Parshat Shelach 5779
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha after the sin of the Meraglim, the mitzvah of separating Challah. This mitzvah was commanded to be kept upon entering Eretz Yisrael. The question is raised as to the reason for the timing of this mitzvah so soon after the sin of the Meraglim. While it is clear that teaching Bnei Yisrael mitzvos they will need to keep in Eretz Yisrael is a consolation, why specifically the mitzvah of Challah?
The Sfas Emes teaches that the Meraglim were very wary of leaving the spiritual womb of the desert and entering Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael presented the challenge of living in the physical world and maintaining a spiritual life simultaneously. If the experience of Bnei Yisrael in the desert revolved around Hakol Kol Yaakov, the voice of the spirit within man connecting to Hashem and serving Him, in Eretz Yisrael they would need to resort to the Yadayim Yedei Eisav, the physical world of struggle and war as exemplified by Eisav. This is why the report of the spies included very stark, physical terms. (Chapter 13, Pasuk 28), V'Gam Yelidei Ha'Anak Rainu Sham, we saw people who were the sons of giants, and (next pasuk), Amalek Yosehv B'Eretz Ha'Negev, the feared nation of Amalek dwell in the southern province. They described the land as an (Chapter 13, Pasuk 32), Eretz Ocheles Yoshveha He, a land which consumes its inhabitants. And even the fruit they brought back to show the people are described as being oversized and, as Rashi teaches, they meant to frighten them by emphasizing them as being grotesque.
When Bnei Yisrael are attacked by Amalek after leaving Egypt, they receive their first taste of needing to defend themselves and accepting the responsibility of waging war. The Torah teaches that the way they were told to wage war was (Shemos, Chapter 17, Pasuk 11), V'Hayah Ka'asher Yarim Moshe Yado V'Gavar Yisrael. When Moshe lifted up his arms, Yisrael was victorious. And Rashi brings the words of Chazal from the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah, that when Bnei Yisrael looked up to the heavens and subjugated their hearts to Hashem they were victorious.
The Sfas Emes understands that we learn from here that when Bnei Yisrael need to use their hands in battle, when they need to employ Yadayim Yedei Eisav, they need to lift up their hands and subjugate their physical selves to the spiritual. And this needs to be our response to all matters physical; take the physical and make it spiritual.
This is how Bnei Yisrael are meant to deal with life in Eretz Yisrael. The pasuk by the mitzvah of Challah says (Chapter 15, Pasuk 19), V'Hayah Be'Achalchem Me'Lechem Ha'Aretz Tarimu Serumah L'Hashem. One of the most base, physical acts we do is eating food. In the desert, Bnei Yisrael ate spiritual food; they ate mahn which was Lechem min Ha'Shamayim. But in Eretz Yisrael, they would be eating Lechem min Ha'Aretz, V'Hayah Be'Achalchem Me'Lechem Ha'Aretz. And how do we deal with this most physical of activities? Tarimu Serumah L'Hashem; lift it up! Perform the mitzvah of Challah and separate a tithe to the Kohen. Challah is performed at a point closest to the actual physical pleasure; it's already dough and ready to be consumed. Precisely at this point of desire and pleasure, we lift up the dough by performing a mitzvah and taking off Challah. Just as Moshe Rabbeinu lifted up his hands during the war with Amalek, we lift up our dough and separate Challah when we're about to eat the dough.
We do the same thing when we lift up our hands before we eat and perform the mitzvah of Netilas Yadayim. We lift up our hands and say, though we're about to eat, our spiritual nourishment is more significant to us than our physical nourishment. And the reason for the mitzvah of Netilas Yadayim is Serach Terumah; to ensure the maintenance of the purity of Terumah one washes and raises up his hands for all bread eating, including Chulin. For Terumah, of which Challah is an example, is about lifting up the physical and turning it into a more spiritual act.
The greatest expression of this notion is the teaching of Chazal in Avos (3,4) that one must sanctify his table by speaking Divrei Torah while eating. Precisely when being involved in the physical one must emphasize the spiritual; when involved in the profane we need to highlight the holy. We need to lift up our hands to Hashem and say we know what is really essential for our existence as Jews and we are constantly striving to meet this challenge in life.
This was the reason for the mitzvah of Challah at this juncture after the sin of the Meraglim. More than a consolation, this mitzvah underscored their ability to live in the physical world and precisely during those times maintain connection to Hashem. Though we need to acknowledge the Yadayim Yedei Eisav, the focus needs to be on Hakol Kol Yaakov. And how is this done? By lifting up our hands. By performing the mitzvah of Tarimu Serumah L'Hashem, we keep our focus and maintain our balance in the challenging landscape of the physical world.
Good Shabbos
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