Beha'alot'cha: Chapter 15

"The waters were made sweet"

Synopsis

This section talks about the days to come, emphasizing the stress and poverty that will come to the teachers of the Mishnah during the time of testing. The text addresses the Faithful Shepherd, Moses, telling him that through his revelation of the secrets will come the sweetening of the waters. Sufferings are like salt that sweetens the meat.

Sin Torah Tree Tree of Life Waters

81. Here, it is hinted that "the waters were made sweet." This is what is written: "and Hashem showed him a tree...the waters were made sweet" (Shemot 15:25). It is apparent from here that for whoever strives in the Torah, which is the Tree of Life, it is said about his sins: "and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage" (Shemot 1-14). The Holy One, blessed be He, forgives them and they BECOME sweet again, MEANING THAT THE INIQUITIES TURN TO BECOME LIKE MERITS.

81. הָכָא רָמִיז, וַיִמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם. הה"ד, וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְיָ' עֵץ וַיִמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם. מֵהָכָא, מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ עֵץ. חוֹבִין דִּילֵיהּ, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָחִיל לֵיהּ, וְיִתְחַזְרוּן מְתִיקִין.

Death Death and the Afterlife Egypt Exile Joseph Torah

82. Days will come of which will be fulfilled, like in the time of the exodus from Egypt, what is written there: "and Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation" (Ibid. 6). In the last exile, death is nothing but poverty, since a poor person is regarded as dead. The verse will be fulfilled of them: "and I will leave in the midst of you a poor and lowly people, and they shall trust in the Name of Hashem" (Tzefanyah 3:12). It will also be fulfilled in relation to them: "and the afflicted people You will save" (II Shmuel 22:28). Those rich that will survive among them, this will be fulfilled about them: "you are idle, you are idle" (Shemot 5:17). They are slack in learning Torah, slow to do kindness toward Torah people, and people of virtue that wander from city to city are not received graciously.

82. דְּיוֹמִין יֵיתוּן, דְּיִתְקַיָּים בְּהוּ כְּמַפְקָנוּ דְּמִצְרַיִם, דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְכָל אֶחָיו וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהוּא. וּבְגָלוּתָא בַּתְרָאָה, לֵית מִיתָה אֶלָּא עוֹנִי דְּעָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת. לְקַיֵּים בְּהוֹן וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי בָּךְ עַם עָנִי וָדָל וְחָסוּ בְּשֵׁם יְיָ.' לְאִתְקַיְּימָא בְּהוֹן וְאֶת עַם עָנִי תּוֹשִׁיעַ. וְאִלֵּין עֲתִירִים דְּיִשְׁתַּאֲרוּן בְּהוֹן יִתְקַיֵּים בְּהוֹן, נִרְפִּים אַתֶּם נִרְפִּים. נִרְפִּים הֵם בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. נִרְפִּים הֵם, לְמֶעְבַּד טִיבוּ עִם מָארֵי תּוֹרָה. וְאַנְשֵׁי חַיִל הַמְסוֹבְבִים מֵעִיר לָעִיר וְלָא יְחוּנָּנוּ.

83. They are idle under the heavy burden. You may say that it is because THEY ARE heavily burdened that they do not do kindness. Therefore, "let more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor in it" (Ibid. 9), and cause that their burden will actually be REAL. "And let them not regard vain words" (Ibid.), that they lie and say that the burden is heavy on them, and therefore they refrain from kindness. They TOO are lying by saying that due to the burden that is heavily upon them, "there is no straw given." That is the lie of money, by which they have erred before the Holy One, blessed be He, by paying no attention to Him nor trusting in the Name of Hashem. STRAW, WHICH IS MONEY, is not "given to your servants," AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY BURDEN.

83. וְנִרְפִּים הֵם בְּכוֹבֶד הַמַּס, דְּאִי תֵּימָא כְּבֵדִין אִינּוּן בְּכוֹבֶד הַמַּס, וְלָא עַבְדִין טִיבוּ, בְּגִין דָּא תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבוֹדָה עַל הָאֲנָשִׁים וְיַּעֲשׂוּ בָּה, דְּכוֹבֶד הַמַּס עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאַל יִשְׁעוּ בְּדִבְרֵי שָׁקֶר, דְּאִינּוּן מְשַׁקְּרִין וְאַמְרִין דְּכוֹבֶד הַמַּס עָלַיְיהוּ, וּבְגִין דָּא לָא יַעַבְדּוּן טִיבוּ. אִינּוּן מְשַׁקְרָן בְּמִלּוּלַיְיהוּ, וְאַמְרִין דְּמֵהַכּוֹבֶד דְּתִכְבַּד עָלַיְיהוּ, תֶּבֶן אֵין נִתָּן, מָמוֹנָא דְּשִׁקְרָא, דְּבֵיהּ טוֹעִין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּבְגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁעוּן בֵּיהּ, וְלָא חָסוּ בְּשֵׁם יְיָ,' אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ.

84. Those that have straw, hide and store their money in it, which is inside (Heb. tochen), like inside the storage or inside the safety-box. It is applicable to them, "yet shall you deliver the quantity (Heb. tochen) of bricks" (Ibid. 18) which refers to sums of money that are bricks that will exist during that generation.

84. וְאִלֵּין דְּאִית לוֹן, טָמִיר וְגָנִיז מָמוֹנָא מִלְּגוֹ, דְּאִיהוּ תּוֹכֶן, כְּגוֹן תּוֹךְ הָאוֹצָר וְתֵיבָה, אִתְקַיָּים בְּהוּ וְתוֹכֶן לְבֵנִים תִּתֵּנוּ. וְדָא כְּסָפִים לְבָנִים, דִּיהוֹן בְּהַהוּא דָּרָא.

Mara Oral Law

85. During that period, "there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested him" (Shemot 15:25), referring to the scholars of the Mishnah. They too, "came to Mara (Eng. 'bitter')" (Ibid. 23). The Oral Law will again be bitter to them with great stress and poverty, and it will be fulfilled for them: "and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage" (Shemot 1:14), which refers to hard questions. "...In mortar (Heb. chomer) ..." refers to inference from minor to major (Heb. chomer). ."..And in brick (Heb. levenah)" (Ibid.), refers to explaining (Heb. libun) law. "...And in all manner of bondage in the field..." (Ibid.), refers to the Baraita, SINCE BARAITA MEANS FIELD. "All their bondage, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor" (Ibid.); that is, the unanswered problems and questions.

85. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חוֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, וְאִינּוּן מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה. אוֹף הָכָא וַיָבֹאוּ מָרָתָה, אִתְהַדָר לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְעַל פֶּה, מָרָה בְּדַחֲקִין סַגִיאִין, בַּעַנִיוּתָא, דְּיִתְקַיָּים בְּהוּ, וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה: זוֹ קוּשְׁיָא. בְּחֹמֶר: דָּא ק"ו. וּבִלְבֵנִים: דָּא לִבּוּן הֲלָכָה. וּבְכָל עֲבוֹדָה בַּשָּׁדֶה: דָּא בָּרַיְיתָא. אֵת כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ: דָּא תֵּיק"וּ.

Dreams Salt Shepherd Torah Tree Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Waters

86. And you, Faithful Shepherd, it will come true there for you: "there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested him." With this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - that is, prohibition and permission - and through these secrets that will be revealed through you, "the waters were made sweet." Like salt that sweetens the meat, so will they be sweetened through you by the secrets that will be revealed through you. All these difficulties and disagreements of the bitter waters in the Oral Torah will return to be sweet waters of the Torah. These sufferings that you have will again be sweet to you through the secrets that will be revealed through you, and all your pains will seem to you like passing dreams THAT ARE NO MORE. Dream (Heb. chalom, Chet-Lamed-Mem) is like salt (Heb. melach, Mem Lamed Chet), AND LIKE SALT that sweetens the meat, so too are sufferings, as we have explained.

86. וְרַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, תַּמָּן אִתְקַיָּים בָּךְ, שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ. וּבְהַאי עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע, דְּאִיהוּ אִיסוּר וְהֵיתֶּר. וּבְאִינּוּן רָזִין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין עַל יְדָךְ, וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמַּיִם. כַּמֶּלַח דְּמַמְתְּקָת בִּשְׂרָא, הָכִי יִתְמַתְּקוּן בְּרַזְיָיא דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין עַל יְדָךְ, כָּל אִינּוּן קוּשְׁיָין וּמַחְלוֹקוֹת, דְּמַיִין מְרִירָן דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְעַל פֶּה, אִתְהֲדָרוּ מְתִיקָן מֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיִסוּרִין דִּילָךְ, בְּרָזִין אִלֵּין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין עַל יְדָךְ, יֵהוֹן לָךְ מְתִיקִן, וִיהַדְרוּן לָךְ כָּל דַּחֲקִין דִּילָךְ, כְּחֶלְמִין דְּעַבְרִין. וַחֲלֹ"ם, בְּהִיפוּךְ אַתְוָון מֶלַ"ח. דְּמַמְתְּקַת יַת בִּשְׂרָא. אוּף יִסּוּרִין מְמַתְקִים. כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ.

Eyes Purification Salt Silver Suffering Wicked Wickedness

87. The suffering will again be like salt of Sodom that blinds the eyes to the wicked, to have the verse come true upon them: "but the eyes of the wicked shall fail" (Iyov 11:20). These are the wicked mixed multitudes, upon whom will come true: "many shall purify themselves, and refine themselves, and be tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly" (Daniel 12:10). "...refine themselves..." refers to the students of the Mishnah; "and be refined" (Ibid.), refers to the holy offspring of the rest of the nation, as it says: "and will refine them as the silver is refined" (Zecharyah 13:9). "But the wicked shall do wickedly," refers to the mixed multitudes.

87. וְלָרְשָׁעִים מִתְהַדְרָן יִסוּרִין מֶלַח סְדוֹמִית, דְּאִיהִי מְסַמֵּא אֶת הָעֵינַיִם, לְקַיְּימָא בְּהוּ וְעֵינֵי רְשָׁעִים תִּכְלֶינָה. וְאִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב רַשִּׁיעַיָּיא, דְּיִתְקַיָּים בְּהוּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, יִתְבָּרְרוּ וְיִתְלַבְּנוּ וְיִצָּרְפוּ רַבִּים וְהִרְשִׁיעוּ רְשָׁעִים. יִתְלַבְּנוּ: אִינּוּן מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה. וְיִצָּרְפוּ: אִינּוּן זַרְעָא קַדִישָׁא דִּשְׁאַר עַמָּא. הה"ד וּצְרַפְתִּים כִּצְרוֹף אֶת הַכֶּסֶף. וְהִרְשִׁיעוּ רְשָׁעִים, אִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב.

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