This Dvar Torah Is Dedicated
By Mendy and Ita Klein
In honor of Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, for the continued inspiration you provide for us all
In honor of Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, for the continued inspiration you provide for us all
To Dedicate a Dvar Torah Click Here
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This week we read a special Haftora for Erev Rosh Chodesh (the day before Rosh Chodesh), called Machor Chodesh. When Shabbos falls on Erev Rosh Chodesh, we read this Haftora instead of the Haftora connected to the parsha.
The Haftora tells us that King Shaul's son, Yonasan, felt that David's life was in danger. So he devised a plan to find out if his father really wanted to kill him. "Yonasan said (to David), 'Machor Chodesh (tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh), and you will be remembered because your seat will be empty.'" He told David to hide for three days in a certain place where there was a travelers marker stone. In three days he would go there with a young boy and have his bow and arrow, to practice. He would shoot three arrows, and send the boy to collect them. If he calls to the boy and says, "they are to the side," then it safe to return. If he says, "they are further," then David's life is in danger.
Over Rosh Chodesh it became clear that Shaul wanted to kill David.
Yonasan went to the place with the boy and his bow and arrows. He shot three arrows, and called out to the boy, "they are further." After the boy collected the arrows, Yonasan sent him back to the city and David came out of hiding. "They kissed each other and wept with one another, until David became great (weeping even more than Yonasan)." Yonasan reiterated his pledge of everlasting friendship and they parted ways.
Before explaining this Haftora, we must first explain why we read this Haftora altogether? Answering this question, will bring clarity to all the symbolism found in this Haftora.
The rule is that the Haftora has to be similar to the parsha, and at least similar to the end of the Torah reading or connected to the time. Most of the time, when we have a special Haftora that is read instead of the weekly parsha's Haftora, we have a special maftir as well, and the Haftora is connected to the maftir. On Shabbos Machor Chodesh there is no special maftir, so why do we read this Haftora?
An even greater question is, what kind of holiday is Machor Chodesh, the day before Rosh Chodesh, that it should have a special Haftora and usurp the regular Haftora? We don't find any other day before a holiday to have a special Haftora. For example, there is no Machor Pesach or Machor Shavuoth (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos can't fall on Sunday). Why does Erev Rosh Chodesh have a special Haftora?
Reading this Haftora itself doesn't make sense. Aside for the fact that the story in the Haftora begins on Erev Rosh Chodesh, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with Erev Rosh Chodesh. It hardly makes sense that a Haftora be set, based on two words in the first verse, "Machor Chodesh," when the rest of the Haftora has nothing to do with it.
There must be something very special about Erev Rosh Chodesh, and the Haftora must be highlighting that exact point. What is so special about Erev Rosh Chodesh?
Rosh Chodesh is when the new moon appears. Before the new moon appears, it first has to completely disappear. The birth of the new moon brings with it a new light, a new spiritual energy, but in order for the new energy to enter the world, there has to be the total nullification of the self, the moon has to totally disappear. It is the actual nullification of the self, that brings the new spiritual energy into the world.
This idea is symbolized by the words, "you will be remembered because your seat will be empty." "Because your seat will be empty," meaning, because of your self nullification, that is why "you will be remembered," meaning, you will cause something positive to happen.
The Talmud tells us that "Jews count by the moon," "Jews are similar to the moon," and "in the future, they will be renewed like her (the moon)." Just as the new energy enters the world through the total nullification of the self, so too, through our total self nullification and self sacrifice to do Hashem's will, an amazing light is brought into the world, as I will explain.
Our purpose is to make this lowly limited physical world into a dwelling place for Hashem. The way we do this, is through refining ourselves and our place in the world so Hashem will be able to dwell in it openly. This is done by using everything to serve Hashem, either for Torah and mitzvahs, or to help you serve Hashem in some way. And this takes work, especially on one's self, first by forcing your ego to do what Hashem wants, and then through transforming the ego, to the point that it wants to do what Hashem wants. This is hard work, and the nullification of the self. This process brings amazing levels of G-dly light into the world, and it is specifically the nullification of the self to Hashem, that causes the light to come.
The work of refining ourselves and the world around us, is symbolized by the bow and arrow. Just as with a bow and arrow, the more you pull back on the bowstring, the further the arrow will go, the same thing applies to our work. The deeper into ourselves we go and the lower the place in the world we refine, the greater the light that enters the world.
When we complete this process, Hashem will dwell openly in this world, which means that Moshiach will be here.
This dark and bitter exile that we are in, is like the day before Rosh Chodesh. Slowly as the day goes on, the light of the moon gets smaller and smaller until it completely disappears. It is then that the new light comes. It is specifically our efforts in the darkest part of the exile that causes the light of Moshiach to enter the world.
At the end, at the darkest time we do the ultimate refinement through teshuva, as the Rambam says, "In the end, Yisrael will do teshuva at the end of their exile and they will immediately be redeemed." Teshuva means coming closer to Hashem, and everyone can do teshuva. For some it means correcting their ways, but there is a higher level of teshuva, where even someone who doesn't have to correct his ways comes closer to Hashem. He is not satisfied with his current level, as no one should be satisfied, and should always want to get closer to Hashem. Through this higher level of teshuva, he breaks free from his current state and reaches a higher level.
This is symbolized by the first words of the Haftora, "And Yonasan said (to David)." Yonasan symbolizes the Tzadik, and David the Baal Teshuva. It is the service of the Tzadikim that enable Baal Teshuvas to start their teshuva, but they ultimately reach the level of the Tzadik, as we see in the Haftora, "They kissed each other and wept with one another." This means that at that moment they were equals. However, teshuva will take you even higher, that is why the verse continues, "until David became great." Because through teshuva you can reach higher than the level of a Tzadik. So great is the power of teshuva, that the Zohar tells us about Moshiach, that "he is coming to bring Tzadikim to do teshuva." That when Moshiach comes, Tzadikim will harness the power of teshuva and soar to incredible heights, because Hashem is infinite, and there is always higher levels to attain.
Erev Rosh Chodesh is symbolic of our essential purpose and mission. And the day of Shabbos accentuates it even more, because on Shabbos we are raised above creation, and we sense our essence.
With all this said, it becomes clear that Erev Rosh Chodesh is of great importance to us, it therefore deserves to have a Haftora of its own, and even take the place of the parsha's Haftora.
May our efforts to complete our mission and our teshuva, flood the world with the light of Hashem, and usher in the coming of Moshiach. The time has come.
The Haftora tells us that King Shaul's son, Yonasan, felt that David's life was in danger. So he devised a plan to find out if his father really wanted to kill him. "Yonasan said (to David), 'Machor Chodesh (tomorrow is Rosh Chodesh), and you will be remembered because your seat will be empty.'" He told David to hide for three days in a certain place where there was a travelers marker stone. In three days he would go there with a young boy and have his bow and arrow, to practice. He would shoot three arrows, and send the boy to collect them. If he calls to the boy and says, "they are to the side," then it safe to return. If he says, "they are further," then David's life is in danger.
Over Rosh Chodesh it became clear that Shaul wanted to kill David.
Yonasan went to the place with the boy and his bow and arrows. He shot three arrows, and called out to the boy, "they are further." After the boy collected the arrows, Yonasan sent him back to the city and David came out of hiding. "They kissed each other and wept with one another, until David became great (weeping even more than Yonasan)." Yonasan reiterated his pledge of everlasting friendship and they parted ways.
Before explaining this Haftora, we must first explain why we read this Haftora altogether? Answering this question, will bring clarity to all the symbolism found in this Haftora.
The rule is that the Haftora has to be similar to the parsha, and at least similar to the end of the Torah reading or connected to the time. Most of the time, when we have a special Haftora that is read instead of the weekly parsha's Haftora, we have a special maftir as well, and the Haftora is connected to the maftir. On Shabbos Machor Chodesh there is no special maftir, so why do we read this Haftora?
An even greater question is, what kind of holiday is Machor Chodesh, the day before Rosh Chodesh, that it should have a special Haftora and usurp the regular Haftora? We don't find any other day before a holiday to have a special Haftora. For example, there is no Machor Pesach or Machor Shavuoth (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos can't fall on Sunday). Why does Erev Rosh Chodesh have a special Haftora?
Reading this Haftora itself doesn't make sense. Aside for the fact that the story in the Haftora begins on Erev Rosh Chodesh, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with Erev Rosh Chodesh. It hardly makes sense that a Haftora be set, based on two words in the first verse, "Machor Chodesh," when the rest of the Haftora has nothing to do with it.
There must be something very special about Erev Rosh Chodesh, and the Haftora must be highlighting that exact point. What is so special about Erev Rosh Chodesh?
Rosh Chodesh is when the new moon appears. Before the new moon appears, it first has to completely disappear. The birth of the new moon brings with it a new light, a new spiritual energy, but in order for the new energy to enter the world, there has to be the total nullification of the self, the moon has to totally disappear. It is the actual nullification of the self, that brings the new spiritual energy into the world.
This idea is symbolized by the words, "you will be remembered because your seat will be empty." "Because your seat will be empty," meaning, because of your self nullification, that is why "you will be remembered," meaning, you will cause something positive to happen.
The Talmud tells us that "Jews count by the moon," "Jews are similar to the moon," and "in the future, they will be renewed like her (the moon)." Just as the new energy enters the world through the total nullification of the self, so too, through our total self nullification and self sacrifice to do Hashem's will, an amazing light is brought into the world, as I will explain.
Our purpose is to make this lowly limited physical world into a dwelling place for Hashem. The way we do this, is through refining ourselves and our place in the world so Hashem will be able to dwell in it openly. This is done by using everything to serve Hashem, either for Torah and mitzvahs, or to help you serve Hashem in some way. And this takes work, especially on one's self, first by forcing your ego to do what Hashem wants, and then through transforming the ego, to the point that it wants to do what Hashem wants. This is hard work, and the nullification of the self. This process brings amazing levels of G-dly light into the world, and it is specifically the nullification of the self to Hashem, that causes the light to come.
The work of refining ourselves and the world around us, is symbolized by the bow and arrow. Just as with a bow and arrow, the more you pull back on the bowstring, the further the arrow will go, the same thing applies to our work. The deeper into ourselves we go and the lower the place in the world we refine, the greater the light that enters the world.
When we complete this process, Hashem will dwell openly in this world, which means that Moshiach will be here.
This dark and bitter exile that we are in, is like the day before Rosh Chodesh. Slowly as the day goes on, the light of the moon gets smaller and smaller until it completely disappears. It is then that the new light comes. It is specifically our efforts in the darkest part of the exile that causes the light of Moshiach to enter the world.
At the end, at the darkest time we do the ultimate refinement through teshuva, as the Rambam says, "In the end, Yisrael will do teshuva at the end of their exile and they will immediately be redeemed." Teshuva means coming closer to Hashem, and everyone can do teshuva. For some it means correcting their ways, but there is a higher level of teshuva, where even someone who doesn't have to correct his ways comes closer to Hashem. He is not satisfied with his current level, as no one should be satisfied, and should always want to get closer to Hashem. Through this higher level of teshuva, he breaks free from his current state and reaches a higher level.
This is symbolized by the first words of the Haftora, "And Yonasan said (to David)." Yonasan symbolizes the Tzadik, and David the Baal Teshuva. It is the service of the Tzadikim that enable Baal Teshuvas to start their teshuva, but they ultimately reach the level of the Tzadik, as we see in the Haftora, "They kissed each other and wept with one another." This means that at that moment they were equals. However, teshuva will take you even higher, that is why the verse continues, "until David became great." Because through teshuva you can reach higher than the level of a Tzadik. So great is the power of teshuva, that the Zohar tells us about Moshiach, that "he is coming to bring Tzadikim to do teshuva." That when Moshiach comes, Tzadikim will harness the power of teshuva and soar to incredible heights, because Hashem is infinite, and there is always higher levels to attain.
Erev Rosh Chodesh is symbolic of our essential purpose and mission. And the day of Shabbos accentuates it even more, because on Shabbos we are raised above creation, and we sense our essence.
With all this said, it becomes clear that Erev Rosh Chodesh is of great importance to us, it therefore deserves to have a Haftora of its own, and even take the place of the parsha's Haftora.
May our efforts to complete our mission and our teshuva, flood the world with the light of Hashem, and usher in the coming of Moshiach. The time has come.
Absolutely love this understanding of the Haftara, so many levels of understand that I had never thought of before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding us that even at the darkest moment, when the light of the moon completely disappears, this is only because it is about to begin to shine again.