Hearing the Voice of Hashem

The Parsha begins by telling us that Hashem spoke to Moshe, “MeOhel Moed: from the Ohel Moed (Mishkan)” Rashi (citing the Medrash) explains that the Passuk specifies MeOhel Moed to tell us that the voice of Hahsem stopped at the entrance to the Ohel Moed, and could not be heard outside of it.

Rashi continues to explain that one should not think that the voice of Hashem was low and was therefore only audible to Moshe, who was in the Ohel Moed, but rather it was the same Kol that we read about in Tehillim: “Kol Hahsem B’koach.” Nonetheless, although the voice was a powerful one, it could only be heard inside the Ohel Moed.

The Darchei Mussar asks on this Medrash: we know that Hahsem does not do Nissim for no reason. If only Moshe was supposed to hear the voice, to the exclusion of those outside the Ohel, why didn’t Hashem use a voice that was less audible? Why use a stronger voice, and make a Nes that it could only be heard inside the Ohel Moed?

He answers that the voice of Hashem, while directed at Moshe, could indeed be heard by all, but the ability to hear the voice has a prerequisite: the Kedusha of the Ohel Moed. Any one of Klal Yisroel could have heard the voice of Hashem, but they had to be on the right level. Even if they weren’t physically in the Ohel Moed, if they had achieved the proper level it would have been as though they were standing in the Ohel Moed with Moshe, and they too would have heard the voice of Hashem.

I once heard someone explain use the Mashal of a Radio Frequency to explain this Darchei Mussar: the Kol Hashem was being broadcast, but a person had to be tuned to the proper frequency to hear it.

The Darchei Mussar expands on this idea: the Mishna in Pirkei Avos tells us that the voice of Hashem speaks to us each day from Har Chorev. Why don’t we hear it? If there is in fact a voice, should it not be audible, perhaps the Mishna is not meant to be taken literally? The Darchei Mussar explains that the Mishna is not speaking allegorically, rather we are deficient: we can’t hear the voice because we aren’t properly attuned to it.

We spend so much time on our spiritual lives, performing Mitzvos, Davening, learning Torah, and sometimes we wonder why it isn’t affecting us. How can we celebrate Shabbos and Yomim Tov, such times of Rucniyus, and be the same people after as we were before? Why don’t we hear the Kol Hahsem, so to speak?

Because we aren’t properly focused. We see events unfold before our eyes and we fail to be impacted by them, because we aren’t sensitive enough to hear the Voice of Hashem speaking to us.

I saw a very similar idea linked to the upcoming Yom Tov of Purim.

The Gemarah tells us “Hu Achashverosh: he was the same Achashverosh from start to finish.” Achashverosh was not converted to a friend of the Jews following the Nes of Purim, he remained a Rasha.

This Gemarah is one of many that show us that the Nes of Purim was really one of Teva: the casual observer had the ability to witness the entire story of Purim and just assume it was the natural order of things. There are no supernatural forces obviously at work in Purim, no suspension of disbelief is necessary to accept that these events took place.

The Sefer Ohel Moshe points out, however, that the Jews at that time had such an outpouring of Ahavas Hahsem as a result of the Nes Nistar of Purim that they were able to re-accept the Torah out of love, “Kimmu V’Kiblu Hayehudim.”

He explains that sometimes in order to see something you have to be looking for it, and have an eye that is trained to observe it.

The Jews at the time of Purim knew that they were in a desperate situation and, as many before them and many after them, they knew that their salvation could come only at the hands of Hashem. They were looking for the Yad Hashem, and so they saw it even through the copious amounts of Hester Panim.

Anyone else looking at the story of Purim might not see Hashem at work, but just as we see in this week’s Parsha that sometimes you have to be attuned to hear the Kol Hashem, one also has to be “wearing the right glasses” (as the Ohel Moshe puts it) to see the Yad Hahsem.

This discussion begs the question: How can we become properly attuned? How can we increase our own sensitivity to the Kol Hahsem ?

Perhaps we can answer this question by asking why the Torah choose to teach us this lesson specifically at the beginning of this Parsha, as the Torah begins the discussion of Karbonos?

The word Korbon comes from the word “L’hakriv” to bring. This word comes from the same root as the word “L’karev” to become close. Korbonos are a mechanism to become closer to Hashem.

It would be easy to assume that if one wants to become closer to Hashem, they could choose their own path, as long as the end goal was pure. If one has his own ideas for the path to Hashem, let him follow that.

Korbonos teach us that this is not the case.

As anyone who has learned the Parshios of Korbonos—or especially any of the Gemaros dealing with Kodshim—can attest, the Halchos governing Korbonos are extremely detailed. Each procedure or process, even those that seem minute or insignificant, has specific Halachos. Every action of the Kohen is dictated by Halacha—not one step is taken in the Avoda without reason.

In fact, most of Hilchos Kodshim come directly from the relevant Parshios—there is almost no room for S’vara or logical determination, as there is in other realms of Halacha. The Avoda is dictated only by the Torah itself.

The lesson of the Karbanos is that there is a route to become closer to Hashem, but we have to follow exacting Halachos: our own self-determined route is not the proper way. We can become closer to Hahsem by following the dictates of the Torah.

Perhaps this is the reason that the lesson of the Kol Hashem is taught to us at the beginning of the discussion of Karbonos. We all long to hear the Kol Hashem, but we have to remember that this can only be achieved through total and unwavering commitment to the dictates of the Torah.

Just as in the world of Korbonos, so to in all areas of the Torah. One cannot practice “choose your own adventure” Judaism. We have a guidebook, a map of the proper path. If we adhere strictly to the words of the Torah, we can be Zoche to hear the Kol Hashem as it speaks to us every day, and see the Yad Hashem as it affects our lives.