Be Strong For Us

There is an obvious difference between the weekly Krias HaTorah and the Haftoros: we Lein the Parshios each week in succession, and there is therefore a continuity from one to other, as opposed to the Haftoros which are taken from a different part of Neviim each week. It is therefore not given that the first Haftorah of the year is to be seen as introductory—after all it is not connected to the Haftoros that follow it. That said, maybe within the Divrei HaNeviim selected by Chazal to be Leined this week we we can find a message to help us frame the coming year.

The Haftorah is taken from the Perakim found in the latter part of Sefer Yeshaya that are devoted to Divrei Nechama. Many of the Pessukim speak in very open terms about concepts of Emunah, Bitachon and Geulah, and very little is needed to understand their intent. For example, the Haftorah begins with the words “Ko Amar HaKel Hashem Borei HaShamayim…Ani Hashem”. The following Pessukim are thus based on a clear precept: Hashem created the world and all that occurs is part of his Ratzon. A few Pessukim later we once again find a reference to Yichud Hashem: “Ani Hashem Hu Shimi”. The Haftorah continues in this vein, speaking very plainly about Hashem and his Ratzon, and how the world will be affected when the Geulah finally arrives.

We also find clear Divrei Tochacha. The Navi begs those who have turned themselves blind and deaf to heed the Dvar Hashem so that they may find salvation: “Hacharashim Shamu V’HaIvarim Habitu Liros”. He continues, reminding them that Hashem sends messengers to turn them to the proper path, but they have ignored those messages.

In the middle of the Haftorah, just after these PEssukim, we find words that are quite familiar, as the Passuk says: “Hashem Chafetz L’Man Tzidko Yagdil Torah V’Yadir.” This phrase rolls off our tongues so easily that we barely give thought to their literal meaning. Rashi explains that Hashem wishes for us to be able to see and hear the messages he sends, and so he is Magdil and M’Adir the Torah. The context of these words is quite appropriate: the way for us to recover from our status as Charashim V’Ivarim is through the Torah itself.

In a sense allows us to understand a well-known Mishna in Avos that includes these words: “Ratzah HKBH L’Zakos Es Yisroel Lifichach Hibrah Lahem Torah U’Mitzvos.” Hashem wished to be Mezakeh us, and so he gave us more Torah and Mitzvos—it is our Limud HaTorah and Asias HaMitzvos that is Mezakeh us and allows us to further heed the Dvar Hashem, as the Passuk tells us.

If we think about it, however, the Passuk tells us that Hashem is both Magdil and M’Adir the Torah. Although it is not immediately clear what each of these words mean, the Meforshim are of help. Metzudos tells us that the word “Y’Adir” is an “Inyan Chozek”, that it refers to strength. This is in line with the common meaning of the word “Adir”, which connotes strength.

In a similar vein, The Malbim draws a contrast between the words “Yagdil” and “Yadir”. The former, he explains, refers to Kamus, or quantity, while the latter to Eichus, or quality.

Taken all together, we can understand the Passuk as follows: because Hashem wishes to be Matzdik us—so that we may become more attuned to the messages we are sent—He magnifies and strengthens the Torah, increasing it in Kamus and Eichus.

This explanation of the Passuk raises one elementary question. We can well understand the effect of the desire to be Madil the Torah based on the Mishna in Avos: Hashem increases the Torah itself, and its Mitzvos, enabling us to be exposed to Ruchnias in increased amounts. This no doubt has an affect on a person, indeed allowing him to come closer to Hashem and heightening his spiritual senses, so to speak.

What, then, of the word “Yadir”? How is the Eichus of the Torah increased, so to speak? In what way does HKBH add an element of “Chozek” to the Torah, and in what way is this “L’Man Tzidko”? The Mishna tells us that because Hashem wished to be Mezakeh us, He increases Torah and Mitzvos. What, then, is the Yadir portion of the equation?

This question becomes even a bit stronger if we look at the way the words “Yagdil Torah” are used elsewhere in the Divrei Chazal.

As we know, the Simanei Tahara of fish are Snapir V’Kashkeshes, fins and scales. The Gemara in Chulin establishes that any fish that has scales certainly has fins, even if they cannot be seen, but not visa versa. Based on this the Gemara asks a simple question: if we can rely on scales alone as a sign that a fish is Kosher—for it must then have fins as well—why did the Torah have to include the word Snapir? If the Passuk only said “Kashkeshes” we would be able to use that sign alone to identify Kosher fish, rendering the word “Snapir” superfluous.

After some discussion, the Gemarah concludes that indeed if the Torah had written only Kashkeshes we would have understood to look for scales and thereby identify Kosher species. Why then was the extra word included? The Gemarah answers: “Yagdil Torah V’Yadir”. The addition of this word “Snapir” is a Kiuym of the concept of “Yagdil Torah V’Yadir”.

Now, we can understand that this word is a way in which HKBH is Magdil the Torah: there is one extra word, which adds an additional Siman and therefore increases the potential steps taken to ensure our food is fit to eat. This is then an example of “Hirbah Lahem Torah U’Mitzvos” as it applies to the Kamus of the Torah. But what about the Eichus? How is the addition of the word “Snapir” an example of the way in which the Eichus of the Torah is affected?

It seems that in order to fully understand this Gemarah, and really the Passuk itself, we must first understand the true implication of the term “Adir”, and what its use teaches us.

The Gemara in Beitzah tells us “HaRotzeh SheYiskaimu Nichasav Yitah Bahen Adar”. One who wishes for his property to last should plant an “Adar”, as the Passuk says “Adir BaMarom Hashem.” Without getting into the particulars of the Gemara, we see that there is something called an “Adar” that gets its name from the term Adir.

The Sefer HaAruch explains that an Adar was a type of cedar tree, and lists its characteristics: it is tall, has many branches and leaves, so that if one uses them to encircle an orchard, it will be protected from animals.

We see, then, that the Adar tree, which is Adir, is not only large, but it is protective. The word “Adir”, then, can be understood to have this connotation: it means not only strong, but shielding.

Perhaps we can use this idea to understand the Gemarah in Chulin.

R’ Chatzkel Abramsky, in Chazon Yechezkel on the Tosefta, asks why the addition of one small word, “Snapir”, is a Kiyum of “Yagdil Torah V’Yadir”. Even in the realm of Kamus, is this really so remarkable?

He answers this question based on an important Yesod found in the Ramban in his Pirush Al HaTorah.

We think of Simanei Tahara as signs: we can tell that a particular species is Kosher because we see fins and scales, but the Kashrus status is based on the species, not the physical attributes. This, explains R’ Chatzekl, is not true: the presence of Simanei Tahara are what makes the animal or fish Kosher. When the Torah tells us that only the presence of Snapir and Kashkeshes render an animal edible, it is telling us that those attributes themselves create a status of Kosher.

Now we can understand how the addition of the word “Snapir” affects the Eichus of the Torah itself, in the manner of “Yagdil Torah V’Yadir”.

When we learn the Passuk that speaks about Simanei Tahara we note that the word “Snapir” is extra, as the Gemarah does. But when one discovers that the word is included because it has an affect on the actual fish, a new world is opened up. Because the Torah says that a fish must have Snapir, the actual Snapir now makes the fish Kosher—not visa versa. This is an illustration of the awesome power of the Torah: it is not a rule book, or a law book, it is reality itself. The addition of one word changes the status of a species from Kosher to not.

This has the affect of “Yagdil Torah V’Yadir”, because it affects a person. The more Torah we learn, the more we are exposed to the Koach of Torah, which increases our Emunah and connection to Hashem, protecting us from outside influences, like an Adar tree. It is these aspects of Torah that are “Adir”.

“Hashem Chafetz L’Man Tzidko”, HKBH wished to be Matzdik us, to allow us to be attuned to the messages he sends us, and there are two tools to allow us to do so: “Yagdil Torah V’Yadir”.

On one hand, Hibrah Lahem Torah U’Mitzvos, Hashem increased the amount of Torah and Mitzvos. Every word that we learn, and every Mitzvah that we do, elevates us, and creates an opportunity for us to come closer to Hashem, and heed His messages.

At the same time, there is an element of “HaRotzeh SheYiskaimu Nichasav Yitah Bahen Adar”. HKBH put certain ideas, concepts and phenomenon into the Torah itself, each of which serve as an Adar, increasing our Emunah in Him, and protecting us from the forces that wish to infiltrate our borders. This in turn allows us to maintain the levels that we gain through the Torah and Mitzvos that we do, and we can therefore utlitize our sense as Hashem wishes us to.

The appearance of this Passuk in the first Haftorah of the year is a call to action. As we learn the coming Parshios we have to be on the lookout for the “Yagdil” and the “Yadir”. We must of course try to see where we can increase our Limud HaTorah and Shemiras Hamitzvos, but we can also try appreciate further appreciate the Koach of every single word of Torah, thereby allowing the Torah to serve as a protective shield against the outside.