Dvar Torah: Parshas Tazria

Tazria 3: “And a woman who gives birth to a son.” (Perek 12, Posuk 2)

The Gemara in Nidah (30,B) describes the fetal state. It is well known that the malach - an angel, learns the entire Torah with every fetus and then before he enters the world, the malach gives it a slap that obliterates everything that has been learned.

However, there is another aspect of the fetal state that is less known. There is a lit candle at his head that illuminates the entire world for him. Through this light he can see the past, present and future. This phenomenon does not appear to be erased during birth. If this is the case, then as soon as the child is able to speak, we should seek his counsel and advice. After all, his knowledge of what is to come has not been erased, so why not benefit from it.

The Satmar Rov, Reb Yoilish, zatzal, gives a penetrating response. He explains that as Torah oriented Jews we seek guidance and brocho only from a Talmid Chochom. Once someone is a Talmid Chochom, he is in a position to dispense advice, to give brochos and to answer halachic questions. If one is not a talmid chochom, why would we seek advise from someone who’s bereft of “daas torah”? If one is not a talmid chochom, why would we want a brocho from someone lacking kdushas hatorah?

Since at birth the baby loses all of his Torah knowledge, even if he retains other knowledge, we have no reason to go to him for any of these things. Without Torah his advice and counsel in the spiritual realm would be worthless to us.

In light of the Satmar Rov’s explanation, we can understand why the Jewish nation was compelled to move on from splitting of the waters at Yam Suf to Har Sinai and the giving of the Torah. The Medrash tells us that there were those who saw no purpose in moving on, after attaining the level of angels by Yam Suf while witnessing the whole supernatural phenomena of the splitting of the sea, and all of the accompanying miracles. They felt that Matan Torah was extraneous.

But according to the axiom set forth by the Satmar Rov, quite the opposite is true. Without Torah angels and holiness are worthless. Without it, Klal Yisroel is no different than any other nation. Only after receiving the Torah, can the spiritual uplifting from the splitting of Yam Suf take effect.