Weekly Dvar Torah: The Shluchos Our Queens
When the Torah was given, Hashem addressed the women first; – כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – So shall you say to the house of Jacob [the women] and [only afterwards] tell the sons of Israel. The basis and the foundation of the house of Israel is the Jewish woman.
We live in a world – עולם – from the word – העלם – concealment. What the world does, is that it conceals its Creator and His plan for the world.
In our world, we have come to worship life as a career-based pursuit, how far I can climb the ladder of success in society.
As a result, the home, and the human species in general, have become secondary. Home has to fit in where it does not conflict with our careers. We have lost track of the importance of the home, and by extension the value of family, and the perpetuation of humanity.
The first Mitzvah in the Torah is to be fruitful and multiply. When Hashem praised Avraham Avinu, it was about him bringing up his children and raising them to do justice in the world. One of the great merits that the Jewish people had to qualify for exodus, was that the Jewish women gave birth to children in Egypt to perpetuate the Jewish nation with absolute self-sacrifice. It was because of Miriam that Moshe was born, and he became the redeemer of the Jewish people, and ultimately, he gave us the Torah.
So, wherever we turn, we see the centrality of the Jewish woman. G-d instituted in the structure of the Jewish people, that without the woman there is no Jewish people.
The world does not see things this way, having children is almost like an afterthought, as long as it does not interfere with one’s career. Only then will we spend some time having a child or two. This thinking does not help to perpetuate the human species.
The world also sees this special quality of a woman, as a negative. She is viewed as a stay-home-mom, who bakes cookies and pampers the annoying kids, what a wasted life if she does not pursue a career. If you look at the world trying to save the planet, it’s always at the expense of the quality of life of people. And you ask, who are we saving the planet for?
The real purpose of a career, is that we should be able to support a home in which we raise a family with good Jewish children.
A little perspective.
G-d created the world with a mission for humanity to create for Him a dwelling place in this physical world. Was G-d really homeless, does He really need us to make Him a home?
Yes, G-d wants that His glory, which is Malchus – Kingship, should be revealed in this world of concealment. Who is this Malchus? The Jewish woman.
So, He set us up to build this magnificent palace that eventually He can call home. This is where His Malchus, His Queen, the mother of His children, will reside and be glorified. In order to build this palace, He needs workers, like architects, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, designers, painters, and the like.
Who are these workers? The men. For this, He gave us the Torah which are the tools and instruments with which we will build this palace. This house for G-d where He will find residence together with His Queen.
Obviously, during construction all you see are the day laborers, this is not the place where a Queen hangs out, it’s not befitting for a Queen to mess around with all the construction and the filth that fills the construction site. The Queen does the important work, she raises the family, the Nachas of the king, and she nurtures the future workers who will help finalize the mission, after all, it’s all being built for her.
The Queen is the one who actually fulfills G-d’s first and most important Mitzvah. And she is the reason for whom all other Mitzvah’s serve, to act as bricks and other materials, that build the palace for her together with the king. Any other occupations only distract from reaching the ultimate goal.
When focusing on the real deal, when we don’t get distracted, then our perspective doesn’t get confused. We see how the infinity of G-d is already now manifested by the woman. She is the only one who was given the ability to perpetuate humanity into perpetuity. This is something that only the infinite king can do, and he granted His Queen the ability to do the same. And she raises G-d’s children, no less.
Because she is part of the purpose and goal. All this work is for her, for the glory of Malchus, for G-d’s Queen, therefore she was given the role of living and raising royalty, and not just to be a day laborer.
This week 5000 Shluchos, our Queens, are gathering together. Queens of Chabad Houses worldwide, mothers of large families, mothers of large extended families who are educated, warmed, and nurtured in their Chabad Houses and homes. To plan the action that will perpetuate our people. To spread the love and warmth that only they have to offer. To continue raising, nurturing, and educating their own children and the entire Jewish people.
We salute you, our dearest and most precious Queens of royalty. You personify G-d and His glory now in this world. And we will finish perfecting this palace, in which you will dwell with the king, speedily in our days with the coming of Moshiach, when we will all declare; mission accomplished.
G-d says; כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – So shall you say to the house of Jacob [the women] and [only afterwards] tell the sons of Israel.
Have a royal Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
