Heavenly Assistance

Speaking of Siyata Di’Shemaya

Speaking of Siyata Di’Shemaya

As I was reading parashat Shemini in the year 2006, I encountered a difficulty. How could it be that despite acting l’shem Shamayim, the sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, were struck down so severely? I thought of the verse (Vayikra 10:6), “The entire House of Israel shall bewail the conflagration that Hashem ignited.” Their deaths, it seems, came as punishment for the sin of the whole nation. But why were they put to death in this grisly manner? Moreover, the day of their deaths was the same day that the Mishkan was inaugurated. This was a day of tremendous rejoicing. Why did Hashem see fit to mar the nation’s joy just then?

This matter has many deep meanings. I looked for one that I could understand. I knew that after Kabbalat Shabbat, I would be delivering a lecture dealing with this very topic. I researched the subject completely, but could not arrive at anything conclusive.

Suddenly, I felt my legs carry me to the library of the Beit Hakeneset. There, I picked up the sefer Kedushat Levi of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev. I opened to parashat Shemini and began reading. I studied the commentaries in the hope of finding a resolution to my difficulties. But I couldn’t find any explanation of this subject.

I continued leafing through the pages. Suddenly, I came upon a wonderful commentary on Shir Hashirim which explains the death of Aharon’s sons. All of my queries were resolved.

The Kedushat Levi explains that often, a tzaddik sins and falls spiritually. But he quickly does teshuvah. The purpose of his fall is to bring the souls of reshaim back up with him as he ascends once again. This provides a tikkun for their neshamot.

The Ba’al Shem Tov and his disciple, the Maggid of Mezeritch, compare this to a person who finds a diamond hidden in the mud. As he removes it, he automatically dirties himself. But he doesn’t care. He has found a diamond! After he cleans it off, it is worth millions.

Thus, tzaddikim may become ensnared in sin, against their free will. They do not wish to sin, but to remove other souls which have stumbled in that sin. By bringing these souls back with them, they polish them until the Divine spark shines forth from them once again.

In my speech, I referred to the Inauguration of the Mishkan, about which we are told, “Let the mother cow (brought as a sacrifice) clean up after her son (atone for the Sin of the Golden Calf.” Hashem arranged that Nadav and Avihu sin and be punished specifically on the day of the Inauguration of the Mishkan, so that their atonement would serve as a tikkun for all of the neshamot of Klal Yisrael who sinned with the Golden Calf. Since these two towering personalities were offered on the public altar, their deaths were atonement for the entire nation.

After delivering my lecture, I realized that I merited discovering this explanation because I had once chanced upon a sefer referring to the disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov, which mentions the Kedushat Levi, calling it a holy work relevant to people on all levels.

When I stood before the crowd on Shabbat, facing the bookshelves of the Beit Hakeneset, I took in my hands this wonderful work. Since it is acclaimed as “relevant to people on all levels,” I hoped it would speak to me.

“One who comes to purify himself receives Divine assistance” (Shabbat 104a). Hashem saw my fierce desire to uncover the pure truth. He therefore granted me siyata di’Shemaya to find a fitting solution to my quandary, which would be acceptable to my listeners.

 

Speaking of Siyata Di’Shemaya

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Activity of the Rav

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