Parsha Va’etchanan by Dr. Laura Danoff

Peace of Parsha

Parsha Va’etchanan (”And I beseeched”) continues Moshe’s review of the first four books of the Torah. It begins with Moshe’s plea to enter Eretz Yisrael which ends up being rejected. This Parsha is always read on Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort which gets its name from the first few words of this week’s haftorah “Nachamu Nachamu Ami,”
“Find comfort, find comfort, my people.”

Parsha Va’etchanan includes a repetition of the 10 commandments and the first paragraph of the Shema affirming the unity of Hashem. This Peace of Parsha will focus on the Shema since this is one of Judaism’s most important essential prayers.

“Hear O’ Israel the Lord our G-d the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your G-d with all your heart (”Bechol Levavcha”) and with all your soul (”Bechol Nafshecha”) and with all your might (”Bechol Meodecha”). We are commanded to read these words twice a day.
These words affirm our commitment and faith in G-d. Even today, this is the highlight of the closing service of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year. The Shema keeps us aware of our identity even when one is isolated from other Jews.

Two letters in the Shema, the ayin in the word “shemA” and the daled in the word “echaD,” are written in an extra-large font in a Torah scroll. These two letters, when written together, spell “eid- witness.” When we recite the Shema, we are witnesses to G-d’s presence. The Jewish people were created to testify to the truth of G- d’s oneness and to act as witnesses among the nations of the one G-d.

Moshe instructed the Jewish people to believe in G-d’s oneness, and further explained it is a mitzvah to love him. We incorporate mitzvot into our daily lives but is it reasonable for the Torah to command us not only to obey G-d but to love him as well? Much like love for another person, we develop love for Hashem through the performance of mitzvot and the more we learn and teach torah to others, the greater our love for Hashem will be.

A person may be encouraged to learn Torah to achieve personal status, to be given long life or to guarantee his place in the World to Come. This is why the Torah introduces this mitzvah with the command, “You shall love Hashem your G-d, for His sake, not yours.” (Sifre 11:13)

Shabbat Shalom!

Mazal Tov Jaclyn and Michael on your wedding! May you both always put your heart and soul into your marriage and may Hashem bless you with tremendous happiness and love!

Parshat DEVARIM by Mark Gersten

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

This Parsha is always read the Shabat before Tishe Bav. If most knowledgeable  people were asked they would say the connection revolves around the of word  eicha. Moshe says “eicha”, how can I (bear). This same word begins the megila read on Tishe Bav.

Moreover the sentence  with the word eicha is sung with the cantellation for the megila even though the verse is in the  the Torah.

This is only the simple connection. The enhanced connection is that the issues Moshe sees with his contemporaries are essentially the same problems which became evident before the destruction of the Temple. Moshe accused his generation of  (1)contentiousness (one litigant feigning witnesses he didn’t have in the hope of getting the other litigant to compromise instead of settle by judgment). (2) burdens (speaking slander about Moses ,if he came out early, they said that he fought with his wife, late, they said that he was scheming against them.) (3) quarrels (fighting every disagreement in court looking to make profit).

These very same problems reared their heads before the destruction of the Temple.

At that time people acted with baseless hatred and spoke Lashon Hara, like the Isrealites had against Moses. The Talmud in nizikim tells us that the Temple was destroyed because people held each other to the letter of the law not the spirit. This too is like those who quarreled in the days of Moses.

Have we improved ourselves from Loshon hara or trumping up legal cases against others when we should not hold others to the letter of the law? Do we go even further perverting justice by implying the existence of witnesses we don’t have? We probably do. Some thing never changes or do they?

We can stop Loshon Hara and Sinat Chinam (baseless hatred) if we realize that anything that happens to us is no coming from another man but from HASHEM and that we merit

that happening whether a punishment or test. Realizing this requires bitachon, faith in HASHEM, faith that everything is orchestrated by HASHEM and is in OUR best interest

Therefore we have no reason to hold others accountable for what happens to us. They are HASHEM’s intermediaries and agents. We can also stop Lashon Hara and Sinat Chinam

If we try to get to know our fellow Jew better. Jews are like stars. At a distance they look like specks of light. When you get close they give off  brilliant rays of light. When someone respects another greatly Lashon Hara and Sinat Chinam usually don’t follow.

Acting towards others moderately and not holding them to the letter of the law can be accomplished if we realize that HASHEM treats us as we treat others. If we give others the benefit of the doubt he will treat us that way and not exact harsh justice against us.

Things don’t always have to be the same, but change begins with us.

Lezacher Henya bat Yitzhok

Parshios Matos-Masei 5770 by Stephen Rabinowitz, MD

Our weekly portion begins in BaMidbar chapter 30, verse 2 as follows (trans. adapted from Rabbi Chaim Miller):

וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת, לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר:  זֶה הַדָּבָר, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְקוָק.	Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying: This is what HaShem has commanded.
The Torah, in referring to the tribes of Israel, literally the branches of Israel, sometimes calls them “shvatim,” and sometimes, as it does here, calls them “matos.”  What is the difference, and why is the word “matos” chosen here?  The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that “shvatim” are branches that are still attached to a tree and are soft and flexible.  “Matos” are branches that are detached from the tree and have therefore dried and hardened to form a staff or a rod.  Similarly, the immature soul is attached to its source and has never had to overcome obstacles.  The soul of a Jew who has to live in this world, particularly in times of golus/exile, out of necessity is forced to develop hidden reserves of power to overcome adversity.   We always read Parshas Matos during the three weeks of mourning for the destroyed Holy Temples.  Its very name brings us the uplifting message that HaShem has given us the ability to live Torah lives despite the golus.  When we bring will-power and determination to bear, we find within ourselves the ability to fulfill the desires and commandments of our Creator in all eras and all circumstances.   The Torah is complete, in a sense, after Sefer BaMidbar/Numbers, since Sefer Devarim/Deuteronomy is Mishneh Torah, a review of the first four Chumashim.  Parshas Masei concludes Sefer BaMidbar in chapter 36 by banning the marriage of women who inherit land, to men out of their mateh/tribe, to prevent the land from being transferred to another mateh. ח  וְכָל-בַּת יֹרֶשֶׁת נַחֲלָה, מִמַּטּוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל–לְאֶחָד מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת מַטֵּה אָבִיהָ, תִּהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה:  לְמַעַן, יִירְשׁוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אִישׁ, נַחֲלַת אֲבֹתָיו. 8 Every daughter from the children of Israel’s tribes who inherits real estate (because her father had no son) should marry a member of her father’s tribe, so that each one of the children of Israel will inherit the property of his fathers. ט  וְלֹא-תִסֹּב נַחֲלָה מִמַּטֶּה, לְמַטֶּה אַחֵר:  כִּי-אִישׁ, בְּנַחֲלָתוֹ, יִדְבְּקוּ, מַטּוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. 9 No inheritance will be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, for each person of the tribes of the children of Israel will remain bound to his own inheritance. This ban seems to be similar to any other mitzvah of the Torah, such as the ban on eating chometz/leavened bread on Pesach.  The Gemara Bava Basra 120a, however, demonstrates that the limitation on marriage applied only to the first generation to enter Eretz Yisroel.  Why does the Torah choose to end with a mitzvah that was only applicable for a short time rather than with one of the fundamental mitzvos of the Torah? The Iturei Torah (Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Greenberg 1900-1963) brings from the Mei HaShiloach (Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica 1801-1854), that there are two kinds of mitzvos.  One is the kind of mitzvah that is fundamental to Yiddishkeit, and that applies always throughout history across all societies.  These are the Taryag (613) Mitzvos.  Another kind is mitzvos that apply for special reasons at special times.  HaShem wants people to try to understand and fulfill His ratzon/wishes at all times and circumstances.  These are also mitzvos, although not counted among the eternal 613. The Torah teaches us the Taryag Mitzvos, but in closing it tells us that these are not all one needs to do.  It ends with a temporary mitzvah created for the special circumstance of parceling out the land of Eretz Yisroel.  This mitzvah provides us with an example of our need to examine and fulfill Ratzon HaShem in everything we do under the circumstances at hand.  Chazak Chazak ViNischazek (Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened)!

 

Parshas Chukas 5770:Fiery Serpents by Stephen Rabinowitz, MD

B”H

In Parshas Chukas, in BaMidbar chapter 21, we read (trans. adapted from Rabbi Chaim Miller):

ה וַיְדַבֵּר הָעָם בֵּאלֹקִים וּבְמֹשֶׁה, לָמָה הֶעֱלִיתֻנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר:  כִּי אֵין לֶחֶם, וְאֵין מַיִם, וְנַפְשֵׁנוּ קָצָה בַּלֶּחֶם הַקְּלֹקֵל.	5 The people grumbled against HaShem and Moshe: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?  There’s no bread and no water, and we’re sick of this flimsy (manna) bread (that produces no excretion).”
ו וַיְשַׁלַּח יְקוָק בָּעָם אֵת הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים, וַיְנַשְּׁכוּ אֶת-הָעָם; וַיָּמָת עַם-רָב מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.	6 G-d sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people.   Many people of Israel died.
ז וַיָּבֹא הָעָם אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמְרוּ חָטָאנוּ, כִּי-דִבַּרְנוּ בַיְקוָק וָבָךְ–הִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל-יְקוָק, וְיָסֵר מֵעָלֵינוּ אֶת-הַנָּחָשׁ; וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל מֹשֶׁה בְּעַד הָעָם.	7 The people came to Moshe and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against HaShem and against you!  Pray to HaShem that He should remove the snakes from us.”  Moshe prayed on behalf of the people.
ח וַיֹּאמֶר יְקוָק אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ שָׂרָף, וְשִׂים אֹתוֹ עַל-נֵס; וְהָיָה, כָּל-הַנָּשׁוּךְ, וְרָאָה אֹתוֹ, וָחָי.	8 HaShem said to Moshe, “Make yourself a venomous (snake) and place it on a pole.  What will happen is, whoever has been bitten will look at it and live.”
ט וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת, וַיְשִׂמֵהוּ עַל-הַנֵּס; וְהָיָה, אִם-נָשַׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ אֶת-אִישׁ–וְהִבִּיט אֶל-נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, וָחָי.	9 Moshe made a copper snake and placed it on a pole. Whenever a snake bit a man, he would stare at the copper snake and he would live.

This is another in a series of incidents of loshon ho-ro/slander.  Previously, we learned that Miriam spoke ill of Moshe, the spies spoke ill of Eretz Yisroel, and Korach and company spoke ill of Moshe.  The Gemara Arachin 15b points out that lions and wolves attack other animals to eat them.  A snake and a slanderer have in common that they don’t derive any direct benefit from attacking a person.  The very first snake, in Gan Eden, slandered HaShem.  Snakes only exist in the world because of the sin of slander.  Something destructive grows from every sin.  With loshon ho-ro, a snake grows in this world, and an outspoken prosecutor arises in the Heavenly Court, says the Chofetz Chaim.

Rabbeinu Bachya says that the desert is naturally inhabited by snakes.  All along, HaShem had been protecting the people from the snakes.  Since they did not seem to appreciate this, He withdrew His protection and many were bitten.  Rav Hirsch agrees with this and adds that the sole purpose of the snakebites was to make the people see the dangers all around them in the desert, and thereby make them realize that it was only HaShem that had kept them so safe that they didn’t even think of those dangers.  All day, every day, life is a gift from HaShem.

Or HaChaim says that the destructive forces in our world are nothing but the creatures we cause to come into being through our sins.  Here there were two kinds of serpents, the nochash that bit and destroyed bodies, and the sorof that burned the soul.  He says that when the slander was directed against Moshe, the nochash punished the bodies of the guilty ones, and when it was directed against HaShem, the venomous sorof punished their souls.  Moshe’s copper snake illustrated the power of repentance, since the image of the creature that caused death became the source of life.

Rabbi Bogomilsky quotes the commentary Zichron Yisroel, which also says that the snakes in our text came into being for the sin of speaking evil about HaShem.  But Zichron Yisroel reverses the Or HaChaim’s order.  He says that the ordinary snakes were a punishment for slandering HaShem, basing this thought on the Rashi on verse 6, “Let the snake who was punished for speaking (ill about HaShem to Chavah) come and take his due from those who speak (ill of HaShem).  Let the snake, to whom all varieties of food taste alike (like dust), come and take his due from ingrates for whom a single thing (manna) transforms itself to have many flavors.”  The snakes became venomous or fiery, he says, when the people spoke evil about Moshe.  He bases this on Pirkei Avos 2:11, “Warm yourself by the fire of the Sages, but beware of their glowing embers lest you be burnt, for…their hiss is the hiss of a snake…”

The Chofetz Chaim notes that the beginning of our text speaks only of the “people,” but then adds that “many people of Israel died.”  He takes this to mean that the people sinned, but that Israel, meaning the teachers and leaders of the people, who failed to warn and rebuke the people, shared in the responsibility for the sin.

Toras Menachem summarizes Rambam’s Laws of Moral Conduct 6:6 as follows: When one person sins against another, as the people did against Moshe, the victim should not remain silent.  Rather, it is a mitzvoh for him to ask, “Why did you do such and such to me?” … If the offender asks and asks a second time for forgiveness, and we know he has repented and abandoned the evil he has done, we should forgive him with a full heart, as Moshe did.  It is forbidden for a person to be cruel and difficult to appease.

Moshe’s prayers alone were not sufficient to stop the deaths.  Action on the part of the sinners was also required.  The Gemara Rosh HaShonoh 29a asks, concerning this episode, “Does a serpent kill, or does a serpent restore life?  Rather, when Yisroel gazed upward and subjugated their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they were healed.  But if not, they perished.”

The Meshech Chochmoh comments on the word “v’hoyoh (it will be)” in verse nine. The Torah sometimes uses this word, which carries a positive tone; but, sometimes in similar situations the Torah uses the word “vayehi,” which carries a negative implication.  The positive aspect in our verse, he says, is that anyone who gazed at the copper snake would be healed, not only of the snakebite, but also of any other illness, even a lethal disease.  That person would actually benefit greatly from being bitten.   Many times in life an apparent negative turns out to be positive.  The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that even the most tragic occurrence in this world, lo oleynu (it shouldn’t happen to us), has a spiritual source which is entirely good.  It is only that sometimes the physical world is unfit to absorb the good which comes from heaven.  The solution is not to eliminate the negative thing, but to reveal its true inner essence as something good.  This was the purpose of Moshe’s copper snake.  In looking upwards at the snake, the people were reminded of the source of all, and in reconnecting to HaShem, the good was also revealed below.

Peace of Parsha: Korach: Dr. Laura Danoff

Korach was a cousin of Moshe and a member of the tribe of Levi. He was obsessively jealous of Moshe and Aharon’s leadership. Korach believed he was deserving of honor and therefore organized 250 leaders of the nation to rebel against Moshe and Aharon. Korach convinced them that Moshe was guilty of greed and nepotism by appointing Aharon as Kohen Gadol. Korach’s followers included Reuben, the neighboring tribe, who was easily convinced since Reuben lost the 1st born privileges after the sin of the Golden Calf.

Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab and On son of Peleth, were the 1st to participate in Korach’s rebellion. Moshe tried to reason with them. He said, “In the morning (boker) Hashem will make known…” The word “boker” which means morning is related to the word “bikoves” which means “to clarify, to investigate.” So we learn from Moshe that re- thinking everything and examining ones’ motivations until morning helps us from making quick and poor decisions. Unfortunately, Korach and his followers remained stubborn.

Moshe didn’t give up but sent for Dathan and Abiram to make peace.  When this failed, Moshe himself humbly went to Dathan and Abiram.

Moshe teaches us to pursue peace and never to stand on ceremony when arguments and contention exist within one’s family or community. One should learn control and patience and be the 1st to extend the hand of peace.

On, son of Peleth was the only man among the rebels whose life was saved. The Midrash gives all the credit to his wife. She convinces him that his participation in the rebellion would be to no value. Korach’s wife on the other hand reinforced his poor decision. The Midrash states in the words of Proverbs (14:1) “A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman destroys it with her own hands.”

The opening words of the parsha “Vayikach Korach- and Korach took”  could be interpreted to mean that Korach’s life was focused on taking rather than giving which never allowed him to have peace of heart.  Rashi says that Korach “took himself” meaning he separated himself from the community and attempted to take power for himself.

Korach’s heart was consumed with jealousy. Korach came from the tribe of Levi, extremely accomplished, brilliant and the wealthiest man of his time. Korach being so wealthy (he discovered one of the 3 treasure stores that Yosef had accumulated for Paroh during the 7 years of plenty) gave him a sense of arrogance, which influenced him to want political power as well. As King Solomon wrote: ” He that thirsts in his riches shall fall” (Proverbs: 11:28).

So from Korach we learn that jealousy is absolutely self-destructive. The malicious feelings that are created when one is envious will not change our own situation but inhibit us from appreciating all that we do have. Superficially, the grass will always appear to be greener on the other side. We should examine our lives and develop our own potential and our own unique selves for which G-d created us.

This Peace of Parsha is dedicated to our future son-in-law Mordechai to remind him to smile when you think of the famous Gemara that states, ” the wife of On ben Peles rescued him” (Sanhedrin 109b). You are fortunate to have found a girl who will not only be your “help- mate” throughout life but with her bina and wisdom will guide you when she sees things differently. Shabbat Shalom!

Parashat Shelach by Jeroen Reuven Bours.

The importance of Tzizit.

No, HasShem did not sent twelve of the most wise men selected by Moshe Rabbenu to spy on the Promised Land. True, HaShem did not stop them, but that’s because He does give us the freedom to make our own decisions. (see Rashi’s comments on Numbers 13:2) This was a test. A rather decisive test.

Let’s read Shelach backwards to make the point.

10 - You should wear tzizit, so that you do not forget the word of HaShem, otherwise you get into trouble.

09 - What shall we do with the man who was found collecting sticks on Shabbath? Says HaShem: “He shall be put to death by the entire kehilla outside the camp.”

08 - From now on more mitzvoth will be added to offerings intended for HaShem. These Menachot consists of meal, wine and oil offerings that will be offered at the same time the animals are offered.

07 - A good part of Am Israel doesn’t listen to HaShem, goes into the mountains towards the Land of Canaan and meets their fate opposite mighty Amalekites and Canaanites.

06 - HaShem makes so that ten of the spies die in a plague, while directing Am Israel to go back into the dessert.

05 - Moshe begs HaShem not to kill His people as other nations will look upon God and think that He, God, failed. HaShem gives in but punished this generation by giving them another 40 years in the dessert.

04 - Bnei Israel weeps. They’re ready to give up and give thought to appointing a leader to go back to Egypt.

03 - Twelve wise men return from spying on Canaan and ten of them think that it is impossible to enter The Promised Land, since they seem to be outnumbered by giants. Only Caleb and Joshua think they can and should enter.

02 - Moshe changes the name of Hoshua bin Nun, the spy representing the tribe of Ephraim, to Joshua, meaning ‘God shall save’.

01 - Send you, Shelach Lecha, that they may spy on The Land of Canaan, which I am giving to Bnei Israel.

The proof that is a test, a test by HaShem to see if Am Israel is ready for Canaan, is stated by the words: …’which I am giving to Bnei Israel’. Right there, the wise and able men, carefully selected by Moshe himself should have known that a gift and promise by HaShem (the Promised Land), is a gift for the ‘bitachon’ (faith) in Him. The last part of this Parashat, which we just read first; the mitzvah of the tzizit, doesn’t appear out of context. The Torah gives us a visible reminder to stay on the straight path. And, judging from the apathy that Am Israel demonstrates - it doesn’t support Moshe, or the returning spies - it clearly needs a visual reminder. So it doesn’t really matter how we read this Parasha, backwards or forwards, it is inconceivable why Am Israel fell into the trap. Weren’t all miracles proof that HaShem stood by His own word? This time, the test was clearly announced with the words; …’which I am giving to Bnei Israel.’ It deserves attention that the Torah writes the words; ‘Bnei Israel’ and not ‘Am Israel’, as if to say, you will fail this test and therefore I will give The Land to your children and not you. And so, the decision to dwell another 40 years in the dessert shouldn’t come as a surprise. Back to reading backwards. Even when God punishes ten of the twelve spies, Am Israel still revolts and wants to go into Canaan only to meet their death by mighty men. Just like the spies had forecasted, HaShem let them have it, making the point that this would only happen if you deny yourself the ‘Daht’ the ‘belief’ in Him. When reading the occurrences backwards, you see that this test was so clear from the beginning, it is hard to understand why these wise and able men failed it completely. The question that arises when reading it backwards is this; if they had worn tzizit; known the tale of the man who gathered sticks on Shabbat and the swift punishment by HaShem; if they had known the meaning of the extra offerings of wine, meals and oils next to animals, would they have heard the words; ….’asher Ani no-ten le Bnei Israel..’? - ‘…which I shall give to the Children of Israel’? Would they, the spies and Am Israel have had a better chance to defy rumours and evil subjective reporting? Let’s have Sforno answer this; “You shall see it and remember all the precepts of the Lord. You will remember that you are slaves of the Lord whose precepts you accepted by beholding the tzizit, which is like the seal of the Master on his slaves. Through this you will cease going astray after your own hearts to satisfy the whims of your heart for the sake of wealth and honour even if it involves robbery.” Ten men robbed an entire generation from entering The Promised Land. They didn’t wear the tzizits.

Shabbat Shalom.

BAHA’ALOSECHA by Dr Mark Gersten

There are so many words of mussar (ethical lessons) learned from just the first few lines of this week’s sedrah that it behooves us to address a few.

1)Ahron is upset that his tribe was not represented with the others in donating to the Tabernacle at the end of last week’s sedrah. HASHEM reassures Ahron that his contribution to the sanctuary will far surpass the other leaders and their tribes. Ahron’s contribution will be to prepare and light the candelabra in the sanctuary every day.

MUSSAR. Great contributions done once have their importance. However a recurrent contribution (such as Ahron’s) which serves HASHEM frequently, far surpasses the “one shot deal” of the heads of the tribes. Moreover, the light Ahron would prepare represents the Torah that he and the Cohanim would teach daily to the people. (some say the light represents the Chanukah candles which will continue to be lit yearly and even in the days of the Moshiach)

2)Ahron is praised in preparing and cleaning out the menorah each day “as HASHEM had told him”. Ahron is praised for not deviating ,whatsoever ,from the way he was told to clean out the old oil and wicks each day.

MUSSAR: Intellectual people often look for shortcuts to save time. Ahron cleaned and prepared the candelabra exactly as HASHEM had told him. There were reasons and ramifications why HASHEM requested that it be done that special way. If one looks for and implements his own  self serving method instead of doing what HASHEM commands, part of the intended effect of what HASHEM requires can be lost forever.

3)Ahron the COHEN GADOL ,himself cleaned out and prepared the lights each day

MUSSAR: Ahron realized that no task is too menial in the service of HASHEM even for him, the Cohen Gadol.

4) The sedrah begins by telling us to raise up a fire not merely to light it.

MUSSAR: As we mentioned the light of the candelabra represents the light of Torah.

Rav Moshe Feinstein derived from this that when passing Torah to the next generation it is not enough merely to transfer it. One must raise it up that is to say teach it so that the knowledge the next generation gleans will surpass the knowledge of the current generation. From this vision of raise up, Rav Moshe states that no teacher or parent will ever begrudge a student or son who surpasses him in knowledge.

5)If one looks in the Rambam he sees that Ahron’s job was actually to prepare the oil and wicks for lighting, not to light them. Even a non-Cohen can light the Candelabra

MUSSAR Most people look at the end result represented by the light and not the preparation that goes into it. HASHEM wants us to realize that the end result depends so much on the preparation. Although for example our Rabbis and teachers instruct our children to learn, our role in preparing them to be inclined to learn from those teachers is paramount to the overall success.

A SECOND CHANCE

Korban Pesach Sheni (a Pascal Lamb brought a month later) is discussed in our Sedrah. This law is the only case of  TASHLUMIN (a correcting restitution) in the Torah. If one misses eating the Pascal Lamb in the appointed time  of Passover due to being far away from Temple or being ritually impure he was given a second chance a month later to eat from the Pascal Lamb. This law homiletically gives us hope. At some time in our lives, all of us have hoped for a second chance. It may have been for something as simple a correcting a bad first impression. It may have been as devastating as a first marriage ending in a bitter divorce. It is reassuring that sometimes HASHEM does give us a second chance. However, note well, if one misses that opportunity to bring the Korban Pesach that next month, no matter how good the excuse, there IS NO THIRD CHANCE. In our lives when HASHEM does give us our opportunity we must take it, fulfill it and not squander it

Written in memory of Henya bas Yitzchok

Parshas Naso 5770 Purity of the Camp:S. Rabinowitz, MD

B”H

In Parshas Naso, in BaMidbar chapter 5, HaShem instructs Moshe to issue the following orders:

ב צַו אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וִישַׁלְּחוּ מִן-הַמַּחֲנֶה כָּל-צָרוּעַ וְכָל-זָב; וְכֹל טָמֵא לָנָפֶשׁ.	2 Command the children of Israel to send out of the camp everyone afflicted with tzara’as, everyone who has a discharge, and everyone ritually impure through (contact with) the dead.
ג מִזָּכָר עַד-נְקֵבָה תְּשַׁלֵּחוּ, אֶל-מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה תְּשַׁלְּחוּם; וְלֹא יְטַמְּאוּ אֶת-מַחֲנֵיהֶם, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי שֹׁכֵן בְּתוֹכָם.	3 Send out both male and female.  Send them outside the camp so that they do not defile their camps, where I dwell among them.
ד וַיַּעֲשׂוּ-כֵן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אוֹתָם אֶל-מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה:  כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְקוָק אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, כֵּן עָשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.	4 The children of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp.  The children of Israel did exactly what HaShem told Moshe.  (Adapted from the translation by Rabbi Chaim Miller).

Rashi (1040-1105) tells us that these instructions were given to Moshe Rabbeinu on the day the Mishkan/Tabernacle was erected, which was the first of Nisan in the second year after leaving Egypt.  Even though the intervening chapters of BaMidbar are dated one month later, on the first of Iyar, the commentaries tell us that impurity could never have been permitted within the camp, not even for that first month.  Rashi quotes the Gemara Gittin 60a, which informs us that eight decrees were issued on the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan, and none of them appears together with the account of the inauguration.

Or HaChayim (Morocco 1696-Jerusalem 1743) states that these rules were announced immediately after the Levi’im were assigned their tasks, and told to remain outside the areas reserved for Cohanim.  This is a logical place to tell Israelites, for example, that they could not enter their usual domain if they had tzara’as.

Rabbi Sorotzkin says that these commandments took effect as soon as the Mishkan was erected, but the Torah waited to record them until the structure of the camp was explained, so that we could understand the message.  The camp consisted of three concentric zones, like a bull’s-eye.  The Mishkan occupied the center zone.  The Levites, who served in the Mishkan, were in the next surrounding zone.  The Israelites, organized by their tribes, lived in the outer zone.  One who had the skin affliction called tzara’as was quarantined outside of all three camps.  One who was impure because of contact with a corpse was sent out of the inner camp, but could remain in the Levite and Israelite camps.  Indeed, Moshe brought the coffin of Joseph into the Levite encampment.  One who had an emission was permitted to remain in the Israelite camp, but not in the two inner areas.  Details are provided in Gemara Pesachim 66b-68a.  Were these restrictions in force during times when the Mishkan was dismantled and the nation was traveling?  Rabbi Eliezer said “No,” but the Rabbanim said “Yes” (Gemara Menachos 95a-b).

The Drazin and Wagner commentary on Onkelos cites the Bechor Shor (12^th century France) to tell us that the community needed to remove not only the ritually impure, but also any form of robbery and immorality.  They bring the commentary of Chizkuni (13^th century France), based on Sifrei, to show that the terms “male” and “female,” rather than “man” and “woman,” mean that people of any age could be quarantined.

Baal haTurim (born in Germany in about 1269, died in Spain in about 1343) informs us that the word “yitamu (defile)” appears only twice in the Tanach, once here, and once in Yechezkel 43:7, where it says, “The House of Israel will no longer defile My holy Name.”  The similarity of expressions indicates that those who would defile their camps would also defile His Name, as it says in VaYikra 20:3, “In order to defile My Sanctuary (Rashi says this refers to the Assembly of Israel) and to desecrate My holy Name.”  The Midrash explains this to mean that idolatry and laxity in observance of the laws of spiritual purity cause the Shechina to depart from the camps of Israel, thus removing the Divine protection, exposing the people to their enemies and making them vulnerable to exile from their land.  Baal haTurim also relates the three conditions mentioned in our parsha to the penalties assessed after the first sin: the snake with Tzara’as, the woman with a flow, and mankind with death.  Rav Hirsch notes that some religions glorified death, but ours equates death with impurity and exalts life.  The Shela”h haKadosh (Prague about 1565-Tiberias 1630)  says that the person who came into contact with a dead person had not done anything wrong, but an ideal human being would never die, so the contact served as a reminder of one’s own mortality, a reminder to seek closeness to HaShem.

Alshich (Turkey 1508-1593 Tzfas) says that the Israelites, the vast majority of the nation, might have been saddened by the thought that they were excluded from the Shechina; that the Shechina rested only among the Cohanim and the Levi’im who worked in the Mishkan.  The announcement that those with tzara’as were excluded from all three camps informed the people that the Shechina dwelled with all of them.

Ma’ayanah shel Torah quotes Binah l’Ittim by Rabbi Ovadiah Figu (Italy 1579-1647), which asks the question, “Why does verse four start by saying that the children of Israel did so, and end by repeating that the children of Israel did exactly what HaShem told Moshe?”  He answers that the skin condition called tzara’as is caused by sins such as pride, vicious gossip, and envy.  He says that the sight of people being banished from the camp to contemplate their sins, and the association of this exclusion with those for social illnesses and death, would serve as a sobering reminder to people of their origin in a drop and their destination in the dust.  Pirkei Avos 3:1 tells us that such thoughts would keep people far from sin.  The verse therefore repeated the phrase “children of Israel” to tell us that they not only put the appropriate people out of the camp, but they also fulfilled the spirit of the commandment by avoiding sin.  BaMidbar Rabbah adds that those who stayed in the camp and those who went out were equally willing to obey the commandment, without any discord.

Peace of Parsha- Bamidbar -Dr. Laura Danoff

The Book of Bamidbar is also called Sefer Hapekudim (The Book of Numbers) because in it a census of the Jewish people is taken not only once but twice. The Hebrew term for census- taking is s’u es rosh, which means, ” lift up the head”. By counting, Hashem reminds us how each one of us is important and how each one of us is given a special purpose in life that only we can fulfill.

The parsha opens with G-d’s commandment to Moshe and his brother Aharon to go ahead and conduct a counting of the Jewish people.  The Children of Israel had already been counted numerous times before; once when they went down to Egypt, a 2nd time upon their exodus and then after the incident of the sin of the golden calf in order to know the number of survivors.

Does G-d who is absolutely omniscient need to count the
Jews to determine their actual population if he already knows it?
Rashi states that Hashem repeatedly counted the Jewish people because of his love for them.  Hashem commands Moshe to count each Jew as “one” so each person is considered significant and equal before Hashem since each one possesses a spark of his neshomah.  Ramban says that the Hebrew word for count “pakod” can also mean to be concerned with or remember.

G-d commanded that the Jews be counted to show us that each man rich or poor, learned or ignorant are all equal members of the Jewish nation.  Every Jew and at any level has an equal share in the Torah.The census taken in Bamidbar though was different than those taken prior.  Here, Moshe was commanded to” take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families of their paternal household.”  Rashi says that each person (male from ages 20-60) had to present his genealogical documents and witnesses so that each person could be registered in his tribe and family.  The family unit thus constituted the foundation of the Jewish nation and each person registered according to his own Hebrew name.

After being introduced to Moshe and Aharon by name and background, Moshe gave each person a blessing. According to Rav Alpert, this was Hashem’s way of trying to give confidence to a nation of former slaves.

In Parsha Bamidbar it states: “Each man of the Children of Israel shall encamp alongside his banner according to the insignia of their father’s house”. The names of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya’acov were written on the banners. The total number of letters of the names of our forefathers is thirteen which is the numerical value of the word Ehad (one). This reminds us that all Jewish people should be united as one and it is this unity that will raise the Children of Israel to absolute greatness.

There were 603,550 men available for military service. The tribe of Levi, which numbered 22,300, was exempt from military service because of their special responsibilities as religious leaders
and were commanded to serve in the sanctuary and guard its vessels. Originally, this honor belonged to the firstborn males of the Children of Israel who were spared by Hashem during the plague of the firstborn in Egypt.  This privilege was taken away from them because of their participation in the sin of the golden calf and thus this distinction was given to the Levites.  All Levite males were counted from the age of one month and older.  This explains why the pidyon ha- ben is done at 30 days for the firstborn males who are not of Levite descent.

The Torah portion of Bamidbar is usually read the Shabbat before the holiday of Shavuot, when G-d gave us the Torah. Shavuot is the only holiday for which the Torah did not establish a specific day of the month. It is celebrated on the 50th day, after counting the
Omer for a period of seven weeks.   We prepare for Shavuot by counting
numbers.

We should all be “counting” our blessings that we were given the Torah.  Each of us must recognize our important role in committing ourselves to the Torah to follow its laws, and study its endless wisdom bringing its application into our daily lives.  Our boundaries and rewards are endless just like the desert where the Torah was given.  Without the Torah nothing would count!

This Peace of Parsha is dedicated to my husband Scott in honor of our wedding anniversary.  Thank you for always making each day count!

Behar Behukotai by Jeroen Reuven Bours

The meaning of absolute freedom.

A word appears in this Parasha: ‘dror’. It’s the first time and last we will see it in the Torah with this particular meaning: freedom. As in absolute and pure freedom.

Uhkrahtem dror baEretz leKol yeshVeyah - And proclaim ‘dror’ throughout the land to all it’s inhabitants.

We know the word Chofesh as ‘free’ or ’setting one free’. For instance in Deuteronomy 15:12 we find “And in the seventh year you shall let him go free”, but here the difference is that even if a slave goes free it is to return to another master somewhere else.

Unquestionably, ‘dror’ is linked to the Yovel year. The year of jubilee - Yovel, is all about freedom. In fact it is Ibn Ezra who looks at the word Yovel as ‘releasing’ -  unlike Rashi who defines the word as ’sheep’ and by extension ties it to the shofar.

And if you look at Parashat Behar carefully, you’ll see that it teaches us what freedom actually is. It teaches us what the exact differences are between free and truly having freedom. It does that by commending us to set slaves free, just as we were set free as slaves. Yet out newly given freedom wasn’t called dror during Yetziat Mitzrayim (exodus from Egypt). Weren’t we free?

The answer may be found in the writings of Rabbi Bedersi, father of Rabbi Yedaya, at the end of the 13th Century, in where he compares ‘dror’ with the purity of the swallow, it being a ritually pure bird. Or, ‘dror’ as a word combined with oil or myrrh means pure in its finest form.

So, one could say that during the time of the exodus, we were literally given the road to freedom, but weren’t free of corruption and doubts and did not achieve enough spiritual belief yet to achieve ‘pure’ freedom or shall we say ‘dror’.

It’s not for nothing that Martin Buber calls ‘dror’ the ‘rare and dear word’.

Other proof that we’re being taught here what freedom really is, is the referral to send the slave away. Buber writes in his native tongue: “Aber im Siebenten geht er in die Ledigung aus…”, “But in the seventh he shall go out free”. Followed later with: “Schicke ihn geledigt von dir weg” - “Send him to go free from you”.

It is Abravanel who sums up the obligation of the Yovel year in three parts:

1- setting all servants free as ‘Bnei Israel being set free in Egypt’

2- no harvesting nor sowing as “No harvesting nor sowing just as there was none at Mount Sinai”

3- all land returns to its original state as ‘Am Israel not owing any land in the Sinai’.

But Abravanel does not compare freeing a servant with the setting free of Am Israel. Instead, he considers achieving freedom only through studying Torah. (Bamidbar Rabba 10,21)

Back to Yovel.

It is powerful to realize that HaShem does not consider the gift of the exodus for Am Israel to be a true dror. And it’s even more remarkable to realize that we have been given that honor in the year of Yovel. We are to give dror and enjoy dror by setting our servants free, our land free and ourselves free. In a way, we get the chance to achieve true ‘dror’ every Yovel year. Translate this into today’s scenario and then think of starting over. Think of shedding your material things. Think of setting your servants free (if you have any). Think of not chasing income. Think of bringing yourself back to a natural state.

Maybe it’s what some call retirement.

The Torah however calls it ‘dror’, only once.

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