Hayom Yom 5 Nissan - A person enhances the honor of his place

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman

בִּרְצֵה דְּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן

[A grammatical point:] In the paragraph beginning Retzeh in the Grace after Meals,

אוֹמְרִים “בַּעַל הַיְשׁוּעוֹת" - בֵּית דְּגוּשָׁה, “וּבַעַל הַנֶּחָמוֹת" - בֵּית רְפוּיָה

the letter beis in the phrase baal hayeshuos has a dagesh, whereas the same letter in the following phrase (u’vaal hanechamos) does not have a dagesh.

אַאַזְמוּ"ר אָמַר בְּמַאֲמַר רז"ל לֹא מְקוֹמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מְכַבְּדוֹ אֶלָּא אָדָם מְכַבֵּד אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ

The Sages teach: “It is not a person’s place that enhances his honor [kavod]; it is the person that enhances the honor of his place.” On this teaching my revered grandfather, the Rebbe [Maharash], commented:

כָּבוֹד יֵשׁ בּוֹ שְׁנֵי פֵּרוּשִׁים

“There are two ways to understand the word kavod:

לָשׁוֹן כַּבְדָא כְּמַאֲמַר רז"ל כָּבֵד לֵב פַּרְעֹה נַעֲשָׂה לִבּוֹ כְּכָבֵד

“Its three root-letters spell kaved, which means a liver. The same word appears in the phrase, kaved lev Par’oh, where it means that ‘Pharaoh’s heart has become stubborn’ (lit., ‘heavy’). In the interpretation of the Sages, ‘His heart, [which ought to be warmly responsive to spirituality,] has become [spiritually insensitive,] like a liver.’

וְלָשׁוֹן כָּבוֹד, גִּלּוּי אוֹר מַקִּיף נַעֲלָה

“The other meaning of kavod is ‘honor,’ which [in Kabbalistic terms] signifies the revelation of a transcendent light from a lofty Divine source.

וְזֶהוּ: לֹא מְקוֹמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מְכַבְּדוֹ כְּלוֹמַר מְקָרְרוֹ

“Considering these two meanings, the above teaching of the Sages can be perceived [on a non-literal, mystical level,] as intimating the following message: A person’s place, his environment, [should] not [weigh him down and] cool his ardor;

אֶלָּא אָדָם מְכַבֵּד אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ, שֶׁנִּיתַּן לוֹ‏ כֹּחַ וְעוֹז לְהָאִיר אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ בְּאוֹר תּוֹרָה וַעֲבוֹדָה

rather, every individual has the power to illuminate his environment with the light of the Torah and Divine service.

כְּשֵׁם דְּבִיְרִידַת הַנְּשָׁמָה בַּגּוּף מַשְׁבִּיעִים אוֹתוֹ תְּהֵא צַדִּיק

“[And indeed,] before every soul descends into the body, an oath is administered to it: ‘Be righteous!’

דִּשְׁבוּעָה זוֹ הוּא עִנְיַן הַשּׂוֹבַע בְּכֹחוֹת נַעֲלִים שֶׁתּוּכַל לְהַשְׁלִים כַּוָּנַת יְרִידָתָהּ

[Now, the root of the verb mashbi’im (‘an oath is administered’) is virtually identical with the root of the verb masbi’im (‘one causes [him] to be sated’).] By this oath, the soul is fully empowered to fulfill the purpose of its descent.

הִנֵּה כֵּן הוּא בְּכָל אָדָם וְאָדָם בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁהוּא

“And the same is true of every individual, wherever he may be.”

Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English

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