Parshas Tazria - Space to live in, in עולם הזה

The passuk says in this week’s sedrah (12:2)

דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים

Speak to the benei yisrael saying, “If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, then she should be tameh for 7 days.”

The Medrash Rabbah comments on this passuk

דבר אחר "אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ" הה"ד (איוב ל"ו, ג'): "אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶתֶּן צֶדֶק" א"ר מאיר הלשון הזה משמש שתי לשונות לשון שירה לשון דיבור, לשון שירה על שבחן של צדיקים לשון דיבור על מפלתן של רשעים. למרחוק נאמר על הרחוקים שנקרבו "אשא דעי למרחוק ולפועלי אתן צדק" אמר רבי נתן מחשבין לשמו של אברהם אבינו אותו שבא מרחוק הה"ד (בראשית כ"ב, ד'): "וישא אברהם את עיניו וירא את המקום מרחוק"

The passuk says in Iyov, “I will raise up my knowledge and say it afar, and I will attribute justice to my Maker.” Rabbi Meir said, “The word דעה can refer to either song or to speech. We sing when the tzadikim are rewarded and we speak of the punishment of the reshaim (but we do not sing, because  מעשי ידי טובעים בים ואתם אומרים שירה.)”

When the passuk says למרחוק, this refers to those who were far and who came close. Rabbi Nathan said, this refers to the name of Avraham Avinu, who is called “he who came from afar”, as the passuk says “And Avraham lifted up his eyes and he saw the place from afar”.

• Why Avraham Avinu given a name by which he is referred to (“the one who saw הר המוריה from afar”) simply because he did see הר המוריה from afar?

The Medrash Rabbah says (Bereishis 39:1)

"וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וְגוֹ'" ר' יצחק פתח (תהלים מ"ה, י"א): "שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךָ" אמר רבי יצחק משל לאחד שהיה עובר ממקום למקום וראה בירה אחת דולקת אמר תאמר שהבירה זו בלא מנהיג הציץ עליו בעל הבירה אמר לו אני הוא בעל הבירה כך לפי שהיה אבינו אברהם אומר תאמר שהעולם הזה בלא מנהיג הציץ עליו הקב"ה ואמר לו אני הוא בעל העולם

And Hashem said to Avram, “Go from your land…” Rabbi Yitzchak said, it is analogous to someone who was travelling from place to place and he saw a castle with lights in the windows. He said, “Is it possible that there is no-one administering this castle?” So the owner of the castle looked out on him and he said, “I am the owner of the castle.” Similarly, since Avraham said, “Is it possible that the world does not have someone who conducts it?” So Hashem looked out on him and said, “I am the Master of the world.”

• Why did Avraham have to leave Terach’s house in order for Hashem to reveal himself to him?

The passuk says in Vayetze (28, 11)

וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא

And he came to the place and he stayed there overnight because the sun had set, and he took of the stones of the place and he placed them around his head and he slept in that place.

The gemara in Berachos (26b) quotes this passuk as follows:

יעקב תקן תפלת ערבית שנאמר (בראשית כ"ח, י"א) ויפגע במקום וילן שם ואין פגיעה אלא תפלה שנאמר (ירמיהו ז', ט"ז) ואתה אל תתפלל בעד העם הזה ואל תשא בעדם רנה ותפלה ואל תפגע בי

Yaakov instituted Maariv as the passuk says ויפגע במקום וילן שם, and the word פגיעה refers to תפילה, as you find in the passuk in Yirmiyahu.

It would appear that this gemara explains that the words ויפגע במקום mean “and he davened to Hashem”, following the translation of the Medrash Rabbah (בראשית ס"ח, י') which says:

ויפגע במקום, ר' הונא בשם ר' אמי אמר מפני מה מכנין שמו של הקב"ה וקוראין אותו מקום, שהוא מקומו של עולם ואין עולמו מקומו, מן מה דכתיב (שמות ל"ג) הנה מקום אתי, הוי הקב"ה מקומו של עולם ואין עולמו מקומו

Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ami, why is Hashem called מקום? Because He is the place of the world and the world is not His place. As the passuk says “Behold there is a place with Me.” So you see that Hashem is the place of the world and the world is not His place.

According to the medrash and the gemara, the translation of the words וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם is “and he davened to Hashem (who is called המקום).

• If the word במקום at the beginning of the passuk refers to Hashem, then similarly we should understand that the same word at the end of the passuk also refers to Hashem. Nonetheless, it seems impossible to understand that the word במקום in the phrase וישכב במקום ההוא refers to Hashem?

 The ספר מי השילוח explains as follows:

The Medrash Rabbah proves Hashem is מקומו של עולם from the passuk which says הנה מקום אתי, although Hashem Himself is talking in that passuk. How can the word מקום refer to Hashem, if Hashem Himself used the word מקום?

We see from this that when the medrash says that Hashem is called מקומו של עולם, not only does the medrash mean that the space for the whole world to exist in is created by Hashem, but also the medrash means that Hashem creates space for tzadikim to live in עולם הזה. Naturally tzadikim may not be provided with space to live in within עולם הזה, because their presence contradicts the שעבוד מלכיות, so Hashem creates space for them, namely the wherewithal to be able to live, in a supernatural manner.

Accordingly we can understand that Yaakov, who was fleeing from Esav and looking forward with trepidation to dealing with Lavan, davened to Hashem that He should supernaturally create a “space” within עולם הזה for Yaakov to be able to live. Hashem answered Yaakov’s תפילות, and so Yaakov rested in that space which Hashem created for him and for his descendants.

Avraham understood that as long as he felt that Terach’s homestead was his place, that he would not be able to recognise that his very existence was a constant gift from Hashem. Therefore Hashem told him to leave Terach’s house so that he would not feel that he had a natural means of surviving in his father’s household. Avraham perceived on הר המוריה that Hashem would provide him and his descendants with the space to live in עולם הזה, just as Yaakov merited the same gift when he came to that place. Avraham’s merit was that he saw this place from afar, namely he realised that he had to enter the רשות of Hashem, in order to be able to live in harmony with Hashem’s Will.

The medrash quotes this זכות on the passuk of אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר, to teach you that in order for someone to merit to understand that only Hashem provides him with the space to live in within עולם הזה, he must take nothing for granted and he must understand that even his לידה is a gift from Hashem.