After the Torah goes through a lengthy discussion of the cattle, fish and fowl we can and cannot eat, it then tells us that we cannot eat all things that creep on the ground. The posuk states, אל תשקצו את נפשתיכם בכל השרץ, do not make your souls abominable by means of any creeping thing. It then provides the reason: כי אני ה המעלה אתכם מארץ מצרים, for I am Hashem who brings you up from the land of Egypt.
Rashi notes a change in the normal wording. Here, in our posuk, the Torah uses the phrase “who brings you up” instead of the usual “I brought you out” to teach us that had Hashem only brought the Jews out of Egypt so that they don't make themselves impure through creepy things, it would have been sufficient cause for them to be redeemed, for abstaining is an elevation for them. Therefore, the Torah uses the word מעלה, “brings up” for it elevates us.
We see how great the quality of abstention is, says הגרי”ל חסמן , for the Jews already don't defile themselves with creepy things because they are repulsive anyway, yet Hashem says that for that alone we would have been worthy to be redeemed. If that’s the case, imagine the reward we will get from staying away from things we are commanded to stay away from that are desirable and good. He takes this concept even further explaining that one who, in an effort to get closer to Hashem, lessens his pleasure on this world by voluntarily abstaining from even permitted pleasures, will receive an even greater reward. According to this, continues הגרי”ל חסמן one who finds himself in a tough situation has a great way to get out of it. He should make a נדר, a vow, to refrain from something desirable that's permitted, so that he will be guaranteed the great merit to be saved.
It's interesting to note, says the כלי יקר , that the pesukim that talk about the non-kosher animals open with the one kosher sign that the animal possesses. For example, the camel is described as את הגמל כי מעלה גרה הוא, the camel because it chews its cud. It appears that the one sign of purity that the camel has is actually the cause for it not to be kosher. Why does it open with the pure sign if it's telling us the animal is impure, and why does the wording suggest that the pure sign is the reason it's impure? He answers that when something is impure but looks pure, that's when you must be most careful not to be taken in by the facade.
There's a story told about a rabbi who told his students to go to a certain town. They had no idea why or what to do there but they went anyway. It was getting late so they stopped at an inn for the night. The innkeeper was a righteous woman and she offered the students dinner. After grilling her with a hundred questions about how she prepares the food and where it comes from to make sure it was good enough for them to eat, they sat down to wait for the food. While waiting, they started talking to each other and, as usually happens, the conversation shifted into talking about other people. The innkeeper, when she came to bring them the food, said to them “if only you were as careful with what comes out of your mouth, as with what goes in.” They got their rabbi's message.
I also heard that the Chofetz Chaim said that learning two halachos of lashon hara every day is also a segula to get out of a tzara. We see that what goes into your mouth and what comes out are very closely connected. Let's take this opportunity to not only be careful with what goes into our mouths, but with what comes out as well. Don't be fooled by those that only look good but really aren't. Rather, learn from those that are good through and through and elevate ourselves one step at a time!
Rashi notes a change in the normal wording. Here, in our posuk, the Torah uses the phrase “who brings you up” instead of the usual “I brought you out” to teach us that had Hashem only brought the Jews out of Egypt so that they don't make themselves impure through creepy things, it would have been sufficient cause for them to be redeemed, for abstaining is an elevation for them. Therefore, the Torah uses the word מעלה, “brings up” for it elevates us.
We see how great the quality of abstention is, says הגרי”ל חסמן , for the Jews already don't defile themselves with creepy things because they are repulsive anyway, yet Hashem says that for that alone we would have been worthy to be redeemed. If that’s the case, imagine the reward we will get from staying away from things we are commanded to stay away from that are desirable and good. He takes this concept even further explaining that one who, in an effort to get closer to Hashem, lessens his pleasure on this world by voluntarily abstaining from even permitted pleasures, will receive an even greater reward. According to this, continues הגרי”ל חסמן one who finds himself in a tough situation has a great way to get out of it. He should make a נדר, a vow, to refrain from something desirable that's permitted, so that he will be guaranteed the great merit to be saved.
It's interesting to note, says the כלי יקר , that the pesukim that talk about the non-kosher animals open with the one kosher sign that the animal possesses. For example, the camel is described as את הגמל כי מעלה גרה הוא, the camel because it chews its cud. It appears that the one sign of purity that the camel has is actually the cause for it not to be kosher. Why does it open with the pure sign if it's telling us the animal is impure, and why does the wording suggest that the pure sign is the reason it's impure? He answers that when something is impure but looks pure, that's when you must be most careful not to be taken in by the facade.
There's a story told about a rabbi who told his students to go to a certain town. They had no idea why or what to do there but they went anyway. It was getting late so they stopped at an inn for the night. The innkeeper was a righteous woman and she offered the students dinner. After grilling her with a hundred questions about how she prepares the food and where it comes from to make sure it was good enough for them to eat, they sat down to wait for the food. While waiting, they started talking to each other and, as usually happens, the conversation shifted into talking about other people. The innkeeper, when she came to bring them the food, said to them “if only you were as careful with what comes out of your mouth, as with what goes in.” They got their rabbi's message.
I also heard that the Chofetz Chaim said that learning two halachos of lashon hara every day is also a segula to get out of a tzara. We see that what goes into your mouth and what comes out are very closely connected. Let's take this opportunity to not only be careful with what goes into our mouths, but with what comes out as well. Don't be fooled by those that only look good but really aren't. Rather, learn from those that are good through and through and elevate ourselves one step at a time!
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