THE BATTLE TO ACHIEVING UNITY
Matos
Parshas Matos describes the war against Midian. This would be Moshe’s final campaign before passing away. On the literal level, the war against Midian comes as revenge for having caused Bnei Yisroel to sin by worshipping Baal Peor.
In the Chassidishe Parsha, the Alter Rebbe reveals that there is a much deeper dimension to this story, one that is very relevant in our own lives, especially at this time of year.
In Kabbalah, each of the nations that we were commanded to fight, embodies a different negative character trait. The seven nations of Canaan represent the seven emotions in their corrupted form. The nation of Midian represents the evil of Sinas Chinam (baseless hatred) - the word Midian deriving from Madon, meaning strife.
Hashem tells Moshe that the war is “to take vengeance of Bnei Yisroel against Midian”. Moshe says that the war is “to take Hashem’s vengeance against Midian”. The Kelipah of Sinas Chinam is the enemy of both Hashem and the Jewish people.
The side of Kedusha is defined by Achdus. Hashem is one and His Name is one. This is particularly in reference to the essential Name י-ה-ו-ה. When the Jewish people have Achdus, Hashem’s Kedusha rests amongst us.
Sinas Chinam is the antithesis to this oneness, causing separation and divisiveness amongst the Jewish people. When there is a lack of Achdus, it causes separation in Hashem’s Name and causes Hashem’s presence to depart.
The sages of the Talmud taught that because the sins of the earlier generation were revealed, their Keitz, the end of their exile, was also revealed. Because the sin of the later generation was not revealed, their Keitz - the end of their exile, was not revealed.
The destruction of the first Beis Hamikdash was brought about because of the serious sins of idolatry, murder and forbidden relations. Yet, their exile in Bavel lasted only 70 years, after which they could return to Eretz Yisroel and rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. These 70 years of Golus were to rectify the corruption of the seven emotions, represented by the seven Canaanite nations - 10 years for each Middah.
In contrast, the second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed on account of the seemingly less-serious sin of Sinas Chinam. Yet, the exile that ensued continues to this day, lasting more than 19 hundred years, a Golus whose end is not revealed.
The punishment of Golus is in order for us to reflect on the sins that brought it about. When we do Teshuvah and rectify these sins, the Golus is no longer required and we can be redeemed.
When the sins are obvious, such as those of the first Temple era, it is easier to do Teshuvah. We can easily recognise that we have done wrong, take ownership and make amends.
When it comes to Sinas Chinam, we minimise its severity, making it harder to recognise our wrongdoing and take ownership of it. We justify our dislike for others; There is always a reason that entitles us to feel that way. This is why the sages describe Sinas Chinam as a ‘hidden’ sin. But in truth, the dislike comes from Sinas Chinam. The justifications that we give are just excuses.
Because we justify our Sinas Chinam, we are less inclined to recognise it for what it is, making Teshuvah much harder. This is why our current Golus has gone on for so long.
The Alter Rebbe illustrates this with an analogy: When removing impurities from a mixture, the large impurities can be easily identified and quickly removed. But removing the subtle, fine impurities, takes much more time.
The root cause of Sinas Chinam is arrogance and ego. We dislike others and find faults in them because we feel that they are a threat to our self-importance and our interests. If so, the key to achieving unity and Ahavas Yisroel is through humility. When we are humble, we can give space for others. We can appreciate their strengths without feeling threatened and we can work with others, connect with them and receive influence from them.
This is why the battle against Midian had to be through Moshe’s command and was to be his culminating accomplishment before passing away. Moshe was synonymous with humility. He is praised as being the humblest of all men whoever lived. It is this quality of Moshe that empowers us to win the war against Sinas Chinam and bring unity.
Parshas Matos is always read during the Three Weeks, the time each year where we mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and the ensuing Golus. This mourning is in order for us to focus on the cause of the exile and do whatever we can to rectify it. If we want our Keitz to be revealed and for the Golus to end, we need to fight our own war against Midian; to eradicate the insidious enemy of Sinas Chinam and increase unity.
*This Maamar was first recited by the Alter Rebbe in the year 5528 (1868) on his journey home from the Maggid of Mezritch. The Alter Rebbe passed through the town of Smorgon, a “Machlokes Shtot” - a town filled with Machlokes, instigated by the young Torah scholars. This prompted the Alter Rebbe to give this discourse. Due to the importance of its message, the Alter Rebbe would review this Maamar every 2-3 years, to “purify the atmosphere in the world”.
In the Chassidishe Parsha, the Alter Rebbe reveals that there is a much deeper dimension to this story, one that is very relevant in our own lives, especially at this time of year.
In Kabbalah, each of the nations that we were commanded to fight, embodies a different negative character trait. The seven nations of Canaan represent the seven emotions in their corrupted form. The nation of Midian represents the evil of Sinas Chinam (baseless hatred) - the word Midian deriving from Madon, meaning strife.
Hashem tells Moshe that the war is “to take vengeance of Bnei Yisroel against Midian”. Moshe says that the war is “to take Hashem’s vengeance against Midian”. The Kelipah of Sinas Chinam is the enemy of both Hashem and the Jewish people.
The side of Kedusha is defined by Achdus. Hashem is one and His Name is one. This is particularly in reference to the essential Name י-ה-ו-ה. When the Jewish people have Achdus, Hashem’s Kedusha rests amongst us.
Sinas Chinam is the antithesis to this oneness, causing separation and divisiveness amongst the Jewish people. When there is a lack of Achdus, it causes separation in Hashem’s Name and causes Hashem’s presence to depart.
The sages of the Talmud taught that because the sins of the earlier generation were revealed, their Keitz, the end of their exile, was also revealed. Because the sin of the later generation was not revealed, their Keitz - the end of their exile, was not revealed.
The destruction of the first Beis Hamikdash was brought about because of the serious sins of idolatry, murder and forbidden relations. Yet, their exile in Bavel lasted only 70 years, after which they could return to Eretz Yisroel and rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. These 70 years of Golus were to rectify the corruption of the seven emotions, represented by the seven Canaanite nations - 10 years for each Middah.
In contrast, the second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed on account of the seemingly less-serious sin of Sinas Chinam. Yet, the exile that ensued continues to this day, lasting more than 19 hundred years, a Golus whose end is not revealed.
The punishment of Golus is in order for us to reflect on the sins that brought it about. When we do Teshuvah and rectify these sins, the Golus is no longer required and we can be redeemed.
When the sins are obvious, such as those of the first Temple era, it is easier to do Teshuvah. We can easily recognise that we have done wrong, take ownership and make amends.
When it comes to Sinas Chinam, we minimise its severity, making it harder to recognise our wrongdoing and take ownership of it. We justify our dislike for others; There is always a reason that entitles us to feel that way. This is why the sages describe Sinas Chinam as a ‘hidden’ sin. But in truth, the dislike comes from Sinas Chinam. The justifications that we give are just excuses.
Because we justify our Sinas Chinam, we are less inclined to recognise it for what it is, making Teshuvah much harder. This is why our current Golus has gone on for so long.
The Alter Rebbe illustrates this with an analogy: When removing impurities from a mixture, the large impurities can be easily identified and quickly removed. But removing the subtle, fine impurities, takes much more time.
The root cause of Sinas Chinam is arrogance and ego. We dislike others and find faults in them because we feel that they are a threat to our self-importance and our interests. If so, the key to achieving unity and Ahavas Yisroel is through humility. When we are humble, we can give space for others. We can appreciate their strengths without feeling threatened and we can work with others, connect with them and receive influence from them.
This is why the battle against Midian had to be through Moshe’s command and was to be his culminating accomplishment before passing away. Moshe was synonymous with humility. He is praised as being the humblest of all men whoever lived. It is this quality of Moshe that empowers us to win the war against Sinas Chinam and bring unity.
Parshas Matos is always read during the Three Weeks, the time each year where we mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and the ensuing Golus. This mourning is in order for us to focus on the cause of the exile and do whatever we can to rectify it. If we want our Keitz to be revealed and for the Golus to end, we need to fight our own war against Midian; to eradicate the insidious enemy of Sinas Chinam and increase unity.
*This Maamar was first recited by the Alter Rebbe in the year 5528 (1868) on his journey home from the Maggid of Mezritch. The Alter Rebbe passed through the town of Smorgon, a “Machlokes Shtot” - a town filled with Machlokes, instigated by the young Torah scholars. This prompted the Alter Rebbe to give this discourse. Due to the importance of its message, the Alter Rebbe would review this Maamar every 2-3 years, to “purify the atmosphere in the world”.