창세기 37:11의 Chasidut
וַיְקַנְאוּ־ב֖וֹ אֶחָ֑יו וְאָבִ֖יו שָׁמַ֥ר אֶת־הַדָּבָֽר׃
그 형들은 시기하되 그 아비는 그 말을 마음에 두었더라
Flames of Faith
According to Jewish mystics, Joseph was the paradigm of virtue and righteousness, the personification of tzaddik yesod olam, a man of such holiness that his merit sustains the entire world. Joseph was also Jacob’s favorite son, and they shared a special relationship.32See Gen. 30:25 and Rashi’s comment on that verse; Gen. 37:2 and the respective Rashi; also Gen. 37:11, 37:35, 45:27-28. When Jacob lay dying he called Joseph and requested burial in the Land of Israel. Although Joseph promised that he would ensure his father’s interment in Israel (Gen. 47:30), Jacob was not satisfied and demanded that an oath be sworn in God’s name: “And he [Jacob] said ‘Swear to me’ and he [Joseph] swore to him, and Israel [another name for Jacob] bowed back toward the head of the bed” (Gen. 47:31).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Kedushat Levi
Leviticus 26,3. “if you will walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and carry them out.” At first glance there appears to be unnecessary verbiage in this verse. We would have expected the Torah to write simply: אם תשמרו את מצותי ונתתי גשמיכם בעתו, “if you will observe My commandments I will provide your rainfall at the appropriate time.” However, the reason for the additional words may be understood when we recall that the Talmud in Kiddushin 40 states that G’d will account a good intention as if it were a good deed, i.e. that the good intention is already accounted as fulfillment of a commandment. In other words, the good intention is accounted as if it had already been translated into action, so that if through an accident beyond one’s control actual performance of the good intention was prevented, one is still given credit for it.Leviticus 26,3. “if you will walk in My statutes and observe My commandments and carry them out.” At first glance there appears to be unnecessary verbiage in this verse. We would have expected the Torah to write simply: אם תשמרו את מצותי ונתתי גשמיכם בעתו, “if you will observe My commandments I will provide your rainfall at the appropriate time.” However, the reason for the additional words may be understood when we recall that the Talmud in Kiddushin 40 states that G’d will account a good intention as if it were a good deed, i.e. that the good intention is already accounted as fulfillment of a commandment. In other words, the good intention is accounted as if it had already been translated into action, so that if through an accident beyond one’s control actual performance of the good intention was prevented, one is still given credit for it.
From this it follows that when one performs a good deed (commandment) truly without any ulterior motive this may result in such a person being transported to a higher spiritual level than the one he had been on prior to performance of that commandment. As a result of such a spiritual “promotion,” one will be granted the opportunity to fulfill still other commandments. The process will continue as a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is what the sages had in mind when they said that the reward of fulfilling a commandment is another commandment. (Avot 4,2) It is also the meaning of מצוה גוררת מצוה, “performance of one commandment drags an additional commandment in its wake.” (ibid.) Keeping this in mind we can also understand the meaning of the line in Niddah 73 quoted in the name of Tanna de bey Eliyahu that every person who makes it a rule to study at least one halachah daily, is assured that he will have a share in the world to come. The meaning is that that individual will progress daily ever closer to his ultimate objective of the world to come as he has not been deflected from his path. This is the meaning of the verse from Scripture quoted by the author of this saying, i.e. Chabakuk 3,6 הליכות עולם לו, “he will make steady progress towards another, eternal life.”
The words: אם בחקותי תלכו, mean that “if you cleave to My statutes,” you will be considered as “walking” on the right path, תלכו. The words: ואת מצותי תשמרו, refer to your planning, thinking of, performing My commandments, even if you have not succeeded for some reason to carry out your good intention, I will consider it as if you had done it, i.e. ועשיתם אותם. When understood in this manner, none of the words in our verse are superfluous or repetitious.
From this it follows that when one performs a good deed (commandment) truly without any ulterior motive this may result in such a person being transported to a higher spiritual level than the one he had been on prior to performance of that commandment. As a result of such a spiritual “promotion,” one will be granted the opportunity to fulfill still other commandments. The process will continue as a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is what the sages had in mind when they said that the reward of fulfilling a commandment is another commandment. (Avot 4,2) It is also the meaning of מצוה גוררת מצוה, “performance of one commandment drags an additional commandment in its wake.” (ibid.) Keeping this in mind we can also understand the meaning of the line in Niddah 73 quoted in the name of Tanna de bey Eliyahu that every person who makes it a rule to study at least one halachah daily, is assured that he will have a share in the world to come. The meaning is that that individual will progress daily ever closer to his ultimate objective of the world to come as he has not been deflected from his path. This is the meaning of the verse from Scripture quoted by the author of this saying, i.e. Chabakuk 3,6 הליכות עולם לו, “he will make steady progress towards another, eternal life.”
The words: אם בחקותי תלכו, mean that “if you cleave to My statutes,” you will be considered as “walking” on the right path, תלכו. The words: ואת מצותי תשמרו, refer to your planning, thinking of, performing My commandments, even if you have not succeeded for some reason to carry out your good intention, I will consider it as if you had done it, i.e. ועשיתם אותם. When understood in this manner, none of the words in our verse are superfluous or repetitious.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 8,1. “The entire commandment that I enjoin upon you this day is so that you will live (thrive) and multiply and be able to take possession of the land, etc.";
We have a rule that even if a person is unable to observe all of the commandments of the Torah, especially in exile, when we are all unable to fulfill the commandments which are applicable to people resident in the Holy Land, as long as such people yearn for the day when they will be able to observe these commandments, G’d will help them to be able to fulfill these commandments in the Holy Land in due course.
This is the message Moses conveys to the people at this juncture when speaking of כל המצוה, “the entire complex of commandments.” If you will yearn, starting now, to perform these commandments as soon as the opportunity will present itself, you will surely enjoy the merit of doing so in person.
The word תשמרון in this verse is to be understood in the same way as when Yaakov is reported when reacting to Joseph’s dream in which 11 stars and sun and moon bow down to him. At that point (Genesis 37,11) the Torah writes: ואביו שמר את הדבר, “his father looked forward expectantly to the matter.” [Contrary to Joseph’s brothers, who were outraged by Joseph’s dream of lording it over them, his father did not dismiss it out of hand, although he pointed out that Joseph’s deceased mother could certainly not bow down to him. Ed.]
We have a rule that even if a person is unable to observe all of the commandments of the Torah, especially in exile, when we are all unable to fulfill the commandments which are applicable to people resident in the Holy Land, as long as such people yearn for the day when they will be able to observe these commandments, G’d will help them to be able to fulfill these commandments in the Holy Land in due course.
This is the message Moses conveys to the people at this juncture when speaking of כל המצוה, “the entire complex of commandments.” If you will yearn, starting now, to perform these commandments as soon as the opportunity will present itself, you will surely enjoy the merit of doing so in person.
The word תשמרון in this verse is to be understood in the same way as when Yaakov is reported when reacting to Joseph’s dream in which 11 stars and sun and moon bow down to him. At that point (Genesis 37,11) the Torah writes: ואביו שמר את הדבר, “his father looked forward expectantly to the matter.” [Contrary to Joseph’s brothers, who were outraged by Joseph’s dream of lording it over them, his father did not dismiss it out of hand, although he pointed out that Joseph’s deceased mother could certainly not bow down to him. Ed.]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy