Running Commentary on Torah 40 — Eileh Mas'ei B'nei Yisrael

Beginner: Rabbeinu opens by citing **Asarah Ma'amaros** — the kabbalistic work of **R' Menachem Azariah da Fano** (the Rema mi'Fano): **"Eileh mas'ei b'nei Yisrael... bi'shvil she'chat'u b'*eileh elohecha Yisrael*, bi'shvil zeh yis'u b'nei Yisrael"** — 'these are the journeys of the children of Yisrael... because they sinned with *these are your gods, O Yisrael* [at the eigel ha'zahav], because of this the children of Yisrael journey.' The Rema mi'Fano already identifies **the 42 journeys as a tikkun for the avodah zarah of the eigel** (linking *eileh* to *eileh elohecha*). Rabbeinu now drives the principle deeper: **"Nimtza kol ha'nesi'os shel adam, hu bi'shvil kilkul ha'emunah — heyno bechinas avodah zarah"** — 'it emerges that *all the journeys of a person are because of a spoiling of emunah* — which is the bechinah of avodah zarah.' Every single time a person has to travel somewhere, the root cause is a crack in his emunah. **Why**: **"Ki im hayah ma'amin b'emunah sh'leimah she'yachol HKB"H l'hazmin lo kol tzorko — lo hayah nosea shum nesi'ah"** — 'because if he believed with complete emunah that HKB"H can bring him everything he needs [where he is], he would not travel any journey at all.' Travel-for-parnasah is an admission that one doesn't fully believe Hashem can provide without the trip. **Therefore**: **"nimtza ki ha'nesi'ah hi kilkul emunah — heyno bechinas avodah zarah"** — 'journey itself is a *kilkul emunah* — the bechinah of avodah zarah.' **Yeshaya 30:22 on avodah zarah**: **"tzei tomar lo"** — 'out! you shall say to it' (regarding the idols). **"'Tzei' — zeh bechinas nesi'ah v'tiltul"** — '*Tzei* (go out) — this is the bechinah of journey and displacement.' The very word used to banish avodah zarah is the root of *travel*: the two are linguistically identified. **And the flip side**: **"gam al yedei tiltul, m'takein es ha'tiltul she'garam kivyachol l'ma'alah"** — 'also, through tiltul (displacement), one fixes the tiltul that he caused — *kivyachol* (as it were) — above.' Every time a person's emunah cracks, he causes a *displacement in the upper worlds*; the corresponding physical *tiltul* (forced journey) becomes the *tikkun* for the cosmic displacement he caused. **Yeshaya 28:20**: **"v'ha'maseichah tzarah k'hiskanes"** — 'and the molten idol is narrow as one wraps' — the pasuk linking *tzarah* (affliction) directly to *maseichah* (molten idol), identifying exile-affliction with idolatry-cause. **Chain-reaction of consequences from avodah zarah**: **(1) Avodah zarah → no matar**: **"gam al yedei avodah zarah, nimna ha'matar"** — 'through avodah zarah, rain is withheld' — as it says **"va'avad'tem elohim acheirim... v'lo yih'yeh matar"** (Devarim 11:16–17) — 'you will serve other gods... and there will be no rain.' **(2) No matar → no sova (satiation)**: **"u'k'she'ein matar, ein sova"** — 'when there is no rain, there is no satiation.' **(3) No sova → no shalom**: **"u'k'she'ein sova, ein shalom"** — 'when there is no satiation, there is no peace.' **Tehillim 72:3**: **"yis'u harim shalom la'am"** — 'the mountains shall bear peace to the people' — **"k'mo she'peresh Rashi"** — 'as Rashi explains' (Rashi on the pasuk: that the harim bring sova, which produces shalom). **(4) No shalom → no mutual aid → forced travel for parnasah**: **"u'k'she'ein shalom, azai ein ish ozeir l'chaveiro, v'kol echad tzarich linso'a u'l'taltel mi'makom l'makom bi'shvil parnasaso"** — 'and when there is no shalom, then no man helps his fellow, and each one must travel and displace himself from place to place for his parnasah.' The loss of shalom atomizes society; each person becomes a solo-foraging unit — and this *forced* travel is exactly the bechinas-*tiltul* punishment for the original *kilkul emunah*. **Parallel track — golus ba on bitul Torah**: **"gam ha'golus ba al bitul Torah — k'mo she'kasuv 'galah ami mi'bli da'as'"** (Yeshaya 5:13) — 'exile comes because of bitul Torah — as the pasuk says: *My people are exiled for lack of da'as.*' Golus-level displacement has a parallel root: bitul Torah. **The closing chain-loop that ties both tracks together**: **"v'al yedei avodah zarah, ba atziras geshamim"** — 'through avodah zarah, the withholding of rains comes' (returning to track 1) — **"u'k'she'ein kemach, ein Torah"** (Avos 3:17) — 'and when there is no flour, there is no Torah.' **The two tracks become one loop**: avodah zarah → no matar → no kemach → no Torah → bitul Torah → golus → more tiltul → more forced journeys. Every nesi'ah is a footprint in this karmic loop — and every one of them, if done with tikkun-intention (as the Rema mi'Fano hints about the 42 mas'os), fixes the tiltul-l'ma'alah it originated from. Intermediate: **Pesicha — Asarah Ma'amaros (Rema mi'Fano)**: **"Eileh mas'ei b'nei Yisrael... bi'shvil she'chat'u b'*eileh elohecha Yisrael*"** (Bam 33:1 + Shemos 32:4). **Kol ha'nesi'os = kilkul emunah = bechinas avodah zarah.** Im hayah ma'amin sh'leimah she'HKB"H m'zameinv tzorko — lo hayah nosea. **Yesh 30:22** al a"z: **"tzei tomar lo"** — **tzei=nesi'ah v'tiltul**. **Tiltul=tikkun**: al yedei tiltul m'takein tiltul she'garam l'ma'alah — **Yesh 28:20** **"v'ha'maseichah tzarah k'hiskanes."** **Shrashrash ha'hashpa'ah me'a"z**: (1) a"z → ein matar (**Dev 11:16–17**); (2) ein matar → ein sova; (3) ein sova → ein shalom (**Teh 72:3** **"yis'u harim shalom la'am"** — Rashi); (4) ein shalom → ein ish ozeir l'chaveiro → kol echad nosea l'parnasaso. **Masakh mak'bil**: golus ba al **bitul Torah** (**Yesh 5:13** **"galah ami mi'bli da'as"**). **Chasimah — loop**: a"z → atziras geshamim → ein kemach → **ein Torah** (**Avos 3:17**). Ha'shnei m'salulim mischabrim l'mach'zur.

Beginner: **"Bi'shevil she'chat'u b'Eileh Elokecha Yisrael"** — 'because they sinned in *these are your gods, Yisrael*' (Shemos 32:4, the chet ha'eigel). The Rema mi'Fano connects **Eileh** of mas'ei to **Eileh** of the eigel — same word, same letters — so the journeys are a tikkun for the chet where Yisrael said **"Eileh Elokecha"** of the golden calf. Intermediate: **Eileh–Eileh gezeirah shavah**: mas'ei corresponds to chet ha'eigel (Shem 32:4 **"Eileh Elokecha"**).

Beginner: **"Bi'shevil zeh yis'u b'nei Yisrael"** — because of **this**, Yisrael shall journey. Rabbeinu draws out the chiddush: **all the nesiyos of a person** (not only the 42 of the midbar) are **bi'shevil kilkul ha'emunah** — because of a spoiling of emunah — which is the **bechinah of avodas alilim**. The eigel was AZ; every private journey is a private eigel. Intermediate: Kol ha'nesiyos = **kilkul emunah = bechinas avodas alilim**. Private-eigel-in-miniature.

Beginner: **The reason**: if a person had **emunah sheleimah** that **HKBH can prepare (mazmin) all his needs** in the place he stands, he would not travel any nesiyah at all. Emunah sheleimah eliminates the need to move. The movement itself is a confession that he does not fully trust HKBH can provide where he currently is. Intermediate: Te'amei: **emunah sheleimah** → HKBH **mazmin** all needs → no nesiyah.

Beginner: Rabbeinu repeats the conclusion for emphasis: **nesiyah is kilkul emunah, which is the bechinah of avodas alilim**. This becomes the **axiom** of the Torah — everything that follows derives from it. (Rabbeinu often repeats a klal before unfolding its toldos.) Intermediate: Chazarah of the klal: **nesiyah = kilkul emunah = AZ**. Axiom for what follows.

Beginner: **Proof from pasuk**: **"Tzei tomar lo"** — 'you shall say to it: Go out!' (Yeshayahu 30:22, the pasuk speaking to avodah zarah). Rabbeinu reads **"Tzei"** as the bechinah of **nesiyah v'tiltul** — 'go out' IS movement. Scripture itself pairs AZ with 'going out' = traveling. Then Rabbeinu flips the knife: just as AZ caused tiltul, **through tiltul (the very exile/movement) a person rectifies the tiltul he caused above, k'vyachol** — the displacement below can mend the cosmic displacement. Intermediate: **"Tzei tomar lo"** (Yesh 30:22, re AZ) — **Tzei = nesiyah v'tiltul**. Kelipah-side: tiltul from AZ. Kedushah-side: by **accepting** tiltul below, one mends tiltul l'ma'alah (k'vyachol).

Beginner: **Source for 'tiltul l'ma'alah'**: **"v'ha'maseichah tzarah k'hiskanes"** — 'and the molten image is narrow as it gathers' (Yeshayahu 28:20). Rabbeinu reads the pasuk's **maseichah** (masken-image, the archetype of AZ) together with **tzarah** (narrowness, constriction): AZ causes a **tzimtzum/constriction above**, and scripture itself testifies that it is **narrow** — there is no room — until the tiltul is undone. Intermediate: **"Ha'maseichah tzarah k'hiskanes"** (Yesh 28:20) = AZ causes **tzimtzum/tzarah l'ma'alah**. Tiltul below undoes the tzarah above.

Beginner: **The causal chain, step 1**: through AZ, **ha'matar nim'na** — rain is withheld. Source: **"Va'avad'tem Elohim acheirim… v'lo yih'yeh matar"** — 'you shall serve other gods… and there shall be no rain' (Devarim 11:16-17, from the second parsha of Shema). And **when there is no matar, there is no sava** (satiety, abundance). AZ → no rain → no satiety. Intermediate: Chain §1: **AZ → ein matar** (Dev 11:16-17) → **ein sava**.

Beginner: **Step 2**: **and when there is no sava, there is no shalom**. Hunger breeds contention — people without enough fight. Economic scarcity is a direct enemy of peace; there is no room for achdus when stomachs are empty. Intermediate: Chain §2: **ein sava → ein shalom**. Resources → peace.

Beginner: **The pasuk-proof** for sava↔shalom: **"Yis'u harim shalom la'am"** — 'the mountains shall bear peace to the people' (Tehillim 72:3). Rabbeinu points to **Rashi's peirush** on the spot: when the mountains (=the land) will **bear/produce** satiety (fruit), that itself is the shalom of the people. Rashi equates productive land with peace — no abundance, no peace. Intermediate: Proof: **"Yis'u harim shalom la'am"** (Teh 72:3) per **Rashi** (harim noisin shalom via sava).

Beginner: **Step 3**: when there is no shalom, **no man helps his fellow**, and consequently **each one must travel and relocate from place to place for his parnasah**. This **closes the loop** back to the opening: the nesiyos are forced on a person by the AZ → no rain → no sava → no shalom → no mutual help chain — every journey is a descendant of the original kilkul emunah. Intermediate: Chain §3: **ein shalom → ein oizer l'chavero → kol echad tzarich linso'a** for parnasah. **Loop closes** on the opening: all nesiyos descend from AZ.

Beginner: **A parallel chain** (gam): **golus itself comes upon bittul Torah**. Source: **"Galah ami mi'b'li da'as"** — 'my people are exiled for lack of knowledge' (Yeshayahu 5:13). This is a second root of all nesiyos-of-exile: not only kilkul emunah→AZ, but bittul Torah→galus. The two roots are not independent — AZ and bittul Torah are sides of one coin — but Rabbeinu wants us to see both angles. Intermediate: Parallel: **golus ← bittul Torah** (Yesh 5:13 **"galah ami mi'b'li da'as"**).

Beginner: **The final knot**: through AZ comes **atziras geshamim** (withholding of rains) — and **when there is no kemach (flour), there is no Torah** (Avos 3:17). So the two chains meet: AZ → no rain → no kemach → **no Torah**, which IS bittul Torah, which IS galus. The whole Torah is a single closed circle: **AZ = nesiyah = kilkul emunah = atzirah = ein kemach = ein Torah = galus = more nesiyos**. The only exit is through **emunah sheleimah** (§4) — the only point that breaks the circle. Intermediate: Final knot: **AZ → atziras geshamim → ein kemach → ein Torah** (Avos 3:17). Circle closes: emunah sheleimah alone breaks it.