The Book of Vayikra, in this week’s portion begins, “And He called to Moshe and Hashem spoke to him from the Ohel Moed saying” (Vayikra 1:1.) The Sifra, otherwise known as The Toras Kohanim, has a beautiful depiction of the extent and passion of Hashem’s love to His children, Bnei Yisrael.
The Sifra (1:12) says, “[G-D spoke] from the Ohel Moed (The Tent of Meeting), one would think it was from the entire house, therefore the pasuk indicates that [Hashem’s Holy Presence] was on the kapores (the covering of the Aron). One might think it was atop of the entire kapores, therefore it says from between the two keruvim (cherubs), these are the words of Rebbe Akiva. Rebbe Shimon ben Azai said, I am not trying to question my rebbe but rather adding onto his words: The honor that is being spoken about refers to the fact that [Hashem has said] ‘Behold the Heaven and Earth I fill’. Behold the love for the Jews, where was this love caused to go? Kaviyachol, it was squeezed into the kapores between the two keruvim was when He spoke. Rebbe Dosa says that in a similar vein it says in Shemos (33:20) ‘no one sees Me and lives.’ They don’t see Me when they are alive but they can when they are about to die. So to it says in Tehillim (22:30), ‘Before Him all those that went down into the ground bow and nefesh (animalistic essense) does not live. Rebbe Akiva says ‘For no person can see Me and live’ not even the Chayos Hakodesh (angels) who carry the Throne of Glory cannot see His glory. Rebbe Shimon [ben Azai] said, I am not trying to question my rebbe but, rather, I am adding on to his words. ‘For no one can see and live’ even angels whose lives are eternal do not see the glory.”
The Chofetz Chaim has a running commentary on the Sifra, a lot of it quoting commentary by the Raavad and the Ba’al Tosfos, Rabbeinu Shimshom miShantz. The Chofetz Chaim explains the first half of the Sifra by saying that we might have thought that Hashem’s glory would rest sometimes on the east part of the Ohel Moed and sometimes on the west. However, in order to elevate the Jewish people, He purposely focused His Glory, out of pure love for the Jewish People. Where did all the Glory go? It was forced in between the 2 keruvim.
The Sifra then brings in the statement of Rebbe Dosa that no one can see the Glory of Hashem besides a person upon passing away. The Chofetz Chaim explains that this statement was brought here because Rebbe Shimon ben Azai again says he is adding to his rebbe, Rebbe Akiva’s, words and not questioning them. The Chofetz Chaim then brings down Rabbeinu Shimshon MiShanz who says that the reason why a person who is about to die has a glimpse at the Glory of Hashem is because when the soul needs to leave the body it has the chance to see the Dwelling On High, just as before it is put into the body when it is hovering right under neath the Throne of Glory (כסא הכבוד). So too there is a bit of time right before a person’s soul leaves its body where one has ruach hakodesh, Divine intervention, infused into them and they are able to tell the future before entering Gan Eden. The Pirkei DiRebbe Eliezer (perek 35) adds that the soul does not leave the body until it sees The Holy Presence (the Shechina). However, the Chofetz Chaim adds onto what Rabbeinu Shimshon MiShantz says, that this is in fact only true only among unique individuals of the generation. Rebbe Shimshon MiShantz goes on to say that Rebbe Shimon ben Azai just added in that even angels aren’t a part of this unique group who sees the Shechina. I might have thought that since they are actually serving Hashem, as one who fulfills his master’s bidding then angels should have even more permission to see Hashem’s Glory. They are His personal servants; therefore, Rebbe Shimon added that even angels cannot see Hashem’s glory. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The famous song, “Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere,” is so, so true! Yet Hashem manifests His glory and Holy Presence (Shechina) in ways that are focused in some places more than others. The Sifra is bothered by, that if Hashem, the King of All Kings, Master of The Universe and Beyond is focusing His Honor and Glory in the Mishkan, amongst the Jewish People, then wouldn’t we think that He would do it as vastly as possible within the central confines of the Mishkan?
Hashem must want to teach us a lesson by specifically talking in between the two Keruvim. That true love, which is what the Sifra says He was showing to the Jews, has to come through belittling oneself and self-sacrifice for the sake of the other. The second part of the Sifra, I humbly believe, also shows an expression of love and connection to the most beloved of Hashem’s dear children. There is a level of Honor and Glory of Hashem which no one is privy to, certainly not in their lifetime. But even the angels, those servants of Hashem that are more directly involved in His will and service, even those that carry His Divine Throne, (whatever that means) are not allowed to look upon Hashem Honor and Glory. However, as the Chofetz Chaim says, only a few in each generation, as we see by Yaakov (who right before he passed away had this gift of seeing into the future till the end of days, witnessing the Shechina and to be able to take a glimpse of Hashem’s Honor and Glory when dying). Something so holy, so important, so awesome, that not even the angels, His most trusted and pure servants could see, even though a servant is known to be able to see things of important and private that no one else is privy to, still in all Hashem didn’t allow them. So why would Hashem let even the unique and few of the generation take a glimpse?
We must say, it would seem, that another aspect of love and connection is treating those loved ones that one feels an extra closeness to, as extra special, above and beyond the normal standards and comfort zone.
This doesn’t only have to apply to Hashem’s love for his children, the Jewish People. It can also make sense that it would apply to any close relationship; that to show true love one has to be ready to go out of their comfort zone or standards, and belittle oneself for the sake of his or her beloved, while also treating her or him as more special than anyone else.
That is an expression of true love.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
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