Netvort Acharei Mos 5773:     That’s Life

By Rabbi Joshua (potentially known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

            The Torah tells us in Parshas Acharei Mos, “You shall observe my decrees and My laws by which a person shall live.” (Vayikra 18:5). The words “by which a person shall live”- vechai bahem - are famously expounded by the rabbis to mean that, in most cases, a person can transgress a certain commandment in order to save his life, because the Torah was given to live by, not to die by. A number of commentators have taken this verse in a broader sense, understanding it as a statement about the overall effect of observing the commandments. Rav Yechezkel Abramsky, zt”l, for example, wrote in an essay that one can fully understand the commandments only through observing them. This was, in fact, the meaning of Moshe’s reply to the angels when they asked God to keep the Torah in heaven among them, and not give it to man on earth, as recorded in the Talmud (Shabbos 88b-89a). Moshe told them that the laws of the Torah did not apply to them. For example, he said, they didn’t have parents whom they needed to honor. Rav Abramsky zt”l, said that the angels certainly understood this from the outset. Their request was not that the commandments should be given to them and not to man.  Rather, they conceded that they should be commanded to man, but that the Torah itself, meaning its application, the determination of the Halacha, should be in their hand. Moshe’s reply was that only one who actually observes the commandments, who lives by them, is able to determine their application. 

            On a different plane, Rav Mordechai Ilan, in his Mikdash Mordechai, explains this verse on the basis of a passage in the Talmud (Berachos 17a), which says that then the rabbis in a certain study hall would part from each other, they would extend a blessing to the head rabbi, “May it be His will that you see your world in your life.” Rabbi Ilan explains that generally people have a certain outlook on life, a vision of what their life should be like, the ideals they should proceed by. However, when it comes to actually living their lives, there is often a wide gap between that vision and their reality. The blessing the rabbis gave was that the person should live in accordance with his vision, and actually see it played out in actual life. 

            I once heard, from Rav Simcha Scheinberg, in the name of his uncle, Rabbi Herman, a longtime shul rabbi, a different explanation of the blessing mentioned in the Talmud.  He said that the world “olamcha” – your world – can also be read as “eilumcha” – your hidden potential. The blessing that the rabbis gave was that the person should succeed in bringing out his hidden potential, which even he is not aware of, in his life. Living by the Torah, then means that through observing the commandments one can bring out his true, inner self.

            Perhaps we can combine the two explanations of the Talmudic blessing and thereby add a further point. Someone who strives to live by his Torah outlook on life, by his vision will ultimately not only accomplish this goal but also bring out his true self, which is embedded in his soul by God.