Parshas Tazira
Parshas Tazria, 5784
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Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be unclean for seven days; as [in] the days of her menstrual flow, she shall be unclean. (Vayikra 12:2)
In order to help us understand this pasuk, the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 14:1) quotes Tehilim (139:5), אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי-from the near and the front You encompassed me…R’ Yochanan taught that is a person is meritorious they receive two inheritances: This world and the World to Come.
What is the connection between this Midrash and our pasuk?
Dovid HaMelech wrote (Tehilim 63:1-3):
A song by Dovid when he was in the desert of Yehuda. O God, You are my God, I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, in an arid and thirsty land, without water. As I saw You in the Sanctuary, [so do I long] to see Your Strength and Your glory. For Your kindness is better than life; my lips will praise You.
The Koshnitzer Maggid in Avodas Yisroel (Likkutim ) explained that there are times when life becomes difficult. When we struggle. When we feel lost. When we are surrounded by confusion and darkness. As we face those challenges we can have one of two reactions. A person can become lazy and distant. They can give up on their Avodas Hashem. They can claim to be too drained, too weak, too burnt out to properly commit themselves. They begin the downward spiral that eventually leads to them giving up on themselves and their relationship with Hashem.
Or we can realize that we must serve Hashem at all times, in all circumstances; that our charge and duty surpasses the selfishness of focusing on how we feel on our inspiration, on our desire to serve. During the challenges, we need to be selfless and continue to strengthen our Avodas Hashem. These are not the amount where we survive but thrive. These are the moments that our Avodas Hashem, despite our lack of energy, enthusiasm, or inspiration, is defined. This is where we build the deepest, most intimate relationship with Hashem.
During the greatest darkness we can find the brightest light.
Through the distance, we can become the closest.
Dovid HaMelech understood this. He faced hardship after hardship. And he did not allow those challenges to distract or divert his attention away from his Avodas Hashem. The opposite was true. He dug in deeper, leaned in harder to his Avodas Hashem. One of the greatest challenges was when he had to flee for his life Shaul. Dovid hid in the desert- a barren land with no feed or water. He could have become forlorn and given up on himself and his relationship with Hashem. But he didn’t. During this horrific situation, while hiding in the Desert of Yehuda, he praised Hashem with a song saying, O God, You are my God, I seek You…In that darkness he strengthened his Avodah because My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, despite being in an arid and thirsty land, without water…
His “thirst” for Hashem dispelled all the pain until he was able to feel the true joy and splendor of his relationship with Hashem. He was able to connect and feel that the relationship was As I saw You in the Sanctuary, [so do I long] to see Your strength and Your glory. For Your kindness is better than life; my lips will praise You.
This is the mission. This is our purpose. To connect with our Avodas Hashem through the good and challenging times equally.
The Chiddushei HaRim quotes another Midrash. The pasuk says (Iyuv 36:3), אֶשָּׂ֣א דֵ֖עִי לְמֵֽרָח֑וֹק-I will take up my knowledge from a distance…This “distance” explained the Midrash refers to Avraham Avinu as the pasuk says (Breishis 22:4), בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶת־עֵינָ֛יו וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הַמָּק֖וֹם מֵֽרָחֹֽק- On the third day, Avraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. The Zohar explained that Avraham Avinu felt “distant” from Hashem.
During his journey towards the Akeida, all of his abilities and previous accomplishments, all of his clarity was stripped from him. And, through that spiritual distance, he understood that he needed to still focus on Hashem’s Will. He continued on the path towards the Akeida. And this, perhaps, was his greatest test in that moment: to adhere to the Avodah despite the distance. And, through that struggle, a yid can reach an even greater clarity.
This is the meaning of the pasuk. I will take up my knowledge from a distance…Those moments of distance can create the greatest knowledge, the greatest clarity.
The Bobover Ruv, zt”l, explained that this helps explain the pasuk in the Midrash above: אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי-from the rear and the front You encompassed me…The אָח֣וֹר-rear represents those times of struggle. As the Baal HaTanya taught that the “Achorayim” is when Hashem is dictated the events of our life with “His back turned towards us.” We do not feel the closeness of “face-to-face” which is represented by קֶ֣דֶם-front. A yid must realize that in either circumstance, Hashem still surrounds and encompasses him.
The reward for serving Hashem in all situations is that we are rewarded with this world and the World to Come.
This is the lesson of our pasuk:
If a woman conceives… In Chassidus and Kaballah the female terminologies represent the power to receive, which is weaker than the power to give. If a person is going through a time of weakness, he cannot be laxed in his Avodas Hashem. Rather, he doubles his efforts. He strengthens his commitment. Then he gives birth to a male, a phase in his life defined by clarity, strength and brachos. He arouses a heavenly flow into this world. And, he will rejoice in this world and the World to Come.
