Vedibarta Bam � And You Shall Speak of Them: Haftarah

"Peace, peace to the far and the near." (Isaiah 57:19)

QUESTION: Since Hashem first extends greetings to the one who was "far" and repented, and afterwards to the one who was "near" all along, the Gemara (Berachot 34b) derives that, "Makom sheba'alei teshuvah omdim tzaddikim gemurim einam omdin" - "In the place where the penitents stand, the completely righteous do not stand." Why are the penitents greater?

ANSWER: The penitent soul, having been infinitely removed from Hashem, now thirsts for Hashem even more than the soul of the righteous. This religious experience is unknown to the perfect tzaddik, who has never sinned and who consequently has never experienced the remorse and yearning of a repentant soul.

Alternatively, the Rambam (Dei'ot 1:4) says that a person should avoid going to extremes and always conduct himself in the way which is in "the middle of the road." For instance, one should not be exceedingly extravagant or excessively stingy. One should also not be very arrogant and conceited or totally removed from worldly matters and extremely self effacing. An exception to this rule involves a person who was conducting a misguided lifestyle and who was an extremist in his behavior. To correct himself, he should go to the opposite extreme and eventually work his way back to the middle path.

Thus, while the tzaddik always conducts himself in the middle path, the ba'al teshuvah who is mending his ways and was once extremely on the "left," now has to go over to the extreme "right" (ibid 2:2). Hence, "In the place where the ba'al teshuvah stands" - to the extreme right - "the tzaddik cannot stand" - since he always has to be in the path which is in the middle.

"Surely you will break your bread for the hungry... Offer your soul to the hungry..." (Isaiah 58:7-10)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Bava Batra 11a) tells us a story about Binyamin HaTzaddik, who was a supervisor of the charity fund. One day a woman came to him in a year of scarcity, and said to him: "Rabbi, assist me."

He replied, "I swear, there is not a penny in the charity fund."

She said, "Rabbi, if you do not assist me, a woman and her seven children will perish." He then assisted her out of his own pocket. Some time afterwards he became dangerously ill. The angels addressed Hashem saying: "Sovereign of the Universe, You had said that he who preserves one soul of Israel is considered as if he had preserved the whole world; shall then Binyamin HaTzaddik, who has preserved a woman and her seven children, die at so early an age?" Immediately his sentence was torn up. It has been taught that twenty-two years were added to his life.

Why was he granted twenty-two additional years of life?

ANSWER: The Gemara (ibid. 9b) says that for giving tzedakah to a poor man one receives six blessings and for saying a comforting word which helps him endure his unfortunate situation, one receives an additional eleven, for a total of seventeen. When the woman first approached Binyamin HaTzaddik for tzedakah, he said to her, "I promise, there is absolutely nothing available in the charity fund." Afterwards, when she said to him, "Rabbi if you do not support me, a woman and her seven children will expire," he helped her with his personal money [which he really needed for himself - Maharsha]. Undoubtedly, when he told her that the charity fund was depleted, he consoled her with soothing words.

The seventeen berachot for financial and moral support one merits for helping the poor are based on the seventeen berachot which the prophet Isaiah says one will receive when, "Haloh feros lara'eiv lachmecha" - "Surely you will break your bread for the hungry" and "Vetafeik lara'eiv nafshecha" - "Offer your soul to the hungry" (see Isaiah 58:7-12).

In a twenty-two year period there are two hundred and sixty-four months plus an average of eight leap months (a second month of Adar to even out the solar and lunar systems), for a total of two hundred and seventy-two months.

The word "ra'eiv" - "hungry" - has the numerical value of two hundred and seventy-two. For Binyamin HaTzaddik's exceptional giving of tzedakah to the ra'eiv - hungry - and his genuine interest in their plight, he was rewarded with "ra'eiv" - an additional two hundred and seventy-two months of life - a total of twenty-two years, to enjoy the seventeen blessings he earned for supporting and comforting the poor mother and her seven children.

"If you restrain your feet because of Shabbat from attending to your needs on My holy day." (58:13)

QUESTION: Why the emphasis "raglecha" - "your feet" - wouldn't the same apply to attending one's needs with one's hands?

ANSWER: The rabbis of the Talmud (Megillah 29b) suspended the performance of three mitzvot when a Holiday falls on Shabbat: shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah, taking the lulav on Sukkot, and reading the megillah on Purim. The reason is concern that one may take one of the three items used for these mitzvot to an expert to learn how to properly perform the mitzvah and inadvertently carry it four amot through a public domain, which is a violation of Biblical law.

One who observes this decree is not lacking a mitzvah, because in merit of the extra stringency in the observance of Shabbat, the Shabbat itself accomplishes for him what he would have achieved for himself from the fulfillment of these mitzvot.

The word "mishavat" has the numerical value of seven hundred and forty-two, as do the words "shofar, lulav, Megillah." Thus, the prophet is saying, "If you will restrain mishavat - from doing the three mitzvot alluded by the numerical value of mishavat - [because of] raglecha - concern that you may inadvertently 'walk' with them in a public domain - be assured that you will not lose by this. On the contrary, Hashem will reward you: 'I will make you ride on high places of the earth, and I will nourish you with the heritage of Yaakov your father.' "