Sunday, August 21, 2016

The Life of the Tzadik

Art Baruch Nachshon

''From there, they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Yotvath..'' [Eikev 10:7]

Rashi: And at Moserah, you made a great mourning for the death of Aaron, which was the cause of this [your retreat], and it seemed to you as though he had died there. Moses juxtaposed this reproof with the breaking of the tablets to indicate that the death of the righteous is as grievous to the Holy One, blessed is He, as the day the tablets were broken...

Why is a tzadik [Aaron] compared to the tablets?

The writing on the tablets represented the ''soul'' of the tablets, and the tablets themselves, their ''body''.  The fact that the Ten Commandments were engraved into the tablets, and not merely written onto them, means that the words and the tablets [''soul'' and ''body''] became one single, indivisible entity.

Likewise in the case of a tzadik, it is not merely that his soul interacts with his body, but that the tzadik's physical life is totally at peace with his soul such that ''the life of the tzadik is not a physical life, but a spiritual life''.

Based on Likutei Sichos vol 14 pp 32-34 Lubavitcher Rebbe

7 comments:

annie said...

Thank you for this "mini shiur" We love all your postings......

Please help me to understand Psalms 116:15 compared to this explaination of the death of the righteous is as grievous to the Holy One, blessed is He, as the day the tablets were broken...

I am not understanding the two positions... please help us to understand this...?

Devorah said...

A tzaddik never really dies, their teachings and deeds live on forever, so perhaps that is what it means.

annie said...

...well... how can the death of a righteous person be grevious then....

are you saying that this righteous person's teachings were not followed and THAT would be the reason a righteous person's death would be grevious?...no one is following or adhering to his teachings or warnings?

Devorah said...

No, I'm saying that even after his death people follow his teachings.

I guess both opinions can apply depending on circumstances, but hopefully someone will comment who actually knows.

Anonymous said...

The Rashi on the word "יקר " - precious in the Tehillim 116, 15 is "קשה וכבד " - difficult and heavy.

Anonymous said...

Is it possible you made a credit mistake on the artist. I believe the art is Baruch Nachshon, not Michoel Muchnik.

Devorah said...

Thank you, it was a picture I had with no artist's name, and it looked like a Muchnik. But you are correct, I've changed the name now.