Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English: Parshas Shoftim – 6 Elul 5785
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Shoftim – 6 Elul 5785
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
Secretariat Email: bosto...@gmail.com
»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»
In the middle of Parshas Shoftim we find, "It shall be that when you draw near to the war, the Kohen shall approach and speak to the people. He shall say to them: Shema Yisroel, you are coming near to the battle against your enemies, let your heart not be faint, do not be afraid, do not panic…' Then the officers shall speak to the people saying, 'Whoever has built a new house and has not inaugurated it, let him go and return to his home, lest he die in the war…Whoever has planted a vineyard and not yet redeemed it, let him go and return to his home…Whoever has become engaged to a woman and has not yet married her, let him go and return to his home'…The officer shall continue speaking and say: 'Whoever is fearful and fainthearted, let him go and return to his home'…" (Devarim 20:2-9)
These three military exemptions: building a new house, planting a vineyard and getting engaged, correspond to the themes of עולם Olam 'World'; שנה Shana 'Time'; and נפש Nefesh 'Man'; found throughout the works of R' Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin as well as my father, the Rebbe zt"l. Olam represents the three-dimensional physical 'world' that we live in. Shana represents the additional dimension of 'time' that we are bound by. Nefesh refers to the 'human being', with all of his thoughts, emotions and spirituality that exists in any given space and time. They are three distinct realms that we must constantly toil to repair in This World through our actions and Mitzvah performance.
The building of a new home corresponds to one who is attempting to rectify the physical world. When one builds a home on a plot of land, the wood and other building materials (which were previously movable objects) become attached to the ground and have a halachic status of land itself. By building a home, man is attempting to improve and enhance the physical world around him. Furthermore, one is building a Mikdash Mi'at, a miniature sanctuary, providing a safe, stable and permanent private domain for one (and one's family) to pray, learn Torah and perform Mitzvos.
Vines and grapes may start out attached to the physical land, but the objective is to harvest the grapes. Planting a vineyard hints to the production of wine with which to sanctify the Shabbos and festivals throughout the year. On a more simplistic level, farming represents a person's livelihood, one in which he toils six days of the week and rests on the Shabbos day. Yerushalmi Sotah (8:5) says that 'planting of a vineyard' here applies to an orchard as well, and even to one who does not do the physical planting, but merely purchases or inherits such a field. Additionally, 'the vineyard' represents the agricultural seasons, and the many Mitzvos that are performed with produce, including the separation of Terumah and Maaser, which are regulated by the seven-year Shmita cycle.
Becoming engaged and subsequently married is one of the most important events in life that transforms a free-floating individual Nefesh into a bonded married Nefesh, similar to the difference between free-floating atomic elements and those bonded atoms that form useful and structured molecules. Originally, man and woman were created as one entity (Beraishis Raba 8:1) only to be subsequently divided into separate entities. The Gemara compares a man searching for his bride to one who seeks a lost object (Kidushin 2b). In order for a man to become 'complete' he needs to find his missing half (some would say his better half…) in order that both man and woman can truly fulfill Torah and Mitzvos in the way that Hashem intended.
Thus each of these stages – building a house, planting a vineyard, and matrimony – represent a circumstance where one is initiating an important step towards rectifying either Olam, Shana, or Nefesh, which is why one is given the opportunity to make progress in these endeavors, rather than going off to battle.
The final exemption for a soldier in the 'Legions of Hashem' is one who is 'fearful and fainthearted'. The Gemara (Sotah 44a) explains that this refers to someone who is fearful due to the sins that he has committed. Even if one who has begun to attain important thresholds in life, such as rectifying the world by building a permanent home and establishing oneself in a community, or rectifying time through his livelihood and observing Shabbos and Shmita, or rectifying oneself by finding a life partner, one still has the lifelong obligation to continuously maintain and elevate all of these three realms even further.
The example given by the Gemara (44b) of one who is 'fearful due to sin' is one who speaks between the Tefillin Shel Yad and Tefillin Shel Rosh. This 'minor' Aveirah generally comes about because one's service of Hashem is by rote. In fact, this transgression of having Hesech HaDaas, a break in concentration between the Tefillin Shel Yad representing our actions (arm) and feelings (heart), and the Tefillin Shel Rosh representing our thoughts (head), is the manifestation of the larger problem of going through our day of Torah and Mitzvos like machines instead of like Neshamos. If there is no passion and newness in one's observance of Mitzvos (see Rashi to Devarim 6:6); if one is not serving Hashem with love; if one does not intellectually and emotionally feel the importance and the weight of the Mitzvos one is performing, then this too is a reason for 'a solider' to return home, for that 'soldier' needs further training before he or she is ready for the battlefield.
Our top priorities must be building homes that are miniature sanctuaries, finding worthy partners to help us support and raise families that are engaged in Torah and Mitzvos with the help of Hashem. However, once we have attained certain milestones, we cannot plateau and glide to one hundred and twenty on autopilot. If our observance has fallen into an automated and perfunctory routine, we must 'awaken' ourselves out of our 'slumber'.
The opportune time is now, in the month of Elul, and more importantly, during the Ten Days of Repentance, when we are able to 'seek Hashem when He can be found and call upon Him when He is near'. (Yeshayahu 55:6). May we all merit to be inscribed and sealed in the Books of Good Life, Geulah, Parnasa, Zechus, and atonement.