Good morning, Gut Shabbos, R' Velvel. Pasuk Yud Zayin. העוזבת אלוף נעוריה ואת ברית אלהיה שכחה. Ha'ozeves aluf neurvha. So aluf means an officer, a ruler. Ha'ozeves aluf neurvha הוא נגד אשה זרה of the previous pasuk of Pasuk Tes Zayin, she'tachas ishah instead in lieu of her husband, tikach zarim. She turns to strangers ועוזבת את בעלה שהוא אלוף נעוריה. ואת ברית אלהיה שכחה הוא נגד הנכריה שעוזבת מינה ועמה ומשתבקת בעם אחר והיינו נגד החמדה שרודף ואינו נח ולא שוקט יומם ולילה כי גם בלילה לא שכב לבו וכל ימיו בכעס ומכאובים.
Maybe we'll just read through and then try to comment, R' Velvel. ועוזבת את אלוף נעוריה שהיא התורה שאין צריך לנוע תמיד אחר זה אלא אדרבה לשב במנוחה ובשלום והשקט ובטח ולכן כתיב אלוף שהוא התורה כמו שכתוב אאלפך חכמה.
A'alefcha again, one meaning of the shoresh aluf is lashon sar umoshel but it also means to teach. So ha'ozeves aluf neurvha is that one who is preoccupied with chemdah, which as the Gaon explained to us in the previous pasuk, chemdah refers to those pursuits that we have which are not for physical pleasure, such as the pursuit of amassing wealth. So that involves wandering. It involves going forth, going out. Whereas if one would remain focused on Torah, שאין צריך לנוע תמיד אחר זה. One doesn't need to be in constant motion. Ela adaraba לשב במנוחה ובשלום והשקט ובטח. I think what the Gaon here is depicting is not only the... It's on two levels what the Gaon is telling us. On one level, again, a person is seeking his fortune, so it's going to involve going out, and it's going to involve being displaced, and it's going to involve moving around looking for opportunities to make more and more and more and amass wealth. מה שאין כן, it's true that if circumstances demand it, הוי גולה למקום תורה, but fundamentally the bakashas torah, bakashas chochmah, is if a person wants to be marbe bechochmah, marbe betorah, is marbe biyishivah. So just in terms of the mode of pursuit, talmud torah is the mode of pursuit is one of לשב במנוחה ובשלום והשקט ובטח as opposed to the quest to amass wealth is צריך לנוע תמיד אחר זה. But I think the Gaon means it again, it was in yesterday's pasuk as well, the Gaon means it on another level as well. d'hainu, that what's represented by the fact that a person who's in search of a fortune needs to travel, needs to go about, is that he's looking for something which is really external and extrinsic, and as a result is not going to provide the sipuk hanefesh. So mimela, whatever he'll find, he'll never find what he's looking for, because it's not going to give him ultimately the sipuk hanefesh. Mah shekein, what's represented again on this level by Talmud Torah depicted as leishev bimnucha veshalva, is that the person isn't searching for something external, something extrinsic. No, what he's searching for is is something which is a natural sense of fulfillment and provide sipuk hanefesh. And in that sense, he doesn't need to wander around in a futile search, because what he's going to discover is going to be is present internally. ואת ברית אלוהיה שכחה, excuse me, הוא נגד הנכריה שהיא התאווה שיושב בביתו ורואה למלאות תאוותו. וזה שוכח ברית אלוהיו
shehein taryag mitzvos vekulan nichlalin bebris k'moshekassuv shekula mila. כי אחת המצוות צריך לרדוף שיהא מצוי בידו לעשותן. וזה יושב בביתו ואינו רודף אחריהן. אין מצווה בא לידו ונמצא שוכח ברית אלוהיו.
The depiction of taiva, we had it in yesterday's pasuk even more sharply as being something alien. Right, in yesterday's pasuk we saw the Gaon said כי התאוות אינן ראויות לבני ישראל כלל. So there's a very profound idea here, which is that one can mistakenly underestimate what it means to be mechuyav in taryag mitzvos. It means that Bnei Noach are obligated in sheva mitzvos, and we have an additional 606. And what the Gaon is telling us is that while obviously that's true, but the omek hadavar is that we're supposed to live on a different level. And the fact that we have taryag mitzvos is a reflection of the fact that we're supposed to be living not a chayim chomri'im but a chayim ruchni'im, which translate into chayim nitzchi'im. And that's what he means when he says כי התאוות אינן ראויות לבני ישראל כלל. Again, this is rereading the line from yesterday's pasuk. והם עם נכריה אשר לא מבני ישראל המה, is that taryag mitzvos are not just additional chiyuvim on the same level, but what it means is that to be metzuveh in taryag mitzvos is an invitation and a challenge to live on a different level. To live life on a different level, to live not a chayim chomri'im but a chayim ruchni'im and nitzchi'im. Okay, have a good productive morning. Be well. Be safe. See you everyone later b'ezras Hashem, bli neder.