Rabbi Reuven Sasson
I: Sun, Moon, and Stars
Sunset of Gedolim, Sunrise of the Klal
This week’s parsha contains a principle that is exceptionally relevant to our era. Our age is the remarkable time of geula, and it’s specifically for this reason that we need to stir and awaken ourselves; to long for the Mikdash and for the shleimut of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael, to pray and to strive, to fortify Torah, acts of kindness and sanctity, as we yearn for the return of Shechina to her place, and for Moshiach.
There is a critically important dynamic at work within our generation.
The understanding that, particularly at this stage in history, there is enormous potential within each and every Jew.
Over the last generation, we have seen the loss of great gedolim, of leaders whose loss has left an irreplacable void in the nation. Nonetheless, in the seforim ha’kedoshim, we find that even though—b’sōd yeridat ha’dorot—as an outgrowth of the principle that with the passing of time, the generations grow spiritually weaker and weaker, in truth, the spiritual capacity of the klal, the nation, actually grows stronger and stronger.
“In the first generations, the klal had far less understanding, yet there were giant individuals capable of carrying the nation. However, with the passage of time, the klal itself has acquired vast understanding, and for this reason there are fewer outstanding individuals, because the core shleimut is spread throughout the collective kochot of the nation.” (R. Kook, pinkas 13:79)
This is what we are witnessing today. The spread and growth of Torah is vastly larger and broader than it was a generation or two ago, and it’s growing more and more with each passing year. This phenomenon contains within it a central aspect of the geula process, one that is found within our parsha, and the bestowing of prophecy on the seventy elders.
The Face of Moshe and the Face of Yehoshua
Immediately after the elders were endowed with prophecy, Eldad and Medad prophesied that Moshe would die, and Yehoshua would replace him as the leader. An anguished Yehoshua emplored Moshe, “Stop them!” To which Moshe replied, “You are zealous on my behalf? I only wish that the entire nation of Hashem would be prophets, and that Hashem would place His spirit on all of them.”
“The face of Moshe was like the sun, and the face of Yehoshua was like the moon”. (Baba Batra 75)
When the sun shines during the day, no other stars are able to shine their light. However, at night, with just the light of the moon in the sky, the stars are also able to shine, and, together with the moon, to cast their light on the earth. Moshe was like the sun, a vast, radiant light that rendered the light of stars as if they weren’t there at all. But then comes shkiyat ha’chama, sunset. Eldad and Medad and the seventy elders are the stars that begin to appear as the sun begins to set. The sun can no longer illuminate the world—Moshe is no longer sufficient to carry the nation—and so that exalted spirit of nevuah, prophecy, begins to spread out and be more broadly available and accessible to the nation. That sunset moment signaled the onset of a new era. A transition had begun, from the generation of the desert, the generation guided by the shining light of Moshe—dor ha’deah—to the generation of the land of Israel, the era when the moon, together with the stars, would illuminate the way for the nation.
I Only Wish That the Entire Nation of Hashem Would Be Prophets
“Moshe will die, and Yehoshua will lead the nation into the land.”
Eldad and Medad
“My master, Moshe, stop them!”
Yehoshua
Yehoshua was aghast. He couldn’t imagine that anyone would want anything other than the leadership of Moshe; a man endowed with aspaklaria ha’ meira, the loftiest, deepest, most enlightened perception.
“I only wish that the entire nation of Hashem would be prophets, and that Hashem would place His spirit on all of them.”
Moshe
With this statement, Moshe was teaching Yehoshua that there is a silver lining within the darkening horizon of sunset. Though there is no pain like the loss of tzadikim and gedolim, and certainly no gaping void like that left by Moshe—nothing more frightening than a ship losing it’s captain in the midst of a storm—nonetheless, the true leader of Am Yisrael is Hashem Himself, and that leadership is eternal.
“The Guardian of Israel never slumbers or sleeps.” (Tehillim 121:5)
Moshe was telling Yehoshua that Hashem’s guidance of the nation would now be coming in a different form. No longer would the light of Hashem shine through the sun, but now it would be reflected by the moon and the stars. All those myriad stars would be lifted, and would have to gather their inner strength, to act together for the sake of the nation, throughout the unfolding journey to come.
After I’m Gone
Moshe told Yehoshua that he wouldn’t be alone, and that the ohr, the great light of Hashem would be manifest within the many individuals of the nation. With the setting of the sun of Moshe, people would realize, אין הדבר תלוי אלא בי “it’s up to me, the responsibility is mine.” As long as the great leader is present, people think, “who am I to bring geula to Am Yisrael, and besides, there is one far greater than I, surely he will do what is needed.” And so Moshe told Yehoshua that “After I’m gone …” many Jews will feel a sense of inspiration and find deep motivation within themselves, and Hashem will infuse them with His light, and inspire them to make great contributions to the unfolding path of geula.
II: The Moon and the Stars
All Jews Are Stars
Unlike the sun, the moon and stars are a vast array of lights, and though seemingly far smaller than the sun, together, the potential of their collective light is virtually limitless. The key to unlocking that vast luminous force is achdut, unity. When the sun is shinning, it’s ohr is shalem, whole, and all can follow it’s guiding light. However, when the sun sets, and Hashem’s light is refracted through the moon and the stars—from the greatest Jews to the smallest, even those that appear to be but faint specs of light in the distance—the ability to access this enormous potential requires a shleimut born of unity. And, with this inner unity unleashing the power of the collective light of Am Yisrael, there is no limit to how far reaching the impact can be; from one end of the world to the other, throughout every dimension (olamot) of existence, and so too: This collective energy can vanquish all forces arrayed against us, physical and spiritual, and pave the way to the highest revelation of Shechina.
Yet, we need to be cautious. As the sun sets, and as it’s ability to unify us wanes, there is a tendency to retreat into the walled off space of various outlooks and communities, each seeing itself as holding the key to tikkun ha’Am, while discounting and even degrading other perspectives and approaches. Against this dangerous inclination, we must be on guard, and stand ready to be open to one another, to appreciate what we have to contribute to one another, and to the Klal, and not, God forbid, the opposite.
סוד מי יתן: Beneath the Surface of the Highest Potential
:מי יתן The translation of these words are, I only wish that it would be …
The literal translation, however, is “מי will give.”
In the literal sense, מי is doing the actual giving.
This points us to something quite deep, as follows—
As is known, the sōd of levana, of Yehoshua—the beneath-the-surface spiritual meaning of moon, is the sefira of Malchut, while the sōd of chama-sun-Moshe, is the higher sefira of Tiferet. This being the case, how could the condition of the Jewish people actually be enhanced with the setting of the sun that is a far higher level—Tiferet—than the subsequent lower sefira level of Malchut? It’s this very point that Moshe was conveying to Yehoshua when he said מי יתן. How so? The inner spiritual root of the collective of Am Yisrael is the sefira of Bina. Bina is far higher than Tiferet and is alluded to in the word מי. The numerical value of מי is fifty, and fifty points us to the “fifty gates of Bina, of understanding.” So what Moshe was telling Yehoshua is this: Higher than you and I is the far loftier aspect of Bina, of Am Yisrael, and it’s precisely this force that, with my passing, is now coming into play in the life of the nation.
With this in mind, it’s critical to understand that Bina is the inner light that gives rise to a yearning for teshuva; for each Jew, and for all Jews together, to long for the deepest connection to our truest self, for a connection to the Land, to kedusha, to Shechina, to Mikdash, and to geula in it’s fullest, most brilliant sense. This inner light of Bina, unlike the open, clearly apparent light of the sun, and even unlike the moon, operates on a very deep, inner level. It’s a subtle glow and a soft whisper that beckons us home. And so, Yehoshua was taught, that as the era of the desert was drawing to a close, a higher era, in essence, was about to dawn. The era of Jewish history that would ultimately be expressed through the inner ohr ha’Bina that can only truly be actualized and manifest by a nation that is united as one, in the land whose spiritual essence serves to draw that inherent unity, and that brilliant light of Bina, to the surface.
Rabbi Akiva and מי
Rabbi Akiva famously said—
“Before whom—לפני מי— are you [the nation] purified, and who purifies you—מי מטהר—your Father in heaven.”
This can be read as a question, “Before whom are you purified?” or, alternatively, it can be read as a statement. “You are purified by מי.” Bina, the level of Godliness that is revealed in the world by an Am Yisrael harmonized in it’s longing for, and return to Hashem, a yearning and returning that becomes the essence of geula, is the essence of that purity. Indeed, our sages (Sota 9:15) tell us that as the culmination of history approaches, “we will have nothing to rely on other than our Avinu sh’bashomayim, our Father in Heaven.” This means that as we approach the ultimate fulfillment of the long journey of Jewish history; the journey that began in the desert, wound it’s way across the ages, and once again returned to the land, is a journey that will be crowned with the ohr ha’Bina, the great light of Hashem that is unique to the inherent unity of Am Yisrael, and the Godliness it radiates, as the rising sun of geula becomes more and more open and manifest. And this rising sun is none other than Moshe, the inner light of Moshiach.
Bina, an astonishing array of diverse individuals that coalesces as one, as the singular collective of Am Yisrael, is the voice of Eliyahu that stirs within the depths of the nation’s collective neshama, and heralds—
The rising of the sun of geula shleima; the sun that is the brilliant light of Moshe, shining in all it’s open magnificence, as the spiritual heartbeat and inner soul of Moshiach.
The Ongoing Presence of Moshe …
The sefarim ha’kedoshim (Zohar 3:71b and at the beginning of shaar ruach ha’kodesh) tell us that the passing of Moshe was the departure of Moshe from the outer, physical dimension of reality, but b’pnimiut, within the hidden soul dimension of reality, the spirit of Moshe remained, and remains, a dynamic, ongoing presence in the inner life of the Jewish people. Moshe, that great guiding light that led us out of Egypt and through the desert, and those holy people throughout history that shouldered responsibility for the nation—themselves sparks and extensions of the light of Moshe—are forever within us; within the collective, inner soul of the nation, inspiring us and caring for us: always.
And that inner Moshe, what does it say to us? “You are kochavim, stars; each of you, and all of you. You are beautiful stars capable of lighting up the firmament. Look up to the heavens, to the source of your existence; look to Avraham and Sarah, to Rabbi Akiva and Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai, and to all the pure devotion and kedusha that surges within your souls. Don’t ever think less of yourselves. Don’t ever think that you can’t, or that you are unable. Don’t be fooled by what you see as your shortcomings. No. You are stars, stars that despite every impediment and obstacle, internal and external, can and will bring forth the great light of geula. Whether it’s the inner sitra achra fighting wildly for it’s life as it’s end draws near, or the likes of Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah, or the Palestinians that threaten us—and our promised, cherished land and holy city—over all of these; we will prevail, and our light, the magnificent light of every precious, vital, little star—the light of Avinu sh’bashamayim, will be revealed.
III: Stars Forever
It’s Up to Me. I’m Responsible.
As stars, there are two critical points we need to focus on.
First, each of us is one hundred percent responsible for the shining of his star, so that hand-in-hand with all the other stars, we can make up for the absence of the sun, and together illuminate the world.
Second, it’s absolutely critical that we take achdut to heart. We need to know and feel that we all want the same thing—the absolute best for Am Yisrael—geula. This begins with the larger stars, the rabbis and scholars—“captains of hundreds, and captains of tens”—who must not only talk to one another, but listen and hear one another. There is no end to the bracha that flows to the world from a gathering of talmidei chachomim from every community within the nation. Every Jew must take to heart that we are all one family; that what unites us dwarfs what divides us, whether we are dati or chareidi, reform, conservative, or unaffiliated—when it comes to family, to brothers and sisters, these differences fade away in the face of shared love, concern, and devotion. We need to focus on we, far more than me. On us, far more than I. We may be different, like different limbs of a body, but we are all of the same body, all lights in the grand collective of Shechina.
Sharing the Light
Practically speaking: Each of us needs to think about how we can be a star, a source of light and illumination for others. We need to see ourselves not just as recipients but as givers. We need to know that we can give, that we do have a unique ray of light to share, and that, there is a secret to this: When we try to share our light, when our concern is for others, then we will be blessed with the ability to truly shine.
It’s time to devote our hearts to the honor of the Am, and to restoring Shechina to the land of Israel, and to Yerusholayim. The heart of everything we truly long for is found in binding our hearts and souls, not just to ourselves, but to all Klal Yisrael.
And it’s simpler than we think. Once we orient ourselves to the nation, we realize that to be a shining, sharing, loving star begins with nothing more than a warm, genuine smile. The heights of achdut are rooted in simply, and sincerely caring for others, and for projecting that pleasant, heartfelt concern. Tzaddikim have smiles that glow. Let each of us take a bit of those smiles and make them ours, so that we can share them with others.
“May Hashem shine His face upon you.”
Hashem shines His face, and so must we shine our face to others. And then—
“May Hashem lift His face to you.”
This is teshuva. (see Talelei Chayim, Nasso)
We must strive, in any way we can, to restore the embrace of every Jew, to Avinu sh’bashamayim. To lovingly draw all Jews closer to Torah and mitzvot, and to each another. Of course, to lovingly inspire ourselves and our families, but not to stop there, because our family is truly so much bigger, and so much more beloved than we tend to realize.
This is the calling of our generation, to awaken a flow of teshuva. Each in his own way; to learn with a neighbor, to invite others to share in the beauty of Shabbat or chagim, to give them the gift of a book that can inspire them, or, of course, just to smile, to care, to help, and to be family.
May we all be imbued with a soaring spirit of inspiration.
May we believe in our inner light, and share it.
May we see the beautiful, holy lights of Israel grow more and more radiant, until—
We will see emerging out of that light,
Yerusholayim fully rebuilt,
and the grandeur of the Mikdash,
Soon in our days.
