Parshat Ki Savo 5784
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the mitzvah of Bikkurim, followed by the section referred to as Biur Ma’aser. In this section, one who had Ma’asrot still in his house from the first two years, must remove them together with the Ma’asrot of the third year, on Erev Pesach of the fourth year. After this, on the afternoon of the last day of Pesach (see the Mishnah in Ma’aser Sheni, Chapter 5, Mishnah 10), he would make the statement known as Vidui Ma’aser. In this statement, he states that he removed all the Ma’asrot of the past three years, and he followed the strict Halachic guidelines of how to remove them. These are pasukim 13-14 in Chapter 26, and they conclude with the general statement ofעשיתי ככל אשר צויתני; I have done all you have commanded me, and therefore, pasuk 15, השקיפה ממעון קדשיך מן השמים וברך וכו'. Please look out from Your dwelling place in the heavens and bless us.
The Mishnah in Ma’aser Sheni quotes the statement of Vidui Ma’aser and darshens it. On the words עשיתי ככל אשר צויתני, Chazal teach and Rashi quotes, שמחתי ושימתחי בו. I was joyful and I made others joyous. It would seem that the others he made happy are the recipients of his Ma’asrot. But since these words are the windup of the statement indicating that he fulfilled all his obligations, why precisely at this juncture do Chazal stress that his mitzvah brought him and others joy?
The Sfas Emes teaches that the One to whom he brought joy is Hashem. The point of fulfilling mitzvos is to bring נחת רוח ליוצרו, as is stated in the Gemara in Brachos 17A. And when we bring Him joy, then we receive the appropriate bracha, as the next pasuk states, השקיפה ממעון קדשך.
Typically, the term וישקף, to look upon, has a negative connotation. The pasuk which illustrates this best is the pasuk in parshat Vayera, (Chapter 18, Pasuk 16), וישקיפו על פני סדום; the angels looked out upon Sedom which was about to be destroyed. And Rashi brings on that pasuk that Chazal derive from our pasuk the great power of giving to poor people, מתנת עניים. Since he gave all of his tithes, including those to the poor and the widows, he receives bracha with the word השקיפה. In the words of Rashi, גדול כח מתנת עניים שהופך מדת הרוגז לרחמים. The generosity and Chesed of giving to those in need transforms the midah of judgment to compassion and mercy.
The paradigm of the midah of Chesed is Avraham Avinu. And the word וישקף is used by Avraham Avinu in the same parsha as well, as the pasuk reads (Chapter 19, Pasuk 28), וישקף על פני סדום. And the Zohar Hakadosh teaches that through the Chesed of Avraham Avinu, Lot was saved from the destruction of Sedom. Avraham is the first illustration of the midah of Chesed reversing the word וישקף from judgement to compassion and mercy.
As a result of his Chesed, Avraham Avinu merited to receive the mitzvah of Bris Milah. The Tikkunei Zohar teaches that the word Bereishis can be broken down to Bris Eish, ברית אש, representing the mitzvah of Bris Milah. According to this understanding, Bris Milah puts the letter yud into man, changing him from אש into איש. And this is why the mitzvah of Milah was given to Avraham, the one who can take the midah of judgment and sweeten it with compassion and mercy.
Avraham was the one to whom Eretz Yisrael was first given, as we read in parshat Lech Lecha. And we say in davening every morning, וכרות עמו הברית לתת את ארץ הכנעני וכו' לתת לזרעו. It was given to him and to his future generations. Eretz Yisrael is a land of דין, of judgement, and only Bnei Yisrael through the power of their Bris with Hashem, Bris Milah, are able to inhabit the land and soften the judgement.
This is also why Bnei Yisrael were given the mitzvah in Eretz Yisrael of Bikkurim, and Trumot and Ma’asrot. The fixing, the Tikun, of these mitzvos, making Tevel permissible, is like the mitzvah of Bris Milah. The Medrash Rabbah in Devarim (3,5), darshens on the pasuk (Chapter 7, Pasuk 13), פרי בטנך ופרי אדמתך, מה פרי אדמתך צריכים עשור, אף פרי בטנך צריכים עישור וזו המילה. The Medrash teaches us that taking Ma’aser is like Bris Milah. And just as the Tikun of Milah sweetens the judgement, so too the Tikun of Ma’aser sweetens the judgment. And this is the bracha for Biur Ma’asrot expressed with the words השקיפה ממעון קדשך.
And this is why the time of our greatest Simcha is on Succos. For on Succos, we have just received judgment and through our Teshuvah and through our adherence to the Bris with Hashem, we have been able to soften the judgement with Rachamim. And this creates the greatest Simcha of all. Just as the one who “fixed” his tithes and keeps the Bris with Hashem brings Him joy, so too there is great joy when we receive our judgment with the mercy and compassion of Hashem.
Good Shabbos
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