Parshat Yisro 5780
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the “Aseres HaDibros”. The Torah introduces the Ten Commandments with a pasuk stating (Chapter 20, Pasuk 1), Vayedaber Elokim es Kol Hadevarim Ha’eileh Laimor. And Gd spoke all of these statements saying, etc. Rashi comments on the word “Laimor” that it refers to Bnei Yisrael, meaning Bnei Yisrael responded to the commandments of Gd. Quoting the Mechilta, Rashi explains that to all the positive commands Bnei Yisrael responded in the affirmative, and to all the negative commands they responded in the negative, i.e. no, we will not violate the command.
Rashi’s quote from the Mechilta actually represents the position of Rabbi Yishmael. But Rabbi Akiva argues on him and says Bnei Yisrael responded in the affirmative to the negative commands as well. According to him, they said Al Hein Hein V’Al Lav Hein. The position of Rabbi Yishmael which Rashi brings is clear, but what is Rabbi Akiva trying to teach us?
The Ohr Gedalyahu teaches that we see from Rabbi Akiva that there was a positive aspect to the negative commands. And this positive component was that when Bnei Yisrael were commanded a negative command, like Do not murder, for example, the whole notion of murder was removed from their hearts. There was such a positive notion of unity and love among the people that there was no feeling of murder possible within their hearts. The idea of the bris, the covenant, established at Matan Torah was such that there was full and total identification of Bnei Yisrael with the commands given to them. It wasn’t just, don’t do this and don’t do that. There was a complete and total joining of the will of Hashem with the will of the Jewish nation.
This concept can be used to answer a question posed by the Ibn Ezra. He asks, how could the Torah command Lo Sachmod? How can one remove from his heart the desire to have something which belongs to his neighbor? The Ohr Gedalyahu responds that according to Rabbi Akiva there was such a total and positive identification with this command that there was no room in anyone’s heart to desire that which wasn’t theirs. This feeling of the lack of jealousy and desire entered their hearts when they heard the command.
Rashi brings on the words Zachor es Yom HaShabbos Lekadsho (Chapter 20, Pasuk 8) the famous Chazal which says, Zachor V’Shamor B’Dibbur Echad Ne’emru. Zachor, the positive command of Shabbos, its remembering, was said simultaneously with the word Shamor, the negative commands of Shabbos. Nonetheless, in our parsha the word Zachor is used, as opposed to the parsha of V’Eschanan, by the second Luchos, the word Shamor is used. Why in our parsha is the word Zachor employed?
The answer is that when there is a remembrance of Shabbos, there is also a keeping of Shabbos. When one is fully cognizant and aware of the holiness of Shabbos, he will keep Shabbos. This, explains the Ohr Gedalyahu, is why in our parsha we have the word Zachor brought in reference to Shabbos. There was such a strong and positive sense of the memory of Shabbos which entered their souls during the command of Shabbos, that there was no need to even mention to be careful and not violate it. And this is the idea of Rabbi Akiva. When he says they responded Hein to every Lav, it reflects the notion that the experience of Kabbalos Torah was a positive one, a connection and joining of Bnei Yisrael with the commands of Hashem. And with each command there was such total identification, that they couldn’t even comprehend the notion of violating the mitzvoth. Even the Lav was accepted with a Hein.
Good Shabbos
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