Musar su Esodo 23:17

There is an additional important allusion in this verse which is seized upon by the Zohar in a different context. Accordingly, the performance of a מצוה enhances the "image" of G–d, whereas when one sins one damages G–d's "image" both in the Celestial Regions and on earth. Man's sins leave noticeable imprints on his face; this is the reason that Isaiah 3,9 speaks of: הכרת פנים ענתה בם, "Their faces reflect their sins. Rabbi Moshe Alshich, commenting on Genesis 45,28: אלכה ואראנו בטרם אמות, "I will go and see him (Joseph) before I die," writes that Jacob wanted to determine if Joseph had remained loyal to the Abrahamitic tradition by looking at his face. As soon as Jacob looked at Joseph's face (Genesis 46,29) he expressed willingness to die. The Torah phrases this peculiarly when it writes: "After I have seen that you are alive." At first glance the words "that you are alive" seem superfluous. Jacob indicated by his words that being "alive" in itself was quite meaningless unless Joseph had remained loyal to his father's teachings. Joseph's face reflected G–d's approval, i.e. G–d made Joseph's face light up. One of the ways which result in man's face being illuminated is by means of repentance. When the Jewish people are reminded (Deut. 5,4) that G–d spoke to them פנים אל פנים, "face to face," this is a compliment telling us that their facial features had undergone a change for the better, and that the ugly lines on their faces reflecting their sinful behavior had been erased. Psalms 42,12 speaks of the hope of the sons of Korach. There is no point in being downcast when repentance can cause us to reflect G–d's salvation on our own face; not only this, but we will simultaneously remove the tarnish caused to G–d's "image" by our own sins. The commandment to appear in the Temple three times a year (16,16), caused our sages in Chagigah 2a to say that the word יראה can be read both passively or actively, i.e. "to be seen" or "to see." Their message is that if one comes to the Temple with a positive attitude, i.e. in order to "see" G–d, then one will also be positively "seen" by G–d. This also enables us to understand another verse which is generally held to be almost beyond comprehension.

When the Torah (16,16) commands that these pilgrimages have to be made on three occasions annually, this is an allusion to Isaac, an unblemished total offering. In connection with the עקדת יצחק the Torah mentions the word Yireh or Yera'eh three times (Genesis 22, 8-14-14). "Three times a year every male of yours shall be seen by the Lord your G–d in the place G–d will select," corresponds to Genesis 22,8: "G–d will select for Himself the lamb as the total offering my son." This is because the words in Exodus 34,23 "את פני האדון ה' אלוקי ישראל" are an expression of a decree by G–d the "Master" Who decreees that He wants to see them together in one spot. "Three times as year every one of your males shall be seen by the Lord your G–d" (Exodus 23,17), corresponds to the second time the word is used in connection with the עקדה. The third directive to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem is in our verse here and corresponds to the third time the Torah used the expression יראה in connection with the binding of Isaac. It is a reference to the Mountain of G–d, Moriah. The warning השמר לך (12,13) in this portion not to offer sacrifices anywhere else, corresponds to similar words used by Abraham in his instructions to Eliezer (Genesis 24,6) not to bring Isaac back to Ur Kasdim whence Abraham had emigrated to the land of Canaan. The common denominator to all this is that Isaac, as an unblemished total offering, was not allowed to leave ארץ ישראל.

שלוש פעמים בשנה יראה כל זכורך וכו. Rabbi Menachem Habavli explains that ordinarily a person who is full of sins (as we all are) would not have the audacity to appear before His King three times a year wearing these sins around his neck as if they were jewelry. Since we are commanded to make such appearance, it is clear we must see to it that we are free from sin. The word פעמים is reminiscent of פעמון ,bell. In other words, the commandments are to serve as an alarm bell that we should cleanse ourselves from sin before undertaking the pilgrimage and appearing in the Presence of G'd in the holy Temple.

Moses, in characteristic modesty, said to him "please don't abandon us," to indicate that his father-in-law had not understood him properly. He reminded his father-in-law that the latter was so well versed in all that was going on in the camp of the Israelites that he knew full well that there was a celestial counterpart to the camps of the Israelites and to their flags down here on earth. This is what is meant by the words על כן אתה ידעת חנותינו במדבר.

Since we are already on the subject of verse 22,14, let me tell you something interesting. The expression יראה is employed here twice; once it is vocalized Yireh, the other time it is vocalized Ye-ra-eh. I have already mentioned that a great promise is contained in this verse. We have also a promise in Isaiah 52,8 כי עין בעין יראו בשוב ה' ציון, that G–d's return to Zion will be witnessed visually. I believe that the two words יראה in our verse are an allusion to a statement by our sages in Chagigah 2 that בדרך שבא לראות כך בא לראות, "just as one sees with both eyes so one is seen with both eyes." The Talmud uses our verse to draw a comparison between the way G–d sees us and the way we see Him. It concludes that if someone is blind in one eye he need not make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the holidays since the Torah requires him to be "seen," i.e Ye-ra-eh.