Sixteenth Set of 22 Days:
from 2nd of Elul to 23rd of Elul
Tzadik Sofit
Other Sheaves and
Vegetables of the Field
9. Said Rabbi Yossei the son of
Kisma: Once, I was traveling and I encountered a man. He greeted me and I
returned his greetings. Said he to me: "Rabbi, where are you from?"
Said I to him: "From a great city of sages and scholars, am I." Said
he to me: "Rabbi, would you like to dwell with us in our place? I will
give you a million dinars of gold, precious stones and pearls." Said I to
him: "If you were to give me all the silver, gold, precious stones and
pearls in the world, I would not dwell anywhere but in a place of Torah.
Indeed, so is written in the book of psalms by
David the king of Israel: `I prefer the Torah of Your mouth over thousands in
gold and silver' (Psalms 119:72). Furthermore, when a person
passes from this world neither silver, nor gold, nor precious stones, nor
pearls accompany him, only Torah and good deeds, as is stated (Proverbs
6:22):
`When you go it will direct you, when you lie down it will watch over you, and
when you awaken it shall be your speech.' `When you go it will direct you'---in
this world; `when you lie down it will watch over you'---in the grave; `and
when you awaken it shall be our speech'---in the World To Come. Also it says (Chaggai
2:8): `Mine
is the silver and Mine is the gold, so says the L-rd of Hosts.' "
10. G‑d acquired five acquisitions in his world. These are: one
acquisition is the Torah, one acquisition are the heavens and the earth, one
acquisition isAbraham, one acquisition is the
people of Israel, and one acquisition is the Holy Temple.
The Torah, as it is written (Proverbs 8:22), "G‑d acquired me as
the beginning of His way, before His works of yore." The heavens and the
earth, as it is written (Isaiah 66:1), "So says G‑d: The
heavens are My throne and the earth is My footstool; what house, then, can you
build for Me, and where is My place of rest?"; and it says (Psalms
104:25),
"How many are your works, O G‑d, You have made them all with wisdom; the
earth is filled with Your acquisitions." Abraham, as it is written (Genesis
14:19),
"And he blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram to G‑d Most High, acquirer of heavens
and earth." Israel, as it is written (Exodus
15:16),
"Till Your nation, O G‑d, shall pass, till this nation You have acquired
shall pass"; and it says (Psalms 16:3), "To the holy who are
upon earth, the noble ones, in whom is all My delight." The Holy Temple,
as it is written (Exodus 15:17), "The base for Your
dwelling that you, G‑d, have achieved; the Sanctuary, O L-rd, that Your hands
have established"; and it says (Psalms
78:54),
"And He brought them to His holy domain, this mount His right hand has
acquired."
The 2nd of Elul began the sixteenth set of 22 days of the Jewish calendar. It is the last 22-day cycle of the year, which parallels the end-letter Tzadik (Tzadik Sofit), as well as the "Other Sheaves" and the Vegetables of the Field in Perek Shirah. It runs through the 23rd of Elul.
As mentioned previously, "Tzadik" means "righteous." The
shape of the normal Tzadik is bent, while that of the end-letter Tzadik is
straight and goes further down the page than the regular resting place of other letters. Elul is
the month of Teshuvah, and the Tzadik Sofit represents the Ba'al
Teshuvah. It represents someone who went far below in order to then climb back up. Moshe, "bent" in humility, is the quintessential
Tzadik. The Tzadik Sofit, the "end Tzadik," is a reference
to Mashiach. Mashiach will elevate even the lowest of realms.
Rabbi Munk explains the significance of the fact that the Tzadi Sofit is also found in the word for
land, Eretz, which our sages teach is a reference to
the World to Come, Olam HaBah.
"Kol yisrael yesh lahem chelek b'olam haba, sh'nemar,
"v'amech kulam tzadikim, l'olam yirshu ha'aretz; netzer matai, ma'aseh
yadai l'hitpaer." (transl: "Every member of Israel has a portion in
the world-to-come, as it states (in Isaiah 60:21), "Your people are all
righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; they are the branch of my
planting, the work of my hands, so that I may be glorified.").
Any Jew - even one whose sins have caused him to
forfeit his share in the World to Come - can regain his loss if he repents.
Through repentance, any Jew can attain the rank of Tzadik and be worthy of
a share in Eretz, the World to Come (Rambam, Hil. Teshuvah 3:14). (Rabbi Munk, p. 193)
The Tzadik's connection to land goes further. Land is constant,
humble, ready to receive rain. The same is true for the righteous, as well as for
all of us who engage in Teshuvah during the month of Elul.
A similar theme can be found regarding the elements in Perek
Shirah:
The Other Sheaves are saying, "The meadows are clothed
with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with grain; they shout for joy,
they also sing" (Psalms 65:14)
The Vegetables of the Field are saying, "You water
its furrows abundantly; You settle its ridges; you make it soft with showers;
You bless its growth" (Psalms 65:11)
Both songs are from the same Psalm. Their central theme is
visualizing ourselves in the way we are meant to be: Tzadikim, like a
land clothed with flock and grain, singing and shouting with joy. It
also about making ourselves ready to receive water (a reference to Torah),
making furrows and ridges, making ourselves soft with rain, and growing.
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