ספר במדבר

The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 7:1) explains the pasuk “And they shall send out of the camp any leper or zav” (Bamidbar 5:2) based on the pasuk “The dross having been separated from the silver” (Mishlei 25:4). To receive the Torah in a pure state, Hashem healed everyone from illnesses. However, after the sin of the Golden Calf, the illnesses returned. When they built the Mishkan, Hashem commanded Moshe to send out anyone who was a metzora or zav to attain spiritual purity.This can be further explained in line with the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 10:1) that Hashem longed to create the world. The primary existence of the world is the longing that creation has to connect to their creator. However, other attractions and desires from negative forces obscure this longing. On Shabbos, all negative forces are repelled, and the purity of longing is revealed, giving the world its existence. The command to “send out of the camp” symbolizes the ability of every Jew to purify and remove impurities, aligning with the intention to connect purely with Hashem.

The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 6:1) states, “It (the Torah) is more precious than pearls,” meaning more than the Cohen Gadol who enters the inner chambers on Yom Kippur. The Torah is called “Reishis” (the first), as it has the completeness to repair everything, even external matters. As the pasuk states, “In the streets, it raises its voice” (Mishlei 1:20), referring to places where the Torah reaches the lowest places to uplift them. This widening of the Torah is more precious than the inner chambers and the beginning, as it perfects the externalities and brings them to the pnimius, elevating the lower levels to the very beginning.Therefore, it states, “The Torah of Hashem is perfect” (Tehillim 19:8), as it encompasses everything and “restores the soul.” The Midrash explains that when Hashem spoke to Bnei Yisrael on Har Sinai, their souls departed. The Torah protested, saying, “Is there a king who marries off his daughter and then kills his family?” Hashem then restored their souls. This illustrates the Torah's perfection in drawing the lowest elements to the beginning.

The Mishnah in Avos (1:15) states, “Shamai says make your Torah permanent, say a little and do a lot.” This can be understood in line with the Mishnah (Avos 3:9), “One whose actions are greater than his understanding, then his understanding will persevere.” This principle suggests that each detail of learning should result in more action than understanding.“Say little and do a lot” means that one's learning should lead to the reparation of the soul, which is more significant than the learning itself. “Make your Torah permanent” implies that by bringing Torah into action, it becomes enduring. As explained in Avos (3:17), one who has more action than understanding is like a tree with strong roots. The Torah then becomes “his own Torah,” as Rashi in Tehillim (1:2) explains, it becomes personal after toiling in it.“All that Hashem said we will do” signifies bringing Torah to the state of action. Additionally, מעשה (action) can be understood as the nullification of the body to Torah, as in the expression גט מעושה (a forced bill of divorce). All bodily actions need to be done correctly, making the reparation of the world of actions precious to Hashem. This is the idea of “A pure Olah that is made on Har Sinai,” where the Torah was inaugurated into the realm of action.