Parshat Ki Sisa 5784
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha, after the Cheit Ha’Egel and the breaking of the first set of Luchos, Hashem tells Moshe to carve out new Luchos and come back up to Har Sinai. Hashem tells Moshe (Chapter 34, Pasuk 3) ואיש לא יעלה עמך, no one will come up with you. Rashi comments that the first set of Luchos were given with thunder and lightning, large crowds, and much fanfare. As a result, the ayin hara ruled over Bnei Yisrael and there was much calamity and destruction. This time, with the second set of Luchos, it will be much more low key and you will come up by yourself. As Rashi concludes, אין לך יפה מן הצניעות; there is nothing nicer than modesty.
The Sfas Emes asks, if there is nothing nicer than modesty, why weren’t the first set of Luchos given in a more modest manner? Why was there a need to give the Torah with much fanfare, and only after the first attempt did Hashem try again in a quiet, low key manner? Why not begin the process with צניעות and avoid the pain Bnei Yisrael ultimately went through?
The Sfas Emes answers that the first set of Luchos certainly needed to be given with thunder and lightning. The giving of the Torah was a tremendous opportunity to publicize the greatness of Gd and teach the nations of the world that Hashem is the Creator of the world. And since Bnei Yisrael were on a very high level, they were in a position to influence others. How could such a miraculous event as Hashem revealing Himself be kept quiet? After all, we learned from our forefather Avraham Avinu the need to influence others and bring them closer to Hashem. How could such a tremendous kiruv opportunity be forfeited?!
But the force of Amalek was too great, and brought down the nations of the world. The Torah says (Bamidbar, Chapter 24, Pasuk 20), ראשית גוים עמלק. Amalek was the first nation to wage war on Clal Yisrael, physically and spiritually. They are the first opposing force of evil in the world, attempting to undo all the good of Clal Yisrael and trying to stand in our way. The force of Amalek was such that the other nations weren’t able to be influenced by Yisrael, and ultimately Clal Yisrael fell to their influence as well. The Torah states that upon hearing the sounds of Cheit Ha’Egel, Yehoshua says to Moshe (Chapter 32, Pasuk 17), קול מלחמה במחנה; there is a sound of war in the camp. What war was he referring to? Yehoshua sensed that this was the war of Amalek, as the pasuk says (Chapter 17, Pasuk 16), מלחמה לד' בעמלק. And as Rashi learns on the first pasuk in parshat Beshalach from the Mechilta, בראותם מלחמה is a reference to מלחמת עמלק. The word מלחמה typically refers to war with Amalek.
Now after the Cheit Ha’Egel, Bnei Yisrael needed to receive the Torah in a quiet, modest manner. Doing things in a hidden, subdued manner avoids the negative forces in the world trying to oppose Clal Yisrael. But don’t think, says the Sfas Emes, that the thunder and lightning was a failed experiment. Rather, it was absolutely necessary, and only with the full-fledged excitement experienced by Clal Yisrael with the first Luchos were they able to receive the second set in a subdued manner. For it is the excitement they experienced the first time that enabled them to receive the second set of Luchos.
The Sfas Emes adds that this is a lesson for life in other areas as well. We need the excitement of earlier stages in life, whether it’s in our relationship with Hashem and His Torah, or with different people we are close to, to maintain us during the slower, more mundane periods in our life. The beauty and the subtlety of the second Luchos were only attainable after the tremendous excitement and anticipation of the first set.
The Sfas Emes concludes with a brilliant insight on the language of the words of Chazal brought by Rashi. Rashi said אין לך יפה מן הצניעות. The word יפה is meant to be understood the same way as the Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 17) יפה שעה אחת של תשובה ומעשים טובים בעולם הזה מכל חיי עולם הבא; one moment of Teshuvah and good deeds in this world is greater than the whole world to come. Certainly, the world to come is the highest level and something we spend our entire life in this world trying to achieved. How could an action in this world be of greater significance?
Rather, the Mishnah is teaching us that there is something special and unique to doing mitzvos and Teshuvah in this world, that can’t be matched in the world to come. In the world to come, the opportunity for further growth is gone; there are no longer good deeds to be done. This is the special יפה of Olam Hazeh which is lacking in Olam Haba. Certainly Olam Haba is greater; but Olam Hazeh has a special element of יפה to it. This is similar to the Gemara in Berachos 34B מקום שבעלי תשובה עומדין צדיקים גמורים אינם עומדין. This Gemara doesn’t mean that a Ba’al Teshuvah is on a higher level than a Tzadik Gamur. Rather it means that there is something unique about a Ba’al Teshuvah that can’t be matched, even by a Tzadik Gamur. For one who sinned to pull himself away and change his life for Torah is something very special and beloved to Hashem; it is יפה.
This is also the meaning of אין לך יפה מן הצניעות. In the context of receiving the Torah, the thunder and lightning and the mass excitement of the first Luchos was a higher level. But the notion of a Jew quietly devoting himself to Torah and mitzvos without fanfare is very beloved by Hashem. When one serves Hashem with such devotion and doesn’t let others know, this a יפה unlike any other. אין לך יפה מן הצניעות.
Good Shabbos
Print this article