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Meshekh
Chokhma on Shelach
Hagaon
Rav Meir
Simcha zt”l on Parshat Shelach
(from
Meshekh
Chokhma )
Moshe
Rabbeinu's Tzitzit
Print Version
The Midrash (Sifrei Zuta on Bemidbar 15:35) makes a
comment that left its commentators puzzled: [Speak
to the Children of Israel] - the Children of Israel
are obligated in tzitzit. G-d spoke to Moshe - this
includes "yechidim".
What are these "yechidim"? To simply translate it
as "individuals" is difficult. Why think that tzitzit
would only be a communal mitzva, requiring a special
derivation to teach us that individuals are obligated.
The Zayit Raanan (quoted in Rav Kuperman's footnotes
to the Meshekh Chokhma), suggests that we might
have thought that there was only an obligation of
tzitzit when praying with a community. He himself
finds this difficult.
The Meshekh Chokhma translates "yechidim" as special
individuals, based on the Sages' usage of the word
in the laws of fasting in a drought (Taanit 10a).
If no rain fell by the seventeenth of Cheshvan "yechidim"
begin to fast. Who are the "yechidim"? Talmidei
Chakhamim - scholars.
We would have thought, says the Meshekh Chokhma,
that because the reason given for the mitzva is
to avoid straying after our eyes and hearts (verse
39), those on a very high spiritual and moral level
are not obligated in tzitzit. The Torah therefore
opens the section with, "G-d said to Moshe" - even
Moshe, the greatest talmid chakham in history, must
wear tzitzit. (The Meshekh Chokhma does not develop
what tzitzit means for the "yechidim" - that they
also need this safeguard for their subtle struggles,
or that the mitzva has other lessons for them, see
his comments on 15:40.)
The verse "G-d said to Moshe," in general indicates
a personal command for Moshe to act. It appears
when the princes donated the wagons to the Mishkan
and Moshe was instructed to accept their gift (Bemidbar
7:5); when the daughters of Tzelafchad were to be
assured of an inheritance (Bemidbar 27:7); and when
the command to transgress Shabbat to save a life
appears, and the Torah indicates that this should
be done by those of the greatest stature present
(Shemot 31:12 and Yoma 84a).
Our greatest leaders and sages are to set a clear
example and take the lead in mitzvot one might theoretically
have relegated to those of lower status.
[prepared
by Eliezer Kwass]
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