Parshat Naso 5777
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha darshens the pasuk in Mishlei (Chapter 15, Pasuk 3), Yekarah He Me'Peninim, It is more precious than pearls. Shlomo HaMelech praises Torah as being more valuable than precious pearls. The Medrash goes even further and states, Me'Kohen Gadol Hanichnas Lifnai V'Lifnim; Torah is even greater than the Kohen Gadol who enters the Kodesh Hakadashim on Yom Kippur. In addition to being greater than material wealth, one who studies Torah is even higher than the spiritual greatness of the Kohen Gadol.
The Sfas Emes asks, if the one who studies Torah is greater than the Kohen Gadol, why doesn't the Talmid Chacham enter the Kodesh Hakadashim as well?
He answers that there are two different types of relationships that we have with Hashem. One is the Adon-Eved relationship, the connection between a master and a slave. The other connection is the Av-Ben relationship, a closeness similar to a father and his son. In the Adon-Eved relationship the connection is based on the service of the slave to his master. And the service of the slave has very specific parameters of time and place in how the service is meant to be carried out.
The Kohen who does the Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash is a paradigm of the master-slave relationship. His service to Hashem has very specific requirements and restrictions. And the Kohen Gadol who is the greatest form of Kedushah in the Adon-Eved relationship has the greatest access of any Kohen and can even enter Lifnai V'Lifnim on Yom Kippur. His expression of Avodah is heightened by being able to enter the holiest place on earth and even serve Gd from there.
The one who studies Torah is the paradigm of the son to the father. The status of the son is not dependent on being in any particular place at any time. He is always the son regardless of his location. Similarly learning Torah raises a person up beyond time, place, and person. The crown of Torah is accessible to all and attainable by all. And the act of learning Torah is referred to by Chazal as being in the treasure house of the king, expressing the notion of not being limited by place. And the mitzvah of learning Torah is constant without constraints of time as the pasuk says V'Hagisa Bo Yomam V'Loylah. This is why the Talmid Chacham doesn't enter the Kodesh Hakadashim. The Kohen Gadol is expressing his ultimate service to Hashem by entering Lifnai V'Lifnim on Yom Kippur. The Talmid Chacham, metaphorically speaking, is always Lifnai V'Lifnim.
This same dichotomy can be used to explain the difference between Yom Tov and Shabbos. Yom Tov is an expression of the Adon-Eved relationship. On Pesach we left the slavery of Mitzrayim and became slaves to Hashem. There is a mitzvah of "Aliyah L'Regel", going up to the Beis Hamikdash and bringing karbanos. And they are special days of prayer which is referred to by Chazal as Chayei Sha'ah, temporal needs in this world. The Chagim are defined by a specific place, Yerushalayim, and through specific acts of service, karbanos and prayer.
Shabbos, however, is an expression of Chayei Olam, the eternal life of Torah. Shabbos is Kevi'a V'Kayma; its automatic repetition an expression of our constant involvement in Torah. The Torah refers to Shabbos as B'Chol Moshvoseichem, not limited to any particular place. Perhaps this also explains why the Sefarim state that one has a greater ability to learn Torah on Shabbos. The constancy and the all-encompassing nature of Shabbos is like our connection to Torah; a connection which is eternal and everlasting regardless of where we might be.
Good Shabbos
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