27 Tammuz 5777 | July 21, 2017
Parshat Mattot-Mase’i
Rabbanit Alissa Thomas Newborn
Class of 2016
אין זה כי אם ירידה זו היא לצורך עליה, "This descent must be for the sake of ascent."
We have all said a version of these words. Sometimes as a question: “Can this struggle really lead to success?” “Is this all worth it?”. Other times as a hopeful prayer: “May this be the last low point on my upward journey”. But in his Tanya, the Alter Rebbe actually says these words as a statement of fact: “This going down is for the sake of going up”.
Emunah and the capacity to find goodness and meaning no matter what, is something we as Jews all strive to feel in our kishkas. But as we all know, when bad things happen-- when our loved ones die, when we are feeling disappointed or hurt in our relationships, or when we are going through a bout of spiritual disconnection-- having hope, perspective, and the belief that our struggle is worthwhile is hard.
And so, with the Alter Rebbe’s words, we are faced with a challenge: How can we say and really mean, אין זה כי אם ירידה זו היא צורך עליה, "This descent is for the sake of ascent", when we feel sad, hopeless, and angry? Is it even possible?
Let’s look at Moshe’s response to one of his moments of struggle to gain more insight. In our parsha, Matot-Massei, God reminds Moshe that not only will he not lead the people into Israel, but he will have to watch from afar and then die. אחר תאסף אל-עמיך, "After [B’nai Yisrael conquers the land] you will be gathered to your people". And yet, in this moment when he could have objected and expressed his disappointment, sorrow, and fears, Moshe follows God’s command and acts in the best interest of B’nai Yisrael. He empowers others to triumphantly lead the people in God’s battle, וישלח אותם שמה. He gives them the instruction and chizuk to conquer the land he will never enter.
Moshe shifts his perspective and ours. His silence about his personal struggle makes it clear that he does not deny his loss. A response with words may have even diminished his struggle, as we have seen elsewhere in Aharon’s silence after the death of his sons. And yet, instead of dwelling on the bad, Moshe chooses to be proactive and think beyond his pain. He focuses on those whom he loves and leads, and he empowers them to do what he cannot. As we have seen him do many times before, Moshe models humility, honesty, the capacity to surrender to God’s plan, and the ability to make goodness no matter what.
Later in Devarim, Rashi teaches that in regards to how Moshe handled his imminent death outside of the land of Israel, God said to Moshe, רב לך הרבה מזה שמור לך, "More than [the land of Israel] is reserved for you", רב טוב הצפון לך, "Much is the goodness that is kept for you". Because of his shift in perspective and his choice to empower the people despite his loss, we see that Moshe is not only comforted but also rewarded with God’s goodness.
Moshe made it so that his descent was for the sake of his ascent.
Rav Soloveitchik offers a similar model to Moshe’s shifting of perspective, and it is one that applies to us right now. Regarding “the three weeks”, the time of mourning for the Beit HaMikdash that we are presently in, the Rav teaches that though we are heartbroken over the destruction of Hashem’s home, as we should be, we must also find comfort in the fact that God destroyed the Temple and not us. Hashem could have wiped us out many times, but instead He decimated His own home.
That God saved us charges us with the task of being worthy of being saved. We must create goodness and empower each other. We must care for each other, as we failed to before. We must make meaning, legacy, and a home for God in our lives even without a physical Temple.
With the Rav’s wisdom, we view the inconceivable tragedy and destruction of the Beit HaMikdash as צורך עליה, for the purpose of ascent, because in the face of exile we learn what our sins and failings are, how to do better in the future, and how to internalize gratitude for what we do have. It is our choice and obligation to make our story not just about destruction and descent, but also about gratitude, rebuilding, and ascent.
אין זה כי אם ירידה זו היא צורך עליה, "This descent is for the sake of ascent". To utter the Alter Rebbe’s words of faith in the face of sadness, hopelessness, and anger is certainly possible. Through Moshe and the Rav, we see that it requires we be willing to shift our perspectives and proactively make our lives about creating goodness and Godliness.
This Shabbat, let’s practice saying the Alter Rebbe’s words, not as a question or as a prayer, but instead as a statement of fact. For we will be rewarded with the goodness we create in the midst of our destruction and loss.
Our struggles will lead to success. Our sorrows are part of a greater story of joy. Our pain is not for nothing. Our descent is part of our ascent.
