פרשת תזריע ופרשת החדש
This week’s Parsha opens with the laws concerning purity and impurity of a human being, and records some of the intricate details concerning this complex topic. The Midrash Rabah takes note of the fact that the laws relating to human impurity are stated only after the Torah finishes delineating the laws of animal impurity. Reish Lakish understands from this order that the Torah is teaching us that if man is meritorious, then he is considered to have been created before every other creature, but if he does not prove worthy, then the Torah reminds him that even a mosquito was created before him during the six days of creation. The commentaries ask two questions on this Midrash. First, the order of creation was preset. Animals were created before human beings. Why then do we encourage man by saying that he came first if this is not factually accurate? And second, why is it negative to be created last? In general we say that we always save the best for last.
The Beis Yitzchak, R’ Moshe Mendel explains that certainly the goal of the Midrash is not to encourage man by attempting to persuade him that he was created before the animals, as this is simply not true. Rather, the Midrash is educating us on why we are here on this earth. He says that scientists have managed to find a purpose for every single creature on this earth. For some species, there skins are useful, and for others, their flesh is edible. Many insects can be used for medicinal purposes. There is only one genus on this earth that no scientist could find any positive use for and that is man. His hair is useless, his skin is virtually worthless, and his flesh is not very tasty. Furthermore, he is the single most destructive force on this earth, taking from it only to serve his own needs. He is responsible for more death and ruin than any other creature currently inhabiting our fragile planet. R’ Moshe explains that if this is the case, than it is obvious that our purpose here as a species is of a spiritual nature, and that even many scientists have come to this conclusion. In a spiritual capacity, this means that man can add to the world by enhancing it on a spiritual level. If he recognizes this, and fulfills his destiny by improving upon the spiritual nature of the world by keeping the Torah, than it turns out that every other living thing on this earth will have been created only to serve him making him the purpose of creation. But if he lives his life on a purely physical level, concerning himself solely with his own comfort and pleasure, than we remind him that even the mosquito was created before him, indicating to him that at least the mosquito has contributed something to the world, as opposed to him. This thought should hopefully prove very encouraging to us when planning how to spend our days, and weighing whether to pursue a life filled with physicality and comfort, against a life more spiritual in nature.
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This week is called Parshas Hachodesh because during the Maftir, we read the chapter which discusses how Nissan is the first month in the Jewish lunar calendar, and the numerous laws concerning the upcoming holiday. The obvious reason given for reading this particular chapter now is to inform the entire Jewish nation of the impending holiday of Pesach, which is the cornerstone for all Jewish faith in that it was the time Hashem demonstrated His complete mastery over the laws of nature, and to begin the complex preparations involved with Passover. However, R’ Shimshon Pincus, who passed away just a week after reading this Parsha, explains that there is much more to the commandment to read this chapter than meets the eye. The Parsha opens by commanding us in having Beis Din renew each month based on the lunar cycle. He explains that the primary difference between the sun and the moon is that the sun is capable of generating its own light, whereas the moon merely reflects the light of the sun. Similarly, the Jews are commanded to base their calendar on the lunar cycle to demonstrate that the source for all our strength, and all our wisdom is exclusively from Hashem. On the other hand, the non-Jewish calendar is based on the sun, which can generate its own light. The non-Jewish form of wisdom is science. Science is based on the study of empirical evidence, which can be achieved through rigorous study and observation, and the cataloging of every detail. Eventually, through trial and error, science is capable of discovering some of the truths of the universe. All of this is done independently of Hashem, at least overtly, and is similar to the sun in its independence. This is as opposed to Jewish wisdom, which, as we explained, comes solely from the Torah and from Hashem. We do not have the authority to “reinvent” wisdom on our own, rather to study Torah, and to harvest its wisdom directly which when successful, will allow us to reflect some of Hashem’s light onto the world. In short, a Jew has no existence without his relationship to Hashem, and must therefore put his entire energies into cultivating that relationship. R’ Pincus points out that the celestial bodies themselves testify to this truth. We find that the moon gets larger for all 15 days that it is facing the sun, but when it is done, it turns away and begins to wane until it disappears completely. This reality in nature is demonstrating to us that when a Jew turns away from his source of energy, he will diminish and ultimately vanish if he does not recognize his error.
The renowned Mashgiach of the Ponevich Yeshiva, R’ Chaim Freidlander offers another aspect of the depth behind the commandment to renew the month. He begins by saying that world history can be divided up into two categories – before the exodus and after the exodus. Before the exodus, Hashem maintained the world completely on His own, undeterred by human influence. Meaning, He took full initiative for world events, and did not factor in man’s actions. The Midrash supports this by saying that before the Torah was given, Hashem maintained the world solely out of mercy, even though the human species was undeserving. During the exodus, Hashem commanded us in the first commandment – to renew the month based on the lunar cycle. This commandment changed history in that Hashem gave over to the Jewish people the right, and indeed the obligation to take responsibility for world events. From then on, if the Beis Din decided that the month was renewed, this became the new physical reality, even if it contradicted the laws of nature. This responsibility extended beyond the calendar. From then on, whatever Beis Din decided became the new reality, and by extension, however the Jews acted, determined how Hashem chose to respond and shape history to fit the Jews’ actions. This extension is true because the Midrash says that just as when Beis Din establishes the new month, the ramification of that decision determines when every holiday will fall out, so to all aspects of holiness and sanctity are in the hands of the Jews, and Hashem, as it were, chooses to stay out of it and leave it completely up to the Jews.
On a practical level, this message is quite encouraging. Many of us spend our whole lives with a deep desire to “change the world” for the better, or to positively affect those around us, but meet with little or no success. This frustrating fact can drive a man insane, or cause him to choose a path of apathy or wickedness just to at least have some effect on the world. Yet based on what the Mashgiach has said, we can relax! When we perform a Mitzvah, we are changing the world because Hashem chooses to respond to that Mitzvah by changing the world. When we are kind to another human being, Hashem allows that kindness to reverberate throughout the entire universe, and its effects can be felt everywhere. This message is extremely empowering. It is well known that the Apta Rebbe used to quip that when he was younger, he dreamed of changing the world. As he got a little older, he realized that this dream was a bit unrealistic, so he focused his energies on his home town. When he saw that even that was too much, he turned his attention to helping his family. When he grasped the fact that he couldn’t, he had no choice but to focus all his attention on fixing himself and ironically, ended up changing the entire world like he originally set out to do. We don’t always see the results, but we can rest assured that the words of R’ Chaim Freidlander are true, and that if we choose a life of goodness and spirituality, there is no telling the effect we can have on the world.
May we all merit to keep the Torah properly, and save the world!