How lovely are your footsteps בנעלים — in sandals, O daughter of nobles!
This verse in the Song of Songs (7 2) extols the 'daughter' of the noble Avraham — the Jewish nation, who exhibit great loyalty on each of the three holidays when they trekked by foot unto Yerushalayim to celebrate the Moadim in unison in the Holy Temple.
It was not only an arduous journey but also one taken at great risk, leaving our homes unprotected and exposed to criminal nations who would take advantage and plunder our assets.
The late beloved Gaon and Posek Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ponders why the verse emphasizes the trek in their shoes specifically, being merely a tangential reality.
He suggests a solution by first portraying the emotional rollercoaster this pilgrim must have experienced. As the view of his homestead fades as he undertakes his trip, thoughts of doubt possess him. Imagining neighboring foes invading his private space he begins to question whether this journey is justified, jeopardizing his financial stability and capacity to continue to meet his responsibilities to his wife and children. He struggles to soothe his anxieties, moving purposefully forward towards the thrill of being in the warmth of the Divine Presence. As he finally approaches the Temple Mount in its full majesty, he removes his shoes in accordance with the law, before treading on this hallowed ground.
In this moment of exquisite joy and privilege all his fears melt away, suddenly becoming trivial in contrast to the ecstasy he senses in the warmth of the Shechina's embrace.
If one would query what is more worthy in G-d's eyes, his challenging journey laced with skepticism or the elevated state of his neshama that finally experienced exquisite connection to Hashem, what would our answer be?
Rav Shlomo Zalman avers that the highlighting of the shoes accents the initial footsteps he took, placing upon his feet the necessary protection against the rocky terrain he must conquer both physically and proverbially in his overcoming overwhelming doubt and painful anxiety, while getting to his aspired designation.
It is in those moments of challenge that man tackles successfully that proves where the depth of his soul resides.
G-d is happy when man can 'kick off his shoes' in spiritual comfort but cherishes more so the muscles of his soul that man displays on the journey toward his objective.
We recite each night of the Seder:
Blessed is He Who keeps His pledge to Israel
Could we possibly doubt G-d's honesty? The One Whose seal is אמת — truth, needs not our validation of His keeping His commitment!
The Frierdiker Rebbe of Lubavitch, Rav Yosef Yitzchok Shneerson suggests this assertion refers to the time of the ultimate redemption, when G-d will look lovingly back at how we 'pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps' in restoring worlds that were destroyed by our enemies, through sheer determination defying those who professed that we as a people were destined for extinction.
When Moshiach arrives we will no longer ever face the challenges we endured that forged our greatness. Though G-d will pine for those moments, nevertheless He will keep His promise.
It is reported that there was a Yid who bemoaned to the Chofetz Chaim how difficult it is to keep all the mitzvos with the multitude of challenges Jews faced in those impoverished times coupled with the incessant abuse we absorbed from our enemies. The Chofetz Chaim responded that it is precisely in the eras of difficult challenges that we must persevere and can earn reward for making the right choices amidst difficulty. Once Moshiach arrives, the prophet tells us, free choice will become extinct. The reality we will be confronted with will be so compelling we simply will be incapable of choosing by our own free will. It will be days where man will say, "I have no חפץ — desire/choice in them!" (קהלת יב א)
The Chofetz Chaim explained that the delay in Moshiach's arrival is indeed due to G-d's desire for us to continue to accrue reward.
If that is the case, then why do we pray for Moshiach?
An old friend, Rav Leib'l Lopiansky, in his marvelous treatise, Lev Tzion, discovers a very encouraging Midrash Tanchuma that sheds a brilliant light on this dilemma.
Rebbe Tanchuma bar Abba interprets the verse in Koheles (5 11) that states Sweet is the sleep of a laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Can it be that one who ate a little can sleep as soundly as one who went to bed sated?
Rather the verse is speaking about of righteous men and those who labor in fulfillment of the Torah. For example, a man who lives only thirty years may have devoted himself from his tenth year until the day of his death to the law and the commandments, while another man, who lives eighty years, may have devoted himself to the law and the commandments from his tenth year to the day of his death. You might say: Woe to the first one, who labored only twenty years in the law, while the other devoted himself to it for seventy years. Surely the Holy One, blessed be He, will give him a greater reward than He will give to him who labored in the law only twenty years. Hence, I said: Whether he eats little or much. For the one who had devoted twenty years to the Torah might well say to the Holy One, blessed be He: “If you had not removed me from this world in the prime of my life, I would have had additional years to devote to the law and the commandments.” Therefore, I repeat: Whether he eats little or much, the reward of one is equal to the reward of the other. (Midrash Tanchuma Ki Sisa 3)
So, award awaits us for eternity if we have proven ourselves as having yearned and striven to fulfill G-d's will. We will not lose out, as it is G-d who pulled us off the assembly line, and we are willing to continue to.
We must pray for Moshiach so we may be eternally bonded to His service yet not fear we will lose out on the unique rewards inherent with struggle, for we have displayed our true colors and selfless devotion.
Years ago, when the Iron Curtain parted after seventy years of religious isolation and persecution allowing emigration of Jews to Israel there were many who claimed to be Jews but lacked documentation of that fact.
Rabbi Lau who headed the Bais Din in Tel Aviv sat with his fellow Dayanim and heard and evaluated the testimonies of those who came before them.
A middle-aged man and an elderly woman approached the bench.
Arkady Bieletzkei spoke up and offered two witnesses to support his claim of his Jewish identity.
First, he presented an elderly gentleman who attested to being in attendance of Arkady's Bris and even remembered Arkady being conferred the Hebrew name of Aharon.
A second man was asked to come forward and testify. He was a member of an underground group who helped promote Yiddishkeit clandestinely amidst great danger.
He gets up and states that he is not here to testify about Arkady, but rather about the elderly woman who accompanied Arkady — Yelena his mother.
Every year before Pesach, Yelena would approach him for assistance. Despite her being far removed for any observance of Jewish law, there was one mitzvah she adamantly stuck to, exclaiming to him with fierce pride, "I am a Jew and I must eat matza on Pesach!"
She had a prominent job as an administrator of a major hospital and was a heavy smoker, clearly addicted to her habit.
Every day following the holiday of Pesach she would remove one cigarette from her quota of cigarettes and place it in a sealed box that had a small aperture to allow one cigarette to drop in. Each year before Pesach she would present to this agent 365 precious cigarettes to sell on the black market in exchange for flour that he would bake into matzos for her. He relayed how when she received her precious parcel she burst out with uncontrollable emotion.
The courtroom was filled with inspired awe for this holy woman who wept quietly as the story unfolded.
Rabbi Lau stood up and approached this remarkable woman addressing her.
"Precious Daughter of Israel, the Communists waged a battle to the death to eradicate the Jewish nation, seeking to detach an entire generation from their connection to their heritage. They nearly succeeded. But you, a Yiddeshe Momma, held on strong to the rope of tradition, maintaining your bond with the Creator. You refused to relinquish on the mitzvah of Matzah.
"How fascinating is it that although many Jews celebrate the Seder only once a year, you dear Jewish mother, celebrate 365 times, each day of the year as you preserved this cherished mitzvah under the noses of the K.G.B. at great personal sacrifice.
"Your son is Jewish and eternally bonded to the Jewish people.
"Yiddeshe Momma, your rope is mighty like no other, your sacrifice, your love, your soul and your warmth has the power to bring the ultimate redemption!"
We have just ended the marvelous Yom Tov of Pesach.
Today begins its celebration anew.
As we ascend the ladder towards Mount Sinai, we must show Hashem what stuff we are made of.
Our eternal bond is contingent on that!
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
