Woke

The Hafotorah for Parshas Behaloshcha comes from Sefer Zechariah and describes 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. There are three parts of the Haftorah each of which is 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. Before focusing on one particular aspect of the Nevuos discussed int his Haftorah, it is important to understand the way in which Zecharia generally received the Dvar Hashem. The Nevuos of Zecharia all follow a similar format: he saw a Malach Elokim who in turn showed him certain sights that were to serve as a metaphor for the message he was to transmit. For example, the part of the Haftorah that pertains to Yehoshua Kohen Gadol, Zechariah saw Yehoshua standing in Din with the Satan ready to prosecute him. Yehoshua was eventually spared the wrath of Din, and Zecharia received a message to pass on about the responsibility of leadership borne by Yehoshua and the other Kohanim.

Following this portion of the Nevurah, the Passuk tells us: “VaYashav Hamalach HaDover Bi Vayireini K’Ish Asher Ya’ir Mishinaso”. The Malach who had been speaking to Zecharia earlier returned and woke him, as one awakens a slumbering person.

This is obviously a Passuk that requires some explanation. Never having met anyone who has experienced any sort of Nevuah, it is difficult to understand how the means in which the Dvar Hashem is given to the Navi affects his message. That said, we know that there are certain terms and ideas used constantly in with regard to Nevuah, and this is not one of them. If the Navi told us that the Malach woke him, as though he had been sleeping, there must be a message for us to discern.

The Meforshim are of course sensitive to this point as well.

Abarbenel, for example, points out that this is the only place in the Sefer that this terminology is used—obviously leading one to wonder what is special about this Nevuah and why it is introduced with these words.

Radak adds that in all other Nevuos that Zecharia received the words “V’Esa Einei” are used, indicating that Zecharia saw the Nevuah for himself. In this case, however, the Malach had to awake the Navi, so to speak, in order for him to see the Nevuah.

Ibn Ezra, as is his wont, focuses on the Diukduk Halashon of the Passuk. The words “Yair” as in “K’ish Asher Ya’ir Mishinaso” refers to one who awakes of his own accord—as opposed to “Yo’er” which would mean that he was roused by another. Ibn Ezra does not comment further but the Passuk seems to be saying that the Malach awoke Zecharia in a way that it was as if he had woken himself up. This too requires some explanation—what does this mean and why was it the case here?

Malbim, perhaps partially based on Abarbenel, explains why the Malach had to awaken Zechariah: the previous Nevuah was difficult for Zecharia to understand, and he fell into a deep sleep. The Malach therefore came to wake him up so that he could show him the next Nevuah which was easier to understand.

This approach does explain why Zecharia was “sleeping” and why the Malach had to awaken him, but at the same time it raises some questions. First, if the purpose of a Nevuah is to bring the Dvar Hashem to the Navi, why would it be done in a way that Zecharia was unable to comprehend? Further, why did the fact that the Navi was unable to grasp the meaning of the Nevurah cause him to fall into a “Tardema”, a very deep slumber, as Malbim explains?

Mahari Kr”a takes a slightly different approach that may begin to help us understand the message hidden in these words.

As we noted, Klal Yisroel was at a critical juncture at the time of these Nevuos. The construction of the Bais Sheni had begun, but had now stalled. Mahari Kr”a explains that when this happened, when the Binyan HaBayis was put on hold, Bnei Yisroel lost hope that it would ever be completed. In fact, the Passuk in Chaggai tells us: “HaAm HaZeh Omru Lo Bah Es Beis Hashem”, the people said the time for the Binyan HaBayis had not arrived. The lack of initiative in taking on the construction convinced some that it wasn’t meant to be.

This Yisuh, the lack of confidence and hope that the Bais Hamikdash could be built, was akin to a slumber, explains the Mahari, and it was this sleep from which the Malach awoke Zecharia. The message was clear: there is no room for Yiush. The Bais Hamikdash could, and indeed would be built in their day, as the Nevuah goes on to explain.

We see, then, that the “sleep” that Zecharia experienced and the angelic wake up call, were themselves part of the Nevuah, as they were meant to communicate that we, Bnei Yisroel, should shake off our doldrums and attack our mission with ferocity.

It is still left to explain, however, why sleep and wakefulness is used in this case. Mahari seems to say that it was the Yiush itself that is compared to sleep—not the inaction related to the Binyan Habais. Why is this the case, and does it perhaps related to the “Tardema” noted by the Malbim? Perhaps the inability to fully grasp the previous Nevurah, which caused a deep sleep, is somehow related to the Yiush noted by the Mahari Kr”a.

It would seem helpful to understand what sleep represents in order to understand why it is relevant to these Nevuos. We often look to the first instance of a concept in order to understand it on its most basic level, and in the case of sleep we need not look tוo far into the Torah.

After the creation of Adam HaRishon, the Torah tells us: “VaYapel Hashem Elokim Tardema Al HaAdam V’Yishon”, Hashem caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. It was during this slumber that Hashem created Chava, but it seems that there may have been an additional purpose as well.

The Medrash in Beraishis Rabba explains that when Hashem created a Adam HaRishon, the Malachim made a mistake: “Bikshu Lomar Lifanav Kadosh”, but Hashem made him fall asleep so that they knew that this was a mere person and their notion dispelled. This Medrash is somewhat cryptic but seems to indicate that the sleep into which Adam fell was meant in some way to communicate a message to the Malachaim about mankind.

The Chashav Sofer, a member of the Chasam Sofers family, explains this Medrash in a novel way.

The Gemara in Chulin tells us that Malachim cannot say Shira in Shamayim until Bnei Yisroel says Shira on earth. When Adam was created, however, the Malachim assumed that because they were created first, they were on a higher Madreiga and so they should say Shira first. This is indicated in the Medrash which says “Bikshu Lomar Lifanav Kadosh”: they wished to say Kadosh, which is the Shira of Malachim, prior to Adam.

Hashem therefore made Adam fall asleep so that the Malachim would see that he was a being of Gashmi, closer to the earth than they. That being said, if man is able to overcome his Yetzer, and his tendencies toward the physical world—rising to the level of being able to say Shira to Hashem—he is indeed closer to HKBH and on a higher Madreiga than Malachim, and his Shira comes first. Thus, as the Gemara noted, the Shira of the Malachim cannot begin until those who have perfected themselves on earth have said their more elevated Shira.

We see, then, that sleep is used to represent that which holds us back, that which stunts our growth: our reliance on the Olam HaGashmi. At the same time, it is possible for a person to wake up, emerge from his slumber, and attain unimaginable heights.

Perhaps this was the message to Zecharia as indicated by his slumber, and the Malach rousing him.

Bnei Yisroel had faltered, they had an opportunity to build the Bais Hamikdash and they failed to rise to the occasion. As Mahari Kr”a explains, this led to Yiush—they were not sure if the Mikdash would ever be built in their days, the lacked the confidence to complete the job.

This Yiush is akin to a Tardema—it is a testament to our human limitations. If we really believe in all that we can accomplish, in our own capacity for Kedusha, we not give up hope. Only because we limit ourselves, often based on what we see as the “rules” of Teva and Gashmius, do we not achieve all that we can.

Zecharia was shown a Nevuah related to the Binyan HaBayis and he did not understand it, as the Malbim explained, because he was in a Tardema of Yiush. Because Klal Yisroel had fallen into a trap in which they allowed their perceived reality to define them, the Binyan HaBayis seemed out of reach.

The Malach therefore came and woke Zechraria up, reminding him that we do not have to be confined by our connection to the Olam HaGashmi. Upon being roused from his slumber, he was K’ish Asher Ya’ir Mishinaso, like a person who had awakened from his sleep—steeled to conquer the day.

By waking Zecharia up from his sleep, the Malach allowed him to relieve himself of Yiush, to free himself from the confines of Teva and Gashmi, and therefore easily understand the Nevuah that herareled the Binyan Habayis.

The message to us is clear: sometimes we too find ourselves asleep—we allow our physical needs and desires to define us and we do not accomplish all that we otherwise might. It is important to try and awaken ourselves, to realize that if we release ourselves from these bindings we can rise to untold heights, even to the point where the Malachim await the sounds of our Shira so that they may begin their own.