In Memory of our beloved David Schwartz, who fell in battle sanctifying God’s name, on 27 Tevet, 5784 (8 January 2024).
“Le’David Barchi Nafshi” is a compilation of essays written on the weekly Torah reading by David Schwartz, of blessed memory. First published on the occasion of his marriage to Meital, David’s unique Torah thoughts that delve into the depths of the Torah are shared now to elevate his memory and sanctify his soul.
Israel’s path toward Israel goes into reverse in this week’s parsha, on account of the sin of the spies and due to the people’s lack of trust in God. Shlach relates the episode of the spies from Israel who went to report on the land, and it closes with the mitzvah of tzitzit.
Our sages emphasize the great importance of tzitzit. In Tractate Nedarim they explain: “The mitzvah of tzitzit is weighed parallel to all the mitzvot in the Torah” (25a). In Tractate Menahot they said, “Whoever has tzitzit on his garment is strengthened so that he does not come to sin.” And Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai says, “Whoever hastens in the mitzvah merits to receive the shekhina” (43b). On this mitzvah, the Torah states “And you should be holy for your God.” The tzitzit bring one into holiness. In light of this, it is necessary to realize the greatness of this mitzvah.
Why did our sages elevate it to such heights for those who fulfill it? Moreover, why does this mitzvah depend on our good will, since if one chooses not to wear a four-cornered garment, he would be exempt from the commandment, unlike other commandments which we must perform.
There are not many commandments that merited this great status for which it is said about them: “it is equal to all the other mitzvot in the Torah.” Circumcision, Talmud Torah, Shabbat, the settlement of Israel, and tzedaka, and a few others are in this esteemed category. The earliest hassidim explained that the purpose of the commandments is to draw man close to God, and the commandments are pathways to attain this goal, so as to cling to God and fulfill His will.
Our sages explain regarding Shabbat, that the essence of Shabbat is to cling to God and to benefit from the glory of the Divine Presence. As it is written, “Thus you will delight in the Lord.” Regarding Torah study, it is stated that the essence of learning Torah is to know God and learn His laws and statutes. The world was created for the Torah which is called the “first” of His works, and, “first,” indicates the Torah. In what way does the mitzvah of tzitzit fit into this exclusive list, and what unique aspect of it elevates it above the majority of the commandments transmitted at Sinai?
In Tractate Menahot, Rabbi Meir brings the following parable to explain why the punishment for not attaching white strings to a four-cornered garments is harsher than that of not attaching the more valuable blue strings (Hebrew, tekhelet). Rabbi Meir explains: “It may be compared to a human king who says to two servants to bring him a seal. He tells one to bring him a clay seal and the other to bring a gold one. If both servants transgress and don’t bring the seals, which servant would be more remiss? I would say that it is the servant who was told to bring the clay seal, and did not do so (43b).” Tosafot on that page of Gemara explains: “The comparison between the signet and the tzitzit is the following. Just as people would make signets of mud for slaves, so too the tzitzit serve the same function to remind us that we are servants of God (43b).”
The tzitzit are the symbolic seal of our servitude, reminding us that we must fulfill His commandments.
By means of the tzitzit garment, a person is reminded of all the mitzvot. The mitzvot are our lives and lengthen our days. As long as we cling to the mitzvot, we are tied to God and merit to attain the ultimate purpose of fulfilling the mitzvot. The mitzvah of tzitzit reminds a person that he is a servant of God. The essence of this service is the acceptance of the yoke of heaven. Just as a slave accepts the yoke of his master, so too a person of Israel accepts the yoke of God, the King of kings, through the commandment of tzitzit.
As it states at the conclusion of the passage commanding this mitzvah in the Torah: “I am the Lord your God Who took you out of Egypt to be your God, I am the Lord your God.” This basic expression of faith and trust in God brings a Jew to fulfill the mitzvot. From these words it is clear right away why our sages emphasized the fulfillment of this mitzvah of tzitzit.
Yet, it is still necessary to understand why a person is not compelled to perform this mitzvah as a necessary obligation; i.e., as a mitzvah that man must fulfill when he wishes to or not, since this mitzvah testifies to our servitude to God.
In the parsha of Eikev the Torah states: “And now O Israel what does the Lord, your God, demand of you? Only this: To revere the Lord, your God, to walk only in divine paths, to love and to serve your God, the Lord, with all your heart and soul” (Deut. 10:12). A person is obligated to fear God at every time, and simultaneously to love Him with all one’s soul. Maimonides writes in his Laws of Repentance 10:3: “And what is the appropriate love for God? It should be such that one should love God with a great love whose force is so strong that a person’s soul is bound to God in love. Thus he may be obsessed with love as if he were lovesick.”
Maimonides writes as well in the Laws of Lulav with regard to the importance of joy. “The joy that gladdens a person in the performance of a mitzvah … it is a great service and whoever refrains from performing this joy is worthy of punishment.” On the mitzvah of wearing tekhelet (blue fringes) on tzitzit, Maimonides writes: “Tekhelet is similar to the sea, and the sea is akin to the firmament, and the firmament above is akin to the throne of glory.”
The commentary of the Kli Yakar (Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, 1150-1619) explains: “But to serve God from fear is not the complete end, but rather to serve out of love and to serve God with great joy through reverence. And this is accomplished through engaging in Torah, as our rabbis tell us that one who acts with joy out of love benefits from that very act, but the one who acts out of fear does not benefit from the action. On this it is said that the firmament is similar to the throne of glory, because through this love one may cling to the divine, as a lover always tries to cling to the beloved. Thus one may attain his reward. Thus love is the goal of the attainment, because through it one comes to merit in attaching oneself to the throne of glory.
As we see stated, our rabbis emphasized the great value of service from love. From their words it is explained that this service of love is the greatest of all. This service is compelling and substantial in the fulfillment of the mitzvot. Therefore, we can explain that this is the reason that the mitzvah of tzitzit is not given as an absolute obligation, but rather hangs on the will of man. It is through this will that we can fulfill the labor from a desire of happiness and love.