Parshas Devarim

This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.

A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.

Alan Dershowitz, author of The Case for Israel, discusses Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah terrorists and civilian casualties. http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/middleeast/Arithmetic_of_Pain.asp


Question:

Compare and contrast Moses’ description in this week’s parshah of how the court system was established (Deuteronomy 1:9-18) to the way it is described in the book of Exodus (Exodus 18:13-27) and explain the differences’ significance. Because both passages are rather lengthy, I have not quoted them here.



Chasing after Peace


G-d tells Moses:

“Now set out and cross the Arnon Brook. See! I have given over Sichon, The Amorite king of Chesbon, and his land, into your hands. Begin the occupation! Provoke war with him!” (Deuteronomy 2:24).

Yet Moses says:

“I sent emissaries from the Kedemot Desert to Sichon king of Cheshbon with words of peace, saying, 'We wish to pass through your land. We will travel along the main highway, not turning to the right or the left” (Deuteronomy 2:26-27).

G-d tells Moses to make war and instead, he looks for a peaceful solution! How could “Moses, servant of Hashem” (Deuteronomy 34:5) so flagrantly violate G-d’s command?

[[What if Sichon had agreed? Would Moses not attack?]]

There are many answers to this question, nearly all of whom stress the importance of peace. Before continuing however, I want to make clear that although we Jews must strive for peace, there is also “a time for war” (Ecclesiastes 3:8) and we should not ignorantly believe that all conflicts can be resolved diplomatically.

(Once we establish that Moses did the right thing, one should certainly ask ‘so why did G-d tell Moses to go to war?’ This question, as I understand it, deals with arguing with G-d which is outside of this devar Torah. For those interested, Rabbi Fohrman deals with this question. His tapes are available at http://www.artscroll.com/Books/df103.html and http://www.jewishexplorations.1shoppal.com/catalog/item/1562056/1013321.htm)

[[The verse contrasts peace with war, implying that they are opposites. Interestingly, Torah Studies (R. Sacks explaining the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztl) saying Pinchas acted for the sake if peace. In Forever his Studies, it says something similar and brings other examples.]]

As previously mentioned, we Jews are always to seek peace. Hillel exhorts us to “love peace and pursue peace” (Ethics of our Fathers 1:12) and presumably, this is based on the verse in Psalms “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalms 34:15). Nechama Leibowitz (Studies in Deuteronomy, page 31) cites the Sages who apply this verse to our question (the translation is my own):

“’Depart from evil, and do good, seek peace and pursue it’ (Psalm 34:15). The Torah did not order us to chase after the commandments. On the contrary ‘If a bird’s nest happens to be before you…’ (Deuteronomy 22:6), ‘If you encounter your enemy’s ox…’ (Exodus 23:4), ‘When you cut down your harvest and forget a bundle…’ (Deuteronomy 24:19).
[Regarding] all of [those commandments], if the opportunity comes to you, you are obligated in it, but [you are not obligated] to chase after it. But regarding peace, ‘Seek peace’ (Psalms 34:15) where you are, ‘Pursue it’ (Ibid) elsewhere. Israel acted similarly. Even though G-d said to them ‘Begin the occupation! Provoke war with him!’ they pursued peace, as it is written ‘And I sent messengers… to Sichon… with words of peace’” (Midrash Tanchuma on Chukkas).

[[What about when we are told to pursue things?]]

From there, we see the verse “Seek peace and pursue it” applies on a national scale. The Talmud also applies it to interpersonal behavior and it counts bringing peace as one of the three things one must always cling to (Yevamos 109b). Indeed, King Solomon said about the entire Torah that “all its paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17)!

[[See also Shabbas 127a which we recite daily and Metzudos David on Psalms 34:15]]

Rashi gives a different, although not necessarily contradictory, answer as to why Moses asked for peace.

“I sent emissaries from the Kedemot [קְדֵמוֹת – Kedemot] Desert to Sichon king of Cheshbon with words of peace, saying, 'We wish to pass through your land. We will travel along the main highway, not turning to the right or the left” (Deuteronomy 2:26-27).

26. [And I sent messengers] from the desert of Kedemot. Even though the Omnipresent had not commanded me to call to Sihon in peace, I learned to do so from the incident at the desert of Sinai, i.e., relating to the Torah which preceded (קָדְמָה - Kadma) the world. When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give the Torah to Israel, He took it to Esau and Ishmael. Although it was clear to Him that they would not accept it, nevertheless, He began with them in peace. So too, I first called to Sihon with words of peace. Another explanation מִמִּדְבַּר קְדֵמוֹת Moses said to God,“I learned this from You, Who preceded (קָדַמְתָּ – Kadamta) the world. You could have sent one flash of lightning to consume the Egyptians, but instead, You sent me from the desert to Pharaoh. saying, (Exod. 5:1) ‘Let my people go’ patiently.” (Midrash Tanchuma)

[[R. Weiner showed me that the Sefer Chassidim cites the Semag who says that seeking peace is one of the 613 mitzvos. Since we are to seek peace in a milchamos reshus, kal vichomer everywhere else. Perhaps this is related to what Sifsei Chachamim on Rashi and Ramban on 2:24 speak about.]]

In both of Rashi’s answers, Moses’ seeking peace is in emulation of G-d. Perhaps in connection with this, our Sages, basing themselves on Judges 6:24, say that Shalom – Peace – is one of G-d’s names (Shabbas 10b).

[[http://www.yutorah.org/_shiurim/%2FTU9%5FBlau%2Epdf page 9]]

Ultimately, G-d wants peace.


Shabbat Shalom
Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

Parshas Mattos/Masei

This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.

A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.

About the situation in Israel (from http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/):

Show Your Solidarity with Israel - Right Now!

Show our brothers and sisters in Israel that we stand with them in this hour of peril, while also sending a message to Washington and the UN that Israel’s actions of self defense are fully justified. It will take practically none of your time and it will cost you nothing. All you need to do is send an email to WeStandWithIsrael@rabbis.org, and it will be immediately and automatically forwarded, with thousands of others, to Prime Minister Olmert, The Israel Defense Forces, The White House, and the UN Secretary General. Your message can be as short or as long as you choose, and it will surely make a difference.

Sponsored by the Rabbinical Council of America, in coordination with the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. We encourage all other Jewish organizations and their members to take similar steps in support of Israel.

Am Yisrael Chai!

(For more about Israel, see the bottom of this e-mail)


Question:

“These are the journeys of the Israelites, who had left Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses recorded their stops along the way at God's command. These were their stops along the way: ...
The Israelites left Ra'meses and camped in Sukkoth.
They left Sukkoth...” (Numbers 33:1-2, 5-6).

“Remember the entire path along which God your Lord led you these forty years in the desert. He sent hardships to test you, to determine what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

This verse from Deuteronomy seems to give us the reason why the Torah, in 30+ verses, details the Jews’ journeys. If this is the case, why is this verse in Deuteronomy not in Numbers chapter 33 with the travels?



Two Wrongs do not Make a Right


At the end of parshas Balak, the Torah tells us:

“Israel was staying in Shittim when the people began to behave immorally with the Moabite girls. [The girls] invited the people to their religious sacrifices, and the people ate and worshipped the [Moabite] gods. Israel thus became involved with Baal Peor, and God displayed anger against Israel” (Numbers 25:1-3).

Our Sages (Sanhedrin 106a) tell us that this plot was initiated by Balaam who succeeded in his goal causing the Jews to sin. If the Jews were sinning, G-d would not protect them and other nations could destroy them. How do the Sages of the Talmud know this?

Frequently, it is claimed that many of our Sages teachings were made up, that they pulled the midrashim out of a hat. However, frequently they simply base themselves on verses stated elsewhere in the Tanach. For example, regarding Balaam’s plot, the Torah in this week’s parshah explicitly states:

[Moses said] “These [girls] are the ones who were involved with the Israelites at Balaam's instigation, causing them to be unfaithful to God in the Peor incident, and bringing a plague on God's community” (Numbers 31:16).

The Torah explicitly tells us Balaam was behind the whole thing. But this verse itself is puzzling in two regards.
1. Why would the Torah wait till now to tell us that Balaam instigated the harlotry?
2. If Balaam and enemy woman caused the Jews to sin, why or even how can the Torah say “the [Jewish] people began to behave immorally with the Moabite girls” (Numbers 25:1) placing the blame solely on the Jews?

Regarding the first question, Nechama Leibowitz (Studies in Bamidbar, pages 376-378) demonstrates that frequently the Torah records an event and later adds additional pieces of information. Generally, she says, the Torah does this because the details added later are irrelevant in the context when the event is first discussed but are very relevant later. Right now, the question of why the Torah chose to do this here still stands.

She applies this principle here and answers both questions. First, let us look again at both passages next to each other, together with the points stressed in each:


“Israel was staying in Shittim when the [Jewish] people began to behave immorally with the Moabite girls” (Numbers 25:1).



Here the Torah says the Jews are at fault.

[Moses said] “These [girls] are the ones who were involved with the Israelites at Balaam's instigation, causing them to be unfaithful to God in the Peor incident, and bringing a plague on God's community” (Numbers 31:16).

Here the Torah says Balaam is at fault.


The answer is that two wrongs do not make a right* and both Balaam and the Jews are at fault!

This answers many social questions. For example, in the matter of illegal drugs, who do we blame, is it the drug lords, the smugglers, or the street vendors, or the person taking the drug? The answer is we blame them all. Two wrongs do not make a right.

We need to always remember this principle that two wrongs do not make a right. From personal experience, I know remembering this rule has prevented me from doing countless things wrong.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai


*Although two rights make a u turn 

(For more on the Sages and the scriptural sources for midrashim, see http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra/br/Noach2.pdf and Rabbi Student’s excellent summery of various views at http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2004/11/midrash-halakhah.html)

A friend of mine from Yeshiva wrote the following:

Hello to all the bachurim and all the rebbaim, I would like to wish evryone a great shabbot.
I am in the middle of trying to help the Israeli economy, and I need your help. Thank G-d Isaeli's economy has been growing over the past few years, but this new war could hurt the Isaeli people in more than one way. So unlike my cousin and my freinds who are securing our borders, I am trying to make sure the Israeli Economy stays strong; a strong Economy means a strong army. So that is why I am erging evryone I know to go and shop, but not in malls or other stores, I mean shot online and but Israeli products. If you need to buy somthing why not get it from Israel, in which case evryone wins, you get what you want and you also help Isarel. below is a list of websites that are recommanded. Please urge your parents, relatives to help support our homeland.
I hope vryone is safe and having a great time, and I am sad to inform you guys that I am not going to be coming back next year.
Has anyone heard anything about daniel? has he been called up?
I would realy like to know, thanx

Have a great shabbot and learn well.



TreesToIsrael.org
www.buyisraelgoods.org — Find Israeli products in stores near you.
www.israelshop1.com — flags, cosmetics, jewelry
www.israel-music.com — music
www.aleidafna.co.il — plants and flowers
www.DeadSeaMineral.com - Care & Beauty Cosmetic Products
www.deadseaonline.com - Dead Sea Skin care
www.hillsofgalilee.com — soap gifts
www.israelcraft.com — tallit
www.israelbooks.com — books
www.rotem.net/mis.html — Judaica
www.jerusalemgifts.com — miscellaneous
www.thesourceisrael.com/current — gifts
www.jpoststore.com — gifts, books
www.heaven-land.virtualave.net.il — candles, scents, oils
www.israeldirect.co.il
www.israelvisit.co.il — miscellaneous
www.jerusalemgifts.com
www.esek.com/tradition
www.israelwishes.com — misc
www.shneiderman.com - stone Judaica pieces
www.shorashim.net
www.shopinisrael.com — crafts
www.smallsigns.net
www.jewishbabynames.net
www.mizrach.net
www.barmitzvahgift.com
www.smalljudaica.com

Parshas Pinchas



This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.



A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.





Question:



“Moses spoke to Hashem, saying,

'May the Hashem, G-d of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community. Let him come and go before them, and let him bring them forth and lead them. Let Hashem’s community not be like sheep that have no shepherd'” (Numbers 27:15-17).



“Korah rallied his whole party to the Communion Tent entrance and Hashem’s glory suddenly became visible to the entire community.

Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

'Separate yourselves from this community, and I will destroy them in an instant.' [Moses and Aaron] fell on their faces. They prayed, 'G-d of the spirits of all flesh. If one man sins, shall You direct divine wrath at the entire community?'” (Numbers 16:19-22).



As far as I know, this reference to G-d is found only in these two places. What is its significance and how is Moses looking for a successor related to Korah’s rebellion?







A Living Tradition



In response to Moses’ request:



“God said to Moses, 'Take Joshua son of Nun, a man of spirit, and lay your hands on him.

Have him stand before Elazar the priest and before the entire community, and let them see you commission him. Invest him with some of your splendor so that the entire Israelite community will obey him. Let him stand before Elazar the priest, who shall seek the decision of the Urim before God on his behalf. By this word [Joshua], along with all the Israelites and the entire community shall come and go.'

Moses did as God had ordered him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Elazar the priest and before the entire community. He then laid his hands on him and commissioned him. [It was all done] as God had commanded Moses” (Numbers 27:18-23).



The Oral Torah is a fundamental part of Judaism and an essential component of the Torah. From the following passage, we can learn two fundamental ideas regarding the Oral Torah.



The following is some background about the Oral Torah and both textual and logical proofs for its existence and is not essential to the main devar Torah:



That there was an Oral Torah is quite obvious. I’ll offer a comparison to Shakespeare. Because there are multiple ways to understand a given passage of Shakespeare and since his work is significant, literary experts spend much time debating the proper interpretation. Presumably, some interpretations are simply wrong and although we may not know which understanding is correct, Shakespeare himself certainly knew the meaning of his words! So too G-d. When G-d gave the Torah, He taught Moses the correct interpretation.



It is true that the Torah, like good poetry, has multiple correct interpretations. See http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/07/parshas-korach-this-is-in-merit-of-my.html

And Shakespeare himself might have intended that some passages could be interpreted in different ways. However, just because there are multiple interpretations does not all interpretations are correct. Some, especially those of poor scholarship, are simply wrong. Moses knew all the possible correct interpretations of the Torah.



There are also three major scriptural proofs for there being an external body of knowledge that accompanied the Torah.



1. “And if a man entices a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins” (Exodus 22:16-17).



What is the dowry of virgins? How much is it? The Written Torah is silent on this point. The answer must be found in an oral tradition.



2. “If the place the Lord, your God, chooses to put His Name there, will be distant from you, you may slaughter of your cattle and of your sheep, which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat in your cities, according to every desire of your soul” (Deuteronomy 12:21).



Nowhere in the Torah does G-d give any details regarding this command and yet it says that G-d commanded us. It is found in the Oral Torah.



3. “So said the Lord: Beware for your souls and carry no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring into the gates of Jerusalem. Neither shall you take a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor shall you perform any labor, and you shall hallow the Sabbath day as I commanded your forefathers” (Jeremiah 17:21-22).



The laws of Shabbat are rather vague in the Torah and nowhere is a prohibition of carrying mentioned explicitly. If this law was not contained in the Oral Torah, then Jeremiah would have been adding to the Torah which is forbidden. Thus, we see that Jeremiah references the Oral Torah.





Back to our parshah. We can learn two ideas about the Oral Torah from Joshua’s appointment.



1. That this Oral Torah, the extra body of knowledge needed to understand the Written Torah, was handed down. Moses evidently had taught Joshua and now it was Joshua’s turn to use his knowledge that he learned from Moses to lead the nation. (Regarding Talmudic dispute see http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2004/06/approaches-to-midrash-halakhah.html)



See http://www.yashanet.com/studies/judaism101/sidebars/transmission.htm for a chain of teacher to student from Moses to the end of the Talmud. There are lists that go from the end of the Talmud to modern times; I am looking for a good one.



2. That the generations decline. Moses was told “Invest [Joshua] with some of your splendor” (Numbers 27:20).

Rashi writes:

“But not all of your majesty. Thus, we learn that the face of Moses was [radiant] like the sun, whereas the face of Joshua was like the moon” — [Sifrei Pinchas 23, b.b. 75a]



The farther away a generation is from Sinai and Moses, the less it knows and the less is its total piety.



The Talmud says “If the earlier generations are regarded as angels, then we are like humans. If they are like humans, then we are like donkeys” (Shabbat 112b).



This does not mean that we cannot disagree with previous generations but that we must do so with humility. Furthermore, there are some exceptions. For example, Rabbi Rabbi Hershel Schachter said that Reb Moshe, Rabbi Moses Feinstein, could have been the preeminent scholar 150 years ago and my teacher, R. Yehoshua Hershberg, heard from one his teachers from a student of the Seridei Eish, Rabbi Jehiel Jacob Weinberg, that the Seridei Eish said that Reb Moshe was one of the greatest legal experts in many generations.



And in each generation, G-d gives us the scholars that we need. They may not be as great as previous scholars but they are what we need.



Biography of Reb Hershel Schachter http://www.yutorah.org/bio.cfm?teacherID=80153

Biography of Reb Moshe Feinstein http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/feinstein.htm

Biography of the Seridei Eish http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/weinberg.htm



Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

Seeking G-d in Distress





This is in the merit of Israel, its citizens and its holy soldiers.



A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers should be encouraged to skip them.





We have just concluded the Fast of the Seventh of Tamuz, the date historically when Jerusalem's walls were breached in the siege. Its Haftorah contained the following verse:



"Seek Hashem when He can be found, call upon Him when He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).



Looking around today, at the situation in Israel, it would seem that G-d is quite, far, far away. Things are worse than they have been in a while and it unfortunately looks like things will get much worse before they get any better. Is G-d near?



The Psalmist tells us:

"I am with him in distress" (Psalms 91:15)



G-d is with our brethren, our brothers and sisters, in the Holy Land of Israel. They are in distress and so G-d is with them. And although we have no idea how or why things are happening, we know that G-d is with them. What about us? Is G-d with us? And how should we view these events transpiring in Israel?



One buzzword we hear quite frequently is "Jewish unity." Invoked in the name of countless different causes and organizations, (many of whom are very distant from our national destiny, our goals, hopes, and dreams,) it seems to have lost its meaning. But meaning it still retains!



"[T]he Jewish people may be compared to the man with two heads, concerning whom the question was posed in the house of study: How is he to be viewed for the purposes of inheritance? Does he take two portions like a dual person? Or does he take one portion like a single unified individual? … The answer [is]… Let boiling water be poured on one of his heads… and let us see the reaction of the other head. If the other head cries out in pain, then both heads blend into one complete and unified personality, and the heir will take one portion. However, if the second head does not feel the pangs of the first head, then we have two personalities coupled together in one body, and they take two portions" (Kol Dodi Dofek, by Rav Soloveitchik, translated as Fate and Destiny, pages 47-48). So too the Jewish people, if one Jew is suffering, if others feel his or her pain, then we are unified. If we do not feel our brethrens' suffering, then there is no Jewish unity! (Ibid.)



That is the meaning of Jewish unity! And like it or not, all Jews are unified. Even if we do not feel the pain now, we will eventually. In response to Esther's passivity regarding the decree for the annihilation of the Jews, Mordechai said "Do not imagine in your soul that you will be able to escape in the king's palace any more than the rest of the Jews!" (Esther 4:13). We, in the United States, if we do not feel the Israelis' pain now, will feel it eventually, like it or not.



Once we are together with our sisters and brothers in suffering, then the verse "I am with him in distress" (Psalms 91:15) applies to us too! And once G-d is with us, it is time for us to seek Him out, because He is with us, as the prophet says "Seek Hashem when He can be found, call upon Him when He is near" (Isaiah 55:6)!



Now is the time to do whatever we can. Our obligations fall within two realms, the physical and the spiritual. In the physical realm, we must lobby and write to the news. The Aipac site http://www.aipac.org/action/ will help us here. Within the spiritual realm, we must pray and return to G-d. Whatever steps we take here will be received by G-d. We can recite relevant Psalms such as Psalm 20 (Artscroll Siddur pages 152 in Hebrew or 153 in English) or Psalm 130 (Artscroll Siddur pages 82 in Hebrew or 83 in English) or designate an hour of the day when we will not say anything bad about others, or light Shabbas candles. What exactly we do is up to us.

Let us do whatever we can,
Mordechai


[[Rambam Hilchos Taanis 1:1-4. Ramban on Tefilah]]
[[Nechama Leibowitz on Bamidbar citing Zohar on 264, Rav Soloveitchik in Lonely Man 33 and note, CCC 331-332 and Kol Dodi Dofek (based on Rambam ob cit) then Rav Hirsch cited by Nechama, about Providence in that essay of Nechama, Rav Amital cites Ramban on Iyyov (36:7) (http://vbm-torah.org/archive/values/01b-fear.htm and see note to Rambam) which seems to agree with Rambam.]]
[[Do troubles provoke teshuva or tefilah for Rav Soloveitchik. Talks about Tefilah and moral improvement in Lonely Man in a footnote. Need to look and think]]
[[I don't understand Halakhic Approach to Suffering in Out of the Worldwind.]]

Parshas Chukas/Balak



This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.



A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself. Readers should be encouraged to skip them.





Question:

God spoke to Moses, saying, 'Take the staff, and you and Aaron assemble the community. Speak to the cliff in their presence, and it will give forth its water. You will thus bring forth water from the cliff, and allow the community and their livestock to drink.' Moses took the staff from before God as he had been instructed. Moses and Aaron then assembled the congregation before the cliff. 'Listen now, you rebels!' shouted Moses. 'Shall we produce water for you from this cliff?' With that, Moses raised his hand, and struck the cliff twice with his staff. A huge amount of water gushed out, and the community and their animals were able to drink.

God said to Moses and Aaron, 'You did not have enough faith in Me to sanctify Me in the presence of the Israelites! Therefore, you shall not bring this assembly to the land that I have given you.' These are the Waters of Dispute (Mey Meribhah) where the Israelites disputed with God, and where He was [nevertheless] sanctified. (Numbers 20:7-13)



What did Aaron do wrong?







Free Will and Judging Others



Recounting Israel's journeys and conquests, the Torah states:



"[The Israelites] then went on and headed north toward the Bashan. At Edrei, Og king of the Bashan came out with all his people to engage [the Israelites] in battle. God said to Moses, 'Do not fear him. I have given him, along with all his people and territory, into your hand. I will do the same to him as I did to Sichon, king of the Amorites who lived in Cheshbon.'" (21:33-34)



Why should Moses be scared? If G-d wanted the Jews to win, the Jews would win. This must have been some unusual fear.



Rashi, basing himself on our Sages, fills the details in for us:



34. Do not fear him. Moses was afraid to fight [against Og] lest the merit of Abraham advocate for him, as it says, "The refugee came" [and informed Abraham that his nephew Lot had been captured] (Gen. 14:13) - this was Og who had escaped from the Rephaim, who were smitten by Chedorlaomer and his allies at Ashteroth Karnaim [in the War of the Four Kings and Five Kings detailed in Genesis 14], as it says, "only Og, the king of Bashan, was left of the remnant of the Rephaim" [Deuteronomy 3:11]. - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukkath 24, Num. Rabbah 19:32]



Nechama Leibowitz comments on this "We are not here concerned with the identification by the Midrash of the survivor that came to tell Abraham of the plight of Lot, with Og, [Abraham lived some 400 years before the Exodus] but with the concept [that meritorious actions] may stand to the credit of even a wicked man" (Studies in Bamidbar, pages 269-270).



[[See Studies in Bamidbar, pages 74-78, and especially the quote from Professor Y. Heinemnann on page 76, and Studies in Bereshit, pages 271 and 273]]



Nechama cites with regards to this idea the rabbinic dictum "Judge every man favorably" (Ethics of the Fathers 1:6).



But we can ask, would it have been reasonable for Moses to think that the merit earned by informing Abraham of Lot's capture should protect Og after all this time and against all the merits of the Jews? The answer must of course be yes! Why should this be the case?



[[I remember Rav Soloveitchik saying I think in On Repetence, that small deeds are what count, but his example can be questioned because waiting 7 years is quite significant]]



I believe we can offer an answer based on Rav Dessler's remarkable insight in the nature of free will. What follows is my summery, with a few added ideas of my own, of Strive for Truth! Volume 2, pages 52-58, by Rav Eliyahu E. Dessler, translated by R. Aryeh Carmell (translation of the Hebrew Michtav MiEliyahu) (also available at http://www.innernet.org.il/article.php?aid=330):



Our free will and combat with our evil inclination is analogous to pre-modern warfare. When countries go to war, their armies clash at the battlefront. The front in fact is the only place where fighting takes, an army needs to expend only a little energy controlling territory behind their lines, and they do not have access to land past the front. However, this single point of conflict is not static; when one side wins, they push the front forward, away from their own territory and further deeper into their enemy's.



This single point of conflict is also true regarding free will. We all posses freedom of choice but our scope of choice is rather limited. When we exercise our free will and choose to conquer our evil inclination, we move forward on to new challenges and "one good deed leads to [another] good deed" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:2). If we neglect to choose, if we are lazy, our evil inclination makes the choice for us and we move backwards and "one sin leads to [another] sin" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:2). Of course, we always have free choice to reverse the process and regain lost ground or G-d forbids, give in to our desires and let them control us.



Where one's particular struggle happens to be depends greatly on his or her education and environment and one is neither held responsible for evil deeds nor accredited the good deeds that result from one's environment. A few examples: A girl born into a good family and raised well probably will not have a desire to steal but she might lie to get herself out of trouble; her struggle lies with admitting her mistakes and bearing the consequences. Take another girl born into a home of Torah observant Jews and raised well. She probably has no desire to eat pig but she might recite her prayers by rote and, despite the severity of the sin, she might be exactly like the first girl regarding gossip and rumors. Finally, take a boy raised on the street. It might be natural for him to grow up and live a life of crime. For him, the struggle might not be whether to murder a woman who has not paid extortions but rather, if he murders her slowly or makes her suffer. And if he pulls himself up to a level where he no longer murders but only steals, he has made a huge improvement!



It follows from all this that G-d does not look at where we are but where we are going. And it is human nature to stumble and fall "for the righteous falls seven times, but he stands up, while wicked ones stumble through evil" (Proverbs 24:16).



[[And presumably G-d also looks at how fast we are going]]



This entire approach fits very nicely with Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits' philosophy of halacha which I summarized last September. It can be found at http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/07/philosophy-of-halacha-originally.html .



[[What about doing mitzvos only because G-d commands? See R. Berkovits around page 117 and note 20 on 184 and Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky on Avos 1:4. Requires further thought.]]

[[One can certainly say that when one chooses to enter a good environment, say a yeshiva, that this is credited to him. The same would hold true for entering a bad environment.]]

[[See page 176 of On Repentance. I have a hunch that this dispute might be related to the mussar debate. Then again, I don't really understand Rav Soloveitchik, maybe their disagreement is much smaller. And he certainly acknowledges that sometimes it is the will and intellect that defeat the evil inclination on pages 203-204. Either way though, will seems to play a much larger role in Rav Soloveitchik's ideas, or maybe it is single choices rather than long progressions. Regarding page 176, this probably relates to Lonely Man of Faith page 36 (the redemptive steps) and self creation in Halakhic Man, pages 109,110, and onward.]]

[[If each mitzvah act changes us, then take example of boy, each time he murders, for him a natural act, he messes himself up ever more, yet his bechira point has not moved. Rav Dessler would probably answer that when one is at such a low level, murdering does not actually mess you up. This requires more thought]]



Based on this, we can answer why Moses thought Og's good deed would still protect him. Og was a sinner through and through. His little act of kindness represented a considerable step for him.



But if such a tiny deed was so out of character for Og that its performance earned him so much merit, and if one is only accredited for conscious decisions and one only makes decisions at a small point of free will, then how could Og, such a wicked king, perform the act to begin with?! I can think of two possible answers:



1. With much conscious effort, one can make choices that are beyond our immediate point of free will.

2. The previous assumption was wrong. Og was not nearly as evil as we thought.



[[Both answers might be correct]]

[[1. Perhaps this brings Rav Dessler more into lines of Rav Soloveitchik]]

[[2. And if he is wicked, one could say that all his merits are expended in this world. This also puts this explanation according to Rav Dessler in line with the Rambam quoted by Nechama on pages 270-271.]]

[[I remember hearing somewhere that the fugitive wanted to get Avraham killed in war. Based on this, one could derive the power of doing things for the wrong reasons, although this could have killed Avraham]]



According to the first answer, Og expended considerable effort and conquered his evil inclination and earned himself considerable merit and this merit might protect him.



Following the second answer, Og, not being so wicked, might have numerous merits from many good deeds which could protect him.



Either way, Moses had good reason to fear and, based on Rav Dessler's insight into free will, none of us can say where another is in G-d's eyes.



Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

Philosophy of Halacha

Originally written as a devar Torah for Parshas Re'eh, 9/2/05


This is the approach of Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits in God, Man, and History.


For those who have been following along in the Chumash, readers will notice a change in content. The past sever parshiot have all been part of one long speech delivered by Moshe and the beginning of this week’s parshah, Parshat Re’eh, is the middle point of this massive sermon. However, until now, Moshe has been discussing theological concepts, specifically, the mitzvah to love and be in awe of G-d. From now until the end of this speech, Moshe will be discussing more concrete laws which run the entire gamut of Jewish life (false prophets, civil law, holidays, sacrifices, laws for going out to war, etc.) Why the change? Why do we need all these objective laws when we have the command to love G-d and to love other humans? In other words, why must I keep all these laws? Is it not enough to be a good person?

Well, for one thing, I do not know about you but I do not posses this love and fear of G-d or the love of others which the Torah describes. A good person is truly humble and selfless but I hold grudges and speak ill about other people and such actions on my part are unacceptable. So how do I become a good person?

Traditional Pauline Christianity says that you can’t, that you are damned, and that it is impossible to improve. Instead, they would tell you to accept Jesus as your lord and savior because if you don’t, since you can’t become a good person, you are going to hell forever unless you believe Jesus died for your sins. Needless, to say, we Jews do not accept this theory (for many reasons which I do not have time to get into).

Socrates and secular humanists would say that it is very easy to become a good person, that the intellect can easily control the body. There is a problem with this thesis. Imagine you wanted to become a swimmer. Secular humanists would tell you to go to college and get a PHD in swimming. How well would you swim with your PHD in swimming? Not well. While there is value in reading about swimming, if you want to swim well, you need to practice. Similarly, philosophizing about being a good person really does not work.

So what does Judaism say? We believe that humans can improve but like everything else, becoming a good person takes practice. Our actions influence our feelings. If you want to love other people, volunteer regularly for soup kitchens. Similarly, if you want to love G-d, devote your life to Him by following Jewish Law. Halacha sensitizes one and enables one to develop a relationship with G-d.

Essentially, as the Rav would put it, we are to channel our religious emotions through Halacha to develop a relationship with G-d.

Just like in a relationship with another human, the details matter. If your girlfriend says she likes 11 inch red roses, you get her 11 inch red roses, not 9 inch red roses or 11 inch white roses. G-d did not ask us to meditate in a lotus position, but rather to follow the Torah. So too, if G-d says He wants us to follow the Torah, if we want to have a real relationship with Him, we follow the Torah.

Parshas Korach



This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.



A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself. Readers should be encouraged to skip them.



An announcement: The Lonely Man of Faith has been reprinted and is available for only $10 at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385514085/sr=8-1/qid=1151858159/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9335126-6181424?ie=UTF8





Question:

Rhetoric



“They [Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their followers] demonstrated against Moses and Aaron, and declared to them, 'You have gone too far! All the people in the community are holy, and God is with them. Why are you setting yourselves above God's congregation?'” (Numbers 16:3)



“When Moses heard this, he threw himself on his face. Then he spoke to Korach and his whole party… You sons of Levi have gone too far!… Isn't it enough that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to Him… Will you also seek the priesthood?’” (Numbers 16:4-10)



“[Dathan and Abiram respond to Moses] ‘Isn't it enough that you brought us out [Egypt], a land flowing with milk and honey - just to kill us in the desert! But you must also lord over us?’” (Numbers 16:13)



Arranged chronologically:

Moses’ Words
Rebels’ Words


“They [Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their followers] demonstrated against Moses and Aaron, and declared to them, 'You have gone too far! All the people in the community are holy, and God is with them. Why are you setting yourselves above God's congregation?'” (Numbers 16:3)



“When Moses heard this, he threw himself on his face. Then he spoke to Korach and his whole party… You sons of Levi have gone too far!… Isn't it enough that the God of Israel has separated you from the community of Israel to bring you near to Him… Will you also seek the priesthood?’” (Numbers 16:4-10)





“[Dathan and Abiram respond to Moses] ‘Isn't it enough that you brought us out [Egypt], a land flowing with milk and honey - just to kill us in the desert! But you must also lord over us?’” (Numbers 16:13)




What is the significance of the bolded repeated phrases?





From Rebellion to Song





“This Torah that Moses transcribed from the Almighty is unique and there will never be another. One must neither add to it nor subtract from it, be it the Written Law or the Oral Law. As it stated: "Neither add to it nor subtract from it" (Deuteronomy 13:1). We have already elaborated upon this Principle in the introduction to this work.

(Rambam 9th principle of Faith)



One way in which the Torah is unique is aptly demonstrated in this week’s parshah, Parshas Korach.



Korah and his followers, demanding the priesthood, rebelled against Moses and Aaron and died as a result. Some were swallowed up by the earth. Others brought incense in the Tabernacle and were incinerated. After this incident, the Torah says:



“God spoke to Moses, saying, 'Tell Eleazar (son of Aaron the priest) that the fire pans have been sanctified, and he must gather them up from the burned area. He shall then scatter the burning coals far and wide. The fire pans belonging to the men who committed a mortal sin have been presented before God and thus sanctified, so he shall make them into beaten plates to cover the altar. Let this be a sign for the Israelites.'

Eleazar took the copper fire pans that the victims of the fire had presented, and he beat them flat as a covering for the altar. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites, so that no one other than a descendant of Aaron shall bring unauthorized fire and burn incense before God. [וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה כְקֹרַח וְכַעֲדָתוֹ] They shall not be like Korah and his party…” (Numbers 17:1-5).



Part of the last verse, וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה כְקֹרַח וְכַעֲדָתוֹ , is unclear. Nechama Leibowitz cites three different understandings (Studies in Bamidbar, pages 223-224).



Is it a command or a warning? And if it is a warning, what exactly are we to be afraid of?



1. According to (Nechama’s understanding of) Rashi, the verse reads “It was to be a reminder for the Israelites, so that no one other than a descendant of Aaron shall bring unauthorized fire and burn incense before God in order that they not behave like Korach and his party…”



2. According to the Biur, commentary organized under Moses Mendelssohn, the verse would read “It was to be a reminder for the Israelites, so that no one other than a descendant of Aaron shall bring unauthorized fire and burn incense before God in order that they not fare like Korach and his party…”



3. Finally, Rav in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 110a) says “Whoever perpetuates controversy violates a negative injunction.” Thus, he reads it as “It was to be a reminder for the Israelites, so that no one other than a descendant of Aaron shall bring unauthorized fire and burn incense before God. And do not behave like Korach and his party…”



[[Dispute between Rambam and Semag]]



While Rashi’s reading is probably closer to the simple meaning of the text, each reading is important.



1. The Talmud derives a clear prohibition from this passage and we would do well to adhere to Hillel dictum of “loving peace and pursuing peace” (Ethics of the Fathers 1:11)



2. For those who might, out of their ego and craving for honor, attempt to seize leadership, the Biur’s reading tells us that if you try, you will die.



3. Although Judaism is quite clear that “a bastard Torah scholar is greater than an ignorant high priest” (end of Makkos), we know that the priests have special responsibilities and are often viewed as being closer to G-d. A non-priest, out of his or her love for G-d, might desire to become a priest and force others to accept him as one. Rashi comes and tells us that no, a non-priest should not behave like Korah and aspire to the priesthood! It is a sin! No matter how pure you think your motives are, do not act like Korah and try to become a priest. G-d loves you and created you the way you are because you, just as you are, have a unique mission to accomplish.



[[Nechama Leibowitz citing Netziv, 221-222]]





These multiple meanings explain how our Sages say that all of the Torah is a “song” (Deuteronomy 31:19) (Nedarim 38).



One of the major differences between poetry and prose and is the room for interpretation and varied meaning. Well written poems often have multiple meanings, different authentic interpretations, and various levels of depth. Unlike poetry, a well written prose has one meaning and that meaning is clear to the reader. When one can interpret a prose to mean different things, it means the prose is unclear and thus it is bad prose.



The Torah is typically written like a prose but in fact, even the most seemingly dry and clear cut legal sections are poetry with multiple meanings and tremendous depth. (This explanation was given by one of my teachers in Israel, I unfortunately do not remember who.)



Another way to look at this is that the Torah is like DNA. In extremely terse phrases, the Torah contains vast quantities of wisdom and it is our task to unpack its messages. (Rabbi David Fohrman in one of his tapes about Cain and Abel)



[[See Netziv’s introduction to Genesis and piece from Rav Nadel]]



With this, we can better understand and appreciate the uniqueness of the Torah.



Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai