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Torah Behavior Inside and Outside the House

In last week's parsha Ki Savo, Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch comments on the pasuk (28:6): baruch ata b'voecha, u'baruch ata b'tzetecha - Blessed thou shalt be when you come, and blessed thou shalt be when you depart. Rav Hirsch explains: "you are blessed in your home life and in your public life."

IMHO, we can expand on Rav Hirsch's terse comment with an idea I heard in a shiur available on the YU Torah website given by Rabbi Shalom Rosner (formerly of the Island shul in Cedarhurst, and now of Beit Shemesh), and Rav Hirsch's own explanation of the meaning of the term "baruch" earlier in sefer Devarim.

In gemara Shabbos (22a), there's an argument as to where to position the menora in the doorway (during times when the menora was placed in the doorway) - on the RIGHT side of the doorway (when entering), or on the LEFT when entering. The halacha is to position the menora on the left when entering so that the mezzuzah will be on the right side when entering. The ostensible reason is that, in this way, a Jew will be surrounded on both sides with mitzvos when entering and leaving his home. 

A more allegorical explanation is provided by a certain commentator (quoted by Rabbi Rosner but whose name escapes me now). He says there are some Jews who are "frum" in private, but then in public, they don't think the shulchan aruch applies and their ethics are less than stellar.  

And there are others who are publicly "frum", but then in private, they check their "frumkeit" at the door to the house (so to speak). They think no one's watching in their home.

Here's the punchline: if we follow the halacha and position the menora on the LEFT when ENTERING, and have the mezzuzah on the RIGHT when ENTERING, then the menorah is on the RIGHT when EXITING and the mezzuza is on the LEFT when EXITING.

Being surrounded by mitzvos upon both exiting and entering is meant to remind us that one needs to take their frumkeit with them when they exit the house and operate in public; while at the same time one can't discard Torah behavior in the confines of one's home.

Coming back to the word "baruch" in the pasuk cited at the outset of this post, Rav Hirsch elaborates at length on the purpose and meaning of "berachos" in his commentary on the pasuk in Ekev (8:10): v'achalta v'savata u'berachta. In a nutshell, Rav Hirsch says the essence of brachos is dedication of our lives to the fulfillment of Hashem's Will on earth. And by dedicating himself to Hashem's service, Man has the capability to "bless" Hashem (so to speak) - to glorify His Name and His Torah.

In which case, Rav Hirsch's explanation of "baruch" in the pasuk in Ki Savo discussed at the outset now assumes added meaning - what the Torah is telling: fulfill the Will of Hashem both in your home life and in your public life (as we say each day: "l'olam yehei adam yirei shamayim b'seter u'vegalui" - "let a person be G-d fearing privately and publicly."). Do not throw off the obligations of the Torah when passing through your doorway - in either direction. In this way, you will glorify Hashem's Name in this world, and blessing will come down upon you in exchange (in both your public life and your private life).

Which further suggests the "ata" in the pasuk has a double reference - "baruch ata" - "you" referring to Hashem - like the text in our standard berachos; glorify Hashem in public and private. And "baruch ata" - literally "you" - meaning Man - by glorifying ("blessing") Hashem, you too will be blessed.

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