נאות דשא

פרשת בהעלותך

Concepts -מושגים

בהעלותך את הנרות איתא במדרש כמה פעמים הזהיר הקב"ה על הנרות שלא תאמר לאורך אני צריך עיין שם. ומביא ראיה מבית המקדש שהיו חלונות צר מפנים ורחובות מבחוץ כדי שיהא אור יוצא מבית המקדש להאיר העולם. ומביא שם עוד כמה ראיות שאין הקב"ה צריך לנר של בשר ודם ומביא ראיה מן העין של אדם שיש בו שחור ולבן ואין אתה רואה מן הלבן רק מן השחור הקב"ה שהוא כולו אורה על אחת כמה וכמה.

The נאות דשא quotes the Pasuk which begins our Parsha about the lighting of the Menorah in the Beis Hamikdash, and then cites the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 15:7) that Hashem tells the Jews several times that I don't need you to light anything for me. The Midrash illustrates its point by explaining that the Beis Hamikdash's windows were thin on the inside and wide on the outside to show that there was more than enough light in the Beis Hamikldash to light up the world. The Midrash also demonstrates its point by saying that even though there is white and black in the eye, you only see through the black, and not the black, Hashem who is entirely light how much more so that he does not need your light.

ויש לדקדק למה צריך לנר של בשר ודם הלא לפי הנראה הוא דבר פשוט. וגם מה שמביא ראיה מן העין של אדם שרואה מתוך השחור ולא מן הלבן קשה להבין

The נאות דשא asks why does the Midrash need to bring proofs to a concept that is pretty straight forward, and what is the Midrash talking about regarding eyes, what is the comparison being made and what is its point?

אך הענין הוא כי מה נקרא האור של בשר ודם הוא התעורתא של אדם לעבודת הש"ית כי נר אלקים נשמת אדם לכן מודיענו המדרש שאין הקב"ה צריך להתערותא של אדם כי אף התערותא שיש לאדם היא ג"כ מן הקב"ה.

So let's understand, when the Midrash is talking about "our light" it means our עתארותא which translates as "awakening." This concept in חסידות means the Jews' awakening of out of the sleep of ambivalence, apathy and inaction to serve Hashem. There is no better analogy than light for this concept, as light banishes darkness, this awakening banishes the sleep of ambivalence, apathy and inaction. The Midrash exclaims that Hashem doesn't "need" this, because even this awakening comes from Hashem Himself!

ומביא בית המקדש שנבנה מפעולת ישראל ומראה כי אף הקב"ה לישראל שאם לא הייתי מראה הקב"ה לישראל שאם לא הייתי מראה לך מקום מהיכן הייתי יודע היכן לבנות הבית המקדש. וזה רחבות מבחוץ שהארתי לך מקום האור כמו לאברהם וירא את המקום מרחוק.

The Midrash gives the example of the Beis Hamidkash which the Jewish people built. It would seem that the building of the Beis Hamikdash is an achievement which truly belongs to the Jews, they contributed the materials and they did the work. However, the windows in the Beis Hamikdash are described as being small inside and wide outside. This teaches us about the process of the building of the Beis Hamikdash, and what it essentially is. There is a crack of light on the inside which makes for a wide window on the outside. Hashem says to the Jews," if I wouldn't have shown you the place you couldn't have built it either." Just like Hashem started the process, by opening a crack in creation, the place of the Mikdash, and we widen it, through our action. This is similar to the way that Hashem showed Avraham the place for him to perform the Akeidah. Despite the fact that the Akeida is considered Avraham's crowning achievement, Hashem took him to the place where it happened, without that unique setting, the Akeida wouldn't have happened. The נאות דשא is demonstrating how it all starts with Hashem.

ומביא ראיה שאין הקב"ה צריך לאור של בשר ודם כי האדם אינו רואה מן הלבן רק מן השחור פירוש האור שלך הוא רק אחר החטא כי אין אדם עומד על דברי תורה אלא אם אחר הכשלון והאיך תאמר שהקב"ה צריך לאורך כי הוא כולו אור כי חושך לא יחשיך ממך.

The Midrash's other proof that Hashem doesn't need our actions to serve Him, because we only see out of the black of our eyes. What does it mean? The נאות דשא explains this Midrash with a famous Izhbitz teaching (based on the Gemara Gittin 43) that a person only keeps the Torah after they have stumbled in it. The מי השלוח teaches that real knowledge only comes as a result of a person's failures. Clearly, a person cannot choose their own failures, but it is through them that a person learns. These failures were part of Hashem's plan to educate each person. We can now read the Midrash, despite the white in a person's eyes, despite the places unaffected by failure, which is the majority of their eyes, a person only views the world through the knowledge they have gained through failure. Since Hashem orchestrates a person's failures, which are the most serious learning experience, how could we assume that Hashem needs anything from us, like the (Tehillim 139:12) Pasuk says, darkness does not cloud You.

ואמר שם המדרש כי משה היה מתקשה על מעשה מנורה עד שאמר לו הקב"ה השלך ככר לאש והיא נעשית מאליה. מסיים שם שהיה משה מתקשה על המנורה ואמר לו הקב"ה לך אצל בצלאל והוא יעשה אותה מיד ירד משה אצל בצלאל ועשה אותה. ויש לדקדק וכי בצלאל היה גדול יותר ממשה הלא הקמת המשכן יוכיח. ועוד מתחלה אמר המדרש השלך ככר לאש והיא נעשית מאליה ואחר כך אמר בצלאל עשה אותה.

A long these same lines, the נאות דשא explains how we can see this approach, of Hashem being involved in all of our actions in the Menorah itsef. Midrash (Bamidbar Rabah 15:4) recounts that Moshe Rabenu didn't understand how to make the Menorah, Hashem said, "throw the gold into the fire and it will make itself." The נאות דשא quotes another Midrash (Tanchuma Behaaloscha 6) that Moshe didn't understand the menorah and Hashem said to go to Betzalel and he will make it. Moshe immediately went to Betzalel and he did it. The נאות דשא asks so was Betzalel greater than Moshe? But Moshe could put up the Mishkan, and Betzalel couldn't. Furthermore, how was the Menorah made, was the gold thrown into the fire and it emerged formed or did Betzalel made it?

אשיבך בקוצר שבצלאל עשה את המנורה מה שלא נקרא אצל משה עשייה כזו כי עשיי של בצלאל כמו שאמר המדרש למעלה השלך ככר לאש פרוש שעשה כמו האב המוליד לבן שבלא פעולת האב לא יוליד ואע"פ פעולתו קטנה עד מאד כי היא נעשית מאליה וד"ל

The Psukim say that Betzalel made the menorah, but the Midrash says that he was told to throw the gold into the fire. נאות דשא says this means like a father's contribution to making a child , through a small act, then it progresses without any more input on his part.

Moshe couldn't understand how to make the Menorah, and Hashem taught him to make it by abandoning your notion of personal achievement and putting it in Hashem's "hands." In the next Midrash, Moshe does the same thing and not only puts it in Hashem's "hands" but also abandons his Kavod and goes to Betzalel.

In this way, Betzalel recognized that the desire started with Hashem, and his job was to "throw the gold into fire" to make the efforts in Avodah and at the same time recognize Hashem's role in granting him success in his accomplishments.

Through the "black of one's eyes" their failure to be able to create it themselves, they learned how to create it, realizing Hashem as the source of knowledge and success.

Additionally, the Menorah itself is the vessel which contains light in this world, the underlying question is how to contain and perpetuate man's light, his desire to serve Hashem. How do you take the desire and make a vessel for it? Hashem told him, just do your little part, and I'll grant you success in your endeavor.

Izhbitzer Twist

The נאות דשא true to his roots as the son of the מי השלוח teaches us the idea that Hashem orchestrates our failures to teach us lessons, and these failures were part of His plan. אין אדם עומד על דברי תורה אם כן נכשל בהם.

Practical Advice

When a person wants to light the Neros, meaning when they want to serve Hashem, they must appreciate the fact that Hashem opens narrow cracks to feel the desire inside of you, and that He makes us learn the greatest lessons through your failures. We need to understand that our greatest successes are built on Hashem making beginnings for us, and our greatest failures are based on Hashem teaching us a lesson. Many times we are shaped by our failures, and we must Daven for greater vessels of perspective.