Parshas Shoftim 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Aug 29
- 1 min read
אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם מי את ותיראי מאנוש ימות ומבן אדם חציר ... (ישעי'נא-יב)
The opening words of the Haftorah encapsulates Hashem’s powerful message of comfort for Klal Yisroel. Yeshaya HaNavi exclaims "אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם" - a declaration that only through Hashem could the Jewish people discover the true source of comfort thereby encouraging them to muster the courage to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives and forge ahead. But why the double expression?
The Kedushas Levi, R’ Levi Yitzchak M’Berditchev zt”l explains that Hashem hinges His own completeness in this world on the worthiness of humankind, specifically the Jewish people. In fact, Chazal (סנהדרין מו.) say that Hashem considers human beings to be an extension of Himself and when a person feels personal pain Hashem “feels” that pain as well. Incredibly, this idea of being a part of the Almighty, extends even further, and Chazal say that Hashem would never impart good or bad in this world if there is no one on earth to receive it. The reasoning is because as Hashem’s extension in this world, humans have the ability to ensure that nothing that Hashem bestows is unrecognizably changed - thereby ensuring Hashem’s dominance in this world.
Therefore, the double expression is in fact a powerful message reassuring Klal Yisroel that despite all the destruction that Hashem allowed to happen, He (אנכי) is still Himself (אנכי) in the sense that He sees the Jewish people as His extension and that nothing would ever change that fact. Thus, there could be no greater comfort than that.