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BEGIN WITH A GRIN

The mashpia, R’ Shaul Brook a’h, stood at the head of a number of yeshivos Tomchei Tmimim, first in Zhvill in Russia and later in Rishon L’Tziyon in Eretz Yisrael. There was a bachur in yeshiva with average abilities who was unable to integrate socially and was closed and introverted. R’ Shaul turned to him and whispered in his ear “Moisheleh, break a chair!…”

The guy was completely confused, breaking a chair… Even today it’s a strange thing, and for one thing, during the austerity period of that time, especially R’ Shaul, who was strict about the yeshiva’s property.

“Why just destroy the yeshiva’s things?” The mashpia answered him: “There is a popular saying, ‘If it doesn’t help, it won’t do harm.’ And I tell you,” the mashpia continued, “if you don’t do harm, nothing will help.”

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM OR UPLIFTING MESSAGE?

We all know the well-known words of the Tur (Orach Chaim 429) that from parshas Bereishis until 17 Tammuz, the weekly haftorah reflects the contents of the parsha, while from 17 Tammuz and on, the haftorah is timely, reflecting the period we are in and is not really connected to the parsha.

Still, the Rebbe always finds an amazing connection between the haftorah and the parsha, relying on the fact that all matters of the Torah are incredibly accurate. This also applies to parshas Devarim and the weekly haftorah, the vision of Yeshaya. And the beauty is that the connection between the two revolves around the issue of Geula!

Parshas Devarim begins with a monologue by Moshe, in which he rebukes the Jewish people for the many times they angered G-d while they were in the desert. He even lists seven places where they rebelled against and defied the Creator. However, at the end of the parsha, Moshe’s tone changes… and he tells the Jewish people about the wonderful victories against Sichon and Og, the conquest of Chevel Gilad, the inheritance of the sons of Gad and Reuven, until the entry into the promised land.

And Yeshaya does exactly the same thing…

He opens his prophecy with a tough and poignant statement that “even a donkey knows who is the boss… while the Jewish people don’t!” He describes the destruction of the future Bayis and the war and the destruction of Eretz Yisrael, harsh words that are jarring to every ear. On the other hand, at the end of the haftorah, the prophet changes direction and begins to prophesy about the rosy future that will come to the Jewish people in the true and complete redemption.

As it says, “Begins with derogation and ends with praise,” both in the parsha and in the haftorah.

What does this teach us? And how does this relate to redemption?

The halachic rule (regarding legal documents) is well known that: “everything goes after the seal (i.e. final clause),” so even though the parsha and the haftorah have a jarring beginning, the main point of both of them – the ending and the seal – is in the matter of redemption: “Tziyon in/with judgment shall be redeemed, and her captives in/with righteousness.”

The Rebbe makes an interesting point:

One of the foundational books of Chabad Chassidus is Likutei Torah. The book contains the maamarei Chassidus that the Alter Rebbe said about the weekly parsha, as arranged and edited by his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek. For each Parsha, there are several maamarim on verses from the parsha or the haftorah which the Alter Rebbe explains in a wonderful and sweet explanation according to Chassidus.

Unusually, parshas Devarim has only one maamar in the entire, thick book. And this one and only maamar, explains a verse from… the haftorah!

This maamar is about the verse that we mentioned earlier “”Tziyon in/with judgment shall be redeemed, and her captives in/with righteousness.” Why is there only one maamar in this case? Didn’t the Alter Rebbe actually say more maamarim on Shabbos parshas Devarim? Didn’t the Tzemach Tzedek even find one maamar about the verses of the parsha?

The Rebbe explains that by doing so, the Alter Rebbe emphasizes and implies that the essence of the parsha is “Tziyon in/with judgment shall be redeemed.” All the verses, rebukes, and difficult prophecies found in the parsha and in the haftorah – all point to one main point – “Tziyon in/with judgment shall be redeemed,” a prophecy of the redemption.

But how? How does destruction serve the redemption? And how do rebuke and anger lead to salvation?

DANGER – CONSTRUCTION ZONE

In order to understand how it is possible to say about a severe calamity that it is redemption and construction, we will start with a disturbing question about the story of the destruction of the Mikdash. There is a Torah prohibition to break even one small stone from the Mikdash. Not from the altar, not from the Heichal and not from anywhere else. The Sages teach us about the verse, “He speaks His words to Jacob, His laws and judgments to Israel,” that whatever G-d commands the Jewish people to do, He does Himself. According to this, a serious question is asked: How was G-d allowed to break and destroy the Mikdash, completely contrary to the express commandment to keep it intact?

Every child knows that when you build you must first… break! As in any construction site, a large sign is hung on the fence when the bulldozers arrive to demolish the previous building. And what is written on the sign? Danger, Construction Zone!”

The first two Battei Mikdash were built by man: the first was built by Shlomo HaMelech and the second by Ezra and his court. Of course, in the Mikdash, holiness and divinity shined and the Shechina dwelt in them, but it was still not completely perfect, and the fact is – they were destroyed.

The third Mikdash will not be built by human hands, but will come down from heaven. It will be a special building that is not at all similar to the previous buildings. It will be perfect, which is why it will be an eternal edifice and its destruction is an impossibility.

And what is the first thing G-d needs to do in order to build a new and eternal house, much better than its predecessors? Destroy the existing building!

And this is the answer to the question, how was it (supposedly) permissible for G-d to destroy the Mikdash? Correct, it is forbidden to destroy, but to build?! It is allowed, desirable and necessary!

G-d did not destroy; He began the building process of the Third Mikdash. Support for this wonderful innovation, the Rebbe finds in the wording of the Yalkut (Shimoni, Yirmiyah, 259): “Rav said: A lion (Nevuchadnezzar) rose, in the sign of a lion (the month of Menachem Av), and destroyed Ariel (the Beis HaMikdash)… in order for a lion to come (G-d – “when a lion roars who will not be afraid”), in the sign of a lion, and build Ariel.”

It sounds like a play on words but the Torah doesn’t just employ ordinary literary license and everything has a deep and hidden meaning. The Midrash explains that Nevuchadnezzar destroyed the Mikdash (with the permission of the Creator) only so that G-d could build it anew. In fact, the ruin is the beginning of the building and an inseparable part of it.

Sounds beautiful and convincing, but what is it supposed to add to each and every one of us in our daily lives?

In life we ​​go through many upheavals, ‘tractors and bulldozers’ of all kinds, both in the rain and in the wind, both in our individual lives and in our common lives, both in Israel and abroad. This year has been a very challenging year for all levels of Jewish life worldwide. We have seen a lot of destruction. But what now?

A person who sees the destruction of the Mikdash in front of his eyes without recognizing the inner meaning of the destruction, may have doubts and even complete despair, depression.

But if we know that the purpose of the destruction is the construction, we must still cry out and beg for the exile to end as soon as possible, but this does not lead to despair and sadness, but rather – to bringing about strengthening and action in order to bring about the complete construction already!

TO CONCLUDE WITH A STORY

We will end with a short story:

A Jew once went to the Rebbe Rashab and asked for his blessing for an important matter, in which he needed a lot of mercy. The Rebbe answered him that the decree had already been passed and he could not do anything about it. After the Jew heard such an answer and realized that even the Rebbe, his final hope, could not help him, he left the Rebbe’s room and burst into bitter tears. While he was crying, he met Raza (Rabbi Zalman Aharon), the Rebbe’s older brother. In response to his question about why he was crying so much, the Jew told him what happened and the Rebbe’s answer.

The Raza entered the room of his brother the Rebbe (this was at the beginning of his leadership) and said to him: “Is this the way? When a Jew comes to ask for your blessing, do you tell him that you cannot help him, until he cries tears of grief? At least you could comfort him with words of condolence…”

The Rebbe fastened his gartel and ordered the Jew to enter again. The Rebbe then blessed him and the blessing was fulfilled.

Why did the Rebbe do it like that? If he could have blessed him, why didn’t he do it the first time, and if not, how did he bless him the second time?

The answer is that the first time, when the Jew asked for the Rebbe’s blessing, he was not worthy because of his spiritual state at that time to receive the blessing, and therefore the Rebbe told him that he could not help him. But because the Jew heard the harsh words of the Rebbe, words that caused him to break down, submit and pour out his heart before G-d – by doing so he became a worthy vessel for the blessing to rest on him.

Good Shabbos!

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