Tamim Tihiyeh

2007-08-07T17:07:00.001-07:00

Parshas Va'Eschanan

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.

If readers have any comments, especially critical ones, they would be
most appreciated.

Question:

Throughout the parshah, it says many times that if we keep the Torah,
it (whatever "it" exactly means) will be good for us in the land of
Israel. Why does the Torah need to tell us this so many times,
especially in the same parshah?

Internalizing and Changing

In last week's devar Torah about organization (available at
http://tamimah.blogspot.com/), we learned that with the incident of
the spies, the Jewish people's lack of organization caused them to
overlook the fact that G-d would fight for the Jewish people and
enable them to conquer the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 1:30),
resulting in a mass panic and rebellion. Ultimately however, they
issue was that they forgot the simple fact that G-d was running the
show.

What caused them to forget and what are the proper steps to resist
forgetfulness?

I believe the second question is addressed in this week's Parshah:

"Listen, Israel, Hashem is our Lord, Hashem is One and Only. Love
Hashem your Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your might. These words which I am commanding you today must remain on
your heart. Teach them to your children and speak of them when you are
at home, when traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you
get up. Bind [these words] as a sign on your hand, and let them be an
emblem in the center of your head. [Also] write them on [parchments
affixed to] the doorposts of your houses and gates" (Deuteronomy
6:4-6:9).

Rashi cites our Sages who tell us that a way to come to love Hashem is
to have the Torah on hearts. And I believe the next verse, "teach
(literally sharpen) them to your children" teaches us how to always
have Torah on our hearts.

Our Sages comment "'and you should sharpen them' that the words of
Torah should be sharp in your mouth that if a person asks you
something, you not stutter and reply but rather answer immediately…"
(Kiddushin 30a).

Rashi there comments:

They should be sharp in your mouth: Review them and examine their
depths, that if a person asks you, you will not need to stutter but
rather you will be able to immediately answer.

I believe Rashi is explaining that our Sages are telling us, the way
to have Torah on our hearts, to internalize it, is to know it well.
Knowing it well means having reviewed the material frequently and to
understanding it on a deep level. But why is this the way to
internalize Torah?

As an introduction, we should understand that evil is essentially
falsehood. On a practical level, giving in to anger, physical urges
and infatuations almost never leads to tangible benefits. On a deeper
level, all that exists, exists because G-d wills it to exist. Since
G-d does not want sin, when one sins, on a certain level, one is
ceasing to exist.

Rav Wolbe (Alei Shor, 89) cites the Ramchal who says that G-d created
us with an evil inclination. Additionally, He also gave us an
intellect, which, if fully utilized, has the power to utterly
annihilate our evil inclination. Our intellect allows us to discern
truth, allowing us to distance ourselves from evil – falsehood. Given
our intellects' tremendous power, in order for us to have free will,
G-d made it that our intellects begin in 'potential.' This means that
naturally, our intellects do not function even close to their full
strength, leaving room for the evil inclination to have power.

One may know something intellectually but not have internalized it.
For example, we know that speaking ill of others is evil. However,
this knowledge unfortunately does not restrain us from spreading
slander. Learning but not internalizing knowledge results from the
intellect operating only in its natural level. However, through
contemplation, one strengthens the intellect and develops it to its
full potential. When the intellect is functioning at such higher
levels, it means that one has internalized a certain piece of
knowledge.

The Ramchal illustrates this with a comparison. Frequently, the Torah
is compared to fire and light. The Ramchal says that when a person
first learns a piece of Torah, it is like a coal. When one
contemplates this piece of knowledge, he so to speak, fans the coal
and builds it up into a fire which provides warmth and light and
nullifies our evil inclination. If one neglects one's Torah knowledge,
meaning one does not contemplate it, the goal, will further dim.

Thus, getting back to the Rashi, by reviewing material and
understanding it at deep levels, one strengthens the intellect,
internalizes the Torah, and negates the evil inclination.

Food for further thought and discussion:

1. Compare Rashi on the Chumash to the Rashi on the Gemara

Gemara: Our Sages comment "'and you should sharpen them' that the
words of Torah should be sharp in your mouth that if a person asks you
something, you not stutter and reply but rather answer immediately…"
(Kiddushin 30a).

Rashi:
They should be sharp in your mouth: Review them and examine their
depths, that if a person asks you, you will not need to stutter but
rather you will be able to immediately answer.

Rashi on Chumash:
And you should sharpen them:
It is the language of sharpening, that they should be sharp in your
mouth, that if a person asks you something, there will be no need to
stutter but rather say (reply) immediately.

2. What steps can be taken to make oneself a more contemplative person?

Have a good Shabbas,

Mordechai

2007-07-26T17:05:00.001-07:00

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.

If readers have any comments, especially critical ones, they would be
most appreciated.

Order in Thinking

In our Parshah, Moses reviews a tragic point in Jewish history, the
spies who convinced the Jewish people not to want to enter the Land of
Israel. But what went wrong? According to the Netziv, in the following
verses, Moses is pin-pointing the problem:

"I said to you, 'You have come to the Amorite highlands, which God our
Lord is giving us. See! God has placed the land before you. Head
north and occupy it, as God, Lord of your fathers, has told you. Do
not be afraid and do not be concerned.' All of you then approached me
and said, 'Send men ahead of us to explore the land. Let them bring
back a report about the way ahead of us and the cities that we shall
encounter'" (Deuteronomy 1:20-22).

Rashi comments:
All of you then approached me: in a state of disorder. But further on
(Deut. 5:20-21) it says, "You approached me, all the heads of your
tribes and your elders, and you said, Behold [the Lord, our God] has
shown us [His glory and His greatness]." That approach to me was
proper-young people respecting their elders, sending these before
them. Here, however, you approached me all of you, in a state of
disorder, the young pushing aside their elders, the elders pushing
aside their heads.

The Netziv says that Moses is telling us that not only was the spies'
report problematic, the very fact that they were sent was problematic
and reflected a lack of trust in G-d. (This is consistent with Rashi's
approach but the Ramban disagrees.) This insight of the Netziv may
even be supported by the fact that just prior to the disorganized
request for the sending of the spies, Moses told the people "Do not be
afraid and do not be concerned." Still, how does a lack of orderliness
reflect in a lack of trust in G-d?

I believe the answer lies with the fact that, as Rav Wolbe (Alei Shor
2, 319) mentions, orderliness displays a strong will. An orderly
person clearly wants to accomplish something; he has defined and
prioritized his goals and developed a plan on how to achieve them.
Lack of order usually means one has not really thought things through
very well but is rather acting on a spur of the moment.

(Regarding orderliness and one's will, Walter Pauk, in How to Study in
College, page 31, writes "A thoughtfully constructed time schedule can
increase your sense of control in four ways. First, because your
schedule is written down, your plans seem more manageable. You can
start working without delay. Second, you know you'll study all your
subjects - even those you dislike – because you've allotted time for
them in your schedule. There's less of a temptation to skip disliked
subjects when study time has already been allotted for them in your
schedule. Third, a schedule discourages you from being lazy. You've
got a plan right in front of you, and that plan says, 'Let's get down
to business!' Fourth, you can schedule review sessions right from the
start and avoid last-minute cramming for tests." That order stems from
a strong will is also demonstrated in another way. Rav Wolbe (Alei
Shor, 68) says that, perhaps oddly enough, an orderly person is also a
flexible person. I believe that this is because order and flexibility
both stem from an understanding of priorities. The orderly person does
not break with schedule because he knows that whatever he had planned
to do is more important than whatever else he could be doing. The same
person however will quickly break their schedule when something more
important comes up.)

The Jewish people had clearly not thought through all the implications
of " God your Lord is going before you. He will fight for you, just as
you watched Him do in Egypt" (Deuteronomy 1:30). Had the Jewish people
thought through things a bit more, they would have realized that G-d
was totally in control of the situation and they had nothing to fear.
Thus we see that orderliness is an essential component of trusting in
G-d.

[[Emes L'Yaakov says something like this. When it arrives, look it up]]

Biography of Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda, the Netziv:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naftali_Zvi_Yehuda_Berlin

Food for further thought and discussion:

Can one be too orderly?
Is there a relationship or trend between orderliness and creativity?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-02-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

Parshas Mishpatim

This in the merit that my grandmother, Esther bat Mazal, will have a speedy and complete recovery.

I want to apologize that this devar Torah is not as complete as it normally would be, my parents will be in Israel.

Judaism, Animals, and People

This is not intended to be a thorough survey of how Judaism views animals and people; such a discussion is completely beyond my ability. However, I just want to give a few notes about the subject.

In this week's parshah, it says:

"If you see the donkey of someone you hate lying under its load, you might want to refrain from helping him, but [instead] you must make every effort to help him [unload it]" (Exodus 23:5).

On this, the Orchos Tzaddikim (Gate of Cruelty), cites our Sages (Bava Metzia 32b) who say that causing pain to animals is a violation of a Biblical prohibition. We must be kind even to animals.

However, this kindness only goes so far. The Torah says:

"If a man performs a sexual act with an animal, he must be put to death, and the animal shall also be killed. If a woman presents herself to an animal and allows it to mate with her, you shall kill both the woman and the animal. They shall be put to death by stoning" (Leviticus 20:15-16).

Our Sages (Mishnah Sanhedrin 7:4) ask why is the animal killed and one of their answers is "so the animal should not pass in the market place and [people] will say 'This is the [animal] that So-and-so was stoned because [he had relations with] her'" and the Gemara interprets this to refer to G-d not wanting to disgrace the dead. In other words, we kill an animal in order that a dead sinner not be embarrassed!

Thus, we must be kind to animals but an animal's importance cannot even come close to being compared to that of a human.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-02-15T08:21:00.001-08:00

Parshas Beshalach

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.

In last week's devar Torah about addiction, I was not referring to medical addictions such as alcoholism or smoking; such people can never return to any middle and must always stay away from their addiction. Rather, I was referring to unbalanced character traits such as being too generous or too stingy.

Question:

"The Israelites saw the great power that God had unleashed against Egypt, and the people were in awe of God. They trusted in God and in his servant Moses" (Exodus 14:31).

Why does awe precede trust?

Serving Faithfully

"They moved on from Elim, and the entire community of Israel came to the Sin Desert, between Elim and Sinai. It was the 15th of the second month after they had left Egypt.

There in the desert, the entire Israelite community began to complain against Moses and Aaron.

The Israelites said to them, 'If only we had died by God's hand in Egypt! There at least we could sit by pots of meat and eat our fill of bread! But you had to bring us out to this desert, to kill the entire community by starvation!'

God said to Moses, 'I will make bread rain down to you from the sky. The people will go out and gather enough for each day. I will test them to see whether or not they will keep My Torah" (Exodus 16:1-4).

In the middle of the desert, the Jews ran out of food and complained. It may seem hard to imagine how people who had witnessed such miracles could complain in such a manner but let us not forget that the adults were also concerned about their children's survival. This idea I heard from Emes L'Yaakov.

Regardless, I have two questions:

1. Had the Jews not complained, what would have happened? There seems to be no indication that had they kept silent, they would have been provided for.
2. In verse 4, what exact was the test?

It seems to me that G-d did not want the Jews to simply stay silent despite the fact they had no food. Rather, G-d expected them to pray. Unlike in Egypt, where despite their oppression, all physical needs were taken care of ("There at least we could sit by pots of meat and eat our fill of bread"), G-d expects us to work. The Jews were right to react to their lack of food but they should have reacted radically differently. Perhaps something like 'G-d, we trust you, please give us food' rather than "If only we had died by God's hand in Egypt!" Even if the Jews had received prophecy that G-d would be starving them to death, the Jews should have responded with teshuva (because decrees can always be changed) while accepting the fact that G-d is just.

Once the Jews need to work for themselves, they now need to learn not to trust in their own labors and efforts. Rashi says one component of the test was that each day, the Jews gather only what they needed for that day and no more. They needed to trust that if G-d deems it proper, there will be more food for them the next day, and the day after that, and so on. In effect, G-d was saying that the Jews should work but ultimately realize that sustenance comes from G-d, if He wants the Jews to be fed, they will be fed and if He doesn't, they won't be fed. It is not up to us. [[See 16:28]]

Finally, I think another component of the test was to 'gather only what they needed for one day and keep the Torah,' meaning that they would not even worry about the next day, they would not get stressed out, panic, and abandon spiritual pursuits. [[This might be what the Rashbam is saying. See also Rashi on 16:32]]

I think this idea is expressed in Psalm 78 where the Psalmist discusses G-d's miracles, especially those related to the Exodus from Egypt and in the desert:

"We shall not hide from their sons; to the last generation they will recite the praises of the Lord, and His might and His wonders, which He performed. And He established testimony in Jacob, and He set down a Torah in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to make them known to their sons. In order that the last generation might know, sons who will be born should tell their sons. So they should put their unshakeable trust in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments. And they should not be as their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, who did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God" (Psalm 78:4-8).

Food for thought and discussion:

We don't have prophecy these days. While we must always say that G-d will do what He knows is best, how much effort must we devote to tasks?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-02-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

Parshas Yisro

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

Question:

According to the Rambam, the Ten Commandments (referred to by the Torah as the Ten Statements in Deuteronomy 4:13) actually contain 14 commandments. Why then call them ten?

A Servant of Others

"The next day, Moses sat to judge the people. They stood around Moses from morning to evening" (Exodus 18:13).

At this point in time, whenever anybody had a question, they went to Moses and he spent the entire day answering questions. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, thought this would wear Moses out so he advised Moses to set up a court system:

"'But you must [also] seek out from among all the people capable, God-fearing men - men of truth, who hate injustice. You must then appoint them over [the people] as leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. Let them administer justice for the people on a regular basis. Of course, they will have to bring every major case to you, but they can judge the minor cases by themselves. They will then share the burden, making things easier for you'" (Exodus 18:21-22).

Moses listened to Jethro's advise:

"He chose capable men from all Israel, and he appointed them as administrators over the people, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. They administered justice on a regular basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses, and judging the simple cases by themselves" (Exodus 18:25-26).

There is one difference I would like to point out:

Jethro's advice:

they will have to bring every major case to you, but they can judge the minor cases by themselves

Moses' fulfillment of the advice:

bringing the difficult cases to Moses, and judging the simple cases by themselves

What is the significance of this change?

I don't remember where I heard this but the answer is that a leader is a servant of the people, both the community and also every individual, and thus a leader wants to help his or her people. Thus, no question is too trivial.

Moses changed the system because he would wear out, not because he didn't want to serve the Jewish people.

In his later years, when one would ask Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky (who lived for 90 years), why he merited such a long life, he answered, "My feeling is that Hashem has granted me these extra years as a gift to use for others" (259). He never had a shammos, a secretary, of any kind deciding who would get to speak to him and who would not, either he or his wife would answer the phone (279). Additionally, he wouldn't let the phone be taken off the hook, not even during naps, out of fear that somebody needed to speak with him (259) and Reb Yaakov couldn't talk to a caller, he would still personally explain to the caller that he was involved in something else (251). Although eventually Reb Yaakov and his wife needed somebody to answer the phone for them, it was not to prevent people from speaking with them (279).

All citations are from the Artscroll biography of Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky.

Food for Further Thought and Discussion

How do we balance devoting ourselves to our families and to others? Obviously, we must help others and our family and friends must come first. But what is the balance?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Parshas Bo

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:

In Exodus 13:1-2, G-d gives a command to Moses. Compare the short command to what Moses does in 13:3-16. Why did Moses need to add so much?

Curing Pharaoh

I need to reexamine these ideas.

This idea is largely based on a devar Torah I heard at Yeshivas Medrish Shmuel last week.

One student there asked the question, whatever it means that G-d is hardening Pharaoh's heart, why could Pharaoh simply not remember that each time he agrees to free the Jews and changes his mind, more plagues come on Egypt? This student answered that it was as if Pharaoh had an addiction and people who are addicted can't break their addiction by simply saying 'next time I'll do better.' Such rationalizations deny the core problem and prevent a solution from being found.

How does one cure such a problem?

The Rambam establishes that we are to balance our character traits:

"The way of the upright is [to adopt] the intermediate characteristic of each and every temperament that people have. This is the characteristic that is equidistant from the two extremes of the temperament of which it is a characteristic, and is not closer to either of the extremes. Therefore, the first Sages commanded that one's temperaments should always be such, and that one should postulate on them and direct them along the middle way, in order that one will have a perfect body. How is this done ? One should not be of an angry disposition and be easily angered, nor should one be like a dead person who does not feel, but one should be in the middle - one should not get angry except over a big matter about which it is fitting to get angry, so that one will not act similarly again. Likewise, one should not have lust except for those things which the body needs and without which cannot survive, as it is written, "The righteous eat to satisfy his soul". Similarly, one should not labor at one's business, but one should obtain what one needs on an hourly basis, as it is written, "A little that a righteous man has is better, et cetera". Nor should one be miserly or wasteful with one's money, but one should give charity according to what one can spare, and lend as fitting to whoever needs. One should not be [excessively] praised or merry, and nor should one be sorrowful or miserable, but one should be happy for all one's days in satisfaction and with a pleasant expression on one's face. One should apply a similar principle to the other temperaments - this is the way of the wise" (Laws of Character Temperaments 1:4)

However, regarding how to cure a character flaw, he writes:

"They tell someone who is of an angry disposition to establish himself, and that if he is hit or cursed he should not react, and he should follow this way until his angry disposition has left him. If he was haughty, he should subject himself to a lot of disgrace and sit low down, and should dress in torn rags which are a discredit to normal clothes, and do similar things until his haughtiness has left him and he returns to the middle way, which is the good way. Once he has returned to the middle way he should follow it for the rest of his life. Other temperaments should be treated in this manner - if one was far over to one extreme, one should move oneself to the other extreme and accustom oneself to it for a long time, until one has returned to the good way, which is the intermediate characteristic that each and every temperament has " (Ibid 2:2).

We move to the extreme to reach the middle.

Food for thought and discussion:

The Rambam (Ibid 1:7) says that regarding a trait that needs improvement but is not extreme, one can simply accustom oneself to acting properly and need not first move to the other extreme.

How do we draw the line between an extreme trait which requires extreme measures to fix and a problematic trait which requires less effort to fix?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-01-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

Parshas Vaera

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:

"Pharaoh sent word and discovered that among the Israelites' livestock, not a single [animal] had died. But Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not let the people leave" (Exodus 9:7).

Why should Pharaoh care if the Jews' livestock were spared the plague?

Slavery and Freedom

"And Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them regarding the Children of Israel and Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to take out the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 6:13).

This verse seems quite strange; what can it mean to command the Jews to free the Jews from Egypt?

Rav Baruch HaLevy Epstein in his Torah Temimah cites the Jerusalem Talmud:
"Rav Shmuel son of Rav Yitzchak said, 'On what were they commanded? On the section [of the Torah dealing with] releasing servants'" (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh HaShana 3:5).

It is clear that Pharaoh is being commanded to free the slaves and our Sages understand that this same command was given to the Jews. If we say the Jews had slaves, one could say that it is not just to demand Pharaoh release his slaves while the Jews keep their own. And even if we say that no Jews had slaves, Pharaoh could not be ordered to free slaves who, once free, will acquire and oppress slaves.

On a deeper level, I think this Medrish also relates to the purpose of our slavery in Egypt. G-d commanded us:

"Do not hurt the feelings of a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in Egypt" (Exodus 22:20)

Nechama Leibowitz (Studies in Shemot, volume 1, p 5-8) cites many verses where we are told to remember our servitude in Egypt and not to oppress others and to go out of our way to help people. We must become models of freedom and kindness to the entire world.

Food for thought and discussion:
What can we do to apply these ideas every day on a personal level, not solely by attending rallies (which are very important), but also in our daily life?

Information about Rav Baruch HaLevy Epstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Epstein

Have a good Shabbas and Rosh Chodesh,
Mordechai

2007-01-19T00:15:00.000-08:00

In this week's Parshah, Moses and Aaron requested permission from Pharaoh for the Jews to leave Egypt and serve G-d for three days but the King of Egypt denied their petition and proclaimed:

"…[the Jews] are lazy (נִרְפִּים)! Therefore they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our G-d.' Let the labor fall heavy upon the men and let them work at it, and let them not talk about false matters" (Exodus 5:8-9).

In order to combat his slaves' laziness, Pharaoh increased their labor. However, the Tyrant's reasoning seems quite foolish and counterproductive; if the Jews are lazy and thus want a break, the harder they are pushed, the more they will want time off!

Rashi, translating נִרְפִּים as lax, solves our problem, and he explains that Pharaoh reasoned that since the Jews had free time, they could think of "idleness" and thus wanted to serve G-d. By driving the Jews harder than ever, Pharaoh hoped to deny the Jews the ability to contemplate anything other than their immediate task at hand. The Torah tells us that Pharaoh's tactic worked; in Exodus chapter six, G-d commanded Moses to relay words of comfort and inspiration to the exhausted Jews but they "did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor" (Exodus 6:9) which Rashi understands to mean that "they did not accept consolation."

Given that Children of Israel's broken state, why would G-d command Moses to comfort them if they were simply too worn out to listen? It must have been that, as difficult as it was, the Jews in fact had the ability to pay heed. In fact, the Seforno views the Jews' failure in accepting Moses' words as a lack of trust; had they trusted in G-d, they would have found the strength for listening.

How exactly did the Jews' inability to concentrate stem from a lack of trust? According to the Gur Aryeh's interpretation of Rashi, the Jews' shortness of breath, one of the factors preventing them from listening, resulted from stress. What exactly is stress? It is worrying about a situation beyond one's physical control. One who trusts in G-d will accept conditions beyond their physical control, regardless of its justice. Despite the cruelty inflicted on them, had the Jews fully trusted in G-d, instead of worrying, they would have accepted their current situation. By doing so, their thoughts would have remained free to contemplate spiritual matters and they would have accepted G-d's comfort.

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."
Serenity Prayer

2007-01-05T01:34:00.000-08:00

Parshas Vayechi

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:

“Joseph then ordered his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father. The physicians thus embalmed Israel” (Genesis 50:2).

How could Joseph have Jacob embalmed?!

Healthy Growth

Joseph then took the two boys. He placed Ephraim to his right (to Israel's left), and Manasseh to his left (to Israel's right). He then came close to [his father]. Israel reached out with his right hand and placed it on Ephraim's head [even though] he was the younger son. He [placed] his left hand on Manasseh's head. He deliberately crossed his hands, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was displeased. He tried to lift his father's hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Manasseh's.
'That's not the way it should be done, Father,' said Joseph. 'The other one is the first-born. Place your right hand on his head.'
His father refused and said, 'I know, my son, I know. [The older one] will also become a nation. He too will attain greatness. But his younger brother will become even greater, and his descendants will become full-fledged nations.'
On that day [Jacob] blessed them. He said, '[In time to come] Israel will use you as a blessing. They will say, 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' ' He [deliberately] put Ephraim before Manasseh. (Genesis 48:13-14,17-20).

Why did Jacob, after all the trouble such things caused hive, put the younger son ahead of the older one? Additionally, why did Jacob see Ephraim and Manasseh as a model that we should bless our children to be like?
In the Artscroll Pocket Zemiros (religious song) book (pages 10-11), it cites Agra d’Pirka who says that while Ephraim was greater than Manasseh, Ephraim was not arrogant and did not look down on his brother and Manasseh was not jealous of his younger brother. I think then the blessing is that we should all grow as much as we personally can while neither being jealous nor haughty.

Food for thought and discussion:

The blessing to be like Ephraim and Manasseh is for sons while the parallel blessing for daughters is to be like the Matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. The two blessings seem to be completely different (for girls – the Matriarchs, for boys – two grandchildren of Jacob), what is going on?

These blessings are given at Friday night before the Shabbas meal. Why?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-01-05T01:28:00.000-08:00

Parshas Vayigash

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:

"And they told him, saying, 'Joseph is still alive,' and [they told him] that he ruled over the entire land of Egypt, and his heart changed, for he did not believe them. And they told him all of Joseph's words that he had said to them, and he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of their father Jacob was revived. And Israel said, 'Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'" (Genesis 45:26-28).

Why did Jacob only believe his sons that Joseph was alive when he saw the wagons that were sent?

Do it Yourself

Jacob and Joseph are about to be reunited for the first time in 22 years. The Torah tells us:

"And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and he went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and he appeared to him, and he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck for a long time" (Genesis 46:29).

Joseph was viceroy of Egypt and surely had many things to do. Why did he prepare his chariot when he could have had it done for him?

Rashi comments:

And Joseph harnessed his chariot He personally harnessed the horses to the chariot to hasten to honor his father.

Rashi says that the reason Joseph harnessed the chariot was in order "to hasten to honor his father." How will Joseph doing it himself speed anything up?

Joseph coming out to meet his father would be honoring him. But when Joseph, second in command of Egypt, prepares the chariot himself in order to meet his father, he is showing that his father his so honorable that it is fitting for such an important person to do menial work in order for Jacob to be honored. Furthermore, because preparing the chariot will give honor to Jacob, Joseph, wanting to honor his father as soon as possible, wants to start immediately and thus he readies the chariot.

Food for thought and discussion:

Since it is better to do a mitzvah oneself rather than use an agent (Kiddushin 41a), why does G-d sometimes require us to use agents such as Kohanim (the priests) who offer the sacrifices for us?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2007-01-05T01:26:00.000-08:00

Parshas Mikeitz

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:

While Joseph ruled as Pharaoh's second in command, why did he not attempt to contact his family?

Cause and Effect

In last week's Torah portion, Joseph was thrown into prison. There, he interpreted the royal cupbearer's dream that he would be released and restored to his position. This indeed happened. In this week's reading, two years after his encounter with the cupbearer, the King of Egypt has a dream and, turning to Joseph to interpret it for him, Joseph is released from jail.

Why was Joseph released? On the surface, we would say because Pharaoh needed Joseph to interpret the dream. However, the Beis HaLevy cites a medrish that gives a different reason.

"And it was at the end of two years that Pharaoh dreamt…" (Genesis 41:1).

This alludes to the idea in the verse 'He put an end to darkness…' (Job 28:3). [G-d] put an end [set a limit] to Joseph's time in prison. Once the end came, 'Pharaoh dreamt'" (Translation from the English Beis HaLevy, page 153)

The Beis HaLevy says that instead of Pharaoh's dream being the reason that Joseph was freed, in reality, the medrish says that Joseph needing to be freed was the reason Pharaoh dreamt.

We don't and can't know how Divine providence works on a daily basis but we need to realize that what we see may not be correct.

Food for thought and discussion:

How is this idea related to Chanukah?

Also, does this idea pose a problem for the idea of free will and reward and punishment?

Biography of the Beis Halevy

http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/ybsolov.htm

Have a good Shabbas and happy Chaunkah,
Mordechai

2007-01-05T01:18:00.000-08:00

Parshas Vayeshev

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:

"The Medanites sold [Joseph] in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officers, captain of the guard" (Genesis 37:36)

"Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's Egyptian officers, the captain of the guard, had purchased him from the Arabs who had brought him there" (Genesis 39:1)

Who sold Joseph to Potiphar?

Acting Effectively

When Joseph's brothers saw him approaching, they thought of ways to kill him.

"Reuben tried to reason with his brothers. 'Don't commit bloodshed. You can throw him into this well in the desert, and you won't have to lay a hand on him.' His plan was to rescue [Joseph] from [his brothers] and bring him back to his father

When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of the long colorful coat that he was wearing. They took him and threw him into the well. The well was empty; there was no water in it. The [brothers] sat down and ate a meal. When they looked up, they saw an Arab caravan coming from Gilead. The camels were carrying gum, balsam, and resin, transporting them to Egypt.

Judah said to his brothers, 'What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover his blood ? Let's sell him to the Arabs and not harm him with our own hands. After all, he's our brother, our own flesh and blood.' His brothers agreed" (Genesis 37:22-27).

Both Reuben and Judah successfully convinced their brothers but regarding Judah , the Torah goes out of its way and tells us that the brothers agreed which Rashi takes to mean that it was a full agreement. By implication, when they agreed to Reuben, it was not so wholehearted. Why the difference?

R. Francis Nataf, in his new book Redeeming Relevance (page 104), says the difference is that Judah waited until the brothers had eaten a meal and calmed down in the meantime.

While Judah should have told his brothers to let Joseph free (Rashi on Genesis 38:1), we can learn the lesson that effective leadership requires acting at the right moment.

[[If we say the brothers did not sell Joseph, then the Torah saying that they agreed to Judah is not redundant.]]

Food for thought and discussion:

How is this idea related to Chanukah?

Have a good Shabbas and happy Chaunkah,

Mordechai

2006-12-01T03:22:00.000-08:00

Parshas Vayetzei

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

Question:

Why when Abraham and his midwife, Hagar, have relations and a child, problems arise and not with Rachel and Leah’s midwives?

Taking for Giving

“And Jacob uttered a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and He will guard me on this way, upon which I am going, and He will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear; And if I return in peace to my father's house, and the Lord will be my God; Then this stone, which I have placed as a monument, shall be a house of God, and everything that You give me, I will surely tithe to You’” (Genesis 28:20-22).

Nechama Leibowitz (Studies on Genesis, 307) asks how is Jacob able to make such a vow, if G-d does X, I will do Y? G-d is not a candy machine where we do things for Him and He does things for us, how could Jacob make such an offer?

She answers that in truth, Jacob is simply saying I want to give to G-d, I want to build Him a “house” and give tithes, G-d please only give me the means to do so. This is ideally what prayer is about, requesting so we can give back.

Food for Further Thought and Discussion
How do we develop this attitude of everything I have is to be used for G-d’s service in general and especially regarding prayer?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordecai

2006-12-01T03:17:00.000-08:00

Parshas Toldos

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:

With Jacob "stealing" his brother Esau's blessing, the Torah seems to paint Jacob as a terrible person. However, Jacob was a tremendous spiritual giant. How can we textually show that he was righteous ?

(Whether he was right in taking the blessing or not is another question. Rav Hirsch for example, says that everybody was wrong.)

Judaism and Changing Times

The Torah was given about 3500 years ago and much has changed since then. Within recent history, we have witnessed the Enlightenment and the fall of the ghettos, the Holocaust, and the creation of the State of Israel. Is Judaism and halacha still relevant to this modern era ? To answer this question, we must first understand what halacha is and I think we can find the beginnings of an answer within our parshah.

Earlier, we saw G-d commanding Abraham (Abram at the time) to leave his birthplace for the land of Israel which would be given to him and his family forever. However, upon arrival, the Torah tells us:

"And there was a famine in the land, and Abram descended to Egypt to sojourn there because the famine was severe in the land" (Genesis 12:10)

Why would G-d send Abraham to Israel and once he arrives, bring about a tremendous famine ? Rashi comments:

a famine in the land in that land alone, to test him, whether he would think ill of the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who ordered him to go to the Land of Canaan, and now He was forcing him to leave it. [from Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer , ch. 26]

Rashi tells us it was a test; a test to see if Abraham, who had just been promised the land and is now being forced out, would loose faith or think that G-d was cruel. Our Sages in fact say that G-d tested Abraham ten times and passed them all (Pirkei Avos 5:3) and Rashi there says that this famine was one of those tests that Abraham passed.

In this week's Torah reading, regarding Isaac, we find something slightly different.

"And there was a famine in the land, aside from the first famine that had been in the days of Abraham , and Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar.And the Lord appeared to him, and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land that I will tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and I will bless you, for to you and to your seed will I give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham, your father" (Genesis 26:1-3).

The Torah goes out of its way to compare this famine with the famine Abraham experienced. However, unlike Abraham left Israel for Egypt and it is viewed meritoriously, G-d tells Isaac that he cannot leave the land of Israel! Why? Rashi comments:

Do not go down to Egypt For he [Isaac] had in mind to go down to Egypt as his father had gone down in the days of the famine. He [God] said to him, "Do not go down to Egypt." You are [as] a perfect burnt offering, and being outside the Holy Land is not fitting for you. [Tanchuma Buber, Toledoth 6; Gen. Rabbah 64:3]

Unlike Abraham, Isaac, after being bound on an altar to be offered up to G-d is considered like a "perfect burnt offering" and it is not proper for him to leave Israel. Rashi says that Isaac was going to do what Abraham did, head to Egypt, but G-d said no, things are different.

My teacher, R. Moshe Lichtman, explained in the name of Reb Hershel Schachter, how these two famines and the different obligations (Abraham being supposed to leave v.s. Isaac who is commanded to stay) give us an insight into the nature of Torah and Jewish law.

Within Jewish law, there are certain underlying principles which never change. However, while the principles do not change, there application does change. Take for example, these famines. In the first famine, Abraham was supposed to leave, he was following the principles that applied in his situation. Isaac's situation was different and thus a different law applied.

Similarly, my teacher R. Yehoshua Hershberg, gave the example of the Traveler's Prayer, a prayer recited by travelers before undertaking a dangerous trip. Its central principles and legal concepts are found within the Talmud. Image the posek, a Rabbi who decides Jewish law, who is asked does one recite this prayer on airplanes or not. What must he do? What is his task?

He must first determine the correct understanding of the concepts given in the Talmud and its commentaries and based on these principles, he must create a definition of the type of trips which require the Traveler's Prayer. Next, he must fully understand the scenario, in this case, the airplane flight. Once he understands what it means to fly on an airplane, the posek must simply say, does this trip fall fit the conceptual description of trips which require the prayer. If it does fit, then the prayer must be recited. If it does not fit, the prayer must not be recited.

[[Comparing and contrasting, ideal math]]

Rav Soloveitchik in Halakhic Man, compares Jewish law to mathematics. Just as a math and science can describe and classify all phenomena with reality, Jewish law can do the same. Once the mathematicians create the conceptual categories, for a scientist, the question is only, for example, does this rock fit the definition for Rock Category X in which case it was formed by A, B, and C or does it fall into Category Y in which means E, F, and G. (Obviously this is a tremendous oversimplification of the relationship between math and science and the scientific endeavor). So too in Jewish law; G-d created certain conceptual definitions and our job is to apply the principles correctly and act on them. The difference is that while a scientist will tell one what something is, the Torah tells us what we are to do. In essence, the Torah contains ethical ideals which must be acted out in the right situations and at the right times.

The Judaism relevant to and practiced by our ancestors is just as relevant today. Outer forms may change. While on the outside, it may seem that the Judaism practiced ages ago is gone, this is far from the case. The situations have changed and thus new approaches are required but beneath the surface, it is all the same Judaism given by G-d.

[[Daas Torah that everything is halacha but perhaps this is not so simple. Rav Wolbe that the application is mussar. Psak v.s. lomdus.]]

A biography of Reb Hershel Schachter

http://www.yutorah.org/bio.cfm?teacherID=80153

Food for thought and discussion:

Based on this, how should one study Jewish law?

Have a good Shabbas
Mordechai

2006-11-17T02:07:00.000-08:00

Chayei Sarah

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:

This week, Abraham sends his most trusted servant back to his (Abraham's) homeland to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Why could Isaac's wife not come from somewhere nearby and why specifically did she need to be from Abraham's birthplace?

Active Thinking

Abraham's servant, when finding a wife for Isaac, had one primary criteria, that she constantly go the extra mile to help others. When Rebbeca offered to provide the servant with water and give water to all his camels (camels drink a lot of water), he knew she might be the right match. This is how the Torah records it:

"'Drink, Sir,' she replied. She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink. When he had finished drinking, she said, 'Let me draw water for your camels, so they can [also] drink their fill.'

She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and ran to the well again to draw water. She drew water for all his camels. The man was astonished at her, reflecting silently to determine whether or not God had made his journey successful" (24:18-21)

In the last verse (The man was astonished at her, reflecting silently to determine whether or not God had made his journey successful), one of the Hebrew words jumped out at me. When the Torah says that the servant was silent, it conjugates the verb in the causative form. Instead of saying he was quite, it says he caused himself to be silent. (While the verb is not reflexive, it is masculine so the servant must also be the one who is active.)

The Torah says that the servant caused himself to be quite to reflect on whether Rebbeca was the right match for Isaac. I think this teaches us that to really understand something, we need to think actively, to contemplate a matter and dissect it from all angles. Active contemplation is, I think, an important aspect of religious life.

Reb Noach Weinberg provided an illustration of the process (http://www.aish.com/spirituality/48ways/Way_45_Expand_Your_Ideas.asp ):

"As an example, let's take the concept, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18)

1) Basic Point: We should act with love toward others.

2) Implication: Love can be defined. What is the definition of love? To take pleasure in another's virtues. Every human being has virtues. To "love" means to excuse the faults, and focus on virtues.

3) Conclusion: If the Almighty said: "Love human beings," then humans must be intrinsically lovable. This is confirmed by the fact that almost everyone has at least two people who love him -- his parents. So if you're having trouble loving someone, ask yourself: "If I was his mother, what would I love about him?" This unlocks an amazing new dimension. Every human being is gorgeous. We simply need to see it.

4) Derivation: What is lovable about human beings? It must be something common to all human beings. Which is: Humans are created in the image of God.

5) Extension: Since we are commanded to love others, that means love is something which can be commanded. This goes against common perception that while it's nice to love others, love cannot be obligatory. But Judaism says otherwise. Which leads one to ponder: Who can teach me the secret how to love all people?

6) Parallel: If the Almighty instructs us to love others, it must mean that He loves us. How do we know that? Because when we love someone, we also want others to love that person. Since God loves us, He wants us to love each other, too.

7) Corollary: Part of loving someone is protecting them from harm. Therefore, "love your neighbor" also means fighting for human rights, working against injustice, stopping violence.

8) Consequence: If everyone practiced "Love your neighbor," the world would operate with a far greater degree of patience, tolerance, understanding, communication, appreciation, unity, etc. This one principle would transform human history! When we love each other, take pleasure in each other, and work together, we harness the full potential of the universe. Do you sense the power?

9) Appreciation: Look back at the time of the Greeks, the Babylonians, and the Egyptians who murdered, enslaved, impaled. History shows that it was Judaism -- with its innovative declaration to love humanity because we're all made in God's image -- that introduced and inspired civil rights and justice into the world. The Jews said: "We are all in the image of God, and you've got to love all humanity." This idea succeeded because the Torah specifies detailed laws how to translate that love into action. Gradually, the Jewish message became accepted by all mankind. Incredible!"

Through this active contemplation, we will understand ideas more fully and internalize them.

[[See Rav Elyakim Krumbein (http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive.htm#mussar ) quoting Rav Shlomo Wolbe as to why this is needed]]

Food for further thought and discussion:

What idea would I like to analyze and understand metter?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-11-10T02:16:00.000-08:00

Vayera

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:

When Lot’s daughters get Lot drunk after fleeing from Sodom, where do they get the wine?

(I heard this question from a counselor of mine, who is known as Penimius)

The House of Abraham

Within Jewish thought, Abraham represents chesed, loving kindness, Isaac self control, and Jacob truth. All three Patriarchs, together with their wives, our Matriarchs, founded the Jewish people. Yet, we find that the Jewish people are particularly identified with Abraham’s characteristic, kindness, over the strengths of the other Patriarchs. Just two examples:

1. G-d says: “I have given him [Abraham] special attention because he commands his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice…” (Genesis 18:19).
2. When Eliezer, Abraham’s head servant, looked for a wife for Isaac, his prime criteria was that the woman extend herself to help others. See Genesis 23:13-20

So, why is it that of all the fine qualities typified by our Patriarchs that we are particularly identified with chesed?

Furthermore, near the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, we get a glimpse of Abraham and Sarah’s utter devotion to helping others and just a cursory reading provokes a question. Abraham is in the middle of a prophetic experience when, upon spotting travelers, he runs out to greet and host them! In other words, Abraham broke off a conversation with G-d to help strangers! What about G-d, Creator of the world, King of the universe?!

As astonishing as it may sound, our Sages view this meritoriously comment that taking in guests is greater than receiving G-d’s Presence (Shabbas 127a). Similarly, the great Medieval talmudic authority, Rabbenu Asher, the Rosh, says that (although we must perform all commandments as perfectly as possible) mitzvos between fellow human beings are more important than mitzvos between humans and G-d (third comment on Peah 1:1). Why should this be the case?

I believe that both questions, namely why are we particularly identified with chesed over other exemplary qualities and why interpersonal mitzvos are more important than those relating strictly to G-d, relate to what it means to be a human and a Jew.

Our purpose as humans is to emulate and thus resemble G-d. This is idea is even expressed in the Hebrew word for human Adam (aleph daled mem). According to the Rav Isaiah Horowitz, the Shlah, one source for the word adam (aleph daled mem), human, is the word adamme (aleph daled mem heh), ‘I will resemble’ (namely that we are to resemble G-d) (Alei Shor 2, page 27 citing the Shlah). Thus, the very name for a human tells us that our task is to emulate and resemble G-d.

Though we may not always perceive it, everything G-d does is an act of kindness (Brachos 60b) and in fact, our very existence is founded on G-d chesed as the Psalmist writes “the world is built on chesed” (Psalms 89:3). Thus, the primary way that we emulate G-d and thus come to resemble Him, on whatever level this is possible, is though chesed, selflessly giving.

[[It seems to me that ideally, we are actually not supposed to perceive that everything G-d does is for the best. See Mesillas Yesharim chapter 19, pages 131-132, and his two responses to suffering. I think the second response which the Ramchal says is more ideal, is very parallel to Rav Soloveitchik’s approach to suffering. See
http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/07/seeking-g-d-in-distress-this-is-in.html for an attempt to present some of the Rav ideas on this matter and see also somewhere in Worship of the Heart here he speaks about why we make blessings on bad tidings. However, the two approaches may not be the same as Rav Soloveitchik in Worship of the Heart (and perhaps it could be also implied in Kol Dodi Dofek) speaks of, if I understand him correctly, a perceived absence while the Ramchal says that the chasid, in the face of suffering and evil, will simply exert himself more, enabling him to come closer to reaching his potential. According to the Ramchal, one might be able to say that evil and tests are two ways of looking at the same phenomena. According to Rav Soloveitchik, I am unsure is this statement would be accurate. I am curious, according to Rav Soloveitchik, how does one emulate G-d while perceiving such an absence? See also http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/08/parshas-shoftim-this-is-in-merit-of-my.html, http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/05/parshas-beharbechokosai-this-is-in.html, and http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/03/purim-this-is-in-merit-of-my.html for a discussion on the Chazon Ish and everything being for the best.]]
[[Rav Dessler about giving and http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/10/sukkos-this-is-in-merit-of-my.html and Rav Soloveitchik and http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/08/tisha-bav-fast-of-ninth-of-av-this-is.html. I am sure they disagree. Rav Soloveitchik’s identification with others is a form of selfishness for Rav Dessler. See the Rav’s The Community, especially his discussion of the Kuzari.]]
[[See http://www.yutorah.org/showShiur.cfm?shiurID=703935 about emulating G-d and becoming a giver. See also http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/05/parshas-acharei-moskedoshim-this-is-in.html]]

Thus, while receiving prophecy is spiritual experience, when we give to others, we emulate G-d and come to resemble Him, directly fulfilling our task as humans in this world. Thus, since ultimately our goal is to be givers, I think we can say that actualizing this goal is more important than receiving prophecy.

Furthermore, since the national goal of the Jewish people is to direct humanity to G-d’s service, since through chesed humans come to resemble G-d and achieve their purpose in life, it makes sense that our national identify is linked with chesed.

[[One can go further with this idea according to the Ramchal and to, whatever extant we can understand, the purpose of creation. See Derech Hashem 1:2:1-3 and the first chapter in Mesillas Yesharim.]]
[[See Encylopedia of Biblical Personalities, pages 39-40, citing Bereishis Rabbah 58:9 and 59:1-2 and the Zohar 1:129a, which seem to support these ideas.]]

Biography of Rabbenu Asher, the Rosh
http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/rosh.htm

Food for further thought and discussion:

What should be our intentions and motivations when giving to others and how does this effect the way we view giving?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-11-03T01:39:00.000-08:00

Lech Lecha

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:

"Terach took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran's son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai (Abram's wife). With them, he left Ur Casdim, heading toward the land of Canaan. They came as far as Charan and settled there" (Genesis 11:31).

"God said to Abram, 'Go away from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1)

"You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram, took him out of Ur of the Chaldees and made his name Abraham" (Nechemiah 9:7)

In Genesis 12:1, G-d commands Abraham to leave his birth place, Ur of the Chaldess. How do we understand this in light of the fact that already, Genesis 11:31 says Terach and his family already left Ur? Furthermore, how do we understand Nechemiah 9:7 which says G-d took Abraham out of Ur?

Leading by Example

"When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he called out all his 318 fighting men who had been born in his house. He hurried after [the invaders], catching up with them in Dan. He divided [his forces] against them [and attacked] that night - he and his servants. He attacked, and pursued [the invaders] as far as Chovah, which is to the left of Damascus. [Abram] brought back all the property. He also brought back his kinsman Lot and all his goods, along with the women and the [other] people" (Genesis 14:14-16).

We see that Abraham, the priest of G-d, led his men into battle to rescue his nephew. The Ramban describes Abraham as "very great and mighty, as he had in his house three hundred sword-wielding men and many allies. And he himself was a lion-hearted soldier and he pursued and vanquished four very powerful kings" (Ramban on Genesis 26:29).

Yet, this could seem strange. The Ramban, describing the moral perils of war, says "The most decent of men by nature may become invested with cruelty and wrath as the camp goes out to engage the enemy" (Ramban on Deuteronomy 23:10) and I would think, at least from personal experience, this danger is magnified when dealing with somebody of Abraham's spiritual stature. At least for me, I find that small things that didn't bother me in previous years can negatively influence me. Thus for a spiritual giant like Abraham, going to war must have negatively effected him. Yet he went.

It seems to me that from one perspective, he had no choice; while also remaining above and also perhaps beyond the group, at the same time, a leader must be intimately involved with the group. The Talmud says that while other kings don't leave the royal court, King David would get his hands dirty helping his subjects in their day to day lives (Brachos 4a). [[See also Sanhedrin 49a]] This often involves taking care of all sorts of unpleasant business but this is part of true leadership.

To maintain spiritual strength, I think all a leader can do is pray, trust in G-d, and work hard. This too can spur a leader to further growth and all because the leader leads by example.

Food for further thought and discussion:

What is something that needs to be done where we can take the initiative and lead others by example?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-11-03T01:38:00.000-08:00

Noach

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:

"God said to Noah and his sons with him, 'I Myself am making a covenant with you and with your offspring after you. [It will also include] every living creature that is with you among the birds, the livestock, and all the beasts of the earth with you - all who left the ark, including every animal on earth. I will make My covenant with you, and all life will never be cut short by the waters of a flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.'

God said, 'This is the sign that I am providing for the covenant between Me, you, and every living creature that is with you, for everlasting generations: I have placed My rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, the rainbow will be seen among the clouds. I will then recall the covenant that exists between Me, you and every living soul in all flesh. The rainbow will be in the clouds, and I will see it to recall the eternal covenant between God and every living soul in all flesh that is on the earth.'" (Genesis 9:8-16)

What does it mean that G-d needs a reminder and specifically, why do we find this here?

Good Deeds and Being Human

"These are the generations of Noah:

Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation. Noah walked with God. Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham and Yefeth" (Genesis 6:9-10).

Why does the Torah say "These are the generations of Noah" and then proceed to speak about his righteousness and only afterwards mention his children?

One of Rashi's answers is:

"To teach you that the main generations [progeny] of the righteous are good deeds. — [Mid. Tan. Noah 2]"

This requires investigation.

I. What does it mean that good deeds are progeny?

II. What does it mean that good deeds are our main progeny?

The Maharal, in his commentary on Rashi, the Gur Aryeh, tackles these questions. The Maharal can be hard to understand though I think what follows is an accurate rendition of his ideas. I am especially grateful to a councilor at my Yeshiva (whose nickname is 'messiah' although he will be the first to point out he is a Levy) for helping me.

To answer the first question as to what does it exactly mean that good deeds are progeny, the Maharal points us to Isaiah 3:10: "Tell the righteous man that it is good, for the fruit of their deeds they shall eat." Just as fruit are progeny of a tree, so are good deeds progeny of human beings.

This fits well with the picture painted of the righteous by Tanach:

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; the Lord shall be his trust. For he shall be like a tree planted by the water, and by a rivulet spreads its roots, and will not see when heat comes, and its leaves shall be green, and in the year of drought will not be anxious, neither shall it cease from bearing fruit " (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

"The praises of a man are that he did not follow the counsel of the wicked, neither did he stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the company of scorners. But his desire is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be as a tree planted beside rivulets of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wilt; and whatever he does prosper" (Psalms 1:1-3)

[[Nechama Leibowitz has an essay in Torah Insights (I think that is the title) about righteous, trees, and actions and brings more verses. As pointed out by R. Yehoshua Hartman's notes, see also Sota 46a where mitzvos are fruit. See however Avos 3:22.]]

To sum up: just as fruit are progeny of a tree, so are good deeds progeny of human beings.

Now what does it mean that good deeds are our main progeny?

The Maharal says that giving birth to children requires a three-way partnership, a man, a woman, and G-d and that G-d is the main partner. [[R. Hartman points to Niddah 31a]] However, when we ourselves do a good deed, that action was entirely done by us. As our Sages teach "All is in the hands of Heaven except for fear of Heaven" (Brachos 33b) meaning only we determine how we act because we are given free will. Thus, we perform good deeds by ourselves.

[[R. Hartman pointed to Brachos. Of course, from one perspective, even our good deeds are from G-d and the Gemara says we can't overcome our evil inclination without G-d's help. However, these must be some difference between these situations.]]

Why should it be that because we do something alone, without assistance, that this action becomes of prime importance?

I think the answer is that when we act without help, it requires more effort and "according to the effort is the reward" (Avos 5:26).

As the Maharal explains, the Hebrew word for a human is adam which comes from the word adamah meaning ground. For the Maharal, this symbolizes our potential; we are an empty piece of land but through effort, from this fallow field a tree can grow, a tall and beautiful tree yielding wonderful fruit. (Teferes Yisroel chapter 3 cited by R. Hartman) The more effort, the more growth.

Our lives are what we make of them. Lets work hard and become the best we can be.

[[See also Maharal on Avos 3:22 and Juggler and the King, pages 154, and 175-176. Another explanation, maybe even better, might relate not to the effort but the fact that all of the deed came from the one doer.]]

Food for further thought and discussion:

If adamah – earth – also symbolizes physicality and this tree planted on the field represents lives lived in righteousness (possibly even thus representing spirituality), what is the relationship between physicality and good deeds?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-10-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Bereishis

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:

Why was the snake punished for "tricking" Eve into eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil if it, being an animal, lacked free will?

Work Ethic

It is obvious that hard work is necessary in developing one's religious personality. As Rav Wolbe put it, "there is no automatic in Judaism" (introduction to one of the versions of Alei Shor), serving G-d takes work. While we can be guided along a path so our energies are not wasted, nothing can remove the need to exert effort. No pain, no gain.

But while this is true regarding "religious" matters, what of "mundane" or "secular" issues? Should we work hard and strive for excellence when performing "secular" tasks or should is this striving for greatness reserved for religious tasks?

I think in this week's Torah portion, the former, always working hard, is advocated.

"God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work and to serve" (Genesis 2:15).

If the Garden of Eden was perfect, what need was there for Adam to work and serve? It must be that there is some inherit value in work. In fact, it is only after the command to work is (what we would understand to be) a religious command is given:

"God gave the man a commandment, saying, 'You may definitely eat from every tree of the garden. But from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, do not eat, for on the day you eat from it, you will definitely die'" (Genesis 2:16-17).

We could say from here that since the "religious" command immediately follows the "secular" command, a good work ethic is fundamental to religious growth and must precede it.

Our Sages say "Derech Eretz precedes the Torah" (Vayikra Rabba 9:3). What is derech eretz? Elsewhere the Talmud says "Four matters require strengthening, and they are: Torah, good deeds, prayer and derech eretz" (Brachos 32b). Rashi there explains what it means that derech eretz requires strengething:

"If he is a craftsman, he should be strong in his craft; if he is a trader, he should be strong in his trade; if he is a warrior, he should be strong in his martial skills"

We see that working hard is fundamental to religious growth and that in all of our activities, we should be striving for excellence.

When Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky was Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, a group of high school students started learning Mishnah Breuerah (a Jewish legal book) during their secular classes (which were required by the yeshiva). Despite the fact that Reb Yaakov forbade it, some continued. Years later, Reb Yaakov noted that none of the students who disobeyed him were recognized as Torah scholars. The reason he gave was that laziness in one area (here in secular studies) will eventually permeate all areas of life. (Artscroll Biography, pages 325-326).

Lets all work hard in whatever we do.

[[http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/01develop.htm]]

Biography for Reb Yaakov Kamenestky

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaakov_Kamenetsky

Food for further thought and discussion:

How do we understand these statements in light of what we have just said:

Rabbi Meir said "Minimize business and involve yourself with Torah" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:12)

Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah said "Whoever takes upon himself the yoke of Torah, from him will be taken away the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly care; but whoever throws off the yoke of Torah, upon him will be laid the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly care" (Ethics of the Fathers 3:6)

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-10-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Vezos HaBracha and Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah

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:

Jacob and Moses both blessed the tribes before their death. (Jacob actually blessed his sons who fathered the tribes.)

Jacob said: "Young lion, Judah, you have risen from prey, my son. He crouches, lies like a lion, like an awesome lion, who will dare rouse him ?" (Genesis 49:9)

Moses said: "To Dan he said: Dan is a young lion, springing from the Bashan" (Deuteronomy 33:22)

Why are both Judah and Dan referred to as young lions, and why the former by Jacob and the latter by Moses ?

Clinging to G-d in Support of Torah

"To Zebulun he said: Rejoice Zebulun in your excursions, and Issachar in your tents" (Deuteronomy 33:18).

Why are both Zubulun and Issachar mentioned together? And what are these "excursions" and "tents" referred to ?

Rashi answers both questions. First, he explains, based on a medrish, why both are mentioned together:

Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar, in your tents Zebulun and Issachar entered into a partnership [with the following agreement]: Zebulun would dwell at the seashore and go out in ships, to trade and make profit. He would thereby provide food for Issachar, and they would sit and occupy themselves with the study of Torah. Consequently, Moses mentioned Zebulun before Issachar [even though the latter was the elder of the two], because Issachar's Torah came through [the provisions of] Zebulun. — [Gen. Rabbah 99:9]

Thus, the next two Rashis explain that Zubulun's "excursions" refer to business ventures and Issachar's "tents" refer to study halls.

Zubulun supported Issachar's study and was thus placed first which implies that supporting Torah study is in some ways more important than actually learning it. Why should this be the case ? Certainly, we could say Issachar could not learn without Zubulun but would the Torah be studied at all without Issachar? Why is Issachar second?

[[Issachar could not learn without his brother may or may not be implied from Rashi. However, R. Dr. Yehudah Levi (Torah Study, page 47) cites a medrish (MRT VaYechi 11) which says this explicitly. One can also ask according to Juggler and the King (p 69-70) that while in real life water supports trees, the tree is supporting the water. (What is MRT ?)]]

I think the answer is because Zebulun accomplishes two things:

1 – He allows Issachar to learn Torah

2 – He himself supports Torah

Our question was based on the assumption that supporting Torah only has value in so far as Torah is learned. However, supporting Torah is intrinsically valuable.

[[See also Chinuch and Torah Temimah about mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah. Also R. Dr. Levy part 1 section 6]]

For example, the Talmud (Kesubos 111b) says that we "cling to G-d" by supporting Torah scholars. However, why would supporting Torah scholars be classified as clinging to G-d ?

I think the answer is that, by learning and living Torah, one becomes Godlike (but not G-d!) and by supporting one who resembles G-d is like cleaving to G-d Himself.

[[Es Hashem… to include Torah scholars. Also, Maharsha on Kesubos 111b classifies the methods and based on what he says there, we could say that supporting Torah scholars is also a fulfillment of loving G-d with all our means – money. If I remember correctly, Maharal (Derech Chaim 1:5) explicitly says supporting Torah scholars is loving G-d]]

According to this, while there is great importance in supporting Torah learning, perhaps the ideal is to specifically support a Torah scholar. These scholars will, eventually, become leaders of the Jewish people, utilizing their scholarship and piety to serve others.

We finish and begin again the Torah this Simchas Torah. While we should certainly rededicate ourselves to learning, each of us on our own level, among the other important causes which need funding, we should allocate some money to supporting Torah scholars.

Food for thought and discussion:

We begin to pray for rain again on Shemini Atzeres (which really is the same holiday as Simchas Torah). Why pray for rain and restart the Torah reading on the same day ?

Have a Simchas Torah full of joy and a good Shabbas
Mordechai

2006-10-09T03:28:00.000-07:00

Sukkos

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.

Basics for building a sukkah: http://www.aish.com/sukkotsukkah/sukkotsukkahdefault/Building_a_Sukkah_-_Basics.asp

Laws for the Lulav and Etrog: http://www.aish.com/sukkotspecies/sukkotspeciesdefault/Laws_of_the_Four_Species.asp

Loving Trust

On Sukkos, we dwell in sukkot, booths, for seven days as it says "During [these] seven days you must live in thatched huts. Everyone included in Israel must live in such thatched huts" (Leviticus 23:42). Why? What messages should we be attempting to internalize while performing this mitzvah? Fortunate for us, the Torah reveals to us:

"This is so that future generations will know that I had the Israelites live in sukkot when I brought them out of Egypt. I am God your Lord" (ibid. 43).

What exactly does it mean that we dwelled in sukkot? What are sukkot? According to the simple meaning, it certainly means booths, that we lived in huts during the years in the desert. But we find in the Talmud a disagreement about the deeper meaning. Rabbi Akiva holds that we understand this verse literally, that sukkot mean booths while Rabbi Eliezer says that metaphorically, sukkot refer to the Clouds of Glory which followed us around and protected us in the desert (Sukkos 11b).

Thus, according to Rabbi Eliezer, we are celebrating G-d miraculously protecting us in the desert. And according to Rabbi Akiva, we are celebrating that we… stayed in huts? Why have a seven-day holiday because we stayed in huts?

Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein, in his Aruch HaShulchan, explains that according to Rabbi Akiva, we celebrate Sukkos in order to publicize and internalize our great trust in G-d, that we trusted in G-d, and our entire nation, laden with young and elders, followed Him into the desert, a harsh land inhospitable for life (see Jeremiah 2:2) (Aruch HaShulchan Orach Chaim 625:2-3 I am grateful to my Rosh Yeshiva, R. Scott Kahn, for teaching us this piece).

Thus, according to Rabbi Akiva, we are focusing on our trust in G-d and according to Rabbi Eliezer, we focus on G-d's love for us and His protection.

I believe both of these opinions are important for Sukkos. Sukkos is a time of intense love between us and G-d (Song of Songs 1:4, see especially last Rashi). How do we cultivate such love?

[[According to our current approach, Rashi seems to merge both opinions together.]]

Rav Dessler says that all humans fundamentally can either be a giver or a taker, selflessly looking for ways to help others or selfishly only seeking ways to better oneself (Strive for Truth I, 119-120) and we must strive to be givers. He than says that giving is what creates love, and love without giving will fade away (ibid. 127, 129). My experience has born this out, by giving I increase my care and concern for others and by not giving, I become apathetic. Finally, Rav Dessler says that gratitude, the desire to repay another, stems from the desire to give. A giver, not only wants to give, but does not want to take but rather only to give, and thus must respond to kindness with kindness. Takers on the other hand do not feel gratitude and their display of thanks is only in order to receive more (ibid. 147-148).

Back to Sukkos. Rabbi Eliezer says we must remember all the kindness that G-d showered upon us during the forty years in the desert. Rabbi Akiva says we must remember that we are givers, we fundamentally want to better others. Consequently, because of our love for G-d, we trusted Him to lead us through the desert. We did it because we wanted to give, to give ourselves over to Him.

Because we are givers, we cannot accept free gifts and thus must attempt to repay others to the best of our ability. We cannot truly pay G-d back for all He does but we can do the best we can do the best we can, by redoubling our efforts to serve Him with every bone and tissue in our bodies.

Practically speaking, I think that we must during this time focus on giving to others and being thankful for what we have.

Practically, I think we should every day think of somebody and how we can go out of our way and help them and then do it. Furthermore, I think we should every day think of something new which we are grateful for. I think we should write down both kindnesses we do for others and things we have to be grateful for in order to help us internalize the fact that we are givers who want to give.

Biography for Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yechiel_Michel_Epstein

Food for further thought and discussion:

What can we do to increase our opportunities for performing acts of kindness.

Have a good Shabbas and a wonderful Sukkos,
Mordechai

2006-10-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

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.

A Clarification for last week's devar Torah: The Blessing before Torah is recited only once each day, in the morning.

Question:

Describing the Yom Kippur procedure:

"He [Aaron] shall then take the two goats, and stand them before God at the Communion Tent entrance. Aaron shall place two lots on the two goats one lot [marked] 'for God,' and one [marked] 'for Azazel.' Aaron shall present the goat that has the lot for God so that it will [later] be prepared as a sin offering. The goat that has the lot for Azazel shall remain alive before God, so that [Aaron] will [later] be able to make atonement on it and send it to Azazel in the desert" (Leviticus 16:7-10).

According to the Ramban, Azazel means Satan. What does it mean that we send a goat to Satan?! (Remember, Satan is not an independent power.)

The True Truth

Much of this comes from my teachers Rabbi David Fohrman and Rabbi Ariel Greenberg. However, some thoughts are my own so if something seems odd or wrong, do not ascribe it to my teachers.

During Yom Kippur, we read the book of Jonah. I will assume that we all are familiar with at least the basics of the story, the command to preach in Nineveh, Jonah's flight, being swallowed by a big fish, etc.

The question we must ask is why do we read the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur? If it is because we are to be inspired by Nineveh's Teshuva, why not only read chapter 3, and moreover, there are other, perhaps more inspiring acts of repentance in Tanach. There must be a deeper reason why we read Jonah on Yom Kippur.

Textually too, one glaring question jumps out at us, G-d commanded Jonah to travel to Nineveh to tell them to repent, why does Jonah run away? This seems ludicrous! Does Jonah, a prophet, really think he can run away from G-d? The answer must be no but then, why would he do it?

Jonah himself actually reveals this to us. After the inhabitants on Nineveh perform Teshuva:

"God saw their deeds, that they had repented of their evil way, and the Lord relented concerning the evil that He had spoken to do to them, and He did not do it. Now it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was grieved. And he prayed to the Lord and said, "Please, O Lord, was this not my contention while I was still on my land? For this reason I had hastened to flee to Tarshish, for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, with much kindness, and relenting of evil. And now, O Lord, take now my soul from me, for my death is better than my life'" (Jonah 3:10-4:3).

Jonah was upset that G-d would not destroy Nineveh. He knew that if he preached in Nineveh, they would perform Teshuva, and G-d, being "a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, with much kindness, and relenting of evil" would not destroy them. Jonah ran because he did not want Nineveh to be spared. And apparently, he prefers dying than seeing Nineveh forgiven! Let us try to understand Jonah's position.

First, we must compare Jonah's description of G-d to one found in the Torah, the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy revealed to Moses after the Sin of the Golden Calf (see Exodus chapter 34).

Exodus:

Hashem, Hashem, a merciful and kind G-d, slow to anger, with much kindness, and truth. He remembers deeds of love for thousands [of generations], forgiving sin, rebellion and error.

Jonah:

gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, with much kindness, and relenting of evil

The difference is apparent. Jonah has in the words of a friend of mine, 'jacked with thirteen Attributes of Mercy' and has replaced the "Truth" with "Relenting of Evil." Jonah is accusing G-d of not being truth. That instead of being true and punishing evildoers, He relents from punishing. Essentially, Jonah is saying G-d is a pushover!

Unlike G-d, Jonah says he knows truth. His father's name is אֲמִתַּי (Amitai), from אמת meaning truth. Jonah is the son of truth, he knows that truth = judgment. You sin, you die.

To strengthen Jonah's argument, our Sages state that Nineveh did not perform complete teshuva (Yerushalmi Taanis 2:1) and we can infer this from the text.

[[See however the Mishnah Taanis 2:1]]

The King of Nineveh commanded that "…everyone shall repent of his evil way and of the dishonest gain which is in their hands" (Jonah 3:8).

G-d saw that "…they had repented of their evil way, and the Lord relented concerning the evil that He had spoken to do to them, and He did not do it" (Jonah 3:10).

It seems that they abandoned "their evil way" but not "dishonest gain." Their teshuva was incomplete. And yet, G-d accepted it. And it seems that it was this, the acceptance of incomplete teshuva, that Jonah objected to. Jonah certainly agrees with complete teshuva, which results in a person's complete transformation, 'killing' the sinner and leaving a truer self in its place. But partial teshuva, that is falsehood! And Jonah would rather die than see falsehood.

[[See Malbim, although he ties this into Jonah not wanting Israel to look bad.]]

In chapter 4, G-d proves to Jonah he is wrong.

G-d miraculously creates a gourd that protects Jonah from the sun. The next day, He kills the gourd and Jonah feels the sun's full force.

"And G-d said to Jonah; 'Are you very grieved about the gourd?'

And he said, 'I am very grieved even to death.'

And Hashem said: 'You took pity on the gourd, for which you did not toil nor did you make it grow, which one night came into being and the next night perished. Now should I not take pity on Nineveh, the great city, in which there are many more than one hundred twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and many beasts as well'" (Jonah 4:9-11).

G-d tells Jonah, you have no right to be upset about the gourd, according to truth, it shouldn't exist; plants don't appear overnight! Nineveh, they are a great city, according to truth, they too should die, but look, they don't know what they are doing.

Jonah, could respond that he wants the gourd back, for the simple reason that it protected him from the scorching sun. Jonah would say, even though the gourd's existence ignored the rules of nature, because it had a useful purpose, we could say that truth could make room for its existence.

G-d would then tell Jonah that he has a valid claim. If the gourd deserves to exist simply because it serves a purpose, so too Nineveh, that they are G-d's children too, and as such, have a mission in this world and can do so much good! And unlike the gourd, which according to nature, should not exist at all, the people of Nineveh have already taken the steps in the right direction. Thus, truthfully, Nineveh should remain!

G-d loves us, more than we can ever imagine. We read Jonah on Yom Kippur because, we see that, at least at the start, all we must do is start heading in the right direction, the right direction towards our true selves, our mission, and our destiny.

Food for further thought and discussion:

How do we make sure we continue to travel in the right direction?

May are being written and sealed in the book of life be completed,
Mordechai

2006-09-29T02:14:00.000-07:00

Parshas Haazinu

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:

This week's parshah summarizes Jewish History, from the birth of our nation, to sin and exile, and ends with our ultimate redemption. Well, actually, it ends with G-d taking 'revenge' on our enemies (see 32:36-43, especially 43) and makes no mention of our repentance and redemption. Why not end describing them like elsewhere in the book of Deuteronomy (4:29-31, 30:1-10)?

(I saw this question asked in Rav Nebenzahl's sermons for the Ten Days of Repentance.)

Blessings on the Torah

"When I call out Hashem's name, ascribe greatness to our G-d" (Deuteronomy 32:3).

The Talmud understands this verse to be the source for making blessing before learning Torah (Brachos 21a). The way I understand it, whenever we call our Hashem's name, we must 'ascribe to Him greatness', i.e. make a blessing, and the Torah is all names of G-d (Ramban's introduction to the Torah). I am not sure what it actually means that everything in the Torah is a name of G-d and it is not the focus of this devar Torah.

[[It appears to me that the Torah being G-d's names is the central piece of the Ramban's introduction to the Torah.]]

It can be implied from the Talmud that this blessing is Biblical and thus we should examine it. (For practical halacha regarding whether the Blessing over Torah is Biblical or Rabbinic, and the ramifications, speak to your local Rav.)

What exactly is the blessing we make on Torah?

Well, actually, in the Talmud, there are two, and we say them both (Brachos 11b, Tosafos 46a DH Kol…).

[[According to Tosafos 46a DH Kol, the first two are combined. I think a proof for this is that it says Rebbi Yochanan, unlike Rav Hamnuna who simply presents his own text, would conclude Shmuel's bracha with his piece, which implies that the first two really are one.]]

The translation given in the Artscroll siddur (page 17) is as follows:

Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of Torah. Please, Hashem, our God. Sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouth and in the mouth of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel – all of us – know Your Name and study Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel.

Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who selected us from all the peoples and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Hashem, Giver of the Torah.

When reciting, instead of pronouncing Hashem as Hashem, one should either say G-d or Adonai. Following recitation, one learns a little Torah.

It seems we can detect three themes contained within the blessings:

The command to learning.
A request to make our learning sweet.
Praising G-d for selecting us and giving us His Torah.

[[See also the Penei Yehoshua on Brachos 11b]]

Why these three themes? For the first two, I base myself on Rav Aharon Lichtenstein.

Theme 1: Jewish Males are commanded to learn for learning's sake and woman too, must learn, at the minimum, the laws that they must keep. This learning is a necessity. ( http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/ralbirk1.htm)

Theme 2: While learning is a necessity, ideally we strive to love our learning. To thirst for Torah. It must not remain some dry intellectual endeavor but rather must engage our hearts as well as our minds. Ideally, our souls should be ablaze for the love of Torah. ( http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/ralbirk1.htm)

Theme 3: I think we can explain the third theme based on a quote from Rav Aryeh Kaplan who, citing the Zohar, says "the Torah is like the oil in a lamp, with Israel as its wick, causing the light of God to shine forth upon all creation" (The Aryeh Kaplan Reader, page 166, citing Tikunei Zohar 21 (60a)). Our national mission is to perfect humanity in G-d's service, based on the Torah's teachings. One reason why we were given the Torah was to spread it among the world and we must give thanks that we have the opportunity perform this task.

Food for further thought and discussion:

Since we are supposed to love learning Torah, should we strive to make learning fun and/or easier or would this contradict the first theme, that we simply must learn Torah? How do we balance these two values?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-09-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

Rosh HaShanah

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.

In the Kingdom of G-d

"The Holy One, Blessed is He, said… on Rosh Hashana recite before Me [versus from scripture that speak of G-d's] Kingship… so that you should make Me your Kind" (Talmud Rosh HaShanah 16a, 34b).

So to speak "crowning" G-d as our King, accepting His Kingship over us, is a major aspect of Rosh HaShanah. On this day, we make G-d, who truly loves us and cares for us, our King and we do it without worrying about the past or the future. We don't worry about previous sins and we don't concern ourselves with whether we return to those sins in the future. All that matters is now (Rav Wolbe, 44).

This acceptance of G-d's sovereignty ideally must he complete. When a king commands, subjects obey. When our ancestors stood at Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah, they uttered the famous words "we will do [whatever G-d commands unconditionally] and [now] we will hear [G-d's commandments]" (Exodus 24:7) which classically are viewed as the quintessential acceptance of G-d's kingship. However, for all of this, even if intellectually we subscribe to this ideal, we fail to implement it within our lives.

Understanding this situation well, Rav Yisroel Salanter said something which seems counter-intuitive:

"The person who is sincerely working on himself should see to it that he at least observes the easier part of a mitzvah – each person according to his situation…" (R. Miller, 55, quoting Ohr Yisroel letter 6).

Should one not focus on the harder elements of commandments? Why the easier ones ? One reason is that since it is harder to perform a hard mitzvah, the punishment for failure is significantly smaller if it exists at all. (Lack of punishment however does not mean lack of obligation.) The fact of the matter is that change takes time and it requires tremendous strength to simply refrain completely from say speaking ill of others with the snap of the fingers. Based on this, we all should certainly this Rosh HaShanah, think of as many easy things as possible that we can do and through them, accept G-d's Kingship.

Another reason I believe is that "one mitzvah leads to [another mitzvah]" (Pirkei Avos 4:2). While again, on Rosh HaShanah, we certainly should not think of the future, performance leads to understanding and more performance. When one for example decides to keep Shabbas for say two hours in the afternoon, an entire world of peace and joy will open up. "The action is the key to understanding and growth" (Rav Wolbe 21).

Thus, we can rest assured that any and all actions will slowly reveal new worlds. This is at the same time that we do not, cannot let ourselves become bogged down in concerns of the future such has 'Who am I fooling ? How will these changes last?' and worries of the past such as guilt over past sins.

May this Rosh HaShanah herald forth a new year in which our King is accepted by all of His children.

Food for thought and discussion:

What simple things can I do to enhance my Rosh HaShanah?

Have a sweet new year and a good Shabbas
Mordechai

Sources:

Alei Shor 1, by Rav Shlomo Wolbe

30 Days to Teshuva, by Rabbi Zvi Miller

2006-09-15T01:26:00.000-07:00

Parshas Nitzvaim/Vayelech

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:

"God said to Moses, 'When you go and lie with your ancestors, this nation shall rise up and stray after the alien gods of the land into which they are coming. They will thus abandon Me and violate the covenant that I have made with them. I will then display anger against them and abandon them. I will hide My face from them and they will be [their enemies'] prey. 'Beset by many evils and troubles, they will say, 'It is because my God is no longer with me that these evils have befallen us.' On that day I will utterly hide My face because of all the evil that they have done in turning to alien gods." (Deuteronomy 31:16-18)

If we recognize that our abandoning G-d is causing the problems, why will G-d then intensify the 'hiding of His face' ?

Choosing to Be Ourselves

Currently, as we approach the High Holidays, we are in the month of Elul and this time is classically viewed as a time of intimacy with our loving Creator. I would like to analyze an aspect of this very special time and, with the insights gained, answer some questions within the weekly parshah.

As mentioned, Elul is viewed as a time when we are especially close to G-d. An allusion to this may be found in the famous phrase from Song of Songs:

"I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me" (Song of Songs 6:3)

Taking the first letter of each word spells Elul. Thus, if this verse is a hint to this month, examining it should yield insights regarding the nature of this time and what we should be focusing on and how we should prepare for the upcoming High Holidays.

My teacher, R. Dov Moshe Lipman, last year pointed out that the verse actually contains two more words: "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me, the shepherd among the Roses" (Song of Songs 6:3). G-d is being compared to a shepherd and we to roses. The first metaphor is clear, G-d loves us and takes care of us like a shepherd cares for his flock. But what of this comparison to roses ? What does it mean?

Elsewhere we also see ourselves being compared to roses. Thus, "I will be to Israel like the dew, and he [Israel] will blossom like a rose" (Hosea 14:6). The great Rav Hirsch beautifully comments, "The Lord is ready at all times to send Israel the dew of revival. Let Israel only open its heart, as the rose unfolds its petals, and turn it upward to accept the life-giving dew drops of God's word" (commentary of Psalm 80). Thus, one meaning of the comparison is that just as roses must open spread out their pedals to receive needed water, we must open ourselves up to receive G-d. Based on this, I think we can say that opening ourselves up, i.e. Teshuva, should be one of our goals during this month of Elul.

Let's think about this, about what Rav Hirsch is saying, for a moment. What is Teshuva? It means returning but returning to what or whom?

Rav Hirsch is not saying that our task is to become somebody else, rather, our goal is to unfold our pedals, essentially, to be ourselves. Just as the rose unfolds its pedals and reveals its true beautify, so must we return to ourselves, to who we really are deep inside.

Rav Soloveitchik gives expression to this idea:

"[Man is ignorant.] Let me qualify: when I say man is ignorant, I do not refer to his scientific achievements; in this area modern man is clever and ingenious. What man fails to comprehend is not the world around him, but the world within him, particularly his destiny, and the needs of which he is supposed to have a clear awareness… Quite often man loses himself by identifying himself with the wrong image. Because of this misidentification, man adopts the wrong table of needs which he feels he must gratify. Man responds quickly to the pressure of certain needs, not knowing whose needs he is out to gratify. At this juncture, sin is born. What is the cause of sin, if not the diabolical habit of man to be mistaken about his own self? ... While, in sin, man mis-identifies and alienates himself from himself, in the case of Teshuva he reverses the process of mis-identification: he discovers himself, and 'returns' to his true self" (Redemption, Prayer, and Talmud Torah, pages 7-9).

[[My friend Yona Meir, showed me a piece from Rav Kook's Orot HaTeshuva where he makes the same point. See also Ein Ayah on Shabbas regarding Chanukah. See On Repentance page 182-186, Redemption, Prayer, and Talmud Torah pages 7-9, and http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/07/parshas-chukasbalak-this-is-in-merit.html for more sources from Rav Soloveitchik. Many, many more sources point to the need to develop one's uniqueness. Thus, Alei Shor 1 page 20, Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky's biography page 51, my Rav, Rabbi Pasternak's two interpretations of Sen Chelkenu BiSorasecha, please put our portion into Your Torah and please let us find our own unique portion in Your Torah, Bemidbar Rabbah 13:14 regarding the Princes and how halacha transforms us from a flashlight to a laser beam - I am sure I wrote about this but can't remember when. My Rosh Yeshiva, R. Wolicki, mentioned (sicha 9/14/06) Rav Levy Yitzchak of Berditchiv of Lech Lecha and order of places Abraham is to leave. If I remember correctly, Rav Hirsch there says the same thing.]]

Having established that our task during this month is Teshuva, meaning returning to ourselves, I would like to use this to explain three issues in this week's parshah.

"Today you are all standing before God your Lord - your leaders, your tribal chiefs, your elders, your law enforcers, every Israelite man, your children, your women, and the proselytes in your camp, from the woodcutters to the water drawers" (Deuteronomy 29:9-10).

The intention of this verse apparently is to show that all Jews were gathered together. But then, how do we understand "from the woodcutters to the water drawers" ? This is like saying 'I like all fruits, from green apples to red apples'! They must be referring to two different groups but what is the difference?

My Rosh Yeshiva, R. Pesach Wolicki, said (sicha 9/14/06) metaphorically, we could say that woodcutters and water drawers refer to two different ways of "standing before G-d." Sometimes we need to have obstructions and barriers, which obscure our true selves, cut away (woodcutters) and sometimes we need to have the depths of our personalities drawn out (water drawers).

"This commandment that I am prescribing to you today is not too mysterious or remote from you. It is not in heaven, so [that you should] say, 'Who shall go up to heaven and bring it to us so that we can hear it and keep it ?' It is not over the sea so [that you should] say, 'Who will cross the sea and get if for us, so that we will be able to hear it and keep it?' It is something that is very close to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can perform it" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).

What exactly is this commandment? Ramban says it refers to teshuva. This can explain why we are told it is within our hearts. Teshuva is returning to ourselves, a more glorious personality is embedded deep within each of us, we just need to let it shine forth.

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses! Before you I have placed life and death, the blessing and the curse. You must choose life, so that you and your descendants will live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Free choice is in our hands. We can choose life and live or choose death and die. The consequences for choosing wrongly are quite grave! But wait a second, exactly what do "life" and "death" mean ? It cannot mean that if we do not keep the Torah, we will literally die; plenty of non-observant Jews live long lives.

I understand this verse to be a command for us to choose to live our own life, not another's! If we do not return to ourselves and live our own lives, we will in effect, be choosing death because living another's life is not life.

[[Although not the simple explanation, I take the text out of the contextual meaning because the command is in singular]]

Food for further thought and discussion:

Rav Soloveitchik (Redemption, Prayer, and Talmud Torah) says two ways we can discover our true selves are Torah study and prayer. How will prayer help us discover our true selves ? And how can we practically implement this in preparation for the High Holidays?

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-09-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

Parshas Ki Savo

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:

"If you are not careful to keep all the words of this Torah, as written in this book, so as to fear this glorious, awesome name of God your Lord… God will bring back on you all the sufferings of Egypt that you dread, and they will cling to you" (28:58,60)

What are these sufferings of Egypt and why will they serve as our punishment?

Being a Part of Jewish History

When you come to the land that God your Lord is giving you as a heritage, occupying and settling it, you shall take the first of every fruit of the ground produced by the land that God your Lord is giving you. You must place it in a basket, and go to the site that God will choose as the place associated with His name. There you shall go to the priest officiating at the time, and say to him, 'Today I am affirming to God your Lord that I have come to the land that God swore to our fathers to give us.' The priest shall then take the basket from your hand and place it before the altar of God your Lord. You shall then make the following declaration before God your Lord:

'My ancestor [Jacob] was a wandering Aramaean. He went to Egypt with a small number of men and lived there as an immigrant, but it was there that he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried out to God, Lord of our ancestors, and God heard our voice, seeing our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. God then brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm with great visions and with signs and miracles. He brought us to this area, giving us this land flowing with milk and honey. I am now bringing the first fruit of the land that God has given me' (Deuteronomy 26:1-10)

The bringing of the First Fruits is classically seen as an act of gratitude. Regarding the declaration made, Nechama Leibowitz (Studies on Devarim, 260-261), points out an oddity:

'My ancestor [Jacob] was a wandering Aramaean. He went to down to Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number, but it was there that he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. The Egyptians were cruel to us, making us suffer and imposing harsh slavery on us. We cried out to God, Lord of our ancestors, and God heard our voice, seeing our suffering, our harsh labor, and our distress. God then brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm with great visions and with signs and miracles. He brought us to this place, giving us this land flowing with milk and honey. I am now bringing the first fruit of the land that God has given me'

The farmer, hundreds of years later, never was enslaved in Egypt, miraculously redeemed, or brought into the land. Why then does the farmer say 'us', 'we' and 'our' ?

Nechama Leibowitz answers that the farmer, like all Jews, must identify personally with Jewish history. As I understand it, this does not mean simply knowing Jewish history, in a dry academic sense. Rather, it means that we must see it as relevant, as a guiding force in our lives, and ultimately, we must strive to become a part of Jewish history.

What does our history tell us? Among other things, we see that:

There is a G-d
G-d intervenes in history
G-d chose the Jewish people for a mission, to guide the world back to Him
Our national existence is dependent on our service of and commitment to G-d and fulfillment of our mission

[[See News for Jews, Parshat Vayigash (page 31 in News for Jews booklets) for sources about our dependence on Torah. See Rav Hirsch in the Nineteen Letters for a Jewish view/philosophy of history.]]

Without accepting such beliefs, many facets of national existence of simply unexplainable, such as:

Our survival, without a homeland, scattering around the world in typically hostile nations
The age, widespread nature, and intensity of anti-Semitism (see http://www.aish.com/seminars/whythejews/index.htm)
Jewish movements in the past which have deviated from our historic practices, namely both the Written and Oral Torah, have faded away.
We have, after almost 2000 years, returned to our ancestral homeland, the Holy Land of Israel
Only the Jewish people have been able to successfully settle the Land of Israel

[[While quite probably we truly need prophecy to explain historical events, this is not a natural event and in Brachos (don't remember where), it says miracles are only done by G-d. Thus this return must be a kindness from G-d. It says in his Artscroll biography that Reb Yaakov Kaminetsky held this and my teacher, R. Moshe Lichtman, also told me this in the name of Rav Menachem Kasher. This of course need not mean that the state of Israel is the beginning of the flourishing of our redemption. As Rav Moshe Lichtenstein pointed out in the Jewish Action, such a claim means that our existence in the land is no longer dependent on mitzvos. This could be refuted saying that one way or another, we will do teshuva and thus never need to lose the land. This may be implied from Ezekiel but requires further thought. Rav Soloveitchik and Rav Yaakov Weinberg rejected messianic claims based on a Rambam regarding the Messiah. This entire discussion requires further thought]]

Indeed, we are hated for our differences but when we assimilate, we are still hated. Both Rav Yitzchak Arama and Rav Yitzchak Abrabanel, two prodigious scholars who left Spain in the expulsion, find this hinted to in our parshah:

"God will scatter you among the nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will gods of wood and stone, unknown to you and your fathers. Among those nations there will be no tranquility, and there will be no place for your foot to rest…" (Deuteronomy 28:64-65) (Nechama, 296-297)

And they see this echoed in the words of Ezekiel:

"But what enters your mind shall not come about, what you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the families of the lands, to serve wood and stone.' As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with poured out fury, will I reign over you" (Ezekiel 20:32).

[[Rav Soloveitchik and fate]]

It is historical truths such as these which must guide our lives.

Food for further thought and discussion:

While identifying with our history is an essential component of the Jewish experience, why is it specifically ordained regarding bringing the first fruit ?
What is the significance of the rampant rates of intermarriage and assimilation found in the United States?
Based on all of this, how do we understand the requirement on Passover to see oneself as actually having left Egypt?

[[Why is the passage for bringing first fruits chosen as for midrashic amplification during the Seder?]]

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

[[Dr. Dershowitz book about What Israel Means to Me and essays from Rabbi Erich Yoffie, Natalie Portman, secular humanist Rabbi, and Reb Noach Weinberg, and then Rav Soloveitchik on destiny and in Prayer, Redemption, and Talmud Torah]]

[[Rav Moshe Eisemann's hagaddah]]

2006-09-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Parshas Ki Tetzei

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.

If readers have any comments, especially critical ones, they would be most appreciated.

Question:

“Fathers shall not be put to death for the children and the children shall not be put to death for the fathers: every person shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16)

“…I keep in mind the sin of the fathers for [their] descendants, to the third and fourth [generation]” (Exodus 20:5)

How do we resolve this contradiction?

Keeping the Torah

“When you wage war against your enemies, God will give you victory over them, so that you will take captives. If you see a beautiful woman among the prisoners and desire her, you may take her as a wife. In such a case, when you bring her home, she must shave off her head and let her fingernails grow. She must take off her captive's garb and remain in your house a full month, mourning for her father and mother. Only then may you be intimate with her and possess her, making her your wife. If you do not desire her, however, you must send her away free. Since you have had your way with her, you may not sell her for cash or keep her as a servant.” (Deuteronomy 21:10-14).

In this passage, the Torah seems to say something insane, that Jewish soldiers are allowed to take females captive. With all of its emphasis on family purity and self control, how could we be allowed to do this?

And yet, it is not a blanket permission for soldiers to do whatever they want. The Torah requires that the soldier wait a period of time while the woman shaves her hair and lets her nails grow. If the soldier still desires the woman after the wait, and despite her bald head and long ugly nails, he can marry her.

G-d understood the power of a soldier’s passions in battle and created a mechanism to control the situation. It is only after certain requirements are met that the soldier can marry her. And if he chooses not to marry her, he must let her go.

This is exactly what Rashi says:

“and desire her, you may take her as a wife. The Torah [in permitting this marriage] is speaking only against the evil inclination. For if the Holy One, blessed is He, would not permit her to him, he would take her illicitly…”

[[The whole concept that mitzvos sometimes are concessions to our nature seems very strange. How does the Sefer HaChinuch (and Rav Soloveitchik) who say we simply can control our emotions deal with this? Also, will we keep these concessions in the messianic age? (And this one particularly, one can maybe imply from that it still is a sin because sin causes sin and he will hate her and father a rebellious son. I am unsure if this is correct. Rashi makes no mention of sin causing sin and though hating one’s wife I bet is a sin, is fathering a rebellious son a sin?)]]

Last year, spending Shabbas at Yeshivat Lev HaTorah, I heard R. Natanel Lebowitz cite the Chofetz Chaim who, based on this, said that since only here G-d makes concessions for our human nature and expects us only to go through this process rather than simply not take the woman at all, it means that everywhere else, G-d, knowing who we are, expects us to keep His Torah because we can do it!

Elsewhere, the Torah says:

This mandate that I am prescribing to you today is not too mysterious or remote from you. It is not in heaven, so [that you should] say, 'Who shall go up to heaven and bring it to us so that we can hear it and keep it?' It is not over the sea so [that you should] say, 'Who will cross the sea and get if for us, so that we will be able to hear it and keep it?' It is something that is very close to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, that you can keep it. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).

Although we can keep the Torah, G-d does not expect us to be perfect immediately. If He did, why would He allow for atonement? (http://www.messiahtruth.com/eternal.html) Returning to G-d is a long road which we are must walk.

[[Rav Dessler and Free Will]]

I heard that Franz Rosenzweig would, when asked if he performed some mitzvah and he did not keep that mitzvah, respond, no, I do not do that yet. He did not say, I don’t do that, rather he said, I don’t do that yet.

This is an important idea to remember as we approach the High Holidays.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-08-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

Parshas Shoftim

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:

"When you lay siege to a city and wage war against it a long time to capture it, do not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them, for from it you will eat, and you shall not cut it down; is the tree of the field a man that it should enter the siege before you? However, if you know that a tree does not produce food, then until you have subjugated [the city], you may destroy [the tree] or cut off [what you need] to build siege machinery against the city waging war with you" (Deuteronomy 20:19-20, translation according to Rashi).

Elsewhere in Scripture we see humans and trees discusses together. See for example Job 14:7-14 and Psalms chapter 1. So are we like trees or not like trees?

Judaism, Faith, and the Future

"Among you, there shall not be found anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire, who practices stick divination, who divines auspicious times, who divines by omens, who practices witchcraft, who uses incantations, who consults mediums and oracles, or who attempts to communicate with the dead. Anyone involved in these practices is repulsive to God, and it was because of repulsive practices such as these that God your Lord is driving out [these nations] before you. You must be totally whole-hearted with Hashem your G-d" (Deuteronomy 18:10-13).

The last verse of the passage, comprising the powerful requirement "to be whole-hearted (tamim) with Hashem your G-d" ( תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ) is the source for my blog's name ( http://tamimah.blogspot.com/).

What exactly does it mean to be "whole-hearted with Hashem"?

Rashi says:

Be wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d: Conduct yourself with Him with simplicity and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future; rather, accept whatever happens to you with [unadulterated] simplicity and then, you will be with Him and to His portion. — [Sifrei]

[[See also the Ramban who regards this as a positive commandment. However, while I think one can read him as agreeing with Rashi, it seems to me that Reb Moshe certainly understands Rashi in way that makes him distinct from and irreconcilable with the Ramban.]]

From this, the great Reb Moshe Feinstein comments "[W]e must overcome our natural curiosity to know what the future holds. Not only may we not query diviners, sorcerers, or astrologers, but we actually do not have any permission to know what will happen" (Reb Moshe, 246)

[[While one could say that Reb Moshe would distinguish between "astrologers" who learn the future through supernatural means and say meteorologists (weathermen) who use science, I am unsure he would make such a distinction, however, see first question. It would be very worthwhile to see the Hebrew. This is especially the case because the Artscroll flap says the Reb Moshe actually wrote Darash Moshe, it was not transcribed by students. From the way it is written, Reb Moshe says that there is a natural course of events. (See also Ramban as a Guide by R. Moshe Eisemann, p 79 where he discusses the Chazon Ish.) Even if he held that we can listen to scientists, he would not give it absolute certainty. One must also ask if Reb Moshe holds like the Chazon Ish or like the Chovos HaLevavos/Rabbenu Yona/Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher.]]

A corollary of this is that "A person may not hold back from attempting an urgent and important task, such as founding a yeshiva, just because common sense tells him that he cannot possibly raise enough money that such a task requires, and he may not despair from doing anything. If it is an urgent and important need, he must do it, even though he knows that in the natural course of events there is no future in it" (ibid. 246-247, emphasis added).

I remember reading somewhere that when asked to found the Gateshold Kollel (center for advanced Talmudic students for married men) in England, Rav Dessler agreed saying that it was too important not to try.

It would seem to me that Reb Moshe would say we must emulate Queen Esther, who, regarding the danger in speaking to the king Achashverosh, she said "Go, assemble all the Jews who are present in Shushan and fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, day and night; also I and my maidens will fast in a like manner; then I will go to the king contrary to the law, and if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16).

G-d frequently demands of us and we must do His bidding, despite the fact that we have no idea whether we will succeed or fail.

Food for Thought and Discussion:

Reb Moshe has stated that for important tasks, we must take action regardless of the chances of success. However, many prohibitions are based upon slim chances of success and possible future problems. For example, there is a rule that one cannot give over 20% of his or her income to charity because we fear that the giver may become poor and require charity. (I even read that Reb Moshe did not waive this prohibition for rich individuals because they too could become poor.) Where do we draw the line and say one must act and where do we say to other issues into consideration?
Are there any actions that you could do but don't because you are worried about failure?

[[Reb Moshe cites Chazal who say that one who asks about food the next day is of weak faith. Reb Moshe certainly understood and lived this Chazal literally. See Rav Aharon Lichteinstein soft of discuss this Chazal at http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/ral2-hes.htm. If we take this Chazal literally, (and I have strong urge not to but it could be my yetzer harah) it seems to be one could say that the disagreement over hesder is to what extant we acknowledge a bediavad situation. Rav Aharon says people don't have that faith and thus must serve. Others say, true, we don't have that faith but we should capitulate and make sure that we never have that faith.]]

[[See also http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/03/purim-this-is-in-merit-of-my.html and http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2006/05/parshas-beharbechokosai-this-is-in.html and http://tamimah.blogspot.com/2005/11/parshat-lech-lecha-question-this-week.html]]

Sources:

Artscroll Darash Moshe, Volume 2, by Reb Moshe Feinstein, translated by Rabbis Eliezer Eisenberg and Yisroel Weiss, prepared for publication by Rabbi Yosaif Asher Weiss

Have a good Shabbas
Mordechai

2006-08-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Parshas Re’eh

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:

“Take a [second] tithe of all the seed crops that come forth in the field each year. You must eat this before God your Lord in the place that He will choose as dedicated to His name. [There you shall eat] the [second] tithe of your grain, wine and oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle and smaller animals. You will then learn to remain in awe of God your Lord for all time” (Deuteronomy 14:22-23).

How does one learn to remain in awe of G-d by eating food “before G-d”?

The Implication of Brother and Sisterhood

In this week’s Torah portion, we are told “You are children of Hashem your G-d” (Deuteronomy 14:1).

What are the implications of being G-d’s children?

Certainly there is the fact that G-d loves us, truly loves us and wants only the best for us. Even when this is not apparent, it is true.

However, I heard Rabbi Paysach Krohn, in the Chofetz Chaim video shown on Tisha B’Av, draw another profound idea from this verse. If we are G-d’s children, then we are all also brothers and sisters; we must love each, cry for each other, and provide for each other. When things go well for our siblings, we must rejoice with them and when tragedy strikes, we must feel each others’ pain as if it is our own.

Rabbi Krohn said we pray in plural for the same reason. True concern for another means, in addition to other actions, prayer. We always request from G-d, not only for ourselves, but for others.

And there are tragic consequences when we fail to truly join with others. Rav Soloveitchik says that this was Job’s sin. Sure, he prayed, but only for his family (Job 1:5) and never for others. G-d only restored Job’s position “when he prayed for his friend” (Job 42:10). (Lonely Man of Faith, 58, Fate and Destiny, 13-17). This applies not only to prayer but to all acts of kindness.

Rabbi Krohn illustrated this with a story.

There once was a poor family. This family was so poor that the father requested that his two oldest sons leave and make a living for themselves so the rest of the family could get by. One brother was extremely successful and became the head of a large business. The other could struggled for survival. As time went on, the successful brother began to forget his background and when his eventually came to request employed, he had forgotten that he had even had a brother and sent his brother away. Later, both brothers received a letter that their father was deathly ill and both traveled to be with their father. After spending some time together, the successful brother realized that his father had not spoken a word to him and, with tears dripping down his cheeks from the pain that he was being ignored, cried to his father for him to speak to him. The father replied, if you do not have a brother, you are not my son.

We must be everybody’s sister and brother.

Have a good Shabbas
Mordechai

2006-08-11T10:45:00.001-07:00

Parshas Ekev

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.

Aish HaTorah produced a short movie about media fraud in the current conflict. http://www.aish.com/movies/PhotoFraud.asp
Unfortunately, they don't provide us with very much information to verify their claims, or even that media organizations showed these photos. One must be skeptical but if true, it would not be the first time reporting agencies have done these things.

Question:

Deuteronomy 9:7-10:11 is all out of order. Why?

Blessings, Idolatry, and Human Greatness

Jews make all sorts of blessings. We bless before eating, after eating, before fulfilling commandments, on seeing rainbows, smelling spices, and more. But what does it mean to bless G-d? Are we proclaiming G-d as blessed? If so, would not proclaiming G-d as blessed imply that His being blessed is dependant on us? Can G-d's being blessed be dependant on us? In short, what are we doing when we make blessings?

Our first point of reference must be the Torah:

"Safeguard the commandments of God your Lord, so that you will walk in His ways and remain in awe of Him. For God your Lord is bringing you to a good land - a land with flowing streams, and underground springs gushing out in valley and mountain. It is a land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates - a land of oil-olives and honey-[dates]. It is a land where you will not eat rationed bread, and you will not lack anything - a land whose stones are iron, and from whose mountains you will quarry copper. And you will eat and be satisfied, and you must bless God your Lord for the good land that He has given you. Be careful that you not forget God your Lord, not keeping His commandments, decrees and laws, which I am prescribing to you today" (Deuteronomy 8:6-11).

This passage (for whose division I based on Nechama, 90-91) from this week's Torah reading, Ekev, contains the commandment of Grace after Meals, birkas hamazon, the only blessing explicitly mandated by the Torah. In fact, the Sages, when instituting the blessings, modeled them after Grace after Meals. Thus, it would seem that one way to understand the nature of blessings is by studying this passage containing Grace after Meals.

The Torah, after telling the Jews to keep the commandments because G-d is brining them into the land of Israel, a truly wonderful land, mandates that we bless G-d for the land. The simple reading of this passage would indicate that Grace after Meals is an obligation mandated by simple gratitude, G-d is giving us this land and we must thank Him. However, the Torah warns us "Be careful that you not forget God your Lord, not keeping His commandments, decrees and laws, which I am prescribing to you today" (Deuteronomy 8:11). Clearly, the wonders of the Land of Israel pose some spiritual danger to us which G-d expects us to overcome, and given its placement, it seems that the blessing Grace after Means is essential in our victory over this hazard. So what is the danger and what role does a blessing play in overcoming it.

This challenge seems to be based on the supreme quality of the Land of Israel, its delicious fruits, rich mines, and fertile soil; all gifts to us from G-d. According to Nechama Leibowitz, the fear is that instead of viewing everything as acts of G-d's love, looking at the plentitude we see the unrestrained indulgences in pleasure of idolatry (Leibowitz, 92).

Such a philosophy, of seeing the world as only a means for fulfilling our selfish desires for infatuation, in essence worship of pleasures, is, according to our great teacher, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, the cause for idolatry (R. Hirsch, 78-80).

Opposing this is the Jewish view which says that G-d's kindness requires humans to, utilizing these new gifts, renew efforts to serve G-d (R. Soloveitchik ?). According to Rav Hirsch, a bracha, blessing, is an impetus to such action. He says "Barech means 'to bless,' i.e., to give or wish success to someone's undertaking or circumstances. Livarech Hashem accordingly means to bless God, i.e., to further or wish for the fulfillment of His Will, that is, to fulfill His Will or to utter one's resolve to act for its fulfillment" (R. Hirsch, 59).

Thus, by making the blessing of Grace after Meals, we will Endeavour to fulfill G-d's will contained in the Torah and will use all the gifts and pleasures of the land for that sole purpose. According to Rav Hirsch, this is our measurement in this world:

"[T]here is an inner criterion by which to judge a man's greatness, which differs from case: not the sum total of his achievements and the amount of resources with which he has been endowed, but whether he has used them to the best of his ability to do God's Will… Thus happiness and perfection consist of using all one's outer and inner possessions in fullest measure according to God's Will-which alone is what makes man great" (R. Hirsch, 57-58).

Sources:

The Nineteen Letters by R. Hirsch

Studies in Devarim by Nechama Leibowitz

Fate and Destiny by Rav Soloveitchik

[[R. Aaron Twerski's introduction to Artscroll Brachos, page 28. The essential difference seems to me is that Rav Hirsch focuses on human duty while those other sources focus on human dependency. I think the latter might be based on the Ramban at the end of Bo, this requires more thought. See also R. Elias who tries to partially reconcile them on 70-71. I am unsure if it works. Anyway, those other sources may fit into the overall context of Deuteronomy 8, both after and maybe even before, and other places in Tanach, but not that specific section as Nechama Leibowitz demonstrates that there is a clear difference between 8:7-10 and 8:12-18. Rav Soloveitchik may combine them both, see TLMoF note on page 78 (Three Leaf) but I am unsure.]]

Have a good Shabbas
Mordechai

2006-08-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Parshas Va'eschanan

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:

"When you have children and grandchildren, and have been established in the land for a long time, you might become decadent and make a statue of some image, committing an evil act in the eyes of God your Lord and making Him angry. I call heaven and earth as witnesses for you today that you will then quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will not remain there very long, since you will be utterly destroyed" (Deuteronomy 4:25-26).

How do we resolve this contradiction?

Judaism, Sacrifices, and Pleasure v.s. Pain?

Although perhaps one should not objectively favor different sections of the Torah, subjectively liking some things over others is understood. I have always loved this week's parshah. In my opinion, it is extremely beautiful and it contains famous passages such as the Shema and the Ten Commandments. If one does not normally read over the weekly Torah portion, if one has the time this, I highly suggest doing. Its Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11. One can go to http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=5&CHAPTER=3 for a very readable translation.

As mentioned, this week's Torah portion contains the famous commandment "You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

This passage raises many questions, what does it mean to love G-d, how can G-d command emotions, how does one come to love G-d, etc. These questions are not the focus of this devar Torah.

The Rambam describes love of G-d as follows:

"What is appropriate love? This is an extremely strong and profound love of God, so that one's soul is committed to the love of God and that one will be so preoccupied with it that one will appear to be lovesick, in which one's mind is perpetually occupied at all times with a particular woman. Apart from this, one's love of God has to be absolute and continuous, as we have been commanded: '...with all your heart and with all your soul.' Solomon said by way of example, 'For I am sick with love.' The entire Song Of Songs is exemplary of this concept [of the love of God]" (Hilchos Teshuvas 10:3).

According to the Rambam, loving G-d is an emotion, an emotion which controls our very being. And since true love (not infatuation) is extremely pleasurable, loving G-d must be even more pleasurable. Additionally, given that the Rambam said it must be "absolute and continuous", it logically follows that:

"The love of the Holy One, Blessed be He, will not be anchored in the human heart until man is completely enraptured by it and abandons everything else in the world other than it" (Hilchos Teshuva 10:6).

The Torah's command to love G-d requires us to abandon all else in the world. It is clear that loving G-d demands from us sacrifices, very real sacrifices. It requires pain.

But wait a sec! If loving G-d is pleasurable, how can it require pain? Are they not opposites?!

No they are not teaches Reb Noah Weinberg, founder of Aish HaTorah. Pleasure and pain go hand in hand, just ask parent! You see, if you ask a parent what his or her greatest pleasure is, you will undoubtedly hear his or her children. Ask the same parent what causes him or her the most pain and you will hear the same thing, the children! Its like the old saying, no pain no gain. Ok. So what's the opposite of pleasure? In truth, the opposite of pleasure is comfort for comfort's sake, sitting around doing nothing. Everything worthwhile requires pain. ( http://www.aish.com/literacy/judaism123/Five_Levels_of_Pleasure.asp)

But one can ask, since the Rambam says that loving G-d requires abandoning everything else, is there anything else in life that is worthwhile? Perhaps not but loving G-d according to the Rambam clearly requires one to enjoy life (Hilchos Deos 3:1).

There are many joys in life and G-d wants to experience them. And these true joys require pain.

I highly suggest others read http://www.aish.com/literacy/judaism123/Five_Levels_of_Pleasure.asp which Reb Noah Weinberg discusses different levels of pleasures and how to achieve them.

We Jews are to seek true pleasure. Yes, it requires pain but so what!

Shlomo Horowitz said that Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg said "It is hard to be a good Jew, but boy is it worth it!" ( http://burgncsy.org/index.php/weblog/comments/being_a_jew_is_a_great_deal_of_work_and_sacrifice/)

[[Halakhic Man, note 4, and pages 76-77]]

Have a good Shabbas
Mordechai

2006-08-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Tisha B’Av – The Fast of the Ninth of Av

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.

Israeli Chief Rabbis Urge us to Fast:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153292056542&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

“The chief rabbis of Israel called this week on secular Jews to join their religious brethren in fasting on Tisha Be'av as a way of showing solidarity and unity at a time of war.

"Those brothers and sisters who usually do not fast should make a special effort to do so this year to express the pain of those adversely affected by the war," wrote Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.
The fast begins at sundown on Wednesday night and ends on Thursday at about 8 p.m.

"The Israeli nation is connected one to the other by mutual responsibility, the rabbis wrote." On this day, a national day of mourning, it is especially important to show and express our pain and hurt over the dissension that caused the destruction of the Temple."”

From www.Artscroll.com:
PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WITH THIS FREE DOWNLOAD
As the situation in Israel grows more acute and our brothers and sisters are showered with missiles, a call has been issued calling for the daily recitation of Tehillim / Psalms by every Jew. We are urged to devote at least a few minutes a day to pray for our brethren and specifically to recite Psalms 20, 83, 121, 130 and 142.
In order to facilitate these meaningful prayers, we are providing a FREE DOWNLOAD of the recommended Psalms, excerpted from the Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Psalms.
We hope that the unity and prayers of the Jewish people in this troubled time will bring peace and security to our people wherever they may be.

Their downloads are found at http://www.artscroll.com/itehillim.html#tehillim.

Aish.com produced a short two minute film about the current Mid-East Conflict. Its perhaps a bit simplistic but it clear presentation of its logical arguments (something typically sorely lacking) in my opinion makes it very worthwhile watching. http://www.aish.com/movies/Lebanon.asp

Beyond the Letter of the Law and the Spiritual Jerusalem

Marking the date for the destruction of both Temples, the Ninth of Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, and it continues to be the date for other tragedies. See http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/bhyom/hebrew/av.htm for a partial list of terrible events which occurred on Tisha B’Av.

This is a time when we must truly morn and cry over what has befallen us and mend our ways. Specifically, in accordance with our Sages’ teaching that “Any generation which does not witness the rebuilding of the Temple is considered as if it destroyed it” (Medrish Psalms 137:10), we ourselves must depart from the sins which caused the Temple’s destruction, sins which we ourselves commit. So what caused the destruction? What must we correct?

There are actually many different reasons given by our Sages for the destruction. See http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5764/5764summ/LEGALEAS.PDF. I however would like to focus on one specific reason:

Rabbi Yohanan said: “Jerusalem was only destroyed because they acted in accordance with Torah law but did not go beyond the letter of the law” (Bava Metzia 30b). (Tosafos understands this to refer to the destruction of the Second Temple)

[[Without that Tosafos, I would have guessed it referred to Jerusalem’s destruction after the Bar Kochba revolt]]

I have chosen to focus on this reason because Rashi and Ramban understand the verse from this week’s parshah “Do what is upright and good in the eyes of G-d” (Deuteronomy 6:18) to refer to going beyond one’s legal obligations.

Why should it be that failing to go beyond the letter of the law caused the destruction of Jerusalem?

I believe it is connected to something inherent in the nature of the land of Israel. Rabbi Moshe Eisemann cites a medrish which says that Jerusalem will expand as far as Demesek (not necessarily Damascus, possibly a location to its north). When challenged on the basis of a verse, the Medrish responds and concludes “In the future, the land of Israel will become wider and wider as it moves ‘upwards’ and will appear like a fig tree that is narrow on the bottom and wider at its crown and [in this manner] the gates of Jerusalem will reach Demesek” (Harp Strings and Heart Strings, by R. Moshe Eisemann, page 21, citing Sifrei 1 to Deuteronomy).

What exactly does this medrish mean? Will Israel look like a tree? Will Jerusalem expand into Syria? Rabbi Eisemann explains that there are two Lands of Israel, two Jerusalems. One is physical, the other spiritual. While the physical Land and City are fixed in place, their spiritual counterparts are “limitless.”

So too with going beyond the letter of the law. Rav Soloveitchik, in his eulogy for the Talner Rebbetzin said “Kindness is not always identical with greatness. As long as kindness is rational, logically warranted and justified by normal considerations, it does not have to be equated with greatness. When does kindness turn into greatness? When kindness reaches the dimension of the absurd and becomes hesed which, according to Maimonides, connotes exaggeration, too much, unwarranted and unnecessary… The more absurd, the greater the deed” (Tradition 17:2, page 81)

Rav Soloveitchik provides an example:
“’Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said: ‘quick, three measures of choice flour! Kneed, and make cakes!’’ [Genesis 18:6] Why was Sarah supposed to do all that? Sarah was not an idler. She was involved, doing her own work. Why should Sarah interrupt her activity and bake cakes for three Bedouins whom Abraham had invited? Was it not paradoxical to expect Sarah to comply with such a request? And yet Sarah did not resent it at all. She interrupted her work and got busy baking cakes” (ibid).

Going beyond the letter of the law is limitless and ridiculous from a purely utilitarian perspective. And yet, that is what is expected of us. The Land of Israel is limitless and its spiritual potential simply boggles the mind. I think the reason why Jerusalem was destroyed for failing to go beyond the letter of the law is that the Land of Israel and going beyond the letter of the law ipso facto, by their very nature, must go hand in hand! When one is lacking, so is the other. It is our task to rebuild Jerusalem and the Holy Land and this can only be accomplished by exceeding our duties and simply doing the absurd.

For more great information about the Ninth of Av: Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice-president of the Orthodox Union, leads every year a powerful exploration of the meaning of many Kinos, poems of lament, which we recite on the Ninth of Av. Past years’ videos can be found online at http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/default.htm.

Have a meaningful and easy fast,
Mordechai

Some information about Talner (Chernobyl) Chassidim http://www.geocities.com/azgrabe/TolnerRebbes.html

Some autobiographical information about Rabbi Moshe Eisemann http://www.yeshivakishiniev.org/about.htm

2006-07-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

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.]]

2006-07-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-07-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Rejection of the Land of Israel, Rejection of the Land of the Torah

This week’s Parshah gets its name from the event with the spies, leaders of the tribes, who were sent to scout out the land of Israel and provide information the Jews’ invasion. Ten of the spies, instead of following orders by simply providing facts about the land and its inhabitants, evaluated the situation and concluded that the Jews could not conquer the land. Despite attempts by Joshua and Caleb, the two remaining spies, to reassure the nation that victory was possible, the nation believed the other spies and almost revolted against Moses and Aaron. As a result of this lack of trust, G-d condemned the nation to wander for forty years in the desert until the current generation had died off. Then and only then would the Jews invade the Land of Israel.

Joshua and Caleb’s argument for entering the land was quite simple:

“If God is satisfied with us, He will bring us to this Land and give it to us, a Land that flows with milk and honey” (Numbers 14:8).

This would seem to be an unbeatable argument. Essentially, since G-d is all powerful, if He wills to give us the land of Israel, nothing will stand in His way.

The other spies must agree to this. Or do they? Perhaps this is the basis for our Sages comment that when the spies said: “They [the inhabitants of the land of Israel] are stronger then us” (Numbers 13:31) that “[the spies] said this in reference to the most High, as it were” [meaning the natives were stronger than G-d] (Rashi on Numbers 13:31 citing Sota 35a).

[[See Sifsei Chachamim on Rashi]]

As strange as it may seem, the other spies denied that G-d was all powerful. Still, such heresy happened frequently in the desert.
[[See my devar Torah on parshas Veyera]]

The Psalmist summarizes this whole event saying “And they despised the desirable land, they had no faith in His word” (Psalms 106:24).

G-d promised us the land and the spies and the nation had no faith in this promise.

But where in the Torah do we see G-d promising us the land?

Contextually, it is at the beginning of the whole event with the spies:

“God spoke to Moses, saying, Send out men for yourself to explore the Canaanite territory that I am about to give the Israelites…” (Numbers 13:1-2).

But we find it much earlier, at the dawn of our national history, at the burning bush:

[[See also Genesis 12:1 and 12:7 and Kli Yakar.]]

“God said, 'I have indeed seen the suffering of My people in Egypt. I have heard how they cry out because of what their slave-drivers [do], and I am aware of their pain. I have come down to rescue them from Egypt's power. I will bring them out of that land, to a good, spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Yebusites” (Exodus 3:7-8).

[[Compare to Genesis 12:1]]

My teacher R. Moshe Lichtman, in his book Eretz Yirael in the Parashah (pages 123-124), cites R. Moshe Tzuriel who notes that in the above quoted passage from the Burning Bush, we only find rescuing the Jews from Egypt and bringing them into the Land of Israel, there is no mention of giving the Torah. Why should this be the case? Is the Torah secondary to the Land of Israel?

Clearly, the Torah is of primary importance, even over the land of Israel. I remember seeing I think it was the Maharal, I don’t remember where, who said that the Torah was given outside of the Land of Israel to teach us that it is not dependant on the Land of Israel. As Rav Saadia Gaon stated, “Our nation is a nation only because of the Torah” (Emunos ViDeos 3) and, I do not like getting involved in the disputes of the greatest of Torah scholars but it would appear to me that claim to the land is ultimately contingent on Torah observance (Deuteronomy 11:16-17 and Maharsha on Sanhedrin 91a). However, we still must answer why the above passage does not mention the Torah.

[[See also Rav Soloveitchik somewhere in On Repentence, and Rav Schach in his letters somewhere. See also Tosafos on Kesubos 110b which seems to imply it is better to not follow Torah outside the land then not follow Torah living in the land but I know that this whole issue is discussed in A Question of Redemption, this requires further thought]]

R. Tzuriel answers that the Torah was not mentioned because the Torah is meant to be kept in the Land of Israel. The Ramban states explicitly:

“The main [fulfillment] of all the commandments is for those who live in the Land of Hashem” (Ramban on Leviticus 18:25).

[[See also Ramban on Genesis 26:5 and how he utilizes 2 Kings 17:26 and Rashi on Deuteronomy 11:18, and Rav Yaakov Weinberg Talks about Chinuch, page 73]]

Now we can better understand the severity of what the Psalmist meant when he said “they had no faith in His word” (Psalms 106:24). The Spies rejected not some pretty farmland but something which is at the heart of the Jewish-National-Religious existence.

We all grew up supporting Israel by giving money, buying Israeli products, lobbying, etc. In no way do I wish to diminish the importance of such benevolent actions. However, more then giving of our time and money, G-d wants us to live in Israel.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah is available at http://www.devorapublishing.com/. (If you can ask me and I can probably get it for a small discount and signed)

2006-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Parshas Behaalosecha

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

Question:

“Moses said to his father-in-law, Chovev son of Reuel the Midianite, 'We are
now on our way to the place that God promised to give us. Come with us and
we will let you share the benefit of all the good things that God has
promised Israel.'
'I would rather not go,' replied [Chovev]. 'I wish to return to my land and
my birthplace.' 'Do not abandon us,' said [Moses]. 'After all, you are
familiar with the places where we are going to camp in the desert, and you
can be our guide.
If you go with us, we will share with you whatever good God grants us'”
(Numbers 10:29-34).

Why does the Torah not record Chovev’s response, whatever it was?

Have a plan

Everything seeming to be going perfectly. The Jews had received the Torah,
erected the Tabernacle, and were ready to conquer the land of Israel. This
is evident from the tone in the following conversation between Moses and his
father in law:

“Moses said to his father-in-law, Chovev son of Reuel the Midianite, 'We are
now on our way to the place that God promised to give us. Come with us and
we will let you share the benefit of all the good things that God has
promised Israel.'
'I would rather not go,' replied [Chovev]. 'I wish to return to my land and
my birthplace.' 'Do not abandon us,' said [Moses]. 'After all, you are
familiar with the places where we are going to camp in the desert, and you
can be our guide.
If you go with us, we will share with you whatever good God grants us'”
(Numbers 10:29-34).

However, very quickly, the journey encountered a serious of setbacks, caused
by groups of Jews sinning, delaying the traveling. These holdups culminated
with the sin of the spies in next week’s Torah portion, Parshas Shelach,
where G-d decreed that the Jews remain in the desert forty years.

What happened?

Our Sages spot an answer in a most innocent passage:

“[The Israelites] marched [the distance of] a three day journey from the
mountain of Hashem [Mount Sinai]. The Ark of Hashem’s covenant traveled
three days ahead of them in order to find them a place to settle” (Numbers
10:33).

“They turned away from Hashem” (Shabbas 116a).
“That day they turned away from Hashem” (Taanis 29a).

The Sifre, the halachic medrish on the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy,
states on this verse that the Jews left Mount Sinai like children running
away from the schoolhouse.

[See first Tosafos on Shababs 116a and Ramban on Numbers 11:35]

How do our Sages derive all of this from a seemingly innocent verse?

The Maharsha (on Shabbas) points out that never do we see Mount Sinai
referred to as Har Hashem. Sometimes Sinai is referred to as Har Elokim but
this uses a different name of G-d. Har Hashem elsewhere always refers to
Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount. The Maharsha says that Mount Moriah is
referred to as Har Hashem because it has eternal holiness while Sinai, which
only had holiness around the time of the giving of the Torah, is called Har
Elokim.

We can say that since the verse uses Har Hashem, implying eternal holiness,
to refer to Mount Sinai, that the Jews by leaving were rejecting eternal
holiness.

[See also Torah Temimah on this verse and Rashi on Taanis 29a ViAmar Rebbi
Chama…]

It appears to me that this fits in well with the Sifre’s statement that they
fled like children leaving school. It seems inconceivable that the nation
that gladly accepted the Torah now wanted nothing more to do with it.
Rather, they wanted a vacation. But they did not want just any vacation,
they wanted a complete vacation during which they would not learn any Torah
at all. Thus, they rejected eternal holiness.

[See Rashi on Numbers 11:5 which perhaps also relates to their motivations]

Such a vacation is completely unacceptable and thus was deemed turning away
from Hashem. Nothing is wrong with breaks and time off. However, even then,
we don’t cease to be Jews and thus we still must learn a little Torah.

In Ethics of our Fathers, it says “Shammai said: Make your Torah fixed”
(Avos 1:15).
What exactly does it mean for Torah to be fixed?

One of Rashi’s explanations is that we must set aside time to learn each
day.

The Rambam states:

“Every Jew* is obligated to learn Torah, whether he is rich or poor,
physically complete or disabled, or whether he is young or an old person of
failing strength. Even if he is a poor person supported by charity and
begging, and even if he had a wife and children, he still has to set aside
time during the day and by night for Torah study, for it is written, ‘...but
you shall engage in it by day and night’ (Joshua 1:8)” (Mishnah Torah, Laws
of Torah Study 1:8, translation from
http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker/MadaTT.html)

* In context, the Rambam really translates to ‘every Jewish male.’ I however
did not modify the online translation given that perhaps Women are exempt
from the commandment to learn (Mishnah Torah, Laws of Torah Study 1:1) but
they still must know and review Jewish law (Rema’s gloss on the Shulchan
Aruch Yoreh Deah 246:6). However, the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Yisroel Meir Kagan,
considered women learning an obligation in these times (Likutei Halachos on
Sota, page 21) and supported Sarah Schenirer’s Bais Yaakov school.
(Historically, Rav Yaakov Ettliner, Rav Hirsch’s teacher, reached the same
conclusion about two hundred years earlier.) The halachic issues behind
women learning are very complicated and much ink has been spilled trying to
understand the key Rambam in Laws of Torah Study 1:13. Practically speaking,
it would seem to me that one can absolutely rely on Rav Dr. Aharon
Lichtenstein’s ruling, see
http://www.lookstein.org/articles/torah_study_for_women.htm which was sort
of the position assumed in Beth Tfiloh. Regardless, I would think that the
daily obligation to learn does not apply to women. Those interested in this
issue should see
http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2005/08/women-learning-gemara.html and should
ask their Rav.

This requirement to learn every day is codified in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh
Deah 246:1).

[It also is upheld by the commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch and also
codified in the Aruch HaShulchan, Yoreh Deah 246:7]

As Jews, our hearts and minds and especially our souls, need Torah learning.
Without Torah learning, to paraphrase Rabbi Akiva, we are like fish out of
water.

It is essential that we all learn something every day both morning and
night. This becomes even more pertinent when away from school, Yeshiva, or
college with an active Hillel. To succeed, one needs a plan, one needs to
know what one wants to accomplish. And ideally, one should learn with a
friend. (See Avos 4:18)

When deciding what to learn, one has many options.

Our Sages tell us that one learns what one enjoys (Avoda Zara 19a). This
does not exclude what one finds boring, we don’t learn because we enjoy it
but because we are commanded. However, this certainly can be used to
prioritize. Find intellectual stimulation.

I would say that first and foremost, one should go through the parshah each
week. One can use an Artscroll Chumash and when one seems something
interesting, look at the commentary. http://bible.ort.org/intro1.asp?lang=1
is a great resource for learning the Five Books of Moses.

Knowing practical Jewish Law is also important. Important laws regarding
interpersonal conduct can be found at
http://www.torah.org/learning/halashon/ and
http://www.torah.org/advanced/business-halacha/5757/ Laws relating to G-d
can be found at http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha/

Regarding the best of Tanach, Chabad has the entire Tanach with Rashi
translated online.
http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=63255

Jewish Philosophy and ideas can be found on many sites. Aish HaTorah has put
up many essays written by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. They are fascinating,
scholarly, and easy to read.
http://www.aish.com/search/article_search_results.asp?article_author=Rabbi+Aryeh+Kaplan&title_text=&date_amount=&date_option=year

Torah.org has many other fascinating online resources. Check out
http://www.torah.org/learning/texts.php3

The Orthodox Union has many links. See http://www.ou.org/torah/index

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Parshas Nasso

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

Question:

"God spoke to Moses, telling him to speak to Aaron and his sons, saying:

This is how you must bless the Israelites. Say to them:

'May God bless you and keep watch over you.

'May God illuminate His countenance for you and grant you grace.

'May God lift His continence toward you and grant you peace'.

Let them place My Name upon the Israelites and I will bless them" (Numbers 6:22-27).

(The words of the blessing are quite vague. This question is not about them.) It is quite clear from "Let them place My Name upon the Israelites and I will bless them" (6:27) that it is G-d who actually blesses the people, not the priests. Furthermore, G-d does not need intermediaries. So why have this whole service?

I will be including in my divrei Torah, short notes which are primarily for myself. They will be contained in double brackets, [[abc]]. I highly suggest that you ignore them.

Abstinence

This week's Torah portion contains the section of the Nazir (Numbers 6:1-21), a person who undertakes the optional Nazirite vow for a certain amount of time, which include certain restrictions such as not drinking wine, not cutting hair, etc.

Obviously, the fact that this system is included in our Torah means that it has some function and importance. However, how are we to view the individuals who undertake this vow and abstain from certain things? Should they be viewed favorably, unfavorably, or both? The answer is very important because it will influence how we view the physical world. Do we embrace the physical world or try to escape it?

Looking at the verses themselves, we find what seems to be a contradiction. On the one hand, it seems to say quite clearly:

"As long as he is a nazirite, he is holy to God" (Numbers 6:8).

However, among the offerings the Nazir must bring after completing the time of his vow, it says he must bring:

"…one unblemished yearling female sheep for a sin offering…" (Numbers 6:14).

The nazir offering a sin offering implies that he somehow sinned. This would seem to mean we should view him negatively.

This two readings are manifest in a dispute in the Talmud:

"Rebbi Eliezer HaKappar Berebi says: What is the implication of the phrase 'and he [the priest] shall provide him [the Nazir] atonement for having sinned regarding the person' (Numbers 6:11)? By which person then did he sin? Rather [we must conclude] that it refers to his denying himself wine. This is an a-fortiori argument. Just as one who only withholds from himself wine is called a sinner, how much more so for one who denies for himself all sorts of things!

Rebbi Elazar stated: He is called holy as it says "he shall be holy, the growth of hair on his head shall grow" (Numbers 6:5). And just as he who denies himself only one thing is called holy, how much more so for one who denies himself everything!" (Taanis 11a).

Before proceeding, it is important to state that neither opinion is as radical as might appear:

1. Rebbi Eliezer who condemns the nazir does not advocate hedonism.

2. Similarly, Rebbi Elazar does not advocate starvation.

[[See Torah Temimah regarding the choice of verses. See Bach on Taanis regarding the pairing of Shmuel to Rebbi Elazar]]

This dispute seems to carry into the middle ages, this time between the Rambam and the Ramban.

The Rambam states:

"A person might say, 'since envy, desire, [pursuit of] honor, and the like, are an evil path and drive a person from the world, [see Pirkei Avos 4:21] I shall separate from them to a very great degree and move away from them to the opposite extreme.' For example, he will not eat meat, nor drink wine, nor live in a pleasant home, nor wear fine clothing, but rather, [wear] sackcloth and course wool and the like – just as the pagan priests do.

This, too, is an evil path and it is forbidden to walk upon it. Whoever follows this path is a called a sinner, that behold, it says regarding the Nazir 'and he [the priest] shall provide him [the Nazir] atonement for having sinned regarding the person' (Numbers 6:11). Our Sages declared, if the nazir who only abstains from wine requires atonement, how much more so does one who abstains from everything.

Therefore, our Sages commanded man to abstain only from those things that the Torah denies him and not to forbid himself permitted things by vows and oaths [of abstention]. Thus our Sages stated: Are not those things which the Torah has prohibited sufficient for you that you most forbid additional things to yourself? [Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim 9:1]

This general statement also refers to those who fact constantly. They are not following a good path, [for] our sages have forbidden a man to mortify himself by fasting. Of all the above, and their like, Solomon directed and said 'Do not be overly righteous and do not be overly clever, why make yourself desolate?' [Ecclesiastes 7:16]" (Hilchos Deos 3:1).

A commentary (by Rabbis Za'ev Abramson and Eliyahu Touger) however notes that the Rambam elsewhere says "Whoever takes a vow in order to stabilize his temperaments and correct his deeds, is zealous and praiseworthy" (Hilchos Nedarim 13:23). We see that the Rambam does not condemn vows of abstention when their purpose is to help one conquer his or her evil inclination and return to the middle path (Hilchos Deos 1:4). This is contrasted with abstention for its own sake, which here the Rambam forbids.

[[Commentary states it is interesting to note Rebbi Eliezer HaKappar, the source for the evil of envy, desire, and honor (Avos 4:21), also condemns the Nazir. Compare and contrast the Rambam's mention of pagans with that of the Ramchal's in his discussion of abstinence. See also Rambam's opinion regarding the Nazir in Morah Nevuchim pages 327 and 372 in the Friedlander translation, which require further thought. Finally, see Nazir 4b.]]

This all leads us directly to the Rama's explanation of the Rambam:

"…As Maimonides stated, spiritual healing corresponds to physical. Man must divert his evil inclinations from the extreme to the middle way. This is the basic idea of the Nazirite, when he abstains, because he observes that he has a weakness for worldly pleasures. He must go to the other extreme, in order to attain the middle way. Therefore, the Torah states, 'he shall be holy' (Numbers 6,5), since the holiness of the Nazirite will only really be in evidence, later on, after he has completed the days of his Naziriteship. Only then will he have attained the middle way, not at the time of taking the vow, when he had sinned and was imperfect. This is the meaning of the statement, 'and make atonement for that he sinned…'. This is because the abstention of the Nazirite is evil in itself, since all extremes are bad. The Nazirite was only commanded to abstain in order to achieve a good purpose, the attainment of the middle way" (Studies in Bamidbar, by Nechama Leibowitz, page 58. It does not give the source for the Rema's statement).

In other words, the Nazir is holy because he is working on himself. However, he is sinning because abstention in truth is extreme and bad.

[[If this interpretation is correct, it means that he is allowed to sin – abstain – for the purpose of improving himself. Very strange. One possible, but unlikely reading is that he is saying that the fact he needed to take the vow is a sin or indicates he is a sinner. This is unlikely given what Nechama writes on page 59.]]

In contrast to the Rambam is the Ramban. He holds that the abstention is positive and interprets the Nazir's sin as follows:

"This man sins against himself when he forsakes his vows of abstinence, when the days of his separation are fulfilled. He had separated himself to be holy unto the Lord and by rights he should always continue to live a life of holiness and separation to God, in accordance with the verse: 'And I raised up your sons for prophets and of your young men for Nazirites' (Amos 2:11). There the Nazirite is equated to the prophet. Similarly the Torah states 'All the days of his separation he shall be holy unto the Lord'. Now that he returns to defile himself with worldly passions, he requires atonement" (Ramban on Numbers 6:6, quoted by Nechama on page 56).

[[See however the piece from Toras HaAdam that Rav Hershberg showed to me where the Ramban criticizes the Rambam for his asceticism]]

In other words, the fact that the holy Nazir is choosing to no longer be holy is a sin.

Both the Rambam and the Ramban are able to interpret the sources to support their own position.

This is a very incomplete picture of a dispute that runs very deep. I have presented the views of both the Rambam and Ramban. While we certainly cannot decide between two authorities of such stature, we do need to live our lives and cannot live according to both. G-d willing, with this information, we will be able to form more mature and informed views on this matter.

[[I think this is also related to their disagreement about Kedoshim Tihiyu. See Rambam Sefer HaHitzvos clal 4 verses Ramban on Leviticus 19:2 where he mentions Nazir. I know the Ramban writes on clal 4, I wonder what he says. Maybe this dispute is also related to their disagreement about the World to Come. Or maybe it is unrelated but interesting to note the contrast of opinions.]]

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-05-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

Shavuos

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

Question:

“And You descended upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven, and You gave them right ordinances and laws of truth, good statutes and commandments. And Your holy Sabbath You made known to them, and commandments and statutes and the Law You commanded them, by the hand of Your servant Moses” (Nechemiah 9:13-14)

When recalling the giving of the Torah, why is Shabbas singled out among all other laws given at Sinai?

A Torah of Loving Kindness

On Shavuos, the date when the Torah was given and when we ourselves receive it anew every year, we read the book of Ruth. Why? To answer this question, we must examine the book’s contents.

Our Sages summarize the contents and tell us its purpose as follows:

“This Megilah contains no [laws of] impurity or purity, no [laws of] forbidden [foods] or permitted [foods], for what was it written? To teach you how great is the reward for those who perform acts of loving kindness” (Ruth Rabbah 2:14).

It seems strange indeed that on the holiday of the Giving of the Torah that we read a book all about loving kindness (henceforth referred to as chesed). This begs the question as to why we do this but before answering this question, I would like to, following the Medrish, write a bit about the importance of Chesed.

It says in Psalms “Chesed builds the world” (Psalms 89:3).

Rashi (on Avos 1:2) cites this verse explaining how Chesed is one of the three pillars which support the world and he writes “…that because of Chesed the world endures” (ibid).

Also, commenting on this verse, the Maharal of Prague writes:

“From this [verse] itself there is to learn that similarly distancing from Chesed is the world’s destruction” (Maharal’s commentary on the Tanach, quoting Nesiv HaOlam, Nesiv Gemilus Chasadim, chapter 3, by the Maharal).

It is always a bad thing to stick one’s neck into a topic debated by the greatest of scholars of earlier generations, but it would appear to me that the reason why our Sages ordained that the book of Ruth, the book of Chesed, be read on the holiday of Shavuos, the holiday of the Torah, is because the two are inseparable. Indeed, our Torah is even referred to as “Toras Chesed” (Proverbs 31:26), a “Torah of Chesed.”

The Talmud tells us:

“Rabbah, who engaged in the study of Torah, lived forty years; Abbaye, who engaged in Torah and acts of Chesed, lived sixty years” (Rosh HaShanah 18a).

Even more forcefully, our Sages teach:

“…Any who denies acts of Chesed, it is as if he denies an essence principle [of Judaism]” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:4).

Finally, the Talmud says:

“Our Rabbis taught: When Rabbi Elazar ben Prata and Rabbi Hanina ben Tradion were arrested [i.e. by the Romans], Rabbi Elazar ben Prata said to Rabbi Hanina ben Tradion, 'Fortunate are you that you have been arrested over one matter, woe is to me who have been arrested over five matters'. Rabbi Hanina responded, 'Fortunate are you that you have been arrested over five matters but are to be saved, woe is to me who have been arrested over one matter but will not be saved. For you concerned yourself with both Torah and [acts of Chesed] whereas I concerned myself solely with Torah.' As Rav Huna stated; for Rav Huna said, 'Whoever concerns himself solely with Torah is as one who has no God. As it is written, "And many days [passed] for Israel without a true God" (Chronicles II, 15:3). What is [the meaning of] "without a true God"? That one who concerns himself solely with Torah, is as one who has no God'” (Avodah Zarah, 17b, also in Yalkut Shimoni on Chronicles II, 15:3, translation from http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/ral2-hes.htm).

It seems inconceivable that Rabbi Hanina son of Tradion, a Tanna, one of the Sages of the Mishnah, (and similarly Rabbah, an Amora, one of the Sages of the Gemara), did not engage in Chesed. Thus, the Gemara contiues:

“And did [Rabbi Chanina] not engage in acts of benevolence? Did we not learn: Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: "A person should not give money to the purse of charity, unless the person in charge is a sage like Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon?"

[The Gemara answers:] He was very trustworthy but was not actively engaged.

But did we not learn: He (Rabbi Chanina) said to him: "Money for Purim became mixed up with money for charity and I divided it among the poor?"

[The Gemara answers:] He was involved, but not as much as he should have been.” (Translation from http://vbm-torah.org/archive/aggada66/03aggada.htm)

.

[On a side point, Rav Yitchak Blau argues “In addition to the above, this gemara clearly rejects the idea that chesed can be accomplished in a metaphysical manner. Some say that everyone who learns Torah engages in an act of compassion, because Torah learning improves the world in some grand cosmic way. If we push such an idea too far, there would be no category of Torah without chesed. Apparently, compassion must be expressed in a naturalistic way, with our own efforts and resources directed towards helping other flesh and blood human beings.” (http://vbm-torah.org/archive/aggada66/03aggada.htm) This requires further thought.]

Explaining this Gemara, the Maharsha writes:

“It means to say that he [who only learns Torah] has no G-d to save him because he lacks the true G-d, G-d forbid, because His attributes include Chesed and man is to walk after G-d’s attributes”

Thus, only one who emulates G-d and performs Chesed will have the True G-d, the G-d who will perform Chesed for him.

The Maharal offers a similar interpretation of the previously cited verse in Psalms, “Chesed builds the world” (Psalms 89:3).

“Man’s body has permanence because of acts of Chesed. Since man’s body is physical and cannot approach and cling to G-d, may He be blessed, except because G-d performs Chesed with everybody and by way of this man has permanence. And when man acts with Chesed, G-d, may He be blessed, performs Chesed with him…” (Maharal’s commentary on the Tanach, quoting Nesiv HaOlam, Nesiv HaAvoda, chapter 1, by the Maharal).

The Maharal (Nesiv HaOlam, Nesiv HaChesed, chapter 1), shows from this story in the Talmud that we all must be “masters of Chesed.” Chesed must be a fundamental part of our live.

It is interesting to note that in both citations from the Talmud (Rosh HaShana and Avoda Zarah), the term used for engaging in Chesed is asak, the same word used engaging in Torah (according to the Ashkenazi version of the first blessing on the Torah), which is also the same word used for engaging in business. On this note, see http://www.jewishmediaresources.org/article/874/

In truth, “The world stands on three things, on Torah, on Divine service [prayer], and deeds of loving kindness” (Avos 1:2). This Mishnah teaches that the world requires three things (although in truth, some commentators explain that in truth the world only requires Torah) and this simple reading of the Mishnah has been upheld by authorities throughout the ages, from the Rambam (see his commentary) to Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg ztz”l, who states “they [Torah, Divine service, and acts of loving kindness] are equally important – like a stool, the world will not be able to stand on any two legs alone. You need all three. And, therefore, they must all be emphasized” (Rav Yaakov Weinberg Talks about Chinuch, transcribed by Rabbi Doniel Frank, page 102).

And yet we find sources that clearly establish the priority of Torah study over other commandments. (See for example Shabbas 88a, Moed Katan 9b, Yerushalmi Peah 1:1, etc.) If Torah study has such importance, any time engaged in Chesed is time wasted that could be spent learning Torah!

I believe that an answer can be found examining the text of one of the blessings on the Torah.

In the blessing recited after receiving an Aliyah for the Torah, we bless G-d for ‘giving us a Torah of truth’ and for ‘placing eternal life in our midst.’ The first term is clearly a reference to Torah but what about the second term, what is it?

Rav Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein cites the Ravya (I:181, sec. 168) who interprets ‘placing eternal life in our midst’ as referring to “other [commandments] and to [deeds of Chesed], in which Jews are always engaged, and [that] we thank God for both” (http://www.vbm-torah.org/shavuot/shavuot65-ral.htm).

Rav Aharon Lichtenstein raises the obvious question, why in the blessing over the Torah are we thanking G-d for other commandments? He answers:

“Torah which is divorced from other [commandments], which is devoid of meaningful relation to chesed, is inherently flawed. Torah is, optimally, [a Torah of Chesed], an organic whole within which both orders are integrally fused. Hence, the component of [acts of Chesed] is included in [the blessing on the Torah], under the rubric of [eternal life]” (ibid).

I, not knowing if Rav Aharon Lichtenstein would agree with my formulation, would say that true Torah study naturally leads to Chesed. If Torah study does not lead to Chesed, then the Torah study is not simply lacking, it is utterly fake.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

Biographical information:

The Maharal of Prague http://www.ou.org/pardes/bios/maharal.htm

The Maharsha http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/maharsha.htm

Rav Yaakov Weinberg http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5760winter/weinberg%20profile.pdf

2006-05-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

Parshas Bamidbar

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

Today is Yom Yerushalayim, the date the Old City was reunited. Many have the custom to recite Psalm 122:

1. A song of ascents of David. I rejoiced when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."
2. Our feet were standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3. The built-up Jerusalem is like a city that was joined together within itself.
4. There ascended the tribes, the tribes of God, testimony to Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5. For there were set thrones for judgment, thrones for the house of David.
6. Request the welfare of Jerusalem; may those who love you enjoy tranquility.
7. May there be peace in your wall, tranquility in your palaces.
8. For the sake of my brethren and my companions, I shall now speak of peace in you.
9. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I shall beg for goodness for you.

Question:
This question was asked by Mashciach, Rav Dov Moshe Lipman. Why are the results of all the censuses in this week’s parshah divisible by ten?

The Power of Flags

The second chapter of this week’s Parshah (and thus the book of Numbers) discusses the formation of the Jews’ camp in the desert and divides the twelve tribes under flags. For what reason is all this information written in the Torah, what are we to gain by learning where the tribes camped, how they traveled, and what flags they were under?

In the medrish, there is a comment by our Sages, which may help shed some light. They said:

“When G-d revealed Himself at the Mountain of Sinai, 220,000 angels descended with Him as it says ‘G-d’s entourage is twice ten thousand, thousands of angels’ [Psalms 68:18] and they all had made flags as it says ‘preeminent [from the root deled gimel lamed, the same root for flag] among ten thousand’ [Song of Songs 5:10]. The Jews [seeing how the angels served G-d with flags] began to crave to make flags [to serve G-d] and said G-d, similarly we will make flags just like [the angels’]…” (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:3).

We see that the Jewish flags corresponded to the celestial angels’ flags. But what is the significance of this parallel between the Jews and the angels? And furthermore, why would the angels have flags?! [And certainly we know G-d does not ascend or descend, He created space and time! Neither does G-d sit on thrones, etc. Everything is a metaphor, for something. Also, I do not believe that the angels had flags just like humans have flags, however since G-d cannot in any way be compared to angels, the metaphor of angels with flags cannot be compared to G-d and His Throne.]

The Ramban, who not only was a huge talmudic scholar but was also a Kabbalist, comes to our aid and revealing a surface understanding of all this, he says:

“…[The Jews] made the flags, modeled after the Chariot which Ezekiel saw [Ezekiel chapter 1 and 10], to rest the Divine Presence [in Hebrew the Shchinah] on them [the Jews] in the [physical realm] just as [the Shchinah] dwells in the [spiritual realm]…” (Ramban on Numbers 11:16).

This concept of the chariot requires further elaboration. In Ezekiel, the prophet records his vision of the Divine Chariot (as the chapter is referred to in Rabbinic literature). Most likely, the true and deepest understanding of this has been lost. What is relevant is that Ezekiel saw many angels doing all sorts of different things. From what we can understand, these angels were part of G-d’s royal escort. Thus the Ramban writes:

“…And furthermore I saw in a medrish that just as G-d created four winds in the world, similarly He surrounded His throne with four chayos [a type of angel seen by Ezekiel in chapter 1, the vision of the Chariot], and above all of [the angels] was the Throne of Glory, and corresponding to all of them G-d arranged the flags to Moses…” (Ramban on Numbers 2:2).

Both my Rav, Rabbi Mayer Pasternak, and my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, explained that the meaning of a person being G-d’s Chariot is that such a person facilitates the revelation of G-d’s Presence in the world. However, this is still very unclear. Again, we turn to the Ramban:

“…And behold the redemption [from Egypt] was incomplete until [the Jews] came back to their place and returned to the elevated level of the Patriarchs. And when they left Egypt, even though they left slavery, they were still considered exiles because they were in a land not their own, trapped in the desert. When they came to the Mount of Sinai and made the Tabernacle and G-d returned and His Divine Presence rested among them, and the mystery of G-d rested upon their tents, and they were the Chariot, then they were considered redeemed…” (Ramban, introduction to the book of Exodus).

In Rav Chavel’s notes on this Ramban, he quotes another relevant Ramban:

“[Our Sages’] intention in their statement that the Patriarchs were the Chariot to mean that only the Patriarchs [were G-d’s Chariot], rather [it refers to] any righteous person who clings to one G-d’s characteristics… [to the extent that we say G-d has characteristics]” (Ramban, Sefer Emuna Vi-HaBitachon, chapter 15).

It would appear to me that the Ramban is saying that by emulating G-d and making ourselves resemble G-d’s actions, (and thus living the way G-d wills us to live,) we reveal G-d’s Presence in the world.

Now that we have at least some understanding of what it means for a human to be G-d’s Chariot and that the Jewish camp was organized for this purpose, we must return to the question of the flags. What was their purpose, why did even the angels have flags?

Until now, we have been discussing the concept of G-d’s Chariot on an individual level. However, I believe it is clear that the flags involved groups, just as teams or armies have flags, so did groups of angels and Jewish tribes have flags. So what is different between an individual and a group? In Parshas Lech Lecha, the Ramban gives one such difference. He explains that when the Torah says that Abraham and Isaac each called out in G-d’s name (see for example Genesis 12:8), it means that they went around teaching about G-d and His ways. He then explaining, why the Torah does not ever say that Jacob called out in G-d’s name, says:

“It did not say this with Jacob because he gave birth to many children, all servants of G-d, and it was for [Jacob] a great community named the Congregation of Israel, and [Jacob] publicized the faith among them, and they made it known to every nation…” (Ramban on Genesis 12:8).

A true congregation of G-d, by the very fact of its existence spreads G-d’s name far and wide. No active efforts are required. The influence of a unified community cannot be compared to the influence of individuals; the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. The unity around G-d is key. But if such unity brings influence, and Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky explains that the Jews were indeed unified around the Tabernacle (Emes L’Yaakov, page 413), why multiple flags which would seemingly disrupt this unity?

Rav Dessler gives a wonderful answer. He says that there are three levels of order:

1. Order for its own sake
2. Order for the sake of its results. For example, a unorganized library of 50 books can be a pain while those 50 books organized are much easier to use. And if the number of books is say 2000, unorganized, one cannot find anything without expending significant effort, but individual books can be found. When those same books are shelved neatly, they are far more useful.
3. Order for the interaction between the individual elements. This type of order is found in machines. Each part of the machine on its own has some value, a motor might be worth $100 and a small screw might be worth ten cents, and together, all the parts make the machine. However, when you remove a part, any part, regardless of its value, is useless. The machine lacking even the most insignificant component will not function at all.

Rav Dessler explains that the Jewish nation is like the third level of order. Each person, each family, each tribe, has its own purpose, and even its own priorities. The flags order the camp so all the groups keep to their purpose. Thus Rav Dessler writes:

“Each tribe camped under its own banner, as the [medrish] says. so that ‘each could be recognized independently:[Rueben]distinct from [Simon] and [Simon] distinct from [Rueben].’ And yet all were grouped in a unified scheme around the Mishkan. They were able to combine according to their individual natures and environments with the utmost precision. There was a precise significance in their grouping…” (Strive for Truth, volume 1, page 264, by Rav Eliyahu E. Dessler, translated by Rav Aryeh Carmell).

Similarly, all the angels have their own unique purposes, and hence their own flags.

May we merit for G-d to give us our unique portion in His Torah.

The Ramban http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/ramban.htm
Rav Dessler http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/dessler.htm

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-05-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

Parshas BeHar/Bechokosai

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

Question:

Introducing rewards for obeying G-d, the Torah says:
“If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments…” (Leviticus 26:3)

While introducing the punishments for abandoning the Torah, it says:
“If you do not listen to Me, and do not keep all these commandments. If you come to denigrate My decrees, and grow tired of My laws, so that you will not keep all My commandments, and you will have broken My covenant…” (Leviticus 26:14-15).

Why not have the verses parallel each other (e.g. “If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments” (Leviticus 26:3) and If you do not follow My laws and are not careful to keep My commandments, or the opposite with the first verse parallel the other two)?

A Torah of Trust

The Torah begins the Parshah of Behar discussing the mitzvah of Shemitta, the land laying fallow every seventh year, saying:

“…When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land must be given a rest period, a sabbath to God. For six years you may plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and harvest your crops, but the seventh year is a sabbath of sabbaths for the land. It is God's sabbath during which you may not plant your fields, nor prune your vineyards. Do not harvest crops that grow on their own and do not gather the grapes on your unpruned vines, since it is a year of rest for the land” (Leviticus 25:2-5)

However, this mitzvah is introduced in a most peculariar manner:

“God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, telling him to speak to the Israelites and say to them:” (Leviticus 25:1-2).

One question immediately comes to mind, what does Shemitta have to do with Mount Sinai?

Indeed, while Rashi typically makes comments on verses and leaves it to us to figure out what problem his comment solves, here Rashi asks this question explicitly:

“What [special relevance] does the subject of Shemittah have with Mount Sinai? Were not all the commandments stated from Sinai?”

One common answer (which in his Sicha on 5/18/06, my Mashgiach, Rav Dov Moshe Lipman, said comes from the Chasam Sofer) is that we have were a proof that G-d gave the Torah on Mount Sinai. How so? The Torah itself states:

“If you will say, 'What will we eat in the seven year? We have not planted nor have we harvested crops.'” (Leviticus 25:20).

The Torah’s answer is:

“I will direct My blessing to you in the sixth year, and [the land] will produce enough crops for three years” (Leviticus 25:26).

“How could a human author possibly make this promise? Even more perplexing, why would a human being write this? The first time a sixth year came without the double crop the religion would be proven false! For that very reason no other religion mandates this type of law or offers such a promise. Only G-d could do this without fear of failure” (Discover, by R. Dov Moshe Lipman, pages 19-20).

However, I would like to develop the connection between Shemitta and Sinai in another direction.

Rashi answers his question of this connection saying:

“However, [this teaches us that] just as with Shemittah, its general principles and its finer details were all stated from Sinai, likewise, all of them were stated-their general principles [together with] their finer details-from Sinai. This is what is taught in Torat Kohanim (25:1)”

From Shemitta, we see that all the mitzvos were given at Sinai (see also Berachos 5a). However, the next question is why did the Torah choose Shemitta to teach us this? Why not some other mitzvah?

My Mashgiach (in his Sicha on 5/18/06) proposed an answer which I would like to build on.

What is the underlying message of Shemitta, of leaving the land fallow for an entire year, and relying on Divine assurances that we will not starve?

The most obvious answer is that we must trust/have faith in G-d.

Just as trust underlies Shemitta, it also underlies the entire Torah. (I am not speaking about faith in and or knowledge of G-d’s existence, another subject altogether.) In fact, the Gemara in Makkos (24a) discusses how different leaders discussed underlying principles of the Torah, how King David said there were 11, Isaiah 6, etc. In the end, the prophet Chabakuk says there is one, “The righteous person shall live through his faith” (Chabakuk 2:4).

Regarding faith, the Chazon Ish writes:

“. . . an old error has become rooted in the hearts of many concerning the concept of trust. Trust . . . has come to mean that a person is obligated to believe that whenever he is presented with two possible outcomes, one good and one not, then certainly it will turn out for the good. And if he has doubts and fears the worst, that constitutes a lack of trust… This view of trust is incorrect, for as long as the future outcome has not been clarified through prophecy, that outcome has not been decided, for who can truly know God’s judgments and providence? Rather, trust means realizing that there are no coincidences in the world, and that whatever happens under the sun is a function of God’s decree.” (Ha-emuna Ve-ha-bittachon, beginning of chapter 2) (Quoted from http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm).

How does this trust underlie the whole Torah? I believe that the answer to this question requires subjecting the view of the Chazon Ish to a bit of analysis.

I have heard that some say that this view that everything comes from G-d can lead to passivity. For example, if I get hurt, it must be that G-d wanted me to be in pain so how am I allowed to go to a doctor if this will relieve the pain that G-d wants me to experience?

However, it appears to me that we can answer this question.

The Gemara says:
“In the academy of Rabbi Yishmael it was explained: The verse, “And he shall surely be healed” (Exodos 21:19), refers to the granting of permission for the physician to heal” (Berachos 60a).

The Rambam understands this to mean that doctors must absolutely do their best to heal but that we must recognize that it is G-d who really does the healing. (Perhaps this latter point, that G-d is the one who is really healing, is based on the famous verse “Not through an army and not through strength but through My spirit…” (Zechariah 4:6).)

(The Ramban and others disagree with the Rambam. For a discussion, see http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm)

Just as doctors must heal, we have obligations to fulfill and cannot sit around saying that since everything is G-d’s will, we should not act. (See Pesachim 64b which says that we are not allowed to rely on miracles.) G-d expects us to do, to work, to fix the world!

Thus, as I understand the Chazon Ish, there is no problem of passivity. It would then seem to me that one of his underlying points is that we must always serve G-d, hold fast to His commandments, and obey His will, at all times and all places, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.

A proof for this perhaps can be found in the Radak’s comment on the verse “The righteous person shall live through his faith” (Chabakuk 2:4). Radak says this refers to the Jews exiled to Babylon. Despite everything, they rejected paganism and clung to Judaism. Thus, despite the terrible darkness, they continued to trust in G-d. (See Psalm 92:3.)

Thus, no matter what, we must trust in G-d and strive to keep His Torah.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

Biographical information:
The Chasam Sofer http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/sofer.htm
The Chazon Ish http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/karelitz.htm
The Radak http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/radak.htm

2006-05-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

Parshas Emor

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

Question:

“Be careful regarding My commandments and keep them; I am God. Do not desecrate My holy name. I must be sanctified among the Israelites. I am God who makes you holy and brought you out to Egypt to be your God. I am God” (Leviticus 22:31-33).

"Son of man! The house of Israel, as long as they lived on their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their misdeeds, like the uncleanness of a woman in the period of her separation was their way before Me. Wherefore I poured My wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. According to their way and their misdeeds did I judge them. And they entered the nations where they came, and they profaned My Holy Name, inasmuch as it was said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and they have come out of His land.' But I had pity on My Holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had come. Therefore, say to the house of Israel; So says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I do this, O house of Israel, but for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations to which they have come. And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord-is the declaration of the Lord God-when I will be sanctified through you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your land. And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; from all your impurities and from all your abominations will I cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you and bring it about that you will walk in My statutes and you will keep My ordinances and do [them]. Then will you dwell in the land that I gave your fathers, and you will be a people to Me, and I will be to you as a God. (Ezekiel 36:17-18).

Based on this passage from Ezekiel, what is one definition of ‘sanctifying G-d’s name’ and ‘desecrating G-d’s name’? (This question based on a chapter from my teacher Rabbi Moshe Lichtman’s new book, Eretz Yisrael in the Parshah. Look for it at http://www.devorapublishing.com)

Something to Live For

“Be careful regarding My commandments and keep them; I am God. Do not desecrate My holy name. I must be sanctified among the Israelites. I am God who makes you holy and brought you out to Egypt to be your God. I am God” (Leviticus 22:31-33).

This passage is the source for the obligation for Jews to sanctify G’d’s name and the prohibition of desecrating G-d’s name. On this the Rambam writes:

“Every Jew [including women] is commanded to sanctify God's Name, for it is written, ‘...but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel’. We are warned not to desecrate God's Name, as it is written, ‘Nor shall you desecrate My holy Name’. What does this mean? If, for example, a gentile forces a Jew to commit a sin by threatening to kill him if he doesn't, then he should commit the sin in order not to be killed, for concerning this commandment it is written, ‘...which if a man does he shall live by them’ (Leviticus 18:5) - and not die for them. If he allowed himself to be killed by not committing the sin, then he is liable as a suicide [in the World To Come]” (Laws of the Fundamentals of the Torah, 5:1).

[Note that the Rambam continues and adds qualifications regarding when else one must give up his or her life to G-d. Thank G-d, for us, these laws are primarily theoretical.]

When required, Jews have laid down their life for their Father in Heaven. But as is clear from the Rambam, living is an obligation. But not just any living, but living for G-d. As Reb Noah Weinberg writes “LIVE FOR WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR” (http://www.aish.com/spirituality/foundations/The_Meaning_Of_Life.asp). We Jews are required to live our lives as a Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of G-d’s name.

Rav Irving Bunim wrote “The destiny of the Jew, the historic mission that attends upon him through the centuries, is to sanctify the name of the Almighty, so that through Jewry the nations will learn of Him and accept Him ever more. As we say in the words of Isaiah, in the introductory paragraph before each [chapter of Pirkei Avos, Chapters of our Fathers], the people of Israel are ‘the branch of My plantings, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified’ [Isaiah 60:21]. The Divine will grants us existence for a purpose. Everyone has a specific task to perform; and the general, overall duty of the Jew is to glorify the Holy, Blessed One. By our thoughts, our speech, our deeds, and ultimately by our collective way of life, we are enjoined to illustrate and tacitly proclaim the greatness f the Creator. ‘This people that I formed for Myself, they shall declare My praise’ [[Isaiah 43:21]” (Ethics from Sinai, by R. Irving M Bunim, volume 2, page 40).

Throughout history we have had unique individuals who, through their pure love of humanity, have epitomized these teachings. Within the last century, such names as the Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan), Reb Aryeh Levin, and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach come immediately to mind (though there were certainly many more).

This attitude to the ideal Jewish life is probably found in the Rabbinic dictum “Let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven” (Pirkei Avos 2:17). Commenting on this Mishnah, Rabbi Pinchas Kehati cites the verse “In all your ways know Him…” (Proverbs 3:6).

Discussing this the Rambam writes:

“A person must direct every single one of his deeds solely towards attaining knowledge of God. His sitting down, his standing up, and his speech should all be directed toward this goal. . . Even when he sleeps, if he sleeps with the intention of resting his mind and body so that he does not become sick—for he is unable to serve the Lord when he is sick—his sleep shall become a service of God. Concerning this, Chazal commanded (Avot 2:12), “Let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.” That is what Shlomo said in his wisdom (Proverbs 3:6): ‘In all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight’” (Laws of Character Traits 3:2-3).

Our great teacher, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, who lived near the beginning of the Emancipation and Enlightment, writes the following:

“[The Jewish People’s] affirmation of loyalty to God and the Torah has been sealed with more than its blood: the entire history of its [exile] constitutes one gigantic altar on which it sacrificed everything that men desire and love-for the sake of acknowledging God and His Laws. This altar has smoked in every part of the world and among all nations. Is it conceivable that these nations learned nothing from all this? Could they fail to recognize that the higher power preserving Yisrael throughout its experiences is the One Alone, and that the loyalty to Him demonstrated by Yisrael is the task of all humanity?

And now that this altar has stopped smoking? And the dispersed of Yisrael enjoy tolerance, protection and citizenship grated by the nations, and can develop their Jewish life in all its greatness? And Yisrael joins with those states that admitted it, to further their progress and welfare, as enjoined by our prophets? If now, surrounded by a materialistic and hedonistic society, Yisrael were to conduct its life peacefully, in justice and lovingkindness; if all around it the generations were declining, through sensuality and debauchery, but the sons and daughters of Yisrael were to prosper in the youthful strength of pure morality and innocence; if everywhere else all actions were inspired by the love of profit, physical gratification and selfishness, but every Jew, by his silent example, were a teacher of universal justice and love; if thus the dispersed of Yisrael were quietly to flourish as priest of God and of true humanity – dear Benjamin, if only we lived up to what we are supposed to be, if only our lives were a perfect reflection of our Torah, what a mighty force this would be for reaching the ultimate goal of all human education! It would be more tranquil, but even loftier, more forceful and more effective than our tragic history of suffering and what it revealed about God and humanity. During the years of misery and contempt, our ideal could be attained only imperfectly; but when milder times beckon us to our goal – that every Jew and Jewess, through the example they provide in their own lives, should become priests of God and of genuine humanity – and this ideal and mission await us, can we still deplore our fate, dear Benjamin” (The Nineteen Letters, pages 127-128).

While sadly this altar still burns and anti-Semitism has not ceased in any way, the relevance of our teacher’s words have not decreased in the slightest.

Our mission awaits.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

About Reb Aryeh Levin http://www.torah.org/features/firstperson/tzaddikofjerusalem.html http://www.jewishmag.com/18MAG/LEVIN/levin.htm

2006-05-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim

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

Question:

In chapter 19, the phrase "I am G-d" is repeated quite frequently. Why?

Imitatio Dei (Emulating G-d)

“God spoke to Moses, telling him to speak to the entire Israelite community and say to them: You must be holy, since I am God your Lord [and] I am holy” (Leviticus 19:1-2)

In this week's parshah, we are commanded to be "holy" and the reason given is "because I [G-d] am holy" (19:2).

The commandment to imitate G-d is actually one of the 613 commandments (Rambam Sefer HaMitzvos 8, Sefer HaChinuch 608/Ki Savo 3) and codified by the Rambam in his Mishnah Torah:

"We are commanded to walk in these intermediate paths, and they are good and straight paths as it states 'And you shall walk in His ways' [Deuteronomy 28:9]. [Our Sages] taught in explaining this mitzvah:

Just as He is called 'Gracious', you shall be gracious

Just as He is called 'Merciful', you shall be merciful

Just as He is called 'Holy', you shall be holy

In a similar manner, the prophets called G-d by other titles 'Slow to anger', 'Abundant in kindness', 'Just', 'Perfect', 'Almighty', 'Powerful', and the like to inform us that these are good and upright paths. A person is obligated to conduct himself with them and to resemble Him to the extant of his ability" (Hilchos Deos 1:6, according to the division by Mossad HaRav Kook).

Concluding his discussion of this mitzvah, the Chinuch (the anonymous author of the Sefer HaChinuch) writes:

"This mitzvah applies everywhere and at all times for males and females, and transgressing it and not striving to straighten his ways and conquer his drives and mend his thoughts and actions for loving the G-d and fulfilling this mitzvah, negate a positive [mitzvah]" (Sefer HaChinuch 608/Ki Savo 3).

(It is interesting to note that perfection of character traits may actually be considered Torah. Rav Baruch HaLevi Epstein quotes from one of the Rambam's letters "Without any doubt, everyone who fixes himself and his soul in perfecting the character traits and the opinions in faith in the Blessed Creator is among those destined for life in the world to come [literally Hu Mibnei Olam Habah], and thus the Sages of the Truth said 'even a non-Jew who involves himself in Torah is comparable to the high priest'…" Note how the source used by the Rambam says nothing about character traits, only Torah. (Torah Temimah Leviticus 18:5, Ches, my teacher Rav Kwass pointed this source out)).

According to the Rambam (Guide to the Perplexed 1:54), the mitzvah of emulating G-d is the ultimate purpose of knowledge of G-d:

After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses made two requests to G-d:

1. “…[A]llow me to know Your ways, so that I will know how to [remain] pleasing to You…” (Exodus 33:13) which was answered with “'I will make all My good pass before you…” (Exodus 33:19).

2. “Please let me have a vision of Your Glory…” (Exodus 33:18) which was answered with “You cannot see My face. A man cannot see My face and life” (Exodus 33:20).

The Rambam explains the first request to refer to G-d’s actions and the second request to refer to G-d Himself. He notes that although we cannot know G-d Himself in any way, we can and must strive to know, from our perspective, His actions and modes of conduct. (Thus in the source quoted by the Rambam in Hilchos Deos it says "just as He is called X so must you be X")

The Rambam points to the fact that Exodus 33:13 says “…[A]llow me to know Your ways, so that I will know how to [remain] pleasing to You…” which he explains saying that the ultimate purpose of knowing G-d is to emulate Him.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-04-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is in the merit of my wonderful mother in honor of her birthday and in recognition of the boundless love she has shown me.

Tazria/Metzora

Very often, we find ourselves disagreeing with other people or with organizations. Very often, we feel that not only are they are wrong but that they are also causing great harm. Very often, we feel the need to speak out.

Assuming that our fears are founded and that we really do need to give criticism, how does the Torah say it should be given?

I believe that one important principle of criticizing can be found in this week's Torah reading.

The laws of tzaraas (commonly translated as leprosy but really understood by most classic commentators as some sort of spiritual disease) require that the priest pronounce the individual with tzaraas unclean (Leviticus 13:3) which requires that plagued individual temporarily dwell outside the camp. However, the priest must also leave the camp in order to purify the sick person (Leviticus 14:3-4).

On the basis of this, Rav Soloveitchik says that when we criticize others, we must also practically help them. (Fate and Destiny, by Rav Soloveitchik, translated from the Hebrew by Rabbi Lawrence Kaplan, page 40)

It is not enough to point fingers but rather we must be helpful, constructive, and beneficial. We must give them practical advice and aid them in repairing whatever went wrong.

Simply blaming might be the worst thing we can do because blaming usually results in counter-blaming and a deterioration of the situation. At the very least, we should refrain from focusing on blame. At the very least, things will not get worse and more importantly, by not thinking about blame, we will be able to focus on practical solutions (Harmony with Others, by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, page 24).

2006-04-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is in the merit of my Rav, R. Mayer Pasternak, and his family. I am sure that I can speak for my community that it is good to have them back.

The Counting of the Omer

“Immediately when the children of Israel left Egypt and passed the Sea of Reads, they came to Moses our Teacher with a contention: ‘Behold, you assured us that when we leave Egypt we would immediately receive the Torah like the verse says ‘Take out this take from Egypt so that they serve G-d on this mountain’ (Exodus 3:12) and if so, where is this mountain and where is this Torah?’ But Moses answered to them ‘It is impossible for a nation that until now was enslaved physically and spiritually to a harsh king and a hard nation-state – Pharaoh and Egypt – to immediately be prepared and ready for receiving the Torah and to reverse itself in an instant to be the chosen nation and kingdom of priests. Before it all, you need a number of preparatory weeks, that in this time you will labor in preparation of the soul and purification of its traits. And through this you will ascend from the level of a servant into order to be fitting for receiving the Torah.’… And for this reason it became a custom for all the generations after them, that also us, receivers of the Torah anew each year in the holiday of Shavuos, need to prepare to stand to receive the Torah by way of perfecting our traits…” (Emes L’Yaakov on Pirkei Avos, introduction, by Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, translated by me)

Thus the time of counting the Omer is a time of self improvement, character refinement, and spiritual growth. There are customs to learn Pirkei Avos or specific concepts based on Avos 6:6.

However, if this is a time of growth, I believe that there is a great deal that one can learn about growth, how to grow, from the presentation of Sefiras HaOmer.

Let us start with the name ‘Omer.’ An Omer is a specific measurement of barely. While it is true that mitzvos have numerical quantities like Chanukah candles must burn for half an hour or one must drink a Revi’is of fluid for each of the four cups, none of these mitzvos are called by their measurement. (For example, we don’t refer to the four cups as Revi’is Cosos or something along those lines.) Yet regarding Omer it is called by its measurement. The Nesivos Shalom (I don’t remember where) asks why?

He gives an answer but I would like to give my own. I believe that by singling out the mitzvah of the Sefiras HaOmer, which corresponds to spiritual growth, by referring to it by its measurement, the Torah is teaching us that growth must be measured. We can’t do it all at once, it must be done in steps. (I highly recommend people see a one minute video by Aish HaTorah which really brings this idea home. http://www.aish.com/movies/highh.asp)

Another idea we can learn about growth comes from an insight of Rav Soloveitchik on the halacha of counting. (http://vbm-torah.org/archive/halak65/25halak.htm)

The BaHaG (The Baal Halachos Gedolos, an extremely old halacha book written around the year maybe 700 CE by a Gaon who’s name has been forgotten) says that if one forgets to count one night, one can count the next day without a blessing and can count all subsequent nights with a blessing. And since we make a blessing on each night, each night must be its own separate mitzvah.

But if counting during the day is done without a blessing, and thus not a mitzvah, why count at all during the day? And why would such counting allow one to count later nights with a blessing?

“Rav Soloveitchik introduces another concept into the discussion: the simple act of counting. If a person forgets one whole night and day of the omer and then picks up the count on the next night, his count was, for instance, 26, 27, 29, 30. That is not a normal way of counting. Even if every night of the omer is a separate mitzva, this mitzva must be considered counting, a steady progression. Counting the omer is a mitzva act, but that mitzva act must entail simple counting! That means that one number must follow the next without skipping. This is the reason that the Behag says that if one forgot to count at night he should count during the following day - to make sure that his counting on the next night will be normal counting, one number after the other. Counting during the day after missing it at night is not a fulfillment of a mitzva. It is still relevant, though, because it allows you to retain a simple count so that the next night you are able to fulfill the mitzva. The Torah's expression "temimot tihiyena" - "they should be complete" - teaches us that the count must be a constant progression. The simple act of counting must be complete, without skipping. Therefore, he explains, when one misses a day, he cannot continue counting with a blessing. He is not counting. When he counts normally, though, every night is its own mitzva.” (www.vbm-torah.org/3weeks/mf.htm)

Based on this, we can say growth must be cumulative. It is not enough to work on one area, say laziness, and then move on to say not gossiping. At the very least, while no longer working on laziness, we must continue to guard ourselves to make sure that we don’t lapse into being lazy. And probably the best thing to is to always be working just a bit, moving forward just a tiny step, in each area which we have already worked on.

Biography of Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5761/vayakhel/features2.htm

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-04-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

Parshas Shemini

Question:

“Fire came forth from before God and consumed the burnt offering and the choice parts on the altar. When the people saw this, they raised their voices in praise and threw themselves on their faces” (Leviticus 9:24).

Where else do we see similar religious reactions? What is the connection between these events?

Last week I messed up by not looking at a Jewish calendar (Shabbas during Passover has its own reading) and wrote on Parshas Shemini a week early. I am writing another devar Torah on the parshah.

Our parshah contains the death of Aaron’s oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu:

“Aaron's sons, Nadab and Avihu, each took his fire pan, placed fire on it, and then incense on it. They offered before God strange fire, which [God] had not commanded them [to offer]. Fire came forth from before God, and it consumed them, so that they died before God” (Leviticus 10:1-2).

Their sin would clearly appear to be that they offered “strange fire” but what made their fire “strange” and what motivated them to bring it?

Nechama Leibowitz (Studies on Leviticus, volume 1, page 123) quotes the Sifra which answers the second question:

“Overwhelmed by joy on perceiving the new fire [after the Tabernacle’s first official use] they sought to redouble their love, whereupon they ‘took each one his [firepan]’”

Thus, our Sages teach us that Nadab and Abihu were motivated by love of G-d. But if this is the case, what was their sin!? Why was their fire strange?

Nechama cites the Biur (page 124), a commentary written by Moses Mendelssohn in collaboration with other scholars which says that their fire was strange because “[God] had not commanded them [to offer it]” (Leviticus 10:1)!

This is a very scary proposition indeed. The very fact that the service had not been commanded invalidated it and deemed it foreign!

Our great teacher, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, discusses how this flows out of the very nature of the Tabernacle and Temple service. He says “The Jewish offering means to place the offerer at God’s service, i.e., he wants to fulfill God’s wishes through his offering. All offerings are therefore forms of Divine demands which the offerer through his offering accepts as the guidelines for his future conduct. Self-devised sacrifices would destroy the truth which i[t] meant to achieve[,] man’s submission to [God] by [way of] the very sacrifice [being brought], and would mean the glorification of arbitrary subjectivity and [making] it [arbitrary subjectivity] the [prime goal of life] which should [instead] be dedicated wholly and exclusively to obedience to God” (cited by Nechama, page 125). (I have previously discussed the translations in Nechama’s studies.)

Thus, he concludes “There is no room for any subjective discretion in any part if the sacrificial service in the Sanctuary. Precise limits and forms are prescribed which must be adhered to. The closeness of and approach to God, which we seek with every offering, may only be found through obedience to and acceptance of God’s will…”

This same interpretation is also advanced by Nechama Leibowitz’s brother, Professor Yeshayu Leibowitz (although with a slightly different connotation) and he says that the worship of G-d has the potential to be twisted into idolatry. (Accepting the Yoke of Heaven, by Yeshayahu Leibowitz, page 105)

This would also most likely be a manifestation of Adam 1 infiltrating the Adam 2 community discussed by Rav Soloveitchik near the end of The Lonely Man of Faith.

[This should not be taken to mean that there is no room for volunteerism at all, half of Rav Soloveitchik’s book Halakhic Man is devoted to Halakhic Man’s creativity! There can often be a fine line between what is allowed and encouraged and what is utterly forbidden. I do not know of a way to draw a philosophically clear line and the matter requires much further thought. However, we can be certain that when halacha is being violated, deep down inside, one is not acting with the proper motivation. Accidental violations become even harder to categorize. This all requires further thought.]

I already discussed in Parshas Re’eh how we are to channel our feelings through the halacha and let them guide and give expression to our thoughts and emotions.

Nechama Leibowitz herself expressed this opposition to subjective religiosity in opposition to Jewish feminism. The following is an excerpt from Tales of Nechama, by Leah Abramowitz:

“Rachel Kosofsky recalls an argument she once had with Nechama. Nechama had seen a picture of a woman praying and wearing a tallit. It offended her. Rachel tried to defend the woman and the movement behind her. Nechama was adamant, ‘They don’t wear the tallit for spiritual uplifting,’ she declared. ‘They just want to make a feminist statement.’ Rachel mentioned that for some women wearing a tallit improved their davening (praying). ‘You go to shul to daven, not to get a spiritual uplifting,’ Nechama retorted. ‘If you want to get high you take drugs.’ She thought the whole tumult was just a by-product of American feminism, creeping into Israeli society.”

“Rachel pointed out that one of the biggest poskim (halachic authorities) in Jerusalem did not unambiguously reject the custom of women wearing tallitot. This didn’t impress Nechama. She saw it as a first step on the slippery slope to religious deterioration. ‘Women have enough mitzvot, they don’t have to wear a tallit to fulfill their commandments,’ she continued. The issue so engaged her thoughts that she called Rachel up later that night to continue the argument. ‘My brother goes to synagogue every morning at 5:00 a.m. He doesn’t do it to get high, or to improve his kavanah (concentration). He goes simply to fulfill a commandment to pray. I don’t have to go to shul at 5:00 a.m. I can visit sick people in the hospital or do other mitzvot’” (page 72).

[I copied correctly. The name was Rachel Kosofsky, not (Morah) Rachel Kosowsky, who was a student of Nechama.]

It is worth noting that my Rosh Yeshiva, R. Pesach Wolicki told me that his father, R. Yosef Wolicki (who was a very close student of Nechama) had told him, that Nechama knew the Talmud but you would never know. He said the reason was not because she feared people criticizing her but rather because of her tremendous humility. It seems to be to be apparent that she did not view intensive Talmud study for women, or at least for individual women, to be part of feminism, which she was vehemently opposed to. Regardless, we would all do well to learn from her and not show off what we know.

My primary goal was not to write a polemic against feminism but rather to give a real practical example of a religious principle that the death of Aaron’s sons is coming to teach us.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

-------

Feminism within Orthodoxy is a very difficult topic which although I personally have strong feelings, not being female, I feel that it is not my place to voice my opinions. One the one hand we have http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5760winter/dancing%20on%20the%20edge.pdf but we also have http://www.ou.org/publications/ja/5760winter/orthodox%20feminism.pdf.

2006-04-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Parshas Shemini

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

Question:

What was perhaps the first dietary in the Torah?

Kashrus

This week's Torah portion contains the details of the Jewish dietary laws, Kashrus. This devar Torah will focus solely on the types of animals allowed and forbidden for consumption. What purpose do these commandments serve?

Two classic answers are given:

1. For health, we must abstain from unhealthy foods

2. To separate us from non-Jews

The first answer just does not hold up to intellectual scrutiny and even more so, we know that it cannot be true. While today Kosher food can often more healthy, this is only because for example maggots and all sorts of other critters aren't put into our Kosher tuna fish. Really, there are plenty of unhealthy Kosher foods and healthy non-Kosher foods.

And Nechama Leibowitz (Studies on Leviticus 152-153) cites Rav Dovid Tzvi Hoffman who demonstrates that the second reason is not supported by the verses:

"…I am God your Lord who has separated you out from among all the nations. You must therefore separate out the clean animals and birds from the unclean. Do not make yourselves disgusting through animals, birds or other creatures that I have separated out for you as being unclean. You shall be holy to Me, for I, God, am holy, and I have separated you out from among the nations to be Mine.'" (Leviticus 20:24-26)

While no doubt Kashrus does socially separate us from non-Jews, the Torah seems to be saying that because we are different in some way (for a different discussion, but certainly it has nothing to do with any elitism), we cannot eat certain foods.

So why are these restrictions on animals here?

I believe we can answer based on a comment from the Chasam Sofer quoted by Nechama (page 155).

"'These are the animals which you shall eat' (11:12). Scripture opens with the permitted foods and thus also concerning the fishes and grasshoppers, implying that in principle we ought not to eat any living being. Hence the introduction: 'Speak to the children of Israel saying, these are the living things which you may eat' which constitutes an innovation"

In other words, because of our mission as a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6), perhaps we really should not eat any creatures at all. The prohibition of paining animals in indeed Biblical (heard from Rav Avishai David shlita, perhaps this is derived from Exodus 23:5). Thus, by only eating only Kosher animals, we are displaying a level of kindness to animals.

Or alternatively, the world is G-d's and we can't eat anything. G-d has decided to give us some animals to eat and without this permission, we would be prohibited from taking from His world. Thus, by eating only Kosher animals, we are demonstrating that G-d owns everything.

The Chasam Sofer http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/sofer.htm

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-04-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

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

Question

Why in this week's parsha does the Torah repeat much information mentioned in last week's parsha? Pay attention to the differences in organization.

The Halachist and the Mathematician

While researching more on the topic of offerings, I looked into my Sim Shalom Siddur (Conservative) and noticed that they removed the prayers for restoration of the Temple Service without giving a source. Since it has been my experience with the Conservative Movement that they rarely do things without having some sort of something to rely on, I contacted a local conservative Rabbi in Baltimore hoping for something intelligent. He sent me a short essay written by somebody which was quite disappointing. (The essay and my short comments are below for those who want to read it.) This devar Torah will focus on one passage of this essay:

“Some see the renewal of sacrifices as a matter of immediate urgency and would go so far as to precipitate a major conflict with all of Islam in order to restore the Temple service. They go to great lengths to study how sacrifices should be brought and to reproduce the Temple vessels.”

It is indeed true that there is a group who would like to demolish the Dome of the Rock and start offering animals despite the fact that this would necessarily lead to war. Since the leading halachic authorities from across the religious world have forbade Jews from even ascending the Temple Mount (let alone restarting the Temple service), this group is quite small and quite fringe. (There is most unfortunately a much larger group which believes starting a war with the Arabs with bring the messiah and restore the Temple and this group has even received approval from some scholars from the Religious Zionist world. This sad fact is outside this devar Torah.)

However, learning the laws of offerings and the Temple service is a completely different matter. These laws are discussed in the Mishnah and analyzed in the Gemara, codified by the Rambam in his Mishnah Torah, etc. In fact, in Halakhic Man, Rav Soloveitchik spends several pages (23-29, and endnote 27 found on pages 147-148) discussing just a small fraction of scholars throughout the ages who learned, taught, and wrote on all areas of Torah, including those which are not applicable today because our sins have prevented the Temple’s rebuilding. Why would such bright people “waste their time” learning all this? Rav Soloveitchik compares halacha to math and provides us with a deep answer.

There are fundamental laws of math which govern even the laws of nature and mathematicians spend their lives attempting to comprehend these laws. These laws extend farther than Euclidian geometry into realms where the shortest distance between points need not be geometric lines.

So too with the Torah! It is the revealed will of G-d and it is the Law par excellence which underlies the spiritual reality. When a halachic man looks at the word, he does so through the eyes of Torah and halacha. Does this pool of water qualify as a mikvah? Has the sun set low enough to recite evening prayers? etc. (see pages 19-23) (This does not mean that one should not enjoy nature, this topic is discussed in The Lonely Man of Faith.)

Moreover, since the Torah is G-d’s will, when one learns and comprehends Torah, even if the law or concept cannot be immediately realized, he or she grabs hold of a piece of the infinite, a piece of G-d’s revealed will! This connection to G-d is at the heart of the concept of kedusha (holiness).

In Rav Soloveitchik’s own words:

“Kedusha is generated only by closeness to God. Who is holy? Whoever is touched by the Holy One, by God's hand. But, the question arises, how can man exist in the proximity of God? The gemara (Ketubot 111b) asks, "Is it possible for Man to cleave to the Holy Presence? Is it not a 'fire devouring fire?'" The gemara answers that we should associate with talmidei chachamim, with Torah scholars. How can one feel the hand of God resting on one's shoulder, feel the breath of eternity on his face? - through the Torah! Halakha does not favor mystical union, in which one's identity is negated. How can one get close to God and yet preserve the full sense of personality, of encounter? The answer is through knowledge, the study of Torah.

How does the study of Torah unite man with God, the human being with his Maker? How can it bring together finitude and infinity, temporal transience and eternity? The Rambam develops the idea of "achdut hamaskil ve-hamuskal" (the unity of knower and known, the subject and the object of knowledge). This is not only found in the Moreh Nevuchim, but in the Yad Hachazaka as well (Hilkhot Yesodei Hatorah, and, by implication, in Hilkhot Teshuva). The Sefer HaTanya writes about this doctrine of the Rambam that "all the sages of the Kabbala have agreed with him." I will not go into the philosophical explanation of this principle now, but we may immediately draw one conclusion. If the knower and the object known are merged into one, then two knowers whose minds are concentrated on the same object are also united. If a=c, and b=c, then a=b. People with common thoughts cannot long remain strangers, indifferent to each other. Wherever there is unity of thought, purpose and commitment, there is also personalistic unity. The Rambam (Commentary to Avot) concludes that the highest form of friendship is the unity of knowledge - "chaver ledei'a." In a like manner, when man becomes completely absorbed in God's thought, in His revealed WORD, then he is indeed united with God, there is friendship between man and God. The Tanya writes, "When a man understands with his intellect, and comprehends and digests the infinite and inscrutable will of the Almighty, there is the most marvelous union between God and man." The link between man and God is thought. God is the originator of thought, man embraces it. This is the great bond uniting man and God, finitude with infinity.” (http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/humility.htm)

Translating this into emotional terms and practical expectations, Rav Soloveitchik’s son in law, Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, writes beautifully:

“The attachment to Torah must be brimming with love, yearning, and passion - specifically for that which has not yet been learned. One who labors at three orders of the Talmud must feel that he is missing the other three; the emotional attachment to and longing for Torah consumes him simply by virtue of its being Torah, given to Moshe and to each individual Jew by God. The thirst for Torah, to be connected with it, to acquire it, should exist with respect to many things which appear distant, as it were, no less than with respect to those things which are, practically speaking, closer. One should feel with all his heart and soul that he is no more exempt from Uktzin [laws of the impurity of fruit stalks] than from Bava Kama [laws of damage]. Of course, not everyone achieves the same amount. But woe to the person who feels that he is exempt from aspiring to expand his horizons, utterly exempt from an entire subject. The spiritual attachment - the interconnectedness with and cleaving to Torah, the joy, the involvement - is the foundation of any serious effort to discover the truth that is in the Torah, to find the imagination within it. This is one pillar, one aspiration of the ben-Torah.” (http://vbm-torah.org/archive/sichot66/06-66ben.htm)

I believe we have adequately shown the basis for attempting to master all of Torah.

Of course, we should start from the beginning and that there are priorities. But Torah is Torah and it is there for us to learn.

“You are not required to complete the task, yet you are not free to withdraw from it” (Pirkei Avos 2:21).

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

The essay:

[My comments will be in brackets.]

[Readers should note the utter lack of citing sources to back up ideas. This fact is most disturbing and raises many eyebrows and questions; I have, where I could, filled in sources. Readers should also note that it does not actually answer my question about the changing of the liturgy.]

When we read this week’s Torah portion of Tzav, we become aware of exactly how difficult the tasks of the kohanim, the priests were. We see them cleaning up the ashes, slaughtering the sacrificial animals, cutting up the meat and dashing the blood, a far cry from the more pleasant tasks of kohanim today who dispense blessings and participate in pidyon haben ceremonies. Of course it has been nearly two thousand years since they were called upon to offer sacrifices.

The question arises: How relevant is the sacrificial system to us today? For those who do not see in the Torah or mitzvot a binding way of life, the answer is obvious. But within the community of believers there are also differences of opinion. Some see the renewal of sacrifices as a matter of immediate urgency and would go so far as to precipitate a major conflict with all of Islam in order to restore the Temple service. [See above] They go to great lengths to study how sacrifices should be brought and to reproduce the Temple vessels. [See above. Also, it is worth noting that this specific idea of kohanim (priests) learning so that they can perform the Temple service was greatly pushed by the saintly Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan]

Others believe that the system will be restored again in one way or another but only in the future, in God’s good time. Yet others believe that, as important as sacrifices were, they are not appropriate for our time and should not be reinstated. To paraphrase Rabbi Haim Hirschensohn, a culture cannot go backwards. [Please provide source. See http://www.biblical.edu/images/connect/PDFs/Restoration%20.pdf for this idea’s use by a Protestant scholar] Therefore it is unimaginable that we could return to sacrifices as our primary method for worshiping God.

There is no question but that sacrifices were an integral part of worship in ancient days. However, regardless of how we feel about their relevance for today, we would do well to examine carefully the question of their importance and their role in the fabric of Jewish observance. I believe we would then discover that they were not the essence of Judaism but only one part of Judaism’s system of religious living, and not the most important at that. [It would appear from Pirkei Avos 2:1 that one cannot truly make such a comparison. Though there are rules of what takes priority, this is hardly the same thing as importance.]

The underlying purpose of the creation of the Tabernacle was not to enable sacrifices to be brought but so that God would dwell in the midst of the people. “Let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell amongst them”. [At best this is a vast oversimplification]

As the incident of the golden calf demonstrated, Israel was in desperate need of a physical symbol of the Divine Presence. The religious revolution that banned idols or any physical representation of God was difficult enough for a people that had lived for centuries in the very center of a civilization based upon such physical representations. To expect them to do without anything tangible, that assured them of God’s Presence, was impossible. [This comes from the Kuzari]

Similarly, at that time, worship without sacrifice was a virtual oxymoron. [This comes from the Rambam’s Morah Nevuchim. It is worth adding that the Rambam in hilchos Me’ila 8:8 and in his introduction to his commentary on the Mishnah says explicitly that the offerings will be reinstated in the future. When viewed along with what he writes in these sources, his statement in the Morah Nevuchim becomes far more clear. I want to thank my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Pesach Wolicki, for showing me these sources.] Some of the Sages taught that the command to build the Sanctuary came only after the sin of the calf as a way of expiating that sin. [Some, see Nechama Leibowitz, New Studies in Exodus II, pages 469-470, note 5, for statements from Chazal which say the Tabernacle was not a response to sin but rather the ideal.] Had Israel not sinned, they would not have needed either the Sanctuary or the sacrifices. [Cain, Able, Noah, Abraham and othes offered offerings long before the golden calf] Sacrifices were taken for granted, but were not the heart of Israelite religion.

The Torah is filled with commandments and norms of life. Sacrifices are only one group of them, and hardly the most important. The laws of justice and civil norms are expounded before the sacrificial laws are detailed. [The laws of offerings however proceed the law to love your neighbor. It is clear that something coming first proves nothing.] The Ten Commandments give us the basic terms of the covenant and never mention sacrifices. [In Brachos we see Chazal setting down laws to combat such beliefs] As we all know so well, the prophets made it clear that justice and righteousness were far more important to God than sacrifices and that without them, sacrifices were utterly useless and even offensive to God.

Our society is so far from having attained the ideals of the Torah and achieving a life of morality and holiness that it seems ludicrous to spend so much time fantasizing about the sacrificial ritual [Briefly mentioning them in prayer is “so much time” and “fantasizing”?] when we should be concentrating on building the just society that the Torah describes. I do not mean to exaggerate, but for all the good things that we have achieved, and they are considerable, we still have a long way to go to become the society the Torah envisions.

Every day we see examples of lack of respect for other human beings, which is lack of respect for God since humans are created in God’s image. Our society is plagued with violence, with husbands killing their wives, with sexual predators and incest, with drivers who prefer speed to safety, with politicians who use their offices for personal gain. We have people living in poverty, homeless people wandering the streets, youth in danger, drug abuse, hatred of one group of Jews for another, women imported and sold as sex slaves, foreign workers mistreated by their employers.

The list of our failings is longer than we would like to think. If ritual is our concern, the most basic Jewish institution, Shabbat, is being called into question. [?] All of these demand our attention and should have priority in our concern.

I have the profoundest respect for the Torah’s descriptions of sacrifices. Israel’s sacrificial system was worlds apart from those of other groups and represented a monumental advance in human worship and in the concept of God. But I also believe that it must be seen in proportion and the lack of sacrifices must not be viewed as some cosmic catastrophe that must be corrected immediately regardless of the consequences.

What we have to correct is what the sacrifices stood for: a desire to draw close to God, a feeling of living with God in our midst, a recognition of the need to be grateful for all God has given us and a desire to share God’s bounty so that there will be no poverty and no suffering among us. Let us put our energies into the creation of that kind of a society that will itself be an expression of holiness on earth. Then God will indeed dwell amongst us.

[One should read http://www.masorti.org.uk/24-04-99.htm and see the mental gymnastics performed by the Conservative movement in an attempt to cope with this issue.]

2006-03-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

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

Parshas Vayikra

Question:

"When a ruler sins…" (Leviticus 4:22). Why does this verse begin with the word "when" while all other verses describing sin begin with "if"?

Sheep, and Cattle, and Goats, Oh My!

In matters such as korbanos, offerings (I prefer this word over sacrifices) brought in the Tabernacle and Temple, for numerous reasons, we Torah Observant Jews are frequently put on the defensive.

Why were offerings commanded in our holy Torah? And why do we fervently pray for their restoration?

In the overview to the Artscroll Leviticus, Rabbi Nosson Scherman summarizes the views of several of our classic commentators, Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Maharal, and more. Each view appears imminently logical. Even the Rambam, whose opinion at first glance might seem crazy, is shown to make sense. Nechama Leibowitz, in the introduction to New Studies in Leviticus, discusses a few more opinions. For those who recall, in Israel last year, I gave a devar Torah based on the approach given by Rabbi Menachem Leibtag.

However, given my affinity for our great teacher, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, I will attempt to present his view.

First, Rav Hirsch finds fault with both translations of korban, sacrifice and offering.

A sacrifice implies some sort of barter system where I sacrifice to gain something in return. This idea is totally foreign to Judaism as G-d is not a candy machine! We can't slaughter animals and force G-d to do something. Offering also implies that the item is desired. G-d is perfect and needs nothing.

Rav Hirsch points out that the root of the word korban is karav, to draw near. A korban is a means of drawing close to G-d, and the Psalmist tells us "G-d's nearness is my good" (Psalms 73:28).

Like others before him, Rav Hirsch views the offering as representing its bringer. Thus, the korban and what is done to it all represents how humans strive to become closer to G-d. Rav Hirsch proceeds to expound on the symbolism of all of the laws. Each and every detail is treated at length.

For example, the Torah says that the animal must be whole (1:3). Rav Hisch says that similarly our attempts to perfect ourselves and serve G-d must also be complete.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-03-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

Parshas Vayakel-Pekudei

This is in the merit of my grandmother, Esther bas Mazal, may she have a speedy and complete recovery.

Question:

(Speaking about the builder of the Tabernacle:) “He has imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom [chochma], with insight [tevuna], and with knowledge [da’as], and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship” (Exodus 35:31)

“The Lord founded the earth with wisdom [chochma], established the heavens with discernment [tevuna]. With His knowledge [da’as] the depths were split, and the heavens drip dew” (Proverbs 3:19-20)

What is the significance between this parallel?

Judaism, Love, Personal Sacrifices

The Torah tells us “Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for any of the work that Hashem had commanded to make through Moses, the Children of Israel brought a free willed offering to Hashem” (Exodus 35:29).

This verse seems sloppily written. The “the Children of Israel” appears to be quite out of place and we would expect the verse to be written ‘Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring…brought a free willed offering to Hashem’

Instead we have “Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for any of the work that Hashem had commanded to make through Moses, the Children of Israel brought a free willed offering to Hashem” (Exodus 35:29).

On the level of drash, the Malbim resolves the problem and derives a powerful message from this verse. He effectively tells us to read the verse as:

“Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for all of the work that Hashem had commanded to make through Moses, the Children of Israel brought as a free willed offering to Hashem” (Exodus 35:29).

In other words, “Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring” were “brought as a free willed offering to Hashem”!

The Malbim says: “All these gifts were not the chief thing in the eyes of God, since it is the heart that the Almighty demands… [T]here were found needy people in Israel who contributed nothing materially, but nevertheless gave their hearts, making a mental reservation, that if they would have the means they would give it to build the whole Tabernacle and all its vessels… It was this type of man and woman which the Children of Israel brought as a free will offering to God. This man and this woman were the real free will offering which the Almighty received, as if Israel were brining them to [H]im” (quoted in Nechama Leibowitz’s Studies on Exodus, volume 2, page 669).

The Malbim interprets the verse “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8) in a similar manner.

“He commanded that each individual should build [H]im a sanctuary in the recesses of his heart, that he should prepare himself to be a dwelling place for the Lord and a stronghold for the excellency of His Presence, as well as an altar n which to offer up every portion of his soul to the Lord, until he gives himself for His glory at all times” (page 483).

The Malbim’s comments are quite similar to the poem, Bilvavi, written by the Kabbalist, Rav Elazar Azkiri:

In my heart I will build a Tabernacle to glorify His honor

And in the Tabernacle, an altar I will place to the splendor of His glory

And for the Eternal Flame, I will take for myself the fire of the Binding of Isaac

And for the offering, I will offer to Him my unique soul

(Hebrew, a transliteration, a different English translation, and music are available at http://www.usy.org/songs/view_song.php?songID=120)

Nechema (page 669) finds support for the Malbim in Isaiah:

“Thus says Hashem: The heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool; what house could you build for Me, and what place could be My resting place? My hand created all thse things and thus all these things came into being – the word of Hashem – but it is to this that I look: to the poor and broken-spirited person who is zealous regarding my word” (Isaiah 66:1-2).

The concept that we need to love G-d and be constantly offering ourselves up to Him by redoubling our efforts to serve Him and be zealous is made explicit by Job “Were He to kill me, I would still yearn for Him…” (Job 13:15).

Similarly, we recite twice a day “And you must love Hashem your G-d… with all of your soul…” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

On this verse, Rashi cites the Mishnah (Brachos 54a) which says “‘and with all your soul’ even if He takes your soul.”

In this matter of love of G-d, we cannot be lax, we must do better! We cannot despair and say that the task is impossible because it does not matter where we are but where we are going. We must work on ourselves. If we can’t love G-d, we can want to love G-d, want to yearn for His Presence, want to long to cling to Him.

“Please Hashem, I am your servant…” (Psalms 116:16).

Biographies:

Rav Elazar Azkiri http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/azikri.htm

The Malbim http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/leibush.htm

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

[To avoid confusion with ambiguous pronouns, in the English translations from Nechama Leibowitz’s Studies, I capitalized in brackets the first letter of pronouns which I think are referring to G-d. I am in doubt however if all of my changes are correct since sometimes the translation on its own capitalizes the letters. However, where I have capitalized, it seems from the English it is referring to G-d and if it was referring to something else, the pronouns would have been written slightly differently. I really should have looked at the Hebrew. It is worth mentioning that throughout these Studies I have found numerous obvious typos and small problems in the translation so I really cannot be sure of much. Nechama wrote the Hebrew but she was not the translator.]

2006-03-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Parshas Ki Sisa

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

I want to apologize for the utter lack of professionalism in this devar Torah.

Question:

Look at Exodus 33:1-3. What are the implications of this statement given that the first tablets have been broken and the second have not yet been given ?

We must ask the question, the nation which stood at Mount Sinai and heard the words of the Living G-d Himself worshipped an idol forty days later ?

There are many different approaches to "soften" this sin.

Ramban says they were only replacing Moses.

Rabbenu Yehuda HaLevy in the Kuzari states they only wanted a tangible image with which to worship G-d who they all knew had no body.

Regardless, the question remains, how could they do it?

For an answer, Rav Chaim Shmueleviztz ztz"l points us to a medrish. Our Sages teach us that at the splitting of the Sea of Reads, even a lowly maidservant experienced a greater level of prophecy than Ezekiel.

Rav Chaim asks, if this is the case, why did the medrish refer to them as still maidservants and not prophetesses ?

His answer is a fundamental of religious growth.

Rav Chaim says that becoming a prophet takes work, hard work. The Jews at the sea did not undergo all of the struggles to reach the level of prophecy, G-d simply gave it to them. Prophets do not build golden calves, ordinary people do (including us if we were alive back then).

Religious growth does not happen automatically, it takes work. Sudden leaps and spiritual highs do not last. Work is involved.

It is not the most desirable message and I am sure people have heard it already. Still, it is worth repeating.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-03-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

Purim

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

Purim may perhaps be the hardest Jewish holiday for us to relate to on a mature level. I believe this to be the case for primarily two reasons:

1. Megillas Esther, the Book of Esther, is central to the day and we have known the story since childhood (for this reason, I assume the reader knows the story). Because of this, we approach the text with all sorts of presuppositions which are not as founded as we might think.

2. With a few exceptions, the day is (seemingly) conducted like a frat party. Take for instance the famous "one is obligated to become drunk on Purim until one does not know the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai" (Megillah 7b) which is decided as Jewish Law in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 795:2)!* Is this really how we are supposed to celebrate a Jewish holiday?

*For practical Halaha, the Rema cites an opinion that this means one should drink a little more than one is used to and then go to sleep for a bit. The Mishnah Breuerah cites the Pri Megadim who decided according to this opinion. Furthermore, the Beur Halacha quotes as law the Chayei Adam which says that the obligation is waived if one knows he will conduct himself with Kalus Rosh (lightheadedness, frivolousness).

Given the challenge, let us attempt to understand Purim on a more sophisticated level.

Some known facts about The Book of Esther (with the exception of #3, culled from Rabbi Hayyim Angel's review of Hadassa Hi Esther, Tradition 34:4, pages 79-97).

1. G-d's name does not appear anywhere in The Book of Esther, even places where it would be natural for it to be found (see chapter 4).

2. The world melech (king) appears about 200 times.

3. The Persian Empire, encompassing the entire known world, is governed by law (the word das (spelled daled taf) (law) appears 35 times in Tanach and 20 of those times are in Esther).

4. A deeper look reveals that Persian law truthfully is utter lunacy. (see for example 1:8, 3:8-11, and 8:8)

5. Our Torah in numerous places tells us that we are punished for sin. However, in Esther we find no theological reason for the decree for the Jews to be annihilated. (Even the assumption that Haman is from Amalakite is not really so apparent.)

Let us begin with the name Purim (lottery). How did the holiday get this name? Conveniently, the Megillah answers us.

"For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had devised to destroy the Jews, and he cast the pur (that is the lot) to terrify them and destroy them. And when she [Esther] came before the king, he commanded through letters that his evil device that he had devised against the Jews return upon his [Haman's] own head, and to destroy him and his sons on the gallows. Therefore, they called these days Purim after the name pur…" (Esther 9:24-26).

Rabbi David Fohrman (in his tapes on Esther) points out that the "therefore", the reason for the name Purim, refers not to Haman casting lots but rather to "when she [Esther] came before the king, he commanded through letters that his evil device that he had devised against the Jews return upon his [Haman's] own head, and to destroy him and his sons on the gallows."

Quite strange.

Evidently, the Megillah "lumps together" chapters 5-7 and views Esther risking her life and visiting the king as the pivotal moment in the drama. Let us analyze it together with the events immediately preceding and precipitating it.

And Mordecai knew all that had transpired [the decree of annihilation was sent publicized], and Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and he went out into the midst of the city and cried [with] a loud and bitter cry. And he came up as far as the king's gate, for one may not enter the king's gate dressed in sackcloth. And in every province, wherever the king's orders and his edict reached, there was great mourning for the Jews, and fasting and weeping and lamenting; sackcloth and ashes were put on the most prominent. (4:1-3)

Fasting is a very Jewish response to such danger.

And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told her, and the queen was extremely terrified, and she sent clothing to dress Mordecai and to take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept [it]. Then Esther summoned Hathach, [one] of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed before her, and she commanded him concerning Mordecai, to know what this was and why this was. So Hathach went forth to Mordecai, to the city square, which was before the king's gate. And Mordecai told him all that had befallen him, and the full account of the silver that Haman had proposed to weigh out into the king's treasuries on the Jews' account, to cause them to perish. And the copy of the writ of the decree that was given in Shushan he gave him, to show Esther and to tell her, and to order her to come before the king to beseech him and to beg him for her people. (4:4-8)

Queen Esther however was completely unaware of her people's plight.

And Hathach came, and he told Esther what Mordecai had said. And Esther said to Hathach, and she ordered him to [tell] Mordecai: "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who comes to the king, into the inner court, who is not summoned, there is but one law for him, to be put to death, except the one to whom the king extends the golden scepter, that he may live, but I have not been summoned to come to the king these thirty days." (4:9-11)

Esther basically says she does not know how she can help. She wants to but she can't. If she tries to see the king, she will die. What is she supposed to do?

And they told Esther's words to Mordecai. And Mordecai ordered to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine to yourself that you will escape in the king's house from among all the Jews. (4:12-13)

Mordechai hits Esther where it hurts. He says that behind Esther's timid response is really apathy, that Esther deep down inside really doesn't care. Mordechai says if 'if you care, you would act' (By His Light, by Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, page 174, also available online at http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/09develop.htm).

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews from elsewhere, and you and your father's household will perish; and who knows whether at a time like this you will attain the kingdom?" (4:14)

Mordechai says 'we don't believe in randomness, G-d will save us one way or another. Who knows, maybe this is why you are queen? We can't know for sure, maybe its not, but still, there is a chance. Your people are in danger, you must act. I can't promise if you will succeed, you may very well be killed, but if you care, you will act. And if you remain silent, you will die.'

Then Esther ordered to reply to Mordecai: "Go, assemble all the Jews who are present in Shushan and fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, day and night; also I and my maidens will fast in a like manner; then I will go to the king contrary to the law, and if I perish, I perish." So Mordecai passed and did according to all that Esther had commanded him. (4:15-17)

Rabbi Fohrman explains that Esther's actions here are a quintessential act of emuna. Discussing emuna, the Chazon Ish writes:

". . . an old error has become rooted in the hearts of many concerning the concept of trust. Trust . . . has come to mean that a person is obligated to believe that whenever he is presented with two possible outcomes, one good and one not, then certainly it will turn out for the good. And if he has doubts and fears the worst, that constitutes a lack of trust…This view of trust is incorrect, for as long as the future outcome has not been clarified through prophecy, that outcome has not been decided, for who can truly know God’s judgments and providence? Rather, trust means realizing that there are no coincidences in the world, and that whatever happens under the sun is a function of God’s decree" (Kuntrus Emuna U-Bittchaon, translation of passages from http://vbm-torah.org/archive/develop/07develop.htm)

Emuna is not acting irrationally and saying that so and so must happen (e.g. that the Disengagement will not happen) because it flies in the face of our believes but rather that whatever happens, happens, and it happens because G-d wants it to happen (the implication of this is that whatever happens is ultimately for the best but perhaps only in the long run). All we can do is do our duty and know that however things end up, that is the way G-d wanted it.

Put yourself in Esther's shoes. You are about to meet the king who choose you for your looks (not explicitly stated but a very reasonable inference), the last thing you would do is fast! She indeed did all she could by dressing up (5:1) but first and foremost, exercising her free will, she turned her gaze heavenward and put all her trust in G-d who is "righteous and fair" (Deuteronomy 32:4). Whatever would happen would be G-d's decree.

We are almost ready to understand 9:24-26 and the choice of the name Purim. But first, one more piece of information. The Talmud inquires as to where Esther is alluded to in the Torah and answers with the verse "I [G-d] will surely hide my face" (Deuteronomy 31:18) (Chullin 139b). Purim takes place during a time of hester panim, of lack of active Divine involvement in the world. (This explains why G-d's name is not in the Megillah.) During such a time, total and utter chaos reigns free. (This explains the insane Persian legal system as well as why no sin of the Jews is mentioned).

Now we are ready to understand the choice of the name Purim.

Again, the Megillah tells us:

"For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had devised to destroy the Jews, and he cast the pur (that is the lot) to terrify them and destroy them. And when she [Esther] came before the king, he commanded through letters that his evil device that he had devised against the Jews return upon his [Haman's] own head, and to destroy him and his sons on the gallows. Therefore, they called these days Purim after the name pur…" (Esther 9:24-26).

We Jews do not believe in random lots or some pre-determined fate. We believe in G-d. Although we cannot rely on miracles, we must be aware that G-d is absolutely in control.

A medrish (Esther Rabbah 3:10) fits this idea when it says that whenever the Megillah mentions 'the king' (unatributed), it also refers to G-d.

The king is mentioned all over the Megillah and G-d is nowhere to be found. But really, melech refers to the King, our G-d. Even in times of hester panim G-d is still in control. It is our duty to trust in Him.

As for the physicality, my Rav (Rabbi Mayer Pasternak) said that the Arizal said that Yom HaKipurrim (the name for Yom Kippur in the Torah) is related to Purim, with the Cuf of Kippurim being the prefix meaning like. Thus, Yom Kippur is a day (Yom) like (Ki) Purim.

This idea has radical implications. If I say a person is an excellent pianist like Beethoven, it is understand that Beethoven is really the better musician. If we say that Yom Kippur is a day like Purim, then we are saying that Purim is the main day. How can we say this?

My Rav explained that Yom Kippur and Purim are both days of teshuva and finding G-d. It is "easy" to be spiritual on Yom Kippur when we don't eat and pray all day and imitate the very angels themselves but on Purim, amidst all the partying and food, amidst all the physicality, in the place where we would least expect G-d to be manifest, it is our task to find Him. And when we perform teshuva and encounter our Creator, it will be more real than even on Yom Kippur.

Have a good Purim,
Mordechai

2006-03-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Parshas Tetzaveh

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

Question:

"You, [Moses], must command the Israelites to bring you clear illuminating oil, made from hand crushed olives, to bring up the candle continuously" (Exodus 27:20).

Compare with Leviticus 24:2. Why are these two verses placed where they are placed?

A Thinking Judaism

A common complain leveled at religious practitioners is that we are brainwashed. (Much to my dismay, speakers at the convention of the "tolerant" Orthodox group Edah has advanced this polemic against fellow Torah observant Jews!!! See http://www.campusj.com/index.php?section=news&album_id=21&year=2005&month=02 and scroll down to Mon Feb 21, 2005. While refuting their views is a simple matter, it is entirely beyond the scope of this devar Torah.)
It follows that we are all unable to think logically and blindly accept what our leaders tell us.

It is my goal to prove these claims incorrect with respect to Judaism.

In this week's Torah portion it states regarding the kindling of the Menorah, "You, [Moses], must command the Israelites to bring you clear illuminating oil, made from hand crushed olives, to bring up [la'alot] the candle continuously" (Exodus 27:20).

What is this language of la'alot [raise up]? The proper word would be li'madlik [to kindle].

Rashi, bothered by this question, comments that the one kindling the fire must light the Menorah until the flame goes up on its own.

Probably based statements such as "Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23) and "My words are like fire" (Jeremiah 23:29), our great teacher, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, metaphorically interprets the verse in our parsha to refer to the goal of Jewish education. He writes "The task of a Torah teacher is to make himself superfluous! Not to keep the 'laity' in lasting dependence on the teachers or priests."

Rav Hirsch gives a similar interpretation to the Men of the Great Assembly's statement "stand up many students" (Avos 1:1). The Mishnah should have stated teach many students. What is the exact meaning of "stand up many students"? Rav Hirsch in his commentary on Avos (found in his siddur) says that teachers must instruct students to be able to stand on their own.

Judaism's loath for brainwashing is also displayed in the quotation from Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg ztz"l, late Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel, found in the introduction to my Mashgiach, Rav Dov Moshe Lipman's book Discover (soon being released under Felheim Publishing). Rav Yaakov Weinberg tells some students to flee from any brainwashing, to run as far away as they can! (See it yourself. I can't do justice.)

I believe we have sufficiently refuted this ignorant claim that we are brainwashed. However, it automatically raises another question.

It says in Pirkei Avos that students should "dirty themselves in the dust of their teachers' feet and drink thirstly in their words" (Avos 1:4). This seems like brainwashing to me! Does this not contract that which we just said?

I believe the answer is rather simple. In so far as our souls are G-d's candles (a paraphrase of Proverbs 20:27), we can say our teachers souls burn brightly with the fire of Torah. This is not the case with us but we want it to be. Thus, we get close to our teachers so they can fan the fire in our souls until it shines forth pristine light.

In conclusion:
1. Judaism utterly despises brainwashing.
2. Students must learn as much as possible from their teachers.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

P.S.
Also, we see that Edah is not nearly as tolerant as it claims to be.

2006-03-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

Parshas Terumah: From the Tabernacle to the Synagogue

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

The question for this week is: In 25:18-22 we find Cherubs over the Ark. Where else in the Torah do we find Cherubs and what is the connection?

The Tabernacle to the Synagogue

This week's Torah portion begins a long list of details regarding the construction of the Tabernacle. The Torah contains an eternal message but what are we supposed to do with all of this?

I remember that last year, at Rabbi Shmuel Silber's (Rav of Suburban Orthodox) parshah shiur for parshas Terumah (this week) that he citing the Slonimer Rebbe who said that we can barely understand these sections of the Torah, and even then, only on the lowest level. (Rabbi Silber's parshah shiur is awesome and I only remember two times since I became Orthodox that I was in Pikesville and did not attend it. It is half hour before services Saturday. If you have a chance, go.) That being said, G-d willing, I will explain a bit about the Tabernacle. [This devar Torah will follow the Ramban, not Rashi, that the Torah here is in chronological order.]

I would like to ask three questions:

1. What is the purpose of the Tabernacle?

2. What is the relationship between the Tabernacle and the end of last week's Torah portion discussing the giving of the Torah?

3. What is the meaning of the verse "They shall make Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell in them" (Exodus 25:8)? It should say G-d will dwell in it, the Tabernacle. Instead the verse says G-d will "dwell in them."

I will answer questions 1-2 now and question 3 a bit later.

1. Both Ramban (on Exodus 25:1) and Professor Umberto Cassutto (quoted by Nechama Leibowitz in her 2nd volume on Exodus, page 484) agree that the purpose of the Tabernacle was to be a portable Mount Sinai. The encounter between G-d and His people at Sinai, the covenant, would continue via the Tabernacle. A strong proof for this is the following parallel:

As soon as Moses reached the mountain top, the cloud covered the mountain. God's glory rested on Mount Sinai, and it was covered by the cloud for six days. On the seventh day, He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. (Exodus 25:14-15)

The cloud covered the Communion Tent, and God's glory filled the Tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34)

2. Professor Cassutto explains this (the answer to question 1) as reason for the juxtaposition of Sinai and the Tabernacle.

We have established that the Tabernacle was a place for encountering G-d. Rav Soloveitchik explains that such an encounter cannot be simply some sort of mystic experience bur rather must be focused into action. In his words:

"Any encounter with God, if it is to redeem man, must be crystallized and objectified in a normative [law] ethico-moral message. If, however, the encounter is reduced to its non-kerygmatic [kerygmatic loosely means message] and non-imperative aspects, no matter how great and magnificent an experience it is, it cannot be classified as a covenantal encounter since the very semantics of the term 'covenant' implies freely assumed obligations and commitments. In contradistinction to the mystical experience of intuition, illumination, or union which rarely results in the formulation of a practical message, prophecy, which, as I emphasized before, has very little in common with the mystical experience, is inseparable from its normative content" (The Lonely Man of Faith, page 61).

For proof, Rav Soloveitchik cites how the most mystical visions in Tanach (Isaiah chapter 6 and Ezekiel chapter 1) also involve the prophet being sent on a mission.

We are now ready to answer question 3.

Rav Hirsch (commentary on Exodus 25:8) explains the strange language of "I will dwell in them" by saying that via the Tabernacle, G-d will dwell within us, within our entire lives. The encounter with G-d will fully encompass our lives.

We are sadly without a Temple (which served the same purpose as the Tabernacle) and we lack prophecy. Still, the prophet speaks of a "miniature sanctuary" (Ezekiel 11:16) which our sages say refers to every synagogue and study hall (learning Torah is also an encounter with the Divine). Like prophecy, authentic prayer (and Torah study) leads to moral refinement. As Rav Soloveitchik writes "Prayer must always be related to a prayerful life which is consecrated to the realisation of the divine imperative, and as such it is not a separate entity, but the sublime prologue to Halakhic action" (The Lonely Man of Faith, page 66).

But what about today, amidst all the confusion, secularization, and assimilation? Do our synagogues serve their purpose? The dropping rate of membership and attendance clearly shows us the answer is a resounding no/ As a general rule, the modern synagogue no longer facilitates a meeting between humans and our Creator.

What are we to do?

Mr. Neil Rubin, editor of the Jewish Times, proposes an answer which basically amounts to making synagogues more dynamic. (His essay can be found at http://www.jewishtimes.com/scripts/edition.pl) Essentially, Mr. Rubin argues for aesthetic improvements.

I do not wish to deny the importance of aesthetics in synagogues. Our great teacher, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, architect of Torah Judaism for modern times, always stressed how everything must be beautiful in every possible way. That being said, Rav Hirsch said that beauty alone accomplishes little.

I prefer to follow the solution proposed by Rav Aharon Soloveitchik (the Rav's brother), especially since this solution comes from a higher Source.

"The Midrash Tanchuma relates a beautiful allegory whose message to us is very significant. When [King Solomon] introduced the Ark, which contained the Law, into the Temple, says the Midrash, all the woodwork within the sanctuary manifested signs of animation. Gradually, a process of germination set in. The very walls were covered with leaves, buds, and twigs which ultimately bore luscious fruit. This process continued until Menashe placed an [idol] in the Holy of Holies, whereupon the Divine Presence departed and all dried up and withered away" (The Warmth & The Light, by Rav Aharon Soloveitchik, page 152).

Thus, for the answer, Rav Aharon Soloveitchik points us to the last two verses of this week's Haftorah:

"Concerning this house which you are building, if you follow My statutes, carry out My judgments, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then I will establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not forsake My people Israel" (1 Kings 6:12-13).

We have to return the Torah to the synagogue!

In his letters, the Rav writes that most desires to deviate from Halacha in synagogue features and prayers result from fundamental misunderstandings of the nature of prayer. He says that American Jews are rational and have the ideas explained to them, they will listen.

For example, discussing having human imagines in synagogue, he says that prayer is about reliance on G-d and including human images centers our attention on man rather than G-d. (See Community, Covenant, and Commitment, by Rav Soloveitchik, page 6)

This applies which all of our prayer services. There are good reasons for the way things are and tampering only chases G-d away.

It is time we return the Torah to the synagogue!

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-02-24T04:30:00.000-08:00

Parshas Mishpatim

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

The question for this week is why, out of all the laws in this week's Torah portion, those of Jewish servants are placed first?

Halacha on a Practical Level

Laws, ordinances, statutes, and more! All found in Parshas Mishpatim. I have already discussed the theoretical need for a halachic system but all these details, isn't it enough for a Rabbi to know them? Why does traditional Jewish study focus the bulk of our energy into halachic studies instead of focusing on philosophical ideas (such as the nature of prayer or the world to come) or Tanach or Midrash?

Rav Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein provides us with an answer: "Without doubt, the Jew, like other people, confronts the Ribbono shel Olam [Master of the Universe] as redeemer, benefactor, and judge. Primarily, however, he encounters Him as commander" (Leaves of Faith, page 3).

G-d commands and we strive to fulfill our mission which we achieve through halacha. (Often we must go beyond halacha but that is a separate discussion.)

Translating this sense of mission into everyday lives, it becomes obvious that if we are to act properly, we must strive to master the details and not leave them to a Rabbi.

This care for the details becomes manifest when comparing Orthodoxy to the Conservative movement, which philosophically recognizes the binding nature of a halachic system. Before I continue, I want to make it clear that this is not a polemic; I am simply attempting to illustrate a concept.* I am not speaking of their methodology nor their scholarship (I could go into detail but again, this is not a polemic). Rather I am speaking of which halachic questions are even asked.

* I want no inferences (either way!) to be drawn from this about my views of the Conservative movement's theoretical philosophy and the same holds true for all non-Orthodox movements. An eighteen year old such as myself cannot confer or deny any legitimacy or validity on anything. The topic of how an Orthodox Jew should relate to non-Orthodox movements is one which every Orthodox Jew should discuss with his or her own Rav and their Rav's opinion should be viewed as binding.

Skimming through the index to the halachic answers written by Reb Moshe Feinstein z"ztl (I highly suggest you read a bit about him at http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/rabbis/feinstein.htm ) I see questions such as:

1. if a women sitting outside a sukkah answers amen to a blessing being made on the mitzvah of sitting in a sukkah.

2. if one accepts Shabbas early, can he or she ask others to do malacha for them.

3. what blessing is made on cornflakes.

Contrast these to the Conservative movement whose halachic responses deal mainly with communal issues and modern fads (Reb Moshe also discusses communal issues). Some examples:

1. whether or not a mechitza is required.

2. can somebody who married a non-Jew receive an aliyah.

3. the burial of non-Jews in Jewish cemeteries.

Practical everyday questions relevant to a halachically observant community are not even asked. Reb Moshe alone answered far, far more questions, most of which are of a much more practical nature, than the entire Conservative movement's committee for Jewish Law.

Halachic questions pop up everywhere and we often are not even aware of them. Practically, a concern for our mission dictates that we learn so we can act.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-02-17T04:30:00.000-08:00

Parshas Yitro

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

Question:

Proposing a court system, Jethro says "Let [the judges] administer justice for the people on a regular basis. Of course, they will have to bring every major case to you, but they can judge the minor cases by themselves. They will then share the burden, making things easier for you" (Exodus 18:22).

Recalling the event, Moses says "...If any case is too difficult, bring it to me, and I will hear it..." (Deuteronomy 1:17).

What is the significance of the change Moses made?

Parshas Yitro

Philosophically speaking, there are many problems with religion. We believe that G-d is completely perfect in every way and lacks any faults. Yet if we extend this logically, Judaism which is based on mitzvot - actual laws commanded to us by a Supreme Commander - appears to make no sense. Here is how:

1. Commanding a person to do something implies that you want something to be done.

2. Wanting something to be done implies that you are currently lacking in something (namely that thing which you want to be done).

3. If you are lacking something, you cannot be perfect.

Therefore: Since G-d commands, it appears we can infer that G-d wants something. If G-d wants something, it appears we can infer that G-d is lacking. If G-d is lacking, it appears we can infer that G-d is not perfect.

This conclusion is utterly unacceptable! However, we do not wish to toss rationality out the window like many Christian theologians demand.

With G-d's help, following Rabbenu Yehuda HaLevi, author of the Kuzari, I will provide a satisfactory explanation to this problem based on this parshah. I hope to flesh out some ideas I mentioned in Parshas Shemos.

-----

When G-d appeared to the king of the Khazars telling the king that his intentions were virtuous but his actions were wrong, the king sought out a philosopher who proceeded to ridicule the whole idea of G-d desiring things.

"There is no favour or dislike in [the nature of] God because He is above desire and intention. A desire intimates a want in the person who feels it, and not till it is satisfied does he become (so to speak) complete. If it remains unfulfilled, he lacks completion." This is essentially the same argument we saw above.

However, the king responds by saying that he knows that this cannot be true because G-d told him! As much as the philosopher's position makes sense, G-d said otherwise! After being dissatisfied with the philosopher (and subsequently Islam and Christianity), he brought a Rabbi.
He said "I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, who led the children of Israel out of Egypt with signs and miracles; who fed them in the desert and gave them the land, after having made them traverse the sea and the Jordan in a miraculous way; who sent Moses with His law, and subsequently thousands of prophets, who confirmed His law by promises to the observant and threats to the disobedient. Our belief is comprised in the Torah -- a very large domain."

The King responds asking why the Rabbi why did he not say he believed in G-d the Creator (rather than the G-d of his ancestors)?

The Rabbi responded that such a faith is "based on speculation and system, the research of thought, [and] open to many doubts."

In our Parshah, we see G-d introduced Himself saying "I am God your Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, from the place of slavery" (Exodus 20:2) and not 'I am the Creator of the world and your Creator.'

The Rabbi tells us that unlike other faiths, based on speculation, ours is based on "personal experience."

Philosophers sit down and ponder but the human intellect has limits. Judaism on the other hand is based on what G-d told us.
The same G-d who spoke to us also tells us He is perfect. Yes, it is a paradox. But paradoxes or OK. Kant basically proved that the G-d is so totally beyond human understanding that we cannot comprehend Him; our knowledge of G-d comes only from Him.

----

In a fitting end, one of the last verses in our parshah states "Wherever My name is mentioned, I will come to you and bless you" (Exodus 20:21).

The experience lives on.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

Parshat Vaera

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

Question:

The letters signify the chiastic structure. What is its' significance?

God spoke to Moses and said to him:
A 'I am Hashem.
B I revealed Myself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as Kel Shakkai, and did not allow them to know Me by My name Hashem.
C I also made My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, where they lived as foreigners.
D I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and I have remembered My covenant.

Therefore say to the Israelites, 'I am Hashem.
I will take you away from your forced labor in Egypt
And I will free you from their slavery
and I will liberate you with a demonstration of My power, and with great acts of judgment.
I will take you to Myself as a nation, and I will be to you as a God. You will know that I am Hashem your G-d,

D the One who is bringing you out from under the Egyptian subjugation.
C I will bring you to the land regarding which I raised My hand, that I would give it to
B Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I will give it to you as an inheritance.
A I am Hashem.' '
(Exodus 6:2-8)

------

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, stretch forth your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring up the frogs on the land of Egypt." And Aaron stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frog came up and covered the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:1-2)

Rashi: and the frog came up. Heb. וַךְתַּעַל הַצְפַרְדֵעַ, literally, and the frog came up. It was one frog, and they [the Egyptians] hit it, and it split into many swarms of frogs. This is its midrashic interpretation (Tanchuma, Va’era 14)…

On this midrash, we must ask why the Egyptians kept hitting the frog and splitting it. (Mind you, the Egyptians were extremely smart, to this day we have no idea how they built the pyramids with what they had and I also read somewhere that they even had developed primitive batteries!) Why did they not ketch on and figure out that hitting frogs did not solve anything?

I heard as tape from Rabbi Raymond Beyda where he cited Rav Yeruchum Levovitz zzt"l with an explanation.

He said that it is clear that the Egyptians became quite furious in their unsuccessful attempts to kill the frogs and their anger blinded them to their ever growing problems.

While the Rambam (Hilchos Deot 1:4) advocates balancing our character traits, he later (2:3) says this does not apply to arrogance and anger, both which must be completely eliminated.

King Solomon wrote:

"Rage is cruel and anger is overwhelming and who can withstand the jealous rage?" (Proverbs 27:4).

"He who is in great wrath shall suffer punishments; if you come to his rescue, you merely add aggravation" (Proverbs 19:19).

Rav Hirsch comments "Once a person is caught in the throes of a towering rage, he can hardly be helped anymore; and he will have to bear the consequences, which may pay prove unfortunate. A neighbor may try to save him and his victim by persuasion, but he will only succeed in incensing him more" (From the Wisdom of Mishlé, page 194).

Somebody enraged literally looses their senses and the Ramchal (chapter 11 of Mesillas Yesharim) compares such a person to an animal!

These are all rational reasons, understandable to all, why to keep calm but our tradition gives us even better reasons.

"You tear up your soul in your anger…" (Job 18:4)

Rabbi Beyda understood this to mean that when one gets angry, they loose any level of spirituality that they had achieved. I can attest to this. Any inspiration is replaced with rage and after I calm down, I feel quite far from G-d. I believe this is what the Ramban in his famous letter was alluding to when he said one who gets angry experiences hell in this world. Anger is literally hell and we have good reason to fear getting mad. For me, preserving my soul is the primary motivation for me working on developing patience.

Our sages in Shabbas 105b say regarding a person who got angry "it is as if he worshipped idols"! The common (and in my opinion correct) explanation is that when one gets angry, it is because he is expecting for something to turn out one way and it does not. In truth, there is no basis for this expectation since G-d runs the world but in our arrogance, we forget about Him. Thus, it is comparable to idolatry.

Bottom Line

King Solomon also stated "Do not befriend a quick-tempered person, neither shall you go with a wrathful man lest you learn his ways and ensnare your soul" (Proverbs 22:24-25) and the Rambam decides this as halacha (Hilchos Deos 2:3)!

When we get angry, we need to hold it in and let it go. Eventually, things simply will not bother us.

"The way of the righteous is to be humble without being humbled, not to answer back when disgraced, to do things out of love and to be joyous in suffering" (Rambam: Hilchos Deos 2:3).

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-01-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

Parshat Shemot

This is dedicated to my grandmother, Esther bat Mazal. May she have a complete and speedy recovery.

Question:

"The Children of Israel were fruitful, teemed, increased, and became strong - very, very much so; and the land was filled with them" (Exodus 1:7).

"Then Hashem said to me, 'The iniquity of the House of Israel and Judah is very, very great - and the land has been filled with bloodshed and the city has been filled with injustice, for they have said, 'Hashem has forsaken the land' and 'Hashem does not see''" (Ezekiel 9:9).

Note the extreme similarity between the language in these two verses. What is their connection?

Recall how in Parshat VaYigash, G-d appeared to Jacob "in night visions" (Genesis 46:2). In Parshat Vayigash I wrote, "What is the symbolism of 'night visions'? The Artscroll Chumash, basing itself off of the Meshech Chochma (by Rav Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk, 1843-1926), answers 'This is the only place where a vision is described in this manner, which implies impending darkness. At this moment, Jacob was poised to leave Eretz Yisrael for a long, long Egyptian exile, and he was right to be afraid of what would happen to his family there. The night of exile, when hope is enveloped in darkness, was about to begin, so God came in night visions to symbolize to him that though Jews would be exiled from their land, they would never be exiled from their God; He would always be with them' (page 257)."

In the first chapter of the book of Exodus, we find the Hebrews in complete darkness. As Nechama Leibowitz describes it "The picture drawn here of Israel is one of unrelieved gloom, characterless and faceless, devoid of personalities and bereft of leadership, a suffering, downtrodden mass with no heroic figures" (New Studies in Shemot, page 17).

At the end of chapter 2, we find that things are about to change:

"A long time then passed , and the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were still groaning because of their subjugation. When they cried out because of their slavery, their pleas went up before God. God heard their cries, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God took heed [literally and God knew]" (2:22-25).

Nechama writes "God first appears in the role of object - the target of their groanings and cries. This is followed by four successive references to Him as God in the role of subject. This fourfold repetition of the subject by name rather than by pronominal reference before every predicate is grammatically deviant. It represents a foregrounding of the progressive re-appearance of God as a factor in the life of Israel, the progressive breaking down of barriers and resumption of the link between the upper and lower worlds. God heard, remembered, saw and heeded. The sudden and successive re-appearance of the Divine name in the text signalled the end of the period of His estrangement from the world. No longer would He work from behind the scenes but would act openly in full public view bursting forth into the arena history with a strong hand and outstretched arm" (18-19).

Immediately following this is the burning bush.

"An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed" (Exodus 3:2).

What was its symbolism?

Rashi: from within the thorn bush: But not from any other tree, because of "I am with him in distress" (Psalms 91:15).

In other words, G-d cares and feels the Hebrews' pain.

It is here that we find G-d revealing the name "I Will Be Who I Will Be" (Exodus 3:14). Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits writes "It expresses the 'jutting out' of the divine being into time... The correct meaning of the text, therefore, is: I am forever present (for man). The rabbis in the Talmud give it the right interpretation when they remark: 'What is the meaning of ehyeh asher ehyeh? The Hole One said to Moses: Go and tell Israel that as I have been with them in this subjugation so shall I be with them in their future subjugation's by other kingdoms...' Brachot 9b." (God, Man, and History, by R. Dr. Berkovits, page 171).

Why is it so important to know that G-d cares?

When G-d appeared to the king of the Khazars telling the king that his intentions were virtuous but his actions were wrong, the king sought out a philosopher who proceeded to ridicule the whole idea of G-d desiring things.

"There is no favour or dislike in [the nature of ] God because He is above desire and intention. A desire intimates a want in the person who feels it, and not till it is satisfied does he become (so to speak) complete. If it remains unfulfilled, he lacks completion." In other words, if G-d desires, He is not perfect. If G-d is perfect, He does not desire.

However, the king responds by saying that he knows that this cannot be true because G-d told him! As much as the philosopher's position makes sense, G-d said otherwise!

R. Berkovits writes "The foundation of religion is not the affirmation that God is but that God is concerned with man and the world..." (God, Man, and History, page 15).

Thus the message we receive is that (although logically we cannot understand how), G-d cares and is going to act.

(G-d willing, I will elaborate on this on Parshat Yitro.)

Thus, we have a fitting end for our parshah:
"God said to Moses, 'Now you will begin to see what I will do to Pharaoh. He will be forced to let them go. [Not only that, but] he will be forced to drive them out of his land.'" (Exodus 6:1)

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-01-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

Question: Explain the significance of this Biblical parallelism:

'Simeon and Levi are a pair;
instruments of crime are their wares.
Let my soul not enter their plot;
let my spirit not unite with their meeting -
for they have killed men with anger,
maimed bulls with will.
Cursed be their rage, for it is fierce,
and their fury, for it is cruel.
I will disperse them in Jacob,
scatter them in Israel. (Genesis 49:5-7)

Parshat Vayechi: A Time to Act
I will summarize a short thought from the Lechem Abiram (Parshat Vayechi has always been a hard parsha for me for making divrei Torah).

"Israel saw Joseph's sons. 'Who are these?' he asked. 'They are the sons that God gave me like this,' replied Joseph to his father" (Genesis 48:8-9)

It is strange that Jacob did not recognize his grandchildren. Rashi explains that Jacob saw through Ruach HaKodesh that evil leaders who would cause Israel to sin would descend from Joseph's sons. Thus, he was fearful of blessing them.

Joseph responds by saying "they are the sons that G-d gave me like this" (a literal translation of Genesis 48:9).

Like this. Do not look into the future. Right now, they are righteous. Bless them. And indeed, Jacob does.

We all make calculations (and don't get me wrong, thinking is important, very important) but the fact is that G-d wants us to do His plain will. There are times when we make calculations and deep down we know we are not doing the right thing. The message for us is to just look to the present and do what we must.

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-01-06T04:23:00.000-08:00

Parshat Vayeshev

Compare and contrast (it is recommended to compare them in Hebrew):

"From there, [Isaac] went up to Beer-sheba. God appeared to him that night and said, 'I am God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and grant you very many descendants because of My servant Abraham.' [Isaac] built an altar there and called in God's name. He set up his tents there, and his servants dug a well in the area." (Genesis 26:23-25)

"Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beer-sheba. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, 'Jacob! Jacob!' 'I am here,' replied [Jacob]. [God] said, 'I am the Omnipotent God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:1-4)

Faith in Exile

"Israel began the journey, taking all his possessions, and he arrived in Beer-sheba. He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in night visions and He said, 'Jacob! Jacob!' 'I am here,' replied [Jacob]. [God] said, 'I am the Omnipotent God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will go to Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back again. Joseph will place his hands on your eyes.'" (Genesis 46:1-4)

What is the symbolism of "night visions"? The Artscroll Chumash, basing itself off of the Meshech Chochma (by Rav Meir Simcha HaKohen of Dvinsk, 1843-1926), answers "This is the only place where a vision is described in this manner, which implies impending darkness. At this moment, Jacob was poised to leave Eretz Yisrael for a long, long Egyptian exile, and he was right to be afraid of what would happen to his family there. The night of exile, when hope is enveloped in darkness, was about to begin, so God came in night visions to symbolize to him that though Jews would be exiled from their land, they would never be exiled from their God; He would always be with them" (page 257).

This all reminds me the verse in Psalms "To declare in the morning Your kindness and Your faith at night" (42:3). Rashi explains:

"To declare in the morning: Your kindness at the time of the Redemption"

"Your faith at night: And during the distress of the exile, to believe in You that You will keep Your promise, all this is splendid and good."

Before we can strengthen our faith, we must properly understand it. So what is faith? Yona Meir ben Baruch argues that faith is not some "intellectual affirmation" but rather "a personal relationship based on trust" (the News for Jews booklet, page 42).

So, for us in exile (and even in Israel it still is really exile though admittedly, it is quite different from say the US), how do we have faith and maintain this loving relationship with G-d and not assimilate into surrounding cultures? I believe we can find the answer by looking back to the actions of our ancestors.

The verse states "Jacob set out from Beer-sheba [to Egypt]. Israel's sons transported their father..." (Genesis 46:5). The Sforno is bothered by why the Torah refers to Jacobs sons as "the children of Israel." He answers that since they are all heading into Egypt, into exile, the children of Jacob now need to strive and struggle to become the children of Israel. They need to redouble their efforts in the face of the Egyptian society.

This is exactly the approach Yona Meir advocates in News for Jews. Pointing out that at Sinai, we uttered Naase ViNishma "We will do and [only then] we will understand" (Exodus 24:17), he argues that faith "is better described as a process rather than a fixed act. The more we study and think and experience, the more our faith deepens, develops, and expands" (the News for Jews booklet, page 42).

Have a good Shabbas,
Mordechai

2006-01-06T04:17:00.000-08:00

With my parents in Israel, I was out of Yeshiva and had no time to prepare or write anything. However, I am sending a devar Torah I wrote for the Pearlstone Shabbaton last year but which I never gave because the Shabbaton was postponed. Looking back, I see there are things I would change but still, I feel it is a good devar Torah.

Chanukah Sameach [although at the time of this posting, it is no longer Chanukah),
Mordechai

Dreams are very significant in both this week's and last week's Torah portions. Both Joseph and Pharaoh dream two dreams but there are several significant differences between them. A quick summery of the dreams:

Joseph and his brothers are binding sheaves in the field when the brothers' sheaves bowed down to Joseph's sheaf. In the second dream, Joseph sees the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to him.

Pharaoh is standing by the Nile when seven healthy cows emerge from the river only to see seven ugly and lean cows come out of the river and gobbled down the healthy cows. Pharaoh told Joseph that after they ate the healthy cows, the lean cows still looked terrible. In his second dream, he sees good ears of grain growing on one stalk but seven think ears of grain popped out of the ground and swallowed up the good ears of grain.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, said that these dreams represented two diametrically opposed world views. Joseph's dream begins with an image of labor, as it says

" וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים, בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶה" "we were binging sheaves in the field." Pharaoh on the other hand is standing on the bank of the Nile when the cows emerge from the water; no effort was involved. Next, Joseph's dreams involve a progression of lower forms to higher forms; first they have individual ears of grain which are tied into bundles and then in the next dream, instead of grain we have celestial objects. Pharaoh goes from healthy cows to sick cows to grain to frail grain. Joseph works and merits more and more Pharaoh who expects everything to be provided watches everything vanish.

We can learn an important lesson from all this. When a person believes that he or she can accomplish something without effort, that person can be sure that this belief comes from our animal soul, our unspiritual side, which is more commonly referred to as the Yetzer HaRah or evil inclination. It is true that one can benefit without labor just as Pharaoh saw the seven healthy cows. However, it is a scientific fact that cows don't grow in rivers; any benefit gained without effort is not real and in the end, all the fake benefits will disappear.

I believe that Chanukah is the celebration of the Jewish world view over the world view of those who answer to their Yetzer HaRah.

It is a historic fact that the Greeks' goal was to Hellenize the Jews and assimilate them into the Greek culture which is why in Al HaNisim, the special liturgical addition for Chanukah, we say that the Greeks rose up against Israel "LiHashkicham Toratecha – to make Israel forget [G-d's] Torah."

But wait a minute! The Greeks appreciated valued the wisdom and beauty of the Torah, so much so that Ptolemy II forced the sages to translate the Torah into Greek. And mind you, it did not just sit on their bookshelf; the Talmud is filled with debates between Rabbis and Philosophers regarding minutiae of the Torah.

The difference between these philosophers and Rabbis is that for the philosophers, everything was intellectual but for the Rabbis, it was a Torat Chaim, a sacred Torah meant to be lived. The Greeks had no problems with Jews studying torah as long as it was not viewed as the Torah, a spiritual document which transforms our souls and an instruction manual for bringing G-d's Presence into the world.

This is why the Greek's defiled the oil rather than simply destroying it. The flames from the Temple's Menorah represent the Torah and it was the Greek's goal to force the Jews to light the Menorah with impure oil. Had the Maccabees lost faith and caused the flames to burn with the defiled oil, they would have corrupted the Torah with unspiritual and unG-dly influences. No longer would the light of the Menorah shine forth brining G-d's Presence into the world. Rather, it would be nothing but a dead and meaningless symbol.

Although today there are many, both outside and sadly even within the Jewish community, who would have us view Torah as a lifeless document, the lights of Chanukah remind us what Torah really is. We must emulate Joseph and work to safeguard the true essence of the Torah just as the Maccabees did 2160 years ago.

[My Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Scott Kahn shlita, gives a good example: the Chanukah song Mi Yomallel Gevurot Yisrael. The song takes phrases and passages from Tanach and rabbinic literature referring to the greatness of G-d and changes and twists them around to make them refer to man. I had always sung this song not realising the unJewish nature of its ideas and its sinister form of composition.]

2005-12-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

Chanukah and the Beauty of Judaism

I would like to begin my devar Torah the following question:

According to the Gemara (Shabbat 21b), we are only "required" to light a single candle each night for Chanukah. The Gemara continues saying that the next level of observence is Mehadrin meaning that you light a Chanukah Menorah, adding one new candle each night. Finally, the Gemara mentions Mehadrin Min HaMehadrin which is (for Ashkenazim, see the Ramah in the Shulchan Aruch 671:2) each member of the house lighting their own Chanukah Menorah and adding a new candle each night. Today, everybody follows the Mehadrin Min HaMehadrin (with each family member lighting his or her own Chanukah Menorah). Nowhere else are we Mehadrin Min HaMehadrin, why here for Chanukah?

To answer this question, we must first understand Chanukah's historical background. In Rabbinic literature, we find references to four exiles which we will undergo, the exile of Babylon, the exile of Persia, the exile of Greece (during which Chanukah took place), and the exile of Rome (which we are still in today). We must ask, why is the Greek exile considered an exile if we were dwelling in the land of Israel? The classic (and in my opinion correct) answer is that unlike the other exiles, the Greek exile was of a spiritual nature. The Greeks and the Hellenists wanted the Jews to assimilate. At that time, Greece was the center of culture in the ancient world and the Greeks and Hellenists imported their culture to Israel and built sacrificial alters, sports arenas, etc. To speed up assimilation, the Greeks forbade practicing Judaism and studying Torah.

The Maccabees victory was thus both a military and a spiritual victory. Thus, the great Rav Hirsch explains in Horeb (pages 152-157) that Chanukah is the celebration of our spiritual survival in exile.

Now we can answer why everybody follows Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin. Rav Moshe Eisenmann explains (near the beginning Of Parents & Penguins) that the conflict between the Maccabees and the Greeks and Hellenists was one of beauty and the beauty of Torah conquered the beauty of culture. Thus, we beautify the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah menorah by performing it in the optimal way.

At this point, I would like to mention that the beauty of Judaism needs to be experienced. As I wrote in the Jewish times "Our ancestors chose death with the Shema on their lips over baptism so we could practice Judaism. But alas! What once was about having a relationship with our loving Creator has now been reduced to bagels, klezmer music, and hollow slogans. Can we expect Jews to marry Jews when they have never experienced the joy of a Shabbas meal or the holistic stimulation of studying Gemara?"

I believe very strongly that each and every Jew should read Rav Hirsch's The Nineteen Letters. Rav Shlmono Zalman Spitzer said "Anybody who reads the Nineteen Letters will find that until now he did not know Judaism as he knows it now, and literally becomes like a new being..." Translated into plain and simple English, reading the book is an amazing experience which never gets old (I have read it multiple times). The Nineteen Letters was so beautiful that Abraham Geiger, leaderof the Reform movement in Germany, praised the book. Similarly, Solomon Schecter (of JTS) was extremely pleased when it was first translated into English. Feldheim is having a 20% off sale for Chanukah and now is the ideal time to purchase this gem. (I have serious questions one some of the content in the explanatory notes but they are still extremely helpful.)

http://www.feldheim.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=0-87306-696-0&type=store&category=search

Chanukah Sameach,
Mordechai