The 22nd of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yehuda Aryeh Leib (ben Shlomo) Eiger of Lublin (1816-1888). A grandson of Rav Akiva Eiger, “Reb Leibele” was born in Warsaw. He learned under Rav Yitzchak Meir Alter, later known as the Chiddushei Harim in Warsaw. The Chiddushei Harim used to say, “True misnagdim don’t really deserve to be punished, because they fight chassidus for the sake of heaven. Therefore, they are punished with a punishment that is not really a punishment – their sons become chassidim.” At 20, he married and moved to Lublin where he davened at the Shul of the Chozeh. There, he befriended Rav Yisrael, the Chozeh’s son. He then moved to Kotzk. He became a rebbe after the Rebbe of Izbitza passed away in 1854. After his death his son, Rav Avraham, printed his sefarim “Toras Emes” and “Imrei Emes.”
“Though the Sabbath prohibits us from crying out, may a recovery speedily come.” It is in this portion of of Mishpatim that Israel’s healing is completed. Our Sages teach us that when the Children of Israel said, “All that God speaks, we will do and we will listen,” there was no one who was crippled or ill. We know that they were all healed when they received the Torah at Sinai; it was their acceptance of Torah that brought them healing.
However, we must understand how they were able to achieve the lofty level of responding, “We will do and we will listen,” before they were completely healed; their healing was completed only when they said these words! This means that they were able to achieve this level before they had complete healing.
How?
God created us to be straight, to serve Him in perfection and health, with our entire soul. However, He wanted us to use our Free Choice to achieve this level, and therefore created a human being who would have to strive for spiritual repair and physical healing. The process of their repair and healing began with the Exodus. They had achieved total belief before they reached Mount Sinai. They committed themselves to total service of God even if they were incomplete, crippled, ill, and needing perfection. It was their declaration of this commitment that completed their healing.
Therefore, we are prohibited from crying out on Shabbat, because the essence of Shabbat is this total and absolute belief in God. A person who has achieved this level does not need to cry out; the healing will come, speedily, on its own. (Imrei Emes)
By: Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, n''y
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