דרשני:Pinchas- What a Necklace
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Everyone knows that in this week’s Parsha it list the names of the families of Bnei Yisroel surround by the two letters ה and י. For example - לְחֶצְרֹן מִשְׁפַּחַת הַחֶצְרוֹנִי.
Why specifically these two letters is brought down in Rashi:
The nations sneered at the Jewish people saying – How are these people so proud of the Jewish genealogy and pure lineage. “If the Egyptians had control over their bodies, how much more so did they probably have control over their wives…..”.
To combat these nasty comments Hashem signed His name, so to speak, on their names by surrounding it with the above mentioned two letters as if to testify that every child is truly the sons of his parents. Dovid Hamelech alludes to this in the Possuk -(תהלים קכב ד) שבטי יה עדות לישראל.
My only problem is that the letters are in reverse?! Family חצרון should have been called יחצרנה?
To answer this question let me refer you to another famous Gemara:
אמר עולא ביראה אמר רבי אלעזר: עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות מחול לצדיקים, והוא יושב ביניהם בגן עדן, וכל אחד ואחד מראה באצבעו, שנאמר ואמר ביום ההוא הנה אלקנו זה קוינו לו ויושיענו זה ה' קוינו לו נגילה ונשמחה בישועתו. (תענית לא.)
The sage Ulah Biro’oh said: In the future Hashem will make a circle for the righteous in Gan Eden and He will sit in the middle. Every person will point with his finger, as it says “On that day they will proclaim – Behold this is our God that we hoped in and he brought us salvation. In Him we did hope, let us rejoice and be happy in his salvation”.
Rav Akiva Eiger wonders why all the Tzadikim need to stand in a circle? Would it not be good enough for them to stand in a Row and point to Hashem in front of them? His answer his relevant for all generations.
Sometimes we have difficulty in accepting another persons’ path to Torah if it differs to ours. We convince ourselves that only our method is the correct one and everyone else just doesn’t get it. Poor them.
In the future Hashem will put the Tzadikim in a circle.
How would you explain to someone what a circle is? It’s a round shape whose boundary consists of many points that are all equidistant from a fixed point at the center.
Sadly, we will only see this לעתיד לבוא. Just imagine how much strife, arguments and Lashon Haroh could be prevented if we could just a glimpse of this beautiful heartwarming circle of thousands of Jews all facing Hashem from an equal distance. All of them nodding in agreement, as the realization dawns upon them retroactively that there was more than one path to Torah. And everybody, in their own chosen way was just as close to Hashem is they were. In fact there might even be people that are standing diametrically opposed to me in the circle and also in their approach to the service of Hashem. We are all equal now.
So before you tell me that I have diverted on a tangent, let me now explain how all this answers my original question about the order of Hashem’s name.
You see, if you take the letter Yud at the end of the name החצרוני and the letter ה' at the beginning of the next name in the circle - החמולי, then you get Hashem’s name in perfect order. On their own, the Shevotim cannot display the essence of will of G-d. But as a link in a circle, surrounding Hashem equally in union, then Hashem’s name appears. So all the names are like one long chain, with the last hooked onto the first in a sweet peaceful circle. The most exquisite golden necklace.
The famed Chasidic Rebbe, known as the Ohev Yisroel, used to interpret a famous Mishna in Taanis (4,8) in a most original way: אמר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל: לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כט"ו באב
On this day the girls would go into the vineyards, dressed in white and appeal to the boys to marry them. That’s the literal explanation.
Alternatively, says the Apter Rov, this Chazal can be translated as “There was no better day for the Jews than the 15th letter of the א"ב (the aleph beis, not the month of Av) - which is the round letter ס.
Why? Because it’s hinting to this circle of the glorious future when everyone will be equal. No hatred, no jealousy and no one at the front of the line or the back. Truly the best days for Bnei Yisroel. And do you know what shape the girls stood/danced in? You got it – a circle. בנות ירושלים יוצאות וחולות בכרמים.
All wearing plain white, both rich and poor, representing equality.
And it’s no coincidence that the 15 is the gmetria of of י"ה the letters of Hashem surrounding the names of the Bnei Yisroel.
Nicely, the Perek in Tehillim where the above possuk is taken from, is all about this idea. Look how many words there, are synonyms for love, peace, brotherhood and friendship :
ירושלם הבנויה כעיר שחברה לה יחדו. ששם עלו שבטים שבטי יה עדות לישראל להדות לשם ה'. כי שמה ישבו כסאות למשפט כסאות לבית דויד. שאלו שלום ירושלם ישליו אהביך. יהי שלום בחילך שלוה בארמנותיך. למען אחי ורעי אדברה נא שלום בך.
If we want to feel deep inner tranquility in Yerushalaim, writes the Malbim z”l, we first need to bring peace to the city and get on with each other. It’s the place for the different tribes to sort out their differences and love each other.
At the end of the Parsha we have the Korbon for Shemini Atzeres. One cow. One ram. That’s it. Symbolic of the one united Jewish people. I once heard that the famous Chazal – קשה עלי פרידתכם is not referring to Hashem departing from us. Rather, during this last month Hashem has “Sheped Nachas” from Klal Yisroel as they forgave each other during Yomim Noroim, as they danced with joy at the Simchas Beis Hashoveiva and is they spent time together over Yom Tov. All that will be missing during the dark and cold winter till Pesach. In an emotional expression of affection, Hashem proclaims - It’s hard for me to see you separate from each other – קשה עלי פרידתכם.
Parshas Pinchos practically always falls during “Bein Hametzorim”. (I don’t think the nickname “The three weeks” has any source in Chazal). What a perfect time for ingraining this message.