"Darkness descends and it is night" - This refers to olam
hazeh which is comparable to the night" (Baba Metzia 83b). The Mesillas
Yesharim elucidates this interesting analogy in a brilliant manner. Darkness
causes two distinct problems: it either completely hinders one's ability
to see any given object, or it causes one to falsely perceive an object e.g.
he thinks a person is merely a pillar. Similarly, this physical,
materialistic world does not allow one to distinguish the pitfalls
that are inherent in life. Moreover, it fools one into perceiving the good
as bad and the bad as truly good. Rav Wolbe writes (Alei Shur vol. II pg. 86)
that this is where the Torah steps in. The Torah is the light that
clarifies all confusion, thereby guiding the Jewish people through the
darkness of olam hazeh. It is the tool that has the ability to enlighten us
in every situation, be it with regard to the world in general or our
particular bodies.
The Medrash tells us: "Hashem said, 'From all the
nations that were created, I love only Yisrael… From all that was created I
love only justice - as it is written, "For I am Hashem who loves justice
(mishpat)". I will give what I loved to the nation that I love'." What
is this 'mishpat' that is so dear to the Creator? The pasuk in this week's
parsha commands Bnei Yisroel, "And you shall make a 'choshen mishpat'
(breastplate)" (Shemos 28, 15).
Rashi explains that it was called
mishpat because it clarified its words, similar to the concept of
justice. This is the purpose of the laws in the Torah: to clarify every
situation and interaction with one's fellow man, leaving no room for
doubt.
The Gemara (Pesachim 50a) relates that R' Yosef the son of R'
Yehoshua ben Levi became ill and his soul took leave of his body. When he
"returned" from the world above, his father asked him what he had seen. "I
saw an inverted world" he answered. "Those that are high in this world are
low in the next world, while those that are low in this world are high in the
next world!" His father responded, "My son, you have seen a world of
clarity" (undistorted by the biased appraisals of human beings). "Where do
we [who study the Torah] stand in the next world?" his father inquired.
"Exactly where we stand in this world is where we stand in the next
world. Additionally I heard them say, 'Praiseworthy is he who comes to
this world with his Torah in hand.'"
The Next World is the world of true
clarity. Nevertheless, those who study the Torah and are guided by its
light, live with a similar clarity even in this world. They are respected in
the Next World exactly as they respect one another here in this world. Their
Torah has created for them a world of clarity even during
their lifetime.
Additionally, R' Yosef heard the way one arrives at
this world of clarity. "Praiseworthy is he who comes with his Torah in hand."
A person must not merely know what the Torah asks of him, but he most also
translate this knowledge into actions. There is no new situation
or invention that has arisen or will emerge, that cannot be clarified
halachicaly by the statutes of the Torah. This is the clarity we must strive
for in this world, which will in turn assure us a similar clarity in the
World-to-Come.
This dvar Torah was compiled by the family of
the Mashgiach l'iluy nishmas the Mashgiach Harav Shlomo ben R' Moshe z"l
Bais Hamussar
Important Numbers
