Hapiness For Ourselves and Others

For the purposes of Ma’aser, the six years of produce out of the seven year Shemita cycle is split into two sets of three years. In the first two years one brings Ma’aser Sheni to Yerushalayim, but in the third year, in place of Ma’aser Sheni Ma’aser Ani is given to Aniyim. When one separates the Ma’aser Ani, there is a short Tefillah that is said, which is enumerated in this week’s Parsha.

The Tefillah, which is called Viduy Ma’aser, is an interesting one. In the first part, a person declares all that they have done right with our produce, and specifically Ma’aser: the proper Trumos and Ma’asros have been separated, it has been treated in the proper manner, been protected from Tummah and so on. Following this declaration, we ask Hashem: “Hashkifa Mimon Kodshecha, Min HaShamayim: Look down from your place in Shamayim…” the Tefillah goes on to ask Hashem to give Bracha to Klal Yisroel.

There are a number of interesting points in this short Tefillah. Firstly, what is the idea of giving a report to Hashem: “Asisi K’chol Asher Tzivisani: I did all that you commanded me.” Clearly Hashem knows—perhaps even better than us—what we did and didn’t do correctly?

In addition, why ask Hashem to “look down” at us from Shamayim and give the Bracha. It would almost seem like the Torah is relating to Hashem in the manner of a young child: Hashem lives in Shamayim and looks down at us from there. We know that Hashem is omnipresent, and L’malah Min HaMakom U’min HaZman, why do we have to ask him to look down?

The Lashon of Hashkifa, from the root L’shkof, is not a common one, but appears elsewhere in the Torah. For example, after the Malachim visit Avraham in Parshas Vayera, they take their leave and looked toward Sedom, which was the subject of their next mission. The Passuk says there: “VaYakumu MiSham HaAnashim, VaYaskifu Al Pnei Sedom: And the men arose from there and they looked toward Sedom.”

The Medrash there says that every time the Torah uses the Lashon of HaShkafa it has a negative connotation, such as there where the Malachim were looking toward Sedom because they were going to destroy it. Rashi however says that there is one exception: Hashkifa Mimon Kodshecha of Viduy Ma’aser—the Pasuk in our Parsha. In this case the Lashon of Hashkifa is positive. Rashi explains that this is true because the Koach of Ma’aser Ani reverses the Midas HaRogez to the Middah of Rachamim.

We see from this Rashi that there is a lot happening in Viduy Ma’aser. There seems to be some sort of Midas HaRogez, which is reversed through the Ma’aser. Why is Hashem angry with the person and how does the Ma’aser Ani allay that anger? This is certainly a worthy secret to uncover at this time of year, and especially at a time when Klal Yisroel is faced with so many tribulations.

I saw a Pshat from R’ Elya Baruch Finkel z”l that explains this beautifully.

The Gemarah in Brachos (35b) says: “B’zman SheYisrael Ossin Retzono Shel Makom, Melachtan Naasis Al Yedei Acherim: When Klal Yisroel follows the Ratzon Hashem, their work is carried out by others.” The implication of the Gemarah is that when we are doing better in our Avodas Hashem, when our actions more closely reflect the Derech Hashem, our Parnasah is easier to come by, and in fact can be done by others.

This Gemarah is a little difficult to understand. We certainty see many cases where even the most Midakdek B’halacha, even the most strictly observant, struggle with their livelihood. Why don’t they fall under the category of “Melachtan Nasis Al Yedei Acherim?

R’ Elya Baruch explains that there is a difference between following the Torah, doing all that is required of us, and the level of Osin Retzono Shel Makom. In order to reach that level one must be able to anticipate the Ratzon Hashem absent any clear Hadracha from the Torah. There are many instances when a person is faced with a dilemma or challenge that has no clear Halachic guidelines, but if he is truly connected to the Torah and Mitzvos, and to Hashem Himself, he can determine how to act based solely on his perception of Ratzon Hashem.

If one reaches that level, they will be Zoche to Melachtan Nasis Al Yedei Acherim. But one can be a “Shulchan Orech Yid” who does the Mitzvos in the way that he is supposed to and is Midakdek in Halacha without rising to this level of connection to the Ratzon Hashem, and thus would still need to earn his livelihood in the “traditional” manner, through his own work.

We can now understand the Midas Harogez that is present before the completion of Matnos Aniyim.

The “Acherim” that the Gemarah refers to are Goyim, meaning that once a person reaches that Madreiga, non-Jews will do the work in his fields. R’ Elya Baruch points out that produce which is harvested and processed by a non-Jew are not Mechuyav in Ma’aser Ani. Therefore, the mere fact that a person has to give Ma’aser Ani, is a proof that he is not on this level, that he was not Zoche to Melachtan Nasis Al Yedei Acherim. For that reason there is a Midas Harogez—Hashem is unhappy because he is not on the level of Osin Retzono Shel Makom.

What then is the secret of Ma’aser Ani? How does this Mitzvah reverse the Midas HaRogez and indeed turn it into a Midas HaRachamim? What is the reason that this is the only instance in the Torah where the word Hashkifa is used in a positive context?

I think we can understand this if we look at Rashi on the previous Pasuk. As we mentioned earlier, Viduy Ma’aser includes the declaration: “Asisi K’chol Asher Tzivisani: I did all that you commanded me.” What does that include? What can be classified as “K’chol Ashe Tzivisani?” Rashi says: “Samachti, V’Samachti Bo: I was happy, and I made other happy with it.” The person is telling Hashem: The Ma’aser Ani was used to give Simcha to myself, and others.

What does Simcha refer to in this case, and how does the presence of Simcha counteract the Midas Harogez that stems from someone’s lack of Oseh Retzono Shel Makom?

The Pasuk says: “Ivdu Es Hashem B’simcha” we must serve Hashem with joy. In fact, later in the Parsha we are told that the Klalols of the Tochecha come about “Tachas Ashe Lo Avadita…B’simcha: Because we did not serve (Hashem) with Simcha.”

One of the Meforshim on Sefer Tehillim remarks that Ivdu Es Hashem B’simcha is the opposite of Mitzvos Anashim M’Limudah. Sometimes we fall into a pattern of doing Mitzvos because they are “what we do.” We fall into a routine and our Mitzvos have no flavor, no emotional content.

On the other hand, when we do Mitzvos with Simcha—when we inject our feelings of joy and excitement—we know that those Mitzvos are being preformed because they are our passion, because we seek nothing else other than to do the Ratzon Hashem.

This is especially true when it is a difficult Mitzvah. Consider Matnos Aniyim: a person harvests his fields. He has worked long and hard, toiling in the sun and the rain, to yield a bountiful harvest. Now the Torah tells him to take some of these crops and give them to someone else. One can understand why this Mitzvah would be one that would be easy to perform purely for the sake of doing the Mitzvah, but without any attendant joy or emotion.

But if a person realizes that that there is a Ratzon Hashem he understands that although I was the one with the crops and he was the one on the receiving end, it could just have easily been the opposite. I am only in the position to be the giver because of the Ratzon Hashem.

That can bring immense Simcha at the realization that he was Zoche to Bracha from Hahsem and now has the opportunity to be Misameach others: Imagine the level of joy in the Ani’s house on the day that Ma’aser Ani arrives. Children who were hungry can now eat. Parents who had to send their offspring to bed without food no longer have to face that reality—if even for a brief time. The giver’s Simcha begets the Ani’s Simcha. Samachti, V’Samachti Bo.

Perhaps this is part of the answer to the Midas HaRogez: yes, I am not on the level of Ossin Retzono Shel Makom, and therefore are not Zoche to Melachtan Naasis Al Yedei Acherim, so I have to give Ma’aser Ani. But I gave Ma’aser Ani B’simcha—I gave some of the produce that I worked hard to grow and harvest to someone else with happiness—because I understood that the Ratzon Hashem put me in that very position. While that is not quite the ultimate level that it is possible to reach, it’s a step in the right direction. That alone has the ability to turn the Midas HaRogez around and create a Midas HaRachimim.

As we come to the Yemei HaDin this is an appropriate message. We can turn the Midas HaRogez around if we work toward the goal of acting within the Ratzon Hashem. The first step in that direction is to realize that every situation we are in is a result of the Ratzon Hashem—and to use this understanding to bring Simcha to our lives and to those around us.

Samachti, V’Samachti Bo—that is the secret of Ma’aser Ani and that can allow us to proclaim: Asisi K’chol Asher Tzivisani.