The Dual Purpose Of Exile - Bechukosai 5771

When we read the Tochacha or the words of the Neviim Achronim we understand that going into Galus was a punishment. It is something which comes because Klal Yisrael is not deserving. Devarim 29:27 says (וַיִּתְּשֵׁם יְ רוָר מֵעַל אַדְמָתָם, בְּאַף וּבְחֵמָה וּבְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל; וַיַּשְׁלִכֵם אֶל-אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת, כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה). Hakadosh Baruch Hu ripped Klal Yisrael off of its land in anger. Anger sounds like a punishment. Where as we say in this week’s Parsha 26:33 (וְאֶתְכֶם אֱזָרֶה בַגּוֹיִם) that I will scatter you amongst the nations. It certainly sounds like a punishment.

That doesn’t fit with the Baalei Machshava and in general in Torah She’bal Peh. That the Galus itself is purposeful and there is something to be accomplished in the Galus. As the Gemara says in Maseches Pesachim 87b (17 lines from the bottom) (ואמר ר"א לא הגלה הקדוש ברוך הוא את ישראל לבין האומות אלא כדי שיתוספו עליהם גרים שנאמר (הושע ב) וזרעתיה לי בארץ כלום אדם זורע סאה אלא להכניס כמה כורין ור' יוחנן אמר מהכא (הושע ב) ורחמתי את לא רוחמה). Klal Yisrael went to Galus to collect the holy souls among the nations of the world.

As Rav Tzaddok explains in Resisai Laila 84, it doesn’t only mean (גרים) people who convert, but even concepts or energy among the Umos Haolam. We go into Galus sort of to collect these things. The proof to that is that in the Bris Bain Habesarim Avraham Avinu is already foretold about the 4 Galuyos. According to this way of looking at Galus the Galus is purposeful and it is here for constructive reasons and not just a punishment.

That doesn’t fit well with the language of Torah She’b’chsav. For this we turn to Rav Schwab in the Halilukas of Pesukai D’zimra. He explains that Torah She’b’chsav is Middas Hadin and Torah She’bal Peh works with Middas Harachamim.

So to say in the Chumash it says in Parshas Mishpatim 21:24 (עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, שֵׁן תַּחַת שֵׁן, יָד תַּחַת יָד, רֶגֶל תַּחַת רָגֶל). An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. The Torah She’bal Peh says that is Middas Hadin which is what a person truly deserves, however, there is Middas Harachamim mixed in and therefore it is enough to pay.

In Parshas Ki Sai’tzai it says in 25:12 (וְקַצֹּתָה, אֶת-כַּפָּהּ) a punishment of cutting off a hand, and again the Torah She’b’chsav says cut off the hand while Torah She’bal Peh mixes it with Middas Harachamim and says to pay instead of cutting off a hand.

We find so too with the sins of Gedolei Olam of Klal Yisrael. Where the words of the Chumash say that Reuvain did one Aveira and the Torah She’bal Peh says no it is not quite the way it happened. So too with all of the Aveiras of the Gedolei Yisrael. The Torah She’b’chsav expresses it with Middas Hadin and Torah She’bal Peh is constantly a mixture of Middas Harachamim.

With this Rav Schwab explains that we say in Tehillim 149:8- 9 (לֶאְסֹר מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּזִקִּים; וְנִכְבְּדֵיהֶם, בְּכַבְלֵי בַרְזֶל לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם, מִשְׁפָּט כָּתוּב-- הָדָר הוּא, לְכָל-חֲסִידָיו:
הַלְלוּ- כָּהּ) That Hakadosh Baruch Hu will punish the Umos Haolam with (מִשְׁפָּט כָּתוּב) the written judgment. What is the difference if the judgment is written or not? He explains that the punishment there is with the Middas Hadin. That is called (מִשְׁפָּט כָּתוּב) the written judgment.

We find similarly by Amaleik in Shemos 17:14 (כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר) that the erasing of Amaleik has to be written in the Sefer. That is with Middas Hadin. So that The Torah She’bal Peh is the mixture of Din and Rachamim and Torah She’b’chsav expresses it with Middas Hadin.

With this we can understand that the Tochacha and all of the Nivuos regarding the Galus are written with Middas Hadin. There is no Sheker in it. It is that Klal Yisrael deserves this as a punishment. So the Ribbono Shel Olam doesn’t do anything to Klal Yisrael unless there is Middas Rachamim mixed in as well.