The completion of the Chumash clearly presents a very important and significant milestone in terms of Hafatzas HaTorah. I'd like to, however, with your permission, try to identify and explore a second vitally important dimension to this accomplishment. But first, a few words to gain perspective. In his essay Vikhashtem Misham, the Rav zichrono livracha explains that Halacha sanctions and even requires that we look for and recognize reflections of Hakadosh Baruch Hu within His bria. And thus we make brochos on the sun, Birkas Hachamah, on the moon, Birkas Halevanah, on the ocean, thunder, lightning, etc. And what do these brochos signify? The fact that we make these brochos, what does it signify? So in the Rav's words, בכל הוא רואה זיו השכינה ועל הכל הוא מברך. The unstated subject here is the Ish HaHalacha whom the Rav is depicting. In every facet and in every corner of the bria, of the cosmos, he sees the splendor, the radiance of the Shchina and then on all of these phenomena he makes a brocha. But Chazal also formulated a brocha for when one sees the greatest of Chachmei Yisrael, shecholak michochmaso lireiav. The implication is clear: in meriting to see one of those elite few, one of the greatest of the great of the Chachmei Yisrael, we see a reflection, albeit finite, of the splendid, infinite chochma of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. אנו רואים זיו השכינה. For further perspective, let's turn briefly to another passage and idea from the Rav's writings. This appears in his hesped for his uncle, Reb Velvel. מדותיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא יורדות לעולם התחתון ומתגלמות בגדולי ישראל חכמי המסורה.
The attributes that we use to capture, to describe Hakadosh Baruch Hu's actions in the world, they, those attributes themselves descend to the world, to this lower world, and they become embodied in the Gedolei Yisrael and chachamim who transmit the mesora. מתוך נבכי נשמתם מפיק אור מופלא המתפצל לשלל צבעים, from the recesses, from the depths, the recesses of their souls shines forth a splendid light which refracts, which separates into a whole spectrum of light. משמשים הם מעון לשכינה. The Gedolei Yisrael, these elite, singular few, משמשים הם מעון לשכינה. They serve as an abode for the Divine presence. ועצם אישיותם מאצילה יופי של מעלה ומקרינה מה שהוא אלוקי.
And their very personalities radiate a supernal beauty and shine something Divine. One more source. The Rambam in his introduction to the Perush Hamishnayos describes how in response to Shlomo Hamelech's request in the dream, Hakadosh Baruch Hu granted Shlomo Hamelech extraordinary wisdom, so much so that Shlomo Hamelech knew and was able to explain the purpose of everything in the bria. As the pasuk attests in Melachim, וידבר על העצים מן הארז אשר בלבנון ועד האזוב אשר יוצא בקיר וידבר על הבהמה ועל העוף ועל הרמש ועל הדגים.
Shlomo Hamelech was able to penetrate. Penetrate and understand the secret of the briya, whether the inanimate world, the vegetative world, the animal world, and then the Rambam adds this postscript: והייתה בזה הוכחה על כך שיש בו כוח אלוקי. And that wisdom was evidence of something divine within Shlomo Hamelech. In sum, the greatest of chachmei Yisrael, the unique amongst them possess a koach eloki; they serve as a maon l'shechina, they reflect and project ziv hashchina. Let's shift our attention for a moment to the field of parshanut, commentary, biblical commentary. What kochos are required to make a contribution, to provide insight and enhance everyone's understanding of the Dvar Hashem? So first of all, a sense of language, the ability to decipher the semantics and different shades of meaning in words. A second koach, a command of Halacha. The Torah is of course the sefer halacha par excellence, and as such, sovereign mastery over halacha positions one in terms of parshanut as well. And finally, the Torah of course is not only the sefer halacha par excellence, it's also the sefer machshava, the repository of Agaddah par excellence as well. And thus, the parshan also draws upon his kochos as a Baal Machshava. Any one of these qualities, Baal Pshat, Baal Halacha, Baal Agaddah, can position a chacham to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of Chumash, of the Dvar Hashem. How much more so if the parshan qualifies in all three areas: he's a Baal Pshat, a Baal Halacha, and a Baal Machshava? How much more so if he's outstanding in all three areas, and how much more so if in all three areas he's blessed with a remarkable, singular koach hachiddush, a fertile, lively, profound genius? I once heard a very remarkable story about Rav Meir Simcha known to us from his classic work on the Rambam, Ohr Sameach, as well as his equally classic work al hatorah, the Meshech Chochma. So the chronology is that Ohr Sameach was published first and the Meshech Chochma was published later. So when the Ohr Sameach was published, so it took the world of lomdei Torah by storm; it was like a Maamad Har Sinai, so much, so much Torah revealed. People were nispoyel. Nevertheless, Rav Meir Simcha's intimates, who knew him firsthand, who knew him well, not just from his sefer, said dismissively about those who were nispoyel: you haven't seen anything, he's so much greater than is reflected and distilled into these chidushim; you ain't seen nothing. Then sometime later, the Meshech Chochma was published. Then even the mekurovim, even the intimates of Rav Meir Simcha, shook their heads in disbelief and said: even we had no hasaga of just how great and just how remarkable a Gaon and Sar HaTorah Rav Meir Simcha is. Parshanut, when the parshan combines and ranges over the entire spectrum of Torah knowledge, he's a Baal Pshat... A Baal Halacha, understanding Halacha to its depths in the tradition of Rav Chaim. A Baal Machshava who quotes with the same ease and familiarity and intimacy from the Moreh, from the Chovos HaLevavos, from the Emunos V'Deios, from the Likkutei Torah, from the Zohar Hakadosh, from the Kisvei Ha'Arizal. The tapestry that's woven there, there's a Ziv HaShchina which even surpasses the Ziv HaShchina when the subject matter is more confining and more restrictive. In a Shiur in Halacha, so one sees the tremendous depth and profundity and beauty and splendor of Halacha. The same in Machshava, in a Shiur in Machshava. In Chumash, the venue allows for even those who hadn't seen Rabbi Meir Simcha Bimlo Tifarto to see certain dimensions of greatness because you see the Meforesh, you see the Meforesh ranging back and forth again between the Pshat, the depths of Halacha, the depths of Machshava, Machshava be it philosophy, Machshava be it Kabbalah, be it the relevant Chochmos HaOlam. That majestic presentation and revelation of Torah is possible in the context of Chumash. I have to add that despite the masterful, devoted work done in compiling the Chumash, one only gets glimpses and flashes, not because the work could have been done any better; the work was done superbly. The truth is for those who were exposed to the Rav in person, so one has the same reaction as the intimates of Rabbi Meir Simcha had, that whatever you see in the writings, the person himself was so much greater. He wasn't able to channel it all into the writings. Second of all, the Rav didn't write systematically on Chumash; it needed to be anthologized. Third of all, as the introduction to the Chumash says, even the excerpts needed to be balanced in a way to allow it to function as a Perush on the Chumash. So all those constrain and dim the Ziv HaShchina. But all that notwithstanding, there is a tremendous Ziv HaShchina and in the words of the Rambam, when one is exposed to Chochma and Chochmas HaTorah on such a level, that integration of all the disciplines of the Pshat, of the Halacha, of the Machshava, one sees and is inspired and is humbled by a Koach Eloki.