Parshas Chukas-Balak 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
זאת התורה אדם כי ימות באהל כל הבא אל האהל וכל אשר באהל יטמא שבעת ימים ... (יט-יד)
As we progress through Chodesh Tammuz, several themes compete for our attention. On the one hand, Shiva-Asar B’Tammuz and the tekufah of the Three Weeks approaches, with its avodah of aveilus for Yerushalayim. On the other hand, the kadmonim expound the name Tammuz (תמוז) as roshei teivos for "זמן תשובה ממשמש ובא" as an allusion that the season of teshuvah approaches, the awesome Yamim Noraim. It would appear that these two avodahs are closely related.
The Rambam in Hilchos Aveilus, delineates two distinct aspects of mourning. One, is the nihugei aveilus, the practices emphasizing the pain and sorrow of one’s loss, for example, sitting Shiva, of shaving or bathing throughout, and the like. The other aspect of aveilus is the introspection and teshuvah that follows. Now, as we mourn Yerushalayim and the churban habayis, we must also do teshuvah for the sin that brought the churban upon us in the first place. For if we do not strive to fix the root of our exile, any show of mourning is hollow and without real meaning. For what do we gain from mourning the churban if we do not try to fix the reason for it in the first place?
Both the sefer Maalos HaTorah and the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, citing the Zohar, write that the churban is due to the bittul Torah of Klal Yisroel, "על עזבם את תורתי". Thus, it would appear that this time of aveilus for the churban is indeed a time of teshuvah, when we must begin the process of repentance for the bittul Torah that caused it. We say by Nacheim on Tisha B’Av, "באש הצתה ובאש אתה עתיד לבנותה". Hashem destroyed the Bais HaMikdash with fire and Hashem will middah k’neged middah build it with fire. According to the above, this means that just as Hashem destroyed the Bais HaMikdash due to the lack of limud haTorah, of the אש התורה - so will He build it with the fire of our Torah.
Rabbosai! Let us be mischazeik during this fateful tekufah, to learn with a fire, with a geshmak! And b’zchus our chizuk in Torah, may we taka be zocheh to the building of the Bais HaMikdash bekarov!