2 years ago

Going Into Darkness To Reach The Great Light Of Redemption

As this is being written, Am Yisrael is fighting for its existence and, b’ezras Hashem,by the time you read this, an
absolute victory will have been won over our enemies. BEGIN WITH A GRIN Rina: Moshe, tell me, what are you doing? Moshe: Nothing… Rina (frustrated): But that’s what you did yesterday… Moshe: So, what do you want? I’m not finished yet! • Full Article

BEGIN WITH A GRIN
Rina: Moshe, tell me, what are you doing?
Moshe: Nothing…
Rina (frustrated): But that’s what you did yesterday…
Moshe: So, what do you want? I’m not finished yet!
GOING UP OR GOING DOWN?
There is a Chassidic idea that the essence of a thing is alluded to in its name. This applies to the names of parshiyos
too. The name of this week’s parsha, Lech Lecha, ought to express the inner meaning of all its verses, stories and
lessons. The name: “Lech Lecha,” is somewhat puzzling. Where am I supposed to go? Where is the “lecha” that the
verse refers to? Why didn’t Avrohom tell Avrohom “lech to the land I will show you.” What is “lecha” meant to add?
The holy Alshich explains, and this is elaborated on in Chassidus, that the meaning of the verse is, “go to yourself,”
reach your true essence and realize your potential. That means that Avrohom Avinu should realize his latent inner
potential. Avrohom will reach the root essence of his soul by fulfilling G-d’s will and going to the Land of Canaan.
However, since it’s the name of the parsha, we must say that every part of the parsha expresses the same content
and every story in the parsha serves to highlight the self-actualization of Avrohom and his constant ascent to ever
loftier heights.
If so, there is an enormous question. True, at the beginning of the parsha, upon arriving in Canaan and continuously
traveling southward, Avrohom approaches the place of the Mikdash and so continues to ascend to higher levels of
holiness and spirituality. However, a moment later, just a few days after his arrival in the Promised Land, a famine
begins which causes him to descend to Egypt, the most debased place on earth. Sarah is abducted there and she is
held as a hostage by the Arab tyrant (sound familiar?) with the title “Pharaoh” (if you’d like, you can call him other
names…). Is this an aliya? Is this the self-actualization of Avrohom? Where is the lecha lecha here?!
Some might say it’s a test, and by withstanding it, Avrohom was elevated to even higher levels. As we know, the
Chassidic explanation of a nisayon is like “nes al he’harim,” a flag waving aloft over the mountains, which hints to us
that by withstanding a G-dly test, G-d raises a person up to spiritual levels which he could not have achieved
otherwise. So too, Avrohom (as the Medrash says), “he was not upset and did not complain” and rose higher and
higher. This is how “lech lecha – to yourself” was fulfilled.
But the Rebbe doesn’t accept this explanation. The Rebbe proves from the Medrash that the purpose of Avrohom’s
ascent was to sanctify and publicize the name of heaven. The Medrash compares this to a vial of perfume that was
placed in a corner and its fragrance did not waft anywhere which is why nobody knew of its existence. What did G-d
do? He moved the vial from place to place and the scent wafted. So too with Avrohom, if he hadn’t traveled about,
the name of G-d would not have been prevalent in people’s mouths. It was only by descending to Egypt (and other
places) that the name of G-d was sanctified through him and spread in the world.
Let’s stop a moment and think. Did Avrohom’s arrival in Eretz Yisrael sanctify G-d’s name or desecrate it (G-d
forbid)? What would you have said if someone arrived and within a week of his arrival the economy deteriorated,
inflation soared, and there was no food? Didn’t Avrohom’s arrival cause goyim to anti-Semitically announce, “It’s all
because of the Jews! Just one Jew came here and already there’s no food and no jobs, there’s a famine!” Where is
the “lech lecha?” Where is the kiddush Hashem?

KEEP GOING TOWARDS THE LIGHT
The Rebbe’s way is to look forward and thus, not be swayed or broken by difficult events. This is the unique way of
Rabi Akiva according to which “the future outweighs the present.” By looking to the future we change our view of
the present. We’ve already written about this electrifying, Chassidic idea in this column and now we will present it in
a different way and with a new explanation.
There are two Talmuds, Talmud Bavli and Talmud Yerushalmi. The huge difference between them is that the Talmud
Yerushalmi (despite the difficult Aramaic) is straightforward, to the point. There are no complicated questions, no
intricate discussions on a single topic that goes on for many pages. There’s a question, an answer, done. Straight to
the conclusion.
Regarding the Talmud Bavli it says (Sanhedrin 24a), “He placed me in darkness – this is Talmud Bavli.” One who
learns Talmud Bavli is in darkness with endless questions and intricate arguments; he can’t seem to find his way;
things don’t line up and the topics seem unresolved. Only through great effort, answers and nerve-wracking
resolutions do we arrive at the end, to some sort of understanding, to some light. But it is those difficulties,
specifically through those exegetic contortions that a person attains the depth of understanding, the depth of the
literal meaning and the depth of halacha. Therefore, whenever there is a disagreement between Bavli and
Yerushalmi, the halacha is decided like the Bavli, because one who dealt with all the darkness knows what the light
looks like!
Obviously, engaging in the study of Bavli, being involved in answering questions and contradictions is an inseparable
part of reaching the depth of the meaning and the final halacha; it can’t happen otherwise. You can’t reach the light
except by completely eradicating the darkness!
As such, the obfuscation and murkiness that is inherent in learning Bavli is part of clarifying the halacha. From this
we learn, as it relates to our topic, that whenever there is a descent that is an absolute necessity in achieving the
ascent, the descent is considered part of the ascent!
Just like being involved in resolving knotty questions is an inseparable part of the final understanding, so too,
Avrohom’s descent to Egypt and Sarah’s being abducted by (servants of) Pharaoh is an inseparable part of the
process that concluded with “and Avrohom went up from Egypt, heavily laden with cattle, silver and gold!” That
means that even Avrohom’s going down to Egypt because of the famine, and Sarah’s being abducted, were part of
the “lech lecha – to yourself,” because it’s not possible otherwise!
This is also a a deep, important lesson for the situation we are in now, on the eve of the Geula. Our Sages say, “the
deeds of the Fathers are a portent for the children.” The holy Zohar teaches that Avrohom’s going down to Egypt
caused the Jewish people to be exiled in Egypt. So too, with leaving; just as Avrohom left Egypt “heavily laden with
cattle, silver and gold,” the Jewish people left Egypt “with great wealth.” Just like with Avrohom, the descent was
inseparable from the ascent, so too, our perspective on exile and redemption ought to change and we need to view
exile as part of the constant process of ascent in the direction of Geula.
The lesson we need to derive during these difficult times is clear as day. As the Rebbe puts it, “When we examine
the state of the world that we are in, the darkness increasing from day to day… one might, G-d forbid, despair and
think, from where will we have the power to overcome the darkness? The answer is that all the descents and
concealment are merely external. Inwardly, it’s the opposite. In all of G-d’s actions in the world, even those things
which seem like darkness and descent are to refine and uplift the world. In truth, the descent itself is preparation for
and part of the ascent.”
If only we merit to see this with visible, revealed good.
TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY
We will end with a short story that teaches how a person needs to “go to himself.” In his youth, Rabbi Menachem
Mendel of Kotzk ran away from home and went to the court of the Chozeh of Lublin. His father, R’ Leibish, traveled
to him and yelled, “How could you abandon the customs of your fathers and join the Chassidim?”
The Kotzker replied, “The Torah says, ‘this is my G-d and I will make Him a habitation; the G-d of my father and I
will ascribe to Him exaltation.’ First it says, “this is my G-d” and only then “the G-d of my father.” First, I need to find
my G-d and only afterward the G-d that I received from my fathers.”