He Makes peace, Part (V) Boundaries

עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם בִּמְרוֹמָֽיו

He Makes peace in the heavens

 

Q: Since Shalom is a prerequisite to Redemption, is it not very important to understand what these words mean when I daven them?

Rabbeinu Bachya offers a unique approach to understanding these words.

He considers the idea Chazal teaches us  of the principle that no angel may carry out two tasks of different categories applicable when the mission of one angel is in opposition or overlapping another angel’s area of competence.  For example an angel appointed for a task requiring mercy would not cross into a boundary of an angel appointed for missions of judgment.  This concept is a concept according to Rabeinu Bachya is the definition of עֹשֶׂ֥ה שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם בִּמְרוֹמָֽיו.^[1]

He says this is so that each is appointed to use their specific powers for corresponding missions and also that   “ ושלא להסיג גבול”, that will not remove the boundary set.

Q: Why does Hashem need to create this type of protocol with angels if they will follow His directive anyway?

Q: Do angels even have this concept of boundary crossing?

Q:  Why is such a system necessary with angels?

Q: How does this relate to us?

Q: Why is it so important to know that this is the way Hashem makes peace in the heavens?

Rabeinu Bachya says in his introduction to the Torah how it is mandatory for us to study the actions of Hashem so we can emulate Him.

Shalom as antidote:    לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔

• Rabeinu Bachya uses these words, which are the same words of a Mitzvah in Devarim, לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔, You shall not remove the boundary of your friend[1].
• Rashi explains the Mitzvah as “ The meaning is, that one moves the mark that shows the division of the land (i.e. the division between two adjoining fields) backwards into the field of his neighbor in order thereby to enlarge his own.
• Rabeinu Bachya describes this as one who chas V’shalom who claims that the world was created before Hashem, overlapping the boundaries and instead imposing a boundary on Hashem of  of time and space, and violating therefore a key principle of faith.

To me, it is an astounding idea, to realize that a basic principle of faith is a fundamental of “Shalom” .  We are required  to believe that Hashem is infinite, and His Existence transcends time. He preceded every being that was created, He was First, and there was no genesis to His beginning. ^[2] Hashem places this protocol in the heavens to preserve the boundaries, and that which is necessary of our tenets of belief in Hashem.

If one violates this mitzvah between one fellow to another in terms of removing a landmark to expand one’s own property is considered stealing.  Stealing then leads to murder as per Rabeinu Bachya on this verse.

Q: Why introduce this ‘shalom’ in the Heavens?

These two concepts have very severe ramifications, and perhaps begins to shed light as to why Hashem is so deliberate in this system of shalom in the heavens.

• It is conceivable that Hashem does this step to preserve and protect shalom in the world.
• It seems to me that the deliberate boundary setting in the upper worlds with the celestial beings are  Hashem’s imprint on the world, His influence and help for us to achieve a world of shalom.
• It is  not coincidental that this phrase begins with peace in the heavens rather than over us.  It is reasonable to infer that this is an example of Hashem creating a remedy of shalom first in the heavens for an infliction we suffer from.  As there is a principle of אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַכֶּה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן בּוֹרֵא לָהֶם רְפוּאָה תְּחִילָּה- The Holy One, Blessed be He, does not strike at the Jewish people unless He has already created a remedy for them beforehand[2].
  The prohibition of expanding one’s boundary without permission is describing the misdirected energy of “כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י, my own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me”[3] , in other words a form of arrogance.
  Rabeinu Bachya says the word כחי would refer to influences from outer space, astrological in nature, the word עצם ידי would refer to sub-terrestrial influences, demons resident below earth.  It is logical to conclude therefore when a person attributes their wealth to the astrology, or mazal, forgetting Hashem it is declaring the stars as the source of their wealth rather than the Ribono Shel Olam.  I think even when one goes to a doctor or lawyer, one has to be very careful to remember that the healer, or the source of justice is Hashem to not fall in this trap of Avodah Zarah.

Davening and לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔:

Q: How can I use my speech, my tefilah as an expression of shalom to bring shalom in the world?

Q: Can I fall into one of the descriptions of לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔ when davening?

If one is davening and therefore standing before the “Melech Malchay Hamilachim”, and even though he or she says the words in the siddur, but thoughts are about other things unrelated to the words one is saying,  it is considered a misdirection and actually a form of avodah zarah according to Rabeinu Bachya[4], does that constitute.  When one uses their mouth, this way is it not a form of  לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔?  Meaning if Hashem provides us a mouth to use to daven and learn His words of Torah or to use according to Torah as an expression of His Kavod;  then one violates what it was “appointed for” , expanding the boundary with speech that does not fit within the parameters given to him.

Am I violating this directive of לֹ֤א תַסִּיג֙ גְּב֣וּל רֵֽעֲךָ֔, if in conversation with another, I impose my voice over another , whether it is interrupting, or speaking louder, or not allowing another to finish their thought?

Or, what if I neglect to say the source of what I quote, and instead make it like it is my own G-d forbid?

Using Tefillah as an act of shalom:

Tefillah itself can be a practice of restoring all to its proper source.

One can for example focus on the words of the shema, שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל ה׳ אֱלֹקינוּ ה׳ ׀ אֶחָֽד as a deliberate act of shalom.

Taking the time to contemplate what we want to say and figuring out the proper place in tefillah to say or make our request can be a form of “seeking and pursuing “ Shalom.

May we be granted the ability to masters of shalom, for a speedy geulah Biezras Hashem.

 

 

^[1] Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 18:2:1

^[2] Yigdal (translation from Sefaria)

[1] (Devarim, 19:14)

[2] (Megillah 13b:13)

[3] (Devarim, 8:17),

[4] אם התפלל ולא כוון את לבו בתפלתו אלא שהוא מחשב בהבלי הזמן בסחורתו וכספו וזהבו הנה זה חוטא וכמעט שעליו נאמר (שמות כ׳:כ׳) לא תעשון אתי אלהי כסף ואלהי זהב, כלומר כשאתם אתי ועומדים בתפלה לפני אל תחשבו בכסף וזהב אשר עמכם כי המתפלל העושה זאת מתנכר במחשבתו אל המלך הש”י ולפני מלך בשר ודם לא היה עושה כן (Shemos, 25:2:2)