Torah and Tea
Parshas Vayigash
1. On the verse "ויפול על צוארי בנימין אחיו ויבך ובנימין בכה על צואריו" ("He fell upon the necks of his brother Binyamin and wept, and Binyamin wept upon his neck"),1 it is stated in the Gemara:2 "He (Yosef) wept over the two Sanctuaries (which are alluded to by the word 'necks,' in the plural) that were destined to be in the portion of Binyamin and were destined to be destroyed; and Binyamin wept over the Mishkan of Shiloh, which was destined to be in the portion of Yosef and was destined to be destroyed."
Now, the reason that "necks" alludes to the Beis HaMikdash is explained in the Midrash on the verse "כמגדל דוד צוארך" ("Your neck is like the tower of David"):3 "Just as this neck is set at the height of a person, so the Beis HaMikdash is set at the height of the world." However, the statement "at the height of the world" does not mean that it rises in height above the entire world. Rather, it is as the Gemara4 explains on the verse5 "ובין כתפיו שכן" ("And He dwells between his shoulders"), that the Beis HaMikdash was "twenty-three cubits lower than the spring of Eitam" — like a person's neck, which is at the height of the body, except that it is slightly lower than the head. On the contrary: "They said, 'Let us lower it a little, because it is written, "And He dwells between his shoulders" — there is nothing more beautiful in an ox than its shoulders'" (meaning that "at the height" is to be understood as: within the height of the world).
Seemingly, what is the advantage and beauty in its not being at the very utmost height? Whichever way you look at it: If there is no virtue in height, what does it tell us that the Beis HaMikdash "is set at the height of the world"? And if the matter of "its height" is a virtue6 (as is also implied by the above), then the higher something is, the more beautiful and superior it is — so what is the reason that it (the Beis HaMikdash) was "twenty-three cubits lower," etc.?
This will be understood by first explaining the concept of the neck, which is the intermediary between the head and the body. For the entire vitality is in the brain, in the head, and its drawing down from the head to the body is by means of the windpipe, the esophagus and the blood vessels in the throat. So too with the drawing down of the intellect from the brain in the head: the fact that the intellect (its external aspect) is drawn down and comes from the brain to the heart (and from there its influence spreads through the entire body) is by its passing through the narrow passage of the throat that separates between them.7 Accordingly, the neck has an advantage even over the head, for it is specifically the neck (the throat) that brings the purpose of the head into actuality:
a) that all the limbs receive their vitality from the head;
b) that they all conduct themselves according to the intellect in the head.
And although the virtue of the head as it is in and of itself is greater than that of the neck in and of itself — which is why it is higher than it physically as well — this superiority of the head is only in the order of levels; but with regard to the purpose and function of the head, there is an advantage of virtue8 in the neck (and precisely because it is lower in level), for it is the intermediary, and in it lies the power and ability to transmit the vitality and the intellect from the head to the body.
In the same way we can also understand regarding the Beis HaMikdash, which is compared to a "neck": its main virtue lies in "let us lower it a little" from "the top of its height." For the purpose of the Beis HaMikdash is that in it and through it G‑dly light should be drawn down and illuminate the entire world,9 down to its very lowest part in level. Therefore the Mikdash was not (it was indeed "at the height," but not) entirely high above the world and exalted beyond it (for then it would have been too lofty to illuminate the whole world through it); rather, it was "lowered a little," meaning, in connection and closeness to the world, in order to illuminate it. (This is like the neck of a person: because it is lower than (the loftiness of) the head and close to the body, it is the intermediary, joining them into one.)
So too is it with the individual Beis HaMikdash within each and every Jew:10 When his G‑dly soul is not in a state of aloofness that separates it from his "small world," but rather involves itself and enclothes itself in it, in order to refine and purify his animal soul, his body and his portion in the world — through this he becomes entirely a Mishkan and Mikdash for His light, may He be blessed.
2. According to this we can understand why Yosef fell upon the necks (in the plain sense) of his brother Binyamin and wept, and Binyamin wept upon his neck:
Seemingly, why did each one weep on the neck of his brother and not on the head of his brother — which is the "head" (the main and loftiest part) of a person?
But the purpose of the Jewish people is, as our Sages say:11 "אני לא נבראתי אלא לשמש את קוני" ("I was created only to serve my Maker") — that is, to serve and complete the intention of his Maker in creating him and in creating all the worlds, which is: "להיות לו דירה בתחתונים" ("To have a dwelling place in the lower realms").12 And this depends on the service of the Jewish people (for "הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים" ("Everything is in the hands of Heaven except for the fear of Heaven"),13 which is the beginning of the service, its essence and its root): that they make a dwelling place for Him, may He be blessed, in the lower realms, through each and every one of them refining his body, his animal soul and his portion in the world. Therefore the main thing in this (even relative to the level of the "head") is the level of the "neck" within him, through which this service is accomplished, as explained above.
This explains why Yosef and Binyamin each wept on the neck of his brother, and not on the head: a) Over the head of a Jew, over his soul, there is no need to weep: the soul of a Jew, "even at the time of the sin, remained faithful to Him, may He be blessed";14 b) the purpose of a Jew is not in his head — in the service of the soul for itself; rather, it is in his neck — to have an effect on the body, on the animal soul and on his portion in the world,15 as explained above.
3. However, we need to understand:
Why did Yosef weep over the Sanctuaries in the portion of Binyamin, and Binyamin weep over the Mishkan in the portion of Yosef? Seemingly, on the contrary, each of them should have wept over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash that was in his own portion! After all, "אדם קרוב אצל עצמו" ("A person is closest to himself")!16
(This is so much so that even regarding the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael — even according to what is explained in Chassidus about the great quality and quantity of this love17 — nevertheless, the love is only in the manner of "ואהבת לרעך כמוך" ("Love your fellow as yourself"), with the comparative letter kaf ["as"], and it does not actually reach the same measure as his love for himself.18 As is brought in Iggeres HaKodesh19 — in that very letter in which it elaborates on how much one should increase in giving tzedakah, which is the attribute of kindness — that when he has only one jug of water, then "חייך קודמין" ("your life comes first").20)
If so, then certainly each of them was more affected by his own Beis HaMikdash, and consequently his weeping, too, should first and foremost have been over the destruction of his own Mikdash.
We also need to understand:
On the verse21 "ויפול על צואריו ויבך על צואריו עוד" ("He (Yosef) fell upon his (Yaakov's) neck, and he wept upon his neck a good while"), it is stated in the Zohar22 that Yosef wept over the Beis HaMikdash that was destroyed (and with this the Zohar explains the words "and he wept upon his neck od [again]," that there was then an additional weeping, also over "the final exile," the very last exile).
This is puzzling: Why did only Yosef weep over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash — and not Yaakov? And the answer of Rashi23 in the name of our Rabbis, that Yaakov "was reciting the Shema," seemingly is no answer according to the Zohar:
According to the explanation of the verse "He fell upon his neck…" in its plain sense — that the weeping was not because of the destruction, and the reason "Yaakov did not fall upon Yosef's neck and did not kiss him" was because he was reciting the Shema — this emphasizes the greatness of Yaakov's service: even at the time when he saw his son for the first time after he had thought for many years that he was no longer alive, nevertheless he did not interrupt his recitation of the Shema. And even more: this tremendous joy did not distract him from concentrating on the recitation of (the first verse of) the Shema, which requires concentration.24
But according to the explanation of the Zohar: How is it possible that Yaakov our father was not moved and not disturbed by the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, and was able at that moment to recite the Shema with concentration?!
4. The explanation of the matter: Weeping in its plain sense, in worldly matters, is in order to ease the one who weeps. As we see from experience, when a person weeps over something that distresses and oppresses him, the weeping does nothing to correct anything in the matter that caused it; rather, he weeps — and he feels relieved, as it is written, "היתה לי דמעתי לחם" ("My tears have been my bread," etc.).25 From this it is understood that when it is within his power to correct the matter, then, on the contrary, there is no place to calm his spirit through weeping; rather, he must act and correct it.
Therefore, when one sees the "destruction of the Mikdash" of his fellow, he shares in his pain and weeps; but (the main) correction and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash anew does not depend on him, but on his fellow. He can, and is obligated to, help his fellow: a) by rebuking him (in pleasant ways); b) by arousing mercy and praying for him. But the actual nullification of the sins that caused a hand to be laid upon his fellow's Mikdash depends on his fellow, who has free choice.
And when he has done everything in his power to help his fellow, and after all this he sees that his fellow's Mikdash is still in ruins — the matter touches his soul, and he weeps over it, etc.
However, when a person sees the destruction of his own individual Beis HaMikdash, then he must not be content with a sigh26 and weeping, but must strive to correct and rebuild it anew, by working at his service to bring about the individual redemption in his own soul.27
The exception is when the weeping is tears of teshuvah, for then the weeping itself is a correction and a matter of building, as it is said, "שימה דמעתי בנאדך" ("Place my tears in Your flask," etc.).28
And sometimes the weeping weakens his work in building his own Mikdash, as he says in his heart that he has already fulfilled his obligation through weeping, etc.
Therefore, the weeping of Yosef and Binyamin was — each of them — over the Beis HaMikdash in the portion of the other; and Yaakov did not weep over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, but rather was reciting the Shema, because Yaakov is the father of all the Jewish people, and therefore both the Mishkan and the Beis HaMikdash are "in his portion"; and therefore he occupied himself with the correction and building of the Beis HaMikdash —
for the purpose of the Beis HaMikdash is that it be "בית מוכן לקרבנות" ("a house prepared for offerings"):29 "וכל הקורא ק"ש כו' ה"ז כאלו הקריב עולה כו' וזבח כו'" ("Whoever recites the Shema… it is as if he offered a burnt-offering… and a sacrifice…"),30
because the essence of an offering is: "אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה'" ("When a man from among you brings an offering to G‑d");31 and the Shema, with the self-sacrifice within it: to give over his soul with [the word] "Echad" ("One"), and "with all your soul — even if He takes your soul."32
5. One should not ask: Since they saw with Ruach HaKodesh that the Mishkan and the Mikdash were destined to be destroyed, this had already been decreed from Above — so what could be done about it? For our Sages have already said:33 "אפילו חרב חדה מונחת על צוארו של אדם אל ימנע עצמו מן הרחמים" ("Even if a sharp sword rests upon a person's neck, he should not withhold himself from [praying for] mercy") — and even after a verdict has been decreed, it is possible, through service, to tear it up.34
As we find with Chizkiyahu: Yeshayahu conveyed to him the prophecy that it had been decreed that Chizkiyahu would die — and Chizkiyahu said to Yeshayahu, "כלה נבואתך וצא" ("Finish your prophecy and go"):35 "ויסב פניו אל הקיר ויתפלל אל ה'" ("He turned his face to the wall and prayed to G‑d")36 — and his prayer was effective: "I have heard your prayer" — fifteen years were added to the years of his life.37 Fifteen years of life — in the plain sense, in this world as well.
6. Our Sages said:38 "כל דור שאינו נבנה בימיו מעלין עליו כאילו הוא החריבו" ("Every generation in whose days [the Beis HaMikdash] is not rebuilt is regarded as if it had destroyed it"). In a similar way it can be said with regard to each individual:39 the fact that the Beis HaMikdash has not been built in his days is because his own individual Beis HaMikdash is in ruins.40 If his individual service, his own Beis HaMikdash, were standing in completeness, Moshiach would come and build the Beis HaMikdash — the general one.
And the purpose and goal of reflecting on this is not sighing and weeping, but action and deed — the individual redemption41 and the building of the Beis HaMikdash within his soul; and through this he will hasten and draw down the general redemption and the building of the Beis HaMikdash in its place, through Moshiach Tzidkeinu, very soon indeed.
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Vayigash 5728)
Notes
1) Our Parshah, Bereishis 45:14.
2) Megillah 16b. Rashi's commentary on the Torah, there.
3) Shir HaShirim 4:4. Shir HaShirim Rabbah there (6).
4) Zevachim 54b.
5) Devarim 33:12, and Rashi there.
6) Note the blessing over the Four Species, "Al Netilas Lulav" ("on taking the lulav") (even though the esrog has taste and fragrance), because "the lulav is the tallest of them all, it is important, and the entire bundle is called by its name" (Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, end of siman 651); and in the words of the verse (Koheles 5:7): "One higher than the high watches…"
7) Torah Or 58b, and in many places.
8) Note the difference between "madreigah" (level) and "maalah" (virtue) — maamar beginning "Bereishis," 5705, at its beginning.
9) This is why the Beis HaMikdash had "windows, wide and narrow" [transparent and sealed] (I Melachim 6:4; and see Likkutei Sichos vol. 2, p. 315, and the sources cited there).
10) As our Sages say (see Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavah (near its beginning); Shelah, Shaar HaOsiyos, letter lamed; Maseches Taanis, section beginning "Mi'inyan HaAvodah"; Parshas Terumah, Torah Or section — 325b, 326b): "'[I will dwell] in its midst' is not said, but rather 'in their midst' — within each and every Jew."
11) Mishnah and Baraisa at the end of Kiddushin.
12) Tanchuma, Naso 16.
13) Berachos 33b, and sources cited there.
14) Tanya ch. 24. And note the saying of our Sages (Sanhedrin 44a): "Although he has sinned, he is [still] Yisrael" (the letters of "Yisrael" spell "li rosh" ["I have a head"]).
15) Tanya ch. 37 (48b): "The soul itself needs no rectification at all… and it did not descend to be enclothed in this world… except to draw down light to rectify them…"
16) Sanhedrin 9b, and sources cited there. — And note that "he is closer [to himself] than even the closest relative of the first degree, i.e., two brothers or a father and his son; for even regarding the father or the brother, the intellect does not grasp through his thought [the same closeness] as regarding himself… The reason is that the two close relatives, the father and brother, are something additional to his own essence, but his being close to himself involves nothing at all additional to his essence" (Hemshech V'Kachah 5637, ch. 72).
17) Tanya ch. 32. Derech Mitzvosecha, the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael. Likkutei Sichos vol. 2, pp. 300, 435.
18) Hemshech V'Kachah 5637, there. — And although Ahavas Yisrael is an essential love (which is the meaning of "as yourself" — like the love of oneself, which is an essential love (Likkutei Sichos, there)), it resembles the love between brothers (see Tanya ch. 32), and the closeness of brothers is not like the closeness of a person to himself, as in note 16.
19) Epistle 16.
20) Nedarim 80b [OCR reads "מצרים"; likely נדרים]. Bava Metzia 62a.
21) Our Parshah, Bereishis 46:29.
22) Zohar I, 211a, end.
23) Our Parshah, there.
24) Berachos 13b. Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, end of siman 63, se'if 5.
25) Tehillim 42:4; and see Rashi and Ohr HaTorah there, and sources cited there.
26) See Hayom Yom (p. 35): "One action is better than a thousand sighs."
27) See Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 4. Likkutei Sichos vol. 2, p. 692.
28) Tehillim 56:9; and as our Sages say, Shabbos 105b. Ohr HaTorah, cited above.
29) Rambam, Laws of the Chosen House, at the beginning.
30) Berachos 14b. And see Likkutei Torah, Shelach (40a, end, ff.).
31) Vayikra 1:2. Likkutei Torah, Vayikra (2b).
32) On these two kinds of self-sacrifice, see Torah Or, Vayeshev (29b, and Ohr HaTorah there); Likkutei Torah, Vayikra (3a); Shir HaShirim (1a).
33) Berachos 10a, end.
34) Rosh Hashanah 16b.
35) Berachos, there.
36) II Melachim 20:2.
37) There, 20:5–6. And see Yevamos (49b); Biurei HaZohar, Vayera 18d; and see also Biurei HaZohar of the Tzemach Tzedek there, p. 49; Chinuch LaNaar, p. 49.
38) Yerushalmi, Yoma 1:1. Midrash Tehillim (137:7). The Midrash Tehillim concludes there: "What is the reason? Because they did not do teshuvah."
39) Note the ruling of the Rambam (Laws of Teshuvah 3:4, from Kiddushin 40b): "Every person must view himself… [If] he performs one mitzvah, he tips the scale for himself and for the entire world to the side of merit… as it is said, 'The tzaddik is the foundation of the world.'"
40) See Boneh Yerushalayim, siman 86, from the Tikkunim: that if one tzaddik in his generation returned in complete teshuvah, Moshiach would come. And see Rambam, there.
41) See Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 4.
Key Lesson
Like the neck that links head and body, the Beis HaMikdash, and the Jew's own inner Mikdash, has its worth in bringing G‑dly light down into the world. Over another's ruin we may weep, after doing all we can to help; over our own, weeping is not enough, and we must rebuild it through action, which hastens the building of the general Beis HaMikdash by Moshiach.