Provisions for the Journey

In our generation it is the Lubavitcher Rebbe who has led and continues to lead the Jewish people in the effort to hasten the Redemption. This, we can do, the Rebbe taught, by increasing in all matters of goodness and kindness. Every good thought, word or deed, can be the proverbial gesture that will break the proverbial back of exile.

A Common Thread

In a regular (non-leap) year many of the weekly Torah portions are combined. It has been suggested that double portions share a common theme. This week we combine the two portions of Matos and Masei. What, we may ask is the connection between these two sections?

The beginning of Matos is about vows and the beginning of Masei is about the journeys of the Children of Israel in the desert, on their way from Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land.

The connection between these two themes (vows and journeys) can be explained in the following manner.

42 Life’s Journeys

The Ba’al Shem Tov taught that all of the forty-two journeys enumerated here are the story of our own journey. They reflect the journeys of life that each of us experiences on the way to realizing our soul’s mission in this world. The journey begins the moment the soul “descends” into this physical world fraught with all sorts of distractions to the interests of the soul. The soul’s mission is to overcome the obstacles and distractions and to bring the soul’s G-dly light into all aspect of our world.

But, the soul comes from a heavenly place (yes, Jews do believe in heaven, albeit differently from the way other religions define it) that does not have all of the impediments that the soul will experience in this world. How will the innocent soul have the capacity to contend with all of the nonsense it will encounter in a world that is filled with temptation, deception and impurity?

The Soul’s Oath

The answer to this question is provided by the Talmud, which states that before the person is born G-d administers an oath to the soul: “Be righteous and do not be wicked.”

The question has been asked, why is this oath necessary? The soul certainly wants to do what is right on its own. The soul has no desire to not be righteous. Furthermore, what precisely does it mean to administer an oath to an ethereal being as a soul?

Chassidic thought explains the meaning of the oath in the context of a soul entering this world by defining the meaning of an oath in a broader fashion. When a person makes a vow to do something, they are acknowledging that they want to commit themselves to a certain behavior, but their will may not be strong enough to withstand the pressures that militate against the fulfillment of their commitment.

For example: A person may want to volunteer for a worthwhile endeavor. But they know that the exigencies of life and human nature will eventually chip away at the idealistic mindset at the time one considered volunteering. One will make excuses why they cannot do what they originally intended to do. These people are well-intentioned but lack the strength of character to maintain their idealism.

By making the oath to fulfill their ideals they are invoking G-d’s divine power to come to their assistance and boost their soul’s determination to prevail in the face of what may seem insurmountable obstacles. An oath is a trigger that unleashes a surge of spiritual power that will buttress the soul’s own energy to be able to cope with new and often unexpected difficulties.

So when the Talmud states that the soul is given an oath by G-d it really means that soul, upon entering the body, is given a boost of G-dly power that enables it to meet the challenge of living in a spiritually hostile environment.

Satiating Our Souls

Indeed, it has been pointed out, that the word for an oath in Hebrew “sh’vuah” is etymologically related to the word “sova” that means satiation. (Both words have the same three consonants of: shin, beis, and ayin in their root.)

An oath is thus a device that nurtures our defenses and invigorates our soul, enabling it to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of its life’s journey and mission.

Journeying Needs the Oath

We can now see the connection between the two Torah portions of Matos and Masei: The former discusses the power of the oath; the latter the journey of the Jews in the desert. One cannot traverse the “desert” and realize his or her life’s purpose without the added inspiration that the soul receives at birth. It is the oath and the energy that it represents that enables our soul to prevail and reach its final destination unharmed.

However, the name of the first portion Matos that discusses oaths and vows actually means “tribes,” and does not mean oaths or vows. Moses was addressing these laws to the leaders of the tribes. This suggests, as Rashi explains, that a vow can be nullified by a leading rabbi (or a panel of three rabbis). There are times that one may make a vow without regard for the negative consequences that the implementation of the vow may bring. The Torah provides for one’s ability to have his or her vows renounced by this leading rabbi or panel of three rabbis.

Annulling Vows

What, we may ask, is the spiritual significance of the vow being annulled? If the meaning of the vow in the context of the soul coming into our world is that the soul needs to be nourished and sated with additional divine energy, why would we want to have that vow (read: enhanced spiritual energy removed)?

The answer is that once the soul is here, it must look to other sources of inspiration and cannot rely on the energy it received before birth. The process of going before the leading rabbi to annul the vow can actually be understood as the rabbi serving as the substitute for the original boost of energy at birth.

Connecting to Spiritual Leaders

Our connection with the spiritual leaders and mentors of our generation takes the place of the divine inspiration that we receive at birth. And while at the beginning of life’s journey we must be nurtured by a divine initiative, once we are in the middle of the journey, we must create our own sources of added inspiration to buttress the soul’s own power. This we do by getting close to the towering spiritual leaders of our own day and age; learning their teachings and emulating their behavior.

And unlike the oath that we were administered before birth in which we were passive recipients of G-d’s light, we now become active participants in the process, by developing an ongoing two-way relationship with the teachers of Torah and the masters of G-dly knowledge.

The journeys of the Jewish nation in the desert that parallels the journey of our souls, can serve as model for the journey of the Jewish people throughout history. When we started this long arduous journey, G-d had administered an oath to us at Sinai, which uplifted us and provided us with the stamina to persevere and thrive for over 3,000 years!

But, the Torah tells us that we cannot rest on our laurels and rely on the jolt we received then. In every generation we must renew our ties with the experience at Sinai. This we do by connecting to the teachers and leaders of each generation who form an unbroken chain of teachers going back to Sinai.

Six Ways to get Over the Top

All of the above is particularly true in these momentous times that have been described by multitude of sages as the “heels of Moshiach,” i.e., the final stage of exile on the cusp of the Messianic era, and the final push has started.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we connect to the teachings of the Torah and follow the direction of the leaders of our times.

In our generation it is the Lubavitcher Rebbe who has led and continues to lead the Jewish people in this effort to hasten the Redemption. This, we can do, the Rebbe taught, by increasing in all matters of goodness and kindness. Every good thought, word or deed, can be the proverbial gesture that will break the proverbial back of exile.

The Rebbe placed special emphasis on the following six instructions as ways to “get us over the top”:

(a) Never ceasing to beseech G-d to bring an end to the suffering and pain of exile. We are not only permitted to demand the Redemption, we are obligated to do so!

(b) Studying Torah, specifically the parts of Torah that deal with Moshiach and Redemption. Torah study helps to reorient our minds to think in positive, and Messianic ways.

(c) Living our lives in a “Moshiach oriented” way, i.e., in a more positive, loving and holy manner; the way we imagine we will be living once the Redemption is here.

(d) Opening our eyes to see the new reality of the historic times we are in; seeing the miracles that have happened before our very eyes.

(e) Unconditional acceptance of and love for each other, and

(f) Preparing ourselves to greet Moshiach by accepting his authority.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Matos-Masei by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.