Haftoras Tzav

The Haftorah for Parshas Tzav comes from the beginning of Sefer Yermiah, and for the most part contains Pessukim in which Yermiyahu warns Bnei Yisroel about the consequences of their lack of appreciation for the Bais Hamikdash. As is the case with most of Sefer Yermiah, the Pessukim are rather frank in describing the results of our unfortunate actions, and it is almost incongruous to be learning them during a time of year dedicated to Simcha. Perhaps we can nonetheless find a message within these Pessukim that will resonate even during the happiest times.

There is one Passuk in middle of the Haftorah whose words sounds familiar: “V’Hishbati M’Arei Yehuda U’Vichutzos Yerushalayim Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah”. The words “V’Hishbati” comes from the term Shavas, to rest, and so the Navi is telling us that in the times of the Churban, the sounds of Simcha will cease to be heard in the “Arei Yehudah” and the “Chutzos Yerushalayim”.

There are two approaches in the Meforshim as to why this will be the case. Metzudos explains that the sounds will be absent because, as the Passuk ends, “Ki L’Charba Tihiyeh HaAretz”, the cities will themselves be desolate. Because Klal Yisroel will be ejected from our land, there will no longer be anyone to create these sounds of Simcha. Radak, on the other hand, has a bit of a bleaker take: the streets will not be silent, but rather than the Kol Simcha there will be a Kol Yelala Kol Bechi U’Tzeaka. Simcha and joyous celebration will be replaced with the sounds of mourning and despair, as our lives are filled with Churban and destruction.

Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Navi is giving a strict warning: if we, Klal Yisroel, do not mend our ways, the “Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah” will be noticeably absent. There are two questions that must be asked on this Passuk.

First, why does the Navi have to list the “Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha” as well as “Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah”? Sasson and Simcha each have different implications, and so it is understandable that both would be included—the eventual Galus would bring with it an absence of both types of joy—but the “Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah” would seem to be subsumed by those descriptions. If there is to be a lack of Sasson and Simcha, does that not tell us that the joy of a Chosson and Kallah will be absent as well? It would seem that the Navi could have said “V’Hishbati M’Arei Yehuda U’Vichutzos Yerushalayim Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha” and we would have understood that the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah would not be heard either—why are both mentioned?

Secondly, it seems that, to some extent the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah are yet heard in the Arei Yehuda and Chutzos Yerushalayim. Though we have not yet achieved Geulah, and the Kol Yelala Kol Bechi U’Tzeaka described by Radak are sadly a major part of our lives, we do experience times of joy and hear the sounds of celebration. It would be wrong to assume that these words of the Navi were not fulfilled, or that we have achieved some sort of partial reprieve. Rather, we must assume that we do not fully understand the implication of Yermiyahu’s words. What does the Navi mean when he refers to the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah?

There is a Sifri in Devarim that refers to these words, and can perhaps be the first step to understanding their true meaning. There Chazal tell us that any time a Navi was forced to relay “Devarim Kashim” to Klal Yisroel, they would also relay corresponding Divrei Nechama. The first example, which the Medrash tells us taught all other Neviim, is Moshe Rabbienu who gave Klal Yisroel a strong warning in the form of the Tochecha of Ki Savo, but then soothed them with the comforting words that we learn in Zos HaBeracha.

The final example given in the Medrash is Yirmiah, who issued the frightening warning contained in our Passuk, “V’Hishbati M’Arei Yehuda U’Vichutzos Yerushalayim Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah” but later issued corresponding Divrei Nechama: “Az Tismach Besulah B’Machol U’Bachurim V’Zekenim Yachdav”. These Divrei Nechama are found later in the Sefer, when the Yermiyahu describes the reality we will experience L’Asid Lavo: “V’Hafachti Evlam L’Sason”.

Interestingly, there are other Pessukim in Sefer Yermiah that the Medrash could have chosen as the Divrei Nechama regarding the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah: the ones that we are more familiar with, that begin with the words “Od Yeshama”. There the Navi promises that the Arei Yehuda” and “Chutzos Yerushalayim” will yet be filled with the “Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah”. These Pessukim would seem to be a direct replacement, so to speak for the Devarim Kashim found in our Haftorah. In fact it isen’t even clear that the Passuk of “Az Tismach” is referring to a Chasunah, but perhaps only to the rejoicing that will follow the Geulah, making these words an even more interesting choice.

We must therefore deduce, from the fact that the Medrash chose the words “Az Tismach Besulah B’Machol U’Bachurim V’Zekenim Yachdav”, that there is something within these words that connects them to the earlier Passuk, V’Hishbati M’Arei Yehuda U’Vichutzos Yerushalayim Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah. There must be a reason that these words specifically are the balm which sooths the Devarim Kashim of our Haftorah. That being the case, if we understand the promise of “Az Tismach”, perhaps we can better understand the warning of “V’Hishbati”.

Looking at the Passuk itself, there seem to be some words that are perhaps extra. Rather than telling us that the Bachurim and Besulos will rejoice, the Navi tells us that the Besulos will rejoice “B’Machol” and that the Bachurim will rejoice together with the Zekenim. Clearly there is an implication to these terms: the Navi didn’t just want to tell us that there would be rejoicing, but how it would be carried out.

Metzudos translates The word “Machol” it as “Rikudin Shel Simcha”, and it is generally assumed to mean a circle. The Chasam Sofer explains the meaning of these words based on the concept of a circle.

The Gemara at the end of Taanis tells us “Asid Hakadosh Baruch Hu La’asos Machol LaTzadikim”, that in the times of Moshiach, Hashem will make a circle of Tzaddikim and sit in the center, so to speak. The Gemarah then says that “Kol Echad V’Echad Mareh B’Etzbo”, each one will point to the Kaviyachol, saying “Zeh Hashem Kivinu Lo”. Though this Gemarah is hard to understand literally, the Chasam Sofer explains that Chazal are telling us about the outlook we will achieve L’Asid Lavo: “Kol Magamas Machsheves Kol Yisroel Yihiyeh Rak La’asos Retzono Yisbarach.” We will be standing in a circle, so to speak, and at the center will be the Ratzon Haborei, and each one will be focused entirely on fulfilling the Ratzon Hashem—that will be the central focus of our lives.

The Navi is thus telling us that when Moshiach comes, the Besulos will rejoice “B’Machol” and the Bachurim and Zekenim “Yachdav”. we will all be facing the center of the same circle and will all have the same goals and interests: the Kiyum of the Ratzon Hashem.

Before turning back to our Haftorah, let us look at a totally unrelated use of the term “Machol”.

The Yerushalmi in Bikurim tells us that three people experience full Kaparos Avonos: a Chacham, a Choson and one who becomes a Nasi. The Kaparas Avonos of a Choson is learned from a most unlikely source: Esav Harasha. The Passuk in Parshas Vayetzei says that Esav married Machlas Bas Yishmael, and the Gemarah asks: “V’Chi Machlas Shema, V’Halo Basmas Shema?” We never see mention of Yishmael having a daughter named Machlas, points out the Gemarah, her name was Basmas. “Ela SheNimchalu Lo Al Kol Avonasav.” Rather, concludes the Gemarah, the word Machlas is used to teach us that Esav achieved Mechilah for his sins when he married Basmas. We learn then that all Chassanim (and Kallos) receive complete Kaparas Avonos.

There is one very obvious questions on this Gemarah, asked by a range of Meforshim: Why do we learn such an important lesson, that a Chosson received Mechila for his Aveiros, from Eisav of all people? The Torah speaks about the marriages of Yitzchok Avinu, Yaakov Avinu and a host of other Tzaddikim—why teach us about the Mechilah received by a Chosson using Esav and Basmas?

R’ Zalman Sorotzkim, in Aznayim L’Torah, explains that the Torah wished to make two important points in using Esav as an example. The first is that every Chosson, no matter what Aveiros he has committed, can be Zoche to Kapparah. The second, is that there is a prerequisite: Teshuva. Right before telling us that Esav married Machalas, the Torah tells us: “Vayar Esav Ki Raos Bnos Canaan B’Einei Yitzchok Aviv”, Esav saw that his father Yitzchok despised the Bnos Canaan. His decision to marry Basmas, then, was an attempt by Esav to do Teshuva, to try and hew more closely to the path of his father. It was this Teshuva that allowed him to be Zoche to Kapparas Avonos upon his marriage.

Perhaps, based on all this, we can understand what the Navi is telling us about the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah.

As the Chassam Sofer explains, the Navi tells us that L’Asid Lavo we will all have the correct focus in life: “Kol Magamas Machsheves Kol Yisroel Yihiyeh Rak La’asos Retzono Yisbarach”. That means, perforce, that after the Churban we were stripped of this ability—our lack of a direct connection to the Borei Olam causes us to lose focus on what is truly important in life. When can this affect can be most clearly discerned? In times of joy. “Az Tismach Besulah B’Machol U’Bachurim V’Zekenim Yachdav”, only once the Geulah comes will we be able to experience true Simcha, as we rejoice about the connection we have with Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Thus, when the Navi promises “V’Hishbati…Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha”, it means that even when we have reason to rejoice, it will not be for the right reasons. We experience happiness, but our joy is not for the correct reasons. The Navi then gives us a common example of this dichotomy: the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah.

When we attend a wedding, when we hear the Kol Chosson V’Kol Kallah, why do we experience joy? Perhaps we are happy because they have each found a mate, because they are embarking on life’s journey together. Most, however, do not consider the message that the Chosson and Kallah send: regardless of their previous missteps, they have each received total Kapparas Avonos because they did Teshuva. We should rejoice in knowing that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the Rachum V’Chanun who requires only a small amount of Teshuva to bestow Kaparas Avonos even upon the likes of Esav. This itself is a reason for unending Simcha, but we do not feel it because we are Galus Yidden, and we cannot always focus on the center of the circle.

That is the message of the Navi: not that there won’t be weddings, but that the affect of Galus is that when we cannot rejoice for the right reasons it as if there is no Kol Sason V’Kol Simcha, no Kol Chosson or Kol Kallah. This is an important message fdring the times of year when we are told that we are to experience Simcha: we must remember that the Simcha must resemble that of “Az Tismach” and not “V’Hishbati”. Our Simcha should be the results of our relationship with Hashem, and not in external reasons. If we are successful in this regard, we will soon be Zoche to a Kiyum of the Divrei Chazal as we point to Hashem, exclaiming: “Zeh Hashem Kivinu Lo”