Why is it necessary to have two “amiros,” sayings? Rashi cites Chazal in the Talmud Yevamos 114a who say that the Torah is emphasizing the need for “the gedolim to warn the ketanim.” The Kohanim, scholars and teachers of the people, were to convey this teaching to others who were not necessarily obligated by this mitzvah. The adult Kohanim were cautioned to make sure that their children not become contaminated. The Midrash says that the word gedolim is a reference to the “beings,” angels in Heaven Above, for whom one amirah, admonishment, suffices. The tachtonim, human beings who walk the face of the earth, who are subject to the blandishments of the yetzer hora, evil inclination, need at least two enjoinments to curb their appetite for sin. What is the meaning of the two amiros, enjoinments, that would assist the tachtonim, humans, in thwarting the yetzer hora’s efforts to cause them to sin?
Horav Eliyahu Schlessinger, Shlita, cites Horav P. Friedman, Shlita, who explains this Midrash by using a concept stated by the Koznitzer Maggid, zl. The Torah in Parashas Haazinu (Devarim 32:) declares, “Give ear o’ heavens, and I will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth.” The Maggid explains this pasuk in the following manner: The tzaddik who attempts to reprove his generation in order to bring them back to serve Hashem properly, but does not succeed, should realize that their hearts have turned to stone. In order to reach them, he should focus his words on the origin of their neshamah, soul. In Heaven, the klipos, “outer shells”, which prevent the words of admonishment from entering their hearts, are not effective. Horav Schlessinger explains that, actually, a person’s neshamah has two components. The primary neshamah which remains pure and holy – untainted by anything – stays in Heaven. The aspect that leaves the Heaven to enter into the human body is but a small part of the neshamah’s light, the “overflow.” As a person serves Hashem and studies Torah, accordingly the two neshamos become bound up with one another.
The Bnei Yissacher explains the concept of Machatzis Hashekel: Each Jew was instructed to give only a half-shekel to the Mikdash, based upon this idea. The numerical equivalent of “shekel” is the same as “nefesh,” referring to the soul of man. We are enjoined to give a half-shekel, alluding to our responsibility to elevate our half of the nefesh/neshamah, and bind it up with its pure source in Heaven.
The neshamah in Heaven is never blemished or tainted by our sins. What we do on earth affects only our “earthly” neshamah. This is so that even when man sullies himself with sin in this world, he still has the opportunity left for him to perform teshuvah and repent, since the neshamah in Heaven remains in its pristine state. “Kol Yisrael yeish lahem chelek la’Olam Habah,” “Every Jew has a portion in the World To Come.” Does this apply to the wicked who have perverted Hashem’s word, who have denigrated His mitzvos and belittled His Torah? Yes! The neshamah that is in Heaven is not affected by the person’s rebellion in his human existence. It continues in its state of purity and holiness, waiting for its “other half” to repent and return to its source. When the tzaddik offers words of rebuke, he should first focus on the “earthly” soul. If he sees that it is to no avail, he should speak to the unaffected neshamah, the one in Shomayim, that will always hear. This is implied by the Torah’s redundancy of “Hocheach tocheach es amisecha” “You shall reprove your fellow man,” (Vayikra 19:17). If at first one is not successful with his tochachah, he should speak again to the soul in Heaven. Every Jew has his bedrock, his foundation of spiritual stability, the Pintele Yid that will never be blemished. For every Jew, there is always hope.
We now have a profound understanding of the words of the Midrash. Because the elyonim, angels, do not have a yetzer hora that would sway them and blemish their neshamos, they do not need a special amirah to the source of their neshamah. One amirah from Hashem is sufficient. For the tachtonim, humans, who have a yetzer hora, we can only hope that two amiros – one for their earthly neshamah and the second for their Heavenly neshamah, are sufficient enjoinment to bring them back to serve Him. These are the two amiros: to the person and — if that does not work — speak to their neshamos in Heaven.
