One of the villagers was jealous; he also wanted a clock, and he began to save up for it. His family rebuked him, “Why do you want a clock for? You will only be causing yourself trouble. You will be obligated to live by the clock. Let’s say you are hungry, but the clock says it isn’t noon yet, and you won’t be able to eat lunch. If you are very tired, and the clock will say that it’s still too early, you won’t be able to go to sleep. What do you need it for? Forget about buying a clock.” The man agreed. He wouldn’t be a fool. He quickly went to his friend and said, “I feel so bad for you, because you bought the clock. I’m certain your life has become so much harder because of it. Now you can’t eat when you want to, sleep when you want… You are bound by the dictates of the clock. I truly pity you.” The man replied, “I thought about this problem, but I found a solution. If I’m hungry, and it isn’t yet noon, I just move the hands of the clock to 12:00 and then I’m able to eat. And if I’m tired, and it isn’t yet 10:00 P.M., I will move the clock to 10:00 and I can go to sleep…”. This is how it appears when people try to adjust the Torah to their needs. They change things here and there to fit their schedule and desires. But we embrace the Torah as it was taught to us, as Hashem gave us, and we don’t change it, chalilah, to fit our personal needs.