Parshas Nasoh (5760)

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Parshas Nasoh (5760)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

There is a Chazal that Rashi quotes in the parsha that has an extremely important message that perhaps is one of our most important foundations. 6:2: The Parsha of Sotah was put next to the Parsha of Nazir, the wine-abstainer, to teach us that one who witnesses a Sotah should abstain from wine. For that beverage is an agent that can create a laxity in one’s guard against chastity. The falling of the Sotah should motivate us to spiritual reinforcement. The question, however, presents itself–why does it have to be triggered by an actual encounter, just the realization of the phenomenon should be sufficient.

A resident of Yerushalayim about 3000 years ago goes out for a stroll. It is a beautiful day and he is humming to himself. The peaceful scene is broken by the commotion of a crowd. Is there a Chasan or a Kallah in the middle, a father bringing his newborn son to a Bris Milah, or to Cheder for the first time? Perhaps it is a donkey being taken for peter Chamor, or maybe Bikurim. There is a young lady in the center, hysterical, surrounded by the agents of Beis Din. It is a Sotah being taken to the Bais HaMikdash to be tested. What a scene, what a traumatic experience. “Why did I have to come upon this scene?”

HaShem transmitted His will to Klal Yisroel at Matan Torah and continues the process and the contact. The revelation and the enlightenment that HaShem maintains with Klal Yisroel did not stop at Sinai—it is an ongoing process. One of the main channels of this Divine communication is through Hashgacha Pratis. HaShem controls and manipulates events starting from the behavior of people towards you and going to the opposite end of the spectrum—including events and effects of unanimated objects. A classic example of this is when David HaMelech was cursed by Shimi ben Gaira he proclaimed that this was an act coming from a Divine source.

Just as one must know the pshat, the correct understanding of a pasuk in the Torah or the pshat in a Mishna, Gemarra, or Tosfos, we have to know how to learn the pshat in the message of the Hashgacha.

In Rashi’s description of the Aifod he begins by saying my heart tells me… and then goes on to compare it to an artifact of clothing that the French noble women wore when going horseback riding. Behind the “my heart tells me” is a tradition that Rashi had an unusual encounter with a French woman horseback riding. He interpreted the experience as a Divine message to enlighten him.

The Vilna Gaon was about the institute the Bircas Kohanim on a daily basis in his Bais Medrash in Vilna. Twice on the appointed day a fire broke out. The Gaon understood this as a Divine message to abstain.

R’ Ahron Kotler ztz”l was about to enter an elevator when he encountered an indecently dressed young lady. He broke down in tears and after being questioned as to why he felt guilty for something that he wasn’t really responsible for he answered the following. It wasn’t the seriousness of the transgression that was disturbing him but rather the question why did this happen to him. What is the Divine message?

It is imperative to be aware of, understand and appreciate that it is a communication that HaShem is sending us. The idea is absolutely mind-boggling. It is needless to say how cautious we must be in our interpretation and it should be checked out especially if it entails some radical move.

The encounter with the Sotah our happy go lucky walker in Yerushalayim experienced was a Divine enlightenment of the need for him to take extra precaution in protecting himself from Arayos. Matan Torah is a continuous process. Baruch Nosain (present tense) HaTorah.