Parshat Vaera 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the four terms of Geulah, Hashem’s promise that He will redeem Bnei Yisrael. The first three, והוצאתי, והצלתי, וגאלתי, are brought together in one pasuk. The last one, ולקחתי, is brought in a pasuk which states (Chapter 6, Pasuk 7), ולקחתי אתכם לי לעם והייתי לכם לאלקים וידעתם כי אני ד' אלוקיכם. After promising the Geulah, Hashem says the ultimate goal is וידעתם כי אני ד'; you should know that I am Hashem. What is the meaning of this דעת which Hashem is promising and how is it achieved?
The Sfas Emes teaches in many places that the goal of Bnei Yisrael is to serve as witnesses and testify that Hashem is the Creator of the world. As the pasuk says in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 43, Pasuk 10), אתם עדי נאום ד'; Hashem tells Bnei Yisrael, you are my witnesses. But what does it mean to be a witness, and what is required to be a witness?
The Torah teaches us that there are two possible ways that a person can testify. The pasuk says in parshat Vayikra (Chapter 5, Pasuk 1), והוא עד או ראה או ידע. There are two ways one can be a witness; either he saw something, or he knows something. What is the significance of these two forms of testimony?
We read in parshat Ki Sisa that Betzalel is tasked with building the Mishkan. The pasuk teaches that he was filled with special intellectual capacity, as the pasuk says (Chapter 31, Pasuk 3), ואמלא אותו רוח אלקים בחכמה בתבונה ובדעת. Rashi explains these three traits in the following manner. Chachmah is that which one learns from others. Tevunah is the ability to take what he has learned and extrapolate further knowledge; מבין דבר מלבו מתוך דברים שלמד. And what is דעת? Rashi teaches that this is רוח הקודש; Divine inspiration.
The pasuk in Mishlei teaches (Chapter 2, Pasuk 6), ד' יתן חכמה, מפיו דעת ותבונה. Hashem gives Chachmah, and from His mouth He gives Da’as and Tevunah. The Medrash Rabbah on Shemos (41,3) teaches that Chachmah is great, but Da’as is even greater. Hashem gives Chachmah, but to the one he really loves, He gives Da’as.
The Medrash brings a parable to explain this point. A child comes homes from school and he is quite hungry. And he finds his father sitting and eating with a big bowl of food before him. When he asks him for food, the father takes a piece of food and he hands it to the child. But the child declines; he says I don’t want this food. What I really want is the food in your mouth. And the father takes the food from his mouth and gives it to the child. Why? Because he truly loves his child.
One can testify about seeing, even from a distance. The pasuk says in sefer Yirmiyahu (Chapter 31, Pasuk 2), מרחוק ד' נראה לי. Hashem appears to me even from a distance. This type of testimony is not limited to Clal Yisrael. Intelligent people from other nations as well, when they look out upon the beauty and the majesty of the world, they see the Hand of Hashem. When one looks with חכמה he is able to realize and see Gd as the Creator. חכמה is even from a distance, and therefore, can include all wise people.
But Clal Yisrael testify not only from ראיה, but also from ידיעה. As the pasuk says in sefer Devarim (Chapter 4, Pasuk 35), אתה הראת לדעת; You have been shown to know. Clal Yisrael at Matan Torah established an intimacy and a closeness with Hashem by receiving the Torah from Him. They heard the first two of the Aseres HaDibros M’Pi HaGevurah, directly from the Mouth of Hashem. The pasuk in Shir HaShirim (Chapter 1, Pasuk 2), describes this experience of Matan Torah as ישקני מנשיקות פיהו, as a kiss from the mouth. This is the intimacy of the father feeding his son directly from his mouth, and this is the דעת Bnei Yisrael experienced at Har Sinai. This is the רוח הקודש that only Clal Yisrael have and that only Clal Yisrael can testify with. Because Da’as, as opposed to Chachmah, is not from afar, and can only be expressed through intimacy and closeness.
This was the goal of Yetzias Mitzrayim; to create this closeness between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael. And this is why at the end of the four Leshonos of Geulah the pasuk says וידעתם כי אני ד' אלקיכם. The point of Yetzias Mitzrayim is to create this Da’as; this closeness with Hashem, and to give Bnei Yisrael the Divine inspiration to testify about Hashem.
And this closeness takes place every week on Shabbos. The pasuk says in parshat Ki Sisa regarding Shabbos (Chapter 31, Pasuk 31), לדעת כי אני ד' מקדישכם. On Shabbos we are given the Da’as to understand and connect to Hashem. And this is why in the second set of Luchos in parshat Va’Eschanan, the Torah refers to Shabbos as a remembrance of Yetzias Mitzrayim. Because Yetzias Mitzrayim is the paradigm of when Bnei Yisrael established this relationship of closeness and intimacy by receiving the Torah. And the Neshamah Yeseirah we receive on Shabbos gives us an additional boost of Divine inspiration which makes us feel this closeness and awareness of Hashem, and enables us to testify through Da’as, או ידע, about Hashem as the Creator of the world.
Good Shabbos
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