Going It Alone

This week's portion relates[220] that Moshe's father-in-law, Yisro, observed Moshe judging the Jewish people from morning to evening. He asked him: "Why do you sit alone ... both you and the people will become tired." Yisro therefore advised Moshe to choose others to judge on an ongoing basis, while Moshe would adjudicate only the difficult cases.

Our Sages ask:[221] Why didn't Moshe himself fear that his conduct could lead to "both you and the people will become tired," why didn't he think of Yisro's very simple solution?

Evidently, Moshe thought -- and according to Moshe's level it was verily so -- that it was important that he himself can and must occupy himself with all matters, and nevertheless, this manner of conduct wouldn't hinder himself or others. But if this were indeed so, why did G-d tell him to follow Yisro's advice?

A similar state of affairs, where Moshe estimated the Jewish people according to his level, occurred when soon after hearing the Ten Commandments the Jewish people said that continuously hearing G-d's voice would be too overwhelming for them. They therefore asked Moshe that he, rather than G-d, speak to them.[222]

Upon hearing this, Moshe was abashed, saying to the Jews, "Wouldn't it have been better for you to learn from G-d, rather than learn from me?!"[223] In other words, according to the way Moshe assessed the Jewish people they should have desired and were indeed capable of learning Torah from G-d. G-d, however, accepted the plaint of the Jewish people, saying "They have spoken well."[224]

Here, too, the same question may be asked: How could Moshe, the "faithful shepherd," have so overestimated his flock? In reality, Moshe made no mistake, for as Moshe looks at the Jewish people when they are together with him, they are truly on a higher level, as Moshe raises and draws them close to his level.

Jews, however, said that learning Torah directly from G-d only can come about because of Moshe -- it does not reflect who they truly are. They therefore requested to receive Torah on their level, for by receiving it in this manner Torah would permeate their entire being. To which G-d responded: "They have spoken well."

Similarly, when the time arrived for Moshe to teach the Jewish people Torah after the second set of the Ten Commandments was given, Moshe felt that all aspects of Torah should be heard by the Jews directly from him: Since Moshe learned Torah directly from G-d, no one could possibly transmit Torah in all its holiness and luminosity as could Moshe.[225]

Furthermore, Moshe was the individual who "stood between G-d and the Jewish people, to relate to them G-d's words"[226] and "the Divine Presence spoke through Moshe's throat."[227] Thus, when the Jewish people heard Torah from Moshe it was as if they were hearing these words from G-d. Additionally, Moshe elevated the Jews, drawing them to his own level. As such, they received the Torah from him in the same manner that he received it from G-d.[228]

Consequently, when the Jewish people receive the teachings of Torah from Moshe in the same manner that he received it from G-d, it stands to reason that only Moshe could and should teach Torah to them, up to and including personally judging them with regard to all Torah matters.

This is where Yisro comes in. Yisro came from his own land, was a proselyte, etc., and observed the Jewish people not as Moshe elevates them to his level, but as they stand on their own level. He therefore stated that when it came to judging Jews, Moshe could not possibly do this himself:

While with regard to the study of Torah we can well say that their study with Moshe caused the Jewish people to be uplifted to his level, however, when it comes to judging them regarding their matters and "their quarrels,[229]" they are then not in Moshe's world. It is thus impossible, Yisro maintained, that they can then be uplifted to receive and learn the judgment of Torah on the level of Moshe.

The fact of the matter, however, is that when the litigants stood before Moshe, there very standing before him affected them so that they became removed from their mundane matters and were able to become uplifted to Moshe's level and learn from him the law on Moshe's level.

The above not withstanding, G-d agreed with Yisro's advice, as it is necessary to forewarn as well the condition after Moshe's passing, so that the words of Torah reach them as well by means of the leaders of the subsequent generation.

Moshe, however, did not think of this on his own, as Moshe -- were it not for untoward future circumstances -- was to lead the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael, at which time there would have been the complete redemption never to be followed by exile,[230] and the Jewish people would then always learn on a level of Moshe.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVI, pp. 203-208.

The Egyptian Word "Anochi"

In commenting on the words, "I am -- Anochi -- the L-rd your G-d...,"[231] the opening words of the Ten Commandments, the Midrash states:[232] "The word 'Anochi' is of Egyptian origin."

The Ten Commandments encompass the entire Torah, for which reason they include all the mitzvos -- as explained in the Azharos of R. Sadya Gaon.[233] This also explains why the Ten Commandments contain 620 letters -- corresponding to the 613 commandments of Torah origin and the seven commandments of Rabbinic origin.[234]

Within the Ten Commandments itself, the first two commandments are of an even more general nature: the First Commandment, Anochi includes all positive commandments, while the Second Commandment, "You shall not have before you..." contains all prohibitory commandments. Because of their importance, the Jewish people heard these two commandments from G-d Himself.[235]

With regard to these commandments themselves, the commandment "Anochi" precedes "You shall not have before you..." -- a precedence not only in physical order, but a qualitative precedence as well, it is loftier in rank.

This is also understood from the commandments' content: The Second Commandment -- "You shall have no other gods before Me" -- speaks of a situation where the possibility exists for a person to -- G-d forbid -- entertain a thought about "having another god." The First Commandment of Anochi -- "I am the L-rd your G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" -- leaves no room for any untoward thought, such thoughts -- "other gods" -- need not be forewarned.

As the first word of the First Commandment itself, Anochi encompasses the entire Torah.[236] Moreover, Anochi -- "I am "-- refers to G-d's very essence, "something that cannot be connoted to by any name or allusion."

How is it then possible for the word Anochi to be of Egyptian origin? How can it possibly be that the degrees of manifest G-dliness that can be alluded to by names -- "L-rd -- Havayah" and "G-d -- Elokecha" -- are of the Holy Tongue, while Anochi, the word that denotes G-d's Essence, is an Egyptian word?!

The question becomes even greater when one bears in mind that the "seventy languages of mankind" are divided into various categories by quality and rank,[237] with Egyptian being of the lowest orders, since Egypt was the "abomination of the earth." How then can it be that when the Torah required a word to express G-d's Essence, the Torah used an Egyptian word?!

G-d desired that beginning with the first word He uttered at Mattan Torah, there immediately be known the purpose of His giving the Torah. He accomplished this by using the word Anochi:

The revelation of Anochi, of G-d's Essence, was in fact for the express purpose of the Egyptian tongue. That is to say, the ultimate intent of Mattan Torah was to draw down holiness not only into the Holy Tongue, but into the other languages as well, even into the Egyptian tongue.

Had the Divine intent merely have been to draw down holiness within an already Holy Tongue and sacred language, it wouldn't have been necessary to utilize the awesome capacity that G-d revealed and with which we were endowed at Mattan Torah. The purpose of Matan Torah is that the holiness of the Divine Essence descend even unto the domain of the "seventy languages," even unto the Egyptian language.

The same is true in terms of man's service as he seeks to connect with G-d: Anochi can be obtained and acquired specifically through the "Egyptian tongue":

As long as one does not descend to "Egypt" and merely occupies himself with Torah and prayer (the Holy Tongue) for his own purpose, then no matter how lofty this service may be, one can only attain that limited level of Divine revelation that is symbolized by G-d's "Names."

By serving G-d only in a rational manner we are only capable of connecting and receiving from "Elokecha," the Divine Name Elokim, which refers to G-dliness that is contracted within intellect and nature. By serving G-d in a supra-rational manner we are capable of connecting and receiving from "Havayah," G-d's Ineffable Name, where past, present and future are as one.

G-d's Essence, however, cannot be obtained through this form of service, for even the loftiest levels are not suitable vessels for G-d's Essence. It is specifically through our service in the lowest levels, working and refining the physical world, up to and including the "Egyptian language," that we are capable of receiving from and connecting to Anochi. For as the verse states regarding the Holy Temple: "Behold, the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens cannot contain You, and yet this [physical] house can!"[238]

The lesson is clear: We cannot make do by only involving ourselves in personal matters of holiness; we must occupy ourselves in sanctifying the world as well, transforming the world into a receptacle for G-dliness.

So, too, with regard to our personal spiritual lives: Merely occupying ourselves with Torah study, prayer and the performance of mitzvos does not suffice. We must know G-d "in all our ways,"[239] i.e., that also those permissible worldly matters -- "Egypt" -- with which we occupy ourselves, should similarly be connected to G-d.

Based on Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III, pp. 892-894.

   

Notes:

220. (Back to text) Shmos 18-13ff.

221. (Back to text) See ibid., Akeidah, Abarbenel, Shach Al HaTorah, et al.

222. (Back to text) Devarim 5:22ff.

223. (Back to text) Rashi ibid., verse 25.

224. (Back to text) Ibid.

225. (Back to text) See Eruvin 54b.

226. (Back to text) Devarim 5:5.

227. (Back to text) See sources cited in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV, p. 1087, fn. 5.

228. (Back to text) See Rambam Hilchos Chagigah 3:6.

229. (Back to text) Rashi, ibid., verse 19.

230. (Back to text) See Shaar HaTeshuvah of the Mitteler Rebbe beginning of Section II; Or HaTorah, Vaes'chanan p. 65, 93, and sources cited there.

231. (Back to text) Shemos 20:2.

232. (Back to text) Tanchuma (Buber) Yisro 16; Yalkut Shimoni, ibid.

233. (Back to text) See Rashi, Shemos 24:12; Zohar, Vol. II, p. 90b.

234. (Back to text) Shaloh beginning of Torah Portion Yisro in the name of "Kadmonim."

235. (Back to text) See Shaloh ibid.; Tanya ch. 20.

236. (Back to text) Zohar, Vol. II, 85b. See also there p. 25b.

237. (Back to text) Pesachim 87b; conclusion of Tractate Sotah.

238. (Back to text) Melachim I, 8:27.

239. (Back to text) Mishlei 3:6; Tur and Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, ch. 231.