Fireproof

Some Haftoros tell stories of the Neviim or Malachim that are understandable on a basic level, while others include Nevuos that are clearly beyond our comprehension, try as we might to find some meaning. Sometimes, however, we come across a Haftorah that is somewhere in the middle: the words and phrases are understandable, but they cannot be understood simply—the true meaning or message seems to be someplace deeper, below the surface so to speak. The Haftorah for Parshas Behaloscha, which is also read on Chanukah, falls into this category, but it seems that if we take the time to learn these Pessukim, to plunge the depths of the words, important lessons lay in wait.

The Pessukim for the Haftorah are taken from Sefer Zecharia, and describe a series of Nevuos that Zecharia HaNavi received at the time of Binyan Bais Sheni. Some of Klal Yisroel had returned to Eretz Yisroel from Bavel after the seventy years of Galus, and they even received permission from Koresh to build the Bais Hamikdash. The actual construction, however, was stalled for a variety of reasons. The Neviim at the time, Chaggai and Zecharia, were charged with motivating and encouraging the Yidden to continue and complete the job, so that the Shechina could once again rest amongst Klal Yisroel.

The three parts of the Haftorah are directly related to this mission: first, Chaggai speaks about the eventual completion of the Bayis Sheni, the day about which Hashem tells us: “Rani V’Simchi Bas Tzion Ki Hinini Bah V’Shachanti Bisochech”, we should rejoice, because He has returned to live among us. The second and third portions of the Haftorah are directed at the leaders of Klal Yisroel at the time: Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen Gadol, and Zerubavel, the political leader. Although these Nevuos seem to be somewhat personal—each one speaks to and about these individual leaders—the fact that they are related with detail in the Pessukim indicates that there are messages for us as well. with that in mind, let us examine part of the Nevuah that Zecharia received regarding Yehoshua Kohen Gadol.

Zecharia describes a Mechzeh, a vision that he saw, in which Yehoshua Kohen Gadol was standing in front of a Malach Hashem, but he was not alone: “V’HaSatan Omed Al Yemino LiSitno”, the Satan stood to his right, prepared to prosecute him. Hakadosh Baruch Hu did not allow the Satan to carry on his mission of being Mastin against Yehoshua, however, saying to him: “Yigar Hashem Becha HaSatan V’Yigar Hashem Becha Habocher BiYerushalayim”. Metzudos explains that the term “Yigar”, used twice in the Passuk, is a Lashon of “Tzeaka V’Nezifa”, meaning that Hashem, Kaviyachol, loudly protested the intentions of the Satan, in effect berating him. The reason for the protest is expressed in the Passuk as well: “HaLo Zeh Ud Mutzal M’Esh”, Yehoshua was an Ud, literally a brand, saved from the fire.

While it is possible to simply translate all the words in these Pessukim, and understand the sequence of events that Zechria saw in the Mechzeh their true meaning is of course more difficult to grasp. At the outset, there are three questions that must be addressed in order to understand these Pessukim. First, why was the Satan eager to be Mastin against Zecharia Hanavi? What was his Aveirah? Second: why did Hashem prevent the Satan from doing so? Is not the mission of the Satan to be Mastin—why stop him from even speaking in this case, and why so forcefully? Finally, the words “Ud Mutzal M’Esh” are perhaps the most esoteric in the Passuk—what is meant by this metaphor, and why does this explain the protest against the actions of the Satan?

Now, many of these questions are addressed, at least on some level, by the Meforshei HaPshat, which certainly helps us begin to peel back the layers of complexity.

As to the first question, Rashi explains that the Satan was being Mastin against Yehoshua because his sons were married to non-Jews This is based on the Gemarah in Sanhedrin which relates this fact and explains why Yehoshua was to be punished for this: “V’Lo Micha Bahem”, he did not protest their marriages.

This piece of information, of course, makes our next question a bit stronger: if Yehoshua was indeed guilty of failure to at least reprimand his sons for their missteps, why should the Satan not be Mastin? The Malach Hashem was there, presumably as the Dayan, why would Hashem prevent the Satan from even speaking? Why not allow him to outline the case against Yehoshua, at which point the Dayan HaEmes could render a decision?

Most Meforshim explain that the phrase “HaLo Zeh Ud Mutzal M’Esh” answers this question: whichever way we understand these words, they tell us why the Satan would not even be allowed to speak in this case. Radak seems to explain them on the most basic level: if Yehoshua was saved from the Esh Hagalus and brought to Yerushalayim, it must have been in order to build the Mikdash. This explanation fits well with the words of the Ibn Ezra who explains that the ultimate goal of the Satan was to prevent this exact eventuality. That said, we would still have to understand why this reality totally precludes the Satan from even being Mastin at all. Why wouldn’t the Zechuyos that allowed Yehoshua to survive Galus stand in his good stead against the Kitrug? Why was it important for Hashem to prevent the Satan from even speaking?

Other Meforshim explain the words “Ud Mutzal M’Esh” differently, based on the same Gemara in Sanhedrin cited above. In order to understand their approach, we must first be familiar with the Divrei Chazal there.

The Gemara there is discussing two Niviei Sheker living in Bavel during the Galus named Achav and Tzidkiya. The two approached the daughter of Nevuchadnetzar with ill intentions, which they attiributed to a Nevuah they received. Nevuchadnetzar recognized that this was impossible, for “Elokehem Shel Zeh Sonei Zima Hu”, Hashem abhors such behavior. He therefore told his daughter to send Achav and Tzidkiya to him. The Gemara tells of the discussion between the king and the two Jews, which resuted in Nevuchadnetzar making a proposition: if they were indeed righteous, they would survive a walk through the Kivshan HaEsh as Chanaya, Mishael and Azarya did. Achav and Tzidkiya disputed this logic, for they were only two and their Zechuyos would not equal that of three people. Nevuchanetzr therefore offered to allow them to choose any third person to accompany them, and they selected Yehoshua, which the Gemara explains they did because they thought his many Zechuyos would protect them.

They all did in fact enter the fire, the Gemarah tells us, and only Yehoshua emerged, but he was not unscathed. The Gemara notes that his clothing was singed, and explains that this happened, as we noted, because he did not protest his sons’ marriages.

Based on this Gemara, most Meforshim explain that Hashem was referring to Yehoshua’s survival in the Kivshan HaEsh when reprimanding the Satan. As Metzudos puts it: “Zechuso Rav V’Eich Mikatreg Alav”, his Zechuyos were great, so how could you be Mikatreg? This does not completely satisfy our questions either: again, why would the Satan be prevented from even being Mekatreg, regardless of Yehoshua’s existing Zechuyos? Some, such as the Chida in Chomas Oncha, explain that the fact that the fire did affect Yehoshua a bit, because his clothing was singed, was the punishment for the Aviera of “Lo Micha Bahem”. This would then serve as a reason for the words of the Satan to be put aside, but why prevent him from even speaking?

Adding to the sense that there is more at play is the existence of another Ma’amar Chazal that explains the words “Ud Mutzal M’Esh”.

The Yerushalmi in Taanis tells the story of Churban Bayis Rishon, and relates that at the time of the Churban there were eighty-thousand Pirchei Kehuna that hid amongst various “Kolsosayim”, or compartments, within the Bais Hamikdash. The Gemara tells us: “Kulhem Nisrafu UMiKulam HaLo Nishtayer Ela Yehoshua”, they were all burnt with the exception of Yehoshua and the Gemara references the words “Ud Mutzal M’Esh” as proof of this occurrence.

The Yerushlmi and Bavli do not necessarily contradict each other, perhaps Yehoshua survived twice, but the story in the Yerushalmi does seem to indicate that the Satan was prevented from being Mastin because of Yehoshua’s tendency to survive when others did not, and not because he had already been punished for his actions. We must then understand why this is true: why did the fact that Yehoshua survived—be it in the story of the Bavli, the Yerushalmi, or both—preclude the Satan from being Mastin?

Perhaps we can answer this question based on a Gemara in Taanis, this time in the Bavli. The Gemarah, as part of a discussion about how one should act in times of famine or war, brings the following Memrah: “B’Zman Sheyisroel Sheruyin B’Tzar UPirush Echad Mehen Ba’in Shnei Malachei Hashares HaMelavin Lo L’Adam..V’Omrin Zeh Shepirush Min HaTzibbur Lo Yireh B’Nechamas Hatzibbur”. When Klal Yisroel is in middle of a Tzarah and one removes himself from the Klal, the two Malachim who accompany every person come to him and say: “this person who removed himself from the Tzibbur will not see the Nechama of the Tzibbur”

There are of course many levels of understanding when it comes to this Gemarah, which seems somewhat mystical, but there is a blatant question asked by R’ Avraham Chaim Miranda, an early Achron, in his Sefer Dikdukei Chaverim, that may help us understand our Pessukim.

The Gemarah says: “Ba’in Shnei Malachei Hashares HaMelavin Lo L’Adam..V’Omrin”. Asks the Dikdukei Chaverim: if the Malachim are Melava the person, if they accompany him at all times, as is apparent from other Divrei Chazal, why do they have to come to him, as is implied by the word “Ba’in”? Are they not already at his side? The Dikdukei Chavierim answers that at the moment that a person begins to be Poresh from theTzibbur at a time of Tzara, the Malachim, whose role is to protect him, leave his side. They return only to be Mekalalel him, to say “Zeh Shepirush Min HaTzibbur Lo Yireh B’Nechamas Hatzibbur”.

With this in mind, allow us to turn back to the Haftorah.

Zecharaia saw Yehoshua facing the Malach Hashem, and the Satan stood at his side, “Al Yemino.” This refers to one of the “Malachei Hashares HaMelavin Lo L’Adam”. The one on the right, who usually acts as the Yetzer Tov, sometimes becomes the Kateigor when a person sins. In this case the “Satan” was Yehoshua’s own Malach, so to speak, who rose against him because he did not protest his sons’ actions. The Malach wished to stop Yehoshua from being a part of the Binyan and Avodas Bais Hamikdash because of his actions.

Hashem stopped the Satan, however, reminding him that Yehoshua was an “Ud Mutzal M’Esh”. At least once, if not twice, Yehoshua had been part of a Tzibbur that was undergoing a Tzara and he was saved—proof that this very Malach had stood at his side, providing the necessary Shemira as usual. If this is the case, he was not a Poresh Min Hatzibbur, but falls under the category of a Tzaddik, about whom the Gemarah there says: “Kol HaMetzaer Atzmo Min HaTzibbur Zochin V’Roin B’Nechemasa”.

The Satan was told not to be Mastin because he himself was proof that the outcome he desired—that Yehoshua not be a part of the Nechamas Tzion—could not be possible. The Malach had stood beside Yehoshua and protected him from the Esh, proof that the Kohen Gadol was MeTzaer Im HaTzibbur, and should therefore be “Zoche V’Roeh B’Nechemasa”. The entire mission of the Satan, in this case, was moot and self-defeating and so he was told to halt at once.

The Gemara in Brachos tells us that when a person requires a specific protection he should say the words “Yigar Hashem Becha HaSatan V’Yigar Hashem Becha Habocher BiYerushalayim” until the danger passes. It would seem that these Pessukim teach us an additional way to be protected from the Satan. If we attach ourselves to the Tzibbur, and are not Poresh when there are Tzaros, we will be Zoche to the continued protection of our personal Malachim, and therefore from the machinations of the Satan. A perfection of this Middah will allow us to be Metzar in the Tzibbur so that we can see the ultimate Nechamas HaTzibbur on the day that the words “Rani V’Simchi” become our reality.