Parshas Re'eh - Compared to the moon

From: Purim A World Upside Down – Tape #E-3

FIGHTING TO SEE THE TRUTH

Hashem made it that darkness should come first. In order that people who are living in the darkness of this world, should have to fight back against the mistakes, against the frauds, against the Eisavs.

This world is intentionally made by Hashem to deceive. תשת חושך ויהי לילה - You, Hashem, make darkness and it becomes night. The Gemara in Bava Metziah explains this verse as follows: "You, Hashem, made darkness" – this refers to Olam Hazeh which is similar to the night. Hashem intentionally made this world a place of darkness in order that it should be like the night, a place of error. And our function in this world is that despite the darkness, we should exert ourselves to see the truth.

Now, understanding that, that’s why Shabbos begins on Friday night, when it’s dark. ויהי ערב – that’s the remez - the hint, to this world. And tomorrow, when Shabbos comes in the morning, when it’s daytime, that’s a mashal of Olam Habah, when it’s daytime and you see the truth. In the World to Come, we’re going to see the truth; there won’t be any darkness in the Next World.

Therefore, when you come into a place like a hospital or a university, and you see the professors in the medical school all dressed in white, they all seem to be kind-hearted Angels of mercy. No! That’s the darkness of this world They are malachei chabalah – demons of destruction – because they teach atheism. They fill the world with their darkness, with their sheker (lies). Anyone who spreads ideas of atheism in this world, you have to know, that he is the darkness for which the world was created. And our function in the world is to ignore them. That’s our function. That despite them, we should be able to see the truths of the world. Despite the universities, despite the colleges and the high schools and all of the other institutions that are spreading darkness in the world, the Jewish nation is busy building Yeshivas and spreading light. We’re the ones spreading the ohr ha’Torah (light of Torah). Bais Yaakov schools and Bais Ruchel schools. We’re providing the light in this dark world.

IT’S DARKER IN MANHATTAN THAN IN AFRICA

Our job is to fight back against the darkness. It’s not easy. But it’s supposed to be that way. We see that first comes darkness. ויהי ערב. That means that this world is a place of darkness. A vast majority of the world is dark. Not only is it dark in Africa. It’s dark everywhere else. It’s dark in Germany. It’s dark in Austria. It’s dark in Russia. Everywhere it’s dark. It’s dark in Manhattan. Wherever you go, it’s dark.

The possuk says, הנה חושך יכסה ארץ. Behold, a darkness covers the earth. וערפל לאומים. And a dark cloud envelops the nations. ועליך יזרח ה׳. And upon you – only on you, the Jewish people – Hashem shines. It’s only a little ray of light. And it’s only on you.

THE MOON GETS SMALLER

And this is the meaning of a famous gemara which is not really understood by most people. It says that Hashem made the שני מאורות הגדולים (the 2 large luminaries). So it seems that Hashem made both the sun and the moon as large luminaries. But then it says המאור הקטן (the small luminary) when it mentions the moon. So how is that?

We are told by the sages that when Hashem made the two luminaries, the moon asked Hashem, “How could the world have two leaders?” If there are two luminaries of the same size it would disturb the proper functioning of the whole world. Suppose there was light by day and by night. No one would ever go to sleep. They would drop dead from overworking. And so we can’t have light all the time.

THE SIN OF HASHEM

So Hashem told the moon, “You have said a wise thing. So go make yourself small.” And that’s when the moon became smaller. So the moon said to Hashem, “Because I said something correct, because I said the right thing, I should be the one to suffer?!” And so, Hashem listened to complaint of the moon and said, “Every month, I’m going to bring a korban chatas (sin-offering) to atone for me because I made you small.” That’s why it says by the korban of Rosh Chodesh the words חטאת לה׳ (a sin-offering for Hashem). Every month when they brought the korban of Rosh Chodesh, it was also a chatas (sin-offering) for Hashem, to atone for Hashem for making the moon small.

Now this Gemara is begging to be explained. It needs an explanation. And it’s as follows. According to what should have been the right plan, the Am Yisrael should have been at least as numerous and powerful as all the other nations of the world together. After all, we are the people of Hashem. We are the people of the Torah , the nation that bears the truth. And therefore, let’s say, all of Asia, all of Europe, maybe Australia also, should be for us. If Hashem wishes, He could give the goyim Canada and North America. Maybe South America – maybe. But we, the Am Yisroel should take up at least half of the world. And it’s a big question. Don’t make light of this question! After all, Hashem is in charge. And He knows that our function in the world is to say “Hashem Echad.” We’re the ones who uphold His name in the world. So why shouldn’t we be at least as numerous and powerful as the other nations?! That’s what we say to Hashem. That’s what we ask Hashem.

So Hashem says, “You’re right! So, go and become small now. You become little.” The moon is Yaakov, the Jewish people. That’s because we calculate the seasons by the moon, not by sun. The gentiles look at the sun to calculate the months but we calculate by the moon. And therefore, the moon represents the Am Yisrael. So Hashem said, “Make yourself small.” So the Am Yisrael says to Hashem, “Is that right?” After all, we are the most important. Why should we become small?!” So Hashem says, “Every Rosh Chodesh you should bring a korban and I’ll 'atone' for my sin of making you small". What does that mean? Hashem is saying: “Every Rosh Chodesh I want you to remind yourselves that it’s an injustice.” We really should be big. We shouldn’t be small.

WHY ARE WE THE SMALLEST NATION?

So let’s understand that. Why are we small? The answer is that Hashem is making the world for the very great purpose of giving us the biggest success that he could possibly give us. And that is the success of achievement when it is difficult for us to uphold our principles – and we uphold them anyway! And because we are small, we are therefore a minority against a great big world of עובדי עבודה זרה (idol worshippers), a world of liars and false religions, a world of academicians, atheists, and scientists who preach evolution. We are the ones who uphold the banner of בראשית ברא אלוקים – that’s how our Torah begins. Just because we are the ones who carry the banner of truth, therefore Hashem says, “I’m going to make you the smallest.” המעט מכל העמים -You are the smallest of all the nations. Why? Why are you the smallest? In order that you should have to fight back and uphold the truth.” And לפום צערא אגרא – according to the difficulty will be the reward.

By being in opposition to the great empires of the world; by being surrounded on all sides by enemies, and despite everything, we stand up and proclaim, “Yes, Hashem Echad!” No matter what the world says, we are proclaiming השם אחד!” So Hashem says, “For that, you are going to get a reward that you could have never gotten had you been a great and powerful empire.” When it is easy to be a Jew, what reward should you get? But the fact that you’re מעט מכל העמים - You are the smallest of all the nations – that’s your greatness and that’s your success. We’re in this world to gain the great reward of fighting against the apikorsim, fighting against the atheists, fighting against the colleges, fighting against the libraries, fighting against the newspapers, fighting against the Umos Ha’olam (nations of the world), the churches and the cathedrals, fighting against the mosques. And they know – they know that we’re speaking against them. What can they do?! It’s a miracle! We’re still here! And that’s the purpose of our being a minority. In order that we should have the opportunity to stand up against the whole world and proclaim, ה׳ אלוקי ישראל אחד, and get the great reward of לפום צערא אגרא.

Ftom TA: Re’eh 5779 – Parallels In the World

THE UNIQUE ROSH CHODESH OFFERING

Everyone knows that on Rosh Chodesh a special offering is brought in the Beis Hamikdash. Why do I say special? Because it says there (Bamidbar 28:15) that it’s a חַטָּאת לַהַשֵּׁם – a sin offering for Hashem. Now, that’s very unusual because we don’t find such a language anywhere else. Every offering is made to Hashem but on Rosh Chodesh it’s the only time it says “a sin offering for Hashem.” It’s something unique in the Torah.

And so the gemara (Shavuos 9a) tells us that it means that Hashem is saying, “Bring a sin offering on My behalf; a korban to atone for Me.” Now, that’s certainly something out of the ordinary – actually it makes no sense at all! What did Hashem do that He needs an atonement?!

So Hashem tells us: עַל שֶׁמִּעַטְתִּי אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ – Because I made the moon so small; that was My sin. The moon should have been as big as the sun, like it says אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים, the two great luminaries. “But I made it small,” says Hashem. “And therefore I want to atone for the wrong I did. That’s My misdeed, k’viyachol; bring a chatas for Me.”

EXPLAINING THE SECRET

Now, we understand that there are secrets here and so we’ll explain it as follows. It’s a parable, a lesson intended to teach us a very important principle.

We know that the umos ha’olam have a solar year; they calculate the year by the sun. Their months are sun months, whereas our months are lunar months. That’s why the little moon is a peculiarly Jewish symbol. And what does it symbolize? That the Am Yisroel has been made by Hashem the מְעַט מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, the smallest of all people.

The nations of the world, you have to know, no matter how diverse they are and no matter how many they are, but all together they comprise one vast majority in opposition to the Am Yisroel. It makes no difference whether they are Mohammadens, Christians, Buddhists, Evolutionists, Humanists or just plain materialists, all the people of the world stand on one side of history and we stand facing them on the other.

There’s nothing among the nations of the world that can equate to what the Jewish people stand for. Because it’s only the Jewish people who stand for Hashem who gave us the Torah at Sinai. That’s how we sum it up in one sentence: We’re the nation that accepts to live by the attitudes that Hashem delivered to us at Har Sinai. And that means that we, the smallest nation, have to stand up against the whole world – all the falsifiers who stand up against us.

Now, whether an individual is a chassid or a misnagid – it doesn’t make any difference. You could be Sephardi, Ashkenazi, no difference. All together we were mikabeil the Torah at Har Sinai and we are standing faithfully by that. But no matter, even when you look at all of us, it’s still a very small number; it’s the Jewish people and nobody else. There’s only one little nation! That’s what makes us the מְעַט מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, the smallest of all nations – because we’re the only ones in the universe who stand for the truth.

IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!

Now the question is: Such a nation, such a historic nation that was created to stand by the most important principle in the world, does it make sense that we should be in the minority? It didn’t have to be this way! According to what we imagine should have been the best plan, the Am Yisroel should have been at least as numerous and powerful as all the other nations of the world together. After all, we are the people of the Torah; we are the nation that bears the truth. So, let’s say, all of Asia, all of Europe, maybe Australia also, should be for us. If Hashem wishes, He could give the goyim Canada and America, as a consolation prize. Maybe South America too – maybe.

That’s how it should be. And who should be sitting on the thrones? The roshei yeshiva, the big rabbonim. They should have golden crowns on their heads. Who should be in the White House? Rav Pam, let’s say, the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaas. He’s the one who should be sitting in the White House. Yes, Rav Pam. Why not? He’s a tiere yid, a big chochom. We’d have Rav Pam in the White House and a whole world full of Jews!

But instead we’re the מְעַט מִכָּל הָעַמִּים – the smallest people. In the eyes of the umos ha’olam we are the lowliest of nations – we’re vilified and calumniated. We live in a world where there are churches everywhere. There are colleges in every little city. Atheism, materialism, and false ideals surround us on all sides. And it’s the frum Jews, those who are the purpose of Creation, who are a small minority.

WHO IS TO BLAME?

And who’s to blame that it’s not that way? Hakodosh Boruch Hu. That’s what He says! And that’s why on every Rosh Chodesh, Hakodosh Boruch Hu says, “You should have been the biggest! That’s what should have been. And so, bring a sin offering to atone for Me, for having made the moon – that means the Am Yisroel – small.”

Let’s understand that. We know very well that Hashem doesn’t need any kaparah. צַדִּיק הַשֵּׁם בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו וְחָסִיד בְּכָל מַעֲשָׂיו – He is righteous and kindly in all of His ways and everything He does. So if He made the Am Yisroel small, we know that it’s a great benefit for us; it’s righteous and kindly, absolutely.

And so we’ll have to understand what this “righteous and kindly” purpose that Hashem intended was: When Hashem made the moon small it means that He’s making it dark in this world. And if the Am Yisroel is small, it means that this world is covered with a veil of choshech. The fact that Jews don’t occupy all the seats of power – I’m talking about real Jews – means that the world is bumbling, floundering around in darkness.

And there’s no reason why it should be so. We would have already illuminated the whole world with our Torah ideals by now. We have authentic Jews who are brilliant men. Our gedolim have excellent minds! Rav Yisroel Salanter could have taught philosophy in the universities; no question about that. And he would have lit up the world!

And instead, who’s teaching the world? Shikkurim, beer drinkers. Immoral professors, menuvalim; low-class bums are ‘educating’ the world. We have great men who could have been a light to the nations and Hashem deprived the world of that. And so, “Bring for Me an atonement,” says Hashem, “because I deprived the world of this great light that could have been a benefit for them.”

THE GRAND PLAN

And yet we understand that this is all the plan of Hashem! What we’re learning now is that Hakodosh Boruch Hu was “forced” to make the Am Yisroel small because this world can only thrive in darkness! Otherwise the entire purpose of the world is vitiated – the world would lose its purpose if there would be too much light.

If the Am Yisroel would be yadam ramah, if they would spread over the world just like Christianity and Islam did, then we would lose out inestimably. It’s a great benefit that we’re small; it’s the darkness that makes this world great.

And that’s because we’re going to gain a great reward for standing firm against the apikorsim and atheists; against the colleges and the libraries and the newspapers. We achieve perfection by not bending before the big churches and cathedrals, by not submitting before the mosques and all the falsehoods of the umos ha’olam. And that’s the purpose of our being a minority. It was made that way by Hashem in order that we should have the opportunity to stand up against the whole world and proclaim, הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶחָד, and get the great reward of l’fum tzaara agra.

L’fum tzaara agra means that according to the difficulty will be the reward. By standing in opposition to the great empires of the world, by being surrounded on all sides by false ideals and cultures that try to tempt you, and despite everything, you stand up and say, “I’m not interested! No matter what the world says, I’m proclaiming that Hashem Echad!” that’s our greatness, our loyalty. So Hashem says, “For that, you are going to get a reward that you could have never gotten had you been a great and powerful empire. The fact that you’re מְעַט מִכָּל הָעַמִּים – that’s your greatness and that’s your success.”