Parshas Yisro 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Feb 14
- 2 min read
ואמרת לעם הזה שמעו שמוע ואל תבינו וראו ראו ואל תדעו... (ישעי' ו-ט)
Yeshaya HaNavi views a vision of the Almighty seated atop a lofty throne, with the holy Merkava (chariot), in the year of the death of King Uziyahu of Malchus Yehuda. In the vision, Hashem declares, “Go, say to this Nation: ‘Hear, indeed, but do not understand; see, indeed, but do not grasp.’” Surely, our intention is to always try and understand the word of Hashem. Why then are we now told to hear and see things but not to grasp and understand them?
Rabbeinu Avraham Ibn Ezra zt”l explains that while we always want to understand Hashem’s words, sometimes hearing the words without fully understanding them can save us from a tremendous amount of terror and pain. He explains that throughout history, the Jewish people endured terrible tragedies - some of which are too unbearable to even think about. Yet, through it all, Torah Jews always have and continue to turn to the leaders of their generation to understand the tragedy and learn the lessons from it.
Sometimes the answers are clear, but sometimes the ways of Hashem are really not. The Ibn Ezra tells us that it is not always our job to understand every single thing - sometimes our duty is to not question the Almighty’s actions and just accept our fate. By no means does this imply that we must lay down our arms or be led like sheep to the slaughter. Rather, there are times when we seek out answers and fight battles, and there are times when a decree is simply the will of Hashem, and it is our duty to accept it.