“So says Hashem, let not the wise man exult in his wisdom, and let not
the mighty exult in his might, nor the rich man in his success. For only in
this should one exult, being wise and knowing me.”
The Tana D’vei Eliyahu adds;
"במה יתהלל האדם בעולם הזה? בכתרה של תורה"
In what can one exult in this world? In the crown of Torahץ
Why did Eliyahu Hanavi specify “the crown of Torah”, instead of simply
answering, “in the Torah”.
A crown is a tangible expression of malchus. The attribute of malchus is
unique, for it is never meant to be “activated” or “deactivated”. By
definition, a king is constantly “royal”, even when not wearing his
crown. Even the most mundane activities of a king, such as sleep, must
be performed in a royal manner.
We can now understand why Eliyahu Hanavi emphasized כתרה של תורה.
The crown of Torah represents the behavior of one who has internalized
the malchus of Torah and expresses that malchus in every aspect of his
life. If Eliyahu Hanavi had simply said, “Torah”, instead of
“The crown of Torah”, the ability to “exult” would be limited to the
time that a person is actively learning Torah. The crown of Torah
accompanies a Jew at all times, allowing him to constantly exult in that
crown.
This also helps us understand why Eliyahu Hanavi emphasized that the
crown of Torah gives a person success in olam hazeh. The chidush of the
crown lies in its ability to influence the one who wears it, even while
performing mundane tasks. That influence transforms his life in our
lowly, physical world, into an elevated life, worthy of exultation.
Only those who learn Torah על מנת לעשות in order to perform what they
learn, are able to bear the crown of Torah. As Chazal taught us - גדול הוא תלמוד שמביא למעשה
great is learning because it leads to actual fulfillment of the Torah’s mitzvos.
When we learn Torah על מנת לעשות, it leaves an impression deep in our
souls. Someone who has absorbed that level of kedushah from his
learning, approaches every aspect of life as a ben Torah. This is what Chazal meant when they said הלומד על מנת לעשות מספקין בידו ללמוד וללמד לשמור ולעשות - "One who learns in order to do, is enabled to learn, teach, keep and do."
We frequently quote the lesson of the holy Rebbe of Kotzk zy”a, on the
pasuk ואנשי קודש תהיון לי - you shall be to me, holy people. The Rebbe
taught that Hashem has no lack of malachim in the heavens. He doesn’t
want us to be angels. He created us to be anshei kodesh, human beings
who take care of all their human needs, but always with kedusha! That
kedushah elevates each of our mundane activities to levels beyond
anything malachim can aspire to.
When the Gaon R. Meir Shapira zt”l founded his great yeshiva in Lublin, the pasuk he chose to inscribe on the wall of the building was
"לכו בנים שמעו לי יראת השם אלמדכם" ,
Go my children, listen to me, I will teach you fear of
Hashem. At the dedication of the Yeshivah, he explained his choice. The pasuk doesn’t say באו בנים come my children, but לכו בנים – Go my children. A successful yeshivah produces
talmidim who live a life that exemplifies שמעו לי, even when they walk
out of the yeshiva. Such talmidim truly wear the crown of Torah.
This theme appears in our parshah. When the women brought their
mirrors as a donation to the mishkan, Moshe Rabeinu was reluctant to
accept an item designed to enhance physical beauty. Hakadosh Baruch
Hu instructed him to accept them, for the women used those very
mirrors l’shem shamayim – for the sake of heaven. The metal of the
mirrors was fashioned into the כיור. Each day, before the kohanim could
begin their avodah, they had to purify and sanctify themselves with the
water of that vessel.
Our parshah, and the words of Eliyahu Hanavi teach us to learn Torah in
a way that will crown us with the kesser Torah. We must absorb the
Torah in our minds and hearts to the extent that we epitomize the
royalty of Torah in all our endeavors, fulfilling Dovid Hamelech’s call,
לכו בנים שמעו לי אכיה"ר.
Tolna Rebbe Shlita
