Many loving parents call their young children by the title of my little tzadikel. Is it just out of cuteness and endearment or is it a subliminal wish for them to be directed and actually grow up to be one? If it is, then how does one spend his life fulfilling and actualizing this role making his parents, Hashem and himself happy?
The Ari Hakadosh says that Korach is hinted in the end letters of the passuk צדיק כתמר יפרח alluding that he too will eventually attain his tikkun. If so we have to interpret the following passuk of בחצרות אלהינו יפריח as a continuation of his tikkun; that Korach will accept not being the Kohenserving in the Bais Hamikdash who are called those that are שתולים בבית ה‘but rather the Levi who works in the courtyard בחצרות אלהינו יפריחו for there in the chatzair will blossom. Let us present another idea how בחצרות is a form of Korach’s spiritual rehabilitation.
The Noam Elimelech explains the passuk פתחו לי שערי צדק אבוא בם אודה יהthat Tzaddikim never experience “spiritual retirement” in their constant growth of Avodas Hashem. They always view themselves as someone who is standing by the gate davening to Hashem that He should open it to let them in. That is the reason why they reached the level of being tzaddikim as the next passuk continues זה השער לה‘ צדיקים יבואו בו that this self view of standing by the gate is in itself the gateway to attaining intimacy with Hashem.
The Arugas Habosem uses this concept in order to explain the parsha of Moshe erecting the Mishkan. Moshe agreed to Bezalail that the order of making the Mishkan was first to make the building and then the vessels. Yet when Moshe erected the MIshkan he first set up the Mishkan, next he put the vessels in their proper places, and only then did he return to the erect the courtyard and its walls. Why wasn’t the courtyard finished together with the setting up of the building materials without the interruption of placing inside all the vessels in their places? He answers because Hashem wants one to feel that even after one achieves such an incredible accomplishment of making a dwelling place for Hashem, that he is nevertheless standing outside in the חצר the courtyard with the perspective that he had just begun to serve Hashem. This way one will always remain fired up and with zeal to take upon himself a new project for the Ribbon Shel Olam.
This formula of Tzaddikim can be seen from Avraham Avinu upon whom the Medrash by Parah Adumah quotes the passuk מי יתן טהור מטמא and answers לא אחד. Who can make a tahor come from a tamei (the one sprinkling the ashes of the Parah Adumah becomes tamei while simultaneously the one sprinkled upon become tahor. How is this made possible when there exists an obvious paradox before us? The answer isלא אחד Is it not Hashem who is One, and everything in the universe was created by Him? Only Hashem the creator can achieve such a feat. The Medrash continues that the same paradox exists with an Avraham coming from a Terach. They are more that light years distant from each other. Yet the same answer applies לא אחד .
We can apply the Noam Elimelech’s interpretation of the passuk above to this Chazal. How does one extricate himself from deep tumah and a distant relationship with Hashem? The answer is לא אחד by the feeling and the attitude that he is standing by the gate of entry to Avodas Hashem and has not yet accomplished even one thing לא אחד. For the more one learns and reaches higher levels in Avodas Hashem, the more he realizes and understands how much he doesn’t know תכלית ידיעה שלא נדע, and that up until now, ignorance was bliss and undemanding. This passuk (Tehillim 65,5) sums up this Derech Hachayim אשרי תבחר ותקרב ישכון חצריך that Hashem chooses and brings close to Him those that dwell in Your Courtyards. They are always inspired to grow in ruchniyus never falling into complacency or spiritual retirement.
With this we can understand the Medrash (Bereishis Rabba 49,6) that Avraham Avinu knew even the mitzvah of עירובי חצרות. (In order to carry in a courtyard that has more than one owner one must make an EiruvChatzeiros in order for both dwellers to be permitted to carry.) The language of the Medrash is difficult. It should have stated Avraham fulfilledthe mitzvah of Eiruv Chatzairos and not that Avraham knew the mitzvah? In the esoteric level, the Eiruv Chatzeiros symbolizes one’s oneness with Hashem by forming a relationship with Hashem that is built upon the individual standing in the chatzair at the gate of entry even after his spiritual accomplishments. Avraham knew and understood what the inner meaning of this mitzvah demanded from him, and he stepped up to the plate and removed himself from spiritual retirement which made him the Father of Klal Yisrael. The letters of חצר are the same letters of רחץ to wash and cleanse. Avraham Avinu was always cleansing himself to enter the Palace of the King. His mitzovs needed improvement and to be constantly cleansed from any self interests and impure thoughts. Even after the Bris MIlah that he achieved at the old age of 99, he is described as יושב פתח האהל כחם היום that he was sitting at the opening of the tent even though the temperature was unbearable. Avrhaham was a “Chatzeir Yid” always placing himself at the starting line ready to forge the closer bond in his relationship with Hashem even though it involved “heat” and personal discomfort. “Made in the Shade” was not an existent reality for him nor a goal as it is for most people. The sole shade that he desired and yearned for was ה’ צלך .
Now we can understand why the Machlokes of Korach is called חצרות(Devarim 1,1). Korach claimed to Moshe and Ahron why are they conceited and haughty feeling superior to all of Klal Yisrael when In fact the gaavah was that of Korach. The name Chatziros alludes to the madraigah that he was missing that caused his downfall, humility brought about by the perception that was is only standing by the gate of AvodasHashem. This is the interpretation of the passuk שתולים בבית ה‘ if one achieves madraigos in Avodas Hashem as described in the words שתולים בבית ה‘ nevertheless he should constantly live a life of בחצרות אלהינו יפריחוas if he is always standing by the gate and chaitzair to enter the King’s Palace.
With this we can understand the nusach of Al Hanisim Chanukah והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך they lit the menorah in the Chatzair. The Chaztzir of the Bais Hamikdash is an invalid place to light the menorah? We can answer, that the description of lighting of the Menorah in the Chatzir is not about where they lit but what kind of lighting did they have. The lighting of the Menorah symbolized the entire battle with the Greeks, Torah versus secular wisdom. In order to acquire Torah one must preface it with the 48 ways listed in Pirkei Avos. One must have humility because Torah is compared to water which always flows to the lowest ground. Such prerequisites are not needed with secular wisdom. At the victory of the Chasmonaim all realized that the other worldliness of Torah requires שתולים בבית ה‘ בחצרות אלהינו יפריחו . When they lit the Menorah for the first time in the Bais Hamikdash they lit it in the fashion ofבחצרות . The Chachamim established lighting 44 lights throughout Chanukah, 36 candles and 8 shamashim. Not a coincidence at all. The gematriah of 44 is לא אחד. This perception is necessary to acquire understanding in the Torah Hashem as we explained above. It represents the level of בחצרות.
If one will take note he will realize that Megillas Esther is replete with the words of standing in the chatzair and by the shaar.
From here we see that the defeat of Amalek is achieved by the middah of חצר which Mordechai and Esther both personified.To end this thought we will bring from the passuk in the parsha חהאיש אשר אבחר בו מטהו יפר The person whom I will choose his staff shall blossom. According to corect grammar it should have said the person who I have chosen, his staff will blossom. The outcome was going to be Ahron as predicted who has already been acting in the role of the Kohen Gadol? The answer is that the madraigah of Ahron was that he was standing in the chatzair. There were no chazokos (preexisting state) based in the past. He had to earn Hashem’s favor every day and every hour anew. That is the very reason why he was chosen over everybody else. May we be zoche to keep growing in Torah and Avodas Hashem by placing ourselves next to the opening shaar and chatzair.
Rav Brazil
