Avos 2:1 וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה (5785) (Copy)
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וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת. וֶהֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ.
Rabbi said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others. And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby. Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.
מתן שכרן של מצות. השכר שמשלם הקב"ה לעושה מצוה הוא מתן, שאנו חייבין לקיים צויו מפני כמה טובות שגמלנו והקדים לנו קודם שנגיע לכלל מצות, ואף אחר שהגענו לכלל אנשים, כדכתיב (איוב מא, ג. ועי' ויק"ר פכ"ז, ב) "מי הקדימני ואשלם", משום הכי קתני מתן שכרן.
(ג) מִ֣י הִ֭קְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם תַּ֖חַת כׇּל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם לִי־הֽוּא׃
(3) Whoever confronts Me I will requite,For everything under the heavens is Mine.
וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אוֹמֶרֶת: מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם...
מִי קִלֵּס לְפָנַי עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ נְשָׁמָה, מִי מִלֵּל לִשְׁמִי עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ בֵּן זָכָר, מִי עָשָׂה לִי מַעֲקֶה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ גַּג, מִי עָשָׂה לִי מְזוּזָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ בַּיִת, מִי עָשָׂה לִי סֻכָּה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ מָקוֹם, מִי עָשָׂה לִי לוּלָב עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ דָּמִים, מִי עָשָׂה לִי צִיצִית עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ טַלִּית, מִי הִפְרִישׁ לְפָנַי פֵּאָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ שָׂדֶה, מִי הִפְרִישׁ לִי תְּרוּמָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ גֹּרֶן, מִי הִפְרִישׁ לְפָנַי חַלָּה עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ עִסָּה, מִי הִפְרִישׁ לְפָנַי קָרְבָּן עַד שֶׁלֹּא נָתַתִּי לוֹ בְּהֵמָה
(2) Rabbi Tanḥuma began: “Who has given Me anything beforehand, that I shall pay? Everything beneath the heavens is Mine” (Job 41:3). This is an unmarried man who lives in the province and gives toward the salary of Bible teachers and Mishna teachers. The Holy One blessed be He says: ‘It is incumbent upon Me to pay his compensation and reward and to grant him a male offspring.’ Rabbi Yirmeya ben Rabbi Elazar said: A Divine Voice is destined to explode on the mountaintops and say: ‘Let anyone who acted with God come and take his reward.’ That is what is written: “Now, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel [what God has wrought]” (Numbers 23:23). The Divine Spirit says: ‘“Who has given Me anything beforehand, that I shall pay?” Who lauded Me before I gave him a soul? Who spoke My name before I granted him a male offspring? Who constructed Me a fence before I gave him a roof? Who made a mezuza for My sake before I gave him a house? Who made a sukka for My sake before I gave him a place? Who made a lulav for My sake before I gave him money? Who made ritual fringes for My sake before I gave him a garment? Who separated the corner of his field [pe’a] for My sake before I gave him a field? Who separated teruma for My sake before I gave him a threshing floor? Who separated ḥalla for My sake before I gave him dough? Who separated an offering for My sake before I gave him an animal?’ That is what is written: “A bull, or a sheep, or a goat, [when it is born…from the eighth day and on it shall be accepted as a fire offering to the Lord].”7The only reason you are able to bring the offering is because “it is born” – because God gave it to you.
ורוח הקדש אומרת מי הקדימני כו'...כך פירושו מי הקדימני אין בעולם מי שהקדימני ועל כן איני חייב לתת לו שכר שהרי חייב לעשות המצוה בשביל מה שהקדמתי לו מהטובה. מ"מ אשלם לו שכרו מאחר שקיים מצותי:
ורוה"ק אומרת מי הקדימני. זה עוד פירוש אחר על פסוק, מי הקדימני, דרך תוכחה שאין לו לאדם כלום אצל בוראו שהכל שלו ומה יתן לו ועכ"ז ואשלם שמי שעובד אותו בטובה שנתן לו יהיה דומה כאלו עבדו משל האדם עצמו:
שׁוּב מַעֲשֶׂה בְּגוֹי אֶחָד שֶׁבָּא לִפְנֵי שַׁמַּאי. אָמַר לוֹ: גַּיְּירֵנִי עַל מְנָת שֶׁתְּלַמְּדֵנִי כׇּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ כְּשֶׁאֲנִי עוֹמֵד עַל רֶגֶל אַחַת! דְּחָפוֹ בְּאַמַּת הַבִּנְיָן שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ. בָּא לִפְנֵי הִלֵּל, גַּיְירֵיהּ. אָמַר לוֹ: דַּעֲלָךְ סְנֵי לְחַבְרָךְ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד — זוֹ הִיא כׇּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, וְאִידַּךְ פֵּירוּשָׁהּ הוּא, זִיל גְּמוֹר.
There was another incident involving one gentile who came before Shammai and said to Shammai: Convert me on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot. Shammai pushed him away with the builder’s cubit in his hand. This was a common measuring stick and Shammai was a builder by trade. The same gentile came before Hillel. He converted him and said to him: That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study.
דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד - ריעך וריע אביך אל תעזוב (משלי כז) זה הקב"ה אל תעבור על דבריו שהרי עליך שנאוי שיעבור חבירך על דבריך ל"א חבירך ממש כגון גזלה גנבה ניאוף ורוב המצות:
That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: "Do not forsake your friend or your father's friend" (Proverbs 27:10) - this [refers to] the Holy One, blessed be He. Do not violate His words, for it is hateful unto you when a friend violates your words. Another [explanation]: Your fellow, literally - such as [with] robbery, theft, kidnapping, adultery, and most of the commandments.
שאין אתה יודע מ"ש ש"מ. עמ"ש תי"ט בשם רבו בד"ח. לענין הטורח והזריזות.
והוי זהיר במצוה קלה כמצוה חמורה שאין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצות. אע"פ שנתפרש אלינו העונשין מן העבירות שיש מהן בכרת ויש במיתה בידי שמים. כרת הוא וזרעו נכרתין. מיתה בידי שמים הוא לבדו נכרת. ויש עבירה שהיא בארבע מיתות ב"ד ויש בלאו שהיא מלקות ארבעים והעובר על דבריהם מכין אותו מכת מרדות מדרבנן.
אך לא נתפרשו אלינו שכר מצות ולא בקלות ולא בחמורות. משלו חכמים ז"ל (דברים רבה ו:) למשל למה הדבר דומה למלך שמסר לעבדיו פרדס לנטוע בו אילנות ואילו היה מודיע להם מתן שכרם היו כלן טורחים באותן אילנות ששכרן מרובה ונמצא הפרדס חסר מאותן האחרים.
כך אלו היה הקב"ה מודיע מתן שכרם של מצות היו עושין החמורות ששכרן מרובה ומניחין הקלות ששכרן מועט ולא יהיה אדם שלם במצות ומזה הטעם לא יבא להקל במצות ותיקר בה נפשו לעשות אותן לפי שאינו יודע איזו קלה ואיזו חמורה.
אבל רבינו הקדוש הפליג בדבריו ונתן טעם לדבר חזק מזה ואמר שאין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצות כמה הוא, שאפי' מצוה קלה שכרה גבוה עד למעלה. והוי זהיר שלא תפסיד ריוח גדול כמוהו כענין שאמרו (חולין קמב.) כי יקרא קן צפור לפניך וגו' ומה אם מצוה קלה כאיסר אמרה תורה למען ייטב לך לעולם שכלו טוב והארכת ימים לעולם שכלו ארוך קל וחומר למצות החמורות שבתורה:
And be as careful with a light commandment as with a weighty one, for you do not know the reward given [for the fulfillment] of [the respective] commandments: Even though the punishments for sins are explained to us - as some of them are with excision ( karet) and some with death at the hands of Heaven, excision being that he and his seed are cut off whereas death at the hands of Heaven is only that he is cut off, and there are some sins that get the four death penalties meted out by the court, and there are negative commandments that bring forty lashes, and the one who transgresses the rabbinic laws gets rabbinic lashes for rebellion - but the reward of the [positive] commandments is not explained to us, not for the light ones and not for the weighty ones. And the sages, may their memory be blessed, demonstrated [this with] a parable (Pesikta Rabbati 23), "To what is this similar? To a king who gave an orchard for his servants in which to plant trees. And if he made known to them the giving of reward [of the different trees], they would have all toiled on those trees that have a large reward, and it would come out that the orchard would be missing the other [trees]. So [too], were the Holy One, blessed be He, to make known the giving of reward for the [different] commandments, [people] would do the weighty ones that have a large reward and leave over the light ones that have a smaller reward, and a person would be incomplete in the commandments." And for this reason, one should not be lenient about the commandments, and his soul should hold them [all] dear to do, since he does not know which are the light ones and which are the weighty ones. But our rabbi (R. Yehuda HaNassi, the author of this mishnah) excelled in his words and gave a stronger reason than this and said that "you do not know the reward given [for the fulfillment] of [the respective] commandments" [as to] how much it is - as even the reward of a light commandment is highly elevated. And you should be careful not to lose such a great gain, like the matter that they said (Chullin 142a), "'If you chance upon the nest of a bird in front of you, etc.' (Deuteronomy 22:6) - and if for a commandment as light as a small coin the Torah says, 'in order that it will be good for you' in the world that is completely good 'and that you will have length of days' in the world that is completely long, all the more is it so for the weighty commandments of the Torah."
...כִּי יָדוּעַ הוּא דְּכָל אָדָם יֵשׁ לוֹ רְמַ"ח אֵיבָרִים וּשְׁסָ"ה גִּידִים רוּחָנִיִּים, וַעֲלֵיהֶם מְלֻבָּשִׁים הָרְמַ"ח אֵיבָרִים וּשְׁסָ"ה גִּידִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב י' י"א): "עוֹר וּבָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁנִי וּבַעֲצָמוֹת וְגִידִים תְּשׂכְכֵנִי", הֲרֵי שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב עוֹר וּבָשָׂר וְגִידִים וַעֲצָמוֹת וְלֹא קְרָאוֹ, רַק בְּשֵׁם לְבוּשׁ וּסְכָךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "תַּלְבִּישֵׁנִי" "תְּשׂכְכֵנִי", וְאֶת מִי הִלְבִּישׁ, אִם לֹא לַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבּוֹ, שֶׁהִיא הִיא עֶצֶם הָאָדָם, וְעַל כָּל אֵיבָר וְאֵיבָר שֶׁל הַנֶּפֶשׁ מְלֻבָּשׁ מִלְּמַעְלָה אֵיבָר הַגּוּף הַמְכֻנֶּה כְּנֶגֶד אֵיבָר הַהוּא, כְּמוֹ הַבֶּגֶד עַל הַגּוּף.
וּכְנֶגֶד זֶה נָתַן לָנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רְמַ"ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה וּשְׁסָ"ה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, וְהֵם מְחֻלָּקִים גַּם כֵּן עַל הָאֵיבָרִים, דְּיֵשׁ מִצְוָה שֶׁתְּלוּיָה בַּיָּד וְיֵשׁ מִצְוָה שֶׁתְּלוּיָה בָּרֶגֶל וְכֵן שְׁאָר כָּל אֵיבָרִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּ"סֵפֶר חֲרֵדִים". וּכְשֶׁאָדָם מְקַיֵּם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֵיזֶה מִצְוָה בְּאֵיזֶה אֵיבָר, שׁוֹרֶה לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא אוֹר ה׳ עַל אוֹתוֹ אֵיבָר, וְאוֹתוֹ אוֹר הוּא הַמְחַיֶּה אֶת הָאֵיבָר הַהוּא, וְכֵן כָּל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה.
נִמְצָא דִּכְשֶׁהָאָדָם מְקַיֵּם הָרְמַ"ח עֲשִׂין, אָז הוּא הָאָדָם הַשָּׁלֵם הַמְקֻדָּשׁ לַה׳ בְּכָל אֵיבָרָיו, וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּפָרָשַׁת צִיצִית (במדבר ט"ו מ'): "וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָי וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִיִם לֵאלֹקֵיכֶם",
אֲבָל אִם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, תֶּחְסַר לוֹ מִצְוָה אַחַת מִרְמַ"ח עֲשִׂין, שֶׁהִשְׁלִיכָהּ אַחַר גֵּווֹ, וְלֹא עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה עַל זֶה, יֶחְסַר לוֹ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא בְּנַפְשׁוֹ הָאֵיבָר הַמְכֻנֶּה נֶגֶד הַמִּצְוָה הַהִיא. וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ בִּבְרָכוֹת (כ"ו.) (קֹּהֶלֶת א' ט"ו): "מְעֻוָּת לֹא יוּכַל לִתְקֹן", זֶה שֶׁבִּטֵּל קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל עַרְבִית אוֹ קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית, אוֹ תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל עַרְבִית אוֹ תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית. וּכְשֶׁהָאָדָם זָהִיר מִלַּעֲבֹר עַל הַלָּאוִין שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, הוּא מַמְשִׁיךְ אוֹר הַקְּדֻשָּׁה עַל גִּידֵי נַפְשׁוֹ, וּכְשֶׁלֹּא יִזָּהֵר יִהְיוּ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, מְקֻּלְקָלִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבֹאָר בְּאֹרֶךְ בְּסֵפֶר "שַׁעֲרֵי קְּדֻשָּׁה" פֶּרֶק א', עַיֵּן שָׁם.
The reason for Scripture's singling out just these things seems to be this: It is known that every man has 248 physical organs and 365 physical sinews, as it is written (Iyyov 10:11): "With skin and flesh did You clothe me and with bones and sinews did You cover me." Now Scripture mentions skin and flesh and sinews and bones, and calls them only "clothing" and "covering" — "You clothed me"; "You covered me." Whom did He clothe if not the soul that is in his midst — "the essential man." And every organ of the soul is clothed from above with a bodily organ which corresponds to that organ as a garment to the body. And corresponding to this, the Holy One Blessed be He gave us 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. And they are also distributed among the organs. For there is a mitzvah depending on the hand and a mitzvah depending on the foot. And so with all the other organs, as stated in the book of Charedim. And when a man fulfills a mitzvah in this world with a certain organ, in the world to come the light of the L-rd reposes on that organ, and it is that light which vivifies that organ. And so, with each and every mitzvah. It emerges, then, that when a man fulfills the 248 positive commandments, then he is the "complete man," who is sanctified to the L-rd with all of his organs. And this is the intent of what is stated in the section of tzitzith [fringes] (Bamidbar 15:40): "And you will do all My mitzvoth and you will be holy to your G-d." But if, G-d forbid, he be lacking one of the 248 positive commandments, which he has "cast behind his back," and which he did not repent of, there will be a defect in his soul in the world to come in the organ corresponding to that mitzvah. And this is the intent of Berachoth 26a: "(Koheleth 1:15): 'The crooked cannot be made straight' — This refers to one who omitted the Shema of the evening prayer or the Shema of the morning prayer, or the Amidah of the evening prayer or the Amidah of the morning prayer.'" And when a man is careful not to transgress the negative commandments of the Torah, he draws down the light of sanctity upon the sinews of his soul. And if he is not careful, they will be — G-d forbid — defective, as is explained at length in the book, Sha'arei Kedushah, Chapter I.
מאירי
מצות עשה לא נתבאר שכר עשייתם בתורה ולא עונש מניעתם...וזרזו להיות זהיר במצוה קלה כבחמורה, ותלה הטעם מפני שאין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצות והטעם שיש מצוה קלה בעיניך שתמשך ממנה פינה מפנות התורה כמו שתאמר דרך משל שזכירת היום בקידוש של שבת הוא קל בעיניך והוא דבר משקיע בלבבות אמונת החידוש שנמשך ממנה, ג״כ אמונת שנוי הטבע(ים) ונמצא שיוצא ממנה מה שיוצא מענין הפסח ג״כ וכן כיוצא בזה:
...כִּי הַקּוֹנֶה מְזוּזָה בְּזוּז אֶחָד וּקְבָעָהּ בְּפִתְחוֹ וְנִתְכַּוֵּן בְּעִנְיָנָהּ כְּבָר הוֹדָה בְּחִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם וּבִידִיעַת הַבּוֹרֵא וְהַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ, וְגַם בַּנְּבוּאָה, וְהֶאֱמִין בְּכָל פִּנּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, מִלְּבַד שֶׁהוֹדָה שֶׁחֶסֶד הַבּוֹרֵא גָּדוֹל מְאֹד עַל עוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנוֹ, שֶׁהוֹצִיאָנוּ מֵאוֹתוֹ עַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת וְכָבוֹד גָּדוֹל לִזְכוּת אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם הַחֲפֵצִים בְּיִרְאַת שְׁמוֹ:
וּלְפִיכָךְ אָמְרוּ (אבות פ"ב מ"א) הֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְּבַחֲמוּרָה שֶׁכֻּלָּן חֲמוּדוֹת וַחֲבִיבוֹת מְאֹד, שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁעָה אָדָם מוֹדֶה בָּהֶן לֵאלֹקָיו, וְכַוָּנַת כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁנַּאֲמִין בֵּאלֹקֵינוּ וְנוֹדֶה אֵלָיו שֶׁהוּא בְּרָאָנוּ, וְהִיא כַּוָּנַת הַיְּצִירָה, שֶׁאֵין לָנוּ טַעַם אַחֵר בַּיְּצִירָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, וְאֵין אֵל עֶלְיוֹן חָפֵץ בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים מִלְּבַד שֶׁיֵּדַע הָאָדָם וְיוֹדֶה לֵאלֹקָיו שֶׁבְּרָאוֹ, וְכַוָּנַת רוֹמְמוּת הַקּוֹל בַּתְּפִלּוֹת וְכַוָּנַת בָּתֵּי הַכְּנֵסִיּוֹת וּזְכוּת תְּפִלַּת הָרַבִּים, זֶהוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִבְנֵי אָדָם מָקוֹם יִתְקַבְּצוּ וְיוֹדוּ לָאֵל שֶׁבְּרָאָם וְהִמְצִיאָם וִיפַרְסְמוּ זֶה וְיֹאמְרוּ לְפָנָיו בְּרִיּוֹתֶיךָ אֲנַחְנוּ...
ULTOTAPHOTH’ BETWEEN THINE EYES. No affinity is known to this word. Linguists, however, associated it with the expressions: ‘v’hateiph’ (And speak) to the south; And my word ‘titoph’ (dropped) upon them. The figurative usage thereof is based on the verse: And the mountains shall drop (‘v’hitiphu’) sweet wine. Thus the verse is saying that you should make the exodus from Egypt a sign upon your hand, and between your eyes a source for discourse distilling as the dew upon those that hear it. Our Rabbis, however, have called an object which lies upon the head totaphoth, just as they have said: “[A woman] may not go out [on the Sabbath] with a totepheth or head-bangles.” Rabbi Abahu said: “What is totepheth? It is a forehead-band extending from ear to ear.” Now it is the Rabbis [of the Talmud] who are the [true Hebrew] linguists, as they spoke the language and knew it and it is from them that we should accept [the explanation of the word ultotaphoth].Now Scripture says totaphoth [in the plural] and not totepheth [in the singular] because there are many compartments in the phylacteries, just as we have received their form from the holy fathers who saw the prophets and the ancient ones up to Moses our teacher doing so.Now the fundamental reason of this commandment is that we lay the script of the exodus from Egypt upon the hand and upon the head opposite the heart and the brain, which are the pivots of thought. Thus we are to inscribe [on parchment] the Scriptural sections of Kadesh (Sanctify unto Me) [Verses 1-10], and V’haya ki y’viacha (And it shall be when the Eternal shall bring thee) [Verses 11-16], and enclose them in the phylacteries because of this commandment wherein we were charged to make the exodus from Egypt for frontlets between our eyes. [We are also to inscribe and enclose in the phylacteries the sections of] Sh’ma (Hear O Israel) [Deuteronomy 6:4-9] and V’haya im shamo’a (And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken) [ibid., 11:13-21] because we are charged to have the commandments [of the Torah] also for frontlets between our eyes, as it is written: And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. This is why we also inscribe [on parchment] these two sections — [Sh’ma and V’haya im shamo’a] — for frontlets [even though the exodus is not mentioned in them], for they contain the commandments of the Unity of G-d, the memorial of all commandments, the doctrine of retribution, which states that the consequence of disobeying the commandments is punishment and that blessings come in the wake of obedience — and the whole foundation of the faith. Now of the phylactery of the arm, Scripture says, And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, which the Rabbis explained as referring to the left arm, which is opposite the heart.By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], the verse, It is because of ‘zeh’ (this) which the Eternal did for me, is similar to ‘zeh’ (this) is my G-d, and I will glorify Him. The verse here thus states that it was because of His name and His glory that He did for us and brought us forth out of Egypt. And “this” shall be for a sign unto thee on the arm of your strength, just as it is written, For Thou art the glory of their strength. Thus the sign [of the phylactery] is similar to the sign of circumcision and the Sabbath. And since all [emanations] are one perfect unity, which is alluded to in “the sign” on the arm, our ancestors have received the tradition from Moses, who received it from the mouth of the Almighty, that [all four sections of Scripture inscribed in the phylacteries, as described above], are encased in one compartment. This is something like Scripture says, achothi kalah, because it is united and comprised of the thirty-two paths of wisdom [with which the world was created], and it is further written, His left hand is under my head.Then Scripture says, And it shall be for a memorial between thine eyes, meaning that we are to lay them at the place of remembrance, which is between the eyes, at the beginning of the brain. It is there that remembrance begins by recalling the appearances [of persons and events] after they have passed away from us. These frontlets circle around the whole head with their straps, while the loop rests directly over the base of the brain which guards the memory. And the expression, between your eyes, means that they are to be placed upon the middle of the head, not towards one side. It may be that in the middle of the head, there are the roots of the eyes and from these stems the power of sight. Similarly, the verse, Nor make ye any baldness between your eyes for the dead, [means baldness adjoining the forehead. Thus the expression between your eyes mentioned here in the case of the frontlets also refers to the identical place]. It is to explain this point, [i.e., that the phylactery of the head is not to be placed between the eyes, as the literal meaning of the words might indicate, but that it is to be placed upon the middle of the head adjoining the forehead], that He reverts here [in Verse 16 and instead of using the expression, and for ‘a memorial’ between your eyes, as stated in Verse 9], and says ‘ultotaphoth’ between your eyes. This is in order to explain that the commandment is not fulfilled by placing the phylactery between the eyes bottomward, but rather it is to be placed high on the head where it is to be there like totaphoth, [and we have seen above that the word totepheth was used by the Rabbis for an object which lies upon the head]. He uses the plural form [totaphoth, and not the singular totepheth], because the compartments in the phylactery of the head are many, as we have received the form by Tradition.And now I shall declare to you a general principle in the reason of many commandments. Beginning with the days of Enosh when idol-worship came into existence, opinions in the matter of faith fell into error. Some people denied the root of faith by saying that the world is eternal; they denied the Eternal, and said: It is not He [Who called forth the world into existence]. Others denied His knowledge of individual matters, and they say, How doth G-d know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? Some admit His knowledge but deny the principle of providence and make men as the fishes of the sea, [believing] that G-d does not watch over them and that there is no punishment or reward for their deeds, for they say the Eternal hath forsaken the land. Now when G-d is pleased to bring about a change in the customary and natural order of the world for the sake of a people or an individual, then the voidance of all these [false beliefs] becomes clear to all people, since a wondrous miracle shows that the world has a G-d Who created it, and Who knows and supervises it, and Who has the power to change it. And when that wonder is previously prophesied by a prophet, another principle is further established, namely, that of the truth of prophecy, that G-d doth speak with man, and that He revealeth His counsel unto His servants the prophets, and thereby the whole Torah is confirmed. This is why Scripture says in connection with the wonders [in Egypt]: That thou [Pharaoh] mayest know that I am the Eternal in the midst of the earth, which teaches us the principle of providence, i.e., that G-d has not abandoned the world to chance, as they [the heretics] would have it; That thou mayest know that the earth is the Eternal’s, which informs us of the principle of creation, for everything is His since He created all out of nothing; That thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth, which indicates His might, i.e., that He rules over everything and that there is nothing to withhold Him. The Egyptians either denied or doubted all of these [three] principles, [and the miracles confirmed their truth].Accordingly, it follows that the great signs and wonders constitute faithful witnesses to the truth of the belief in the existence of the Creator and the truth of the whole Torah. And because the Holy One, blessed be He, will not make signs and wonders in every generation for the eyes of some wicked man or heretic, He therefore commanded us that we should always make a memorial or sign of that which we have seen with our eyes, and that we should transmit the matter to our children, and their children to their children, to the generations to come, and He placed great emphasis on it, as is indicated by the fact that one is liable to extinction for eating leavened bread on the Passover, and for abandoning the Passover-offering, [i.e., for not taking part in the slaughtering thereof]. He has further required of us that we inscribe upon our arms and between our eyes all that we have seen in the way of signs and wonders, and to inscribe it yet upon the doorposts of the houses, and that we remember it by recital in the morning and evening — just as the Rabbis have said: “The recital of the benediction True and firm, [which follows the Sh’ma in the morning and which terminates with a blessing to G-d for the redemption from Egypt], is obligatory as a matter of Scriptural law because it is written, That thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. [He further required] that we make a booth every year and many other commandments like them which are a memorial to the exodus from Egypt. All these commandments are designed for the purpose that in all generations we should have testimonies to the wonders so that they should not be forgotten and so that the heretic should not be able to open his lips to deny the belief in [the existence of] G-d. He who buys a Mezuzah for one zuz [a silver coin] and affixes it to his doorpost and has the proper intent of heart on its content, has already admitted the creation of the world, the Creator’s knowledge and His providence, and also his belief in prophecy as well as in all fundamental principles of the Torah, besides admitting that the mercy of the Creator is very great upon them that do His will, since He brought us forth from that bondage to freedom and to great honor on account of the merit of our fathers who delighted in the fear of His Name. It is for this reason that the Rabbis have said: “Be as heedful of a light commandment as of a weighty one,” for they are all exceedingly precious and beloved, for through them a person always expresses thankfulness to his G-d.And the purpose of all the commandments is that we believe in our G-d and be thankful to Him for having created us, for we know of no other reason for the first creation, and G-d the Most High has no demand on the lower creatures, excepting that man should know and be thankful to G-d for having created him. The purposes of raising our voices in prayer and of the service in synagogues, as well as the merit of public prayer, is precisely this: that people should have a place wherein they assemble and express their thankfulness to G-d for having created them and supported them, and thus proclaim and say before Him, “We are your creatures.”This is the intent of what the Rabbis of blessed memory have said: “And they cried mightily unto G-d. From here you learn that prayer must be accompanied by sound. The undaunted one wins over the abashed one.”Through the great open miracles, one comes to admit the hidden miracles which constitute the foundation of the whole Torah, for no one can have a part in the Torah of Moses our teacher unless he believes that all our words and our events, [as dictated in the Torah], are miraculous in scope, there being no natural or customary way of the world in them, whether affecting the public or the individual. Instead, if a person observes the commandments, His reward will bring him success, and if he violates them, His punishment will cause his extinction. It is all by decree of the Most High, as I have already mentioned. The hidden miracles done to the public come to be known as is mentioned in the assurances of the Torah on the subject of the blessings and imprecations, as the verse says: And all the nations shall say: Wherefore hath the Eternal done thus unto this land? … Then men shall say: Because they forsook the covenant of the Eternal, the G-d of their fathers. Thus it will become known to all nations that their punishment came from G-d. And of the fulfillment of the commandments it says, And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Eternal is called upon thee. I will yet explain this, with the help of G-d.Beshalach
(כה) אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ. מְלוֹךְ עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בִּכְבוֹדֶֽךָ וְהִנָּשֵׂא עַל כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ בִּיקָרֶֽךָ וְהוֹפַע בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ עַל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל אַרְצֶֽךָ. וְיֵדַע כָּל פָּעוּל כִּי אַתָּה פְעַלְתּוֹ וְיָבִין כָּל יְצוּר כִּי אַתָּה יְצַרְתּוֹ וְיֹאמַר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְאַפּוֹ ה׳ אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶֽלֶךְ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָֽׁלָה:
(כו) קַדְּשֵֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶֽיךָ וְתֵן חֶלְקֵֽנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ שַׂבְּעֵֽנוּ מִטּוּבֶֽךָ וְשַׂמְּחֵֽנוּ בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ: (וְהַנְחִילֵֽנוּ ה׳ אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן שַׁבַּת קָדְשֶֽׁךָ וְיָנֽוּחוּ בוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַדְּשֵׁי שְׁמֶֽךָ) וְטַהֵר לִבֵּֽנוּ לְעָבְדְּךָ בֶּאֱמֶת כִּי אַתָּה אֱלֹקִים אֱמֶת וּדְבָרְךָ אֱמֶת וְקַיָּם לָעַד. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ מֶֽלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ מְקַדֵּשׁ (הַשַּׁבָּת וְ) יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן:...
Our God and God of our fathers, reign over the entire world with Your glory, and be uplifted over all the earth with Your honor, and appear in the splendor of Your majestic might over all who dwell in the inhabited world of Your earth; so everything that has been made will know that You have made it, and it will be understood by everything that was formed that You formed it, And they will say, everyone who has breath in his nostrils, “Adonoy, God of Yisrael is King and His Kingship rules over all.”
וְדַע כִּי הַיָּרֵא אֶת דְּבַר ה׳ יַחְמִיר וִידַקְדֵּק וְיָשִׂים נַפְשׁוֹ בְּכַפּוֹ עַל מִצְוָה קַלָּה כְּמוֹ עַל הַחֲמוּרוֹת. כִּי לֹא יָבִינוּ (פי' יבינו ישימו לב) לַאֲשֶׁר הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת קַלָּה לְעֻמַּת הַחֲמוּרוֹת אַךְ יָבִינוּ לִגְדֻלַּת הַמַּזְהִיר עָלֶיהָ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
וּפְקַח עֵינֶיךָ הֵיטֵב לִרְאוֹת כִּי הָעִקָּר הַנִּכְבָּד הַזֶּה נִתְבָּאֵר בַּתּוֹרָה. כִּי נִכְתַּב עַל מִצְוַת הַקִּימָה מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּכְתַּב עַל מִצְוַת מוֹרָא אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וּשְׁמִירַת הַשַּׁבָּת אֲנִי ה׳.
And know that one who fears the word of God will be stringent and exacting and take himself in hand for light commandments, as he will for weighty commandments. For they will not focus on that which a certain commandment is light compared to the weighty ones. Rather they will focus on the One who warns about it, may He be blessed. And open your eyes well to see that this principle has been explained in the Torah. For about rising in front of an elder - [just] like the commandment of fearing one’s father and one’s mother and the observance of Shabbat - it is written, “I am the Lord.” And we have brought to this place many of the commandments about which the people found in this generation are short-handed in doing - the principle of each one is in this book, please take it to yourself and place it upon the tablet of your heart.
[מאמר עוצמתי מאת הרב דסלר זצ"ל, מכתב מאליהו ח"א, עמ' 4]
אמרו חז"ל: "שכר מצווה בהאי עלמא ליכא" [קדושין לט:], ולכאורה הפירוש הוא, שאין משלמים לאדם, את שכר המצוות אשר יעשה, בהאי עלמא, כי שכרו איתו לעולם הבא.
אומנם הענין עמוק מאוד, וראוי לבארו אל נכון.
פה שעה אחת של קורת רוח בעוה"ב מכל חיי העוה"ז" [אבות פ"ד י"ז]. חפצי לגלות בזה מה שזכיתי לשמוע מהו"כ אדמו"ר מוהרצ"ה ברוידא זצ"ל. הוא פירש, כי ענין "כל חיי עוה"ז" הוא, אם נקבץ אל תוך רגע אחד את כל השעות וגם רגעים של אושר ונחת שיש לאדם במשך כל ימי חייו, ונצרף לזה את כל האושר והנחת שיש לכל חבריו ומיודעיו בכל ימי חייהם, וגם את זה נכניס אל אותו הרגע וניתן הכל לאדם אחד, האם אפשר לשער את מדרגת האושר אשר ירגיש האדם ההוא ברגע ההוא?
אכן זאת, וגם אחרת: כי נצרף אל תוך הרגע ההוא וניתן לאדם הזה את כל האושר והנחת שיש לאנשי כל העיר במשך כל ימי חייהם, ועוד יותר מזה, כי נצרף עוד את כל האושר של כל דרי העיירות שבכל המדינה ובכל מדינה ומדינה, היינו כל הטוב שבעולם במשך דור שלם! והכל נצרף אל תוך רגע אחד! וניתן לאדם אחד! מכל מקום, עדיין אין זה ''כל חיי העולם הזה''.
אבל כל חיי העולם הזה הוא, אם נצרף את כל האושר, שבכל הדורות - מראשית הבריאה עד סוף כל הדורות, והכל ממש כל טוב העוה"ז בלי שום יוצא מן הכלל, הכל ינתן לאדם אחד וברגע אחד ממש, אם כן, הלא אין לך אושר יתר על זה כלל!!!
ואף על פי כן, קורת רוח בעולם הבא – גדול הימנו.
וביאור מדרגת קורת רוח, פירש אדמו"ר חמי זצוק"ל, שהוא כציור סעודת שמחה גדולה בבית מלכים אשר יעבור עני ויריח את ריח הסעודה מדי עוברו ברחוב מחוץ לבית, ויהנה מן הריח הטוב – זהו בבחינת קורת רוח. וכן גם בעולם הבא, אם אדם איננו זוכה לעולם הבא גופא, אלא שמרשים לו לעבור מבחוץ, להנות רק מריח הטוב של העוה"ב המוכן לצדיקים, זהו פירוש מי שיש לו קורת רוח בעוה"ב [היינו רק קורת רוח של העוה"ב, ולא עוה"ב עצמו]; - הוא השכר היותר קטן אשר יכול להמצא, ועל כורחנו הוא עבור המצווה היותר קטנה, אשר אין קטנה הימנה – [שהרי כל מצווה יש לה מתן שכר בעוה"ב] – ועל זה אמרו כי כל חיי העולם הזה, וכל תענוגיו ואושריו כלולים יחד מראשית הבריאה ועד סוף סופה, עוד לא יגיעו אל קורת רוח כזה בעולם הבא.
הרי שיתבאר לנו היטב, כי שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא, הוא משום שאין לך שום מצוה מן המצוות אפילו הקטנה ביותר אשר לא יהיה שכרה יותר מכל מה שאפשר שימצא שכר וטוב בכל העוה"ז כולו. ויהיה כתרגום המילים ממש: דליכא בעוה"ז – אין בכל העולם כולו מה שיהיה אפשר להיות שכר מצוה – ואפילו למצווה היותר קטנה!!!
מהאיגרת המפורסמת, "איגרת הגר"א"
וכל רגע ורגע שהאדם חוסם פיו זוכה בשבילו לאור הגנוז שאין מלאך ובריה יכולים לשער
ומה בשכר ארבע פסיעות ששלמתי לאותו רשע שרץ אחר כבודי אתה תמיה, כשאני משלם שכר לאברהם יצחק ויעקב שרצו לפני כסוסים עאכ"ו!
הני ד' פסיעות מאי היא דכתיב (ישעיהו לט, א) בעת ההיא שלח מרודך בלאדן בן בלאדן מלך בבל ספרים וגו'
שלמא כתבו ליה' שלמא למלכא חזקיה, שלם לקרתא דירושלם, שלם לאלקא רבא.
נבוכדנאצר ספריה דבלאדן הוה ההיא שעתא לא הוה התם, כי אתא אמר להו היכי כתביתו, אמרו ליה הכי כתבינן, אמר להו קריתו ליה אלקא רבא וכתביתו ליה לבסוף?! אמר: אלא הכי כתובו, שלם לאלקא רבא, שלם לקרתא דירושלם, שלם למלכא חזקיה, אמרי ליה קריינא דאיגרתא איהו ליהוי פרוונקא, רהט בתריה, כדרהיט ארבע פסיעות אתא גבריאל ואוקמיה, אמר ר' יוחנן אילמלא (לא) בא גבריאל והעמידו לא היה תקנה לשונאיהם של ישראל
The Gemara explains: So too, you, Jeremiah: And if with regard to the reward for four paces that I compensated that wicked person, Nebuchadnezzar, who ran in My honor, you are astonished at its magnitude, when I compensate Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who ran before Me like horses throughout their lives, all the more so will their reward be great. This teaches the potency of even a minor mitzva. That is the meaning of that which is written: “Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine has overcome, due to the Lord and due to His sacred words” (Jeremiah 23:9). The Gemara asks: With regard to these four paces of Nebuchadnezzar, what is the incident to which the Gemara alludes? The Gemara answers that the incident is as it is written: “At that time Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylonia, sent a letter and a gift to Hezekiah, as he had heard that he had been ill and was recovered” (Isaiah 39:1). The Gemara asks: Due to the fact that Hezekiah had been ill and was recovered, he sent him a letter and a gift? The Gemara answers: Yes, and he did so in order “to inquire of the wonder that was in the land” (II Chronicles 32:31). As Rabbi Yoḥanan says: On that day that Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, died, daylight lasted two hours, ten hours shorter than the standard day, so that the wicked Ahaz would be buried hurriedly, without the pomp typically accorded kings. And when Hezekiah fell ill and recovered, the Holy One, Blessed be He, restored those ten hours to Hezekiah, as it is written: “Behold, I will return the shadow of the dial, which descended on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which it had gone down” (Isaiah 38:8). Merodach said to his servants: What is this wonder that the day was extended? They said to him: Hezekiah fell ill and recovered, and the sun shone for him. Merodach said: There is a man like that and I do not need to send him greetings? The ministers of Merodach wrote to Hezekiah: Greetings to King Hezekiah, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to the great God. Nebuchadnezzar was the scribe of Baladan, and at that time he was not there. When he came there he said to the other scribes: How did you write the king’s message? They said to him: We wrote this: Greetings to King Hezekiah, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to the great God, as we were commanded. Nebuchadnezzar said to the scribes: You called him: The great God, and you wrote Him at the end of the list of greetings? He said: Rather, write this: Greetings to the great God, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to King Hezekiah. The scribes said to Nebuchadnezzar: The one who reads the letter, let him be the messenger. You gave the advice; you correct the text. Nebuchadnezzar pursued the messenger to take the letter from him and revise it. When he ran four paces, the angel Gabriel came and stopped his pursuit. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: If Gabriel had not come and stopped his pursuit there would have been no remedy for the enemies of the Jewish people, a euphemism for the Jewish people. Had Nebuchadnezzar succeeded in revising the letter, his reward would have been so great that he would have been able to destroy the Jewish people, as he desired.
וַיִּקַּח֩ שֵׁ֨ם וָיֶ֜פֶת אֶת־הַשִּׂמְלָ֗ה וַיָּשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ עַל־שְׁכֶ֣ם שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וַיְכַסּ֕וּ אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וּפְנֵיהֶם֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃
But Shem and Japheth took a cloth, placed it against both their backs and, walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness; their faces were turned the other way, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.
ויקח שם ויפת. אֵין כְּתִיב וַיִּקְחוּ, אֶלָּא וַיִּקַּח – לִמֵּד עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנִּתְאַמֵּץ בַּמִּצְוָה יוֹתֵר מִיֶּפֶת, לְכָךְ זָכוּ בָנָיו לְטַלִּית שֶׁל צִיצִית, וְיֶפֶת זָכָה לִקְבוּרָה לְבָנָיו, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר אֶתֵּן לְגוֹג מְקוֹם שָׁם קֶבֶר (יחזקאל ל"ט), וְחָם שֶׁבִּזָּה אֶת אָבִיו נֶאֱמַר בְּזַרְעוֹ כֵּן יִנְהַג מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֶת שְׁבִי מִצְרַיִם וְאֶת גָּלוּת כּוּשׁ נְעָרִים וּזְקֵנִים עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף וַחֲשׂוּפַי שֵׁת וְגוֹ' (ישעיהו כ'):
ויקח שם ויפת AND SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK — (literally, “And Shem took and Japheth”) It is not written here ויקחו ‘‘And they took”, but ויקח “And he took”, in order to teach regarding Shem that he devoted himself to this duty with more eagerness than Japheth. Therefore have Shem’s sons received the privilege of wearing the cloak that has fringes, and the sons of Japheth were privileged to receive honorable burial, as it is said, (Ezekiel 39:11) “I will give unto Gog (a descendant of Japheth) a place fit for burial [in Israel]”. But as for Ham who despised his father — of his descendants it is said (Isaiah 20:4) “So shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia (these were peopled by the children of Ham) young and old, naked and barefoot and with buttocks uncovered etc.” (Genesis Rabbah 36:6 and Tanchuma 1:2:15).
חֲכַם־לֵ֭ב יִקַּ֣ח מִצְוֺ֑ת וֶאֱוִ֥יל שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם יִלָּבֵֽט׃
He whose heart is wise accepts commands,
But he whose speech is foolish comes to grief.
מִי לָנוּ גָּדוֹל מִיּוֹסֵף כּוּ׳. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה חֲבִיבוֹת מִצְוֹת עַל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, שֶׁכׇּל יִשְׂרָאֵל כּוּלָּן נִתְעַסְּקוּ בַּבִּיזָּה, וְהוּא נִתְעַסֵּק בְּמִצְוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״חֲכַם לֵב יִקַּח מִצְוֹת וְגוֹ׳״.
§ It states further in the mishna: Who, to us, had a greater burial than Joseph, as it was none other than Moses who involved himself in transporting his coffin. The Sages taught in the Tosefta (4:6–7): Come and see how beloved mitzvot are to Moses our teacher. As, at the time of the Exodus, all the Jewish people were involved in taking the plunder from Egypt, and he was involved in the performance of mitzvot, as it is stated: “The wise in heart will take mitzvot” (Proverbs 10:8).
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