Take Five – Ki Tavo
לע"נ אמי מורתי פאשע דבורה בת אליעזר מאיר ע"ה
הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ. (דברים כו, טו)
My father z”l was a great lover of jazz music and the Dave Brubek Quartet version of the jazz classic “Take Five” was one of his favorites. However, this shiur is not about jazz, it is all about the number five.
The number five is a very special number which has profound lessons relating to life and the meaning of life. The majority of the material in this shiur is taken from sefer Meir Panim that deals with the Lechem HaPanim, which is not surprisingly - intricately linked to the number five.
One very interesting characteristic of the number five is that it is “best served in pairs”. It is the only number that when added to itself elevates you to the next level. For example (digits) adding 5 to 5 = 10 elevates you to the beginning of the next decimal level (tens). Adding 50 to 50 = 100 takes you up another level (hundreds). Adding 500 to 500 = 1000 takes you up to the thousands, and so on. The number five is a very powerful number in itself, but when paired, its power is exponentially increased.
An example of this power pairing is the human hand. The hand is a very powerful appendage, allowing us to perform both gross and fine motor actions. There are five fingers in a hand. Clasping the fingers together allows us to perform powerful gross motor movements, like a fist kneading dough, shaking hands, etc. Similarly, the same fingers allow fine motor movement, like threading a needle.
One hand is a very powerful tool in the human body, but using two hands elevates that power to the next level. It is the difference between playing the piano with one hand or two, or touch typing at a computer.
My mother Phyllis a"h was the fastest typer on a keyboard with both hands that I have ever seen. There are certain tasks that can only be performed using both hands, like doing hagba with a sefer Torah (it is designed in that way, that it requires two hands to raise it up).
Which brings us to the next example - the luchot habrit. Each luach contains five commandments, five בֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם, and five בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ. Although it may appear that the two sets of five are mutually exclusive, they are not. When Moshe broke the luchot, the elders asked him “Why did you break the set of בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ?
The sin of the egel was בֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם, only it deserved to be broken!” Moshe responded that the two luchot are a pair, a unit, indivisible – one cannot exist without the other. Therefore, when we do hagba and raise up the sefer Torah, it requires the use of both hands.
When the Kohanim do Birkat Kohanim, they raise both hands together in such a way that the fingers are arranged in five pairs, between which there are five spaces.
The number five is such an important number that HKB”H created the world using the number five, as it says אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם (בראשית ב, ד), and Rashi says “Do not read it as בְּהִבָּרְאָם but as בְּ-ה-בָּרְאָם”, that HKB”H created the world with the number five.
According to Chazal HKB”H created olam hazeh with the letter ה (five) and olam habah with the letter י (which is basically a pair of fives). One of HKB"H’s names, Yud Heh Vav Heh, is made up of two fives, a ten and a six (we will discuss later why the number six [vav] is between the two fives [heh's] – it symbolizes unity between the fives).
So, what is so important about the number five that it plays such a central role in our world? A hint to the answer lies in the letters of the number five (in Hebrew) – חמש. Rearranging these letters gives us the word שמח. The number five embodies – joy. Joy was an essential part of Creation.
At the end of each day the passuk says וַיַּרְא אֱ-לֹקִים כִּי טוֹב, HKB”H rejoiced over every creation. Just as the world was created with joy, it continues to exist by virtue of joy. This is the foundation of the principle עִבְדוּ אֶת ה' בְּשִׂמְחָה.
There is a “treasury”, a specific store in Heaven from where joy emanates. Heaven is divided into seven layers, רְקִיעִים, in the language of Chazal (Chagiga 12b). The layer from which joy emanates is the fifth layer, called מָעוֹן. This is why in the Birkat HaMazon during sheva brachot we say שֶׁהַשִּׂמְחָה בִּמְעוֹנוֹ. In this layer, the angels sing shira to HKB”H (only at night - out of respect for Am Yisrael who sing shira to HKB”H during the day).
This fifth layer in Heaven is also the source of all בְּרָכָה, as it says in the above passuk from our parsha הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. Normally the term “hashkafa” is associated with something negative (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa, 14). So how is it that here it is associated with bracha?
Simple, because it is not הַשְׁקֵף, the negative term used in Sdom (בראשית, יח, טז), nor that used when HKB”H smote the Egyptians who pursued Am Yisrael to the banks of Yam Suf (שמות יד, כד). Here it has a five, a “heh”, added to the end of the word הַשְׁקִיפָ-ה, and therefore it draws on the bracha from the fifth layer in Heaven, מָעוֹן.
During Creation and immediately after, HKB”H’s Shechina resided down here, on earth. There was a direct, umbilical connection to HKB”H. As it says וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה' אֱ-לֹקִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם (בראשית ג, ח), the Shechina was palpably present in Gan Eden.
The sin of Adam and Chava distanced the Shechina from earth to the first level (וִילוֹן). When Kayin killed Hevel, it distanced the Shechina even further, to the second level (רָקִיעַ). The sin of the generation of Enosh distanced the Shechina to the third level (שְׁחָקִים). The generation of the Flood distanced the Shechina to the fourth level (זְבוּל). The Dor HaPalaga distanced the Shechina to the fifth level (מָעוֹן).
While the Shechina was residing in the fifth level, the joy emanating from מָעוֹן influenced HKB”H and He decided to set in motion the mechanism that would reverse this negative tide of "generations of sin", by creating Avraham Avinu. Avraham was born Avram and HKB”H added a “heh”, a five, to his name (and also to Sarah’s) to enable them to accomplish their task of restoring joy and bracha to the world. This did not occur immediately.
The people of Sdom, in the lifetime of Avraham, distanced the Shechina to the sixth level (מָכוֹן) and the Egyptians in the lifetime of Avraham, distanced the Shechina to the seventh layer, the most distant from earth (עֲרָבוֹת). After the Akeida, the tide began to turn and Avraham lowered the Shechina one layer back down.
This was followed by Yitzchak, Yaakov, Levi, Kehat, Amram, each lowering the Shechina one level at a time – until Moshe Rabbeinu, who finally lowered the Shechina back down to earth - during Matan Torah on Har Sinai.
The number five embodies both materialism and spirituality, this is why they are better when paired. As we said above, the number five is represented by the hands, which are a tool for עֲשִׂיָּה in this material world, the עוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה. A person uses their hands to create things in this world and make a parnasa יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל (תהילים קכח, ב). Humans have five senses through which they physically interact with the material world.
The number five also represents spirituality (see the luchot above) and also חֲמִשָּׁה חֻמְשֵׁי תּוֹרָה, the written Torah which is the spiritual guideline for living in this material world. At the fifth journey in the Exodus, Am Yisrael reached Eilim, which is where the נְשִׂיאִים of the Twelve Tribes and the שִׁבְעִים זְקֵנִים were appointed וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵילִמָה וְשָׁם שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עֵינֹת מַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים תְּמָרִים (שמות טו, כז).
When someone does פִּדְיוֹן הַבֵּן, they give five Shekalim to the Kohen. In the passuk the word five is repeated twice וְלָקַחְתָּ חֲמֵשֶׁת חֲמֵשֶׁת שְׁקָלִים לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת (במדבר ג, מז), reminiscent of the pairing above. The fifth passuk in the fifth perek in the Torah is the lifespan of Adam HaRishon which was 930 years. It would have been 1000 years (see "decimal levels" above), but he gave 70 of his years to David HaMelech.
The fifth mitzva in the Sefer HaMitzvot of the Rambam is the mitzva of tefilla. Prayer is the most elevated form of speech, using חֲמֵשֶׁת מוֹצְאוֹת הַפֶּה, the five parts of the mouth (throat, palate, tongue, teeth, lips) to make the various sounds. Birkat Hamotzi is recited on bread made from five species of grain (wheat, barley, spelt, rye, oats).
This combination of the two fives, the material and the spiritual, is represented by the two Sefirot – חֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה. The attribute of Chessed is the action, מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים and Gevura is the Torah, מִדַּת הַדִּין. Our life is meant to be a continual combination of Chessed and Gevura.
Numerous Torah principles are based on a balance of Chessed and Gevura, for example – rain, or in the lashon of Chazal גְּבוּרוֹת גְּשָׁמִים. The existence of rain, which provides material sustenance to this material world, is an intermingling of Chessed with Gevura (see shiur on Eikev 2022).
Another principle applies to education, a balance of distancing (rebuking) with the left (Gvura) and gathering in (comforting) with the right (Chessed). The Lubavitcher Rebbe said we rebuke with the left hand, because it is the weaker hand and use the stronger hand to be mekarev (see shiur on Devarim 2025).
In order for the two fives to be paired, there needs to be some bonding agent, some "glue" to hold them together. The "glue" in question is embedded in the letter "heh" itself. The letter "heh" written in its full form is הֵא. The gematria of הֵא is six. The number six is the glue that holds things together and creates unity. Not for nothing is the sixth letter of the alphabet called the "vav hachibur".
How do we learn that the number six unifies things? from the number five! Try this exercise – hold up six fingers. What do you notice? In order to hold up six fingers it requires both hands, you cannot hold up six fingers with one hand! (perhaps AI generated pictures can, but not hands in the real world). In this way, the number six brings together the two opposite hands and creates unity between them.
This is one reason why the twelve loaves of Lechem HaPanim are stacked on the Shulchan in two stacks of six – to symbolize unity between the Twelve Tribes. This is why in HKB"H's name "Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh" the vav (the six) is between the two heh's (fives) and holds them together.
The sixth day is the connecting point between the preceding five days of the week and Shabbat. This is why man was created on the sixth day because humans are the link between Heaven and earth. Adam HaRishon first stood up on his feet in the fifth hour of the sixth day of Creation.
The Lechem HaPanim are baked on the sixth day for the same reason, because the sixth day links the עוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה, the five fingers of the hand, to the spiritual, Shabbat. That is why the Lechem HaPanim is five tefachim wide, by ten tefachim long (before it is folded into the special shape), the one hand (five) and the two hands together (ten). After it is folded, the length of the bread is six tefachim, again the principle of the six holding the fives together.
The תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה is symbolized by the number six שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, the connection between the five books of the תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב and the halacha lema'aseh.
David selected five stones, that then coalesced (united) together into a sixth stone which he hurled at Goliath and defeated him.
Above are but a few examples of how the number six connects the fives.
Getting back to our principle that the number five represents joy.
Joy is a central theme in our parsha. The parsha begins with the positive aspect of joy – the mitzva of the Bikkurim and the passuk הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם. It also ends with joy, the negative aspect – explaining why we incur curses תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא עָבַדְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וגו' (דברים כח, מז), because we lack joy in our service of HKB"H.
The fifth month (starting from Nisan) is Av. The month of Av (before the sin of the meraglim) was intended as a month of great joy and celebration. After the sin of the meraglim, the Torah speaks about the five daughters of Tzlofchad, Machla, Noa, Chogla, Milka and Tirtza, whose yearning for the Promised Land provided a counterfoil to the negative report of the meraglim.
According to R' Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin (פרי צדיק, דברים י"ג), the Mashiach will be born in the month of Av. The astrological sign of Av is אַרְיֵה, a lion, symbolizing the Beit HaMikdash, אֲרִיאֵל.
In the Hebrew alphabet there are twenty-two letters and of those, there are five letters which have a different form if they appear at the end of a word - the "sofit/end" letters called "camenapetz", כמנפצ, or ך, ם, ן, ף, ץ.
The Midrash (במדבר רבה, קרח, פר' יח, כא) tells us that the five letters of כמנפצ embody five stages of Geulah (see shiur on Behaalotcha 2025). Five letters - in pairs.
The first Geulah was when Avraham was redeemed from the furnace of Ur Casdim, לֵךְ לְךָ (בראשית יב, א) - double ך.
The second was when Yitzchak was saved from Avimelech, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֶל יִצְחָק לֵךְ מֵעִמָּנוּ כִּי עָצַמְתָּ מִמֶּנּוּ (בראשית כו, טז) - double מ.
The third was when Yaakov was saved from Eisav, הַצִּילֵנִי נָא מִיַּד אָחִי מִיַּד עֵשָׂו (בראשית לב, יב) - double נ.
The fourth was when Moshe returned to Egypt with HKB"H's "code word" for the Geulah פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם (שמות ג, טז) - double פ.
The fifth and final Geulah is when HKB"H sends Mashiach, הִנֵּה אִישׁ צֶמַח שְׁמוֹ וּמִתַּחְתָּיו יִצְמָח וּבָנָה אֶת הֵיכַל ה' (זכריה ו, יב) - double צ.
The reason the number five is connected to joy, is because it represents the ultimate joy – the Geulah and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash.
The fifth chapter of the fifth book in Nevi'im, i.e מלכים א, פרק ה, discusses Shlomo HaMelech beginning to build the first Beit HaMikdash.
The fifth seder in the Mishna is Kodshim, which deals with the avodah in the Beit HaMikdash.
The fifth avodah performed every morning in the Beit HaMikdash is הֲטָבַת חָמֵשׁ נֵרוֹת, preparing the first five lights of the Menorah (Yoma 33a), corresponding to the fifth passuk in the Torah וַיִּקְרָא אֱ-לֹקִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וגו' (בראשית א, ה). Later, after sprinkling the blood of the Tamid, the Kohen prepares the remaining two lights. Five and two, reminiscent of "fives in pairs" above.
We saw above, the intricate connection between the Lechem HaPanim and the number five, on its own and in pairs.
In the 1st Beit HaMikdash, Shlomo HaMelech added to the Heichal ten Menorot and ten Shulchanot – each in two rows, of five each.
I could continue for another five (or ten) pages with more examples, but I think you have the idea.
The number five is a cornerstone of the Creation, because it represents joy! Everything in HKB"H's Creation embodies joy, the material and the spiritual - because this is the form of service that HKB"H requires עִבְדוּ אֶת ה' בְּשִׂמְחָה, not only from us, but from each and every one of His creations.
An example is the moon, the לְבָנָה. What color is the moon? White. Therefore, it is called לְבָנָ-ה, white together with a "heh", five (joy). Where do we observe joy in the moon's service of HKB"H? In the first half of the month, the shape of the moon represents a human smiling mouth, reflecting us smiling up at HKB"H. In the second half of the month, it is an "inverted" smile, reflecting HKB"H smiling back down on us (things in Heaven are a mirror image of that on earth).
This week we all witnessed a full lunar eclipse, otherwise known as a "red moon". The Gemara (Sukka 29a) says that such a lunar eclipse is a bad sign for Am Yisrael. The Navi (ירמיהו י, ב) says that Am Yisrael should not fear signs in the sky and the Gemara says that as long as Am Yisrael are doing HKB"H's will we need not fear them. For this reason, there is a machloket whether we should say a bracha (עוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית) or not.
Rachmana litzlan, the following day there was a pigua in Jerusalem on a bus and six people were killed. Another four soldiers were killed that day in Gaza. Nothing is random, HKB"H is talking to us.
R' Yisrael Yaakov Fisher zt"l in his sefer Drashot Even Yisrael gives an inspirational mashal. Have any of you ever rented an apartment? This one young family came to rent an apartment from a grumpy landlord who made them sign a contract. One year's rent up front and a security check for $10,000. As per the contract, at the end of the first year the landlord would come and inspect the apartment and if the tenant had damaged it in any way, the rental contract would not be renewed and the security check would be used to repair the damages.
Before the year was up the landlord phoned the tenant to inform him that in three weeks he would be coming to inspect the condition of the apartment. This young family had five small children, who, b"H were all aspiring artists and there was hardly a place on the walls where they not had scribbled or painted pictures. One of them was also an avid sculptor and his carvings in the furniture and the sheet rock walls, were a wonder to behold.
Three weeks???!!! The parents went into a panic. They immediately contacted a painter to come and paint the apartment. The painter arrived and took one look around and said "Sorry, you don't just need a painter, you need a construction crew!" The husband replied "Never mind! Just bring whoever you need to fix this and get the job done. You have three weeks!" B"H the handyman was true to his word and three weeks later the landlord rings the doorbell and walks into a spotless apartment. "Wow!", says the landlord, "You have looked after my apartment better that even I myself do".
There is also the famous story about the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh who announced that there will be an emergency meeting of all the talmidim in the Beit HaMidrash. The talmidim were in a furor at this unexpected announcement, which was not the norm. They all gathered in the Beit HaMidrash in eager anticipation of what the Rosh Yeshiva was going to disclose to them. The Rosh Yeshiva ascended the podium and said to the talmidim – "I have bad news and good news. First the bad news… half of the month of Elul is gone and we can't get it back. But the good news is that we still have the other half of Elul to do tikkun!"
Last Rosh Hashana HKB"H signed a contract with us and in a few short days He is coming to inspect what we have done with the gift of life given to us. Have we nurtured that gift or have we neglected it? How many Tzaddikim have sacrificed their lives this last year so that we could make it to Rosh Hashana?
We have less than two short weeks to do tikkun. To reacquire our sense of joy in serving HKB"H, grabbing every single mitzva we can get our hands on and not wasting a minute. To reacquire a sense of mutual joy in Am Yisrael, from one to another. In that way we can arrive at Rosh HaShana, יוֹם הַדִּין, prepared, in anticipation of the new year תשפ"ו, the year in which וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב, HKB"H will remove the yetzer hara and bring the Geulah, iy"H.
Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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