ולא שבט לוי בלבד, אלא כל איש ואיש מכל באי העולם אשר נדבה רוחו אותו והבינו מדעו להיבדל לעמוד לפני ה' לשרתו ולעובדו לדעה את ה', והלך ישר כמו שעשהו האלוהים, ופרק מעל צווארו עול החשבונות הרבים אשר ביקשו בני האדם הרי זה נתקדש קודש קודשים, ויהיה ה' חלקו ונחלתו לעולם ולעולמי עולמים; ויזכה לו בעולם הזה דבר המספיק לו, כמו שזיכה לכוהנים וללויים. הרי דויד אומר ה', מנת חלקי וכוסי--אתה, תומיך גורלי
Before I get to the explanation of this Mishnah that I want to share, it should be noted how middos are passed down from our ancestors. (See Or Gedalyahu on Korach for an insightful understanding based on this as to why Korach's yichus ends at Levi and doesn't go back to Yaakov Avinu.) In fact, it is told over that the Chofetz Chaim would daven that he be able to overcome the anger that he is naturally inclined to due to being a kohen (see Bava Basra 160b and somewhere in the third perek of Gittin)! But the kohanic trait of anger isn't the connection I associated with my cousin.
The Slonimer Rebbe asks a most intriguing question; why is this Mishnah stated as a directive? Why is it any different from the Mishnah (Avos 5:17) that says whoever possesses the middos of ayin tovah, nefesh shefeilah, and ruach nemuchah is of the talmidim of Avraham Avinu which is said as a matter-of-fact? The answer lies in understanding the nature of Shalom, peace.
Shalom is not simply the lack of war. Look up peace in the dictionary and you will see that the world does define it this way. But it's not emes. It says in Iyov (25:2) "עושה שלום במרומיו", in the lofty regions of Heaven there is no war, no machlokes; it's not shayach there. And yet we see that the concept of Shalom exists there. Something defined as the lack of strife cannot exist where strife itself does not exist.
Underlying our existence is the tenet that Hashem is the source of it all. His constant will for you and I to exists is what allows us to be here every second that we are. "אין עוד מלבדו"- He is the only power, all depends on Him. Therefore, we are really nothing before Him. We do not posses independent sustainability. There is only Him. However, we live in a world of Hester Panim, a world where we see many things of independent significance existing together, as opposed to seeing however EVERYTHING is but a manifestation of the one will of the Borei Olam. The ultimate goal of our creation is for us to understand this. As the Yeshayahu HaNavi prophesied long ago, "ומלאה הארץ דעה את ה' כמים לים מכסים"! Da'as of Hashem will permeate all the world! We know that the word "דעת" means to know intimately, that is to say, we are connected to whatever it is we are dealing with in a very real, personal way. That is why the Torah uses this word for the intimate physical relationship between a husband and wife. In any event, when we reach this level of God-awareness, this will be the realization of the purpose of Creation. And that is when we will achieve Shalom. Peace, equilibrium, whatever word you want to use for it; the world will be in a state where all life will be united: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all! (sound familiar?) Machlokes stems from a perception that we are all disconnected and constitute independent entities.
Hillel's message to us about Aharon is not so much an appraisal of Aharon's personal tzidkus to which we must aspire, rather it is an appreciation of the role of the Kohen Gadol, who's job it is to connect the Nation with HaKadosh Boruch Hu. This is why Aharon was an "אוהב שלום ורודף שלום"; this was how he went about quelling any machlokes in an effort to create an annulment to the Ribbono Shel Olam.
This is also the significance of the Bris Shalom that Hashem gave to Pinchas, which included that he and his children would be kohanim. Why? Because making others cognizant to the Ribono Shel Olam was so important to him. This is also connected to the teaching that Pinchas is Eliyahu, whom Malachi prophesied will herald the coming of the Moshiach, the time of ultimate Shalom.
The berachah of Birkas Kohanim is "אקב"ו לברך את עמו ישראל באהבה"; the kohanim can only bless the people when there is ahavah between them. The whole point of this berachah is to spread ahavah and Shalom. amongst Bnei Yisrael.
This is why Hillel said that we MUST learn from the ways of Aharon; these traits are not just an "עצה טובה", they are the whole point of life! Anyway, I thought my cousin the kohen really implements this, so I am lucky to have him in my family.
(I left out some details, see the Nesivos Shalom inside for the whole thing, also, see Rabbeinu Yonah for a different interesting take on this Mishnah)
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