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The Netivot Shalom has an intense pamphlet filled with chizuk (religious inspiration). Many
times he explains the extremism behind the yester
hara’s (evil inclination) control over the body as a dam rotehet, as the blood of the person boiling with lust and
desire to sin the most horrible sins. Since we are in the holy days of
Shovavim, which have a spiritual level equal to Aseret Yemeh Teshuva (the ten days of repentance between Yom Kippur
and Rosh HaShanah), anything related to purity should be practiced.
Besiyata Dishmaya (with G-d’s help), a beautiful Hiddush
(novel Torah idea) was heard from the Mishnah in Masechet Ma’aser Sheni.
Ma’aser Sheni is one of the categories in percentages of produce one needs to
do special things with. For Ma’aser Sheni one needs to take the produce to
Jerusalem, which is then considered holy (meaning it cannot be used for any
other purpose). A person can take these fruits/vegetables and carry over their kedusha (holiness) onto coins because
they need to eat these fruits only in Jerusalem and carrying them all the way
there might be a great difficulty. Therefore, Hazal (our Sages) teach us that one can use these coins and eat
whatever they please in Jerusalem in order to fulfill the laws of the Torah.
The Mishnah discussed speaks about an individual who uses these coins
specifically to buy an animal and do a barbeque in Jerusalem.
In our special case, the individual who bought the animal
must know that the meat they are eating is considered kadosh (holy) and it is as if they are actually performing the law
of the Torah and eating in Jerusalem. However, the Mishnah teaches that the
skin of the animal (leather) is hol
(not holy). Therefore it turns out that the individual must buy more foods in
order to eat enough foods equivalent to the produce he/she harvested back at
home.
This case teaches us an important lesson about our Nefesh Behema (our ‘animal’ soul). This Nefesh Behema of ours acts as the
physical engine to our basic bodily needs including food, clothing, shelter,
relations, companionship, hygiene, fitness, health, etc. We learn from this
that only if an individual takes their ‘meat,’ meaing their physicality, and
purify it through following the Torah then they really turn their body into Kadosh (holy), just like the meat being
eaten. This lesson shows us that our purpose in life is to purify our bodily
desires. How does one do that? By doing Mitzvot because then we use our legs to
run after Mitzvot, our eyes to learn Torah, our ears to hear good things, our
hands to give Tzedaka, our shoulders to wrap ourselves with tzitzit, our stomachs to gain energy
from food to serve Hashem, etc.
However, another important lesson is regarding the skin of
the animal being eaten with the Ma’aser
Sheni money. The skin will never be kadosh,
no matter what intentions the individual has! This tells us that whatever is
seen on the outside is NOT the essential and not the most important. You’re
skin, you’re outsider appearance is NOT what Hashem is looking for. You could
rock back and forth during Tefillah (prayer) or squint your eyes really tight
but in the end of the day your outside appearance is just hol (not holy). Rather the bottom line comes down to your bassar, youre meat, your inside feeling
and craving for Hashem’s closeness and love! Are you craving a happier life? Stick to Hashem by following Torah and Mitzvot!!!
Be’ezrat Hashem may
we purify our insde desires and physical to only crave Hashem all the time and
have a beautiful Shabbat!
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