Shabbat Parashat Beha'alotcha | 5769

Ein Ayah: Multi-Facted Harmony, Belief Preparing for Knowledge

(based on Ein Ayah, Berachot I, 163)

Gemara: On Shabbat [in the Beit Hamikdash], they would add another beracha for the mishmar (the group of kohanim finishing a week of service): “He who had His Name dwell in this house should have love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship dwell among you.”

Ein Ayah: The Beit Hamikdash, from which light and knowledge of Hashem spreads to the world, will finally bring ultimate global peace and human perfection in knowledge and morality. This is promised by the pasuk, “Many nations will walk and say: Let us go up to the house of Hashem… and they will beat their swords into plowshares” (Yeshaya 2: 3-4). This will come by means of raising the banner of Israel, whose set place is the Beit Hamikdash, the eternal place of Hashem’s light on earth. Therefore, it is fitting that He who had His Name dwell in this house to bring global peace will cause love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship to dwell among the kohanim. That will enable them to guide toward the goal of global peace.

There are four elements of man’s existence, from all of which peace can come when used properly: emotion, nature, intellect, and chance. The emotions of the heart bring on love; nature causes that those born from one race, one nation, or, certainly, one tribe feel kinship toward each other; intellect teaches one to appreciate peace because it is objectively good. Chance, which brings people together in a place or an occupation, increases friendship.

All these positive outcomes are actualized when people go in the straight path. However, when the path curves, these connections can become points of friction. That is why there is a blessing that in all four of these areas, love, brotherhood, peace, and friendship will dwell through emotion, nature, intellect, and chance.

Belief Preparing for Knowledge

(based on Ein Ayah, Berachot I, 164)

Gemara:  Whoever did not say “Emet v’yatziv” in the morning or “Emet ve’emuna” in the evening did not fulfill his obligation, as the pasuk says: “To tell your kindness in the morning and your trustworthiness in the nights” (Tehillim 92:3).

Ein Ayah: The night, in relation to the day, is like the preparation in relation to the goal. The rest we have at night prepares for the work of the day. So too, emuna (belief) prepares for the completeness of true knowledge regarding Hashem’s kindness. Without belief one would not fulfill mitzvot and all the attributes that eventually lead to recognition of the truth. Therefore, belief is considered like preparation, which night represents, in regard to what the intellect and senses grasp. It is necessary for one who is to grasp as he reaches the heights of intellect to be properly led in the path of belief. He certainly cannot reach true knowledge without being prepared by belief.

A person also will not have flashes of truth at all times, as the Rambam says. His intellect may work well, and he will independently realize the truth of the Torah views. Yet, even as one who is in the light of day, he still must always be armed with the ammunition of belief. This enables his completeness to find a place to give light even when the intellectual inspiration subsides, a time that can be compared to night. That’s why the gemara mentions day before night, because often, even during the times of “intellectual daylight,” some “dark of night” lingers. Therefore, one always needs to be ready to hold on to belief, which is the eternal light. This is also hinted at regarding the moon, about which it says: “Go and rule in the day and the night” (Chulin 60b).

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