פרשת שופטים
This week’s Parsha begins with the passuk, “שופטים ושוטרים”, “make for yourself judges and policemen.” The Midrash brings down that Shlomo HaMelech advised that one should observe the ant in order to acquire Chochma. Why did Shlomo choose the ant over every other animal? The ant only lives for six months because it does not have veins or bones. The ant only eats one and a half pieces of grain throughout its entire life span, yet it stores a tremendous amount of food. Why does the ant do this? He does so in case G-d grants him a longer life and therefore he will need to eat more. Therefore Shlomo recommended that we watch the ant who teaches us to prepare for Olam Haboh. Although the ant has no one monitoring him, we do have Shoftim and Shotrim and therefore we should certainly prepare ourselves in every way possible.
In truth, this Midrash needs a further explanation. Why does Shlomo select the ant when every animal has a natural instinct to store food for the future?
I once heard an explanation that every animal gathers more food than needed; however, every other animal only gathers the amount that its senses consider necessary. The ant, on the other hand, cannot comprehend the amount of time that he is gathering food for because no ant ever lives nearly the amount of time that it gathers food for. So too, a person cannot comprehend Olam Haboh with his senses. Nevertheless, he should gather as many Mitzvos as possible in order to attain Olam Haboh.
The Midrash continues that the ant has no one supervising him, while we have Rabbonim, which are like shoftim and shotrim, guiding us and encouraging us to do the right thing. The Teva of a person is to pursue Olam Hazeh because that is what our senses perceive. Nonetheless, a person has to perceive this “esoteric” Ruchniyus world as his primary life so that he can direct all his strength and energy into it.
The passuk in Tehillim says, “אחת שאלתי מאת ה’, כל ימי חיי…”. The Midrash says that Hashem asked Dovid Hamelech why he requested Chochmah. Dovid answered that he did so in order to emulate Hashem’s ways. Although G-d lists many Maalos, the one that He stresses is כי אם יראת ה’, what does this really mean? Normally the words “ki im” imply a small amount. However when it comes to Ruchniyos, a small amount contains a tremendous amount. This means that keeping the Torah and learning the entire Torah is the minimum needed for the service of G-d and for keeping one alive in רוחניות.
Someone told me the following story about the Rebbe of Rachmostrivka. The Rebbe was told to speak with a certain boy about his problem with haughtiness. The Rebbe asked him, “Have you finished all of Shas?” The boy answered, “No.” The Rebbe then questioned how he could be haughty if he did not complete Shas.
The Passuk before “אחת שאלתי” says “If vast armies fall upon me, I will not fear”. The Ibn Ezra says that this is actually connected to the passuk of “Achas Shoalti”. The Pessukim mean to say, that when a person attaches himself to G-d, and his only interest in life is “Achas Shoalti”, G-d attaches Himself to that person. Similarly, The Ramban says in Sefer Iyov that when a person connects himself to G-d, G-d does not leave him for even one minute of his life!
With this, we can explain the Rashi in our Parsha. In 20:3 Rashi states that even if a person only has the zchus of Krias Shema, he will be successful in war. How can this be true? How does Rashi know that a person’s sins won’t be detrimental to him in a war merely because of his zchus of Krias Shema? Based on what we said previously, it is understood that when someone says Shema with genuine kavonos, he attaches himself to G-d. Therefore, he has the aforementioned assurances that “G-d will not leave him for one moment”.
R’ Chaim Veloshiner says that when a person is totally engrossed in thinking about G-d, no bad can happen to him in that moment. Moreover, he brings down that this engrossment in God is sure segulah to keep one safe in a time of any type of danger.
May we be zoche in this holy month of Elul to completely attach ourselves to G-d, and with this zchus, we will safely make it through the Yom Hadin and be written in the book of life!