Acharei Mos- Shabbos HaGadol
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha (Chapter 18, Pasuk 5), Asher Ya’aseh Osam Ha’adam V’Chai Bahem. There is a famous drasha on this pasuk which teaches that doing the mitzvoth is conditional to being able to continue living. But if performing a mitzvah would cause someone to die, he is exempt from performing the mitzvah, except in the case of the three severe sins of Gilui Arayos, Avodah Zarah, and Shefichas Damim. Otherwise, the guiding principle is V’Chai Bahem, V’Lo SheYamus Bahem.
I would like to focus, though, on the simple meaning of the pasuk. Rashi comments, how could the Torah be telling us that with the keeping of the mitzvoth we will live, in the end every person dies. Rather, he teaches, when the Torah states V’Chai Bahem, it is a reference to the eternal life of Olam Habah. When one keeps the mitzvoth of the Torah he is guaranteed eternal life in Olam Habah.
The Sfas Emes expands on this meaning of the term V’Chai Bahem. He refers us to the Gemara in Berachos 51A which teaches the different requirements of a “Kos shel Bracha”. One of them is “Chai”. Tosfos on the previous amud (D”H Modim) teaches that the meaning of “Chai” is shalem. The cup used for a Kos shel Bracha must be complete without any cracks or breaks. Here as well, the Torah is teaching that a person is born with the potential of doing many great deeds. And these great deeds are the mitzvoth of the Torah. Only when a person performs the mitzvoth of the Torah is he fulfilling his purpose in the world. This is why our pasuk is teaching that when one does the mitzvoth, only then is he “V’Chaim Bahem”. Only at that point is he completing himself and fulfilling his potential through the performance of the mitzvoth.
There is a famous Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 11,9 ) which teaches in the name of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai that Shabbos complains to Hashem that all the days of the week have a partner (a Ben-Zug) and it doesn’t. Hashem responds to Shabbos, Knesses Yisrael is your partner. Typically this Medrash is explained that all the days of the week pair off (Sunday has Monday, etc.) leaving Shabbos by itself. But the Sfas Emes gives a deeper, beautiful explanation to this Medrash (the Ohr Gedalyahu teaches this in the name of the Mahari Mintz). All the days of the week were creations with greatness contained within them. And the way this greatness was revealed was through those things created on those days. Each day’s uniqueness is expressed through that which was created on that day. For example, the sun and the moon etc. reveal the significance of Yom Revi’i. This is what the Medrash means that each day has its Ben-Zug.
But Shabbos complains that it has no Ben-Zug. Nothing was created on Shabbos which reveals the holiness and the significance of Shabbos. This is what Hashem means when He says that Clal Yisrael are your Ben-Zug. They will reveal your greatness.
This didn’t happen until Shabbos HaGadol. Until then, there was no one to reveal the holiness of the Shabbos. Though the reason for Shabbos is to commerate the Creation as we read in the first “Dibros”, the Torah teaches in parshat V’Eschanan in the second “Dibros”, the reason for the mitzvah of Shabbos is because of Yetzias Mitzrayim. This is because only after going through slavery and the “fiery furnace” of Egypt, were Bnei Yisrael fit and able to receive the mitzvah of Shabbos. Only after experiencing the miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim were they able to understand the holiness of Shabbos and be the vehicle through which the greatness of Hashem and His Shabbos could be known.
Bnei Yisrael took the lamb for the Karban Pesach in Mitzrayim on the tenth of Nissan. This fell out on Shabbos. When Bnei Yisrael took that first step towards being the nation of Gd and towards a commitment of keeping the mitzvoth, this made Shabbos Gadol. The Sefarim explain the word Gadol to mean that which is spread out and expanded. When Bnei Yisrael fulfilled the first mitzvah of bringing the Karban Pesach, they became the Ben-Zug of Shabbos. Now there was an expression to the holiness of Shabbos and to Hashem as the creator of the world. Until now, it was only in potential and not realized until Bnei Yisrael became the means of expressing this Kedushah. And this parallels the need for every Jew to actualize his own potential through mitzvoth. And just as the nation of Israel made Shabbos “Gadol” through their commitment to mitzvoth, we individually make ourselves “Chai” through our personal commitment of doing the mitzvoth. Asher Ya’aseh Osam Ha’adam V’Chai Bahem.
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