Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English and Hebrew: Parshas V’Eschanan (Nachamu) – 11 Menachem Av 5786
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas V’Eschanan (Nachamu) – 11 Menachem Av 5786
Bostoner Rebbe shlit’a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
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In our Parsha, we find the phrase, ‘LiMa’an Tichyu’ [‘In order that you shall live’] three times. The first time “In order that you may live, and you will come and possess the Land…”(Devarim 4:1). The second time, “Honor your mother and your father…in order that your days will be lengthened” (5:16). The third time, “In order that you shall live and it will be good for you” (5:30)
Utilizing the method of R’ Tzadok HaCohen of promoting the rectification of the three perpetual spheres – Olam [world], Shana [time] and Nefesh [man] – we are able to connect these three verses. The first verse indicates that if we live properly we will come to inherit Eretz Yisroel, thereby rectifying and inheriting the Olam [world]. The second verse promises long life to man and this is the rectification of Shana [time]. The third verse indicates that we must direct our lives within a framework of Yiras Hashem, and to walk in Hashem’s ways, in order to rectify ourselves spiritually, a fulfillment of Nefesh [man]
After Tisha B’Av, we read the Parsha of V’Eschanan with these words ‘in order that you shall live’ so that every person should internalize the message and be motivated to continue living in order to fulfill our purpose to maintain the world and bring it to a level of wholeness. This objective can only be fulfilled by the learning of Torah and the observance of Mitzvos. Even though Tisha B’Av has passed and we have still not merited the building of the Third Beis HaMikdash, we should not despair. We must strengthen ourselves and know that Hashem is constantly providing the means by which we may observe and fulfill our obligations in order to merit speedily the building of the Beis HaMikdash.
The building of the Beis HaMikdash is one of the commandments designated for the King of Israel. We find that the name of Rachel. our Matriarch, is mentioned twice in Navi [the Prophets] in connection to the Jewish Monarchy. The first time is when Shmuel the Prophet went to coronate Shaul as King of Israel (Shmuel I 10:2), “And I found two people by the tomb of Rachel in the boundaries of Binyamin”. The second time is in the Book of Jeremiah, “Thus said Hashem…Rachel weeps for her children” (31:14). Hashem promises that her tears will be rewarded as ‘and your children will return to their borders (31:16)
Rachel is specifically mentioned when the first King was about to be appointed, since she helped to build the Nation of Israel that would merit the Mitzvah of appointing a King. Rachel facilitated that her sister Leah should also marry Yaakov, leading to the birth of twelve tribes.
The next mention of Rachel is in the context of ‘crying on her children’, which refers to all of the tribes, and not only the tribes of Ephraim, Menashe and Binyamin. Since Rachel gets credit for giving Leah the opportunity to have six tribes, Rachel in essence was the primary builder of Klal Yisroel, therefore all of the Jewish people are considered as ‘her children’. Thus, Rachel has the unique merit to daven for us, and it is these prayers that aid us in meriting the building of the Beis HaMikdash, since the Holy of Holies is found in the tribal portion of her son Binyamin.
The first Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of the three stringent sins of idol worship, illicit relationships, and murder. The second Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of Sinas Chinam, baseless hatred. If we fulfill our obligation of Ahavas Chinam, ‘baseless love’, we will have the ability to atone for the sins that caused the destruction of the Second Temple.
And as we rectify Olam, Shana and Nefesh, we will merit the building of the Third Temple, as it says, “On that day Hashem’s will be One and His Name will be One” (Zecharya 14:9), since there will be rectification of the three stringent sins. In place of idol worship there will be acceptance of the yoke of Heaven. In place of murder, which is essentially causing another to lose time living this world, we must replace that time with Torah learning and Mitzvos, since one cannot bring back the dead, it is fitting to rectify this sin of murder spiritually. Finally, the rectification of illicit relationships is accomplished through protecting our soul from improper things, as is says, ‘do not explore after your hearts and after your eyes’ (Bamidbar 15:39)
It emerges that everyone has the potentially through proper moral behavior to merit the correction of these three stringent sins, thereby meriting the building of the Beis HaMikdash and the coming of the righteous redeemer Moshiyach speedily in our days.