Parshat Lech Lecha 5786
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha, that when Avraham Avinu was given the mitzvah of Milah, Hashem tells him (Chapter 17, Pasuk 1), התהלך לפני והיה תמים. One of the explanations that Rashi gives for the meaning of והיה תמים, be complete, is that now Avraham Avinu was in control of his entire body. His old name, אברם, equals the number 243. But with his new name, אברהם, and the addition of the letter ה, his name now equaled the number 248, the number of limbs in the body. Previously, as the Gemara in Nedarim 32B teaches, he ruled over his body except for 5 limbs; his two eyes, two ears, and the place of the Milah. Now with the mitzvah of Milah, his new name expressed the notion that he ruled over these limbs as well.
The Ran explains that previously he was in control of his body and refrained from aveiros. But the eyes and the ears are different. Vision and hearing are not in our control; we might see and hear things we would prefer not to. But once Avraham was given the mitzvah of Milah, he became in control of his eyes and his ears. Everything he saw or heard was for a mitzvah.
Rav Tzadok expands on this p’shat of the Ran. He brings the pasukim from sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 30, Pasuk 19, 20), והיו עיניך רואות את מוריך and ואזניך תשמענה דבר מאחריך זה הדרך לכו בו; see and listen to how the prophets are directing you. He understands that the p’shat in Avraham ruling over his eyes and ears was that everything he saw and everything he heard he used to further his Avodas Hashem. When we look and listen carefully to the world around us we can find many sources of inspiration from all different types of people and use to serve Hashem better. This is what it means when Chazal teach in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 1), איזהו חכם, הלומד מכל אדם. When we look and listen carefully we can learn from everyone and incorporate these lessons as part of our Avodas Hashem.
This was the new Avraham Avinu after the mitzvah of Bris Milah. The Medrash Rabbah (46,1) says that the Arlah was a מום, a blemish. Hashem told Avraham remove your blemish and you will be תמים, then you will be whole and in control of all your limbs.
The Sfas Emes teaches that before the ערלה is removed, there is a mixture of good and bad, טוב ורע in a person. Once he removes, his Arlah, the blemish, he allows the good and his internal light to shine. And this impacts on his entire body, as we see by Avraham Avinu.
Every light contained in the world carries with it a certain darkness which works to counteract that light. As we see by the creation of the world, by each day the Torah states ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר. Each day has an ערב which means a mixture; the evening is a time when there is confusion and a lack of clarity. But this is followed with בוקר; this word expresses clarity and light. Each day contains elements of both.
The exception to this rule is Shabbos. It doesn’t say ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר by Shabbos. Shabbos is described in the Gemara in Shabbos 118A as a נחלה בלי מצרים; a portion without borders and limits. The light on Shabbos is unhindered by darkness. It is מעין עולם הבא and as the Gemara in Shabbos 10B describes Shabbos, it is a מתנה טוב בבית גנזי; it is a gift directly from the treasure house of Hashem. The light is boundless and not limited by darkness.
The same thing is true of Bris Milah. It is a נחלה בלי מצרים; it gives us limitless potential for holiness. As the Mishnah in Sanhedrin 90A teaches כל ישראל יש להם חלק בעולם הבא שנאמר ועמך כולם צדיקים. Just as Shabbos is מעין עולם הבא, so too the mitzvah of Bris Milah allows everyone to be in control of himself, a Ben Chorin, a Tzadik, and merit in Olam Haba. Just as Yosef was called Yosef HaTzadik because he was Shomer HaBris, so too every Jew with a Bris is called a Tzadik and has a portion in Olam Haba.
Each person, though, determines his portion based on how well he is שומר הברית. The mitzvah of Milah gives us the opportunity to be in control of our entire body. And the more we exercise this control and restraint, the greater the portion in Olam Haba. And this explains the והיה תמים of Avraham Avinu. Once he was given the mitzvah of Bris Milah, Avraham was able to rule over his entire body, even the challenging limbs like eyes and ears which might cause us to see and hear things against our will. But when one is a complete שומר הברית, he is able to use even his eyes and ears for good and for growth in his Avodas Hashem. And this is the נחלה בלי מצרים of Bris Milah.
Good Shabbos
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