9:24 (וַיְהִי
בָרָד וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּרָד), meaning there was fire miraculously in the Barad. A couple of
thoughts on Makkas Barad which of course is the last Makka mentioned in this
week’s Parsha. There is an absolutely wonderful Vort in the Sefer Davar Tov, a
tremendous insight that comes from a Rashi here regarding the Barad.
Rashi on
9:24 says Neis B’soch Neis, it was a double miracle. Aish V’habarad M’uravin,
V’habarad Mayim Hu, the fire and water are mixed. V’la’asos R’tzon Konam Asu
Shalom Bainaihem, to do Ratzon Hashem, Shalom was created between them.
He makes
a Diyuk here, Asu Shalom Bainaihem somehow implies that there was a new Shalom
here. Now actually Kol Zman fire and water are in separate places there is no
Machlokes between them anyway that they would need to make Shalom. By bringing
them together you didn’t make Shalom, however, the miracle was that there was
no fight between the fire and the water. Therefore, he suggests a tremendous
insight into this.
What is
Shalom, what is peace? Shalom is often thought of as a lack of Ketata, a lack
of Machlokes, a lack of fighting. That would be a negative thing, a lack of
something, something missing. Actually, Shalom is a Middah, a positive thing.
The Gemara in Yevamos 62 mentions that a man who was not Zoche to get married
is missing in joy, in Beracha, in Tovah. We understand those. Then the Gemara
mentions that a man who does not marry is missing in Shalom. That is a Pliya?
It would seem to us on the contrary, that marriage is an opportunity for
dispute. The one thing a person who is not married and is living alone has is
peace and Shalom. There are no 2 opinions in the house. So why does the Gemara
say that one who is not married doesn’t live in Shalom? How does marriage
create Shalom?
The
answer is this Yesod. To have no dispute does not make Shalom. If a person is
alone there is no one to fight with. It is not a Middah of Shalom, it is a lack
of Ketata, but that is not what we are looking for as a Middah Tovah to have
Shalom. On the contrary, the Middah Tovah of Shalom is possible only when there
are two opinions, when there are 2 people. When there is a possibility of
discord, then there can be Shalom. Then the Middah of Shalom can exist. Therefore,
one who is not married is living without Shalom. Marriage is an opportunity for
Shalom.
So too
with the Barad and the Aish. When the Barad and the Aish are in two different
locations that is not called Shalom as there is no dispute between the fire and
the water. But that is not yet Shalom.
To say Asah Shalom Bainaihem means to bring them together, there is a potential
for one to be fighting the other, water and fire fighting each other. When they
don’t fight that is Shalom.
A Raya
to this that Shalom is not only a lack of discord, a lack of argument is from
the following. There is a Chakira whether darkness is just the absence of light
or is darkness a creation onto itself?
There
are those that explain that Choshech is a creation. I believe the GRA in
Parshas B’reishis says so. He brings a Raya from Yotzer Ohr U’vorei Choshech.
The Posuk says that Hashem created light and created darkness. We see that
darkness is not just an absence of light but it is also a creation. With that
we can go on. The Posuk continues Yotzer Ohr U’vorei Choshech Oseh Shalom. We
see from the same Raya that Shalom is a
creation onto itself and not just an absence of argument. Shalom is something
positive. Vayas Hashem. Hashem created something that is positive. Something that
has to exist and places a potential for disagreement.
The
Sefer Davar Tov adds a very nice thought. We have a rule that when a friend is
leaving you say Leich L’shalom and when there is a Meis you say Leich B’shalom.
The Gemara in Maseches Berachos says that the proper words with which to say
goodbye to someone is Leich L’shalom, go to peace. If someone has passed away
then the custom is to say Leich B’shalom, go in peace.
The
explanation of the difference in wording is not to use the word Shalom as meaning
peace. They talk about Shlaimus, go to Shlaimus. It is missing the literal
translation of Shalom which means peace. In line of what we have been
discussing he explains, Leich L’shalom, a living person can go to peace and
still have a relationship with someone else and have Shalom. However, a Niftar who
does not have a potential to have a disagreement with anyone, so it must be
Leich B’shalom. Go to a place that there will be Shalom. This is a tremendous
insight and a tremendous Mussar as well.
I remember
seeing in the Maishiv Davar a Teshuvah that Shalom was created on the second
day of creation. On the first day of creation when there is only an oneness,
there is no potential for Machlokes and therefore, there is no Shalom. On the
second day there is a potential for Machlokes so on the second day Shalom was
created.
That is why the Shir Shel Yom Sheini is Shir
Mizmor Livnai Korach in Kapittal 48. It was written by the children of Korach
who were involved in Machlokes. The Posuk Yifei Nof M’sos Kol Ha’aretz is in
this Kapittal. The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah Darshuns that Yifei Nof, a good
wife, M’sos Kol Ha’aretz, makes the whole world seem happy. Again that is the
Inyan of Shalom. That is a beautiful thought that comes from this line here regarding
Makkas Barad.
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