Parshat Chukas 5783
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the song that Bnei Yisrael sing in praise of the Be’er, the wellspring which accompanied them in the desert. The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh asks, why did Bnei Yisrael sing a song to the Be’er? Why not to the mahn, the food which sustained them in the desert? He answers that this song isn’t for the water of the Be’er; rather it is an ode to the Torah which was given to them.
The pasuk says (Chapter 21, Pasuk 18), באר חפרוה שרים כרוה נדיבי העם במחקק משענותם. Rashi teaches that the שרים and the נדיבי העם referred to in the pasuk are Moshe and Aharon. The Ohr Hachaim learns similar to the Targumim on the parsha, that the שרים in the parsha are the Avos, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, who dug wells of water, i.e. Torah. But the Torah of the Avos was still inaccessible to Clal Yisrael. As the pasuk says by in parshat Vayeitzei (Chapter 29, Pasuk 2), והאבן גדולה על פי הבאר; the stone was great on the Be’er. Yaakov Avinu was able to access these waters, as the pasuk says ויגל את האבן מעל פי הבאר, but it wasn’t until the Torah was given by the נדיבי עם, by Moshe Rabbeinu, that Bnei Yisrael were able to drink from the waters of the Torah. And all the great scholars of Clal Yisrael through the ages, the מחוקקים, made Torah even more accessible with their teachings and explanations. In short, this pasuk summarizes the transmission of Torah throughout the years.
The Sfas Emes learns similar to the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and contrasts the Shiras Ha’Be’er with Shiras Hayam. The song said at the crossing of Yam Suf was led by Moshe Rabbeinu, as the pasuk says (Shemos, Chapter 15, Pasuk 1),אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת . The song in our parsha begins (Chapter 21, Pasuk 17), אז ישיר ישראל את השירה הזאת. The Shiras Ha’Be’er is a song exclusive to Clal Yisrael and the name of Moshe is omitted completely. What is the reason for this stark contrast?
The Sfas Emes teaches that שירת הים was a preparation for Bnei Yisrael receiving the Torah. The Torah was given through Moshe Rabbeinu. The Torah of Moshe is Torah Shebichsav, the written Torah given when Hashem revealed Himself to Bnei Yisrael at Har Sinai. And this light of connection to Hashem accompanied them in various ways throughout their journey in the desert, led by Moshe Rabbeinu.
שירת הבאר was a preparation for Bnei Yisrael entering Eretz Yisrael. In Eretz Yisrael, Bnei Yisrael would need to work hard to achieve; the Idyllic life of לחם מן השמים and of the direct light of Torah Shebichsav was about to end. In Eretz Yisrael they would eat לחם מן הארץ. They wouldn’t eat unless they worked the land first. And Eretz Yisrael is the land of Torah Shebe’alpeh. Torah Shebe’alpeh is achieved only with hard work, with עמל התורה. If Torah Shebichsav is the direct light of Hashem, then Torah Shebe’alpeh is the light achieved from darkness, as the Medrash Tanchuma in parshat Noach quotes the pasuk in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 9, Pasuk 1), העם ההלכים בחשך ראו אור גדול. First there is darkness and confusion, but ultimately there is great light.
This was the song which belonged to Am Yisrael and not to Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t enter Eretz Yisrael. The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh teaches that the pasuk above references the chain of tradition throughout the ages, the chain of Torah Shebe’alpeh. This is the subject of the song of the Be’er; drinking from its waters and being able to comprehend its meaning. Moshe started us off, and now we need to continue the chain of tradition further.
The Mishnah in Avos teaches (Chapter 5, Mishnah 8), that there were ten things created on Erev Shabbos Bein Hashemashos, during the twilight hours between Erev Shabbos and Shabbos. One of these was the פי הבאר; the mouth of the Be’er. Why is it called the mouth of the Be’er, and why was it created right before Shabbos?
Chazal refer to the creation of the mouth of the Be’er to indicate that we have the potential of opening the well and accessing the waters of Torah. If once there was a great stone on the well, now we say, וחיי עולם נטע בתוכינו. Eternal life is planted in our souls; we have the מעין התורה deep within us. And how we do access it? We open the mouth of the Be’er by training our mouths to speak words of Torah. When man was created and the pasuk says (Bereishis, Chapter 2, Pasuk 7), ויהי האדם לנפש חיה, Onkelos translates as לרוח ממללא. The essence of man is his speech, and one must use his speech for its primary purpose; for Torah and for Tefillah.
And why right before Shabbos? On Shabbos man receives a נשמה יתירה and this additional soul is best reflected as an increase in the power of one’s speech, the essence of the soul of man, as we explained. One has a special ability on Shabbos to open the mouth of the Be’er and be creative in Torah and be part of the chain of Torah Shebe’alpeh
And therefore, one needs to be very careful, particularly on Shabbos, to use one’s mouth for a holy purpose. The Yerushalmi says (Shabbos, Chapter 15, Halacha 3) if one doesn’t use his mouth to be involved in learning Torah, his mouth will be used for idle chatter and gossip. The whole week people are involved in their work and in worldly matters. On Shabbos, in particular, one must insure that his mouth is engaged in the activity for which it was primarily created; to open the mouth of the wellsprings of Torah contained in the hearts of each and every one of us.
Good Shabbos
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