Parshat Re'eh
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha the mitzvah of giving Ma'aser. The pasuk states (Chapter 14, Pasuk 22), Aser Te'Aser es Kol Tevua's Zaracha, take one tenth of all the produce of your land. In the very next pasuk we read, V'Achalta Lifnei Hashem Elokecha Bamakom Asher Yivchar...Le'Ma'an Tilmad L'Yirah es Hashem Elokecha Kol Hayamim. You shall eat before Hashem in the place He has chosen etc. in order that you shall fear Him all your days. Rashi explains that the pasuk is speaking about Ma'aser Sheini, which is a tenth of one's produce that is separated and taken up to Yerushalayim and eaten there.
Why does eating Ma'aser Sheini lead to a greater level of fearing Gd, as the pasuk concludes, Le'Ma'an Tilmad L'Yirah es Hashem Elokecha Kol Hayamim?
The Medrash Tanchuma on our parsha (11) teaches, Bizchus Shnei Devarim Yisrael Mischatin; Bizchus Shabbos U'Bizchus Ma'asros. In the merit of two mitzvos Bnei Yisrael are purified; in the merit of keeping Shabbos and in the merit of separating Ma'aser. In the merit of Shabbos is derived from the pasuk in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 58, Pasuk 14), Az Tisa'aneg al Hashem. When you keep Shabbos, then you will experience Oneg with Hashem. And in the merit of Ma'aser is learned from the pasuk quoted above in our parsha, V'Samachta Bechol Ha'Tov. When you will bring Ma'aser you will rejoice in all the good, and Eiyn Tov Ela Torah, when there is a reference to good, it is a reference to Torah as the pasuk says (Mishlei, Chapter 4, Pasuk 2), Ki Lekach Tov Nasati Lachem Torasi Al Ta'azovu.
The Medrash begins by teaching that the mitzvos of Ma'aser and Shabbos are unique in that they purify and raise up the Jewish people to a special level of purity and joy and connection to Hashem. And the Medrash brings proofs from pasukim which show this connection. But the Medrash concludes by referencing Torah and stating that the mitzvah of Ma'aser ultimately leads to Talmud Torah. This is derived from the end of the pasuk which we asked about. Since the end of the pasuk states Le'Ma'an Tilmad L'Yirah es Hashem Elokecha Kol Hayamim, we derive from here that the joy and connection of bringing Ma'aser ultimately leads to the connection of Hashem through Talmud Torah.
This Medrash parallels a Gemara in Shabbos 119A which teaches, Ashirim She'Be'Eretz Yisrael Bameh Hem Zochim, the wealthy people of Eretz Yisrael, how do they merit their wealth? And the Gemara darshens, quoting from our parsha, Aser Te'Aser, Aser Bishvil She'Tisasher, take Ma'aser so that you will become wealthy. Then the Gemara asks how do the rich people in Bavel become wealthy, and answers in the merit of their respect for Torah. And the people in other countries become wealthy, the Gemara explains, in the merit of keeping Shabbos.
The Sfas Emes explains the Medrash and the Gemara based on a teaching of his grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim. He teaches that everything that we receive from Hashem is inherently holy. However, when we receive that Kedushah in our world, it has elements of physicality mixed in with it. This is illustrated by the difference between the mahn, Lechem min Hashamayim, bread from the heavens and our bread, Lechem min Ha'Aretz. Mahn was total Kedushah, as illustrated by the fact that it wasn't digested and expelled like food, but rather was absorbed into the body directly. Bread, however, is a combination of bracha from Hashem combined with the physical.
The pasuk by Ma'aser states, Aser Te'Aser es Kol Tevu'as Zarecha Hayotzeh HaSadeh Shanah Shanah. You shall take Ma'aser from your grains which come from the field every year. The Sfas Emes explains that the bracha from Hashem comes to your field. And the word Sadeh has the same numerical value as the name of Gd, Shakai," Shin" "Daled" "Yud". The Gemara in Chagigah 12A teaches that this name of Gd, Shakai, comes from the fact that Hashem created the world with physical limitations, B'Tzimtzum. Reish Lakish states that when Hashem created the world, it was expanding with Kedushahuntil Hashem called out, Dai! Hence the name Shakai. This Gematria teaches us that just as the world was created with borders and physical limits, the Sadeh produces food which is a bracha from Hashem, but with the physical component of this world, including its inherent dangers.
When one takes Ma'aser from his produce and gives it to the Levi or eats it in the holy city of Yerushalayim, his reward is one of purity and joy, as the Medrash teaches. The pasuk in Malachi (Chapter 3, Pasuk 10) teaches, Havi'u es Kol HaMa'aser el Beis Ha'Otzar…V'Harikosi Lachem Bracha Ad Bli Dai. Bring me your Ma'aser I will pour for you a bracha Ad Bli Dai. Your reward will be a bracha without the limitations of this world; total Kedushah without the mixture of physical mixed into the spiritual.
The same is true of Shabbos. The same Gemara in Shabbos 119A continues and teaches that the reward for Shabbos is a Nachalah Bli Metzarim, a portion without borders. When one keeps Shabbos, which is a taste of Olam Haba, he experiences Kedushah without the physical mixed in; it is also a bracha Ad Bli Dai.
What does this have to do with wealth? As we stated above, the Gemara in Shabbos attributes the wealth of the Jews in different places to the mitzvos of Ma'aser, Shabbos, and Talmud Torah. The pasuk in Mishlei (Chapter 10, Pasuk 22) states, Birchas Hashem He Ta'ashir V'Lo Yosif Etzev Imah. The blessing from Hashem makes a person wealthy and will not add to him sadness. We see from here that physical wealth is a bracha which typically carries without a negative this-worldly component; sadness. One must remove and purify the sadness and evil which could be connected to physical bracha.
But when one receives the bracha of wealth direct from Hashem, Birchas Hashem, then it is wealth without sadness, and carries with it instead joy and connection to Hashem. As the pasuk states, V'Samachta B'Chol Ha'Tov. When one gives Ma'aser, his wealth is one of joy without sadness. It is a wealth of satisfaction, as Ben Zoma teaches in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 1), Eiyzehu Ashir, HaSameach B'Chelko, who is the wealthy person, the one who is happy with his lot. Therefore, in these mitzvos of holiness, taking Ma'aser, keeping Shabbos, and learning Torah, the reward is one of joy and connection, a reward which is direct from Hashem without limitations of the physical world. Bracha Ad Bli Dai.
Good Shabbos
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