The destruction of the Land occurred not only because they did not listen to God’s voice and did not fulfill the commandments, but also because they forsook the Torah * The main connection to the Torah should be through the collective of Israel, and when one connects to the Torah not through the entire collective of Israel, in all its parts, they disconnect from the root and sins increase, until destruction * The connection to the collective of Israel is a connection to the great vision of repairing the world
From the words of the prophet, we learned that the question of why the Land of Israel was destroyed is a difficult question that only God could answer. As it is said: “Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the Land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? And the Lord said: Because they have forsaken My Torah which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked in it” (Jeremiah 9:11-12). Although the reason for the destruction of the First and Second Temples is explained in the words of the Prophets and Sages, the question of why the Land was destroyed is a more fundamental question, as it includes everything: the destruction of the First and Second Temples, the destruction of the Land, and the exile of Israel.
And so our Sages said: “This matter was asked of the Sages and the Prophets and the Angels, and they did not explain it, until the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself explained it, as it is written: ‘And the Lord said: Because they have forsaken My Torah'” (Nedarim 81a; Bava Metzia 85a). That is to say, in addition to not listening to God’s voice and not fulfilling the commandments, they also forsook the Torah, and the intention is: “Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: That they did not recite the blessing on the Torah first” (according to the Maharal’s version in the introduction to Tiferet Yisrael).
They Did Not Recite the Blessing on the Torah First
The Maharal explained that although they engaged in Torah study, they did so without first reciting the blessing on the Torah, meaning, without love and connection to God, the Giver of the Torah. For if they had been connected to the Giver of the Torah, the Torah would have been sustained in them despite all the sins and crises. Because through the connection to the Giver of the Torah, they would have repented and corrected everything. But since they did not connect to the Giver of the Torah, they did not correct their sins, and these increased until the Land was destroyed.
Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda HaKohen Kook ztz”l explained further that the blessing on the Torah emphasizes the uniqueness of Israel, “Who has chosen us from all the nations and given us His Torah.” First, He chose us from all the nations, and then He gave us His Torah. And although there are three parts to the blessings of the Torah, our Sages said that this part is the most excellent of all (Berachot 11b), to teach us that the main connection to the Torah should be through Clal Yisrael (the collective of Israel). And when one connects to the Torah not through the entire collective of Israel, in all its parts, they disconnect from the root, and sins increase, until complete destruction.
The Destiny of the People of Israel
The meaning of connecting to Clal Yisrael is connecting to the great vision of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), for only a complete nation composed of different tribes that together express all human talents and aspirations, can bring God’s word and blessing to the world.
Similarly to the need to recite a blessing before studying Torah: the Torah preceded the story of the Forefathers’ lineage to the Giving of the Torah, to teach us that the great vision that God destined for our Forefathers and for us, to walk in God’s ways and thereby bring blessing and repair to the world, is the foundation of the Torah. Man was created in God’s image so that he could participate with the Holy One, Blessed be He, in repairing and perfecting the world. For this purpose, God created the world incomplete, to give man the opportunity to be a partner in repairing the world. And He chose the people of Israel to be the nation that leads the repair and blessing, as it is said: “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed'” (Genesis 12:1-3). And so it was said to Isaac our Forefather: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 26:4), and so to Jacob our Forefather: “In you, and in your descendants, shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14). When one does not recite the blessing on the Torah first, they disconnect from the great vision that God destined for Israel His people, and consequently do not understand the Torah properly, and its learners do not merit to connect to the Giver of the Torah.
The Rejection of Torah
Seemingly, different things were said by our Sages in the introduction to Eicha (Lamentations) Rabbah: “We find that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed, but did not forgive the rejection of Torah, as it is said: ‘For what reason did the Land perish?’ It is not written here ‘for idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed’! But rather ‘because they have forsaken My Torah'” (Petichta 2). Our Sages further interpreted from what is said: “And they have forsaken Me and have not kept My Torah” (Jeremiah 16:11), that if they had forsaken God but kept the Torah, there would not have been destruction, and supposedly God said: “I wish they had forsaken Me but kept My Torah, for through their engagement with it (the Torah), its light would have brought them back to good.”
Apparently, from this Midrash we learn that clinging to the Torah even without clinging to God could save Israel from destruction, unlike what our Sages said, that without blessing the Torah first, the Torah cannot benefit and save. However, in truth, the words of our Sages are poor in one place, and rich in another. Learning Torah without connection to the vision of bringing blessing to the world cannot bring the people back to repentance, and cannot save from destruction. Such learning is learning without blessing the Torah first, and because of it, the Land was destroyed. And what our Sages said in Eicha Rabbah, that if they had learned the Torah in its great meaning, as a Torah intended to repair the world, even if they did not mention God’s name, and did not fulfill the commandments, the light within it would have brought them back to good. Because over time, they would understand that without connection to God and fulfillment of His commandments, it is impossible to realize the great vision of the Torah to bring blessing, and repair to the world.
And these are the deepest foundations, that young children learn in the Torah, and therefore Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: “If you see towns uprooted from their place in the Land of Israel, know that they did not support the wages of scribes and teachers (who teach Torah to the children of Israel), as it is said: ‘For what reason did the Land perish? And the Lord said, Because they have forsaken My Torah'” (there, in Eicha Rabbah).
May it be His will that we merit to learn the Torah in greatness, through connection to God who chose His people Israel, to bring blessing to all the families of the earth.
Is it Permitted to Heal with Words of Torah?
Q: Some claim that certain verses in the Torah or certain chapters in Psalms are beneficial for healing various diseases. Is this true?
A: Our Sages said (Shevuot 15b) that it is forbidden to use verses of the Torah as a segulah (charm) to heal through them, such as saying over a wound or illness the verse: “All the diseases that I placed upon Egypt, I will not place upon you, for I am the Lord, your healer” (Exodus 15:26). For the Torah was given so that Israel would learn it and fulfill its commandments, not to make it a tool for charms. And some used to spit before saying a verse containing God’s name, as sorcerers used to do when saying their incantations, and this is called “whispering over a wound” which our Sages said one who does so, has no portion in the World to Come (Sanhedrin 90a; 101a).
Before the Onset of Illness, for Protection
However, before the onset of illness or danger, it is permitted to recite verses for protection from them, as our Sages said (Shevuot 15b) that it is permitted to recite verses for protection against harmful forces and afflictions, as many are accustomed to say before sleep: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” etc. (Psalms 91). Because when verses are recited before the illness or trouble arrives, there is an expression of faith in God that everything is in His hands, but when the verses are recited after the trouble or illness has arrived, all the reciter’s desire is to use the verses as a charm for healing and rescue.
Fulfilling the Commandment of Torah Study as a Charm for Healing
The prohibition of healing with words of Torah specifically applies to using Torah verses as a charm, but one who learns Torah to understand God’s word and guidance, since through his learning he connects to the source of life, he draws blessing and healing to himself through this. Therefore, it is permitted for the learner to intend that through the commandment of Torah study, healing will also be drawn to him. And as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: “One who walks on the road and has no escort – should engage in Torah… If one has a headache – should engage in Torah… If one has a sore throat – should engage in Torah… If one has stomach pains – should engage in Torah… If one has bone pain – should engage in Torah… If one has pain throughout his body – should engage in Torah, as it is said: ‘For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh’ (Proverbs 4:22)” (Eruvin 54a). That is, since one who learns Torah connects to God, the source of life, and engages in His orderly guidance for the world, he is saved through it from dangers and illnesses (Maharal, Maharsha, Torat Chaim). Similarly, our Sages said (Rosh Hashanah 4a) that it is permitted for a person whose son is ill, to give charity so that his son may live, and not only that, but they said he is “completely righteous,” for since his intention is to fulfill a commandment, there is no prohibition in his requesting that the merit of the commandment benefit his son’s healing (Chadrei De’ah 179, on Taz 8).
Reciting Verses as Prayer
Similarly, it is permitted to recite verses as a prayer to God to heal one from illness, or save one from trouble, as is done with Psalms. And there is even a mitzvah in this, because the essence of the commandment of prayer is that a person should pray to God in his time of trouble, and ask Him to save him (Peninei Halakha: Prayer 1:4). And reciting Psalms is considered an exalted prayer, since the chapters of Psalms include all types of prayers and praises to God. And the one praying can choose chapters that better express his distress and prayer.
Placing a Torah Scroll as a Charm for Healing
Just as it is forbidden to heal with words of Torah, so it is forbidden to place a Torah scroll or tefillin on a child to heal him or to put a child suffering from insomnia to sleep, because the Torah was given so that Jews would learn it, and fulfill its commandments, and thereby merit life and blessing, not to use it as charms for physical healing (Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 6:2; Rambam Avodah Zarah 11:12; Shulchan Aruch 179:9). However, in a situation of life-threatening danger, it is permitted to place a Torah scroll on a sick person. For this reason, some used to place a Torah scroll on a woman having difficulty in childbirth (Be’er Sheva, Sanhedrin 101a).
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.
