YITRO - Exodus (18:1-20:23) part 3, back to part 2, or part 1,  Torah Lesson Plan, or YHVH Homepage

We are now on the very heels of the advent of the Moshiach. Very soon will be the time of  “He sets an end to darkness (Job 28:3).”  There is presently a strengthening and increase of the Klipah of  Amalek (the advisory which stands between man and God.) [The Gamorah relates that just before the advent of the Moshiach, impudence will increase, Amalek is a representation of this, signifying impudence, and arrogance. Amalek displayed haughtiness towards the Holy One, by his reviling and blasphemies.  Amalek knows the Master of the Universe, and yet, intentionally, brazenfaced, and with impudence, he rebels against Hashem without sense or reason - as the Midrash explains it - he castrated the captured Israelites, and flung the parts of the covenant (circumcision) up to the Heavens]. Haughtiness and arrogance have always been around, but never were they so crass as today. This reflects itself on the physical level in a substance devoid of sense and reason, a substance which drains the vitality of the body as if it were the only reality of significance.

Hashem thus anticipated this disease with a cure and revealed the doctrines of the hidden Torah, Chassidut, which effects a destruction and ruination of the diseased component (arrogance). It is clearly seen that the analogy breaks down in one respect. In the example, over-exposure to the cure may prove harmful to the healthy parts of the body.  In the spiritual realm, however, one can forever continue learning Chassidut and this will destroy only the component of arrogance and self-esteem.  Moreover, it will even strengthen and expand the healthy parts, as it is said that the Torah is call "oz” (strength) and “tashiyah” (which comes from the root of “tashash,” thus meaning the one that weakens):  It is “tashiyah” for weakening the animal soul, and “oz” for strengthening the Divine soul.

There is Hayom Yom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe which tells a story, as he learned it from his father in law, the Previous Rebbe, about the latter’s grandfather, the Rebbe Maharash, and also about his grandmother, the Rebbetzen Rivkah (the wife of the Maharash).  When the Rebbetzen Rivkah was ill, the doctor ordered her to eat immediately after waking, in the morning. As she did not want to eat before her morning prayers (For how
can one focus on feeding the animal body before feeding the Divine soul?), she arose very early to pray, and then eat. Obviously, this did not help her recovery and also meant a lack of sufficient sleep.  Her father in law, the Tzemach Tzedek, told her: “A Jew must be healthy and strong. Of mitzvot it is said; ‘that man shall live by them.’ This means that one must bring life, vitality, into the mitzvot [ for that is the driving force which man gives the mitzvot, and that is what determines it’s potential heights and the sincerity of the mitzvah - it’s truth and what each individual perceives of his love and desire to serve Hashem].  In order to bring vitality into mitzvot one must be strong and joyous.”  The Tzemach Tzedek concluded:  “Do not go without eating.  It is better to eat for the sake of praying, than to pray for the sake of eating!”

At first glance we can learn a simple lesson from the Tzemach Tzedek’s words. All who have prayed while their minds are occupied with material obligations, or hunger, can admit to the fact that they may be inclined to hurry their prayers in order to the problem at hand, their obligations, or filling their stomachs.  If one can pray better by first resolving those issues, then by all means, resolve them first.  But there is a deeper lesson to be learned by the Tzemach Tzedek’s words.

All the Rebbes related, especially those things that have been transmitted from generation to generation, are not simply anecdotes. The fact that it has been transmitted from generation to generation indicates that it is relevant to those that hear it - for them to learn from it - As the Ba’al Shem Tov teaches us, there is a central theme that everything one sees or hears is a Providential indication and instruction of direct personal
relevance, from which one must derive a lesson relating to one’s conduct in general and the service of God in particular.  In other words, the fact that you are reading this is no coincidence! It is Divine Providence.

Man’s involvements usually fall into two categories: One:  Actions relating to God, as learning Torah, prayer, and the observance of mitzvot, and… Two:  Actions relating to oneself, namely such things which are truly essential, or become evidently necessary for man.

These two categories can be signified by prayer and eating. Prayer, the first category, means to turn to God, to cleave to Him, to become attached, and “Know before whom you stand - before the King of all kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.” The second category is eating:  man hungers for all his needs, and when acquiring these “eatings” his hunger is stilled. His belly is full.

There is a variety of ways how to pray and how to eat. There is the possibility of a split personality:  praying and eating are altogether divorced one from another. During prayer (learning, performing mitzvot etc.) he is altogether removed from worldly associations to the point that one may think him to be a perfect saint!  Later, however, when he is involved with worldly matters, business, or eating in the literal sense, one cannot detect in him any trace of holiness, spirituality and refinement.  To be sure, of this type it may be argued “are we discussing fools?” Surely we are not dealing with wicked people.

Another possiblity is the one for whom prayer and eating are related.  He checks the laws within the Shulchan Oruch and follows its rulings in all his affairs. Yet, he prays for the sake of eating.  He realizes that he is dependent on god.  The way to obtain his needs from God is as Torah says; “If you walk in my ordinances… then I will give your rains in their season.” Thus he obeys the Divine commands so that he can show God a
“credit slip” for God to provide him with all his needs in payment for his prayers.

To be sure, the Gamorah states that he who says, “I offer this coin for charity in order that my children may live” is a righteous person (Rosh Hashanah 4a).  Thus it follows that to pray for the sake of eating is a legitimate attitude. Indeed, Rashi qualifies that this applies only to a person who regularly contributes, as opposed to giving charity just once and then, when seeing that his child lives, he stops. In any case, even if he does give regularly, this is obviously not the ideal way because of the ulterior motive. Again, the Gamorah states that one should study Torah and observe mitzvot even if it is not done lishmah (for it’s own sake), but the Gamorah also offers the reason because ultimately he will study Torah and observe mitzvot lishmah.

The ideal way and goal is not to divorce prayer from eating, nor to pray for the sake of eating, but, to eat for the sake of praying.  We should understand that from the very moment that we awake, we are in the service of Hashem - As the late American President said - “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” The same applies.  One should function in all ones ways, as evident in the section of the Shemah, for the Divine, not for the reward.

It is surely self-evident that there must be prayer for its own sake. Knowing that Hashem wants us to learn Torah and to observe mitzvot, it is inconceivable to think of acting contrary to His wish.  Thus one prays without the intent of receiving a reward, simply because this is a Divine precept.  He has no concern whether this will provide him with a share in the World to Come, let alone for compensation in this world. Yet, even this attitude is insufficient.  It is necessary that the eating, too, be for the sake of prayer.  That is, all his affairs must be for holy purposes, as it is written “Know Him in all your ways.”

The purpose of man is not that he be wealthy, to have a high rating in Dun and Bradstreet and to be in the 95% bracket of income-tax. This is not the ultimate purpose of life.  Rather, man was created so that all his doings have a sacred goal, to study Torah with tranquillity, to observe mitzvot expansively, and to give charity generously.

Moreover, one should not be content with this for himself but also influence others. The fact that he is wealthy makes it so much easier for him to influence others.  For we see that people mock a pauper, while a wealthy person is imitated even when he does something foolish, let alone when he acts wisely. Thus if he dons tefillin, others, too, will don tefillin, when he observes the Shabbat, so will others, for they will see that he acquired wealth because he observed the Sabbath, when he will donRabenu Tam tefillin, so will others and when he eats matzah-shemurah (higher level of kashrut) on Passover, all the ordinary matzah bakeries will shut down for everyone will eat matzah-shemurah. This is the meaning of eating for the sake of praying. All human concerns and needs (eating) must be for the sake of praying (all aspects of Torah and mitzvot), in order to effect in them the “that he may live in them,” i.e., to infuse Torah and mitzvot with vitality.

In addition, another short lesson follows from the fact that this particular instruction; “better to eat for the sake of praying then to pray for the sake of eating”, was given to a woman, a mother of children, one of whom became a nassi (leader) of Israel. It is specifically the mother who can insure that children will grow up “to eat for the sake of praying as opposed to praying for the sake of eating, or dividing prayer and eating into two separate worlds. The mother herself must follow that way of life and instill this spirit into her children from early childhood on.  Even as they are still in the crib they must be imbued with the feeling that everything must serve the purpose of “attachment to God (the meaning of prayer),” without this, the eating, even if readily available, is tasteless. This way one raises children that will grow up to be people of stature in Israel. They will know how to pray, and they will have sufficient to eat, according to the intent of God whose will it is to provide all from His full, open, holy and generous hand, so that there will be not only abundant offspring but also abundant life and abundant sustenance. May it be that “I will pour out for you a blessing that there will be more than enough,” a house blessed spiritually and blessed materially, joy for the father and the mother from their children for many good days and years, joy in the spiritual sense and joy in the physical sense.

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