The Purpose of Exile
The Sfas Emes’s
Approach to Life’s Challenges
Chazal[1]
relate a story about the Tanna, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach. After the destruction of the second Beis
HaMikdash, Rebbi Elazar ben Arach went to a certain city expecting his students
to follow him. They didn’t. Alone in a city known for its decadence, he forgot
his Torah learning. When he had the opportunity to read from a Torah, instead
of reading, “הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה
לָכֶם/This month is for you,” (Shmos 12:2) he read, “הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם/Their
hearts were deaf”, a seemingly innocuous mistake. The Chiddushei HaRim[2],
however, understands that this was not an innocuous mistake. The mistake was actually a hint to Rebbi
Elazar to leave the city.
The Chiddushei HaRim understands this from a Midrash[3] which
implies that the leaders of Israel have the power to lead the people and steer
them onto the right path. If instead
they allow themselves to be led by the people, they fall. Rebbi Elazar understood the words that he
mistakenly said as applying to the inhabitants of the city of his exile. He understood that he would not be able to
improve them, would be drawn after their evil ways and should therefore leave.
The Sfas Emes gives another interpretation to this
story. The new moon/month symbolizes
renewal. The Hebrew words for “month”
and “new” are the same, חֹדֶשׁ
and חָדָשׁ,
respectively. In order to experience the
light of renewal, “הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה
לָכֶם/This month is for you,” the Sfas Emes explains, we first must
experience the darkness of deafness, represented by, “הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם/Their hearts were
deaf”.
We could only experience God’s revelation at the redemption
from Egypt after having first experienced the darkness of His concealment in
the exile. In fact, we define exile and
redemption as God’s concealment and revelation respectively. The redemption is simply a removal of the
screen that hides God. We merited this
renewal of our relationship with God by first living through and bearing His
concealment.
This idea underlies the need for the four kingdoms[4] –
Babylon, Medes, Greece and Rome – before the final redemption. Each of the four kingdoms is a rectification
for an aspect or aspects of God’s concealment.
A complete rectification will manifest at the ultimate redemption as, “מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כָּל־עֹלָמִים
.../Your kingdom is a kingdom spanning all worlds …” (Tehillim 145:14),
the culmination of the historical process.
Rebbi Elazar ben Arach went to the city knowing that the
inhabitants were on a low spiritual level.
He wanted to experience an atmosphere of God’s concealment so that
subsequently he could find a renewed revelation.
The Zohar[5] as
well teaches us that purity implies a preceding period of impurity. Attaining purity from a state of impurity
means that the mask hiding God is removed.
This idea is related in Chazal’s understanding of the following pasuk, “מִי־יִתֵּן טָהוֹר מִטָּמֵא לֹא אֶחָד/Who
can produce purity from impurity? No
one!” (Iyov 14:4) The Midrash[6]
translates this pasuk as, “Who produces purity from impurity? Is it not the One?” Impurity does not have an autonomous
existence. Impurity is a screen that
hides purity. God produces purity from
impurity by removing the screen that hides Himself.
We can only experience God's revelation by subordinating
ourselves to Him. This is also
symbolized by the ashes of the red heifer.
The ashes represent our own subordination. We only attain purity when we are sprinkled
with the ashes of the red heifer. When
we subordinate ourselves and our own desires to God, we “connect” to Him and
attain a state of purity.
When purity is reached we are open to a renewed relationship
with God. This is the meaning of the
pasuk, “לֵב טָהוֹר
בְּרָא־לִי אֱ־לֹהִים וְרוַּח נָכוֹן חַדֵּשׁ בְּקִרְבִּי/Create a pure heart
for me, Lord, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Tehillim 51:12) First David HaMelech asks God for purity -
revelation. This naturally leads to a
desire for renewal.
This is why Parshas Para representing attainment of purity
from an impure state precedes Parshas HaChodesh which represents spiritual
renewal. May we merit it!
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